Orange,Harissa and Giant Cous Cous Salad

This is a beautifully, light and refreshing salad, it compliments any meat or fish dish, or is great by its self.
It has a smoky kick from the harissa and a sweet note from the oranges with a slight tang from the lemon, the combination of flavours tingle your taste buds.

The whole dish is 5 syns on extra easy

It goes great with Griddled Chermoula Pork

Serves 6 as a side dish and 4 as a main

Ingredients

1 packet of giant cous cous, cooked as per packet instructions
4 oranges, 1 juiced, the rest segmented 2 syns
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp harissa 3 syns
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 red onion finely chopped
10 cherry tomatoes quartered
half a cucumber, peeled and de seeded, then finely chopped
handful of each coriander leaves and mint leaves, chopped

Method

Mix together the orange juice, harissa, lemon juice, cumin and ground coriander.
In a large bowl combine the rest of the ingredients, then stir in the dressing, leave to stand for 30 minutes then serve.

Asian Style Chilli Beef

I loved this dish, it was sweet, sour, spicy, and salty all the flavours you expect from an Asian dish. You can serve it with noodles, rice salad, and even chips like i did.

Its is also very quick to make so perfect for when your in a hurry!

It is syn free on extra easy.

Ingredients

500g extra lean mince beef 5% fat or less
1 tbsp ginger
3 garlic cloves
2 red chillies one de-seeded and one sliced
2 lemon grass outer layers removed and chopped
3 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sweetener
1 tbsp rice vinegar
coriander leaves
2 inches cucumber sliced
4 spring onions sliced

Method

Blitz the ginger, garlic one of the chillies and lemon grass in a blender with 2 tsp water.
In a pan sprayed with frylight brown the mince then add the garlic mix and fry for 1 minute. Stir in the soy sauce, sweetener, vinegar and 50ml water and simmer until the meat starts to get sticky, stir in the coriander then serve with the cucumber and spring onions.

Orange and Balsamic Orzo Salad

This is a gorgeous salad, it's light, refreshing and zingy! Sweetness from the honey, a twang from the balsamic vinegar and a combination of both from the oranges which brings both flavours together. Full of lovely super free and as colourful as a rainbow.

This salad goes beautifully with Orange and Ginger Tilapia

The whole dish is 2.5 syns on extra easy and it served 3 as a main dish or 5 as a side.

Ingredients

2 cups of cooked orzo or any other small pasta
8 cherry tomatoes quartered
3 inches of cucumber peeled deseeded and sliced
4 spring onions finely sliced
segments of 1 large orange
handful of chopped coriander leaves
50ml freshly squeezed orange juice 1 syn
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard 0.5 syn
1 tsp honey 1 syn
salt and pepper to taste


Method

Mix together the first 6 ingredients.
whisk together the remaining ingredients, then pour over the pasta and mix together, let it sit for 30 minutes then serve.
I served this with Orange and Ginger Tilapia

Seafood Salad

I didn't want to use my HE A&B on my lunch as i like to save them for using in my main meal or, as a nighttime snack of cheese and biscuits.

I found a baking potato in the potato bag so decided to have a baked spud. But what to put on it????

I fancied tuna, but i want to take it up a notch, so i defrosted some prawns and chopped up some veggies. 

It was delicious and only 1 syn on extra easy for the mayonnaise.

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

Ingredients

1 baking potato, baked in the oven for about an hour until the skin is golden and crispy.

1 tin of tuna in brine or spring water

A dozen cooked prawns

2 inches cucumber diced

half a red pepper diced

2 spring onions sliced

1 tbsp capers

1 tomato, deseeded and chopped

2 tbsp light than light mayonnaise 1syn

a good shaking of tabasco sauce

Method

It couldn't be simpler, just mix everything but the potato together, then put on top of the potato.

The Seafood salad is also very nice with a bowl of mixed lettuce leaves, or you could make wraps out of it using romaine leaves. You can also mix it with cold pasta to make a delicious pasta salad. You can use any seafood you like and any vegetables.

Chilli and Garlic Grilled Chicken with Quinoa Greek Salad

This is a very healthy and syn free meal on extra easy. If you can't find quinoa you can always use rice, or a combination of basmati and wild rice, you could even try spelt.

Syn free if you use the feta as your healthy A, if not the feta is 3 syns for 25g

Chicken serves 2 Quinoa Greek Salad serves 8, so plenty of leftovers for future lunches or picnics.


Chilli and Garlic Grilled Chicken Ingredients

2 large skinless and boneless chicken breasts, sliced into quarters
1 red chilli finely chopped
1 garlic clove finely chopped
extra virgin olive oil fry light

Method

Spray the chicken pieces with frylight and sprinkle over the chopped chilli and garlic, season and leave to marinade for at least 1 hour.

Heat a griddle pan till smoking then fry the chicken till cooked through, turning half way.


Quinoa Greek Salad Ingredients

2 cups of quinoa cooked as per packets instructions.
1 punnet of cherry tomatoes quartered
8 black olives chopped
1 red onion finely chopped
½ cucumber seeds removed and sliced
100g feta, or your daily allowance
small bunch of mint leaves roughly chopped
juice and zest of a lemon
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
½ tsp sweetener
1 tbsp mint sauce unsweetened
1 tsp greek seasoning
1 tbsp water

Method

Put all the vegetables in a large bowl, stir in the quinoa. Whisk together the lemon juice and zest, red wine vinegar, sweetener, mint sauce, greek seasoning and water. Pour over the dressing, mix in and sprinkle over the feta and chopped mint, serve with the chicken.

Greek Salad

A zesty salad that goes well with grilled meats, kebabs, fish or by itself as a light lunch.

Just one syn for 8 olives.
Cheese is healthy extra A


Serves 2

Ingredients

½ cucumber seeds removed and thinly sliced
12 cherry tomatoes quartered
16 olives halved
half a red onion thinly sliced into half moons
1 tbsp capers
small handful basil thinly sliced
small handful mint thinly sliced
45 g feta cheese
juice of ½ lemon
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
½ tsp sweetener
salt and pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp water

Method

In a salad bowl mix together the first 8 ingredients.
In another bowl mix together the rest of the ingredients.
Spoon over the dressing and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese and Salad Sandwich

Ok so i don't need to tell you how to make a sandwich, but this was so good i had to add it!!


Ingredients

2 slices of wholemeal bread from a 400g loaf
A small packet of smoked salmon (yes i'm greedy)
½ tub of low low
1 tbsp capers
Iceberg lettuce
cucumber
salt and pepper

Method

Spread both pieces of the bread with the low low to hold it together, well as best it can!
Then layer how you like and enjoy!
Napkin at the ready would be good!!

Tilapia and Lemon and Caper Dressing with Orzo and Salad

This is a light and zesty dish, with a kick of chilli, which compliments the soft flakes of fish and crunchy salad.

Syn free on extra easy and lots of superfree too.


Serves 2

Ingredients

4 tilapia fillets
1 cup of orzo
2 tbsp capers
1 red chilli deseeded
juice of a lemon
handful of basil chopped
1 garlic clove chopped
¼ tsp sweetener
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 iceburg leaves
2 handfuls of mixed salad leaves
10 cherry tomatoes
2 inches of cucumber thinly sliced and cut into half moons
4 radishes thinly sliced
half a red pepper thinly sliced
4 spring onions thinly sliced

Method

Cook the orzo as per packet instructions. When cooked drain and run under the cold tap.

Blitz the chilli and garlic in a blender, tip into a bowl and add the lemon juice, sweetener, balsamic vinegar, chopped basil and capers, mix together.

Make up the salad with the mixed salad leaves, tomatoes, cucumber, radishes, peppers and spring onion, pile it all in the iceburg leaves.

Spray a frying pan with extra virgin olive oil frylight and fry the tilapia for 2 minutes on each side.

Serve everything up and drizzle over the dressing.

Asian Salmon Giant CousCous Salad

This is a very tasty salad, with all the Asian taste sensations of salty, sweet, spicy and tangy, you can have it with or without the salmon, or add any meat you like, plus any vegetables you like.


Preheat oven 200c, 400f, gas mark 5

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 inch of ginger  peeled and chopped
1 garlic clove crushed
1 red chilli chopped
3 tbsp light soy sauce
juice of one lime

300g giant cous cous
1 lb salmon
6 spring onions
half a cucumber, seeds removed and chopped
2 roasted red peppers
handful of basil leaves chopped
1 packet of edamame beans

Method

Cook the couscous as per packet instructions, then run under a cold tap to stop the cooking.
Roast the salmon sprayed with olive oil frylight for 18 minutes
Chop up the spring onions and red pepper.
Blend all the first 5 ingredients in a blender to make a dressing.
Flake the salmon.
Put everything into a large bowl and mix.

Spicy Squid and Shrimp Salad

I had some squid in the fridge and wanted to make a nice salad to take on a picnic, instead of having the usual sandwiches. So decided to make a light and refreshing dressing for the squid, then remembered i had some shrimp in the freezer, so decided to add them too.

The salad turned out lovely the squid and shrimp were so tender and the dressing had a kick and a zing!

Syn free on extra easy.

Ingredients

8 oz baby squid cleaned and cut into rings
20 raw shrimp
1 yellow pepper finely diced
½ cucumber seeds removed and finely diced
1 red chilli deseeded
1 garlic clove
juice of 1 lemon
½ tsp sweetener
salt and pepper to taste
A handful mint leaves finely chopped

Method

In a blender, blitz the chilli, garlic, lemon juice, sweetener and salt and pepper. Mix in the mint, cucumber and yellow pepper.

In a very hot wok or frying pan, sprayed with olive oil frylight, fry the squid and shrimp for 2-3 minutes and the shrimp turn pink. Add to the dressing and let stand until it's room temperature.