Banana and Peanut Butter Muffins

I had a load of very ripe bananas to use up and no one will eat them in my house of they have gone too far, so i decided to treat the boys to muffins.
I'm so glad i did, as they were lovely!! So moist and light and full of yummy flavours. As i tried one i decided to work out the syns of each muffin and was very surprised when they worked out at only 5 syns each on extra easy. So as they aren't too bad i decided to share them with you all....
The whole batter mix comes to 97 syns so divide that by how many you make.

Preheat oven 200c, 400f, gas mark 5
Yields about 20

Ingredients

3 ripe bananas
¼ cup, 62.5g  maple syrup
¼ cup, 62.5g dark brown sugar
½ cup, 125g fat free greek yogurt
1 large egg
⅓ cup, 83ml skimmed milk
½ cup,  125g reduced fat peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
1 and ¾ cup, 437.5g plain flour
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
¼ tsp salt

Method

In a blender blitz together the bananas, maple syrup, sugar, yogurt, egg, peanut butter and extracts.
In a large bowl mix together the rest of the ingredients, then gentle combine the wet and dry until smooth, try not to over mix or the batter will make tough muffins.

Fill the cases about 2/3 of the way up.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a skewer come out clean.

Kung Pao Chicken

Looks like I'm back on the Asian dishes again. This is one of my husbands favourite Chinese Dishes.
So i decided to adapt the usual one for Slimming World and it turned out quite well.
It's not the usual sticky sweet dish you get from a takeaway but it still has loads of flavour, Personally i don't like the sticky sweet one, but this one was really good!!!
This dish isn't syn free mainly because of the nuts, but they are optional.
This dish serves 2 to 4 people and is 6.5 syns on extra easy without the nuts for the whole pan. If you add the nuts add 7.5 syns.

Ingredients


1 tbsp light soy sauce
1.5 tsp corn flour  1.5 syns
1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine  1 syn
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast diced

1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar, or balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp hoisin sauce  2 syns
1 tsp sesame oil  2 syns
½ tsp sweetener
2 garlic cloves grated
1 inch ginger grated
½ tsp sichuan peppercorns
8 ten dried chillies
8oz oriental mushrooms
8oz tenderstem broccoli
1 onion diced


25g cashew nuts optional

Rice or noodles to serve

Method

In a bowl mix together the first 3 ingredients and add the chicken let it marinade for at least 10 minutes.

In another bowl mix together the next 7 ingredients set aside.
In a hot wok sprayed with frylight stir fry the dried chillies and peppercorns for 1 minute, add the chicken and fry for 3 to 4 minutes, remove from the wok. Spray the wok with more frylight and fry the onions for 2 minutes, add the tenderstem and mushrooms, fry for 2 more minutes, then add the chicken and chillies back to the pan, pour in the sauce and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, then stir in the cashew nuts if using, serve with the rice or noodles.

Slow Cooked Italian Pot Roast

I love a great roast on a sunday, but most of the time haven't got the time to do it, so cooking my beef in the slow cooker really helped and the meat was so moist and tender too.
This dish is syn free on extra easy and there is loads of leftovers which could go great with pasta, rice or a jacket potato.

You need to make up a onion mix for the dish, it is very simple and makes the dish taste great. Don't worry about the amount of onion in it as you can't taste it in the end.

Ingredients

1 large onion sliced
8oz cremini mushrooms sliced
2 carrots roughly chopped
2lb braising steak all fat removed
300 ml beef stock
500 ml passata
3 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp italian seasoning

Onion Mix

8 tsp dried onion flakes
1.5 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp celery salt
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp sweetener
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper

Mix them all together.

Method

In a slow cooker, layer the onion, carrot and mushrooms on the bottom, lay the beef on top, sprinkle over the onion mix and pour over the passata and beef stock, mix in the tomato puree and Italian seasoning. Set to cook on low for 8 hrs. Break up the beef and serve covered with the sauce.

One Pot Pizza Pasta

What can i say about this dish, apart from, forget Pizza this is so much better!!!
You can make this syn free or add as many syns as you like, this one has chorizo in it so the whole dish is 6.5 syns on extra easy but it served 3 very big portions.
You basically add any topping you would normally have a pizza. I used chorizo as i didn't have any pepperoni, and I'm so glad i did as it added so much flavour....

Ingredients

100g chorizo sausage casing removed and crumbled  6.5 syns
1 pepper diced
8oz mushrooms chopped
1 red onion diced
1 tin tomatoes chopped
500ml passata
1 garlic clove grated
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
8oz dried pasta
handful of basil leaves
90g light mozzarella per serving Healthy A please check make as they vary


Method

In a large pan sprayed with frylight, fry the chorizo until golden, remove from pan, add onions to the pan and fry for 2 minutes, add the pepper and mushrooms and fry for 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and passata, garlic and seasoning's, add 400 ml water and the pasta, stir together, return the chorizo to the pan then cover and cook until the pasta is cooked, stirring occasionally so the mixture doesn't stick to the pan. Serve up your portions, then dice the mozzarella and tear the basil leaves and stir into your individual dishes.

One Pot Mexican Rice

All cooked in one pot!! Not much washing up, quick and easy, what more could you want??
Oh yea you also have a very tasty syn free on extra easy meal or side dish.
This is lovely paired up with a juicy salmon fillet or chicken.

The whole pan served 2/4 people depending how hungry you are.

Ingredients

1 onion diced
8oz cremini mushrooms sliced
1 courgette diced
1 garlic cloves chopped
1 red chilli chopped
1 red pepper diced
1 tin tomatoes chopped
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tin black beans drained and rinsed
1 cup rice
1.5 cups water
handful chopped coriander
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste

Method

In a large pan sprayed with frylight, fry the onions for 2 minutes, add the mushrooms, pepper and courgette fry for 2 minutes, in blender blitz the chilli and garlic then add to the pan, fry for 1 minute, stir in all the spices and tomatoes, add the black beans, stir in the rice and water, season to taste, bring to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the rice is cooked.
Stir in the coriander and lime juice.

Lemon Chicken and Orzo Soup

This soup is really easy to make and tastes amazing! It is light and refreshing but very filling.
full of super free and is syn free on extra easy.
Great on a cold evening or if you are feeling ill.

Ingredients

1 pound of chicken thighs with the skin and all the fat removed cut into inch chunks.
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 onion diced
2 carrots peeled and diced
8oz cremini mushrooms sliced
1 tsp celery salt
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp chilli flakes
2 bay leaves
1¼ litres chicken stock
1 cup orzo
1 sprig rosemary
juice of 1 lemon

Method

In a large pot sprayed with frylight, brown the chicken and remove.
Add the onions and fry until golden, add the carrots and mushrooms and fry until tender, stir in the garlic, celery salt, thyme, chilli flakes and bay leaves, fry for 1 minute then add the stock and chicken, bring to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes. Add the orzo and rosemary and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the orzo is cooked. Stir in the lemon juice and serve.

One Pot Pasta

I found this dish when i was looking for something quick and easy to make as i wasn't feeling well.
I was a bit sceptical about just throwing everything in one pot and cooking it, but it worked and it was delicious!!!
I adapted it so it is syn free on extra easy and as the oil has been left out the starch from the pasta does make it a bit stodgy, but it still tastes great!!
You can put anything you like in this dish, i made mine on an Italian theme.
This dish is syn free on extra easy and serves about 4 people.

Ingredients

500g of any pasta you like.
1 punnet of cherry tomatoes halved
1 small onion sliced
1 vegetable stock cube
2 tbsps capers
2 cloves of garlic sliced
2 tsp italian seasoning
1 tsp chilli flakes
4.5 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
big handful basil leaves.

Method

As the title says, put everything in a large pan, apart from a few leaves which you save for garnish.
Bring the water to a boil, then boil for about 8 minutes until the pasta is cooked and the water has been absorbed. Stir the dish from time to time to stop it sticking on the bottom.
Serve straight away, garnished with the rest of the basil leaves.

Thai Seafood Basil

I love all Thai food, so when i found this recipe and adapted it for SW i was over the moon!!
You can make it as spicy as you like, by adjusting the amount of chillies and chilli sauce you put in. Add whatever vegetables you want too. It is also great with chicken. The whole dish is only 1.5 syns on extra easy and that's for the chilli sauce, so you can alter that to your taste. 1 tbsp is 0.5 syns on extra easy.
This dish serves 2/4 people.

Ingredients

1lb of raw squid and prawns
3 birds eye chillies sliced
3 tbsp chilli sauce
2 tsp fish sauce
juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp light soy sauce
big handful Thai basil
1 onion chopped
8oz oriental mushrooms
8oz tenderstem broccoli

Method

In a hot wok, sprayed with frylight, stir fry the onions for 1 minute, then add the broccoli and chillies, stir fry for 1 minute, add oriental mushrooms and stir fry for another minute, add the chilli sauce, fish sauce, lime juice and soy sauce, add the seafood and stir fry until the seafood is cooked, throw in the Thai leaves and serve.
It is great with rice or noodles.

Country Potato Salad

This potato salad is deliciously creamy and full of flavour, it is fab as a side dish, for a picnic, with a green salad, it is so versatile!!
It isn't syn free but it is so much better than any shop bought potato salad.
The amount of ingredients that i used made enough for 6 servings. The whole dish was only 4.5 syns on extra easy, so split that between 6 and it's next to nothing, and so worth it!!!!

Ingredients

2 lb new potatoes boiled until cooked and cooled
3 hard boiled eggs chopped
3 rashes of bacon with all the fat removed, fried and chopped
3 or 4 spring onions chopped
7 tbsp lighter than light mayonnaise
3 tbsp fat free natural yogurt
2 tsp wholegrain mustard
10 basil leaves chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Method

In a large bowl mix together the yogurt, mayonnaise, wholegrain mustard, salt and pepper, and basil. The gentle stir in the rest of the ingredients, being careful not to break them up. let them rest in the fridge for 30 minutes for all the flavours to infuse.

Orange Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry

I was sorting all the photos I have taken of food for this blog and came across these and realised i hadn't shared this gorgeous recipe with you. It's another Asian stir fry, but in my eyes you can't go wrong with a stir fry, especially Asian as they are always so packed with flavour!

This dish isn't syn free, but it is still better than a takeaway and tastes so much better!!

The whole pan would serve 2/4 people depending how hungry and greedy you are HA HA!!
The whole dish is 5.5 syns on extra easy, so you do the math........

Ingredients

100ml freshly squeezed orange juice  2.5 syns
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp oyster sauce  1 syn
1 tbsp orange zest
2 large garlic cloves grated
1 inch ginger peeled and grated
1 tsp honey  1 syn
2 large chicken breast cubed
1 tsp cornflour  1 syn
as much mixed vegetables as you like, i used tenderstem broccoli, and oriental mushrooms
1 onion chopped
1 red chilli sliced

noodles or rice to serve, cooked as per packet instructions.

Method

In a blender blitz together the first 8 ingredients, set aside.

In a bowl mix together the cubed chicken and the cornflour and season with salt and pepper.

In a hot wok sprayed with frylight, add the chicken and stir-fry until golden, add the onion, chilli and broccoli and stir fry for 2 more minutes, add the oriental mushrooms and fry for 1 more minute, pour in the sauce and stir fry for 5/6 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through.
Serve with the rice or noodles

One Pan Brunch

If you don't want a lot of cleaning up and fancy a fry up this dish is just for you!!
I used 2 syns in this dish on the sausages. I used weight watcher sausages at ½ syn each.
But if you want it syn free just leave out the sausages. You can put whatever you want into it.

Ingredients

4 low fat sausages halved
6 rashers bacon with all the fat cut off
8oz mushrooms sliced
12 cherry tomatoes halved
2 eggs

Method

In a large pan sprayed with frylight cook the sausages, remove and set aside, fry the bacon remove cut in half and set aside, Fry the mushrooms until golden, add the tomatoes and return the sausages and bacon. fry for 1 minute then crack in the eggs, fry until they turn white then pop under a grill to cook the top to your liking.

Mexican Salmon Stack

I normally make this dish with chicken, but i had run out so replaced it with salmon and it was just as good.
As you have probably noticed by now from all my recipes, i am very much into comfort food and this recipes fits that category very well.
With all the ingredients i have used this recipe isn't syn free, but the cheese and avocado are optional, although i will say they make the dish. You can use your healthy extra for the cheese. Avocado is 9.5 syns for 100g, which does seem a lot, but i think it is worth it as avocado is very good for you, full of vitamins and minerals, it also boosts your metabolism which is good for weight loss.

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

Ingredients

16oz salmon fillet
1lb maris piper potatoes diced
2 eggs
200g avocado sliced 19 syns
70g halloumi sliced  use your Healthy A or 25g is 4 syns
4 tbsp salsa click for recipe

Method

Spray a baking tray with frylight, lay out the diced potatoes in a single layer, spray with more frylight and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes until golden tossing and spraying again half way through.
Roast the salmon fillet for 10 minutes seasoned with salt and pepper on a pan sprayed with frylight.
In a frying pan sprayed with frylight, fry the sliced halloumi until golden on both sides.
Fry the eggs in a frying pan sprayed with frylight.
Now layer the dish, lay the potatoes on the bottom, top with half the salmon fillet, lay the halloumi on top spoon on the salsa, add the avocado and top with a egg.

Pico de Gallo (Salsa)

This is a fantastic salsa!! it is so versatile it goes with anything and is just as great by itself with some chips to dip for a treat!!
It is so easy to make and best of all syn free on extra easy.
I first made this dish to go with the Mexican Salmon Stack.

Ingredients

6 tomatoes deseeded

1 garlic clove chopped

juice of 1 lime

1 onion chopped

1 red and 1 green chilli deseeded and chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp chilli powder

¼ tsp smoked paprika

¼ tsp salt

handful coriander finely chopped

Method

Couldn't be simpler, put everything but the coriander in a blender and blitz until it is all combined and coarsely chopped. Pour into a bowl and stir in the chopped coriander. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes for the flavours to mingle.

Sichuan Style Pork with Peanuts

I know this dish isn't syn free, but it's so tasty it is worth the syns, and to be honest, no more syns than a take away. The good thing is you know what's in this and can control the syn value.
I personally think cooking a Chinese meal at home is a lot quicker than ordering and collecting or having a take away delivered. Also the home cooked ones taste so much better, as you can control the heat and sweetness, plus add whatever ingredients you personally like!
I say it's win win all the way!!!

This whole dish is 4 syns on extra easy without the peanuts or 11 with but this amount will serve 3/4 people.

Ingredients

Sauce

3 tbsp chicken stock
1 tbsp tomato puree
2 tsp chinkiang rice vinegar you can get this in most Asian supermarkets, if your can't get it use balsamic vinegar.
1 garlic glove grated
2 inches of ginger grated
½ tsp sesame oil  1 syn
¼ tsp sweetener
¼ tsp chilli flakes, more if you like it spicier

Pork

1 large pork tenderloin, sliced thinly
1 tsp cornflour  1 syn
1 tsp Shao Hsing rice wine again can get this in any Asian supermarket, but it's also in Asda, and Tescos  2 syns
1 punnet of tenderstem broccoli
1 onion chopped
8oz oriental mushrooms
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 red chilli sliced
2 spring onions sliced on the diagonal
25g dry roasted peanuts (optional)  7 syns
dried egg noodles cooked to packets instructions, to serve.

Method

Mix all the sauce ingredients together then set aside.

In a bowl combine the pork with the cornflour, then fry in a hot wok sprayed with frylight. When the pork starts to change colour, pour in the Shao Hsing rice wine, after 30 seconds add the broccoli and onions, chilli and soy sauce, stir fry for 2 minutes, then add the mushrooms, Stir in the sauce and stir fry for 3 minutes until it is slightly thickened, stir in the noodles, sprinkle with the spring onions and peanuts and serve.

Roasted Vegetable Tortilla

I first made this dish to take on a picnic, it went down so well unfortunately there was no left overs.

Now i make it for all occasions also i have it for lunch, dinner, brunch, and even breakfast, it even makes a great snack.

It tastes great hot or cold. It is jam packed full of superfree and you can use whatever veggies you like.

Best of all it is synfree on extra easy!!

This one was made in a 20cm frying pan and depending how hungry or greedy like myself you are will serve 6 to 8 people.

Preheat oven 200c, 400f, gas mark 5

Ingredients

1lb maris piper or any waxy potato diced

8oz cremini mushrooms quartered

1 red pepper diced

1 onion diced

1 small sweet potato diced

1 garlic clove minced

6 eggs whisked

1 tsp Italian seasoning

salt and pepper

Method

Whisk together the egg garlic and salt and pepper, set aside.

On a large baking tray sprayed with frylight spread out all the vegetables so they are in a single layer, spray with more frylight and sprinkle with the Italian seasoning. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until golden, tossing them half way through.

Transfer all the veggies to an oven proof frying pan or dish and pour over the egg mixture, bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the egg is set.

Delicious with a big salad with a balsamic vinegar dressing.

Spanish Hash

I love this dish, it is so versatile and goes with anything or just great by itself. Yet again another comforting dish!!
The cheese is optional, i used my healthy A or you can syn it. You can add anything you want to this, maybe some peppers, mushrooms or onions, as i said so versatile.
Best of all, all this flavour is syn free on extra easy!!

I also discovered that the tomato sauce, is great cold as a ketchup, my son loves ketchup, but this he couldn't get in his mouth quick enough, and the plus side is it's home-made so you know exactly what's in it and it's better for you.
Just keep it in the fridge.

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

This dish served 2 but were greedy.

Ingredients

1lb potatoes peeled if desired then cubed

4 eggs

60g goats cheese (optional)

Sauce Ingredients

1 onion chopped

4 cloves garlic chopped

1 red chilli chopped

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tin tomatoes

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

salt and pepper

Method

Spray a baking tray with frylight then lay out the potatoes and season and spray again. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes until golden, tossing and spraying half way through.

While the potatoes cook make the sauce.

In a blender blitz the onion, garlic and chilli. Fry in a pan sprayed with frylight for 2 minutes, then stir in the rest of the ingredients. Simmer for 15 minutes until the sauce has thickened to you liking. Then put it all back into the blender and blitz until smooth.

Pour into a seal-able container, you won't need all of it for this dish.

In a large oven proof pan, pour in the cooked potatoes, pour over as much sauce as you require, make 4 holes and crack in the eggs, add the cheese if using, then bake in the oven until the eggs are cooked to your liking, and serve. I served mine with Grilled chicken and a green salad.