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!!!

Tiramisu

As a special treat on Valentine's Day i decided to make a creamy and delicious dessert. I was amazed at how good it was, for being fat free, it was really creamy and rich, with just enough coffee flavour and a touch of almond from the Amaretti biscuits.

3 syns each.

Make 2 desserts

Ingredients

1 tub of fat free quark

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 double shot espresso

3 tsp sweetener

6 amaretti biscuits 1 syn each

Method

Whip the quark, vanilla extract, sweetener and half the espresso together.

In nice glasses, place an amaretti biscuit in the bottom of each and pour over ¼ of the remaining espresso, layer over some of the quark then crumble over another biscuit, pour over another ¼ of the remaining espresso, layer some more quark. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, Overnight is even better. Crumble over the 3rd biscuit and serve.

Fruit Sundae

I had some quark in the fridge that needed to be used up so decided to make a dessert out of it. I was very pleasantly surprised at how lovely it was.

It was creamy and sweet with a sharp note from the raspberries, but you can use any fruit you like.

As i crumbled ½ a rocky road Hi Fi bar on top and ½ a piece of dark chocolate, it was only 2 syns on extra easy for the whole dessert.

Makes 2 desserts at 2 syns each.

Ingredients

1 tube of quark

1 punnet of raspberries

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp sweetener

1 hi fi bar

1 piece 5g dark chocolate

Method

Mix the quark with the vanilla extract and sweetener, layer the quark and raspberries in a glass, crumb ½ a hi fi bar on top of each then grate over the chocolate, chilli then serve.

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.

Sweet Quinoa with Fruit and Yogurt

As i have now joined the gym i figured it was about time to start eating breakfast. Yes i know i should always have breakfast but i really can't face food first thing in the morning.

One dish i do like for breakfast is granola, but as it's synful, and i've yet to find a syn free recipe, i thought i'd try something else. I didn't want to use up my healthy A & B allowance on breakfast so i figured i'd try quinoa, i've seen some recipes floating around for breakfast so decide to make up one of my own. Its very simple and surprisingly tasty!!

You can use any yogurt you like and any fruit, but this is what i used.

Syn free on extra easy

Ingredients

1 cup of quinoa

½ cup fat free greek yogurt, or any syn free yogurt you like.

Handful strawberries sliced

1 banana sliced

3 tsp sweetener

1 tbsp maple syrup (optional 2 syns)

Method

Cook the quinoa as per packet instructions using water, you can use milk but that will make it synful or use your healthy A, add the sweetener to the water before cooking. Let the quinoa go cold. This should make enough for 3/4 servings. Store in the fridge.

Then it's as simple as layering it all or just mix it up in a bowl. If you use maple syrup pour over the top and serve.

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.

Iced Green Tea

For these hot days, there is nothing like a cup of tea to cool and refresh.

So i decided to make my green tea iced, and it was even more cooling and refreshing, would definitely recommend it!!


Ingredients

3 green tea teabags, i used Twinnings Orange and Lotus Blossom Green Tea, but you can use any flavour you like.
2 tsp sweetener, more if needed
3 pints boiling water
Ice cubes

Method

Steep the tea bags in the boiling water for 2 minutes, then dissolve the sugar in the tea, let it cool and chill in the fridge, serve with ice.