Currying favour...

The beauty of a takeaway lies mainly in its 'instantaneousness' and the lack of effort involved - you phone in the order, answer the door to the delivery guy, bung it on a plate (or not...) and you're all set.

Making a 'fakeaway' is always going to involve some effort on the part of the cook. But all the fakeaway recipes I've tried out from the Weight Watchers Community Swap can be made in advance and frozen, which does create a helpful sense of immediacy on the day you want to eat them! Some of the recipes, the curries in particular, taste even better when given some time to mature.

As I know I won't have time to cook tomorrow evening, I made this fakeaway in advance, right after Shabbos ended. My 'chicken jalfrezi' curry, prepared using the fabulous recipe Kuli80 posted on Weight Watchers some months ago, is now sitting neatly in the fridge in a takeaway-style foil container - all I have left to do before Sunday night's dinner is to cook some rice to go with it, and heat it up.

FAKEAWAY CHICKEN JALFREZI

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

355g chicken breast, cut into strips
1 onion
1 green pepper
1 chilli pepper
1 tsp dried ginger or 1" fresh ginger root, chopped
1 garlic clove finely chopped
225ml chicken stock
2 tspns lemon juice
0.5 tspn salt
1 tin of tomatoes
1 tblspn tomato puree
1 tsp splenda or sugar
2 tspns garam masala
2 tspns ground coriander
2 cubes frozen, chopped coriander leaves

Fry the onion in some frylight in your actifry or wok. Meanwhile mix together the tinned tomatoes, chicken stock, tomato puree, chilli pepper, ginger root, lemon juice, salt, splenda, garam masala and ground coriander. When the onions are softened, add the sauce to the pan and simmer until bubbling and slightly thickened. Add the chicken pieces, chopped pepper and frozen coriander leaves and continue to simmer until cooked through (about 15 to 20 minutes in an actifry). Serve with rice (or miracle rice); you can also use a wrap in place of the more authentic chapati or naan bread (having never seen either those in a kosher store unfortunately...yet!)

The only ingredient that needs 'pointing' here is the chicken, so it comes in at a very low 5pp per person.

Showing "wonton" disregard for fat content....

With Rosh Hashanah and Succos looming I have been thinking lots about my yom tov menus. I recently posted on the Weight Watchers boards, asking for suggestions of low fat alternatives for vol au vents as a starter. Someone came back to me with the idea of 'filo baskets' - placing sheets of filo pastry in muffin cases and baking them to use as a little container for my filling of choice (mushrooms). As filo pastry is very thin though, I realised I'd need to use quite a few sheets to achieve a solid basket, and the points value wouldn't differ very much from a pastry vol au vent case.

Eventually, I came up with the idea of using wonton wraps to make the baskets instead (thanks mum, for that inspiration!). Each wonton wrap is only 1pp and you only need one per basket so it's a fantastic low points alternative. These look great and I think they'll make a perfect hors d'oevres for a Yom Tov meal.

MUSHROOM BASKETS

INGREDIENTS

1 packet of Gefen wonton wraps
2 punnets of closed cup mushrooms
1 large onion
Chicken soup powder
Frylight
Pepper, garlic powder to taste

To make the mushrooms: wash and slice the mushrooms and finely chop the onion. Place in a roasting dish and spray with frylight. Mix in 2 teaspoons of chicken soup powder, cover and bake for 40 minutes on 160'. Add garlic powder and pepper to taste if required. Set aside to cool completely.

To make the baskets, defrost the wonton wraps and spray a muffin baking tray with frylight. Push one wrap into each hole in the baking tray, then spray again. Bake for around 7 to 8 minutes on 200' but keep an eye on them as they burn quickly.

Once they turn golden brown, remove from the oven and leave them to cool.

And that's it! Once both the filling and the cases have cooled completely, put a teaspoon of filling in each basket. You can freeze them like this if you prefer to make them in advance.

In search of the perfect chocolate chip cookie

The title of this blog is a little misleading because I already discovered the perfect chocolate chip cookie about 19 years ago when I was in seminary in Israel. Every erev Shabbos I used to go to the (now sadly defunct) "Croissanterie" bakery in Jerusalem and buy a bag of their white chocolate chip and double chocolate chip varieties. They were meant to last the whole weekend but were inevitably all gone by the end of the evening - I dread to think how many propoints I must've been consuming in one fell swoop there!

Since then I have had an abiding love for chocolate chip cookies (who doesn't?!) and was pleased to see a recipe for a propoints friendly version on the Weight Watchers website. Always keen to get more for less though, I've adapted the recipe quite a bit - my cookies are bigger, for less points, and I use white chocolate chips and cranberries (because that's the sort of thing the Croissanterie would have done).

These are super easy to make and they store beautifully in a tupperware container. I'm sure they can be frozen as well, but I've never tried because they just don't last long enough...

WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIP AND CRANBERRY COOKIES

INGREDIENTS

50g low fat spread
4 tablespoons sugar-free applesauce
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
A good pinch of salt
200g plain flour
0.5 tsp baking powder
20g splenda
2 medium eggs
70g white chocolate chips
80g dried cranberries

Cream the spread, applesauce and splenda and stir in the vanilla, salt and beaten egg. Sift in the flour and baking powder. Finish by folding in the cranberries and chocolate chips.

Drop heaped teaspoons onto baking trays covered with baking parchment, leaving space between each cookie. Bake in an oven preheated to 170' (or 190' for non-fan assisted ovens). Cool on the trays for about 2 minutes and then remove with a spatula.

Makes 24 cookies (2pp each).

Fat-free potato kugel - a contradiction in terms? Erm - no actually!

This recipe for fat-free potato kugel was first introduced to me by my friend and colleague Leah. I soon realised that I had the cookbook it comes from - Nechama Cohen's 'Enlitened Kosher Cooking' - sitting idly on my bookshelf from a time I reviewed it for The Jewish Chronicle many moons ago. I guarantee you that no-one eating it will be able to tell  it contains no oil whatsoever - it's just as fluffy, golden and delicious as the next potato kugel!

I've made a few minor adaptations to the recipe which mean I can turn it out even more quickly, and I often serve it as mini 'kugelettes' rather than one big kugel, as you'll see from the image below.

FAT FREE POTATO KUGEL

INGREDIENTS

5 to 6 medium white potatoes, peeled        
1 large onion
2 egg whites
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon chicken stock powder
2fld oz boiling water
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons white flour (the original recipe called for wholemeal or soy flour but that was a step too far for my shabbos table!)

Preheat the oven to 160'c (or 180' if not fan-assisted).

Chop the onion in a food processor then immediately switch to the grating attachment and grate the potatoes. Quickly add the eggs and egg whites to prevent the raw potatoes from going grey. Dissolve the stock powder in the water and stir in to the mixture along with the rest of the ingredients. Turn into a tin sprayed with frylight and spray the top of the kugel with frylight to help it crisp up.

Bake for 70 minutes for one large kugel, 55 minutes for 3 loaf tin kugels, or 45 to 50 minutes for 'kugelettes' (makes around 16 to 20 in fairy cake cases, of 1pp each).

Can be frozen.

A Fishy Story...

Today's recipe is one I've been making for years; a version of my Grandma's 'salmon kakletten', (or salmon patties for the non-Yiddish speakers among you).

It's a great example of how you can lighten the calorie load of so many different types of foods - I switch the salmon for tuna, cut down on the eggs, and bake instead of fry and - hey presto! - less than 1pp each!

As an accompaniment I've started making 'cauliflower mash' - a concoction I discovered on the Weight Watchers boards that is surprisingly close to mashed potatoes in both taste and texture...it doesn't even smell like cauliflower.  The original recipe calls for Light Philadelphia which I believe has an OU(D) hechsher - I use J&J reduced fat whipping cream cheese, which is very light on the points. For those whose minhag (Jewish custom) is not to eat dairy and fish at the same meal, you could try replacing the cream cheese with tofutti, or just low fat spread (but you do lose out on the potato-like texture without the cheese).

TUNA AND RED ONION MINI BURGERS

INGREDIENTS

390g drained tuna in brine (about 3 cans)
70g dried breadcrumbs
20g low fat mayonnaise
1 large egg
2 egg whites
Tablespoon mixed herbs
1 red onion finely chopped
1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients well and shape into small patties. Place on a baking sheet greased with frylight and spray the top of each patty as well to help them crisp up. Bake for 30 mins in an oven preheated to 160' (fan assisted). Makes between 22 and 26 mini patties of just under 1pp each (today I made 26 in total and ate 6 of them for 5pp).

CAULIFLOWER MASH

INGREDIENTS

8 to 10oz frozen cauliflower florets
30g light cream cheese
Paprika, pepper, salt

Boil the cauliflower until very soft, then drain and stir in the cream cheese. Blitz with a hand blender until smooth and creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste, then top with a little paprika and bake alongside the tuna burgers until ready to eat! As far as I'm concerned, this makes enough for one person, and it's just 1pp.

Simple doesn't have to mean boring!

Monday night is always chicken night in my house - I'm a bit predictable like that!

In the winter months I prefer to do something hearty and warming with chicken pieces in the crockpot, but in summer, some form of joint that you can potentially eat with your fingers seems more appropriate: Here are two ridiculously simple ways of preparing chicken drumsticks, along with an idea for making 'low fat' roast potatoes.


CORNFLAKES CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS

4 skinless chicken drumsticks (approximately 400g)
40g cornflakes crumbs
1 teaspoon hot paprika or chilli flakes (optional)
2 egg whites

Coat the chicken in the egg whites then place in a pan. Mix the paprika or chilli flakes into the cornflake crumbs and sprinkle over the chicken until covered. If you prefer, you could put the crumbs into a plastic bag and give the chicken pieces a good shake in there, to ensure they're coated on both sides.

Then bake uncovered for 90 minutes on 160' (fan assisted).

This serves 2 adults or older children, and is 6-7pp per person, depending on the weight of the chicken.

LEMON CHICKEN PROVENCAL

INGREDIENTS

4 skinless chicken drumsticks (approximately 400g)
Juice of 2 lemons
2 teaspoons mixed dried herbs
1 teaspoon dried parsley
2 cubes of frozen coriander (Dorot style)
0.5 teaspoons garlic powder
0.5 teaspoons paprika

Mix the herbs and spices with the lemon juice and place with the chicken in a plastic freezer bag. Rub the marinade into the chicken well and leave for about 6 to 8 hours in the fridge. Then bake for 90 minutes covered, in a preheated 160' fan-assisted oven, and an additional 15 to 20 minutes uncovered, until nicely browned.

LOW FAT ROAST POTATO CHUNKS

INGREDIENTS

3 or 4 medium white potatoes, cut into sixths but not peeled  
3 tablespoons light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons onion powder

Spray a roasting pan with frylight and add the potato chunks in a single layer. Mix the mayonnaise with the onion soup powder and coat the potatoes thoroughly with the mixture. Roast for 90 minutes at 160'.

Serves around 4 adults as a small side dish, approximately 4pp per person.

Make it AND fake it..

Once upon a time, long long ago, in the days before Weight Watchers, when Marcus still sat on his deckchair outside his infamous kosher Chinese Takeaway on Finchley Road, Sunday night was takeaway night. All I had to decide on was a number 25 (sweet and sour chicken) or a number 42 (beef chow mein) and I was set.

I don't remember what I ate for dinner on my first Sunday on Propoints, but I have a feeling it was fairly miserable. Luckily, it wasn't too long before I stumbled on the 'Fakeaway' concept, courtesy of two ladies on the WW boards (known only as 'GreenBronte1' and 'Kuli80'). Armed with their incredible recipes for Chinese and Indian fakeaways, and my trusty actifry, Sunday nights were transformed once again into a cornucopia of culinary delights.

I started off serving these 'fakeaway' dishes with either noodles or rice, but recently stumbled across the amazing 'miracle' rice and noodle products (on sale via Amazon or for slightly fewer £££ in Kosher Kingdom). If you can get over them looking and feeling a little bit like worms, and focus on the fact that each bag contains only 5 calories, then they're a really incredible way of bulking up your dish and allowing you more points to spend on the good stuff.

Tonight's 'Fakeaway' is my own invented 'Hot n Sour soup' recipe followed by Lemon Chicken (thank you once again to GreenBronte1). I really do think it's better than anything even Marcus could rustle up - with far less oil and not even a hint of MSG. The entire recipe comes to 2pp for the soup and just over 14pp for the chicken (for a 328g packet of chicken breast), so assuming you're cooking for 2 adults, it's an 8pp meal (more if you use rice or noodles).

LEMON CHICKEN

I make this in my actifry, which is great for thickening the sauce and cultivating that 'gloopy' takeaway consistency, but it can just as easily be made in a wok or even a frying pan.

INGREDIENTS

1 egg white
1 packet of chicken breast cut in strips (I buy the chicken stir-fry packets from 'Menachems')
3 tspns cornflour
Salt
2 tspns sesame oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Lemon zest (I'm often lazy about this and miss it out)                          
100ml chicken stock
1 heaped teaspoon splenda
2 tblspns Heinz reduced sugar and salt ketchup
1 tblspn soy sauce
2 tblspns sherry
1 clove garlic
1 red chilli pepper
4 spring onions

Combine the egg white, 2 tspns of cornflour, salt, sesame oil and chicken in a bowl. Coat chicken well and leave for 20 minutes to marinade.

Spray the actifry (or wok) with frylight. Fry the chicken for a few minutes and stir to prevent it sticking.

When the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the pan. Add the stock, lemon juice and zest, splenda, soy sauce, ketchup and sherry. Mix and add chopped garlic clove and chilli pepper. Bring to the boil, and add a paste made of the remaining cornflour with a little water. Simmer till thickened, then add the chicken back in, along with the spring onions, shredded or chopped, and cook until warmed through.

Lovely served with rice or 'miracle rice'.

HOT n SOUR SOUP

I literally threw this together at the last minute from ingredients I had in the kitchen; it's probably not even vaguely authentic but it tastes great and is extremely low in points, so why not?!

INGREDIENTS

500ml leftover Shabbos chicken soup
1 tin of bamboo shoots
Handful of sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/3 cup water
2 spring onions
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 slice chicken breast deli meat
Pepper and garlic powder to taste

Bring the chicken soup to the boil, add soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil and water, followed by the bamboo shoots and mushrooms. Bring back to the boil and simmer till mushrooms begin to soften. Add in spring onions and deli meat (cut into strips), season to taste and simmer till fully cooked. Serves 2.