To celebrate Australia Day I have some great recipes from Weight Watchers.
Not only are these recipes a healthier choice but they also reflect the diverse cultural background that makes up this great nation. From sumac lamb to dumplings there’s also some ‘Aussie’ favourites like lamingtons and the good old meat pie.
Lamingtons
5 ProPoints value per piece | Makes 24 | Prep 30 mins |
Cooking Time 40 mins + cooling and 1 hour setting
Ingredients
6 eggs
2/3 cup (150 grams) caster sugar
1/3 cup (50 grams) corn flour
1/2 cup (75 grams) plain flour
1/3 cup (50 grams) self-raising flour
4 cups (640 grams) icing sugar
1/2 cup (50 grams) cocoa powder
15g Weight Watchers Canola Spread
1 cup (250 ml) skim milk2 cups (160 grams) desiccated coconut
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C or 160C fan-forced. Lightly spray a 20cm x 30cm baking dish with oil and line with baking paper, allowing it to hang over the 2 long sides.
- Using electric beaters, beat eggs in a medium bowl until thick and pale. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift cornflour, plain flour and self raising flour 3 times onto baking paper (see note). Gently fold flour into egg mixture. Spread into prepared tin. Bake for 35 minutes or until springy to the touch.
- Meanwhile, line a wire rack with baking paper. Turn cooked cake immediately onto prepared rack to cool.
- Sift icing sugar and cocoa into a medium heatproof bowl. Stir in spread and milk. Place bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (make sure the base doesn’t touch the water). Stir for 2-3 minutes or until smooth and combined.
- Cut cake into 24 squares. Place coconut in a dish. Using a fork, carefully dip each piece of cake into chocolate mixture. Shake off excess. Toss in coconut. Place on wire rack over a baking tray to catch any drips. Set lamingtons aside for 1 hour or until set. Serve.
TIP: Cooled un-iced cake suitable to freeze for up to 1 month or store iced lamingtons in airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 5 days.
Chicken Dumplings in Asian Broth
5 ProPoints value per serve | Serves 4 | Prep 25 mins |
Cooking Time 20 mins
Ingredients
200 grams extra lean chicken mince
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/4 cup (50 grams) finely chopped water chestnuts
1 long fresh red chilli, finely chopped
2 green shallots, thinly sliced
1/4 cup (60 ml) soy sauce
20 x 8 cm square wonton wrappers
1 L (4 cups) chicken stock
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
2 tbs fish sauce
2 tbs lime juice
1 bunch baby coy sum, coarsely chopped
2 cups bean sprouts
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves
Instructions
- Combine mince, garlic, ginger, water chestnuts, half the chilli, half the shallots and 2 teaspoons soy sauce in a medium bowl. Arrange wonton wrappers on a work bench. Place a heaped teaspoon of mince mixture in the centre of each wonton wrapper and brush edges with a little water. Gather edges around filling to enclose and pinch together to seal.
- Bring stock, sliced garlic and ginger, fish sauce, lime juice, remaining soy sauce and 2 cups (500 ml) water to water to the boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove and discard garlic and ginger. Add wontons and cook for 2 minutes, then add choy sum and cook for 2-3 minutes or until wontons are cooked through and choy sum is just tender.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken dumplings and choy sum into serving bowls. Ladle broth into bowls and serve topped with fresh bean sprouts, coriander leaves and remaining chopped chilli and shallots.
Middle Eastern Sumac Lamb with Red Cabbage & Orange Salad
11 ProPoints value per serve | Serves 4 | Prep 15 mins |
Cooking Time 15 mins + 5 mins standing
Ingredients
4 x 150 grams lean lamb steaks, fat trimmed
1 tbs sumac
3 cups (240 grams) shredded red cabbage
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
400 g can butter beans, rinsed, drained
3/4 cup (150 grams) couscous
2 oranges
1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbs honey
1/2 small garlic clove, crushed
150 grams baby spinach leaves
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Heat a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Lightly spray the lamb with oil and sprinkle with sumac. Cook the lamb for 3-4 minutes each side for medium or well cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
Meanwhile, place the couscous in a medium heatproof bowl . Add 3/4 cup (180 ml) boiling water. Stir. Cover and stand for 3-5 minutes or until the liquid has absorbed. Separate the grains with a fork.
Cut the oranges into segments over a large bowl to catch the juice. Add the honey, oil and garlic to the bowl and stir to combine. Add the baby spinach, onion, orange segments and orange juice mixture to the couscous and toss to combine. Serve with the lamb.
TIP: Jazz up the couscous and use hot chicken stock instead of water for absorption – the grains soak up all the extra flavour. The ProPoints values remain the same.
Steak, Mushroom and Kidney Pie
11 ProPoints value per serve | Serves 4 | Prep 20 mins |
Cooking Time 1 hour + 15 mins cooling
Ingredients
2 tsp olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
300 grams swiss brown mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbs plain flour
1/4 cup (70 grams) tomato paste
1 cup (250 ml) beef stock
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
600 grams lean beef chuck steak, fat trimmed, cut into 2.5cm pieces
2 x 75 grams small lamb kidneys, trimmed, thinly sliced
1 sheet frozen reduced-fat puff pastry, just thawed.
Instructions
- Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring for 5 mins or until softened. Add mushrooms, garlic and 2 tablespoons water. Increase heat to high and cook for 2 minutes or until mushrooms have softened. Add flour and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add tomato paste, stock and thyme and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Cook beef, in batches, turning, for 5 minutes or until browned. Transfer to bowl. Cook kidneys, turning, for 2 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Add beef, kidneys and 1 cup (250 ml) water to mushroom mixture and stir to combine. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour or until beef is tender. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200C or 180C fan-forced. Lightly spray a 1L (4 cup) capacity ovenproof pie dish with oil.
- Spoon beef mixture into prepared dish. Top with pastry, pressing edges with a fork to seal. Trim excess. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until pastry is golden. Serve.
SERVE WITH: steamed frozen peas and 0 ProPoints value snow peas and sugar snap peas. Add 1 ProPoints value per serve 1/2 cup (60 g) frozen peas.
TIP: You can use an extra 150g of beef chuck steak instead of the lamb kidneys. The recipe will then have 11 ProPoints value per serve.
This year, the Weight Watchers plan has been given a fresh new approach with the introduction of an extensive list of new recipes and meal ideas tailored to individual food preferences – from Gluten to Lactose Free, Mediterranean to Vegetarian, Classic, and Filling & Healthy options – all designed to make Weight Watchers easier to fit into different lifestyle choices. Easy to identify icons will be used for each food type via online menus and in 2015 Weight Watchers cookbooks, and downloadable shopping lists will be available online to make supermarket shopping a breeze, to help give members the confidence to change their relationships with food for good.
For more information about Weight Watchers visit www.weightwatchers.com.au
Happy Australia Day!
Disclaimer – just so you know: This post is not sponsored which means I didn’t receive payment (or product/service) to write this post. I have never tried the Weight Watchers program however I have cooked some of their recipes which were delicious 🙂
