Spicy Tilapia Pasta

Another seafood and chorizo recipe you say!! I'm afraid it is, but i'm addicted to chorizo at the moment, i know it has syns, but the flavours and spices and smokiness is so worth it, it just makes the dish come to life!!! In the winter months i'm all about comfort food and this is on the list!

6.5 syns for the whole dish on extra easy, which in our house made 3 servings, but were greedy!!

Ingredients

4 tilapia fillets

100g cooking chorizo sliced 6.5 syns

2 garlic cloves finely chopped

1 red chilli finely chopped

1 tin tomatoes

250ml fish or vegetable stock

1 tsp paprika

salt and pepper

handful coriander leaves

cooked pasta of choice

Method

In a large pan sprayed with frylight, cook the chorizo until it is golden, add the garlic and chilli, cook for 1 minute then add the paprika, tomatoes and fish stock, season and simmer for 5 minutes. Lay the tilapia in the sauce and cook for 8 minutes, add the pasta and coriander leaves to the dish stir into the sauce, gently breaking up the fish into large chunks and then serve.

Squid, Shrimp and Chorizo with Feta and New Potatoes

You may have started to notice that i love seafood and spicy food, well here is a recipe that combines the two and is so tasty!!

You've got the tender sweet shrimp and squid, with the spicy kick of chorizo and chilli, then a salty bite from the feta. Its a party on your taste buds!!

6.5 syns for the whole pot on extra easy, which served 2 in our house.

Ingredients

1lb new potatoes

100g cooking chorizo sliced and half mooned 6.5 syns per 100g

1 red chilli sliced thinly

2 garlic cloves finely chopped

2 red peppers jarred or fresh sliced (i used jarred)

20 peeled raw shrimp

8oz squid cleaned and cut into rings

1 tsp paprika

juice of ½ lemon

10 cherry tomatoes halved

90g feta healthy A

Method

Cut the new potatoes in half and boil until they are tender.

In a frying pan sprayed with frylight, fry the chorizo until it is golden, remove from pan, add the new potatoes to the pan and fry until crispy, remove from pan and keep warm in the oven.

Turn the heat up high and fry the squid for 1 minutes until cooked, don't overcook, remove from pan.

Add the shrimp to the pan and fry for 1 minute add the red pepper, chilli, garlic and paprika, fry for 1 minute then add the cherry tomatoes, squid, and potatoes back to the pan, sprinkle over the lemon juice, remove from the heat and crumble in the feta and serve.

Bubble and Squeak

I love a good fry up and i love that you can eat them when doing Slimming World and as long as you cut all the fat off the bacon and syn the sausages. The rest is syn free on extra easy. Tesco, Asda and Sainsburys do low syn sausages, which are actually quite tasty.

Got some left over potatoes and cabbage, then why not knock up some bubble and squeak to go with your fry up, don't worry if you haven't any leftovers as it is just as good cooked from fresh.

Ingredients

1lb potatoes peeled, boiled

half a green cabbage shredded and cooked

1 red onion chopped

1 tsp mixed herbs

½ tsp cayenne pepper

salt and pepper

Method

In a frying pan sprayed with frylight, fry the onion until its soft.

In a large bowl, mash the potato, red onion, and cabbage together, stir in the mixed herbs, cayenne pepper and season.

Roll in balls and flatten out into patties, chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

In a frying pan sprayed with frylight, fry the patties for about 4 minutes each side until they are golden and cooked through.

Serve with a fry up, or fish, chicken, beef, they are so versatile you could serve them with lots of dishes.

Chicken and Rosemary Casserole

I love the winter when all the one pot and warming comfort foods come out, just like this lovely chicken casserole, just what you need on a cold frosty night.

This is a cheats casserole though as it doesn't need hours of cooking.

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts roasted with rosemary

4 rashers of bacon with all fat cut off sliced

1 onion chopped

8oz mushrooms sliced

bunch of asparagus

600ml chicken stock

1 sprig rosemary finely chopped

1 tbsp flour 3.5 syns

½ tsp celery salt

fresh ground black pepper

Method

Fry the onions until they are soft, add the bacon and mushrooms and fry until golden, stir in the flour celery salt, pepper and rosemary and cook for 2 minutes, pour in the stock and bring to a boil, return to a simmer and add the asparagus and simmer for 20 minutes, until the asparagus is cooked and the sauce has thickened, and serve.

Corned beef Hash

Another dish you thought you couldn't eat while being on Slimming World!! Comfort food at it's best!!

Unfortunately it is not syn free, but it is low in syns, as the only syns are in the corned beef.

The whole dish is 4 syns.

Preheat oven to 200c, 400f, gas mark 5

Ingredients

1lb potatoes peeled and diced

1 tin lean corned beef 200g

1 onion finely chopped

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 tbsp worcester sauce

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp cayenne pepper

2 fried eggs to serve.

Method

Lay the diced potatoes on a baking sheet sprayed with frylight and season and spray with more frylight, bake for 30 minutes, tossing and spraying again half way through.

In a frying pan sprayed with frylight, fry the onion until soft and golden, add the corned beef and fry till soft, add the tomato puree, worcester sauce, paprika and cayenne pepper, fry for 5 minutes, stirring often, add the potatoes to the pan and mix together, then serve with a fried egg on top.

Maple Cinnamon Quinoa Bake

I had better warn you from the start there is a bit of debate about the syns on these bakes!!

As any good consultant will tell you these are considered a tweak, which means as the main ingredient is being used for something other than a main meal, (the "supposedly" thing it is meant to be used for) you may eat more than you normally would, which can cause weight gain, so hence a tweak.

So it is totally up to you what you want to syn these at, if you find you do eat a lot and start gaining then it could well be down to these bakes, it is all about the individual.

To be honest, i don't think you could eat many of these at a time as i find them very filling and normal one is enough.

They are great with a dollop of yogurt and fruit, or as a grab and go breakfast bar, but just as nice eaten plain with a nice cup of tea or coffee.

I made 20 out of my batch, so mine worked out at 0.5 syns each, as the whole batch is 10 syns, but that is only if you don't syn the quinoa.

Preheat oven to 200c, 400f, gas mark 5.

Ingredients

2 cups of uncooked quinoa cooked as per packet instructions and cooled

4 eggs beaten

80ml skimmed milk 2 syns

60ml maple syrup 8 syns

1 tsp vanilla extract

1.5 tbsp ground cinnamon

Method

In a large bowl mix together all the ingredients, then pour into a baking tray lined with parchment paper and sprayed with frylight, smooth it out and bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes until golden and set.

remove from the baking tray straight away so it doesn't steam. 

Cut the slab into portions and put onto a oven proof wire rack and put back in the oven for 10 minutes so the edges crisp.

You could always add nuts and raisins or cranberries to them, or maybe some chocolate chips, but these thing would have to be syned.

Greek Lamb Meatballs

On a cold winters night, like we are getting at the moment there is nothing like a lovely warming dish of pasta and meatballs!

They are so easy to make and low in syns.

8 syns for the whole dish, mine served 3, but again it depends how hungry you are.....

Pre heat oven 200c, 400f, gas mark 5

Meatball Ingredients

400g 16% or less lean lamb mince 2 syns per 100g

1 onion finely chopped

2 garlic cloves finely chopped

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp Greek seasoning or dried oregano

pinch of salt and pepper

Sauce Ingredients

1 onion finely chopped

1 garlic clove finely chopped

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp Greek seasoning or dried oregano

500ml vegetable stock

500ml passata 

1 tin tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

Method

To make the meatball, fry the onion in a pan sprayed with fry light until they are soft and golden add the garlic and fry for 2 minutes, set aside and let cool.

In a large bowl mix together the rest of the meatball ingredients and the cooled onions, try not to over handle the mixture as it will get tough. Roll the mixture in your hands to make balls the size of a golf ball, put in a baking tray sprayed with frylight. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes till golden, don't worry if they are not cooked through as they will cook through in the sauce.

While the meatballs are in the oven prepare the sauce.

In a large pan sprayed with frylight fry the onions until they are soft and golden, add the garlic and fry for 2 more minutes, add the tomatoes, passata, cinnamon, seasonings and stock and bring to a boil then simmer on a low heat for about 30 minutes until it has thickened and darkened in colour, season to taste, add the meatballs to the sauce and cook through for 10 minutes.

I serve mine with a big bowl of spaghetti.

Five Spice Squid with Noodles

Here is another delicious fake away for you, a lot tastier and healthier than a take away from a Chinese.

7 syns for the whole dish.

Ingredients

2 tbsp hoisin sauce    4 syns
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp shaoxing rice wine    1 syn
½ tsp five spice
1 tsp sesame oil     2 syns
200ml vegetable stock
2 garlic cloves
1 cm fresh ginger
1 red chilli
8 oz squid cleaned and sliced into rings
8 oz oriental mushrooms sliced
1 red pepper diced
1 onion diced
½ cup edamame beans
8 asparagus spears chopped
Handful of thai basil leaves
Cooked noodles

Methods

Mix together the first 6 ingredients, set aside.
In a blender blitz the garlic, chilli and ginger, set aside.
In a wok sprayed with frylight, fry the onion for 2 minutes, add the asparagus and pepper, fry for 2 minutes, add the mushrooms and fry for 2 minutes, add the squid and fry for 1 minute, add the garlic mix, fry for 1 minute. Add the sauce and edamame beans, bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes, stir in the noodles, heat through and sprinkle over the basil leaves.

Mushroom Melt

Pure comfort food!! Nutty gooey cheese, sweet caramelised onions and nutty woody mushrooms in a crisp coating. Goes perfectly with a hot steaming bowl of soup!!

Syn free on extra easy if you use your healthy A & B

Ingredients

1 large onion sliced
8oz mushrooms sliced
1 garlic clove finely chopped
1 tsp mixed herbs
30g gruyere cheese grated
2 slices wholemeal bread 400g loaf

Method

In a large pan sprayed with butter frylight, over a medium heat fry the onions until they are soft and caramelised golden, should take about 30 minutes, if they start to get a bit too brown before they are soft, sprinkle with water. when cooked remove from pan and keep warm.
Spray the pan with more frylight and fry the mushroom until they are soft and golden, add the garlic and herbs and cook for 2 more minutes, return the onion to the pan and mix together.
In a bowl mix the cheese into the mushrooms, pile the mixture between the slices of bread fry each slice with butter frylight and cook between a panini press or in a frying pan, till golden on both sides.

Tomato and Fennel Soup

When you're feeling under the weather and need something comforting to eat but don't have the energy to spend a long time stood in the kitchen, then this soup is perfect!!

It is quick and easy to make and warm and comforting to eat, especially if it's served with a grilled cheese sandwich........

Syn free on extra easy (just the soup)

Ingredients

1 large onion sliced
1 large fennel bulb thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 tsp mixed herbs
1 litre passata
500ml vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste

Method

In a large pan sprayed with frylight, fry the onions and fennel till soft and golden.
Add the garlic and fry for 1 more minute, sprinkle in the herbs and pour over the passata and stock bring to a boil then simmer for 30 minutes until the soup has thickened slightly. Season to taste and then blend the soup with a hand blender or in a blender, return to the heat and warm through.

Seafood All'arrabbiata

I had been to the gym and came home ravenous and craving carbs, so instead of using loads of syns on bread i decided to take the time and cook some pasta. I decided on seafood which seems to be the norm with me and pasta, i wanted a kick so i add some chilli, then decided i would make my version of an all'arrabbiata. I will say for a dish that i just made up and knocked together it was really very good!!!

Syn free on extra easy.

Serves 2

Ingredients

Pasta of your choice

1 tin tomatoes

2-3 large mushrooms chopped

1 tbsp capers

1 red pepper chopped

1 garlic clove finely chopped

1- 2 red chillies finely chopped

1 tin of tuna in brine or spring water drained

8oz cooked shrimp

large handful rocket leaves

salt and pepper to taste

Method

Cook the pasta as per packet instructions.

In a large pan sprayed with frylight, fry the mushrooms until golden. Add the red pepper, chilli, and garlic, fry for 1 minute, add the tomatoes, capers and tuna, bring to a boil then simmer gently for 10 minutes, season to taste, add the shrimp, simmer for 2 minutes, take of the heat and stir in the rocket and serve.

Pesto Linguine with Shrimp and Rocket

I didn't know what to have for my lunch the other day, i didn't want to use my healthy A & B in a sandwich, but i was craving carbs and was starving, so i decided to cook up some pasta. Then i had to decide what to put on it??

I found a jar of reduced fat pesto in the cupboard, so i looked up the syns and it was only 1.5 syns for 1 tbsp on extra easy, so i decided to see if it was any good.

As jarred pesto goes and bearing in mind it is low fat, it was very tasty and i'd say worth the syns. If i'm perfectly honest i don't think you could make a proper pesto for that many syns. Just add some fresh basil and grated parmesan to freshen up the pesto.

It was quick and easy to make and delicious!!

3 syns per serving on extra easy if you use part of your healthy A for the cheese.

Serves 2

Ingredients

½ packet dried linguine, cooked as packet instructions

8oz cooked shrimp

4 tbsp reduced fat basil pesto (6 syns)

1 red chilli finely chopped

handful basil leaves

½ packet rocket

½ cup pasta water

salt and pepper

30g parmesan optional

Method

Put the cooked pasta in a large bowl with the pesto, chilli, shrimp and pasta water, tear in the basil leaves and season, toss up and serve, Sprinkle over the rocket leaves and grate over the parmesan.

Chipotle Chicken Sweet Potato

I found a recipe for Chipotle Chicken on Pinterest, and it looked good, I was always told you eat with your eyes. I decided to adapt it for Slimming World.

You have the spiciness and smokiness of the chipotle and the sweetness of the sweet potato with a tang from the cheese.

I also had some rice left over from last nights meal so decided to mix that in too, and it works very well.

The whole dish is 1 syn on extra easy, so if serving two it's only ½ syn per person.

Preheat oven 200c, 400f, gas mark 5

Ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes baked

2 chicken breasts roasted and shredded

2 tbsp chipotle paste 1 syn

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tbsp lime juice

2 garlic cloves grated

salt and pepper

8oz mushrooms chopped

1 red pepper chopped

1 onion chopped

1 cup cooked rice

handful coriander leaves

80g reduced fat cheese

Method

Mix together the chipotle paste, chilli powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, lime juice and grated garlic, season with salt and pepper, set aside.

In a frying pan sprayed with frylight fry the onions till golden, add the mushrooms and fry till golden, then add the red peppers, fry for 2 minutes, stir in the chicken, rice, coriander and sauce, heat through for 2 minutes.

Cut the sweet potatoes in half, scoop out most of the middle, spray the inside of the skins with frylight and put back in the oven for 10 minutes. Save the middles for another meal.

Stuff the potato with the chicken mix then bake for 10 minutes, sprinkle with the cheese and put bake in the oven till the cheese has melted.

Serve with a green salad.

Ginger and Coriander Baked Tilapia

This is a light refreshing dish, full of superfree. The fish is light, moist and flaky with a delicate flavour, but it stands up to the punchy flavours of the sauce. The flavours just dance on your tongue.

This dish serves 2 and is 2 syns on extra easy per person.

Preheat oven 200c, 400f, gas mark 5

Ingredients

4 tilapia fillets

3 garlic cloves finely chopped

1 inch ginger grated

1 red chilli finely chopped

handful coriander leaves

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil (2 syns)

1 tbsp shaoxing rice wine (2 syns)

Stir Fried Vegetables

1 onion chopped

1 red pepper chopped

½ chinese leaf lettuce

8oz oriental mushrooms

½ head broccoli

1 red chilli sliced

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp fish sauce

remaining juices from the fish

handful coriander leaves

Method

Lay the fish in a baking tray sprayed with frylight.

Combine the garlic, ginger, chilli, light soy sauce, shaoxing rice wine, sesame oil and coriander together, pour over the fish. Bake for 8 minutes.

Spray a hot wok with frylight, add the broccoli with 2 tbsp of water to create some steam to help it cook, add the stems of the chinese leaves and onions, fry for 1 minute, add the red pepper, chilli and mushrooms, fry for 2 minutes, add the soy sauce, fish sauce and remaining juices from the fish, fry for 1 minute the stir in the chinese leaves and coriander.

Serve up the vegetables and lay the fish on top, spoon over sauce and serve with basmati and wild rice.

Syn Free Pate

I absolutely love pate, but never in a million years thought i could eat it on Slimming World. Thanks to Francesca Hayward for posting a recipe on a slimming group. I changed a few things and it came out delicious, considering there is no butter in the recipe it is rich, creamy and just like an ordinary pate.

It is completely syn free on extra easy too.....

Ingredients

500g mushrooms chopped

400g chicken livers chopped

1 garlic clove finely chopped

1 onion chopped

4 rashers bacon fat removed and chopped

1 tsp mixed herbs

2 tbsp of quark

salt and pepper

Method

In a large pan sprayed with frylight, fry the mushrooms till golden and set aside.

Re spray the pan and fry the onions till soft, add the garlic and mixed herbs and fry for 1 minute, then add the chicken livers and fry for 5 minutes, add the bacon and fry for 2 minutes. Let it cool down then blitz in a blender till smooth, mix in the quark and season to taste. Mix in the mushrooms and refrigerate. 

Sweet Potato, Tomato and Potato Bake

This is a lovely side dish that will go with anything, i served it with my Thai Crab Cakes, but it would be great with Cajun Chicken, Roast Pork, or a steamed fish fillet.

Syn free on extra easy....

Preheat oven 200c, 400f, gas mark 5

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato sliced

1 lb maris piper potatoes sliced

3 large tomatoes sliced

1 large onion sliced

1 tsp mixed herbs

salt and pepper 

Method

Spray an ovenproof dish with frylight, lay the onion out on the bottom of the dish and layer the vegetables  on top like in the picture. Sprinkle over the herbs and salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil spray again and bake for another 30 minutes.

Hunters Chicken

Cheese, bacon, BBQ sauce on top of a chicken breast, served with a large side of Cajun Fries, are you sure this is a meal you can eat on Slimming World???

Well don't worry because you can and it's only a couple of syns too!!!

I used the BBQ sauce recipe that is on this blog and the recipe made 5 portions.

I used 1½ portions of BBQ sauce per person with this meal, which worked out at 2¼ syns per person.

Preheat oven 200c, 400f, gas mark 5

Ingredients

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

3 portions of Spicy BBQ Sauce (4.5 syns)

4 rashes of back bacon all fat removed

80g reduced fat cheddar (syn free if used as you healthy extra A)

Method

Put the chicken breasts in a foil lined baking tray sprayed with frylight. Cut a split down the middle of each breast and put ½ portion of BBQ sauce in each slit, cover with the bacon slices, 2 on each. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, then sprinkle over the cheese and return to the oven until the cheese has melted.

Serve with Cajun Fries, a large salad and 1 portion of Spicy BBQ Sauce.

Gumbo

When we lived in the States, i always enjoyed the Southern Food, so when i came across a recipe for Gumbo i decided to adapt it and make it Slimming World friendly.

I love the smoky heat from the chorizo, that is what makes this dish, so there was no way i was going to leave it out, so again this isn't a syn free dish but so worth the syns it has as it is so tasty!!

The whole pot is 6.5 syns on extra easy, i made 3 portions out of it so it was roughly 2 syns, do bear in mind i'm greedy so you could probably make more portions!

Ingredients

100g chorizo sausage the raw kind (6.5 syns)

2 chicken breasts chopped

8 oz cremini mushrooms chopped

2 sticks of celery, or 1 tsp celery salt

1 large onion finely chopped

1 large red pepper diced

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp cajun seasoning

½ tsp cayenne pepper

3 garlic cloves finely chopped

2 tbsp tomato puree

1 tin chopped tomatoes

500ml hot chicken stock

20 raw shrimp

handful of coriander leaves

Method

In a hot pan sprayed with frylight fry the chorizo till golden then remove from pan, add the chicken and brown, then remove from the pan.

Fry the onions in the fat from the chorizo till soft and golden, add the mushrooms, pepper and celery or celery salt and fry till mushrooms are golden, add the bay leaves, cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato puree and tin of tomatoes and cook for 1 minute then add the stock and chicken and chorizo back to the pan, bring to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the shrimp to the pan with the coriander leaves for the last 2 minutes of cooking.

I served mine with rice.

Garlic and Rosemary Pork Tenderloin

It isn't often i do a roast dinner and never on a Sunday, so i thought i'd treat my husband to a lovely midweek roast, well i guess well be having a roast more often now as it went down so well. The pork was so juicy and tender and the marinade was amazing!! This has got to be one of the best Pork dishes i've ever had!!

Oh did i forget to add it is so easy to make too, only downside is it isn't syn free but at only 3 syns on extra easy for the whole tenderloin it was so worth it!!!

Preheat oven 200c, 400f, gas mark 5

Ingredients

1 large pork tenderloin any fat removed

2 garlic cloves sliced

¼ cup light soy sauce

2 tsp mustard powder

1 tbsp honey (3 syns)

1 tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice

1 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary

Method

Put the loin on a foil covered baking tin, poke holes all over it and push in the slices of garlic, mix all the other ingredients together and pour over the pork, let it sit for at least 30 minutes, basting it with the marinade every 5 minutes.

Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, basting it half way through.

Remove from the oven and let the pork sit for 10 minutes. 

Put the remaining marinade into a pan and heat through, use a jus over the pork.

I served mine with roast potatoes, minted cabbage and roasted asparagus.