Packet or bottle ready mix sauces are a quick pick from the supermarket shelf, but Mansized Men can make these three in less than the time it takes the pasta to cook.
You should have all you need in the kitchen already. Try one this weekend and post your variations on a theme to inspire other Mansized cooks. All sauces serve two.
The red one
1 tsp olive oil
½ onion, chopped
½ tsp garlic puree or dried garlic flakes
1 400g can chopped tomatoes
Pepper or dried herbs to taste
Saucepan
Spoon
- Heat the oil in saucepan, add the onion and cook gently for 1 to 2 mins.
- Add the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil.
- Then reduce the heat and simmer, without a lid on the pan, for 10 minutes until the sauce is thick.
- Season to taste and serve with pasta.
Get style points by creating your own signature sauce. Add chilli powder or a few olives - the variations are a wide as your imagination.
The white one
2 tsp olive oil
20g flour
300ml skim milk
Pepper to taste
Saucepan
Whisk - if your saucepan is non stick you must use a plastic whisk
- Place the oil in the saucepan and stir in the flour.
- Over a medium heat, add half the milk to the flour and oil mix, stirring vigorously.
- Cook with stirring until the mixture is lump free and thickened.
- Do not have the heat too high and keep stirring or it may stick on the bottom of the pan.
- Add the rest of the milk and continue to cook with stirring until the sauce is thick and smooth.
- Add pepper to taste
Get style points by adding some fresh chopped mushrooms and basil, then mix in some strips of Parma ham.
The green one
OK, so we lied. You may need to go shopping for the basil and parmesan, but the end result is well worth it. Omit the pine nuts and olive oil found in a classic pesto, retain the aromatic hit of basil and save at least 100 calories per serving.
½ tsp garlic puree or flakes
10g fresh basil leaves
3 tbsp low fat fromage frais
1 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese
Blender or knife
Whisk
Bowl
If using a blender, simply whizz everything together for a few seconds until smooth or chop the basil and whisk it together with the remaining ingredients.
Have a glass of wine on us with the calories you saved!
Tried the low fat curry - tasty with the base of butternut squash and split red lentils. Found the broccoli needed more than the 5 minutes at the end as the liquid had been absorbed by the lentils and the broccoli was effectively barely steaming. Maybe this was because it was a pretty dry butternut squash though. I also added some cauliflower and that needs some extra time anyway.
Tried the Thai cuury too. I don't normally like Thai red/green curries owing to the coconut, but this low fat one was great. I used Bart's Reduced Fat Coconut Milk at 8.6g/100ml - they do seem to vary a bit in fat content. I upped the chicken content as it seemed a bit mean for 4. The method mentions curry powder but it's not in the ingredients list, so I left it out and had quite a plain heat from the chilli powder which was fine with all the other tastes from the coconut and veg.
A new twist on that old favourite – gammon and pineapple. If you pick up the leanest gammon you can find in the supermarket you’ll save yourself some fat grams and calories.
What you need
2 lean gammon steaks
1 tsp runny honey
Pepper
1 tomato
50g fresh or tinned pineapple – drain off juice if tinned
Pinch of chilli powder
2 tsp lime juice
Black pepper
Grill pan
Bowl
Knife
Spoon
Step by step instructions
- Chop the tomato and pineapple into small cubes then mix with the chilli powder and lime juice.
- Spread the honey gammon steaks, sprinkle with black pepper and grill for three mins on each side.
- Serve the gammon topped with salsa or leave it on the side.
Points for style
The hot and sweet and sour flavours of this cry out for some good old spuds or rice to accompany it. If you use tinned pineapple and have extra tomatoes to spare why not make extra salsa to serve with another meal?
I had a request for a sweet red pepper spread and for a Nando’s sauce (follows below).
I haven’t tried the authentic Nandos but cooked up these two at the weekend and hope you’ll like them. Both have no added fat – you can add or subtract chilli, spices and herbs at your pleasure.
Kit you'll need
2 red peppers – halved and seeds and pith removed
2 tins chopped tomatoes
1 tsp garlic flakes
½ tsp chilli powder
1 level tsp paprika
1 level tsp cinnamon powder
pinch of sugar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Spoons
Saucepan
Blender
Step by step instructions
- Place the red pepper halves on a grill pan, cut side down and grill for a few mimutes until they start to sizzle and the skin starts to turn black.
- Allow to cool then remove any charred skin from the peppers and place the flesh in the saucepan.
- Add the remaining ingredients and cook uncovered over a low heat for about 10 to 20 mins until most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir once or twice whilst cooking.
- Blitz in blender for a smooth sauce or leave chunky if you prefer. Use it hot or cold, it will be thick enough to spread or use as a sip.
- If you want it thicker, just cook a bit longer until all of the tomato juice has evaporated.
5 red peppers – halved and seeds and pith removed
½ red onion, chopped
2 level tsp paprika
150 ml water
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Spoons
Saucepan
Blender
Step by step instructions
- Simply place everything excpet the balsamic vinegar in the saucepan.
- Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 20 mins stirring occasionally.
- When cooked add salt and pepper to taste them blitz in the blender until smooth.
No meat or fish in this one, but there is nothing to stop a carnivore adding some shredded cooked chicken meat or fish to the mix – or serve with grilled chicken breast for a real feast.
Kit you’ll need
50g very low fat garlic cheese OR cottage cheese
1 tsp garlic puree
100g low fat mozzarella, grated
1 large onion, chopped
2 tomtoes, chopped
100g fresh spinach, chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp chopped fresh corriander
1 small chilli pepper , very finely chopped – TAKE CARE if you go for a mega hot variety, wear gloves when handling and don’t rub your your eyes !
4 small flour tortillas or two large ones
Fork
Spoon
Bowl
Kinfe
Baking tray
Step by step instructions
- Turn the oven on to Gas 7, 220 deg C.
- Using a fork, mash together the garlic cheese or cottage cheese , garlic paste and halve the mozzerella.
- Spread the cheese mixture over the torillias to within about 1cm of the edge.
- Mix the remaining ingredients (except the left over mozzerella) together in bowl then place one torilla on baking sheet, sprinkle with the vegetable mix, top with another tortilla and repeat the layers.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, then place the tray in the oven on middle shelf and bake for 8-10 mins until the cheese is melted.
- Cut into wedges and serve with ice cold lager.
2 skinned chicken quarters
400g tomotoes, skinned and chopped OR 1 tin plum tomatoes
1 red pepper, de-seeded and sliced into strips
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp garlic paste
pinch of chilli powder
1 tsp mixed herbs
Ovenproof dish
Foil
Bowl
Spoon
Step by step instructions
- Turn oven on to Gas 4, 180 deg C.
- Put the chicken quarters in ovenproof dish
- Place the remaining ingredients in the bowl and mix until well combined.
- Tip the mixture over the chicken, cover the dish with foil, place in oven and bake for 30 mins.
- Remove the foil and bake for a further 30 mins until the juice run clear when the chicken is pricked with a fork.
Does exactly what it says on the tin – a singleton’s supper cooked in a single pan. This comes from a supermarket freebie mag, a cheap source of food inspiration for blokes – I’ve just cut the fat from the original recipe.
Kit you'll need
1 extra lean pork chop
2 tbsp water
½ onion, peeled and sliced into rings
1 large potato, peeled and cut into 1 cm dice
1 eating apple, cored and diced
100g shredded cabbage
pepper to taste
Saucepan with a lid
Spoon
Step by step instructions
- Place the chop in the saucepan with 1 tablespoon of water and cook over a medium heat for 2-3 min on each side until it loses its pink colour and the water has evaporated
- Add the onion and potato plus another tablespoon of water to the pan and continue to cook for another 3-4 mins.
- Add the apple to the pan, cover and cook over a low heat for 15 mins, stirring occasionally.
- Add the cabbage, cover and cook for a further 5 mins.
Points for style
Add a bit of mustard if you like it – goes well with brassicsas. Use lean pork or lamb escalopes if you see them - the advantage of these is no bone.
You can do the same with lamb too - use dried apricots in place of the apple and spinach in place of cabbage.
Fish without crumbs – not as fast as fingers – but you can save valuable time by cooking extra spuds at suppertime the day before and starting at step 3. Plenty of protein in the fish, just add some green veg for a complete low fat meal.
Kit you'll need
400g potatoes
185g tuna chunks in brine, drained
115g frozen sweetcorn
½ small onion, chopped
40g fresh breadcrumbs
Potato peeler
Fork
Saucepan
Spoon
Plate
Oven tray
Step by step instructions
- Set oven to Gas 6, 200 deg C
- Peel the potatoes, cut into chunks and cook in pan of boiling water for 15 mins
- Mash the potatoes with a fork and stir in the tuna, sweetcorn and onion
- Using dampened hands and a spoon, shape the mix into 4 round patties
- Place the breadcrumbs on a plate. Press each the fishcakes into them to coat
- Place the coated fishcakes on the baking sheet and bake for 20 mins until browned
Points for style
The fastest way to make breadcrumbs is to simply whizz a slice of bread in a blender for a few seconds. You can also try this using crushed Ryvita or cornflakes in place of the breadcrumbs
Take this dish up a notch by using smoked mackerel or tinned salmon in place of tuna and adding some chopped fresh parsley to the mix.
