Nduja is a very fashionable ingredient at the moment and for very good reason, it’s absolutely delicious! With all the lovely paprika flavours of chorizo but a more loose and spreadable consistency, it’s a great, versatile ingredient which can be used in so many different ways. Nduja Chicken and Roasties The inspiration for creating this recipe came many years ago from a restaurant I visited in Manchester when I tried nduja for the first time. It basically a twist on a roast dinner but much easier to make and with much less washing up! This is not strictly a WW friendly recipe as chicken th ..read more

When you want to be good but fancy a breakfast treat, these cookies are just the thing to whip up. Quick and easy to make, they make a lovely breakfast to have on the go, to make in advance for the week or to have with a cuppa as a snack later in the day. The texture of these cookies is delightful, rather than having a hard, biscuit snap, they are soft and gooey and can be pulled apart to be eaten. Breakfast Cookies The ingredients and method below give you the option to make either two larger cookies or four smaller cookies. If you make two, give them the full 17 minutes in the oven. If ma ..read more

Buffalo sauce is one of my favourite store cupboard essentials so I’m always looking for new ways to incorporate it into our meal plans and that’s how this little number came about. This is a lovely comforting pasta recipe which is not only quick and easy to whip up, but its packed with lots of lovely flavours. Buffalo Chicken Pasta with Garlic Crouton Top  If you can’t get a hold of the Shwartz Buffalo seasoning or any ranch seasoning (the powdered stuff) , simply leave them out. I’ve bought the Buffalo seasoning in ASDA and Morrison’s so it shouldn’t be too difficult to find but the ..read more

When we used to live in Manchester we used to head to Altrincham Market most weekends as the food in there was always good. Inside there was the most amazing little window that served the freshest Korean Rice Bowls and they were always my go too choice of dinner. I got a proper craving for one this week and so I decided to try and recreate it at home. The result was delicious. Low in points yet so filling and satisfying, the flavours and textures of this dish are so fresh and zingy, you will want it again the next day! Korean Sticky Salmon You can get gochujang paste in most supermarkets th ..read more

Thai Basil Chicken is a favourite of mine when I’m eating out but wasn’t something I’d ever really attempted at home. One night, after taking my fancy, I decided to give it a go and the results were delicious. A straight forward and uncomplicated recipe, this is perfect for a quick week night tea. I add a whole sliced chilli as I love a bit of spice (and that’s how it usually comes in a Thai restaurant) but if you don’t like things too hot, you could use half or leave it out entirely. This is the perfect stir fry for you if you don’t like things too saucy. Instead of a gloopy sauce, here you ..read more

Thai red curry is one of my favourite go to’s when I’m eating out but the full fat coconut milk used in Thai restaurants often makes the dish high in calories and for me, a bit too rich. I often make a quick Thai curry at home using shop bought curry paste (which I’m still a big fan of) and light coconut milk but more recently I decided to give making my own paste a go.  The difference was remarkable. The flavours of the curry were so much more fresh and vibrant and it really didn’t take much effort to simply whack all the ingredients in a blender. This is my go to now so when I’m making ..read more

We love a good Chinese takeaway but they are often one of the worst culprits for being sky high in both points and calories. If you are looking for a good healthy alternative, my twist on this classic Chinese dish tastes just as good without any of the guilt. The recipe actually came about one night when I had some leftover chicken and I was whipping together something as quickly as possible for my little boy’s tea. My hubbie tasted it and wondered why we weren’t having the same so I pulled together a more adult version of the same recipe and here it is!! ( Note – the baby version used roaste ..read more

I’ve been meaning to post this recipe for months and something always seems to come before it!! So without further ado….I discovered my favourite restaurant of all time, Sugo Pasta Kitchen, some years back when we lived in Manchester and after I tasted their House Sugo I knew I would never find a better pasta dish. Time after time I went back with my hubbie, family or friends and I thought ‘I must try something else this time’ but on every single occasion I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to have a bowl of this heavenly pasta. When we moved back to Newcastle, I had a rather large Sugo sha ..read more

I don’t know about you but now that the festive period is over, all I can think about is how I need to get some serious fruit and vegetables into my system! We’ve had a wonderful time over Christmas and New Year but nearly 2 weeks out of our usual routines, food and meal plans has left me craving spending some time in the kitchen making fresh and veggie packed food. Getting back to work on Tuesday meant getting back into new routines, meal planning and a big shop and so now I am firmly back in the land of goodness. Needing a quick and easy lunch for the next few days, I decided to put a new ..read more

Sticky Toffee Pudding is my all time favourite dessert but it is something that is firmly off the table when I’m trying to stick to plan, until now! I decided I wanted to try and come up with a lighter sticky toffee pudding that is both lower in points/calories but tastes just as good. The results speak from themselves – light, airy and sticky, this delicious dessert will make sure you never feel like you are missing out. The addition of some wintery spices make this the perfect Christmas Dinner dessert if you are trying to do a little damage control after a huge main course! A portion of thi ..read more