This Christmas, we’ve teamed up with our partners at WW to bring you six fantastic winter-warming recipes that are not only delicious, but are also fairly healthy. So if you want to enjoy some tasty Christmas treats without the extra calories, these are for you!
Butternut noodles with turkey & apple
Serves 1 | Prep time 20 minutes | Cook time 10 minutes
Points: 5
Ingredients:
- Calorie controlled cooking spray
- 1 1⁄4 tsp low-fat spread
- 100g spiralised butternut squash
- 1⁄2 apple, chopped
- 1 shallot, sliced
- 80g cooked skinless turkey breast meat
- 100ml chicken stock made with 1⁄2 a stock cube
- 1 1⁄2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
- 1⁄2 tsp lemon zest
- 1 1⁄2 tbsp toasted chopped walnuts
Method:
1. Mist a non-stick frying pan with cooking spray. Add 1⁄2 tsp spread and melt over a medium heat. Add the butternut noodles, apple and shallot. Cover and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the noodles start to soften.
2. Stir in the turkey, 60ml stock and thyme and season. Cook for 3 minutes more until the noodles are tender. Add the remaining spread and lemon zest, with a splash more stock if dry. Sprinkle over the walnuts and serve.
Roast pork with onion gravy
Serves 4 | Prep time 20 minutes | Cook time 1 hour 5 minutes
Points: 9
Ingredients:
- 4 carrots, cut into 1cm chunks
- 2 red onions, cut into wedges
- 600g new potatoes, halved or quartered, if large
- 2 apples, cored and cut into wedges
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1½ tablespoons wholegrain mustard
- 2 teaspoons clear honey
- 500ml chicken stock, made with 1 stock cube1 tablespoon dried mixed herbs
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 400g pork tenderloin fillet
- Calorie controlled cooking spray
- 4 tablespoons onion chutney
- 2 teaspoons cornflour
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 190°C, fan 170°C, gas mark 5. Put the vegetables, apples and garlic cloves in a roasting tin. In a small jug, combine the mustard with the honey and 150ml of the chicken stock, then pour over the vegetables. Season to taste, cover with foil and roast for 25 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, put a frying pan over a medium heat. Mix the dried herbs with the lemon zest and some salt and pepper on a dinner plate. Mist the pork with cooking spray, then roll it in the herb mixture. Put the pork in the pan and cook, turning, for 5 minutes until browned all over.
3. Take the roasting tin with the vegetables out of the oven and remove the foil. Put the pork on top of the veg and return the tin, uncovered, to the oven. Increase the temperature to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas mark 6 and roast for 40 minutes or until the pork is cooked to your liking.
4. Meanwhile, make the onion gravy. Put the onion chutney and remaining stock in a small pan and put over a low-medium heat. In a small jug, combine the cornflour with 4 teaspoons of water and add to the pan. Simmer, whisking constantly, for 2-3 minutes, or until thickened.
5. Slice the pork and serve with the vegetables and gravy.
Vegan sausages with carrot & swede mash
Serves 4 | Prep time 5 minutes | Cook time 20 minutes
Points: 6
Ingredients:
- 8 vegan sausages
- Calorie controlled cooking spray
- 1kg pack chopped carrot and swede
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon agave syrup
- 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 300ml hot vegetable stock, made with 1 stock cube
- 2 teaspoons cornflour
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked and roughly chopped, to serve
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas mark 4. Put the sausages in a roasting tin, mist with cooking spray and cook for 20 minutes, turning halfway through.
2. Put the carrot and swede in a large pan of boiling water and cook for 20 minutes or until tender, then drain and mash. Season to taste, then stir in the nutmeg.
3. Meanwhile, whisk the agave syrup, mustard, vinegar and stock together in a small pan and put over a medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes until slightly reduced. Put the cornflour in a small bowl and whisk in a little of the stock until well combined. Stir the mixture into the gravy and cook for 2 minutes until thickened.
4. Serve the sausages on the mash with the thyme scattered on top and the gravy poured over.
One-pan Boxing Day gnocchi
Serves 2 | Prep time 5 minutes | Cook time 20 minutes
Points: 11
Ingredients:
- Calorie controlled cooking spray
- 4 smoked bacon medallions, roughly chopped
- 1⁄2 red onion, finely sliced
- 175g cooked Brussels sprouts
- 1 garlic clove, finely sliced
- 300g gnocchi
- 100g cooked skinless turkey breast, shredded
- 30g Stilton, crumbled
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Method:
1. Mist a large frying pan with cooking spray and fry the bacon for 2-3 minutes until golden. Remove and set aside. Mist the pan again and fry the onion and Brussels sprouts over a medium heat for 5-6 minutes until the onions soften and the sprouts start to colour. Add the garlic and fry for another minute.
2. Add the gnocchi to the pan and stir the ingredients together. Fry, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until the gnocchi has a light golden crust. Then, stir in the bacon and turkey and cook until the turkey is warmed through. Turn off the heat and crumble the Stilton over the pan. Allow the cheese to melt for 2 minutes before serving with a scattering of parsley.
Raspberry squares (Linzertorte)
Makes 24 (12 pictured) | Prep time 15 minutes | Cook time 50 minutes
Points per square: 6
Ingredients:
- 170g plain flour
- 55g icing sugar, plus 1 tbsp to decorate
- 115g unsalted butter
- 1⁄2 tsp almond extract
- 320g raspberry jam
- 250g frozen raspberries
- 24 fresh raspberries
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas mark 4. Place the flour, 40g icing sugar, butter and almond extract in a food processor. Pulse to combine, breaking up the butter into pea-size pieces.
2. Pour the flour mixture into a 29cm x 19cm ungreased rectangular baking dish. Smooth out into an even layer and tap with the back of a spatula to form a crust. Bake for about 20 minutes until the crust just starts to turn golden.
3. Meanwhile, put the jam and frozen raspberries in a pan over a medium heat. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the jam is runny and the raspberries have thawed.
4. When the crust is ready, pour the raspberry mixture over the top and smooth into an even layer. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until set.
5. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the dish until just warm. Cut into 24 squares, remove from the dish and place on a wire rack. When the raspberry bars are completely cool, add a fresh raspberry to each one and dust with the remaining icing sugar.
Easy eggnog
Serves 4 | Prep time 4 minutes | Cook time 1 minute
Points: 10
Ingredients:
- 500m low fat vanilla ice cream
- 480ml unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg (or freshly grated)
- 4 cinnamon sticks, for garnish
Method:
1. Remove the lid and top film from a 500ml tub of ice cream. Microwave, uncovered at 50% power, for 1 minute or until soft.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the softened ice cream, almond milk and nutmeg until smooth. Divide the egg nog evenly among 4 glasses and garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg and a cinnamon stick, if you like.
Notes – You can double or triple the recipe for a party and serve in a punch bowl. Make these alcoholic drinks by adding a shot of brandy to each. Be sure to adjust the Points!