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.

Vietnamese beef stew (my version)

Not long ago i became unhealthily obsessed with asian, vietnamese and thai food!
I came across this aromatic soothing beef stew, full of the herbs and spices needed to cure a cold!
Perfect for a cold evening!
It really is a slow cooked dish so if you dont have a slow cooker use a dutch oven!

4-6 people
1kg stewing steak.
4tbsp soy sauce
1tbsp fish sauce (yes i know it smells but trust me!)
3 lrge garlic cloves grated
1tsp grated ginger
1 tin of tomatoes
2 tbsp romato puree
200ml beef stock
1 bay leaf
6 carrots peeled and in bitesize pieces
3 spring onions in chunks.
2 star anise and 1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp 5 spice
generous amount of black pepper
2 large white onions (in bitesized chunks)
2 large green pepper (in bitesized chunks)
1tsp sesame oil (2syns)

Marinate the beef with the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, fish sauce and 5 spice over night. or 2 days in advance!
put all of the ingredients (just not the green pepper or onion and sesame oil) in the slow cooker.
Let it cook until you are ready to eat (i serve with rice)
Before you cook the rice, get a frying pan EXTREMELY hot and chuck in the onions and peppers let it sit for 20 seconds, flip it, let it sit again for another 20 seconds. Repeat and add to the stew with the sesame oil and stir through.
Serve whilst hot, sprinkle with spring onions (optional but adds another dimension)

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!

Lemon curd mousse!

I use this tangy, sweet lemony mousse with apple or berries for breakfast or sprinkle with a crumbled digestive layered ontop of chopped strawberries and raspberries like a cheesecake.

you need 2 whole eggs

2 heaped spoons of 0% fat total greek yoghurt.

zest and juice of 1 whole lemon

sweetener to taste

In a bowl over a pan of simmering water whisk the eggs with the lemon juice and zest until thick. (will take 4-5 minutes) Remove from the heat and whisk for a couple of minutes till cooled, them whisk in the yoghurt and sweetener to taste (i usually use a tablespoon)

I usually set in a jar or if im using for desserts set in the molds covered in cling film.