Homemade Crispy Potato Skins

BEWARE!! these are probably considered a tweak!!

I was making a chicken hash and decided to roast the peelings off the potatoes to make some crisps.

As you could eat a lot of them before they fill you up it may be a tweak, in which case they will be synful, but i don't know how you would syn them.

I figure as i was already eating the potatoes and i could have cooked them with the skins on and they would have been free, then to me these crisps are free, as it is only the amount from the potatoes i cooked. But the choice is yours!

Needless to say they were so good!!

Preheat oven 200c, 400f, gas mark 5

Ingredients

Potato peelings

garlic frylight

salt

1 tsp paprika

Method

Spray a baking tray with the frylight, lay the peeling in a single layer, spray with more frylight, sprinkle over the salt and paprika then roast for about 20 minutes or until they are crisp and golden.

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.

Garlic Tuna, Salsa and Roasted Spiced Butternut Squash

This recipe is in the October 2013 Slimming World Magazine. I have adapted it to my tastes. It is delicious! You have the meatiness of the tuna, the soft and warm sweetness of the butternut squash and the zing and kick from the light refreshing salsa, topped off with a crunchy salad.

The whole meal is syn free on extra easy.

Preheat oven 200c, 400f, gas mark 5

Salsa Ingredients

1 red onion finely diced

4 red chillies deseeded and deveined and finely chopped

1 red and 1 yellow pepper finely diced

1 tin chopped tomatoes

2 tsp dried oregano

juice of 3 limes

1 tsp sweetener

handful of chopped coriander leaves

salt and pepper to season

Salsa Method

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and let it stand for at least 20 minutes.

Spiced Roasted Butternut Squash Ingredients

1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to season

Method

Spray a baking sheet with frylight, cover in a single layer with the squash and spray the squash with more frylight. Sprinkle over the cumin, cinnamon and cayenne pepper, then season, toss the squash to cover and bake for 35 - 40 minutes, turning and spraying half way through cooking.

Tuna Ingredients

2 8oz tuna steaks

½ tsp garlic salt

fresh ground black pepper

Method

Spray the tuna steaks with frylight, heat a griddle pan till smoking, sprinkle the garlic salt and pepper over the tuna and griddle the tuna for 2 minutes each side or till done to your liking.

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.

Cajun Salmon

I made this Cajun Salmon to go with a low syn Ceasar Salad, the spicy seasoning cuts through the creaminess of the Ceasar Dressing.

Syn free on extra easy


Serves 2

Preheat oven 200c, 400f, gas mark 5

Ingredients

1 lb salmon
2 tsp cajun seasoning
½ tsp salt
Olive oil frylight

Method

Spray a baking tray with frylight. Place in the salmon and spray with frylight, sprinkle over the cajun seasoning and salt, bake for 15 to 18 minutes.

Greek Lamb Hotpot

I really felt like making a Moussaka, but didn't want to use lots of syns on the sauce that goes with it, so i made a lamb ragu and layered it with potatoes and sprinkled with feta cheese, you can use aubergine too for the layers.
The feta cheese cuts through the richness of the lamb, without all the fat and syns.
 Its a cross between a Moussaka and Hotpot.

3.5 syns per portion on extra easy as long as you use the Feta as your healthy A, if not add 6 syns.


Serves 6

Preheat oven 200c, 400f, gas mark 5

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 large onion chopped
2 carrots finely diced
1 punnet cremini/chestnut mushrooms
1 kg less 16% fat minced lamb
1 tbsp dried mint
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 tin chopped tomatoes
500ml passata
1 tbsp tomato puree
500ml lamb or chicken stock
1 lb potatoes thinly sliced
Butter frylight
45g feta cheese per portion

Method

In a large pan sprayed with sunflower frylight brown the mince lamb then remove and set aside.
Fry the onions until they are soft and golden, add the garlic, carrots and mushrooms, fry for 3 minutes.
Return the lamb to the pan, add all the herbs and spices, stir together then add the tomatoes, passata, puree and stock, season with salt and pepper.
Bring to the boil then simmer for 2 hours stirring occasionally.
When the ragu is cooked, layer the ragu and potatoes in an oven proof dish, with ragu on the bottom and potatoes as the top layer, spray the top layer of potatoes with the butter frylight and bake for 40 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through. If the top starts to get too brown cover with kitchen foil.
Serve up and sprinkle with the feta cheese.

Delicious served with a Greek Salad

Roasted Mushroom, Balsamic Tomatoes and Goats Cheese Burgers

These burgers are perfect for a green day or if you just don't fancy meat.
They are juicy and sweet from the tomatoes and balsamic vinegar with creamy, tangy cheese.

Syn free on extra easy as long as the cheese and wholemeal rolls are your healthy extras.


Preheat oven 200c, 400f, gas mark 5

Makes 4 burgers

Ingredients

4 large portobello mushrooms
4 tomatoes sliced
60g goats cheese
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
4 small wholemeal rolls
salt and pepper

Method

Spray a baking sheet with frylight, lay the tomato slices and mushrooms on the sheet and spray with frylight then sprinkle over the balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper, roast in the oven for 10 - 15 minutes, a minute before removing from the oven lay slices of goats cheese on the mushrooms and let melt.
Layer the ingredients in the rolls and serve.

Patatas Bravas / Sauteed Potatoes

I made this dish as an afterthought to go with the Baked Shrimp in Tomato Feta Sauce, normally i would serve it with a huge chunk of crusty bread, but as i'm now doing Slimming World and the bread would be lots of syns, i figured syn free sauteed potatoes would be better, and the base sauce for the Shrimp dish would make a great Patatas Bravas sauce!!

Syn free on Extra Easy.


Preheat oven 200c, 400f, gas mark 5

Serves 4 as a side dish or Tapas

Ingredients

1 lb maris piper potatoes peeled
2 tsp paprika
sprinkling of salt
1 portion of Base Tomato Sauce

Method

Chop the potatoes into 2cm cubes, lay out on a baking sheet sprayed with frylight spray them with more frylight then sprinkle with the paprika and salt, bake in the oven for 30 minutes, turning them half way through cooking and spraying with frylight again.

Serve them in a bowl with the Tomato Sauce poured over.

Baked Shrimp in Tomato Feta Sauce

This dish can be served as a main course, starter or as a small plate Tapas dish.
The base sauce also makes a great topping for Patatas Bravas, which is why i serves the sauteed potatoes with it.

Syne free on extra easy as long as the cheese is used as your healthy A.

45 g Feta cheese is the healthy A


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

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 medium onions finely chopped
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
2 red chillies finely chopped
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
A small handful of thai basil leaves roughly chopped or basic basil leaves if you prefer, i like the slight aniseed taste you get.
2 tsp dried oregano
2 lb large raw shrimp
salt and pepper
A pinch of sweetener
180g Feta cheese ( free if using as you healthy A, 6 syns on extra easy if not)
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

In a large pan sprayed with frylight, fry the onions till soft, add the chilli and garlic and fry for 30 seconds more.
Add the tomatoes and 1 tomato tin filled with water, sprinkle in the dried oregano, stir together then simmer for 30 minutes over a low heat till the sauce has thickened.
Add the shrimp, thai basil and feta, and salt and pepper to taste then transfer to an oven dish and bake for 10 - 15 minutes until the shrimp are cooked.
Serve with Sauteed Potatoes, rice or pasta.

I also served mine with a Greek Salad and little gem leaves.

For the Base sauce, follow the instructions through to the sauce thickening, this sauce can be used for so many things, like a pasta sauce, as mentioned the Patatas Bravas and Ratatouille.

Chicken Donburi Yakitori

This is a Japanese dish that was inspired from a trip to a wonderful Japanese restaurant we visit in Bristol called Yume Kitchen.
Even if i say so myself, it's not far off the restaurants dish!!

This dish is 4½ syns for the whole thing, so depending how many it serves, depends on the syns per portion.


Serves 4

Ingredients

3 skinless and boneless chicken breasts sliced
12 large shrimp
4 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 packet of medium egg noodles
2 carrots cut into matchsticks
1 red pepper thinly sliced
6 asparagus spears sliced
1 punnet of oriental mushrooms
a large handful of edamame bean (soy beans)
3 tbsp tariyaki sauce (1½ syns per tbsp)
200ml chicken stock
4 Nori seaweed strips

Method

Cook the noodles as per pack instructions.
Put the sliced chicken in a bowl and stir in the dark soy sauce.
Heat a wok sprayed with sunflower frylight and stir fry the chicken until its nearly cooked through, reserve the soy sauce, add the vegetables and stir fry for 2 minutes.
Pour in the Tariyaki sauce and stock bring to a boil add the noodles and shrimp,and if needed some of the reserved dark soy, stir fry until the shrimp are cooked and serve with thin strips of Nori seaweed snipped on top.

Beef Chilli

This is a tasty beef chilli, spicy, rich and full of vegetables.
Syn free on extra easy.
Great with rice, jacket potato and as Chilli Cheese Fries, or just by itself!

Serve 8

Ingredients

2 onions chopped
3 carrots chopped into small dice
2 red peppers diced
8 oz mushrooms chopped
1 kg extra lean mince beef 5% fat or less
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
2 red chillies finely chopped
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp celery salt
2 tsp red chipotle powder or hot smoked paprika
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tube passata
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 litre beef stock
salt and pepper to taste

Method

In a large pot sprayed with frylight, brown the mince then remove, respray the pot then fry the onions for 2 minutes, then add the carrot and red peppers fry for 2 minutes, add the mushrooms, garlic and chilli fry for 1 minute. add all spices and herbs, stir in then add the tomato puree, passata, chopped tomatoes and beef stock, return the beef to the pan and bring to a boil the simmer for at least 2 hours, season to taste, if the chilli gets a bit dry add more water.

Tilapia, Shrimp and Tomato Bake

This dish is perfect before a weigh in as it's filling, but light. The tilapia is a white flaky fish that has a delicate taste and is very moist if cooked right. If you can't get tilapia, haddock or cod fillets will do.


preheat oven 200c, 400f, gas mark 5

Serves 2

Ingredients

4 tilapia fillets
20 raw shrimp
punnet of cherry tomatoes
4 spring onions sliced
2 tbsp capers
1 red chilli thinly sliced
handful of basil leaves torn
salt and pepper

Method

Line a baking tray with kitchen foil, spray with extra virgin olive oil frylight, lay out the fillets and shrimp, sprinkle over the cherry tomatoes, spring onions, capers, chilli and basil, spray again with frylight and bake for 10 to 12 minutes till the tilapia and shrimp are cook.

I like to serve it with Spicy Crushed Roasted New Potatoes and salad.

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.

Creamy Coriander and Mint Chicken Curry

This is a lovely creamy curry without any cream or fat!
You can make it as spicy as you like by adding more chillies.
This dish is syn free on extra easy.


Serves 4

Ingredients

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 oz cremini mushrooms quartered
2 onions roughly chopped
3 cloves
3 cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
2 cm ginger roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp chilli flakes
3 chillies roughly chopped
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp turmeric
salt and pepper
large handful of coriander including the stalks
handful of mint leaves
300ml chicken stock
juice of a lime
4 ripe tomatoes quartered and deseeded
coriander leaves to garnish

Method

Chop the chicken into 2 cm cubes.
In a large pan sprayed with frylight, fry the onions with the cinnamon stick, cardamon pods and cloves. When golden add the mushrooms and fry till golden, then add the chicken and brown.

In a blender blitz together the ginger, garlic, chilli flakes, chillies, ground cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, salt and pepper, fresh coriander and mint with ½ cup water to make a smooth paste.

Add to the pan and cook out for 2 minutes, add the stock and simmer for 20 minutes and the chicken is cooked through.
Add the lime juice, tomatoes and more salt and pepper if needed. Simmer for 5 more minutes then serve with rice and garnish with the coriander leaves and fat free natural yogurt.

Eggciting Omelettes

Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese

Excuse the pun, but these omelettes get your taste buds salivating!

An omelette is so quick and easy to make, and the fillings are never ending!!

Here are a few to get you started.


Basic Omelette Ingredients

3 eggs (i like duck eggs)
salt and pepper

Method

Beat the eggs with the salt and pepper till light. Heat a frying pan, spray with butter frylight and pour in the eggs.
When they start to set, with a spatula pull the eggs towards the middle until its nearly all set.
Add your filling to one side and fold over and serve.


Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese

The title says it all, just fill your omelette with fat free cream cheese or you daily healthy A portion of cheese spread and smoked salmon, i like to add some capers to mine too.

Wild Mushroom and Low Low

Wild Mushroom and Low Low
Ingredients

2 Punnets of oriental mushrooms
½ tub of Low Low cheese spread (i used the red pepper and chilli)
Butter Frylight

Method

Spray the pan with the frylight then fry the mushrooms till golden, set aside.
Make the omelette.
Spread the low low on one side of the omelette then add the mushrooms.
Fold over and serve.

Asian Crab

Asian Crab Ingredients

Crab meat
1 chilli finely chopped
3 spring onions finely sliced
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce (optional) 1 syn
Handful of coriander leaves
Tabasco sauce to serve.

Method

Make the basic omelette, but add the soy sauce and fish sauce to the eggs before cooking.

Mix the crab with the ginger, chilli, coriander and spring onions. lay on one side of the omelette and fold over, serve with the oyster sauce drizzled over it and sprinkle with Tabasco sauce.

Roasted Red Peppers and Goats Cheese

 Roasted Red Pepper and Goats Cheese Omelette

This is another "it does what it says on the tin" omelette.

Basically just chop up 2 jarred red peppers and lay on one side of the omelette, i added a few capers. Then add 30g of goats cheese (your daily Healthy A), fold over and serve.

Mediterranean

Mediterranean Omelette Ingredients

1 Tin plumed tomatoes
1 tbsp capers
Handful of basil roughly torn
45g mozzarella cheese roughly chopped.

Method

Make the basic omelette. Drain the tomatoes and cut them open to get rid of the seeds.
Chop the tomatoes, mix with the capers, basil and mozzarella, lay on one side of the omelette then fold over and serve.

Syn Free Chips

How to make perfect syn free chips!

The type of potato is very important, and i always use Maris Pipers, they are always fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside.

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

Ingredients

1 lb Maris Piper potato
sunflower frylight
salt
paprika

Method

Peel and cut the chips.
Parboil the chips till slightly tender, drain them and shake them up slightly to make them rough on the outside. let the dry out.

Spray a baking tray with the frylight, spread out the chips in a single layer and spray with frylight, then sprinkle with the salt and paprika. bake in the oven for 15 minutes then remove from the oven turn the chips and spray again with fry light, bake for another 15 minutes till golden and crispy.

A Simple Ham And Cheese Toastie

I was craving a toasted sandwich, so thought i would test out making one with the butter frylight and low fat cheese.

I was surprisingly impressed the outside was crispy and not at all soggy, and the cheese melted well.

The sandwich is syn free on extra easy as long as you use the cheese as your healthy A.


You can use any filling you like.

How about,
ham, egg and mushroom,
smoked salmon, capers and gouda,
roasted red peppers, red onion and goats cheese,

too name but a few!!!

Ingredients

2 slices of wholemeal bread from a 400g loaf
Ham as much as you like,
30g of full fat cheese or 40g reduced fat cheese,
Butter frylight

Method

Spray the outside of each slice of bread, layer the fillings between the bread and toast in a panini press till golden brown and cheese has melted.