The Hairy Dieters: How to Love Food and Lose Weight (20 page)

1–2 tsp hot chilli powder

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

2 tbsp plain flour

150ml red wine or extra stock

300ml beef stock, made with 1 beef stock cube

400g can of chopped tomatoes

400g can of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

3 tbsp tomato purée

1 tsp caster sugar

1 tsp dried oregano

1 bay leaf

flaked sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

302 calories per portion (without rice)

Place a large non-stick saucepan over a medium heat and add the beef and onions. Cook together for 5 minutes, stirring the beef and squishing it against the sides of the pan to break up the lumps. Add the garlic, 1–2 teaspoons of chilli powder, depending on how hot you like your chilli, and the cumin and coriander. Fry together for 1–2 minutes more. Sprinkle over the flour and stir well.

Slowly add the wine and then the stock, stirring constantly. Tip the tomatoes and kidney beans into the pan and stir in the tomato purée, caster sugar, oregano and bay leaf. Season with a pinch of salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.

Bring to a simmer on the hob, then cover loosely with a lid. Reduce the heat and leave to simmer gently for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mince is tender and the sauce is thick. Adjust the seasoning to taste and serve.

RICH AND MEATY BOLOGNESE

It sounds a bit mad but if you really want to go low-cal, serve your sauce on a pile of lightly boiled shredded cabbage. We won’t say you can’t tell the difference but it works. If you stick with the pasta, make sure to cook just 50 grams of pasta for each of the calorie counters.

SERVES 6

400g lean minced beef

2 medium onions, chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 celery stick, finely sliced

1 medium courgette, diced

175g small chestnut mushrooms, wiped and sliced

150ml red wine or extra stock

400g can of chopped tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato purée

500ml beef stock, made with 1 beef stock cube

1 heaped tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp cornflour

1 tbsp cold water

flaked sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

175 calories per portion (without pasta)

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

Stir in the wine, tomatoes, tomato purée, beef stock, oregano, dried chilli, if using, and bay leaves. 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 the sauce gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the lid and cook for a further 20–30 minutes uncovered until the mince is tender and the sauce is thick. Don’t forget to stir, especially towards the end of the cooking time when the sauce will be getting thicker.

Mix the cornflour with the cold water to make a thin paste. Stir into the Bolognese and cook for another 1–2 minutes, stirring. Adjust the seasoning to taste and serve with a small portion of pasta (about 50g uncooked). Alternatively, if you want to go the cabbage route, lightly boil some finely shredded white cabbage and serve with the sauce. Add a few shavings of Parmesan cheese if you like, but don’t forget that every bit adds calories.

SI AND DAVE’S WEIGHT-LOSS TIPS

We’ve come up with some sweet treats for you to enjoy once in a while. Don’t overdo it though or you will slow down your weight loss.

Make cakes with sunflower oil instead of butter – see our carrot cake on page 156. We’ve found this helps make moister cakes with less fat. They keep well too.

Use reduced-sugar jam instead of the usual jams.

Fresh home-made jellies look really special and are easy to make. Kids of all ages love them.

Fresh fruit makes a good pud or snack, but remember that the swing it causes in your blood sugar levels can leave you feeling hungry. Just one apple or banana, or a couple of plums or satsumas, or perhaps a small bunch of grapes is all you should be eating at the moment. Still better than a choc bar though.

MOIST CARROT AND SULTANA CAKE

We all know you can’t be eating cake every day when you’re keen to shed a few pounds, but a little of what you fancy can’t be all bad. This cake is made with oil instead of butter and is super-moist, so non-dieters will love it too – if you let them have any.

SERVES 10

3 medium carrots (about 250g total unpeeled weight)

3 large eggs

100ml sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing

100g soft light brown sugar

200g self-raising flour

100g sultanas

finely grated zest of ½ large well-scrubbed orange

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp grated nutmeg

1½ tsp baking powder

Decoration

2 tsp icing sugar

finely pared or grated zest of ½ well-scrubbed orange

239 calories per slice

Preheat the oven to 190°C/Fan 170°C/Gas 5. Grease a 23cm round loose-based cake tin with a little oil and line the base with baking parchment. Peel the carrots and grate them with a medium-fine grater – you should have about 200g of grated carrot.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl with a large metal whisk. Add the sunflower oil and sugar and whisk until well combined. Stir in the grated carrot, then add the flour, sultanas, orange zest, spices and baking powder. Stir together until just combined. Pour into the prepared cake tin and smooth the surface.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 25–30 minutes or until the cake is well risen and feels springy to the touch. It should be just beginning to shrink back from the sides of the tin. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes then turn out and remove the lining paper. Leave to cool fully on a wire rack then transfer to a serving plate.

Sift the icing sugar over the cake and scatter grated or pared orange zest on top. This cake will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Top tip:

For a special occasion, you could add a cream cheese topping to this cake. Simply spread the cake with a 200g tub of light (medium-fat) soft cheese. Sprinkle with the grated orange zest and finish with sifted icing sugar. Don’t forget that you’ll be adding a few extra calories with the topping.

SUMMER FRUIT MERINGUES

Now these really are a treat! A perfect pud for that special Sunday lunch when you might allow yourself a few extra calories – and you can make up for it the next day.

SERVES 6

Meringues

3 large egg whites

150g caster sugar

½ tsp pure vanilla extract

2 tsp cornflour

1 tsp sunflower oil

Filling

100ml double cream

25g seedless reduced-sugar raspberry jam

50g half-fat crème fraiche

200g small strawberries, hulled and halved

100g blueberries and/or blackberries

100g raspberries

1 tsp icing sugar, sifted, to decorate

242 calories per portion

Preheat the oven to 150°C/Fan 130°C/Gas 2. Cut a piece of baking parchment large enough to line a large baking tray. Using a cookie cutter or small saucer to draw around and a dark pencil, mark out 6 circles, each measuring 9cm across, on the paper. Brush the baking sheet with a little sunflower oil and place the parchment on it, turning it over so the pencil marks are on the underside but still visible.

To make the meringue, put the egg whites in a large bowl and whisk with an electric whisk until they are stiff but not dry. They are ready when you can turn the bowl upside down without the egg whites sliding out.

Gradually whisk in the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, whisking for a few seconds in between each addition. Finally whisk in the vanilla extract and the cornflour until well combined. Using 2 pudding spoons, spoon the meringue on to the circles in billowing ring shapes, leaving a wide gap in the centre of each nest.

Reduce the oven temperature to 120°C/Fan 100°C/Gas ½. Place the tray of meringues in the oven and bake for 2 hours until dry. Turn the oven down more if they begin to colour. At the end of the cooking time, turn the oven off and leave the meringues to cool in the oven for several hours.

Put a meringue on each plate, handling them very carefully. Whip the cream and jam together in a large bowl with an electric whisk until the mixture forms soft peaks. Don’t over-whip or it will separate. Stir in the crème fraiche.

Arrange a few strawberry halves in each meringue to fill the holes loosely. Spoon the raspberry cream on top, then add the rest of the fruit, dotting it on randomly. Dust with sifted icing sugar and serve.