Bangers and Colcannon -light - 12.5 points

Bangers and Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish that is very fattening, but very tasty. This year I was determined to have some without gaining weight or starving the rest of the day. Here's what I came up with. I hope you enjoy. The pics are my hubby's serving below and my serving on the bottom right lol.

4 servings - 12.5 points per serving.

4 banger - 32
8 mini potatoes or 3 small potatoes- 10
5 strips bacon- 5
2 tbsp FF sour cream-0
1/4 bottle guinness-1 point
1 tsp brown sugar-0
1/2 tsp flour- 0
1/2 tsp butter -1
1 head cabbage (chopped)-0
salt and pepper to taste



Cook the bacon in a large skillet until almost crisp. Add  the cabbage. Saute until cabbage is almost tender but a slight amount of crunch remains. While these cook,  place potatoes in a saucepan of cold water. Add a pinch of salt and boil until potatoes are fork tender. Mix 1/2 tsp butter, brown sugar, salt, and flour together and set aside. Brown bangers on all sides. Add Guinness to pan and reduce to simmer. Braise until bangers are fully cooked and the beer reduces slightly. Drain the potatoes when they finish boiling, but retain a cup or so of the water in case you need it for mashing. Keep the potatoes in the pan. Then remove the bangers from the pan and whisk in brown sugar, butter and flour and salt until the mixture is smooth.  Bring gravy to a gentle boil and reduce to a simmer until thickened.
Add sour cream and water if needed to the potatoes and mashed until mostly smooth.  Fold in the cabbage-bacon mix and plate with the bangers. Drizzle with the brown sugar gravy.

Sheppards Pie (Cottage pie) - 5 points per serving

Another recipe I really love is Shepard's Pie (Cottage pie). Here's a healthy(er) alternative.

Serves 6 - 5 points per serving.

2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped - 6 points
Head of cauliflower, chopped - 0 points
1/4 1% milk - 1 point
2 tbsp fat free sour cream - 0 points
1 lb 95% lean ground beef  - 20 points

1 tsp garlic - 0 points
1/4 cup chopped onion - 0 points
3 cups frozen vegi mix (I use carrot and pea mix, but you could use 0 point vegis to save points) 2 points
1 tsp soy sauce -0 points
2 tsp red wine  - 0 points
2 tsp ketchup - 0 points
2 tsp flour - 0 points
1 cup fat free beef broth - 0 points
Salt and pepper - 0 points






Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Boil the potatoes and cauliflower in a large pot until fork tender, usually about 9 minutes. Drain well. Put milk, sour cream, and salt and pepper (to taste) in blender with cauliflower and potatoes. Blend to mashed potato consistancy.
While potatoes are boiling, saute onion and garlic until they begin to brown then add the ground beef. When brown, drain, then add soy sauce, red wine and ketchup, along with frozen vegis. (if  you use fresh vegis, be sure to saute them a bit, then cook the beef.)
When everything is soft and smells cooked, put it into a pie tin and cover with potato mixture.
Cook for 16-20 minutes until bubbling.You might broil a minute or two at the end to brown the top, if you'd like. Or add a bit of cheese if you want to be extravagant. Just be sure to add the points.