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.

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.

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.

Fiery Asian Slaw

This is a great side dish for fish, chicken, beef, pork anything really!!
It is crunchy, has a kick and is so tasty that it gets your taste buds tingling and your mouth begging for more as so many flavours bounce off your tongue!!

Unfortunately it isn't syn free, but with all these fantastic superfree ingredients and so much flavour it is worth the small amount of syns it is!!

The whole batch is 5 syns on extra easy and i reckon as a side or in a salad it served about 4 people.

Ingredients

1 bag of slaw mix, i got mine from Asda, it had a ranch dressing in it, which my hubby had on his salad.
100ml fresh orange juice  2 syns
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil  2 syns
1 tbsp hot chilli sauce (sriracha) 0.5 syns
1 tsp grated ginger
½ tsp honey  0.5 syns
handful chopped coriander

Method

It couldn't be simpler, whisk all the wet ingredients together, then mix in the rest. let it rest for at least 30 minutes to let the flavours infuse.

Orange and Ginger Tilapia

This dish has become one of my favourites, it is light, refreshing and so tasty. I've been told you should eat the colours of a rainbow in your meals, well this one certainly is colourful, it makes it look so appetising, but believe it tastes as good as it looks.

I served the fish with an Orange and Balsamic Orzo Salad and some mixed green lettuce.

This dish is 1 syn on extra easy.

Serves 2

Ingredients

4 Tilapia fillets
1 tsp finely grated orange zest
3 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice ½ syn
1 inch of grated ginger
2 tsp chilli sauce ½ syn
salt and pepper

Mix all but the fish together, pour into a bowl and lay the fish in, let them marinade for 30 minutes to an hour.
Heat a frying pan sprayed with frylight until very hot then cook the fish for 3 minutes each side.

Pesto Linguine with Shrimp and Rocket

I didn't know what to have for my lunch the other day, i didn't want to use my healthy A & B in a sandwich, but i was craving carbs and was starving, so i decided to cook up some pasta. Then i had to decide what to put on it??

I found a jar of reduced fat pesto in the cupboard, so i looked up the syns and it was only 1.5 syns for 1 tbsp on extra easy, so i decided to see if it was any good.

As jarred pesto goes and bearing in mind it is low fat, it was very tasty and i'd say worth the syns. If i'm perfectly honest i don't think you could make a proper pesto for that many syns. Just add some fresh basil and grated parmesan to freshen up the pesto.

It was quick and easy to make and delicious!!

3 syns per serving on extra easy if you use part of your healthy A for the cheese.

Serves 2

Ingredients

½ packet dried linguine, cooked as packet instructions

8oz cooked shrimp

4 tbsp reduced fat basil pesto (6 syns)

1 red chilli finely chopped

handful basil leaves

½ packet rocket

½ cup pasta water

salt and pepper

30g parmesan optional

Method

Put the cooked pasta in a large bowl with the pesto, chilli, shrimp and pasta water, tear in the basil leaves and season, toss up and serve, Sprinkle over the rocket leaves and grate over the parmesan.

Baked Potato with Chilli and a Fried Egg

I wasn't feeling very well and didn't want to be stuck in the kitchen cooking a meal, so i got a portion of Beef Chilli out the freezer and stuck a potato in the oven, while i was in the fridge getting the cheese, i noticed the eggs and suddenly had a craving for one on the top of my Baked potato. Well i was very pleasantly surprised, it went really well and was delicious, the richness of the yolk cut through the sharpness of the cheese and the kick from the spicy chilli!!

Syn free on extra easy, as long as you use the cheese as your healthy A.


Preheat oven 200c, 400f, gas mark 5

Ingredients

1 Large baking potato
1 portion of Beef Chilli
40g reduced fat cheddar cheese or 30g full fat cheddar cheese
1 egg (i used a duck egg)
Chipotle tabasco sauce (optional)

An afterthought, a handful of jalapenos would be good too!

Method

Wash the potato and prick all over, bake for about an hour, until the skin is crispy and the centre is tender.
Reheat the Beef Chilli on the hob for about 10 minutes till hot, or in the microwave for 5 minutes till hot.
Put the potato on a plate and cut a cross in it, then push down on the edge of each quarter, pour over the chilli and if using Jalapenos sprinkle them over, then sprinkle with the cheese.

Heat a frying pan sprayed with frylight and fry you egg to your liking, then lay on top of the cheese, sprinkle with the tabasco sauce and serve.