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.

Slow Cooked Squid and Shrimp with Fennel

I love seafood and i love pasta, so put together this is a match made in heaven!!

I have to say this is one of the best recipes i have done so far. really tasty, with a touch of anise flavour and a kick from the chilli. Cooking the squid for a long time makes it so tender. 

You can have it syn free on extra easy by leaving out the olives but for 1 syn for 8 olives, it's worth throwing them in!!

I served mine with linguine, but you could have this with anything you like, even a large chunk of bread would be good, but don't forget to syn it!!!

Ingredients

1 lb squid cleaned and cut into rings

20 shrimp raw

1 fennel bulb thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves finely chopped

16 olives stoned (2 syns)

2 tins tomatoes

1 tbsp capers

1 tsp chilli flakes

handful fresh tarragon and basil

300 ml fish stock

pinch of sweetener

salt and pepper

Method

Spray a large pan with frylight and fry the fennel till golden and soft, add the garlic and fry for another minute, add the stock and bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and stir in the tomatoes, capers, chilli flakes, sweetener and olives, then add the squid, season to taste, and simmer for at least an hour, keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't dry out, if it starts to get a bit to thick add some water.

When the squid is tender add the shrimp and cook for 5 more minutes then tear in the herbs and serve with side of choice.

Stir fried Vegetables and Noodles

This is a noodle dish i made to go with the Asian Flank Steak. It is full of superfree tasty vegetables, you can use whatever vegetables you want, i used what i like and goes well with Asian flavours.

You could have this as a vegetable dish by itself or add chicken or pork to it.

It's syn free on extra easy.

Ingredients

1 onion chopped

1 red pepper diced

a small head of broccoli 

a bunch of asparagus chopped into 4

1 cup edamame beans

8oz oriental mushrooms

2 portions of dried medium noodles cook as per packet instructions

1 inch ginger grated

1 garlic clove grated

¼ cup light soy sauce

1 tsp fish sauce

1 tsp chilli flakes

handful thai basil leaves

Method

In a hot wok sprayed with frylight, fry the onion for 1 minutes, add the broccoli with 1 tbsp of water, then add the asparagus, pepper, and edamame beans, stir fry for 2 minutes, add the mushrooms and fry for 2 minutes, mix up the ginger, garlic, soy, fish sauce and chilli flakes and pour into the vegetables, stir in and then add the cooked noodles, heat everything through, tear over the thai basil leaves and serve.

Asian Flank Steak

Another fake away, the flavours cover all the four taste sensations, sweet, sour, spicy and umami.

Unfortunately it's not syn free, but you can't moan at 4¼ syns on extra easy for 8ozs of tender steak and a tasty sauce.

This steak goes really well with Stir Fried Vegetables and Noodles

Ingredients

50ml light soy sauce
50 ml shaoxing rice wine  (3.5 syns)
1 tbsp runny honey  (3 syns)
1 tsp sesame oil  (2 syns)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 tsp chilli flakes
2 star anise
1lb flank steak


Method

Whisk the first 7 ingredients together, put into a sealable bag with the star anise and flank steak and marinate for a minimum of 6 hours, over night if possible. Save the marinade.

Bring back to room temperature and griddle for 4 minutes each side.

Simmer the remaining marinade down to half, sieve and reheat. Serve drizzled over the steak.

Potato, Mushroom and Aubergine Curry

I found this recipe on the Good Food website and as it looked so tasty decided to adapt it for Slimming World.

You don't have to use the vegetables i've used, you can add about anything. I think next time i make it i will add cauliflower, butternut squash and mangetout.

It was very tasty and spicy, but you can adjust the spice by the amount of paste you put in. I used 4 tbps, and i would say it was about as spicy as a madras from a take away.

It made a huge pot about 6 serving, depending how hungry you are. The whole pot was only 1.5 syns on extra easy, but you could make it syn free by using different yogurts.

Curry Paste Ingredients

3 tbsp coriander seeds

2 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp mustard seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp black peppercorns

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp paprika

2 tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp salt

1 inch ginger 

4 garlic cloves

1 tbsp tomato puree

4 tbsp white wine vinegar

Method

Dry fry the whole spices till they are fragrant for about 2-3 minutes.

Blitz the whole spices in a coffee or spice grinder, then put everything into a blender and blend until its smooth. This makes more than you need for this recipe, so divide the mixture into tbsp spoon portions and put into an ice cube tray and freeze what you don't use for another time.

Curry Ingredients

2 onions roughly chopped

1 large potato cubed

1 aubergine cubed

1 red or yellow pepper diced

800g button mushrooms

2-4 tbsps curry paste

300 ml vegetable stock

3 tubs muller light greek style coconut yogurt, 0.5 syns each

handful coriander leaves roughly chopped 

Method

Fry the onions and potatoes in a large pot sprayed with frylight for 2 minutes, then cover and cook for 3-4 minutes, keep checking that they aren't sticking to the pot.

Add the mushrooms, pepper and aubergine and fry uncovered until golden. Stir in the curry paste and cook out for 5 minutes, season and add the stock, bring to a boil them simmer till potatoes are cooked.

Take the pot of the heat and stir in the yogurts and coriander, if needed, gentle heat the curry through, careful not to let it split.

Serve with rice.