Recipes for Hot Filling Low Calorie foods.

[madmax]

Now it is getting much colder I desperately need some HOT FILLING ideas to take the place of the salads I have almost lived on for the last 6 months.

They need to be quick to put together.(cooking time isn't to important)
VERY low or NO FAT,
Made with cheap ingredients (as I am always watching the pennies or in other words broke !!)
I am willing to try almost !! ANYTHING as long as it meets the above criteria .
Thanks.
Karen.

 

[Frazzled]

Know how you feel Karen,

I have difficulty finding filling food full stop due to only being able to eat in small portions. Also have to avoid red meat, cheese, rice, proper bread (can only cope with Nimble or homemade). An occasional dip into these treats has to be rare! :sad:

I can eat small amount of pasta and last week I knocked up a "vegognese" sauce. I always make bulk amounts and freeze into portions so you can adjust amount according to your needs.

I dice red, green, orange peppers, onions, carrots, courgettes, mushrooms, added 4-5 cloves of crushed garlic, 4 bay leaves and some oregano. Seasonings to taste.

Sauté for a couple of minutes sprinkled with a very small amount of olive oil, add a couple of tins of tomato paste, cook it out for another minute, add red wine and cook for another couple of minutes. Then add some stock, bring to the boil and leave to simmer and cook down till it's really thick. Just as you would for a normal bolognese really

You could use tin tomatoes instead of paste and I think a pinch or two of sugar improves anything that's very "tomatoey"

I do a similar recipe for chilli but substitute the mushrooms with chopped baby corns, the oregano with chilli powder and add 2 tins each of kidney beans and cannelloni beans. This makes for me about 16-18 portions so I can get away with adding a small pack of very lean mince occasionally. If use mince I don't add any oil - sauté the veg with mince and then drain before adding everything else.

Both of these are good with pasta or baked, mashed potatoes. I find potatoes good for satisfaction and often have them cold in the fridge so I can add one sliced to sandwich fillings.

Fortunately, and strangely, I can eat Indian food (hooray!!!!) - have to share or stick to a starter with sag or chickpeas, find Indian filling even without rice or naan.

P.S. As you can see I cook in bulk which does take a bit of time, but then I have lots of meals that can be reheated in a jiffy!

 

[madmax]

Thanks for the ideas Frazzled, I always cook in bulk and freeze, this saves time and money, and means that I have something on hand for a quick meal.
One of my bulk ideas is to make Dahl with red lentils and yellow split peas which I soak over night then rinse well and cook with finally chopped onions, carrots and peppers. (these need to very finally chopped if you want a smooth paste at the end if not leave chunky.(it will take longer to cook), Cover with water and bring to the boil, DO NOT add salt at this time as it makes the peas tough.
Then simmer until the water has been absorbed and you can beat the mixture to a stiff paste. You can add any herbs and spices you feel like.
I serve it with rice and green beans, cauliflower and sweetcorn.

 

[Frazzled]

Have copy and pasted that into my recipes, love Dahl. Sounds delicious smooth and chunky! I shall get the dried peas and lentils next shop.

I love all pulses, eat lots of tinned lentils and beans, I particularly like butter & broad beans and always add a couple of tins of chickpeas when I'm making soup, in bulk of course. I like my soup smooth and it goes really thick from the chickpeas when you blend.

If you've been to Greece - butter beans in tomato sauce - I'm drooling now!

 

[Mitzi]

It's that time of year when home made soup and stews are ideal. My Grandfather and Dad used to make wonderful soups/stews.

I tend to add any vegetables I have into the pot.

:mysmilie_46:

 

[janie]

because you can eat as much rice, grains and pasta as you like with slimming world, i've been having a bit of a craze on risotto. i just basically followed the instructions on the bag of arborio rice - in a teaspoon of butter, or that spray oil stuff, fry mushrooms - fancy ones if you like, shallots and garlic, then add the rice and fry for a minute or two. add the water/stock and cook till absorbed. trying asparagus next which goes in nearer the end i think.

i also made a barley and mushroom casserole in a similar way with pearl barley, shallots and fancy mushrooms. i had my first go at vegetable soup but it was ...meh...just tasted like smushed up veg. lol

 

[BusyMum]

It's that time of year when home made soup and stews are ideal. My Grandfather and Dad used to make wonderful soups/stews.

I tend to add any vegetables I have into the pot.

:mysmilie_46:

Mitzi can I come to yours for tea?! I'm into making soup, even just two servings to do me two days lunch - I hate canned soup - and it's quite exciting to see how it will turn out, depending on what I've got to chuck into the mix. I'm a picky eater, I like good plain English fare - hotpots and casseroles (tho am not a big meat eater), but something warming that sticks to yer ribs! I've given up trying to lose weight!

 

[Frazzled]

Madmax - re Dahl proportions

Do you use equal amounts of lentils and peas please?

 

[madmax]

I am not big on weighing ingredients for anything other than baking where you have to get it right, so I just pour in equal amounts of each and then an equal amount of whatever veg I have to hand .
I DON'T repeat DON'T SOAK THE LENTILS only the split yellow peas.
Good luck with it, you can add chillies and curry powder but they upset my IBS so I don't bother with them.

 

[SparklyBarbs]

Slimming world recipe.I use a wok, and spray with fry light and put in chopped onions, celery, carrots, put lid on and simmer and when cooked add chicken stock, and stir, about pint, then add 2 tins of chopped tomatoes, stir and keep cooking slowly. Then take off and put in blender. Its super free cause of all the vegetables, and you can add any flavouring you like, garlic, ginger, anything. I dont like too much spicey things so i just put in soy sauce etc. Makes quite a big helping, so i put in lock and locks and freeze for work. Lovely

 

[Frazzled]

I made Madmaxs' Dhal today and it's delicious, had to stop myself from tucking in as am going to the Indian restaurant tonight. I tasted along the process and its very filling, just what I need.

I bought a kilo each of lentils and peas for £2.80, I used 250g of each and it has given me seven pots that would be a main meal or two lunches for me. If you factor in the Tarka I added below (I did already have the ingredients) it works out at about 10p a portion!

I'm going to start using dried chickpeas and cannelloni beans now I realise how cheap they are. Tins are convenient but really expensive in comparison. As I shall be retiring next year, I'm practising how to economise!

When it was all cooked, I added some salt and the Tarka below. The amount of oil per portion is minimal.

2 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
2-3 shallots, finely sliced
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp crushed chili flakes

Heat the ghee or oil in a frying pan and add the shallots. Stir until golden and beginning to crisp, then add the dried spices and cook for a couple of minutes until the mustard seeds are beginning to pop. Tip into the dhal and stir in.

P.S. The split pea packet didn't mention soaking so I just followed the instructions. I did cook everything for longer until it was really thick. As I wasn't sure I cooked them separately, but the method the same so I'm going to cook them together next time.

 

[madmax]

I am so glad you managed to work it out from my very limited explanation!
I LOVE it and always have some in the freezer for a quick and easy filling meal.
I always think that we under use beans and pulses in the UK they are cheap,filling and you can do so much with them.
So if anyone has any other ideas I would love to hear them.
Another recipe I make uses
Mushrooms and butter beans .

Butter bean and mushroom stroganoff
Dried butter beans
mushrooms
onion
cornflour
stock
non fat greek yogurt

1 Soak the butter beans overnight.
2 Cook according to the packet. (don't add salt as this makes the skins tough)
3 Meanwhile DRY fry of a selection of mushrooms (I use whatever is cheap or even just button)
4 Once the mushrooms are cooked add in some stock, and stir in some cornflour to thicken
5 Add in the DRAINED butter beans, check seasoning
6 Bring back to the boil.
7 Just before serving stir in some non nonfat greek yogurt.
I serve this with plain rice and some green beans

This can be frozen at the stage BEFORE you add in the mushrooms (I don't think they freeze very well)
But it only takes a few minutes to cook some and then add to the butter bean mix)