Banana and Peanut Butter Muffins

I had a load of very ripe bananas to use up and no one will eat them in my house of they have gone too far, so i decided to treat the boys to muffins.
I'm so glad i did, as they were lovely!! So moist and light and full of yummy flavours. As i tried one i decided to work out the syns of each muffin and was very surprised when they worked out at only 5 syns each on extra easy. So as they aren't too bad i decided to share them with you all....
The whole batter mix comes to 97 syns so divide that by how many you make.

Preheat oven 200c, 400f, gas mark 5
Yields about 20

Ingredients

3 ripe bananas
¼ cup, 62.5g  maple syrup
¼ cup, 62.5g dark brown sugar
½ cup, 125g fat free greek yogurt
1 large egg
⅓ cup, 83ml skimmed milk
½ cup,  125g reduced fat peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
1 and ¾ cup, 437.5g plain flour
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
¼ tsp salt

Method

In a blender blitz together the bananas, maple syrup, sugar, yogurt, egg, peanut butter and extracts.
In a large bowl mix together the rest of the ingredients, then gentle combine the wet and dry until smooth, try not to over mix or the batter will make tough muffins.

Fill the cases about 2/3 of the way up.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a skewer come out clean.

Roasted Vegetable Tortilla

I first made this dish to take on a picnic, it went down so well unfortunately there was no left overs.

Now i make it for all occasions also i have it for lunch, dinner, brunch, and even breakfast, it even makes a great snack.

It tastes great hot or cold. It is jam packed full of superfree and you can use whatever veggies you like.

Best of all it is synfree on extra easy!!

This one was made in a 20cm frying pan and depending how hungry or greedy like myself you are will serve 6 to 8 people.

Preheat oven 200c, 400f, gas mark 5

Ingredients

1lb maris piper or any waxy potato diced

8oz cremini mushrooms quartered

1 red pepper diced

1 onion diced

1 small sweet potato diced

1 garlic clove minced

6 eggs whisked

1 tsp Italian seasoning

salt and pepper

Method

Whisk together the egg garlic and salt and pepper, set aside.

On a large baking tray sprayed with frylight spread out all the vegetables so they are in a single layer, spray with more frylight and sprinkle with the Italian seasoning. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until golden, tossing them half way through.

Transfer all the veggies to an oven proof frying pan or dish and pour over the egg mixture, bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the egg is set.

Delicious with a big salad with a balsamic vinegar dressing.

Maple Cinnamon Quinoa Bake

I had better warn you from the start there is a bit of debate about the syns on these bakes!!

As any good consultant will tell you these are considered a tweak, which means as the main ingredient is being used for something other than a main meal, (the "supposedly" thing it is meant to be used for) you may eat more than you normally would, which can cause weight gain, so hence a tweak.

So it is totally up to you what you want to syn these at, if you find you do eat a lot and start gaining then it could well be down to these bakes, it is all about the individual.

To be honest, i don't think you could eat many of these at a time as i find them very filling and normal one is enough.

They are great with a dollop of yogurt and fruit, or as a grab and go breakfast bar, but just as nice eaten plain with a nice cup of tea or coffee.

I made 20 out of my batch, so mine worked out at 0.5 syns each, as the whole batch is 10 syns, but that is only if you don't syn the quinoa.

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

Ingredients

2 cups of uncooked quinoa cooked as per packet instructions and cooled

4 eggs beaten

80ml skimmed milk 2 syns

60ml maple syrup 8 syns

1 tsp vanilla extract

1.5 tbsp ground cinnamon

Method

In a large bowl mix together all the ingredients, then pour into a baking tray lined with parchment paper and sprayed with frylight, smooth it out and bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes until golden and set.

remove from the baking tray straight away so it doesn't steam. 

Cut the slab into portions and put onto a oven proof wire rack and put back in the oven for 10 minutes so the edges crisp.

You could always add nuts and raisins or cranberries to them, or maybe some chocolate chips, but these thing would have to be syned.

Brownies

I made these brownies with high hopes that they would curb my craving for chocolate, and if i'm honest they do as they are very chocolatey!

I will say though if you're not a fan of the aftertaste you get from sweetener, then maybe you should give these a miss.

These are not gooey like a regular brownie but they are moist.

I personally won't be making them very often as i would prefer to use my syns on savoury foods, but for someone with a sweet tooth they are great!!

They would make a great dessert, served with fat free creme fraiche and berries.

The whole batch comes to 47.5 syns on extra easy, i managed to make 25 out of mine so they worked out at just under 2 syns each.

Preheat oven 180c, 360f, gas mark 4.

Spray a 20cm x 20cm tin with frylight and line with parchment paper.

Ingredients

400g butternut squash peeled and diced

100g 70% dark chocolate, chopped (26 syns)

4 medium free range eggs

70g sweetener (I used stevia as it is meant to have less of an after taste and doesn't make you crave more sugar, like the unnatural ones do)

75g cocoa powder (13.5 syns)

2 tbsp plain flour (7 syns)

2 tsp baking powder (1 syn)

Method

Put the butternut squash into a large microwave proof dish, splash with some water, cover with clingfilm and microwave for 10 minutes on high until the squash cuts like butter. Drain off any excess water. Add the chocolate to the dish, it should melt from the heat of the squash, with a hand mixer, whisk until its a puree.

In another large bowl whisk up the eggs and sweetener until it is light and fluffy, then fold in the cocoa, flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt.

Fold in the chocolate mix and pour into the tin, bake for 20 minutes, let it cool before removing from the tin.

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!!

Fruity Jelly Sweets

I can't take credit for these sweets, but i am going to share the idea, as they are fab!!!
So easy to make and are a great substitute for wine gums or haribos, with a lot less syns!!!

This recipe makes about 48 sweets and its only 3 syns for the lot on extra easy!!


Ingredients

2 sachets of gelatine crystal
180 ml cold water
2 packets of no sugar jelly crystals
½ pint boiling water

Method

Mix the gelatine crystals and the cold water in a bowl and let it stand for 10 minutes.
Mix the jelly crystals with the boiling water.
Mix both liquids together making sure everything is dissolved.
If you think the mixture will stick to your moulds lightly spray them with frylight. I find silicone moulds are the best.
Pour into the mould about ½ cm deep, put into the fridge and let set for about an hour, pop out moulds and enjoy!!!