Weekly Meal Plan: April Week 4

April is nearly at an end, is it just me or is the year flying by? I haven't been to weigh in for a couple of weeks but I feel like I am in the zone and finding the balance. Since I skipped last weeks weigh in, I didn't feel like there was an 'end' to the week. I had gotten into the habit of having an uncounted treat after weigh in, and so everything I have eaten has been tracked. 

One Pot Cajun Chicken & Chorizo Pasta

One pot pastas are absolutely everywhere at the moment and I have found myself experimenting with a few different types and I landed on a winner with this one. It's not a recipe for every day as the points are quite high, but it is worth it every now and then to save enough weeklies and indulge a little bit!

The great thing about one pot pasta is how easy they are to throw together and how easy the clean up is after. I made this on a Friday night after a particularly tough week at work and it was just what I needed to start the weekend off. It felt like a total cheat meal but it was fully within my dailies!

For the recipe I used cooking chorizo, which worked out at 7 smartpoints for the 50g used. I find that different chorizos can vary a good bit so it can be worth checking the one you are using before cooking.

Serves: 2
SmartPoints per serving: 15
SmartPoints on No Count: 7
Ingredients:
200g skinless chicken breast
2 tbsp cajun spice
50g cooking chorizo
120g pasta shapes (brown for No Count)
1 red pepper sliced
1 red onion sliced
2 garlic cloves crushed
300ml chicken stock
40g low fat mature cheddar
90g philidelphia lightest
salt & pepper

Cut the chicken & chorizo into chunks and fry the chorizo in a pan over a medium heat to release the oils. Remove from the pan and set to one side. Brown the chicken in the pan and add the onions, peppers, garlic and cajun spice. Cook until the vegetables are soft and add the pasta. Pour the stock over slowly until it just covers the pasta and set anything leftover to one side.

Bring to the boil and then turn down to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the pasta is cooked and the liquid has been mostly absorbed. You can add any leftover stock as required.

Stir through the chorizo, phildelphia and grated cheddar and stir until combined.Season to taste with salt and lots of black pepper and serve immediately. 

Weekly Meal Plan April Week 3

Last week was a really manic week so I skipped weigh in. I was on plan all week and I had a sneaky look at the scales at home and I know things are fine. I started out on Friday with a plan for how I was going to handle the Bank Holiday weekend. Easter is tricky for me because we have to divide our time between both families so 2 big dinners with dessert is on the menu. My plan was to keep all my weeklies, be the designated driver so I didn't have to spend any smartpoints on alcohol and have very low breakfasts filled with fruit. 

Weekly Meal Plan & Weigh In: April Week 2

After my complete meltdown the week before last, the newfound resolve I had last Monday stuck throughout the week and I am back to myself. I went to my weigh in on Thursday and I was up half a pound which I happily took. I hadn't been in two weeks, and in that 2 weeks my trip to Bruges and a week off plan happened. So I am pretty sure my great week last week had an effect on my weight. It did still leave me half a pound above goal but I am not concerned about it. 

Fish & Chips!

I love fish and chips and it’s been ages since I made it at home. I mean, whats better than a nice big plate with fish, chips, minted peas and loads of tartare sauce! I used to make it fairly regularly, but it was something that almost fell off my radar. This week I suddenly had a craving for it. After a few terrible weeks I knew I needed to get my head back into it this morning, and having a meal like this, that feels a little naughty even though you know it isn't can really help keeping the motivation up. I find that having a fakeaway version of our favourite high calorie treats really helps remind me just how flexible and easy this plan is. There is no reason to feel deprived, or bored with the foods. 

Weekly Meal Plan April Week 1

Last week was not a good week. I came back from Bruges all ready to get back on plan in a big way and Tuesday started out great. Then disaster struck, just before I left work I got some bad news. Nothing serious, but something that has been in the works for the past 8 months basically fell apart - leaving me back at square one. I was pretty devastated and it completely threw me off for the week. I still haven't learned how to deal with my emotional eating.