Seasoning series: Fajita

 

Me again, I thought I'd share one of my favourites now! Good with chicken or beef or even beef mince as it's similar to taco seasoning. I'd love to hear some feedback so please comment or message me!

Equal quantities (tsp tbsp etc)

Salt, black pepper, paprika (not smoked!), cumin, garlic granules and chilli powder.

That simple! 

Healthy Greek salad

This salad may not be slimming world or weight watchers but this is a relatively healthy salad that is delicious on its own or on a bed of salad leaves.

Serves 2-4
2handfuls of your favourite olives
1/4 cucumber in small bite sized chunks
3 large tomatoes or a pack of cherry tomatoes in bite size pieces
1small red onion, halved and finely sliced
Half a pack of feta crumbled into pieces.
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive
2tablespoons lemon juice
1tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1small clove grated garlic
Generous pinch of salt and black pepper

Mix the garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano, lemon juice and vinegar in a salad bowl.
Add in the rest of the ingredients and toss in the dressing.
Let sit for at least 20 minutes, toss again before serving.

chinese sticky chicken

I adapted the slimming world sticky chicken recipe a while ago and i love it this way.. if you cant get chinese vinegar use a mix of 1tbsp of balsamic and 2 tbsp white rice vinegar.

serves 4 at 2 syns per serving
you will need
700g chicken of any kind you like
3 tbsp honey
3tbsp chinese black vinegar
3tbsp soy sauce
pinch of black and white pepper
1 tsp grated garlic and ginger
1 tsp tomato puree.

mix all together in a sandwhich bag and pour into a hot frying pan cooking until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is sticky and thick.

Sweet and sour pork(or chicken)

So okay this has syns but the syns make this dish taste amazing..
you may think i am mad putting baking powder on meat, but, trust me! Its a traditional chinese method! The baking powder tenderises the meat in about 20 minutes and gives a silky smooth texture in your mouth!
The marinade doesn't look especially delicious but hey ho it tastes lush!

So the basics of this sauce has the meat, cubed green pepper and white onion. obviously you can add as much veggies as you like and serve with anything you like but today this is just a basic sweet and sour i hope you enjoy!

serves 4-6 people
400g bite size chicken breast or pork (i used pork loin chops and removed the fat)
1 tsp baking powder (0.5 syn you cannot replace this with anything else and is essential for this dish)
6 tbsp soy sauce
1tbsp cornflour (1syn)
1 grated clove of garlic
1tsp sesame oil (2syns)
4tbsp (i used morrisons which is 0.5 a syn) ketchup
splash of white vinegar
about 1/2 tsp sweetener
generous pinch of salt and pepper.
1 large white onion and green pepper in rough chunks.

mix together 4 tbsp soy sauce, cornflour, baking powder generous pinch of salt and pepper and the meat. leave to the side while you prep the sauce.
mix the ketchup, rest of the soy, sesame oil, garlic, sweetener and white vinegar and set aside.
Once the meat has marinaded for at least 20 minutes get a (preferably non stick) pan on high heat with a generous spritz of low cal spray.
mix the meat one more time then lay out in a single layer. Leave for 30 seconds then flip the pieces. they should be a lovely golden crispy brown colour.
leave for another 30 seconds then when you can see no more pink, (doesnt have to be cooked right through) remove from the pan and add your vegetables. leaving them to char a little before tossing to char the other side. add the pork back in and stir fry for 2-3 minutes before adding your sauce.
Toss throughly to make sure everything is coated and to make sure the sauce thickens.

Ta da.. done! the prep is the longest it only took me about 5-7 minutes in total to cook the sweet and sour (but i did have a lot of other mixed veggies in my stir fry!)

i hope you guys like it!!

seafood paella (well.. sort of!)

I love seafood but im quite picky about how it is cooked. i recently found some amazing deals on asda for clams and some crab meat, but you might be able to find some clams and crab at your local fishmonger or in all honestly you could use tinned!

This serves one very hungry person or 2 people with a side salad :)

You will need: 2 crab claws (or a tin of crab), 2 good sized handfuls of cleaned clams (or a tin of clams or a handful or two of prawns, squid or mussels!)
salt and pepper (very important in ANY dish)
1 large shallot, 1 celery stick & 1 carrot (all finely diced)
1 large clove of garlic (grated)
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 large tomato (roughly chopped)
1 tbsp tomato puree
zest of lemon (and a bit of the juice to serve)
a kettle of hot water (you can make up fish stock if you have it)
and most importantly some form of short grain/ paella or pudding style rice. a generous handful per person!

i used a non stick pan so i could get a nice crust like you do on a paella style dish.

fry the vegetables until they soften, add the garlic & lemon zest and stir until fragrant.
add the tomato puree and paprika with about a tablespoon of water and mix with the vegetables until you get a paste.
stir through the rice and add about 100ml of water along with a generous pinch of salt and pepper.

turn the heat to low and keep cooking, stirring and adding water for about 15 minutes. at this time add a generous squeeze of lemon juice, another 100-200ml of water depending on how dry your paella is looking and top with the seafood. cover with a lid and set your timer for 15 minutes.
Done :)

i hope you give this recipe ago you can really use anything you want. traditionally saffron is used but something in saffron effects my mouth! just add a pinch of saffron 20 100ml of water (the first 100ml you add) and let it steep for 5 minutes before using!

if you have picky children you could always do a chicken paella and top yours off with some grilled prawns or any other preferred seafood :)

crispy chilli beef

Okay, so it may not be JUST like the takeaway version but tastes just as damn good! low fat, low syn.. good for a chinese dinner party whats not to love?
wrapped in lettuce leaves or served with rice and steamed greens this low syn delight is too good not to try!
depending how you serve can serve 4-6 people or it will serve as a brilliant chinese buffet dish if you have a get together.

you will need: 500g beef mince (extra lean/less than 5%)
1 tbsp cornflour ( 1 syn)
2 tbsp light sweet chilli sauce ( 2 syns: if you like spice you can always add some fresh chopped chillies to this too! but i am a wimp!)
1/2 tsp sesame oil (1 syn)
1tsp grated ginger
1 very large clove grated garlic
1tbsp soy sauce
pinch of salt and pepper

Start by frying off your mince you want it to start to turn nice and crispy (you will hear it start to crack and start to turn a lovely brown colour)
meanwhile mix the sweet chilli sauce, salt, pepper, sesame oil, soy sauce and 2 tbsp of water.
Sprinkle the cornflour over the beef evenly. Toss to coat and leave for a little then toss again so the other side gets crispy. do this a couple of times so the cornflour coating the beef turns crisp. (not only will it help it to be crisp but keeps moisture in!)
toss in the garlic and ginger tossing or stirring for a minute or 2 until the smell of garlic and ginger aromatics smacks you in the face like a cold winters day!
pour in your sauce constantly tossing to make sure all the beef is coated. keep cooking until the sauce reduces and completely coats your beef and you are ready to serve!

i hope you guys like my recipes :) i would love to know if you give them a go!

Perfect roast potatoes

something so simple can change so so much! i use this technique for chips/wedges too. (i generally leave skin on my potatoes for extra ruffage)

you will need:
whatever amount of potatoes you are cooking according to how many people you are serving
salt, pepper
fry light.

preheat your oven to 200oC
meanwhile parboil the potatoes until fork tender.
drain and shuffle the colander so it ruffles up the edges.
put the potatoes onto a foil lined baking tray and leave until the surface of the potatoes are dry(important step)
spray generously with fry light and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
put in the oven, cook for 15 minutes. or until golden then turn the potatoes spray with frylight and cook until the other side is golden.

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.

Ramen (noodle soup)

comforting, soothing, delicious, warm noodle soup, healing to the heart, mind and soul and brilliant for leftovers.
use whatever topping you have but you can never beat adding a soft/medium boiled egg, the yolk enrichens the soup!

serves 1.
1 packet low fat super noodles (i use ko lee low fat chicken, beautiful in flavour before adding anything!)
1 grated garlic clove
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1/2 tsp sesame oil (1 syn)
1/2 tsp yellow bean sauce (optional but is so soothing, just add it to the broth)
good pinch of black pepper
I happened to use leftover turkey on my ramen today but you can use a couple of slices of ham or leave the meat out completely!
1 small shredded or grated carrot
2 leaves white cabbage finely shredded
1 shredded spring onion
handful of beansprouts (if you have them)

So the basics of ramen is the sauce and the noodles then you can add whatever toppings you like!
cook the noodles according to packet instructions. meanwhile, in the bowl you are going to serve in mix the soy, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and black pepper, mix thoroughly.
remove the noodles to the soy mixture coating them in it.
add the toppings then pour over the soup!

Easy or what?!

Chicken casserole

The best chicken casserole/stew is done by using roasted bone in meat, unfortunately if you roast skinless chicken it becomes dry. So we have an alternative! Packed full of speed veggies this meal would be suitable for SP day, you could always have with singing swede mash, if you aren't having an SP day you could always chuck in a couple of tins of potatoes or something! you can also use any P beans you want i just prefer haricot :)

4-6 people
4 rashers extra lean smoked bacon (visible fat removed and cut into small pieces)
6-8 skinless (bone in if you can get it) chicken thighs
4 large carrots (into slices/chunks)
4 large celery sticks (sliced)
2 large leeks (washed, trimmed and sliced)
2 large red onions (peeled and medium diced)
1 large courgette (medium dice)
1 small swede (peeled and diced)
2 tins of haricot beans
salt and pepper to taste (at the end)
chicken bovil 2 tsp in 500ml of hot water
if you have it, 1tsp each of fresh rosemary and thyme, or 1 tsp mixed dried herbs.

Fry off the bacon until it is crispy. (add it to your slow cooker)
Sear the chicken thighs in the same pan (and then into your slow cooker with the swede and carrot)
Fry off the celery, onion, courgette and leeks in batches giving them a little colour.
Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker, cover and cook for at least 4 hours on high or 6-8 on low.
If you do not have the time to add the extra flavour by frying off first, you can always just add everything to the slow cooker.
Enjoy :)

Indian salad/curry topping

yum yum yum
So, that indian salad with tomatoes, onions and aromatic coriander? its very very easy to make at home.
Its delicious to top off salads, or ontop of curries for another dimension, i went through a phase when i first started slimmingworld where the only salad i would eat was this indian salad wrapped in lettuce leaves!!

Another good thing you can adjust it to how you like it!! If you don't like lots of coriander reduce it or remove it completely! you only have limes and not lemons? use them!

1 large red onion, as finely diced as you can get it!
2 large tomatoes finely diced (with all its juiced)
1/4 cucumber finely diced
As much coriander as you want (for this amount i usually go for a handful finely chopped)
juice of half a lemon

Chuck it all in a bowl, toss it together and you are done!!

If you want to remove some of the onion taste soak the onion in a bowl of water with a splash of lemon juice in for 30 minutes, drain them add to your salad!

I hope you guys love this recipe as much as i do. :) (delicious with poppadom, the size you get in the shops are 2.5 each the indian takeaway are 4 each, and for 25 g of mini poppadoms are 6 syns as of 2/12/2015)

Trifle

So, my slimming world consultant loves trifle and i managed to do a whole trifle at about 6 syns..
So with christmas coming up im going to share this recipe with you :D
it seems like a lengthly process but is so worth it for something that tastes like a real trifle rather than something that tastes like yoghurt with jelly dont you think?

you will need: 1packet of jelly crystals, fruit of your choice,
for the sponge 4 large eggs, 6 tsp of self raising flour (on the site it says 0.5 syns per tsp so thats 3 syns), about 1 tbsp sweetener and lemon zest or vanilla to flavour the sponge.
for the custard: 4 large eggs, 200ml unsweetened almond milk (0.5syns per 100ml) sweetener to taste and some good vanilla extract or if you have it a tsp of vanilla bean paste or a vanilla pod, sweetener to taste.

So let's start with the sponge, if you have a stand mixer or hand mixer brilliant, if not.. you have a lot of whisking sorry! preheat the oven to 180oC
Whisk the 4 large eggs until tripled in volume, thick, voluminous, and when you draw an 8 on top stays there for a few seconds! next  with a spatula or metal spoon (never use a wooden spoon to fold as the surface of the spoon breaks up all the air bubbles you managed to get in there!) fold in the sweetener and flavouring, next sieve or sprinkle over the flour and gently fold it into the mix. Next pour it into your baking trap and pop it into the oven for 25 minutes, the cake should lightly spring bake and a skewer should come out clean! Leave to cool.
meanwhile prepare your fruit and jelly.
The cake should be cool enough to remove from the pan, tear it into decent chunks (or shop if you prefer) layer it into your dish. top with the fruit (now really we want to wait a little for our jelly mix to cool so..)
Meanwhile in a bowl over simmering water whisk your 4 eggs until they are thick and creamy (you could use a hand mixer for this as you will be mixing for 5-10 minutes)
Remove from the heat. (warm your unsweetened almond milk in the microwave for 40 seconds)
whisk in the almond milk a little at a time, add back to the heat if it goes too runny!
add your flavouring and sweetener, put cling film actually on your custard to stop a film from forming on it.
now, add your jelly to the fruit/sponge and put it into the fridge to set. 3-6 hours
Once set whisk your custard up then pour over the top (sprinkle with a little cinnamon if you like, cover with cling film and leave in the fridge till you need it! it will last at least 3 days)
when you serve the trifle use the weight watchers cream (make sure its the thick cream not creme fraiche) it is 1 syn per tablespoon, so depending how many syns you want will depend on how much cream you use!

Enjoy this recipe if you have any feedback i would be greatful!

Crutons

Hey guys, so sometimes we do need just that little bit of cracker.. but sometimes ryvita do not cut it :O there i said it!

So, with christmas coming up where canapés loom, i have used an idea from my favourite youtubers sorted food!

So we start off with a pack of warbutons thins bagels!
6syns for a whole bagel.
from there you want to cut her in half so you get 2  'C' shapes. then you will cut out loads of discs 1-2 cm thick.
Just divide the amount of syns by the amount of bagel slices you end up with for example you can usually get at least 3 slices for only half a syn!!

Lay them on a baking tray, spray with sunflower frylight bake for 4 minutes at 200oC but keep an eye on them, flip them over and cook for a further 2-3 minutes let them cool they should be really crisp. Even better make your own ceasar salad crutons by spraying them with garlic fry light, salt and pepper before baking!

Top this off with your favourite SW pate or topping and the job is a goodun. Keep in an airtight container or ziplock bag somewhere relatively warm and dry for a couple of weeks!

parma ham and fig bites

This salty but sweet appetiser will get your taste buds tingling, but be aware that depending on where you buy your parma ham the syns will vary, if you are worried just cut off any visible fat!

1 box of fresh figs (if you use dried it is syns so be aware!)

Parma ham (sainsburys is only 1/2 syn per slice and we will be cutting that into 4!)

1 tsp honey (1syn)

pinch of finely ground black pepper

1/4 the figs removing the tough stem

slice the parma ham in half lengthways so it is long. then cut those 2 halves in half. 

wrap the parma ham around the fig, drizzle in the honey and sprinkle witht he black pepper, only a touch though! 

thats it!

Beef kofte bites

You can use these babies in the SW kofte curry which is delicious, or in a morrocan tagine or are just as amazing as a snack, in your lunch or as a party canape!
Want to know the best part? (lean in closely...) NO SYNS (insert happy dance of deliciousness)

500g Extra lean beef mince (it is amazing with lamb mince but i have NEVER found the syn free extra lean lamb mince :( )
1 small red onion (finely diced, or even easier grate it in your food processor with the garlic)
1 large garlic clove.. or 3 small (it sounds like a lot but it isnt)
3tbsp water
1tbsp ground coriander and ground cumin
1tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground oregano
(if you want to kick it up add about half a tsp of ground chilli powder)
generous pinch of salt and black pepper
dipping sauce: 1 small tub 0% fat total greek yoghurt, 1/4 grated cucumber, small handful shredded mint, pinch of salt and pepper (combine together i sometimes add a squeeze of lemon juice but that is optional)

So again my water trick, the extra lean mince needs a little extra moisture and it really absorbs the water, trust me!

So,mix the mince with the water until it has absorbed, then combine all the herbs and spices mixing thoroughly. cover and leave for the flavours to mix for at least half an hour (you could do this bit a day before!)
i wear gloves, measure out either a heaped tsp OR a level tablespoon of mix, roll into balls and but on the baking tray.
bake at 200oC for 5 minutes, turn and give them another 3-4 minutes.

Once cooked and cooled you can freeze these and they can last for 2months in the freezer (trust me i have food and safety hygiene at supervisor level) pull these babies out whenever you need them, chuck them in a curry, soup, tagine or let them defrost and blast them in the microwave in a  single layer for 4 minutes!

Slimming world

Hey guys, so after a pretty traumatic few months after breaking my leg, surgery, still recovering mind you! I am finally back on the slimming world plan, in a new group, AND im on the social team for pay and weigh.

So my first week back i lost a lovely 3 lb, 3lb is 3lb but i was hoping for a little more as it was my first week, but hey ho!

This blog is going to be for recipes galore.
Family recipes
Fakeaway recipes
comfort food
desserts
breakfast
drinks..
need i go on!

I hope you enjoy my blog i would love some feedback so feel free to comment :)

See you soon my lovelies! x