Curried Shepherds Pie

Do you ever find a recipe and think mmm - must try that, cook it and find it is delish and then promptly forget or lose the recipe with no hope of finding it again? 

Well that is what has happened with this Curried Shepherds Pie. 

The photos (albeit bad photos) have been sitting on my desktop for an absolute age waiting for me to find the recipe so I can write it up, well I don't think there is any hope.  I can guess what went in it:-

Minced lamb (or beef)

Carrots, diced

Peas, no doubt frozen

onions chopped

Curry powder and/or garam masala

Stock

New potatoes diced and I think par boiled and then tossed in curry powder and lemon juice, then placed on top of the mince and veg.

Chopped coriander and soured cream/creme fraiche to serve

But the quantities and cooking times are all a mystery.  I will experiment again at some point and update on my findings, but for now it can sit on the blog as an aide memoir.

Chicken & Basil Stew

A lovely fresh and light supper dish again from Good Food.  Modified it slightly to suit new diet.  Easy and filling.

Summer Chicken & Basil Stew

Serves 2 WW Pro Points 15 per serving

2 tsp olive oil

4 chicken thighs, skinless and boneless

1 tbsp plain four, seasoned with S&P and mustard powder

2 peppers, I chose red and orange chopped

300g new potatoes, halved

Handful of button mushrooms, halved

125ml white wine

150ml chicken stock, from cube

15g fresh basil leaves

Heat the oil in a large, flameproof casserole. Dust the chicken thighs with the seasoned flour and add to the casserole. Cook over a high heat, turning once, until golden all over.

Add the peppers, potatoes and mushrooms to the casserole and cook for 3 mins. Pour in the white wine and chicken stock and season with salt and pepper. Cover the casserole and simmer for 20-25 mins or until the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the basil and cook for another 5 mins.

Chicken & Polenta

I have never really tried polenta before, well once when the recipe asked for me to pan fry it and it turned turned out to be a total disater, bland, stodgy and burnt.  So when I saw this recipe from the Good Food website I though I may as well give it another go and boy was I pleased I did.  A total Friday night treat, delicious, moist and very flavourful.

Chicken & Polenta

Serves 2, WW Pro Points 21 per servings approx.

500g Ready to use Polenta

25g grated Parmesan

2 chicken breasts, FR corn fed skin on approx 200g each

250g cherry tomatoes

1 clove garlic, sliced

2 tbls olive oil

Leaves of a couple sprigs or rosemary

Heat oven to 200oc. Crumble the polenta into small chunks and scatter in the bottom of a small roasting tin. Tip in the Parmesan and mix. Sit the chicken breasts, cherry tomatoes, rosemary and garlic on top of the polenta, drizzle with olive oil, then season to taste.

Roast for 25 mins or until the chicken skin is crisp and golden and the meat fully cooked. The polenta and cheese should have turned crusty around the edges. Serve with a green salad.

So very simple, yet utterly scrumptious.  I now love polenta!

Turkey Meatballs with Creamy Sauce

Still sticking to the Weight Watchers diet and still enjoying it! They have a great number of healthy and low pointed recipes to choose from I think I have only cooked a dish a second time on a couple of recipes. This is one of them a real winner with hubby as well. Modified this recipe to suit our likes.

Spicy Turkey Meatballs with Creamy Cauliflower & Potato

Serves 4. 8 Pro Points per serving

400g New potatoes, halved

1 medium cauliflower broken into small florets

280g Turkey mince
1 Red chilli, deseeded and chopped fine
3 medium spring onions, chopped very fine
3tlbs creme fraiche, half fat

40g Parmesan, fine grate

40g Gruyere, grated

2 tsp Dijon Mustard - Optional

1/4tsp Cayenne Pepper

S&P

Cornflour mixed with a little water

Simmer potatoes in water until tender. Cook the cauliflower until al dente, drain and retain the water.

Combine the minced turkey with the chilli, spring onions and Cayenne, S&P. Form into 16-20 small balls. Heat a non-stick frying pan and cook them over a medium heat, turning often for about 15 minutes.

Take the potatoes, cauli and meatballs and place in a shallow dish.

Take 75ml of the cauli water in a saucepan and add the creme fraiche, simmer and whisk until slightly thickened, add the Gruyere and half of the Parmesan and melt in, add the cornflour and mustard and whisk over low heat until thickened.

Pour over the dish, top with remained of the Parmesan and season with more cayenne or pepper.

Place under a hot grill for a few mins, until melted and golden.

Serve.

A really hearty dish and fun to make.