The Skinny Doll: eating

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Pasta Bake Pronto!

This weeks recipe... Pasta bake... this is adapted from the October issue of Weight Watchers Magazine, which uses tuna but I've used turkey mince.. I'm spring cleaning the freezer! The recipe is 14pp in total, so you'll get two 7PP dinners out of this recipe... If you've saved any ProPoints, you can add garlic bread for the full Italian feast!

Whats in it?

60g Pasta spirals - 6PP
Turkey Mince 140g - 5PP
3 Laughing Cow Extra Light triangles - 1PP
Crust of bread - 2PP
for some reason the crust works better for this...

ZERO HEROS
Spray Oil
Onion
Garlic
Half a red pepper
Tin of Tomatoes
Herbs

How?

Warm up the oven to gas mark 6/200C/180c Fan and put your pasta on as per the instructions on the packet...

Dunnes were doing the ROMA range on special a couple of weeks ago, but whatever your fav pasta is just don't forget to weigh it out! 1PP per 10g!

Spray your pan with oil and add your onions and garlic after a few minutes add your mince and season... I had half a pepper in the fridge and added it... mushrooms would work well too... if you have the time or the inclination you can roll the mince with a little egg white and seasoning to make 'meatballs'...

TIP: Be careful cooking turkey mince... it cooks much quicker that beef or lamb and with less fat it'll burn or go all 'rubbery' and not taste nice! eek!

If you don't have fresh garlic or don't want the mess there's ready made stuff available that will keep in the fridge, the work is already done for you... You can always just give a hint of garlic with the flavoured spray oils out there...

Once your mince is cooked through... add your tin of tomatoes and simmer through for about 5 minutes...

You can add tinned... Lidl do chopped tomatoes in herbs and it's delicious!

or you can add passata, again these are 0PP but will add great flavour...

both cheap in LIDL and ALDI...

or even tomato puree will add enough punch to it...

For seasoning, where to start... there's SO many options there to make things delicious without all the added calories! Make yourself a deal that at least once a month you'll pick up a new herb or spice when you're shopping and try them! It'll make ALL the difference... Use your chocolate allowance! ;)

Whilst that's simmering... spray your crust of bread lightly with oil and dice... chop up your cheese...

Once your pasta is cooked... drain it... and stir it into the mince and stir well...

Tip it into a baking dish and sprinkle the top with your cubes of bread and cheese and pop into the oven to bake for 10 mins, or until the bread starts to crisp up and the cheese is all melty... slippers on... and hoover! Comfort food in 20 mins!

Breakfast muffins...

A quick recipe for you... We were chatting about these in class last week and I got myself a muffin tin to have a go at some breakfast muffins... Now I've made them 'Breakfast' muffins but if you get a bit creative you can make them all sorts of flavours... add any free veggies you like, or any protein you like and your still going to have a low ProPoint snack to munch on... There's no set list of ingredients or method, they're THAT easy... so here goes

You'll need eggs... thankfully the Skinny Mums chickens are at full production now so I've lots to work with... I used 4 for my 10 muffins...

The whisk them up, nice and fluffy... then season...

I also used egg whites... these will bulk up your eggs, I know someone who tried these in an omelette and used a tiny bit of mustard to colour the egg whites to trick her family... no one was any the wiser! Mustard is 0PP per tsp ...

The trick with the egg whites is to whisk them so they're nice and fluffy, you're looking for volume... we eat with our eyes.. so it will bulk up the muffins for less ProPoints...

Get all your ingredients together... and remember these are just for breakfast so I added mushrooms, sausages, tomatoes and some bacon, but you can add anything you fancy.. peppers, courgettes, chillis, onions, laughing cow cheese, ham, chicken, whatever takes you fancy...

Spray your tin with oil then start to assemble...

Then pour your egg mix over them and into the oven...

Gas mark 4 / 350 F / 180 C for 30 mins and keep your eye on them...

and they'll pop out easily like this...

Et voila!

I did a couple in some fancy schmancy Christmas Muffin cases... so cute! You could make these in advance and put them in the fridge and Christmas breakfast could be ready in a few mins! You don't need a muffin tin either, a tray that you make cupcake/buns in is just as good and they'll look more 'party size' too!

These worked out at 2PP each, that was counting the bacon, sausage and egg between the ten I made in total... Great for breakfast, lunch or even dinner... for those with a savoury tooth... one of these for 2PP beats a bag of crisps for 5PP any day!

The Brick House - Brunch Club!

Ok, so you might pass it if you didn't know it was there but there's a little cafe in Harolds Cross called 'The Brick House'... One Saturday when the Skinny Dad and I was doing a spot of DIY shopping we pit stopped for breakkie, a working breakfast meeting you understand! Ahem...

The usual suspects...

and if you forget your glasses the good stuff is on the specials board...

PLUS LOOK! P&J sandwiches!!!

At first glance you think it's just the seats in the front but peep around the corner...

and ta da... LOADSA room... including comfy couch to fall into!

And if it's sunny out... there's a lovely little sun trap out the back...

If you're on your todd... there's a mini library... you can swap a book if you have one you're done with... or buy one for a €1 and the money goes to the monthly charity! Good idea if you're waiting for someone or just want to people watch and have a read...