Chicken katsu curry

 

 Crispy chicken, a delicious curry sauce, what's not to like? 

Serves 4

4 large chicken breasts

1 large egg

Salt and pepper

Dry Cous Cous 

For the sauce: 1 onion and carrot, qtbsp of mild curry powder,salt, pepper, 1tsp each grated garlic and ginger, 300ml water, 1tbsp tomato purée.

Add some salt and pepper to the egg and mix with the chicken breasts.

Preheat the oven to 200oC, meanwhile fry off the carrot no onion, add the ginger Nf garlic and cook for 5minutes.

Add the tomato purée and water and cook for 20 minutes, meanwhile. 

Coat the eggy chicken in the Cous Cous and pan fry until golden then put in the oven till cooked through.

Blend the sauce, cut the chicken into slices and serve over rice with the sauce.

Carrot cake muffins

 

Good as a snack, with fruit or even as a lower sugar alternative for kiddies these are addictive and come out as 1 syn each if you use your healthy extra b!

35g oats

1tsp cinnamon

1tbsp golden syrup (my brand was 2syns but please double check)

1grated carrot

12g sultanas (optional but make the dish! 2syns for my brand)

1 medium egg

Preheat oven to 180oC and spray 4holes in a muffin pan with low calorie spray.

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl mixing well.

Divide into the four holes of the muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool before removing from the pan. 

(If not using oats as your healthy extra.. 6extra syns for the whole dish so 2.5 syns each)

Thai chicken with sticky rice

 

Serves 4-6

6 chicken thighs, bite size chunks 

4large spring onions, thinly sliced

1small head of broccoli in bite sized pieces

1onion and green pepper in bite sized pieces.

1cup/mug of jasmine rice (dry) 

3tbsp dark soy sauce

1large clove garlic grated

1tbsp sweet chilli sauce (2.5)

1tsp cornflour (0.5)

Handful of Thai or normal basil and coriander finely chopped

Marinate the chicken with the soy sauce, garlic, sweet chilli, cornflour together in a sandwich bag massaging to make sure all chicken is fully coated.

Meanwhile add the 1cup of rice to a pot, rinse once then add 2cups of boiling water and cook until almost all the water is gone, cover and leave.

Heat a pan and add the chicken and broccoli cooking for 5minutes until almost cooked through. 

Add the rest of the veggies and stir fry for a further 5minutes.

Add a splash of water and herbs.

Stir until the sauce thickens and serve with a side salad and the sticky rice. 

Satay (chicken,pork, beef of lamb)

 

This is low syn, super easy and you can use it on almost any meat and even white fish or just use as a dipping sauce!

1small red onion

5cloves garlic

1tbsp each of ground coriander and cumin

1 tsp each of tumeric and Tesco Thai massaman curry paste

1tsp black pepper

100ml alp to coconut milk replacement (1syn ATM)

2tbsp soy sauce

1tsp low fat low sugar peanut butter(syns will vary depending on which brand you use so double check)

I like making my marinade with a pestle and mortar as you get more flavour! 

Alternatively chuck everything BUT the peanut butter into the food processor and whizz it up.

Then pour into a sandwich bag with your meat (will do about 700g of meat easily) leave overnight in the fridge in a bowl in case of leakages! 

If you are using fish don't marinate just cook up the sauce and cook the fish separately!

You can use a griddle, grill or BBQ or even your oven but make sure to squeeze off the excess marinade and pour it all into a saucepan with the peanut butter and cook, constantly stirring until the sauce thickens. That's it! 

Thai massaman curry

 

Rich, creamy, vegetarian option or meaty and luscious, this curry has so many options so don't feel the need to stick to the recipe! If making the curry vegetarian friendly just remove the meat and bulk the curry with fresh mushrooms, more aubergine or even quorn!

Serves 4-6 

600g of chicken, beef or lamb,

2large onions roughly chopped,

1green pepper roughly chopped,

3 tbsp Thai massaman paste (Tesco own is 0.5 syn each)

300ml original blue diamond coconut milk (1syn per 100ml)

200ml of water

1small aubergine roughly chopped

200g green beans cut into 1inch pieces

Sear your meat in a frying pan,

 

Meanwhile in a saucepan spray low calorie spray  and stir fry the curry paste for 1minute then add half the coconut milk and stir for 5minutes until most of the milk is absorbed. 

Add the rest of the liquid and the meat, meanwhile in the pan you seared the meat in, get the pan hot and char the onions and peppers then add to the curry letting it simmer for 20 minutes. 

Add the green beans and cook for another 10 minutes before serving. 

Mongolian beef

 

1 steak thinly sliced 

1/2 white onion thinly sliced

3 spring onions cut in half and in 2'' pieces

4shitake mushroom thinly sliced 

1tsp each grated ginger and garlic

3tbsp light soy sauce

1tsp sugar (or sweetener - 1 syn)

(Steamed broccoli and rice or noodles to serve) 

Heat a non stick pan for 5minutes, spray with low cal spray, add the vegetables and garlic and ginger, stir fry for 5minutes and move to a plate. 

Heat the pan for a further 2minutes, add the steak and stir fry for 2minutes.

Add the vegetables and the soy sauce and sugar, stir fry until the sauce thickens then serve with coriander and chilli sprinkled over the top.

Aromatic lamb

 

This has a nice kick but is suitable for all the family! You could serve with rice or potatoes or on its own! 

Serves 4-6

600g extra lean lamb chunks 

4large carrots, large chunks

1large courgette and onion roughly chopped.

2 tins tomatoes, 2large cloves garlic

500ml water

1tsp dry harrissa spice mix and paprika

2tsp mixed herbs

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1bay leaf 

Salt and pepper

Sear the lamb then add in the vegetables, cook until the onions start to soften.

Add the rest of the ingredients and either use the slow cooker on high for 4hours or put in the oven for 2hours at 180oC.

Creamy chicken and bacon pasta

 

Serves 2 (rather large portions!!!)

200g dry pasta

6 medium chestnut mushrooms

2rashers extra lean bacon1large leek

2 egg yolks

2splashes of milk (1syns)

5tbsp fresh grated Parmesan (5syns in total) 

Salt pepper and fresh parsley

Chop the leek and mushrooms thinly.

Chop the bacon and chicken into bite size pieces.

Get a frying pan hot and dry the bacon until crispy then add the chicken till half cooked.

Add the pasta to boiling water now as this will take the time the rest of the sauce takes to cook.

Add the leeks and mushrooms to the chicken add salt and pepper.(cook for 5-7 minutes)

Meanwhile mix the egg yolks with the milk and parsley.

Drain the pasta and add to the chicken mixture.

Stir through, turn off the heat, add the sauce mix stirring constantly until the sauce thickens and sticks to the pasta (this means the egg is cooked) 

Serve immediately! 

Paella

 

You will need: 1 red onion, 1 large red pepper, 1 large grated garlic clove, 1 lemon (zested then in wedges), 1tsp smoked paprika, 1 chicken breast (in bite size chunks), 2handfuls mixed seafood, 200g risotto or paella rice, 500ml fish stock or chicken stock, 1/2 cup of peas, 1 large tomato  in small chunks and a rough chopped handful of parsley. 

Chop the onion and pepper into small chunks while a pan is heating.

Spray the pan with low cal spray and add the chicken, cook until browned around the edges but only half cooked then add the peppers onions and a generous pinch of salt and pepper.

Once softened (usually takes 10minutes) add the paprika and garlic and stir for a couple of minutes.

Add the rice and stock, cover in foil and bake for 30 minutes at 180oC.

Check if you need to add more liquid, then add parsley a generous squeeze of lemon juice, top with the seafood and put in the oven uncovered for 10 more minutes.

When serving top with a handful of rocket and a lemon wedge.

Serve 2-4 people.