How you can lose weight and still enjoy your favourite BBQ food this summer

BARBECUE season is upon us but there is no reason you can’t shape up while still enjoying your grill favourites. This week we have teamed up with WeightWatchers to help you get in shape and feel great for summer. With our WW Love Summer plan you achieve sustainable weight loss, based around the foods you […]

BARBECUE season is upon us but there is no reason you can’t shape up while still enjoying your grill favourites.

This week we have teamed up with WeightWatchers to help you get in shape and feel great for summer.

Weight Watchers

Lose weight and still enjoy your favourite BBQ food this summer with these WeightWatchers recipes[/caption]

With our WW Love Summer plan you achieve sustainable weight loss, based around the foods you love.

WeightWatchers uses a programme called PersonalPoints to help you lose weight easily.

Every food and drink has a PersonalPoints value based on its calories, protein, fibre, unsaturated fat, saturated fat and added sugar.

WW members get a PersonalPoints Budget unique to them, based on age, weight, height, sex, lifestyle and the foods you most love.

To find out your customised PersonalPoints budget go to ww.com/uk.

Today we bring you barbecue favourites you can enjoy with all the family, while still shedding pounds.

Fire up the barbie!

Chicken & halloumi skewers

Serves 4    I   Prep 25 mins + marinating    I  Cook 15 mins

Weight Watchers

These chicken and halloumi skewers are only 6-8 PersonalPoints[/caption]

YOU NEED:

• Grated zest and juice of ½ lemon
• ½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 2 x 165g skinless chicken breast fillets, cut into chunks
• 220g light halloumi, cubed
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks
• 1 courgette, cut into chunks
• 200g fat-free natural yoghurt
• 1 tbsp harissa paste
• 60g rocket, to serve

METHOD:

1. Soak 4 wooden skewers in a shallow dish of cold water for at least 10 minutes. Set aside. Put the lemon zest and juice, olive oil, thyme leaves and chilli in a small jug and whisk to combine.
2. Put the chicken, halloumi, pepper and courgette in a medium bowl, drizzle over the marinade and stir to combine, then cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for 2 hours.
3. Heat the grill to High. Thread the marinated ingredients on to the skewers, then grill for 10 ­minutes, turning halfway through, until the chicken is golden and cooked through.
4. Put the yoghurt and harissa paste in a small bowl and stir to combine. Serve the skewers with the harissa yoghurt drizzled over, with the rocket leaves on the side.

Spiked peach lemonade

Serves 6    I   Prep 10 mins 

Weight Watchers

Spiked peach lemonade is only 4 PersonalPoints[/caption]

YOU NEED:

• 3 ripe peaches
• 170ml vodka
• 120ml fresh lemon juice
• 1½ tbsp sugar
• 355ml sparkling water

METHOD:

1. Chop 2½ peaches. Cut the remaining peach half into 6 slices.
2. In a blender, purée the vodka, lemon juice, sugar and chopped peaches until smooth. Pour the peach mixture into a pitcher. Stir in the sparkling water.
3. Fill 6 glasses with ice. Divide the cocktail among the glasses and top off with more sparkling water (if desired). Garnish each glass with 1 peach slice.

Open veggie burger with sweet potato wedges

Serves 4    I   Prep 20 mins   I  Cook 30 mins

Weight Watchers

The open veggie burger with sweet potato is 5-11 PersonalPoints[/caption]

YOU NEED:

• 600g sweet potato, cut into thin wedges
• Calorie-controlled cooking spray
• 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• Handful chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 courgette, coarsely grated
• 50g breadcrumbs made from day-old wholemeal bread
• 1½ tsp ground coriander
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp sriracha
• 120g 0% fat natural Greek yoghurt
• 2 x 70g granary rolls, split
• ¼ butterhead lettuce, leaves separated
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• 1 cucumber, thinly sliced

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C, fan 180C, gas mark 6. Put the wedges on an oven tray and mist with cooking spray. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden.
2. Meanwhile, put the chickpeas, parsley and garlic into a food processor and blitz until the mixture comes together. Add the courgette, breadcrumbs, coriander and egg and pulse until combined. Shape the mixture into 4 patties.
3. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat. Cook the patties for 4-5 minutes each side, until browned and cooked through.
4. In a small bowl, combine the sriracha and yoghurt, then season to taste.
5. Top each roll half with lettuce leaves, tomato, cucumber, a veggie patty and a dollop of the yoghurt sauce. Serve the burgers with the sweet potato wedges on the side.

Coronation potato salad

Serves 4 I Prep 15 mins I Cook 20 mins

Weight Watchers

Coronation potato salad is 3-7 PersonalPoints per serving[/caption]

YOU NEED:

650g baby potatoes, large ones halved
100g plain soya yoghurt
2 tbsp mango chutney
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp mild curry powder
¼ tsp ground turmeric
Large handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped
3 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced

METHOD:

1. Put the potatoes in a pan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until just tender. Drain and cool under cold running water, then drain and set aside to cool completely.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the soya yoghurt, chutney, lemon juice, curry powder, turmeric and half of the coriander and spring onions. Add the potatoes and stir to coat, then season to taste.
3. Transfer the potato salad to a serving platter. Serve garnished with the remaining coriander and spring onions.

Barbecue chicken pizza

Serves 4    I   Prep 25 mins    I  Cook 35 mins

Weight Watchers

Barbecue chicken pizza is 4-10 PersonalPoints per serving[/caption]

YOU NEED:

• ½ red pepper, deseeded and diced
• 200g cooked skinless chicken breast, shredded
• ½ red onion, thinly sliced
• 198g tin sweetcorn, drained
• 125g ball light mozzarella, drained and grated
• 60g mixed salad leaves, to serve
• For the pizza base
• 2 x 400g tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tsp cornflour
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 large egg
• For the barbecue sauce
• 150ml passata
• 100g barbecue sauce
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp dried oregano

METHOD:

1. Put a large baking sheet in the oven and heat to 220C, fan 200C, gas mark 7. To make the pizza base, put the chickpeas and garlic in a food processor with a good pinch of salt and blitz until finely chopped. Add in the cornflour, dried oregano, some black pepper and the egg. Blitz again until you have a smooth mixture.
2. Spoon the chickpea mixture on to a big piece of baking paper and spread to a 30cm circle with a palette knife or spatula. Slide the paper on to the heated baking tray and bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly golden and getting crisp around the edges.
3. Meanwhile, put the red pepper into a roasting tin and roast alongside the pizza base for 10 minutes. When the pizza base is getting crisp around the edges, reduce the oven to 200C, fan 180C, gas 6.
4. Mix together the barbecue sauce ingredients and season to taste. Spread the sauce over the pizza base, leaving a 1cm border. Top with the chicken, red onion, roasted pepper and sweetcorn. Scatter over the mozzarella, then season with pepper and bake for 10 minutes until the toppings are crisping up and the cheese is melted. Serve with the salad leaves.

Griddled lettuce with red pepper pesto & chimichurri

Serves 4    I   Prep 20 mins   I  Cook 10 mins

Weight Watchers

Griddled lettuce with red pepper pesto & chimichurri is only 1 PersonalPoint[/caption]

YOU NEED:

• Calorie-controlled cooking spray
• 2 Romaine lettuces, halved lengthways
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

For the red pepper pesto:

• 2 roasted red peppers in brine, drained and roughly chopped (you’ll need 200g)
• 10g fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed

For the chimichurri:

• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 green chilli, deseeded and finely diced
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely diced
• 50ml red wine vinegar
• 25g fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 10g fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

METHOD:

1. To make the red pepper pesto, put all the pesto ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. Season to taste and set aside.
2. For the chimichurri, put all the chimichurri ingredients into a small bowl with 2 tablespoons of water. Mix until well combined then season to taste and set aside.
3. Heat a large non-stick griddle over a high heat until it starts to smoke. Mist the lettuce with cooking spray then griddle, in batches, for 1-2 minutes on each side, until charred.
4. Put the griddled lettuce on a serving platter, spoon over the red pepper pesto and chimichurri, and serve with the lemon wedges on the side.