Barbacoa Beef Wraps

This dish is so easy to make, you just throw it all in the slow cooker and wait!! I have used romaine lettuce leaves instead of wraps, which makes it less synful and you get a lot more super free. You can top the meat with anything you like, i only used coriander, chilli and yogurt, but you could use peppers, refined beans, cheese, salsa, avocado, but remember to syn the things that aren't free!!
The whole dish is 2 syns, but it served 4/6.

Ingredients

3lb braising steak cut into 2 inch chunks
4 garlic cloves
1 onion
2 tbsp chipotle paste 2 syns
juice of 2 limes
2 tbsp cider vinegar
3 bay leaves
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 cloves
200ml beef stock

Method

In a blender blitz the onion and garlic until smooth with a tbsp of water.
Mix all the ingredients together then put into a slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.
When the meat is cook shred it in the slow cooker and let it cook for 10 more minutes so it absorbs the juices. Remove with tongs or a slotted spoon so it is not too wet in the wrap.

Mushroom and Green Bean Bhaji

This a lovely side dish that goes with any curry, especially my Chittinad Chicken Curry or grilled chicken or fish, even a nice steak.
Perfect for vegetarians as a main dish too. Syn free on extra easy and full of super free, Great for an SP day too.

Ingredients

1 onion

3 garlic cloves

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

salt to taste

1 tbsp tomato puree

8oz mushrooms quartered

8oz green beans chopped into 3

Method

Blitz the onion and garlic until smooth, mix together all the spices.

In a large pan sprayed with frylight, fry the onion mixture for 2 minutes over a low heat so as not to burn, then mix in the spices, salt and tomato puree. Have a cup of water ready. Add a tbsp of water to the mixture and keep stirring so the spices don't stick to the pan, keep doing this for about 5 minutes, you should end up with a sauce. Add the mushrooms and green beans, simmer until they are cooked through about 10 minutes, keep adding water if needed and stirring occasionally.

Chettinad Chicken Curry

I love this curry!! It has fast become my favourite one to make and of course eat....
You can make it as spicy as you like, by adding more chillies. It has desiccated coconut in it, but that is optional if you don't want the syns.

Ingredients

3 garlic cloves peeled
2 inches ginger peeled
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs with all fat removed quartered
1 tsp turmeric
1 onion chopped
2 red chillies sliced
1 tbsp tomato purée
2 tbsp desiccated coconut toasted optional 9 syns
2 cinnamon sticks
400ml vegetable stock

Spice Mix

fennel seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds 2 tsp of each.
1 long dried chilli
1 star anise

Method

Blitz the garlic and ginger with a tsp water until smooth, then mix with the turmeric and massage into the chicken, leave to marinade for at least an hour, if possible over night.
Toast all the whole spices in a pan until aromatic, then grind.
In a pan sprayed with frylight, fry the onion and red chilli seasoned with salt until soft, add the chicken, tomato purée, cinnamon sticks, coconut if using and spices, fry for 2 minutes, pour in the stock and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes.

I served it with rice and Mushroom and Green Bean Bhaji.

Thai Style Chicken with Lettuce Wraps

What a lovely meal, as you can see from the picture it is full of super free!! It would be great to serve at a party as people just help themselves. Instead of using synful wraps you use healthy and crisp lettuce leaves. The sauce finishes the wrap perfectly with a zing of sour, a touch of sweet and a slight kick of spicy!! and at 2.5 syns for the whole dish of sauce/marinade, you can practically say it's syn free as you only need about a tsp on each wrap.

So quick and easy to make apart from the marinading.

Sauce/Marinade Ingredients

3 tbsp rice vinegar
¼ tsp sweetener
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp chilli sauce   ½ syn per tbsp
¼ cup light soy sauce
2 tsps of freshly grated ginger
1 tsp sesame oil   2 syns

Rest of Ingredients

3 chicken breasts, pounded till ½inch thick
About 8 romaine or iceburg lettuce leaves

You can use any vegetables you like, i used.

peppers
spring onions
radishes
coriander leaves
bean-sprouts
Chinese lettuce
red chilli

Method

Mix together all the marinade ingredients, set aside half the sauce and marinade the chicken with the other half for at least an hour, over night if possible.

Heat a griddle pan until it is smoking, then add the chicken to the pan cooking for about 3 minutes on each side, let it rest for 10 minutes then slice into thin slices.

Prepare all your vegetables and serve.

Salmon with Fennel and New Potatoes

I have never really been a big fennel fan, i love the anise taste but never liked the texture, but having it roasted with the soft and oily salmon is a match made in heaven. The roasted new potatoes are an extra touch of deliciousness!!

This dish is syn free and very filling. I like it served with roasted green beans and broccoli.

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

Ingredients

1 onion cut into wedges
2 fennel bulbs cut into wedges keep the green feathery foliage
12 new potatoes halved
handful mint leaves torn
salt and pepper
zest of ½ lemon

Method

In a large pan of boiling water, parboil the potatoes and fennel for 6 minutes, then drain and let steam dry.
Transfer to a tray sprayed with frylight, spray with more frylight sprinkle with salt and pepper and the mint leaves, bake for 30 minutes, tossing half way through, after 30 minutes add the salmon to the tray and sprinkle over the lemon zest and green foliage, bake for 10 minutes, then serve.

Gammon and Roasted Vegetable Pasta

I was going through the fridge trying to decide what to have for dinner, I was having a fussy day, but remembered i really enjoyed the roasted vegetables i made the other day, then i noticed some leftover pasta and a gammon steak, so i decided to put it all together. I'm so glad i did as it was yummy!!!!

This dish is syn free and full of super free.

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

Ingredients

1 onion chopped

1 pepper sliced

1 tbsp capers

2 tomatoes halved

1 gammon steak fat removed and diced

8 mushrooms sliced

2 cups cooked pasta

1 tsp Cajun seasoning

Method

In a tray sprayed with frylight place the tomatoes, and scatter the onions and pepper around them, then sprinkle over the capers, season and roast for about 20 minutes.

In a pan sprayed with frylight, fry the gammon until cooked through, then remove. Then fry the mushrooms until golden.

Warm the pasta in a covered microwave bowl for 2 minutes. 

When the vegetables are cooked add to the pan, with the gammon and pasta, crush the tomatoes and then stir together until all the pasta is coated, then serve.

Indonisian Chicken Fried Rice

This is a very quick and easy meal to make. It has now become one of my husbands favourite dishes that i make. I agree it is very yummy!!!
I love rice and when its paired with very tasty spices and condiments it can't get much better.
You can use whatever vegetables you like in this, i say the more the better!
It isn't syn free but still a lot healthier than a take away.

Makes 3 large servings

Ingredients

1 onion diced
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
8oz mushrooms chopped
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
2 chicken breast diced
3 cups cooked basmati rice
2 tbsp chilli sauce 1 syn
2 tbsp ketjap manis 6 syns depending on brand
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 cup bean sprouts
1 cup of sliced Chinese leaves
1 chilli sliced
Juice of ½ a lime

Method

In a wok or large pan sprayed with frylight, stir fry the onions, until soft, then add the mushrooms and stir fry until golden, then add the garlic and chicken, when the chicken is sealed add all the dry spices, stir for 1 minute.then add the rice and stir to combine, add the chilli sauce, ketjap manis and soy sauce, stir through to combine. Add the vegetables and sliced chilli, stir fry for 3 minutes. squeeze over the lime juice and serve.

Tuna and Vegetable Baked Eggs

This dish was inspired by a trip we took to Tunisia, the dish there is called a Shukshuka, this is my take on it.
I basically used up the veggies i had in the fridge and decided to add a tin of tuna to it to bulk it out a bit, so really it is not like the Tunisian dish, but I'm thankful for it's inspiration!! It was still really good and syn free!!!

This dish is great for an SP day.

I would like to say this pan served two but it didn't i ate it all myself!!

Ingredients

1 onion chopped
8oz mushrooms sliced
2 jarred red peppers sliced
1 courgette sliced and mooned
1 tin of tomatoes
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 tbsp capers
1 tin tuna in brine
2 eggs
salt and pepper to taste

Method

In a pan sprayed with frylight, fry the onions until soft, add the mushrooms and fry until golden, then add the peppers and courgette and fry until soft, add the rest of the ingredients apart from the eggs let it simmer for 10 minutes, Make 2 wells in the mixture and crack in the eggs, put under a high grill until the eggs are to your liking, then enjoy!!!

You could use your healthy A and B with this meal, a nice wholemeal roll to mop up the juices and sprinkle some feta over the top.

Fisherman's Soup

If you love fish and seafood you with love this soup, light and refreshing, but warming on a cold winters night! Synfree on extra easy, and very filling, full of protein from the fish and there's superfree in there too.
You will notice in my method that i cook the squid for a long time, with squid it either has to be quickly seared or simmered for at least 30 minutes for it be tender.

This recipe makes 2 large bowls or 4 for starters.

Ingredients

1 onion finely diced
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 red pepper finely diced
1 large carrot finely diced
½ tsp chilli flakes or more if you like it hotter
1 tin tomatoes
750ml fish stock
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp celery salt
1 tsp paprika
salt and pepper
2 tbsp capers
1 packet frozen prepared squid, i get mine from Asda, cut into rings, use the tenticules too.
2 tilapia fillets
20 large shrimp
Basil to serve


Method

In a large pot sprayed with frylight fry the onions until soft, add the carrot, pepper, garlic and chilli flakes, fry for 4 minutes. Pour in the tomatoes and stock then add the herbs and spices.
Add the capers and squid, bring to a boil then simmer for 30 minutes. Add the shrimp and tilapia and simmer until they are cooked through then serve.

Spicy Beef and Red Pepper Soup with Giant Cous Cous

Soup!!! Think i may have to start a page for soups, there is nothing like a hot steaming bowl in this weather and when it's got a little kick it makes it all the better!!
To bulk this dish out i added some giant cous cous and it was fab! It didn't make it heavy but made it slightly more filling.
You could add rice or orzo to it also.
This dish is synfree on extra easy, so even better, you could use some of your syns for a nice chunk of bread to mop the bowl out!!

I managed to make 6 portions out of these ingredients.

Ingredients

1 kg minced beef 5% fat or less
1 onion finely diced
2 red peppers finely diced
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 red chilli deseeded and finely chopped
1 tin tomatoes
500ml passata
500ml beef stock
500ml vegetable stock
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried oregano
one large handful of giant cous cous

Method

In a large pot sprayed with frylight brown the minced beef then remove. Add the onions to the pot and fry until soft, then add the peppers, chilli and garlic fry for 2 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients apart from the cous cous, bring to a boil, return the mince to the pot, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in the cous cous and cook for about 15 minutes until it is cooked.

I like to serve mine with some avocado and goats cheese, but remember to syn them if you do.

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.