Thai Chilli Beef Curry

ProPoints® Value: 13 Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 20 min
Cooking Time: 20 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Forget the takeaway menu! Instead capture the flavours of Thailand in this easy one-pot curry.
Perfect for the weekend and it won't throw your budget off track.

Ingredients
5 spray(s) Cooking Spray, Calorie Controlled
300 g Beef, Rump Steak, Lean, cut into strips
1 medium Onion,
1 medium Pepper, Red, deseeded and cut into strips
20 g Red Curry Paste
1 individual Chilli deseeded and thinly sliced
1 can Blue Dragon Coconut Milk, Reduced Fat,
1 Knorr Vegetable Stock, made up with 500ml water
1/2 medium Lime, Whole, juiced
240 g Noodles, Egg, Dried
150 g Mange-tout, halved
125 g Green Giant Baby Cobs, (baby corn cobs)
2 tablespoons Coriander, Fresh

Instructions
Spray a wok or sauté pan with low fat cooking spray.
Add the beef and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, until seared and browned.
Add the onion and pepper and stir-fry for 2 more minutes.

Stir in the Thai red curry paste, chilli and lime zest, stirring for a few seconds, then add the coconut milk and stock. Bring up to the boil, then reduce the heat.

Add the noodles, mangetout and baby corn and cook for a further 5-6 minutes, until the noodles are tender.
 Add the coriander and a squeeze of lime juice, then serve.



Food Diary (day before weight in)

Breakie 11am
40g Tesco Hot Oats 4pp
150ml Slimline Milk 1pp
Nescafe Skinny Mocha 2pp
Pears, Tinned, Drained 0pp
7pp

Lunch 3pm
Chicken Omlette
Large Chicken Breast 4pp
3 Whole Eggs 5pp
9pp

Activity 4.30pm
40 Minutes on Treadmill at 5kph
3pp Earned

Snack 5.30pm
Bran Muffin 4pp
Pears, Tinned, Drained 0pp
Nescafe Skinny Mocha 2pp
6pp

Dinner 7pm
Quorn Lasagne 14pp

Snack 8.30pm
40g Tesco Hot Oats 4pp
150ml Slimline 1pp
Pears, Tinned, Drained 0pp
Aldi Hot Chocolate 1pp
6pp

Through out the week I've also had 2 x 200g tubs of Light Soft Cheese aswell as A full packet of Wholegrain Ryvita. This amounts to 39pp. Had a little every night around 9pm. Healthy snack. I took this from my weeklies, although the odd time I had a couple of points left from the day.

So the break down of my week looks something like this:
Used all my dailies (43pp) every day.
Used approx 35 of my 49 weekly allowance.
Earned 18 Activity Points, But did not eat these.

Tomorrow is WI day! Hopefully all my carefully planning will have paid off. This week hasn't been that difficult. I haven't been hungery, I've eaten very nice filling tasty foods all week! Just took a little preparation and planning.

Puppy Update....

This little guy is growing up so fast! I just have to show him off before he's all grown up. In two weeks he's almost doubled in size! So I must be doing something right.

Below is Bob the Havanese coming to have a bum shuffle with Rua...It's kinda the doggie way of saying ecome on....come play...your own dog has probably done this to you....just banged there hip against you it's kinda "na na na na you cant catch me"



So we have Rua, now 12 weeks. Bob who lives next door, and Susie is the jack russell, who rua has made his granny.

And now we have Charlie & Rua finally playing like they've known each other all there lives. Rua LOVES charlie. Anything Charlie does Rua wants to do too. Which may turn out to be great...or nightmare. Charlie is great with cars he knows....if he's outside and see's a car he knows he runs to the front door to greet the people....if its a car he doesn't know....the fecker chases it! But so far all the cars are new to Rua....and he has no interest in charing (THANK GOD) 

I've WARNED my brother to drive slow coming in the dirve...cos our drive way is steep. so you gotta put your foot down...but incase rua is exploring and wondering around the garden just wanna make sure he could stop in time if a dog did wonder across the drive way. We got a pretty BIG garden...perfect for a red setter....who I have been told are the horse of dogs...

The Steep Drive way...I'm going to need a driving lession just to figure out how to leave and get in our drive!

Charlie waiting at the door with other jack russell...Debbie. She's blind & nearly deaf.

And we also have this little bit of a feild out the back the dogs love to run in! This is where my business will be set up if I go ahead with it...to the back of the picture is a hill....during the boom years...the view was worth....I don't want to say...cos it's just depressing! Watch this place...you could see "Carrig View Livary" crop up, Home of Champion in Show Red Setter Carrig Rua.

Right...now for the main event.....puppy...although soon to be dog pictures!

He LOVES his kennel...all I have to say is "Bedtime" and off he goes...Charlie goes into his kennel...Rua into his one with Susie

I'm actually so proud of this little pup...and well kinda proud of my self aswell. In the two weeks I've had him...he's had a huge growth spurt, I this down to me giving him the right diet (Beta Puppy, and I weight out the food and portion it in bags) He's also house trained...bar the rare accident...which is really down to us not leaving him outside...so our fault really. He's walking on the lead. He's also used to the bath, I've washed him three times in the two weeks. First bath to get the smell of all his former "pack" off him so my dogs would accept him. Second bath was some tea tree shampoo cos he was too young to treat for fleas yet and he was so itchy, he was being driven mad. In fairness I only did find like 2 or 3 or the buggers...but on a puppy thats torture. Third bath was few days ago with a flea shampoo and he behaved perfectly!

I think he's going to grow up to be a magnificent creature! I like to think he's in the best hands to bring on his potential!

Food Diary

Breakfast: 10am
40g Tesco Hot Oats
150ml Slimline Milk
Nescafe Skinny Mocha
Pears, In Juice, Drained
7pp

Snack 1pm
Bran Muffin
4pp

Lunch 3.15pm
250g Baked Chicken Breast
3 Scambled Eggs
Pears, In Juice, Drained
11pp

Treadmill: (3pp Earned)
30 mins on treadmill at 5kph

Snack 5pm
Bran Muffin
3pp (1 bran muffin is 4pp, this is my 2nd one, 2 bran muffins are 7pp)

Dinner 7.30pm
Homemade Quorn Lasagne
14pp

Food Diary

Breakfast: 10am
40g Tesco Hot Oats 4pp
150ml Slimline Milk 1pp
Nescafe Skinny Mocha 2pp
Tinned Pears (drained) 0pp

Mid Morning: (kinda cold today) 12pm
Nescafe Skinny Mocha 2pp

Lunch: 3pm
Ham Omlette
- Aldi Ham Cubes 2pp
- 3 Whole Eggs 5pp
- 1 Egg While 0pp
Tinned Pears (drained) 0pp

Activity: (earned 3pp)
30 Mins on treadmill at 5kph

Post Treadmill Snack:
Bran Muffin 4pp
Skinny Mocha 2pp

Dinner: 7ish
Roast Chicken Breast in Maggi So Juicy Seasoning 4pp
350g of potatoes as weddges 7pp
50g Extra Light Mayo 1pp
25g Thai Sweet Chili Sauce 1pp

Oh my god I have eaten so much food today! Yet I still have like 8 Propoints left! I'll be up late, so later I prob will want a nibble. I'm thinking Bran Muffin & Hot Chocolate for 4pp!!!

Food Diary (43 Pro Points)

Breakfast 10am
40g Tesco Hot Oats (same as readybrek) 4pp
150ml Slimline 1pp
Nescafe Skinny Mocha 2pp
Total = 7pp

Snack 1pm
400g Tinned Pears in Natural Juice (drained) 0pp

Lunch 3pm
Chicken Omlette
- 3 Medium Whole Eggs 5pp
- Large Chicken Breast 4pp
Total = 9pp

Activity
30 Minutes walking at 5kph on treadmill
Earned = 3pp

Post Activity Snack 4.30pm
Fruit Pastille Lollie 2pp

Coffee 6pm
2 Banana Bran Muffin 7pp
Skinny Mocha 2pp
Total = 9pp

Dinner 7.30pm
Quorn Pasta Bake 15pp
Baked Apple with Spelenda 0pp
Total =15pp

Evening
Aldi Mint Hot Chocolate 1pp
Water Intake = 3 Litres

Same Points Lighter On the Pocket!

So when I'm doing my shopping I try to get value for money, value for points and value for flavour! Its a fine balancing act. I want to enjoy the food I'm eating, but I've noticed the tastier things tend to be a killer on  points! I hate "adding" cheese for the sake of taste, like oh my god that could be three or four points just on flavour. I personally rather have a larger portion than forking out points on a pinch of something.

I don't go out of my way to use weight watcher products, but I will use them if they prove to be the lowest point option...and if they don't cost too much...because some of the weight watcher products are crazy prices!

I used to buy the weight watcher tins of spagetti alot, because they are quick and easy snack, and instant way to bulk up a meal in a hurry. Bit of scrambled egg and small tin for 7pp for lunch isn't bad!

But lately I had a poke around pointing other brands to see how much of a difference there really is.

 

To the left above is Weight Watchers Spaghetti 200G which is 3 Propoints and is about €0.50 a can

To the right above, Tesco Spaghetti Rings in Tomatoe Sauce 215G which is also 3 Propoints and €0.39 a can

Now I know I was ranting on about cheese earlier, but sometimes a recipe calls for cheese. I make a Lasagne with my own white sauce which needs just a little cheese. When it comes to cheese I've also noticed the points also depend on amount your using.

For example 20g of Weight Watchers Reduced Fat Mature Block is 1 Propoint, and 2 Propoints for 30g. I can't quite seem to lay my hands on my last receipt but I do know its pretty pricey!

However Dubliner Light Block is also 2 Propoints for 30g and is a slightly more reasonably priced €2.59

And the last of my "ligther on the pocket" finds for today is....Tesco's own version of Readybrek. Readybrek/Porridge is such a filling healthy start to the day. You can customize it to suit your own taste with fruit, jam, honey, nutella or what ever takes your fancy.

It's also pretty reasonable on points. General rule of thumb with breakfast cereals/porridges seems to be 3 Propoints for 30g! Not bad at all! Woo!

Readybrek isn't that expensive...you can get a large box 750g for about €2.84 in most supermarkets. However Tesco have recently launched there own version...it's exactly the same product...same texture, consistancy and same size box for nearly half the price of €1.59 (2 for €3 at the moment 5th June 2011)

It's just the little things like that help the weekly grocery bill. Means you can spend your money on things like high quality lean cuts of meat as a source of protien.