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.

Thai Style Chicken with Lettuce Wraps

What a lovely meal, as you can see from the picture it is full of super free!! It would be great to serve at a party as people just help themselves. Instead of using synful wraps you use healthy and crisp lettuce leaves. The sauce finishes the wrap perfectly with a zing of sour, a touch of sweet and a slight kick of spicy!! and at 2.5 syns for the whole dish of sauce/marinade, you can practically say it's syn free as you only need about a tsp on each wrap.

So quick and easy to make apart from the marinading.

Sauce/Marinade Ingredients

3 tbsp rice vinegar
¼ tsp sweetener
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp chilli sauce   ½ syn per tbsp
¼ cup light soy sauce
2 tsps of freshly grated ginger
1 tsp sesame oil   2 syns

Rest of Ingredients

3 chicken breasts, pounded till ½inch thick
About 8 romaine or iceburg lettuce leaves

You can use any vegetables you like, i used.

peppers
spring onions
radishes
coriander leaves
bean-sprouts
Chinese lettuce
red chilli

Method

Mix together all the marinade ingredients, set aside half the sauce and marinade the chicken with the other half for at least an hour, over night if possible.

Heat a griddle pan until it is smoking, then add the chicken to the pan cooking for about 3 minutes on each side, let it rest for 10 minutes then slice into thin slices.

Prepare all your vegetables and serve.

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.

Gammon and Roasted Vegetable Pasta

I was going through the fridge trying to decide what to have for dinner, I was having a fussy day, but remembered i really enjoyed the roasted vegetables i made the other day, then i noticed some leftover pasta and a gammon steak, so i decided to put it all together. I'm so glad i did as it was yummy!!!!

This dish is syn free and full of super free.

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

Ingredients

1 onion chopped

1 pepper sliced

1 tbsp capers

2 tomatoes halved

1 gammon steak fat removed and diced

8 mushrooms sliced

2 cups cooked pasta

1 tsp Cajun seasoning

Method

In a tray sprayed with frylight place the tomatoes, and scatter the onions and pepper around them, then sprinkle over the capers, season and roast for about 20 minutes.

In a pan sprayed with frylight, fry the gammon until cooked through, then remove. Then fry the mushrooms until golden.

Warm the pasta in a covered microwave bowl for 2 minutes. 

When the vegetables are cooked add to the pan, with the gammon and pasta, crush the tomatoes and then stir together until all the pasta is coated, then serve.

Lemon Chicken and Orzo Soup

This soup is really easy to make and tastes amazing! It is light and refreshing but very filling.
full of super free and is syn free on extra easy.
Great on a cold evening or if you are feeling ill.

Ingredients

1 pound of chicken thighs with the skin and all the fat removed cut into inch chunks.
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 onion diced
2 carrots peeled and diced
8oz cremini mushrooms sliced
1 tsp celery salt
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp chilli flakes
2 bay leaves
1¼ litres chicken stock
1 cup orzo
1 sprig rosemary
juice of 1 lemon

Method

In a large pot sprayed with frylight, brown the chicken and remove.
Add the onions and fry until golden, add the carrots and mushrooms and fry until tender, stir in the garlic, celery salt, thyme, chilli flakes and bay leaves, fry for 1 minute then add the stock and chicken, bring to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes. Add the orzo and rosemary and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the orzo is cooked. Stir in the lemon juice and serve.

Pico de Gallo (Salsa)

This is a fantastic salsa!! it is so versatile it goes with anything and is just as great by itself with some chips to dip for a treat!!
It is so easy to make and best of all syn free on extra easy.
I first made this dish to go with the Mexican Salmon Stack.

Ingredients

6 tomatoes deseeded

1 garlic clove chopped

juice of 1 lime

1 onion chopped

1 red and 1 green chilli deseeded and chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp chilli powder

¼ tsp smoked paprika

¼ tsp salt

handful coriander finely chopped

Method

Couldn't be simpler, put everything but the coriander in a blender and blitz until it is all combined and coarsely chopped. Pour into a bowl and stir in the chopped coriander. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes for the flavours to mingle.

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.

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.

Crispy Kale

OMG!!!! I am addicted to these, i love crispy seaweed from the Chinese takeaway but it has so many syns. But these are syn free on extra easy and taste just the same. So simple to make, and even better they are superfree!! but don't blame me if you end up addicted too!!!

Preheat oven 160c, 320f, gas mark 4

Ingredients

1 large bag of sliced kale
1 tsp salt
sprinkling of sweetener
butter frylight

Method

Spray a baking tray with the frylight then lay out a single layer of the kale, spray again then sprinkle with the salt and sweetener, bake for 5 to 6 minutes, but watch it carefully as it will burn very quickly.
Remove them as they become crispy and put the rest back in the oven, keep doing this until they are all done.
Eat and enjoy, then try not to go back and make another batch, but don't worry if you do, as they are superfree!!!

Steamed Thai Salmon

This is a beautiful light Thai dish, full of flavour!!

The original recipe called for the salmon to be grilled but i decided to steam the salmon instead as it remains nice and moist and enhances the flavours, plus it is healthier.

I served it with stir fried vegetables and noodles. I used the marinade from steaming it as a sauce for the vegetables and noodles, so the flavour ran through the whole of the dish.

I used a wok and a bamboo steamer. I put a plate in the steamer with the salmon and marinade on top. A trick to getting the plate back out the steamer is to put a clean new j cloth under the plate with the edges hanging over the side of the steamer, then you can take the plate out with the cloth, and that way you won't spill anything, as you are left with lots of lovely juices that you don't want to waste!

This dish serves two and is 1 syn each on extra easy.

Ingredients

1lb salmon fillet

1 inch ginger

2 red chillies

3 garlic cloves

¼ cup light soy sauce

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tsp sesame oil 2 syns

handful thai basil leaves torn

A selection of vegetables of your choice, enough for two. I used broccoli, mushrooms, peppers, chilli, spring onions and thai basil.

Dried egg noodles, cooked as per packet instructions.

Method

In a blender blitz the chilli, ginger and garlic, divide it into two portions.

In a bowl mix together the rest of the ingredients apart from the salmon. Add one portion of the chilli mixture to the sauce.

Place the salmon on a plate and put into the steamer on top of a j cloth, pour half the marinade over the salmon, leave for 10 minutes.

Fill the wok with water, up to the where the bottom of the steamer will sit, bring to a boil, place the steamer in the wok, turn the heat down to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes, or until the fish is cooked to your liking.

Take the steamer out the wok and with the j cloth lift out the plate, be careful it will be very hot.

Empty the water out the wok and spray with frylight, add the broccoli and mushrooms and stir fry for 2 minutes, then add the rest of the vegetables  and the second portion of the chilli mix, stir fry for 1 minutes, then pour in the remaining sauce and any juices from the salmon, stir fry for 1 minute, add the cooked noodles to the wok, warm through then serve with the salmon.

Kitchen Sink Cottage Pie

I'm not a cottage/shepherd/fish pie fan, i think it's the mashed potato on the top, because unless the mash is really creamy and cheesy i don't really want to know...

My family however love it so i decided to make them one.

I call this my Kitchen Sink Cottage pie because there is everything in it apart from the kitchen sink! I basically raid my fridge and use up all my vegetables.

You can put whatever vegetables you like in it, but the more there is the more super free you are getting!!

I served mine with cabbage, and with any leftover mash potato and cabbage i made Bubble and Squeak

This dish is syn free on extra easy.

The big pot of mince made enough for 8 servings.

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

Ingredients

1 kg extra lean mince beef 5% or less

1 large onion chopped

2 garlic cloves finely chopped

8 oz mushrooms chopped

2 carrots diced

2 courgettes diced

1 red pepper diced

1 leek sliced

2 tins tomatoes

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 tbsp Worcester sauce

500 ml beef stock

1 tsp celery salt

1 tbsp of rosemary and thyme finely chopped

salt and pepper

1lb Maris piper potatoes, peeled and cooked until tender then mashed thoroughly.

Method

In a large pan, sprayed with frylight, fry the onions until soft, add the garlic and mushrooms and fry until golden, spray more frylight if needed, add the next four ingredients and fry for 4 minutes, add the herbs are fry for 1 minute to bring out the flavours, turn the heat up and add the minced beef and fry until browned, stirring constantly.

Pour in the tomatoes and stock and stir in the Worcester sauce and tomato puree, add the celery salt and season. bring to a boil then simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, if it starts to dry out, add water.

Put some of the mince into a oven proof dish and top with mashed potato, use a fork to ruffle it up, so it goes crispy. bake for 30 minutes.

Sausage Casserole

An easy dish that you just throw together and let cook, it tastes terrific and is pure comfort food, you can have it by itself or with pasta, potatoes, rice.
The sausages are synful but everything else is free and it is full of super free.
I used Sainsburys Cumberland low fat sausages which are 0.5 syns each.

Ingredients

1 package of sausages
1 onion chopped
8 oz mushrooms chopped
1 red pepper diced
1 tin tomatoes
2 garlic cloves chopped
1 tbsp italian seasoning
2 carrots sliced
1 tin baked beans
200ml beef stock
salt and pepper


Methods

In a pan sprayed with frylight brown the sausages. put into the slow cooker. Fry the mushrooms until they are golden and add to the slow cooker, add the rest of the ingredients stir together and cook on low for 8 hours.

Chicken Enchiladas

I was really craving enchiladas, but didn't want to waste all my syns on the tortillas, then i thought how about trying to make them with pasta, but instead of wrapping them i decided to make it in the style of a lasagne.

To say they were delicious is an understatement, they were amazing!!!

I served them with jalapenos, coriander leaves, grated low fat cheese and a chipotle yogurt sauce.

Serves 4, plus one portion of the chicken sauce left over, each serving is 2 syns as long as the cheese is used as your healthy A.

Pre heat oven to 200c, 400f, gas mark 5

Ingredients

4 roasted chicken breasts shredded

150g chorizo sausage chopped  9.75 syns

8oz mushrooms chopped

1 onion chopped

2 red peppers chopped (i used jarred)

2 tins tomatoes

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tbsp dried oregano

2 tsps cajun seasoning

½ tsp celery salt

1 tsp chilli powder

2 garlic cloves finely chopped

1 tbsp chipotle paste  ½ syn

dried lasagne sheets

80g low fat cheddar cheese

80g grated low fat cheese to serve

jalapenos to serve

coriander leaves to serve

½ tsp chipotle paste mixed with fat free natural yogurt to serve

Method

In a large pan brown the chorizo and remove. Fry the onions in the same pan for 2 minutes, then add the mushrooms and peppers and fry until golden. Add the cumin, oregano, cajun seasoning, celery salt, chilli powder, chipotle paste and garlic, cook for 1 minute, add the tomatoes and 200ml of water. Return the chorizo and add the chicken to the pan, simmer for 20 minutes.

Layer the sauce in a baking dish with the lasagne sheets, finishing with the sauce on top, cover with tin foil and bake for 20 minutes, uncover, sprinkle with cheese and bake for 20 more minutes.

Serve with a green salad and the condiments.

Chicken and Rosemary Casserole

I love the winter when all the one pot and warming comfort foods come out, just like this lovely chicken casserole, just what you need on a cold frosty night.

This is a cheats casserole though as it doesn't need hours of cooking.

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts roasted with rosemary

4 rashers of bacon with all fat cut off sliced

1 onion chopped

8oz mushrooms sliced

bunch of asparagus

600ml chicken stock

1 sprig rosemary finely chopped

1 tbsp flour 3.5 syns

½ tsp celery salt

fresh ground black pepper

Method

Fry the onions until they are soft, add the bacon and mushrooms and fry until golden, stir in the flour celery salt, pepper and rosemary and cook for 2 minutes, pour in the stock and bring to a boil, return to a simmer and add the asparagus and simmer for 20 minutes, until the asparagus is cooked and the sauce has thickened, and serve.

Seafood All'arrabbiata

I had been to the gym and came home ravenous and craving carbs, so instead of using loads of syns on bread i decided to take the time and cook some pasta. I decided on seafood which seems to be the norm with me and pasta, i wanted a kick so i add some chilli, then decided i would make my version of an all'arrabbiata. I will say for a dish that i just made up and knocked together it was really very good!!!

Syn free on extra easy.

Serves 2

Ingredients

Pasta of your choice

1 tin tomatoes

2-3 large mushrooms chopped

1 tbsp capers

1 red pepper chopped

1 garlic clove finely chopped

1- 2 red chillies finely chopped

1 tin of tuna in brine or spring water drained

8oz cooked shrimp

large handful rocket leaves

salt and pepper to taste

Method

Cook the pasta as per packet instructions.

In a large pan sprayed with frylight, fry the mushrooms until golden. Add the red pepper, chilli, and garlic, fry for 1 minute, add the tomatoes, capers and tuna, bring to a boil then simmer gently for 10 minutes, season to taste, add the shrimp, simmer for 2 minutes, take of the heat and stir in the rocket and serve.

Chipotle Chicken Sweet Potato

I found a recipe for Chipotle Chicken on Pinterest, and it looked good, I was always told you eat with your eyes. I decided to adapt it for Slimming World.

You have the spiciness and smokiness of the chipotle and the sweetness of the sweet potato with a tang from the cheese.

I also had some rice left over from last nights meal so decided to mix that in too, and it works very well.

The whole dish is 1 syn on extra easy, so if serving two it's only ½ syn per person.

Preheat oven 200c, 400f, gas mark 5

Ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes baked

2 chicken breasts roasted and shredded

2 tbsp chipotle paste 1 syn

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tbsp lime juice

2 garlic cloves grated

salt and pepper

8oz mushrooms chopped

1 red pepper chopped

1 onion chopped

1 cup cooked rice

handful coriander leaves

80g reduced fat cheese

Method

Mix together the chipotle paste, chilli powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, lime juice and grated garlic, season with salt and pepper, set aside.

In a frying pan sprayed with frylight fry the onions till golden, add the mushrooms and fry till golden, then add the red peppers, fry for 2 minutes, stir in the chicken, rice, coriander and sauce, heat through for 2 minutes.

Cut the sweet potatoes in half, scoop out most of the middle, spray the inside of the skins with frylight and put back in the oven for 10 minutes. Save the middles for another meal.

Stuff the potato with the chicken mix then bake for 10 minutes, sprinkle with the cheese and put bake in the oven till the cheese has melted.

Serve with a green salad.

Slow Cooked Balsamic Chicken

For on a day when you don't have much time to cook and don't want to spend ages in the kitchen, this dish is perfect.

Ok so it's not the prettiest looking chicken, but it sure makes up for it with flavour! and it is so tender too...

Syn free on extra easy.

Ingredients

4 large chicken breasts, or you could use thighs with all the skin and fat removed.

1 tsp garlic salt

2 tsps dried onions

1 tbsp dried mixed herbs

½ cup balsamic vinegar

2 star anise

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp tabasco sauce (optional)

Method

Mix together the garlic salt, dried herbs, dried onion and rub into the chicken.

Lay the chicken into a frylight spray slow cooker and pour over the balsamic vinegar, add the star anise and season. 

Cook on high for 4 hours.

When cooked remove the chicken, pour the marinade into a saucepan add the tabasco if using and simmer down by half, use this as a sauce over the chicken.

I served the chicken with baked sweet potatoes and roasted thin asparagus.

The sweetness and creaminess of the potato cut through the tang of the sauce. Perfect combination!