Date and Walnut Biscotti

Date and Walnut Biscotti

Are you looking for a sweet treat? or do you have some friends popping in and you need something to accompany that cup of tea or coffee? These are a great sweet treat that no one will expect is Weight Watchers friendly. 

Serves 20, 2 propoints per serving

Ingredients

75 grams granulated Sugar
1 Egg
150 grams all-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon grated Lemon rind
65 grams Dates (finely chopped)
40 grams Walnuts (finely chopped)

1. Preheat your oven to 160C or 300F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. Place Sugar and Egg into a large bowl and using a hand mixer, mix until the mixture becomes thick, pale and creamy.
3. Sift flour into the mixture and fold in gently, and until just combined.
4. Add Lemon rind, Dates and Walnuts and mix in until combined.
5. Make a log shape with the dough and place onto the prepared baking tray. Press down gently so the log is 2 cm (about half an inch) in height.
6. Bake for 20 minutes, remove from oven and allow to cool
7. Slice log into 20 even pieces and place side down on the baking tray.
8. Bake for an additional 20 minutes, turning the biscuits over half way through the cooking time.
9. Remove from oven, cool and enjoy.

These biscuits are going to be crunchier that usual. They are a great accompaniment with tea or coffee because they are perfect for dunking! 

Gingerbread Loaf

Gingerbread Loaf

Is it a cold winters day and you're looking for something to spice up your life? Or you'd like to impress some drop in guests with a deliciously decadent treat that wont cost you half your days propoints allowance? Then this is definitely the sweet treat for you! It's definitely sugar and spice and everything nice.

75g Light and Salt Reduce Canola Spread

1/2 cup Skim Milk

2 teaspoons ground Ginger

1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground Allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground Clove

1 Egg, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons Molasses

1/2 cup tightly packed Brown Sugar

1 cup Self-Raising Flour

1. Preheat oven to 165C or 300F. 

2. In a medium saucepan add the Canola spread, milk and spices. Place over a medium heat on the stove and allow the canola spread to melt completely. Your kitchen will start to smell of all the wonderful spices! 

2. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the molasses, brown sugar and beaten egg. Mix very well until everything is incorporated. 

3. Mix in flour until just incorporated, you don't want to over mix. 

4. Divide evenly into 10 cupcake liners or pour into a loaf tin. 

5. Bake cupcakes for 15-20 minutes or loaf for 30-35 minutes. You will know they are cooked through when a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean or they spring back when gently pressed in the centre. 

I took some of the cupcakes to work to share, everyone commented on how light and moist the cake was and how impressed they were that it was Weight Watchers! 

Vegetable & Ham Pasta Salad

Vegetable & Ham Pasta Salad

This is a great lunch, or a great barbecue side salad! 

Serves 4, 8 pro-points per serving

240 grams pasta (spirals, penne, elbow macaroni), uncooked  
1 tablespoon of Olive Oil
1 tablespoons Vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped Parsley
1 large red Capsicum, chopped
5 Mushrooms, sliced
2 medium Tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 Celery sticks, chopped
1 large Carrot, grated
1 400 gram canned Corn, drained
50 grams low fat Ham, sliced

1. Cook pasta in a pot of salted water, drain and set aside.

2. In a large bowl mix oil, vinegar and parsley. 

3. Add cooked pasta, chopped vegetables and ham to bowl and mix until well combined. 

4. Serve and Enjoy!

This is delicious, it is nice to still enjoy pasta but without all the pro-points. 

Chicken with Oyster Sauce Stirfry

Chicken in Oyster Sauce

This recipe is 5 pro-points per serving and makes 4 servings.

Feeling like a fake-away?? Its your very own home made take away! This is a great stir-fry for when you want a quick and easy weeknight meal or for a weekend lazy night in.

500 grams skinless chicken breast, cut into strips

4-5 cups of 0 pro-point stir-fry friendly vegetables of your choice that have been cut into bite sized pieces (you could use a mix of: carrot, onion, broccoli, capsicum, mushrooms, zucchini, baby corn, green beans or any other of your favourites)

2 teaspoons vegetable or canola oil

2 tablespoons of Oyster sauce

Marinade Ingredients: 

2 teaspoons grated Ginger
2 teaspoons crushed Garlic
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce (salt reduced is best)
2 tablespoons Chinese Rice Wine (Shaoxing wine)
1 teaspoon Sesame oil
2 teaspoons Cornflour

1. Mix marinade ingredients until they are well combined, pour over chicken strips that have been placed in a medium bowl and allow to marinade for 2.5-3 hours in the refrigerator.

(If you're making this for a weeknight meal, do this step in the morning before work and it will be all ready for you when you get home)

2. Drain marinade from chicken and discard liquid.

2. Add half oil to a large pan/wok over high heat and allow to heat through. Add chicken in batches and allow to brown. Transfer to another plate.

3. Add remaining oil to pan and stir fry onion until translucent. Add remainder of vegetables and cook them until tender.

4. Add chicken back to the pan. Add oyster sauce and Stir-fry until heated through.

5. Serve with steamed rice for an additional 4 pro-points per half cup.

This is delicious!! I made this on a lazy Saturday night and both my boyfriend and I enjoyed this great meal. I served it up with half a cup of steamed brown rice. 

Enjoy!