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.

Food trends: Fruit pops

So the most popular food trend at the moment seems to be either those crazy milkshakes that have everything but the kitchen sink in, or these lushious fruit pops. Normally they are made with coconut water but thats not syn free so i usually use diet lemonade and sometimes even add mint and a splash of balsamic vinegar like a pimms ice lolly.


All you have to do is choose your favourite fruits and put them into an ice lolly mold or even cheap plastic cups.
put in your stick and pour over your chosen liquid then freeze for at least 4 hours..
i can't really even call this one a recipe!
its healthy, quick, easy and even the kiddies love them!

Nando's chicken and spicy rice!

..Nandos is my guilty pleasure and if i can make it for lower syn i will!! I use the nandos lemon and herb marinate it is 1/2 a syn per tbsp and if you leave it over night on your chocken or pork it really permeates the meat!!

6 chicken thighs
6tbsp lemon and herb (or your choice) of nandos marinade sauce (just double check the syns! - will be half a syn per chicken thigh)

for the rice:
2 cups basmati rice,
4 cups of water,
1 chicken stock cube,
small white onion finely diced
1 small red pepper finely diced
1 small green pepper finely diced
1tsp cumin and paprika and 1/2 tsp garlic granules
as many jalapeños you can manage! (i usually use the ones in brine and chop them till they are a puree and can only manage 4 or 5! slices!)

Stab the chicken thighs all over with a sharp knife and put into a sandwich bag with the marinate, do up the bag, massage and put i the fridge overnight.

Get your grill going and put the chicken thighs on, remember not to waste any of the marinade!

meanwhile in a large pot, fry off the onion, peppers, herbs and spices (including the jalapenos ) until theystart to soften.

add the stock, water and rice, add a generous pinch of salt and pepper and cook until the water is almost absorbed, turn off the hob and cover the rice, leave for 10 minutes, fluff the rice up with a fork, cover again and leave for 10 minutes and fluff the rice with a fork again before leaving with the lid on for another 10 minutes.

Big mac in a bowl

The real thing will set you back 25 syns!! this will only set you back 5.5 syns.. and that is if you dont use the cheese as your HEA! If you used the cheese slices as part of you HEA it would only be 1 syn!

This serves one person :)

200g extra lean beef mince
1 medium white onion (finely diced as possible)
as many gherkins as you wish
as many tomatoes as you wish
a pile of iceberg lettuce (or if you dont like iceberg romaine)
2 slices dairylea light cheese slices (use as HEA or 2.5 syns for one or 4.5 for 2, you can omit completely though)

Fry off the mince in a pan until it starts to turn crispy.

reserving 1 tsp of the chopped onion, add the rest to the pan and cook until softened, season with a pinch of salt and black pepper.

Put the meat warm on the bed of lettuce, lay over your cheese, sauce, remaining onions, gherkins and tomatoes.

how simple is that?!

you could even have a couple of pieces of cloud bread with it!

BBQ SP Beans

Comforting and good for an SP day, if i'm doing extra easy day i usually do some of the SW iceland sausages like a sausage and bean bake and god is it good and makes a lot.

1 large white onion
2 large carrots
2 sticks of celery
1 red and green pepper.
4 smoked bacon medallions
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tins cannelini beans
2 tins haricot beans
1 tin of red kidney beans
2 tins of tomatoes
1 jar of passata
2 cloves of garlic
generous pinch of salt and pepper.

roughly chop the veggies then process until finely chopped.

Dice the bacon into small pieces and fry off in fry light in a big pot until turning crisp.

Add the garlic and the vegetables and cook down until most of the liquid is absorbed.

Add the remaining ingredients (fill the jar of passatta halfway with water and rinse it out adding it to the pot).

Let cook for about an hour or until thick and umptuous.

Coleslaw

This goes with everything in our house.. from grilled meats, burgers, chicken, pork to fish or as a side salad. you can top it with what you want but we usually dress it with the dressing that i will add to the bottom of the slaw recipe. its also lovely with light salad cream.

1 red onion
2 large carrots
half a small white cabbage

we use a mandolin as we have always had it in our family but you could use a food processor or if you are good with a knife do it that way.

peel then grate the carrot into a bowl.

peel and cut the onion in half and slice as thin as you can.

cut the half of cabbage in half then shred it.

combine together and that is the basic slaw.

for the dressing we use white or rice vinegar and tesco extra virgin olive oil spray we use 20 sprays (2 syns) we coat the slaw in the oil then add the vinegar.

the slaw will last 3-4 days in the fridge if you DONT add a dressing. ( you could always individually dress the slaw on the plate)

spinach and 'ricotta' lasagne

This is my take on spinach and ricotta, the most important step is trying to get moisture out of quark, if you have cheesecloth use that or when salted leave in the bowl and pour away as much excess moisture as possible!

you will need a lasagne dish (use whatever you have, a bowl or rectangular dish or anything you have)
lasagne sheets (dried)
2 pots of quark
2small red onion finely diced
1 large clove of garlic or 2 medium
salt and pepper
a bag of frozen spinach (thawed out, squeezed from excess water and roughly chopped)
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
2 sticks of celery
2 carrots
2 egg yolks or 1 egg
4tbsp grated parmesan (4 syns)

starting with the quark, add 1.5 pots to a bowl and stir in a generous pinch of salt, if you can leave the bowl at an angle for at least an hour or even over night.

meanwhile you could either finely dice the vegetables or use a food processor.
process one onion with half the garlic to make a puree. add to a pan and cook until most of the moisture is gone, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper and add the spinach, again cooking till there is no moisture, move to the side and cool completely.

process your other onion, the other bit of garlic, celery and carrot until finely minced and fry off in a pan with fry light until they soften, add in the tomatoes (here you could add in some dried basil and some fresh parsley) cook down and season to taste.

pour off the excess moisture from the quark and stir in the spinach and onion mixture.

starting with a layer of tomato sauce layer it into your dish then a layer of lasagne sheet then the spinach mixture, layering until you have no spinach or tomato mixture left.
leave a blank layer of lasagne sheets on top of the dish.

mix together the remaining quark with the egg, 3 tblsp of water the parmesan and a pinch of black pepper and evenly layer over the top of your lasagne.

cover with foil and put in your oven at 180oC for 40 minutes, remove the foil and cook for a further 20 minutes.

crab linguine

Sorry for not posting in a few days i have been off track as i've not been well.. so heres to the first proper meal back on plan. I am a pasta/carbaholic.. and i love crab so here is a simple crab linguine that is simple but easy to impress with!

serves 4

500g linguine, spaghetti.. whatever the heck you want!
i used asda frozen crab claws as you get a lot of meat but 2 tins of lump crab meat in brine will do (just drain off the water)
2 large tomatoes, deseeded and chopped into small pieces.
zest and juice of a lemon
4 tsp of olive oil
1/2 grated clove of garlic
(chilli is nice but personally i prefer this dish without chilli.. you could always add half a desseeded chilli finely chopped)
generous pinch of salt and pepper
about 200g fresh rocket to serve.

cook the pasta -2 minutes of the cooking time to make it perfectly al dente.
meanwhile save some of the pasta water and mix in the olive oil, lemon, garlic, salt and pepper.
drain the pasta and add back to the pot with the pasta water mixture and tomatoes
.
coat the pasta in the flavour then add in the crab meat, stir lightly trying to not break it up too much.
to serve just dish the pasta up then add the rocket to the top of the pasta, this is the way they do it in italian restaurants and it works really well, almost like another seasoning to the crab and pasta dish and brings out the flavour of the crab, along with the lemon!








(image courtesy of bbcgoodfood until i make this again... as i was too hungry to think about a photo sorry!)

Mapo Tofu

this is my version of mapo tofu savoury, spicy, delicious and easy!

500g firm tofu (drained well and cut into cubes)
150g extra lean pork mince
2 tsp sechaun peppercorns,
1tablespoon oyster sauce
3tbsp soy sauce
300ml chicken stock
1tablespoon cornflour (1syn)
2 large cloves garlic grated
4 large spring onions sliced thinly
1 heaped tsp grated ginger.

combine the chicken stock, oyster sauce, soy sauce, cornflour and sechaun peppercorns.
fry off the pork mince till crispy add the ginger and garlic and cook for 2 -3 minutes.
Add the tofu and cook until golden then pour over the sauce and cook until it reduces and thickens.

i hope you enjoy this recipe. if you dont like sechaun peppercorns you could always replace it with some chopped chilli or chilli paste.

'General Tso chicken'

General tso is a popular american dish that is slowly spreading to the uk, a pungent dish with a good kick!

serves 4
4 skinless/fatless boneless chicken thighs in bitesize chunks
1/2 tsp baking powder (1/4 syn)
1tbsp cornflour (1syn)
2tbsp soy sauce
Sauce: 1 tbsp tomato puree, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1tsp sesame oil (2syns), 2 tsp each grated ginger and garlic, 1 red chilli finely diced (more or less as much as you can handle),  1tbsp rice vinegar, 3 tbsp water, 1 tsp sweetener. - all mixed together.

mix the chicken, baking powder, cornflour and soy sauce and set aside for 20 minutes to let the baking powder tenderise the meat.
Any veg go well with this dish so you could add them to the chicken or on the side.
start by getting a pan nice and hot with a few sprays of low cal spray and spread the chicken on an even layer and let  sit for 1 minute before slipping, it should look nice and brown and crisp. leave to cook for another minute and keep turning until the chicken is crispy and you cant see any pink.
Add the sauce and toss, let the sauce reduce and keep tossing to coat the chicken thoroughly.
DONE!
if you aren't partial to chilli you could always leave it out but it doesn't give the same punch obviously!
i hope you enjoy!

Satay chicken stir fry

As chinese new year is on monday i thought i would share a few chinese style recipes in the slimming world way.
serves 4-6 people but makes great leftovers and can be frozen! (2.5 syns for 4 people, even less for 6 people)

6 bonesless skinless chicken thighs (or use breasts if thats all you can get)
1 tsp baking powder (half syn)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 large onions in bitesize pieces
2 large green peppers in bitesize pieces
1 grated garlic clove and the same amount of grated ginger (would be roughly a tsp)
1 pack of green beans in bitesize pieces.
1 pack of amoy satay sauce (120g-10syns)
i usually serve this with rice! It is also very nice with some broccoli.

cut the chicken in bitesize pieces and coat in the soy sauce, garlic, ginger and baking powder. Put to one side for 20 minutes (this is a good time to prep your veg)
get your pan on a high heat spray generously with low cal spray and add your chicken in an even layer. leave for 30 seconds or until it will move freely in the pan. turn over the chicken, add in the green beans and cook for another minute., add a small splash of water and cover the pan to help steam the beans. When the water has evaporated let the pan get back up to heat and add the onions and green peppers.
Toss with the chicken and let them char a little. cook until the onions only just start to soften. (the onion flavour isnt as strong but still has a nice crunch to it)
add the stir fry sauce and a little water and toss through the chicken and veggies.

i hope you guys enjoy this recipe!

All in one beef 'pot roast' (slow cooker)

Tender juicy beef, vegetables, potatoes and a gorgeously comforting onion gravy, what could be better?

We start with 1kg of lean beef (use what you can afford! it doesn't actually have to be a joint or anything!)
3 large onions sliced thinly
(i use chesnut mushrooms in mine too, usually about 6-7 sliced thin but i saute them in a frying pan with some low cal spray before adding them to the slow cooker! just put them under the beef with the onions)
1 bay leaf
1tbsp cornflour (1syn)
4 large carrots chunked up
4 potatoes chunked up
generous pinch of dry thyme and rosemary.
200ml beef broth
1 bay leaf
generous pinch of salt and pepper.

lay the onions in the bottom of the slow cooker and place the beef on top.
mix the beef broth with the cornflour, bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and pour over the beef and onion. put the carrots and potatoes on top.
cover and cook for 6 hours on high or 8 on low.
i usually just boil some broccoli and green beans to go with it but i dont see why you couldnt also add that to the slow cooker!

I hope you like this dish i would love some feed back!

Breakfast burger copycat: pork patties

I am sure you are all aware of what 'pork patties' im talking about of course usually comes in a muffin with a fried egg and cheese. You can of course use these how you want!
Make ahead: you could double or triple the recipe and once cooked, freeze them in between small layers of greaseproof stored in a box or sandwich bag for up to 3 months. just microwave until piping hot and you are ready to go!

You will need 500g of extra lean (less than 5% fat pork mince), 1 tsp dried sage, 1/2 tsp salt and a generous pinch of black and white pepper, 1/2 tsp baking powder mixed with 3 tbsp water. (the baking powder would be negligible)

Start by mixing the water mixture into the the pork, mixing thoroughly until the water is absorbed.
Sprinkle the salt and pepper over in an even layer then as you put the sage in, rub it between your fingers, it helps produce a stronger flavour.
Mix thoroughly and rest for 20 minutes.
Shape into whatever size you prefer (i prefer thinner patties so i can have 2 and layer egg, mushrooms or whatever the heck i want in it)
you can cook them however you want i prefer frying in a non stick pan with low cal spray or you can bake them if you are doing them in bathes at about 180 degrees C, for 10 minutes, flip them over and another 10.

Let them cool completely before freezing!
They will last 3 days in the fridge... (if you can help yourself!)

Syn free rice pudding.. WHAAAT?

simple, quick, easy, this dish is for one. if you aren't a fan of cream soda just replace it with water!
serves one if youre hungry or two piled with fruit

So we start with 85g pudding rice, 250ml of cream soda (sugarfree) and a splash of vanilla extract. (if you want it creamy you can always stir through a vanilla muller light or a tbsp or 2 of fat free yoghurt at the end)

bung all the ingredients together, cook on a medium heat until almost all the liquid is absorbed.
turn off the heat, cover and leave for 15 minutes.
boom you are done :) i like topping mine with strawberries and raspberries.

Speedy risotto

I will be uploading videos soon and this will be the first recipe video i upload in a long time onto youtube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4ururmkHVMaRmnB7aVAOcA

so i know i would be shot if in italy so i am sorry to any italians reading this!!

so we start off with a low syn microwave rice (the one i have is currently syn free)
but any ole packet will do! serving 2 people or 1 hungry person!

you will need about 100ml of stock
salt and pepper
2 tbsp parmesan (2 syns)
your packet of rice
and i am going with mushrooms in this! a good few handfuls of sliced mushrooms
your base is a finely diced onion and a grated garlic clove and obviously the rice!

So we start by softening the onion in a frying pan with low cal spray.
Add your mushrooms and cook to your liking (you could use any veggies you want or chicken, ham etc)
Add in your rice and stir fry for 3-5 minutes. Add in your stock and stir. cook for 2 minutes, remove from the heat, stir in the parmesan and a generous pinch of pepper and adjust for salt (bearing in mind that the parmesan is salty)
I like to serve mine with a big handful of spinach on top.

I hope you enjoy!

Burrito bowls

So, i saw a recipe in the new slimming world magazine and based my recipe around that.
so we start with the base of the bowl/plate
Rice, perfectly cooked rice is a must!
i will say this recipe is for 6 people because this is how much i did for my family. there are 6 of us!

Just under 2 mugs (tea mug/cup) of basmati rice. (rinse it well to get rid of unwanted starch!)
3.5 mugs (same mugs for rice) of water.
4 large chicken breasts
2 onions
1 small red and green bell pepper. (sliced)
2 limes
2 cloves of garlic
1 can of sweetcorn
1 can of black beans (or buy dried and cook a mug as per packet instruction)
2 large tomatoes
handful of coriander
salt and pepper
1 tsp paprika
1tsp cumin
2tbsp tomato ketchup

i know it sounds like a lot but its all done in advance. we are going to start with the chicken!
grab a sandwhich bag and add 3/4 of a tsp of cumin, the juice and rind of a lime, the paprika, salt, pepper, a grated clove of garlic and 2 tbsp of tomato ketchup.
cut the chicken breast into bitesize pieces, add into the sandwhich bag mix, do up the bag, give it a rub and leave to marinate until you need it.

mix the sweetcorn, black beans (if youve cooked your own make sure to cool them allunder cold water), zest and juice of half a lime, 1/4 tsp of cumin, 1/2 grated garlic clove of garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper.

next chunk up the tomatoes, finely dice 1/2 of one of the onions, add to a bowl with the zest and juice of half a lime 1/2 a grated clove of garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper and the handful of chopped coriander.

To cook the rice add the water and rice to a pot, turn the heat on high, when it starts to boil turn the heat to medium and boil until little holes appear on the surface of the rice. turn off the heat and cover. (20 minutes)

once the rice is covered fry the onion and peppers then add the chicken cooking till cooked through.

i usually serve the chicken on the rice and everything else on the side next to it. i usually chop a little lettuce to have on the side aswell.
its just nice with the chicken and rice you dont need to use the black beans and salsa you could just have lettuce or steamed veggies on the side!

Fried Rice

The essential thing for fried rice? precooked rice. when i make my fried rice i use a brand called veetee as they are only 1 syn. depending on what you get.
Another crucial thing? add what YOU like. this is just my basic fried rice.
the only things you keep the same is the garlic, ginger, soy, sesame, salt and pepper and of course the rice!

you will need
1 pack of veetee precooked rice. (do not cook it in the microwave!!)
1 small shallot finely diced
1 carrot finely diced
handful of thawed (prefrozen) peas
1tbsp soy sauce
1tsp sesame oil (2syns)
1 egg
1 grated garlic clove and the same amount of grated ginger
pinch of salt and pepper.

break up the rice (no we are not cooking as per packet instructions!) so all grains are seperate, coat in the sesame oil and spray and mix through fry light. (this helps if you do not have a non stick pan!)
bring a pan to a very high heat.
add some fry light and the carrot and onion, stir fry for a couple of minutes and add the garlic and ginger.
stir fry for 1 minute or until fragrant and add the rice.
stir fry for 5 minutes,
toss through the peas, salt, pepper and soy sauce.
toss to coat evenly.
push the rice to one side, spray the pan with fry light and add the egg. let it cook till almost set.
break up the yolk and put the rice on top
break up the egg in the rice. (bigger or smaller chunks, completely your preference)
serve while hot.

broccoli bake

greens are hard to get into children at the best of time, let alone adults. you know why? you boil the heck out of it!
This italian style broccoli pasta bake is creamy, savoury, garlicky and full of goodness.
4-6 people

1 broccoli head chopped finely (or briefly whizzed in food processor), grate up that stem it is packed full of goodness!!
300g dry pasta
2 large cloves garlic
salt and pepper
quark (no certain amount)
4 tbsp FRESHLY grated parmesan cheese (1 syn per tbsp)
fry light olive oil (if you have sunflower oil that is ok)
1 red onion finely diced
100ml unsweetened almond milk (1/2 syn)

cook your pasta for 6-7 minutes ( i know it doesnt seem long but it will be going in the oven)
meanwhile fry off your onion on low heat with fry light until softened, turn up the heat, add the garlic and broccoli, coating it in the onion and garlic, add a splash of water and cook for 5 minutes.
remove from the heat and stir the broccoli through the pasta with the parmesan, milk and 2-3 tbsp quark with a generous pinch of salt and pepper.
put in an oven proof dish and bake for 10 minutes at 20
0oC alternatively you could let it cool wrap it up and freeze for up to 6 months. just take out and bake for 40 minutes at 180oC.