The Hairy Dieters: How to Love Food and Lose Weight (11 page)

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp dried mixed herbs

4 tsp cornflour

1 tbsp cold water

flaked sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Leeky potato topping

750g floury potatoes, such as King Edwards or Maris Pipers

2 tsp sunflower oil

2 slender leeks, trimmed and cut into 1cm slices

150g half-fat crème fraiche

flaked sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

322 calories per portion (if serving 6)242 calories per portion (if serving 8)

Place a large non-stick saucepan or flameproof casserole dish over a medium heat. Add the mince and cook it with the onions, celery and carrots for 10 minutes until lightly coloured. Use a couple of wooden spoons to break up the meat as it cooks.

Stir in the tomatoes, tomato purée, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce and mixed herbs. Season with a good pinch of salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover loosely and simmer gently for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mince is tender.

About 20 minutes before the meat is ready, make the potato topping. Peel the potatoes and cut them into rough 4cm chunks. Put them in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat slightly and simmer for 18–20 minutes or until the potatoes are very tender. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry the leeks for 5 minutes until softened but not coloured, stirring often. Drain the potatoes, then tip them back into the pan, season to taste and mash with the crème fraiche until smooth. Stir in the sautéed leeks and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 220°C/Fan 200°C/Gas 7. When the beef has been simmering for 40 minutes, mix the cornflour with the cold water to make a smooth paste. Stir this into the beef and cook for another 1–2 minutes or until the sauce is thickened, stirring often.

Pour the beef mixture into a 2-litre shallow ovenproof dish. Using a large spoon, top the beef with the mashed potatoes and leeks. Spoon the mixture all around the edge of the dish before heading into the middle, then fluff up with a fork.

Bake for 30 minutes until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling. If making this ahead of time, let the pie cool, then cover and put in the fridge. Cook from chilled in a preheated oven at 210°C/Fan 190°/Gas 6½ for 40–50 minutes or until the pie is piping hot throughout.

LEAN LAMB HOTPOT

We’ve always loved this simple old-fashioned dish and this is our new-wave version – who’d have thought it? By trimming the meat well and reducing the amount of potatoes, we’ve made this lower in calories than the trad recipe. Makes a cracking supper on a cold day, served with lots of green veg.

SERVES 4

700g well-trimmed lamb leg meat (or leg steaks)

2 tsp sunflower oil

2 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced

5 medium carrots, peeled and thickly sliced (about 300g prepared weight)

3 tbsp plain flour

600ml lamb stock, made with 1 lamb stock cube

1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves or ½ tsp dried thyme

1 rosemary stalk or ½ tsp dried rosemary

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

flaked sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Potato topping

3 medium potatoes (about 500g)

438 calories per portion

Trim any visible fat off the lamb and cut the meat into rough 3cm chunks. Season generously all over with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and fry the lamb in 2 batches over a medium-high heat until nicely browned on all sides. Transfer the browned meat to a medium casserole dish– it will need to hold about 2.5 litres.

Tip the onions and carrots into the pan with the lamb and sprinkle with the flour. Toss everything together well, then pour over the stock and add the thyme leaves, rosemary and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well.

Preheat the oven to 170°C/Fan 150°C/Gas 3½. Peel the potatoes and cut them into slices about 5mm thick. Arrange the slices on top of the lamb, overlapping and layering them as you go. Season with ground black pepper and cover with a tight-fitting lid.

Bake the hotpot for 1 hour, then remove the lid and bake for a further 45 minutes or until the potatoes are nicely browned and the lamb is tender. Check by poking with the point of a knife into the centre of the lamb filling – if the meat is done the knife should slide in easily. Serve with freshly cooked greens.

SI AND DAVE’S WEIGHT-LOSS TIPS

Stews taste rich and luxurious – the very opposite of what you think of as diet food – but we’ve found that they don’t have to be high in calories.

When making stews, lightly brown the meat in a very small amount of oil. There’s no need to use a lot.

Add vegetables and pulses to your stews. They all help to fill you up without too many calories.

Spice is good. A spicy stew is full of flavour and we think it helps you feel more satisfied.

Cook just a 50g portion of rice or pasta to have with some of the lower-calorie stews. If you fill the rest of your plate with lots of colourful vegetables or salad, you will hardly notice. And you have the extra treat of all those nutritious, fibre-rich vegetables to munch through – so you’ll feel full and virtuous at the same time.

Stews are great family meals and are easy to prepare ahead. Serve with extra carbs for the kids or skinny family members.

SPICY BEAN AND VEGETABLE STEW

This is a really substantial, flavoursome stew that will please veggies and non-veggies alike. By leaving out meat, you can enjoy hearty portions of pulses and vegetables while staying within a sensible calorie count.

SERVES 4–5

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small aubergine (about 250g), cut into 3cm dice

2 medium onions, halved and finely sliced

1 yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into 3cm dice

1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into 3cm dice

1 medium sweet potato (300g), peeled and cut into 2cm dice

1 tsp ground coriander

½–1 tsp hot chilli powder

½ tsp smoked paprika (hot)

400g can of chopped tomatoes

400g can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

600ml cold water

1 large courgette, halved lengthways and cut into 1.5cm slices

2 tsp cornflour

2 tsp cold water

freshly squeezed juice of ½ lime

4 tbsp half-fat crème fraiche

flaked sea salt

fresh coriander leaves, to garnish (optional)

lime wedges, for squeezing

299 calories per portion (if serving 4)239 calories per portion (if serving 5)

Heat the oil in a large, deep non-stick frying pan, saucepan or sauté pan. Stir-fry the aubergine over a high heat for 3 minutes until nicely browned. Add the onions to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Scatter the peppers and sweet potato into the pan and stir-fry with the aubergine and onions for another 4 minutes. Sprinkle over the spices and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add the chopped tomatoes and beans and stir in the 600ml of water. Season with a good pinch of salt, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the courgette, return to a simmer and cook for a further 10 minutes, stirring regularly.

Mix the cornflour with the 2 teaspoons of water to make a thin paste and stir this into the bean mixture. Cook for 5 minutes or until the sweet potato is just tender and the sauce is thick. Stir regularly, especially towards the end of the cooking time to prevent the sauce sticking. If it does start to stick, add a splash of water.

Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the lime juice and serve the stew topped with half-fat crème fraiche and scattered with fresh coriander leaves if you like. Add lime wedges for squeezing.

GORGEOUS FISH STEW WITH GARLIC CROUTONS

Light in calories but heavy on flavour, our fish stew is a real treat for foodies. You don’t have to add the topping but it makes the meal even more special – great if you’ve got friends coming round. Add some fresh mussels to the stew at the same time as the cod if you like.

SERVES 4

1 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, finely sliced

2 celery sticks, very finely sliced

2 large garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced

250g potatoes, preferably Maris Pipers

1 yellow pepper

2 tsp ground coriander

good pinch of saffron threads

2 bay leaves

150ml white wine

400g can of chopped tomatoes

1 heaped tbsp tomato purée

600ml cold water

½ fish stock cube

2 tsp caster sugar

½ tsp flaked sea salt, plus extra for seasoning

150g fine green beans

400g thick white fish fillet