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.

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

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.

Crab and Prawn Singapore Noodles

I love Singapore noodles from the Chinese, so when i came across a recipe for them i decided to adapt it for Slimming World, so instead of using lots of syns, i have created a syn free noodle dish with all the taste and flavour of what you will get from a Chinese takeaway, in fact i would even say it tastes better.

It went really well with a big bowl of Crispy Kale

Syn free on extra easy

Ingredients

1 packet of vermicelli noodles
½ tsp turmeric
2 tsp sweet curry powder
4 spring onions sliced diagonally
1 red chilli
1 garlic clove
1 red pepper sliced
200g crab meat
20 cooked prawns
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 egg beaten
handful coriander leaves

Method

Cook the noodles as per packet instructions.
Blitz the chilli and garlic in a blender or finely chop.
In a wok sprayed with frylight pour in the egg and swirl around to make a thin omelette, toss and cook on the other side until set. remove and chop up.
In a wok sprayed with frylight, fry the onions and red pepper, add the garlic and chilli, turmeric and curry powder and fry for 1 minute, stir in the noodles and stir together, then stir through the crab, prawns, egg and coriander until warmed through, pour in the soy sauce and mix together then serve.

Orange and Chilli Lamb Kebabs

Beautiful tender lamb with a kick from the chilli, warmth from the cinnamon and allspice and a sweet touch from the orange.
They are beautifully paired with sweet potato chips, a greek salad and mint yogurt sauce.
If you want to use some syns a pitta bread would be good too!
This dish is 2 syns on extra easy for all the kebabs. in our house it served two.

Ingredients

4 large lamb leg steaks cubed with all the fat removed

4 garlic cloves minced

2 bay leaves torn

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp all spice/chinese 5 spice

100ml orange juice 2 syns

3 red chillies sliced in half and deseeded then quartered

salt and pepper

Method

In a large plastic bag mix together all the ingredients apart from the salt, massage the marinade into the lamb and leave to marinade overnight.

Skewer the lamb and chilli sprinkle with salt and spray with frylight, then griddle for 4 minutes on each side, until cooked through.

Serve with side dishes of your choice.

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.

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.

Chinese Lemon Chicken

A fake away to be proud of! This dish is light and refreshing with a kick and a lot less syns than from a Chinese Restaurant, and taste so much better too!

The whole dish is only 5 syns on extra easy.

Ingredients

1 level tbsp potato flour (3 syns)
2 large skinless and boneless chicken breasts sliced
1 tbsp shaoxing rice wine (1 syn)
1 red pepper diced
1 yellow pepper diced
8 oz oriental mushrooms
1 cup edamame beans
1 onion chopped
juice of 1 lemon
200ml chicken stock
1 tsp sweetener
3 tbsp light soy sauce
1 garlic clove grated
1 red chilli finely chopped
1 inch ginger grated
1 tbsp chilli sauce (1 syn)


Method

Mix the sliced chicken with the potato flour and season.
To make the sauce mix together the lemon juice, chicken stock, sweetener, soy sauce, garlic, chilli, ginger and chilli sauce.
In a hot wok sprayed with frylight stir fry the chicken until it turns opaque then pour over the rice wine and stir fry until liquid has gone, add the onion, peppers and mushrooms and stir fry for 1 minute. Pour in the sauce and bring to a boil then simmer until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through.
Serve with egg fried rice.

Sticky Lemon and Garlic Pork

This is a gorgeous Asian dish, full of crunchy vegetables and tender pork.

Syn free on extra easy.


Serves 4

Ingredients

1 large pork tenderloin sliced thinly
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 lemon juiced
4 garlic cloves
3 cm fresh ginger
1 red chilli
1 large onion roughly chopped
1 carrot shaved with a peeler or cut into matchsticks
½ bag of bean sprouts
1 tin of bamboo shoots
1 red pepper thinly sliced
1 punnet of oriental mushrooms
small handful coriander leaves
Rice or noodles to serve.

Method

In a blender blitz the garlic, ginger and chilli. Mix with the soy sauces, and lemon juice. Marinade the pork for up to an hour.
In a wok sprayed with frylight, stir fry the pork till browned then add all the vegetables and rest of the marinade, stir fry for 5 to 6 minutes till pork cooked through and vegetables are to your liking. serve garnished with the coriander leaves.

Oyster Chicken with Ginger and Mushrooms

This is a very tasty Chinese dish and you can make it as spicy as you like.

Serve it with noodles or rice.

8 syns for the total dish on extra easy, 4 syns per portion.

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts diced

Salt and pepper

1 tbsp potato flour  (3 syns on extra easy)

1 tbsp Shaxoing rice wine (1 syn on extra easy)

1 punnet of oriental mushrooms

1 head of broccoli

2 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp oyster sauce (2 syns on extra easy)

2 tbsp chilli sauce (2 syns on extra easy)

1 inch ginger grated

200 ml cold vegetable stock

Method

Mix the chicken, salt and pepper and potato flour together.

Mix together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, chilli sauce and the grated ginger with the stock.

In a hot wok sprayed with frylight brown the chicken for 3 minutes, then sprinkle with the rice wine.

Add the broccoli with a tbsp of water to create some steam to help it cook, cook for 2 minutes, add the mushrooms and fry for 1 minute then stir in the sauce and simmer till the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened.

Serve with rice or noodles.