Spicy Beef and Red Pepper Soup with Giant Cous Cous

Soup!!! Think i may have to start a page for soups, there is nothing like a hot steaming bowl in this weather and when it's got a little kick it makes it all the better!!
To bulk this dish out i added some giant cous cous and it was fab! It didn't make it heavy but made it slightly more filling.
You could add rice or orzo to it also.
This dish is synfree on extra easy, so even better, you could use some of your syns for a nice chunk of bread to mop the bowl out!!

I managed to make 6 portions out of these ingredients.

Ingredients

1 kg minced beef 5% fat or less
1 onion finely diced
2 red peppers finely diced
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 red chilli deseeded and finely chopped
1 tin tomatoes
500ml passata
500ml beef stock
500ml vegetable stock
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried oregano
one large handful of giant cous cous

Method

In a large pot sprayed with frylight brown the minced beef then remove. Add the onions to the pot and fry until soft, then add the peppers, chilli and garlic fry for 2 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients apart from the cous cous, bring to a boil, return the mince to the pot, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in the cous cous and cook for about 15 minutes until it is cooked.

I like to serve mine with some avocado and goats cheese, but remember to syn them if you do.

Sausage, Mushroom, Potato and Feta Gratin

This is a tasty comforting dish, quick and easy to cook. I used weight watcher sausages at 0.5 syns each on extra easy.

I used the feta as my healthy A but you can syn it 3.5 syns for 25g.

Preheat oven 200c, 400f, gas mark 5

Ingredients

8 low fat sausages, skinned and crumbled

1 large onion chopped

8oz cremini mushrooms chopped

1 tsp chopped thyme

1lb potatoes washed and diced

100 ml chicken broth

90g feta crumbled

Method

Spray a large baking tray with frylight and spread the potatoes out, spray with more frylight and roast for 30 minutes, tossing and spraying again halfway through.

In a large frying pan brown the sausages and remove.

Fry the onions, thyme and mushrooms until golden, return the sausage and stir in the roasted potatoes, stir in the chicken broth, then tip it all into an oven dish, sprinkle with the feta, cover the dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 10 minutes and serve with a big salad.

Liver and Bacon Sauté with Roasted New Potatoes

This may not be a dish for everyone as a lot of people don't like liver, but personally I love it and would encourage you to try it!
There is so much flavour to this dish and it is very low in syns. As the whole pot is 1 syn on extra easy.

Preheat oven 200c, 400f, gas mark 5

Ingredients

1 lb new potatoes
4 spring onions sliced diagonally
2 thick bacon chops, all fat removed and diced, or 1 large gammon steak
2 tsp paprika
250g liver sliced
200ml hot vegetable stock
1 tsp flour 1 syn
salt and pepper
4 tbsp fat free natural yoghurt

Method

Halve the new potatoes and boil until tender, let them dry, then lay them on a baking tray sprayed with frylight and spray them again then roast for about 20 minutes until they are golden and crispy.
Meanwhile in a large pan fry the bacon until it is golden. Season the liver with the paprika, salt and pepper and stir in the flour. Add the liver to the pan and fry until cooked to your liking. Add the spring onions and potatoes to the pan to warm through. Then divide between 2 plates.
Add the stock to the pan and scrap all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan to make a very tasty gravy, pour over the meals, dollop 2 tbsps of yoghurt on top of each and sprinkle with coriander.

Paprika Pork One Pot

This recipe is an adaptation of the Paprika Pork in the Slimming World Family Feast on a Budget recipe book.

I have added orzo to the recipe to make it a one pot dish. I also omitted the yogurt as i personally thought it was creamy enough without it.

Syn free on extra easy.

Ingredients

1 large onion cut into wedges

1 red pepper diced

1 pork tenderloin all fat removed and diced

8 oz cremini mushrooms

1 red chilli sliced

2 garlic cloves finely chopped

2 tbsp paprika

500 ml chicken stock

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 cup orzo pasta

handful of roughly chopped coriander leaves

6 tbsp fat free yogurt (optional)

Method

In a large pan sprayed with frylight fry the onions till golden, add the pork and brown. Add the peppers and mushrooms and fry till golden, then add the chilli and garlic, fry for 1 minute. Stir in the paprika and red wine vinegar, then pour in the stock and season. 

Bring to a boil then add 1 cup of orzo pasta, stir, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

If using the yogurt, take the pan off the heat and stir it in. Sprinkle over the coriander and serve.

Spaghetti Bolognese

This is a deliciously tasty bolognese sauce, which is completely syn free on extra easy, the parmesan is optional, and you can always use your healthy extra A for it.
The sauce is great for a lasagne, topping for a jacket potato, with syn free chips or wedges or as a base for a cottage pie.

Serves 6

Ingredients

500g extra lean beef mince 5% fat or less
1 large onion chopped
2 carrots chopped
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
8 oz mushrooms sliced
1 pepper pepper diced
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
500ml passata
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp worcester sauce
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp celery salt
500ml beef stock

1 packet of spaghetti cooked as packet instructions

Method

In a large pot sprayed with frylight, fry the mince until it is browned, remove from pan and set aside.
Respray the pot and fry the onions till golden, add the carrots, mushrooms and pepper and fry for 2/3 minutes, then add the garlic
. Return the meat to the pot, mix together and add all the tomato ingredients, stir in the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil, then simmer on a low heat for 2-3 hours.
Serve with the spaghetti, sprinkle with parmesan.

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