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.

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.

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.

Spicy African Pork Tenderloin

This is another versatile recipe. You can have the pork in a meal with sides of your choice. I like it with coriander rice and Spiced Butternut Squash and Mint Yogurt Sauce. Or when it's cold you can slice it thinly and have it in a sandwich with lots of salad. It's great in a salad and i also put it in a pasta dish which i will post later.

It is syn free on extra easy.

Preheat oven 200c, 400f, gas mark 5

Ingredients

1 jarred red pepper
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 red chillies
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
2 garlic cloves
1 pork tenderloin


Method

In a blender blitz the first 6 ingredients until smooth.
Put the pork into a plastic bag cover with the marinade and rub it in, leave to marinade for at least 2 hours.

Put the pork onto a rack on a baking sheet covered with foil and roast in the oven for 20/25 minutes, until it is cooked to your liking.

Reserve the marinade and put it into a small saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes, you may need to add a couple of tsps of water if too thick.
You can use this as a sauce, but be warned it is hot, i used it the next day in my pasta dish.
It will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
Mix it with mayonnaise for a sandwich with the pork.
Thin it down and make a salad dressing.
Rub it into any other meats of fish you are going to cook.
As i said it is very versatile!

Char Siu Pork Roast

This is a slow cooker dish. It isn't syn free, but it is so delicious it is worth the syns. Full of lovely Chinese ingredients and the pork ends up so tender and juicy.

It is very versatile too, you can serve it with rice, pasta, jacket potato, or even in a bun as a pulled pork sandwich.

The whole dish is 16 syns on extra easy, i made 6 portions out of  the whole pot.

Ingredients

2 lbs of boneless pork, loin, shoulder or leg, cut all the fat off

¼ cup of light soy sauce

¼ cup hoisin sauce 10 syns

2 tbsp tomato ketchup 1 syn

1 tbsp honey 3 syns

2 tsps garlic finely chopped

2 tsps ginger finely chopped

2 red chillies finely chopped

1 tsp sesame oil 2 syns

½ tsp five spice 

½ cup chicken stock

Method

Combine all the ingredients apart from the pork in a large plastic bag, add the pork and rub in the marinade, marinade for at least 4 hours, i done mine over night.

Place the pork and marinade into the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.

Remove the pork and shred it, return to the marinade and warm back through then serve.

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.

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.