Thursday 27 September 2012

Basil Pesto

A recipe I found on the SW site that I've tweaked slightly. It's a non-oily pesto recipe that's a perfect accompaniment to pasta. It's 1.5 syns per portion or free if counting the parmesan towards your HEXa.

Serves 4

Extra Easy - 1.5 syns per portion or HEXa

Ingredients
50g (ish) fresh Basil leaves
100g fat free Fromage Frais
50ml Vegetable stock
2 Garlic cloves, roughly chopped
4 tbsps grated Parmesan cheese (6 syns or HEXa)
Mixed Herbs
Salt & Black Pepper

Method
1. Put all of the ingredients into a food processor and blast until it resembles a thin paste.
2. It's a simple as that!

N.B. If you like a bit of spice, add half a small roughly chopped red chilli to the food processor with the rest of the ingredients.





Wednesday 26 September 2012

Magic Porridge

This is a very popular recipe on MiniMins and works great as a filling breakfast. You can use any type/flavour of yoghurt you like, but after a bit of experimentation I found that Mullerlight Vanilla works best for me. Have fun trying out different flavours and fruit combinations!

Serves 1

Extra Easy - 0 syns, HEXb

Ingredients
35g Porridge Oats, unflavoured (HEXb)
Mullerlight Vanilla
1 Banana, sliced
Blueberries

Method
1. Put the porridge and yoghurt into a cereal bowl and stir thoroughly until the oats are completely coated.
2. Cover the bowl in clingfilm and put in the fridge overnight.
3. In the morning, add the banana and blueberries (or any fruit you like) and serve.




Hunters Chicken

Since the OH has been doing SW with me I've been making an effort to make "boy-friendly" meals. This one went down a treat and it will now be a firm favourite in our house!

Serves 2

Extra Easy - 1 syn per portion, HEXa

Ingredients
2 Chicken Breasts
2 tbsps BBQ Sauce (2 syns)
40g reduced fat Cheddar (HEXa), grated
2 Bacon medallions
Mixed Herbs
Salt & Black Pepper

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200C and line a oven proof dish with tin foil.
2. Place the chicken breasts in the dish and sprinkle with mixed herbs and seasoning.
3. Top each breast with 1 tbsp BBQ sauce then sprinkle on 15g of reduced fat cheddar onto each breast. Place a bacon medallion on top of the cheese and put in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken has completely cooked through.
4. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and place back in the oven until the cheese has melted. Serve with SW chips or wedges and vegetables.

Monday 24 September 2012

Bacon & Cheese Burger

This homemade lovely is much better than a takeaway, and it's completely free if using your HEXa & HEXb.

Serves 2

Extra Easy - 0 syns, HEXa, HEXb

Ingredients
250g extra lean mince beef
Half a red onion, finely chopped
2 slices of bacon, fat removed
60g reduced fat Cheddar, sliced (HEXa)
2 x 60g wholemeal rolls (HEXb)
Salt & Black Pepper
Mixed Herbs
Frylight

Method
1. Fry the onion in frylight until softened.
2. In a bowl add the cooked onion, beef, herbs and seasoning and combine.
3. Seperate the meat into two patties and shape with your hands. Wrap each individually in clingfilm and leave in the fridge until ready to use.
4. Grill the burgers and bacon slices until cooked through. Halve the buns and add to the grill pan and toast. Top each bun with 30g reduced fat cheddar and melt.
5. Build your burger adding any salad and sauces of your choice.





Saturday 22 September 2012

Sausage Meat Pasta

One of my friends at Uni used to make this for us as it's a cheap and easy recipe. The ingredients may not sound like much but they make for a very delicious pasta dish and the sauce is packed full of Superfree!

Serves 2

Extra Easy - 1 syn per portion

Ingredients
4 Weight Watchers Pork Sausages (0.5 syns each)
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1 onion, sliced
1 can of Chopped Tomatoes
150g dried Fusilli
Frylight
Salt & Black Pepper
Mixed Dried Herbs

Method
1. Remove the sausage meat from it's casing and set aside.
2. Fry the onion in a deep frying pan until soft and add the carrot and fry for a few minutes until the carrot has softened.
3. Add the sausage meat and fry until it has started to brown.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes, seasoning and mixed herbs.
5. Leave to simmer, stirring occassionaly, for 30 minutes or until the chopped tomatoes have reduced and the mixture has thickened.
6. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Distribute the pasta between two bowls and spoon the sausage meat on top. Serve with 20g grated reduced fat cheddar as part of your HEXa.

Thursday 20 September 2012

Chicken Dhansak with Cinnamon Rice

These dishes are inspired by the recipes in the Takeaway Faves recipe book that came with the latest Slimming World magazine. I messed around with the recipes to suit what I had in my cupboards and added some extra spices to make it my own and suit my tastes.

Serves 2 

Extra Easy - 0 syns

Ingredients (Chicken Dhansak)
2 Chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 Onion, sliced
1 Red Pepper, sliced
1 Garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tsp Very Lazy Ginger, finely chopped
2 tbsp Curry Powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground tumeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 can of chopped tomatoes
1 can of green Lentils, drained
1 Chicken Stock cube
Frylight
Salt & Black Pepper

Method
1. Cook the onion and pepper in a frying pan until softened.
2. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for a further minute.
3. Transfer to a saucepan and stir in the raw chicken, tomatoes, lentils, stock cube and spices. Season and bring to the boil.
4. Leave to simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has reduced and thickened.

Ingredients (Cinnamon Rice)
150ml dried Rice measured in a measuring jug
300ml boiling water
1/2 Onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground Tumeric
1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon
Frylight

Method
1. Fry the onion until soft and add the tumeric and cinnamon.
2. Add the dried rice to the onion and add the 300ml boiling water and bring to the boil.
3. Cover and simmer until the rice is cooked and the water has been absorbed. Stir and serve.

N.B. Serve with 1 tbsp of Mango Chutney and add 2 syns


Wednesday 19 September 2012

Mustard Sauce

This low syn sauce goes great with Pork loins and mashed potato. This particular recipe I got from Slimming Eats but I went without the apple to make it lower in syns.

Serves 2

Extra Easy - 0.5 syns per portion

Ingredients
200ml chicken stock
1 red onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tsps Dijon mustard (1 syn)
2 tbsps fat free Fromage Frais
Frylight
Salt & Black Pepper

Method
1. Fry the onion in a deep frying pan until soft.
2. Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute.
3. Stir the mustard into the chicken stock, then add 150ml to the frying pan and simmer for 10 mins.
4. Meanwhile, stir the fromage frais into the remaining 50ml of chicken stock. Add this to the frying pan at the end and warm through. Season and serve.




Wednesday 12 September 2012

Fish & Chips

You can't beat fish and chips!

Serves 2

Extra Easy - 0 syns, HEXb

Ingredients
1 white fish fillet
1 Egg, beaten
1 slice Nimble wholemeal bread (half HEXb)
1 Jacket Potato
Tin of Mushy Peas
Salt & Black Pepper
Frylight

Method
1. Put the bread in a food processor and blitz until it becomes breadcrumbs.
2. Coat the fish fillet in the beaten egg and then cover completely with the breadcrumbs.
3. Spray a baking tray with frylight and put the fish on top. Place in a preheated oven at 180C and cook until the fish is cooked through.
4. Make the chips according to this recipe and serve with the fish and warm mushy peas. Add a dollop of Heinz tomato ketchup for 1 syn per tbsp or Colman's Tartare Sauce for 2 syns per tbsp.


Chicken Kiev

A Slimming World classic that uses half of your HEXa and HEXb, but with zero syns!

Serves 1

Extra Easy - 0 syns, HEXa, HEXb

Ingredients
1 Chicken Breast Fillet
35g Philadelphia Light, Garlic & Herb (half HEXa)
1 slice Nimble wholemeal bread (half HEXb)
1 Egg, beaten
Salt and Black Pepper
Frylight

Method
1. Blitz the bread in a food processor until it becomes fine breadcrumbs and transfer to a deep bowl. Season.
2. Make a pocket in the chicken by slicing into the side of the breast and opening up the inside, being careful not to tear through to the other side. Spoon in the Philadelphia and close the hole.
3. Put the beaten egg into a shallow dish and place the chicken breast in it. Coat the chicken completely with the egg.
4. Transfer the chicken into the breadcrumbs and coat it all over until the breadcrumbs have covered the fillet.
5. Spray a baking tray with frylight and place the Kiev on top. Place in a hot oven for 30 minutes of until the chicken is cooked through. Serve with SW Chips and vegetables.


Chilli & Garlic Prawn Linguine

This is a dish you always see on menu's at Italian restaurants so I thought I'd give it a try at home. The best thing is that you can put as much or as little chilli in it as you like.

Serves 2

Extra Easy - 0 syns

Ingredients 
225g grey King Prawns
Carton of Passata
1 Red Chilli, finely chopped
1 Garlic clove, finely chopped
1 Onion, sliced
1 courgette, sliced and then halved
150g dried Linguine, Spaghetti or Parpadelle
Salt & Black Pepper
Frylight

Method
1. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.
2. Fry the onion and courgette in a frying pan, sprayed with frylight, and cook until soft.
3. Add the garlic and chilli and fry for one minute, and then add the passata and season well. Cook until the passata has reduced and thickened.
4. Add the prawns and cook until they turn pink.
5. Divide the pasta into two bowls and top with the prawns and sauce. Top with grated parmesan as part of your HEXa.

N.B. For added indulgence add 125ml dry white wine before adding the passata. Add 2 syns per portion.



Chicken Stock Roast Potatoes

Another fantastic recipe courtesy of MiniMins. The potatoes soak up all of the chicken stock making them soft and moist in the middle and nice and crispy on the outside. Perfect with a SW-friendly Sunday roast.

Serves 2

Extra Easy - 0 syns

Ingredients
4 roasting Potatoes
Hot chicken stock
Salt & Black Pepper
Frylight

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200C.
2. Peel and quarter the potatoes and parboil until slightly softened.
3. Drain the potatoes and season.
4. In a deep roasting tin, spread out the potatoes and pour in the hot chicken stock until just the bottom halves of the potatoes are submerged. Spray the tops of the potatoes with frylight.
5. Place in the oven and leave until the potatoes have soaked up all the chicken stock. The pan should be almost dry and the potatoes crispy.

N.B. Don't move or turn the potatoes during cooking as they will break up and go soggy.


Tuesday 11 September 2012

Pork in Black Bean Sauce

A dish from the latest Slimming World magazine. I altered it by adding chilli and swapping the beef for Pork, but I think it would go great with chicken too.

Serves 2

Extra Easy - 1 syn per portion

Ingredients
2 Pork Loins, fat removed, cut into thin strips
1 Yellow Pepper, cubed
1 Red onion, cut into wedges
Half a packet of Mangetout, sliced lengthways in half
Handful of tinned Water Chestnuts, sliced
1 Garlic clove, finely chopped
1 Red Chilli, finely chopped
3 level tbsps Sharwood's Black Bean Sauce (2 syns)
Frylight

Method
1. Spray a wok with frylight and heat. Add the peppers, red onion and mangetout and stirfry until starting to soften.
2. Add the pork, chilli and garlic, and stirfry until the pork is completely cooked through.
3. Add the water chestnuts and black bean sauce, and stirfry for a further minute.
4. Serve with noodles or Egg Fried Rice.



Monday 10 September 2012

Sticky Chicken

This is another fantastic recipe courtesy of MiniMins. Perfect served with Egg Fried Rice to sate that Chinese takeaway craving!

Serves 1

Extra Easy - 2.5 syns per portion

Ingredients
1 chicken breast,cut into chunks
1 tbsp runny honey (2.5 syns)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
Frylight

Method
1. Put the honey, vinegar and soy sauce in a bowl and stir until combined.
2. Add the chicken to the bowl and coat in the mixture.
3. Cover the bowl in clingfilm and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes, or overnight.
4. Spray a frying pan with frylight and fry the chicken until cooked through.


Egg Fried Rice

This is a classic chinese side dish and can go with a range of asian meat dishes. You can barely tell it apart from the takeaway version.

Serves 1

Extra Easy - 0 syns

Ingredients
75g dried rice
1 egg, beaten
2 spring onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Handful of frozen peas
Soy Sauce to taste

Method
1. Boil the rice according to packet instructions.
2. 5 minutes before the rice is completely cooked, add the frozen peas. Once both are ready, drain and set aside.
3. Spray a wok with frylight and add the spring onion and garlic. Stirfry until soft and add the rice, peas, soy sauce and the beaten egg.
4. Stir continuously until the egg is cooked through and the ingredients are well mixed.
5. Bulk out with vegetables or meat, or serve with your favourite SW friendly Asian meal.

Served here with mushrooms and chicken

Prawn Stir-Fry

I could live on Stir-fry and this spicy sweet sauce is better than the syn-ful shop bought stuff! It's so easy to make and a simple way of making sure you get your 1/3 SuperFree. You can use any stir-fry vegetables you like but these are just my preference.

Serves 1

Extra Easy - 2.5 syns per portion

Ingredients
1 nest of dried Egg Noodles
Grey King Prawns (as many as you like!)
Red Pepper, sliced
Red Onion or Spring onions, chopped
Mushrooms, sliced
Baby Corn, chopped
Tenderstem Broccoli
Courgette, chopped
Carrot, peeled & chopped
Soya Beans (I use the frozen variety from Tesco)
Water Chestnuts, sliced
1 Garlic clove, finely chopped
1 Red chilli, finely chopped
1 tbsp Sweet Chilli Sauce (1.5 syns)
1 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp Runny Honey (1 syn)
Frylight

Method
1. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions.
2. Spray a wok with frylight and add the red pepper, courgette, onion, broccoli and carrot and stirfry until they start to soften.
3. Add the remaining vegetables (apart from the chilli and garlic) and stirfry until all of the vegetables are soft.
4. Add the chilli, garlic and prawns and fry until the prawns turn pink.
5. Meanwhile, drain the noodles. Add to the wok along with the chilli sauce, soy sauce and honey. Toss until all of the noodles are coated with the sauce and then serve.

Eton Mess

I love Eton Mess so I came up with this almost free alternative that definitely hits the sweet spot!

Serves 1

Extra Easy - 2 syns per portion

Ingredients
2 Mini Meringues (1 syn each)
Strawberries, stalks removed and halved
Raspberries
Blueberries
Fat Free Natural Yoghurt

Method
1. Place the meringues in a bowl and crush into large pieces with the back of a spoon.
2. Add the fruit and yoghurt.
3. Enjoy!




Slimming World Chips

Slimming World chips are one of the most popular SW recipes, but they take a bit of practice to get right. Everyone has their favourite type of potato but I favour Jacket potatoes as you know you'll only need one per person and they crisp up nicely. They're also large enough to be able to slice into the perfect chip shape. I find that by microwaving the chips rather than par-boiling them pretty much guarantees that you will get great chips everytime.

Serves 1 

Extra Easy - 0 syns

Ingredients
1 Jacket Potato, size dependent on appetite
Frylight

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Meanwhile, peel the jacket potato and slice into chip shapes.
2. Spread the chips out onto a microwavable plate and microwave for 5 minutes.
3. Line a baking tray with tin foil and spray liberally with frylight.
4. Spread the chips out onto the baking tray, making sure that the chips aren't touching one another or else they will stick together. Spray the chips with frylight and cook for 20 minutes or until they appear crispy and are soft in the middle.
5. Season and serve!

Chilli Con Carne

This is a recipe that has been a family favourite long before Slimming World and I was delighted to find that the whole thing was virtually free on Extra Easy.

Serves 2 or 3

Extra Easy - 0.5 syns per portion

Ingredients
250g Extra Lean Beef Mince
1 Red Onion, sliced
1 Red Repper, sliced
1 Garlic clove, finely chopped
1 Red Chilli, finely chopped
1 tin of Red Kidney beans in chilli sauce
1 tin of chopped Tomatoes
1 tsp Malt Vinegar
1/2 tsp granulated Sweetener
2 heaped tsp Bisto original gravy granules (0.5 syns per tsp)
1/2 tsp hot Chilli powder (or to taste)
Salt & Black Pepper
Frylight

Method
1. Spray a frying pan with frylight and fry the mince until brown. Transfer to a large saucepan.
2. Respray the frying pan with frylight and fry the onion and pepper until soft. Add the chopped chilli and garlic and fry for 1 minute. Transfer to the saucepan.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and leave to simmer, stirring occassionally.
4. Simmer for 2 hours if you have the time, but an hour should do if you can't wait. Serve with boiled rice or a jacket potato.
N.B. Use your HEXa and cover with grated cheddar cheese for a bit of indulgence!

With Boiled Rice

With a jacket potato, cheese and salad
            
With SW Chips and a dollop of Fat Free Fromage Frais
                               

Carbonara

Here is a firm favourite in my household that I found in an old copy of Slimming World magazine. It uses up your HEXa choice but I use slightly less than the advised daily amount so feel free to boost it up to your full allowance of 30g per person if cheese is your thing. Definitely one of my favourite dishes!

Serves 2 

Extra Easy - 0 syn, HEXa

Ingredients
150g dried Spaghetti
2 Eggs, beaten
40g grated Parmesan (HEXa)
4 slices of Bacon, fat removed, cut into strips
1 Red Onion, sliced
1 Courgette, sliced
Handful of Mushrooms, any variety, sliced
1 Garlic clove, finely chopped
Frylight

Method
1. Cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions.
2. Meanwhile, prepare your vegetables and fry in a frying pan sprayed with Frylight until cooked.
3. Add the bacon and garlic to the cooked vegetables and fry until the bacon is cooked through.
4. Drain off the spaghetti and return to the saucepan. Add the eggs and half of the parmesan. Season with salt and black pepper.
5. Add the bacon mixture to the pasta and mix well.
6. Transfer the pasta to two bowls and cover each with the remaining parmesan. Enjoy!