bacon, tomato and pasta

This is really easy to make and syn free.

I used:

pasta,
tin of tomatoes
bacon
garlic
basil
chilli flakes
mushrooms
pepper
onion.


cook the pasta how you normally would.

Fry, onion, garlic, mushrooms, pepper and bacon together. once cooked, add the tin of tomatoes, basil and chilli flakes.

once all cooked add to pasta

bakewell bites

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 6 tbsp artificial sweetener
• 25g low-fat margarine
• 113g glacé cherries
• 60g self-raising flour
• 6-7 drops almond essence
• 4 level tsp icing sugar
• a drop of pink food colouring

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas 4. Line 16 mini-muffin tins with paper cases. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, artificial sweetener and low-fat margarine until thick and frothy. Finely chop the glacé cherries and add most of them to the bowl with the flour and 3-4 drops of almond essence and mix.
2. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases and bake for 15-20 minutes until firm and golden. Leave to cool.
3. Meanwhile, mix together the icing sugar, remaining almond essence, pink food colouring and a few drops of water to make a smooth paste.
4. Top the Bakewell bites with a few chopped glacé cherries and drizzle over the almond icing.

Tip: Replace the cherries with 75g finely chopped banana for a deliciously tasty alternative - and reduce the Syns to 1½ per cake bite.

This recipe is not suitable for home freezing.

marshmallows

                                     

INGREDIENTS

• 9 sheets sheets leaf gelatine
• 450 g sugar
• 1 tbsp liquid glucose
• 200 ml water
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• icing sugar
• cornflour
• strawberries, to serve

METHOD

1. Lightly oil a shallow baking tray, about 30 x 20cm and dust it with sieved icing sugar and cornflour.

2. Soak the gelatine in 140ml cold water. 

3. Put the sugar, glucose and water into a heavy-based pan. Bring to the boil and continue cooking for about 12-15 minutes until the mixture reaches 127C on a sugar thermometer. 

4. When the syrup is up to temperature, carefully slide in the softened gelatine sheets and their soaking water. The syrup will bubble up so take care not to burn yourself. Pour the syrup into a metal jug. 

5. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, preferably with an electric whisk in a mixing bowl. Continue whisking while pouring in the hot syrup from the jug. The mixture will become shiny and start to thicken. Add the vanilla extract and continue whisking for about 5-10 minutes, until the mixture is stiff and thick enough to hold its shape on the whisk. 

6. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth with a wet palette knife if necessary. 

7. Leave for at least 1 hour to set. 

8. Dust the work surface with icing sugar and cornflour. Loosen the marshmallow around the sides of the tray with a palette knife, and then turn it out on to the dusted surface. Cut into squares and roll in the sugar and cornflour. Leave to dry a little on a wire rack. 

9. To serve: carefully place the marshmallows onto skewers, alternating with hulled strawberries. 

10. Store the marshmallows in an airtight container. 

Fruit Cake

I love fruit cake so was glad when i came across the following recipe on the slimming world website.

I do need o keep an eye on it while it's cooking as mine took just over an hour to cook.

Ingredients

• 110g non-soak prunes, stoned and chopped
• 275g mixed dried fruit
• 50ml brandy or rum
• 175g plain flour
• 1 level tsp baking powder
• 50g glace cherries
• 50g mixed peel, chopped
• 1 level tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 level tsp mixed spice
• Pinch of salt
• 50g dark Muscovado sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
• Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Glazed Fruit and Nut Topping

• 1 level tbsp low-sugar apricot jam
• 2 tbsp brandy
• 28 glace cherries
• 8 pecan nuts, shelled
• 12 almonds, shelled

Method

1. Put the prunes and mixed fruit in a large bowl and pour over the brandy or rum. Mix together and leave to soak for a few hours, or overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C Fan/Gas 3. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl and stir in the glacé cherries and mixed peel. Add the spices and salt and stir in well so that everything is lightly coated with flour.
3. Stir in the sugar and then beat in the egg with a wooden sppon. Add the soaked fruit, together with the soaking liquid, and the zest and juice of the orange and lemon. Mix well together. If the mixture is too stiff, you can thin it down with a little more lemon juice.
4. Spoon the cake mixture into a lined 18cm square tin and smooth the top of the cake. Bake in the preheated oven for about 2 hours, or until s skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. If the cake is browning too much, cover it with some greaseproof paper while it cooks.
5. Let the cake cool in the tin, then remove and wrap in greaseproof paper and foil. Store in a cool, dry place until you are ready to decorate it with the glazed fruit and nut topping.
6. For the glazed fruit topping
   
   Put the apricot jam and brandy in a small saucepan and heat gently, stirring with a wooden spoon until well blended.
7. Brush a little of the apricot glaze lightly over the top of the cake. Arrange the cherries and nuts in an attractive pattern on top and then brush them with the remaining glaze.
8. When the topping is cold, tie a pretty festive ribbon around the sides of the cake and then store in a tin or airtight container in a cool place. The topping will stay fresh for several weeks.

beef and veg curry

Ok so I used;

beef brisket

onion

pepper

butternut squash

turmeric

Garam masala

cumin

coriander

medium curry powder

tin of tomatoes

fresh tomatoes

salt, pepper

garlic

I put everything in to the slow cooker and cooked on low for about 6 hours.

cheese scones and Fruit scones

Fruit scones (4.5 syns each) Made 14

Ingredients
225g Self Raising flour

70g Margarine (dairy and soya free)

30g Caster sugar

70g Dried fruit

1 egg

Preparation
1) Put the flour in a bowl, add the margarine and rub together to form breadcrumbs.

2) Add the sugar and fruit.

3) Add the egg and stir until it binds together - if the mixture is not sticking together then add a little water.

4) Once the mixture has formed into a ball then you can either roll it out and cut into neat rounds, or alternatively break small pieces off, roll into balls and then squash a little onto a greased baking tray.

5) Cook in the oven at 200 degrees for approx 10 minutes depending on the size of your scones.  It's a good idea to check them after 7 minutes.

Cheese scones: (4 syns each)  made 16.

Ingredients

• 225g (8oz) self-raising flour
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1tsp baking powder
• 50g (2oz) butter, cut into cubes
• 50g (2oz) Cheddar, grated
• 75ml (3fl oz) milk

Method

1. Sift together the flour, salt, cayenne pepper and baking powder. Using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour mixture (or do this in a food processor).
2. Mix through the grated cheese. Add the milk a little at a time (you may not need all of it) and mix with a flat-bladed knife until the dough starts to come together.
3. Once you have formed a smooth dough, press it into a ball with your fingers. Pat or roll it out until it's around 1.5-2cm (¾in) thick. Cut into rounds with a 7-8cm (2½in) cutter.
4. Arrange on a baking sheet and cook in the oven for 10-15 mins at 200° (400°F, gas mark 6) until risen and golden.

tomato and pepper soup

Ok for this soup I used:

Tomatoes
onion
pepper
garlic
basil
oregano
stock

I roasted the tomotes, onion, pepper, galric, basil and oregano. Once roasted I blitzed with hand blender then added the stock.

a bit of fun for those people on the slimming world plan.

17 Experiences every SW member will have...
You only know if you've been there, man... so pour yourself a Mug Shot, put your feet up and read our fave Slimming World experiences. How many have happened to you?
1. You’ve never been that hot at maths but you can suddenly count the Syn value of any meal in your head like you’re Rain Man.
2. You’re as obsessed with your next stone ‘shinies’ as a little boy with a Panini World Cup sticker album. Sadly, swapsies aren’t allowed…
3. When you learn that there’s a recipe for Slimming World friendly Syn free chips you realise there is a God.
4. When you don’t plan ahead, you end up having weird meal combos to make sure you get your fruit and veg speed foods in. Slimming World fry up with a side of broccoli, anyone?
5. Your herb and spice rack is suddenly overflowing…
6. … and so is your Tupperware cupboard.
7. A stategically timed wee before a weigh in can really make the difference and help you lose that extra 0.5lb.
8. Your partner starts complaining about your dreaded ‘Slimming World farts’.
9. Your mind boggles at that one woman in group who moans she’s not losing weight with one breath then brags about her weekend binge with another…
10. …Apart from the week when that one woman is you.
11. This is how you feel when someone in your group reaches their target…
12. You know appoximately 300 recipes that include Quark.
13. A Friday night Fakeaway is better than a take away ever was, right.
14. You panic when the supermarket is out of Fry Light.
15. Between official weigh-ins your bathroom scales must be avoided at all costs. But you can’t resist tiptoeing onto them to check after an especially saintly weekend.
16. If something isn’t cooked in the Actifty, it’s done in the slow cooker.
17. After upping your water consumption, you spend much more time running to the loo. That counts as Body Magic, right?

fried rice

For this I used;

Rice
onion
mushroom
garlic
ginger
soy sauce
oyster sauce

quorn chicken and veg curry

I used:

quorn chicken pieces

onion

pepper

tin of tomatoes

2 table spoons of korma paste

dried coriander

garam masala

dried cumin

Tomato puree

put in the slow cooker and cooked on high for a couple of hours

Jamaican Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 spring onions, chopped
• 4 level tsp clear honey
• 2 red chillies, deseeded and chopped
• 2 tsp wine vinegar
• ½ level tsp allspice
• ½ level tsp garlic powder
• ¼ level tsp turmeric
• 1 level tsp chilli powder
• 1 level tsp paprika
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 4 x 225g/8oz skinless chicken quarters

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas Mark 6.
2. Put the spring onions, honey, chillies and vinegar in a blender and blend well. Stir in the allspice, garlic powder, turmeric, chilli powder, paprika, rosemary and seasoning.
3. Cut the chicken quarters in half and place them in a shallow non-metallic dish. Spread the spicy paste over the chicken pieces and set aside in a cool place to marinate for at least 10 minutes.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or grill until the juices run clear and the chicken is cooked with a golden brown crust. Serve with a crisp salad or Free vegetables.

a take on Ferrero Rocher

I love ferrero rochers and this cheat version is great.

I used 200g of milk chocolate and 10 ryvita.

It made 36 and works at of 2 syns each

chocolate orange cake

I have a taster night in group tomorrow so I've made the following case:

Ingredients

• 4 eggs, separated
• 50g caster sugar
• 5 tbsp artificial sweetener
• 150g self raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp finely grated orange zest
• Juice of 2 oranges
• 120g Kraft chocolate Philadelphia
• Tin of mandarin oranges (drained of syrup)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C Fan/Gas 5. Line a cake tin with non-stick baking parchment, approximately 24cm x 17cm.
2. Place the egg yolks, caster sugar, sweetener, self raising flour, baking powder, orange zest and juice in a bowl and whisk until thick and pale.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until softly peaked then fold them into the egg yolk mixture. Spoon this mixture into the prepared cake tin and cook in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the cake has risen and is firm to touch. Leave to cool.
4. Warm the chocolate Philadelphia in the microwave for a few seconds, then turn the cake upside down, remove the baking parchment and spread the chocolate Philadelphia over the top.
5. Cut into 24 pieces and place a mandarin orange segment on the top of each square.

butternut squash soup

I love soup when it's cold. Butternut squash soup is one of my favourites.

I used:

2 butternut squash
1 onion
1 pepper
2 carrots
1.5 litre of water
stock cube
salt
pepper

put all on to a pan and cook for about 45 min

samosa

I love these, tey are easy to make and only one syn.

Ingredients

• Low calorie cooking spray
• 1 tbsp mild curry powder
• 1 tsp amchoor (dried mango powder)*
• 400g potatoes, peeled, boiled and mashed
• 110g frozen peas
• 4 tbsp finely chopped coriander
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• Salt

Method

1. Place all the chutney ingredients in a food processor with 70ml of water and blend until smooth. Set aside until needed.
2. Spray a large non-stick frying pan with low calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the curry powder, amchoor, potatoes and peas and stir-fry for 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the chopped coriander and red chilli, season well with salt and set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C Fan/Gas 5. Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. Working swiftly, place the three filo sheets on top of each other and cut them in half widthways. Then cut each half into three even strips lengthways to give you a total of six strips of filo per sheet (18 strips in total).
4. Lay the strips on a clean work surface and lightly spray with low calorie cooking spray. Place a teaspoon of the potato filling at the bottom of each strip and fold the pastry diagonally to enclose the filling and form a triangle. Press down on the pastry and fold again until you reach the end of the strip leaving you with a triangular pastry parcel. Repeat with the remaining strips and filling to make 18 parcels.
5. Place the parcels in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, spray with low calorie cooking spray and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and serve warm with the hara chutney.

Tip: In Hindi, amchoor translates simply as 'mango powder'. The mango is picked before it ripens, peeled and cut into thin slices and sun dried. This is then ground into a powder. It's used to give a tangy flavour to Indian recipes. You can buy it from large supermarkets and Asian greengrocers.

Homemade burgers

I love burgers and they are so easy to make.

To make the burgers I used 500g of mince, half an onion and a beaten egg.

I mixed the ingredients together and then formed in to patties and leave n the fridge for at least a couple of hours (overnight is best). Then cook.

lentil soup

Right so when i make lentil soup I don't go with measurements I just kind of guess and it's all ways worked out fine.

so I use;

lentils
carrots
onion
stock

put all in to a pan and boil for about 45 min. I then blitz it.

chocolate torte

I made this for desert yesterday and it was yummy.

It's really easy to make. I didn't put the brandy in as I don't like alcohol. 

Ingredients

• 3 level tbsp plain flour
• 50g ground almonds
• 75g plain chocolate
• 50g cocoa
• 6 tbsp granulated artificial sweetener
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 tbsp brandy
• 4 egg whites
• ½ tsp cream of tartar
• ½ tsp icing sugar
• Fat free natural fromage frais and fruit wedges to serve (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C Fan/Gas Mark 5. Lightly grease an 20cm/8in springform cake tin and line the base with greaseproof paper.
2. Sift the flour into a bowl, add the almonds and mix.
3. Finely chop the chocolate, place in another bowl with the cocoa, sweetener and 150ml boiling water and mix well. Then whisk in the egg yolks and brandy.
4. In a third bowl, whisk together the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff, then fold in the flour mixture. Using a metal spoon fold a quarter of this into the chocolate mixture and then gently fold in the rest. Spoon the torte mixture into the prepared cake tin, level the surface and bake for 35-40 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for about 10 minutes; the torte will sink on cooling. Loosen the edges with a knife, carefully remove the paper and transfer to a serving plate. Lightly dust with icing sugar and serve cut into wedges with very low fat natural fromage frais and fresh fruit wedges.

Tip: Store the torte in an airtight container to retain freshness and it will last for up to one week.

sausage and bean casserole

I'm sick of having things in the cupboard which I just keep pushing to the back so the sausage and bean casserole was made using some of those ingridents.

So I've used:

sausages,
kidney beans,
baked beans,
tomatoes,
pepper,
onion,
courgette,
carrot,
thyme,
basil,
oregano,
tomato purée
 lentils
salt and pepper,
chicken stock.

I put all the ingredients in to a roasting dish, put the lib on and cooked for about an hour and a half.

Curry

Ok so I had loads of stuff to use up so I thought I'd make a curry.

Now I did just put everything in to the slow cooker so ut was nice and ease to make.

I used:

Butternut squash,
courgette
tin of tomatoes
garlic
carrots
onion
1 chicken breast
tin of kidney beans
tin of chickpeas
lentils
Table spoon of korma curry paste
dried coriander
garam masala
ground cumin

I got four potions out of it.

Banoffee Pie

I had some bananas to use up and I'm a bit sick of eating and making banana cake.

The banoffee pie was lush and really easy to make.

Ingredients

• 10 reduced fat digestive biscuits, finely crushed
• 5 level tbsp low fat spread
• 2 x 12g sachets powdered gelatine
• 250g quark
• 3 x 175g pots Müllerlight Toffee Yogurt
• 3-4 tbsp sweetener
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 medium egg whites*
• 2 bananas, thinly sliced

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C Fan/Gas 5. Line a 20cm spring-form cake tin with baking parchment.
2. Place the biscuits in a polythene bag, finely crush with a rolling pin and place in a bowl. Melt the spread and add to the biscuits. Stir to mix well and spoon this mixture into the base of the prepared tin and press evenly over the base. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, then set aside to cool.
3. Dissolve the gelatine in 5 tablespoons of boiling water.
4. Whisk the quark in a bowl until smooth and stir in the yogurt, sweetener and vanilla.
5. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold into the quark mixture with the gelatine liquid. Spoon over the prepared biscuit base, smoothing the top with a palette knife and chill for around 5 hours or until set.
6. Remove the pie from the tin and place on a serving plate. Slice the bananas and arrange neatly on top of the pie. An optional finishing touch is to drizzle a little melted dark chocolate over the pie (1½ Syns per level teaspoon).

Tip: *The government advises that because of a very slight risk of salmonella, vulnerable people such as the elderly, babies and pregnant women should not eat raw eggs.

paella

I added mussels to this but it's easy to make and yum.

Ingredients

• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 570ml chicken stock
• 225g tomatoes, skinned and chopped
• 350g long grain rice, dried
• A few strands of saffron or ½ tsp powdered saffron
• 110g raw tiger prawns
• 60g thin green beans, trimmed and halved
• 110g cooked chicken, skinned and diced
• 175g mussels
• 1 red pepper
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley

Method

1. Put the onion, garlic and 275ml of the stock in a heavy, deep frying pan. Cover, bring to the boil and boil for 5 minutes. Simmer, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes, until the onions are tender and golden. Stir in the tomatoes and rice and cook gently for 2-3 minutes.
2. Bring the remaining stock to the boil and add to the pan with the saffron. Simmer gently for about 20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is fluffy and tender. Ten minutes before the end of cooking time, add the prawns, green beans and chicken.
3. Meanwhile, scrub the mussels under running water, discarding any that are cracked or open. Pop them into a pan with a little boiling water, cover with a lid and cook over a high heat, shaking occasionally, until the mussels open. Throw away any that fail to open.
4. Grill the red pepper under a preheated grill until charred, then remove the skin and seeds. Cut the flesh into thin strips. Season the paella with salt and pepper to taste and serve garnished with the mussels and red pepper strips, sprinkled with parsley.

spicy apple cake

Loved this cake, it's easy to make and yummy.

Ingredients

• 3 eating apples
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• Finely zested rind of 1 lemon
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 60g caster sugar
• 110g self raising flour
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 level tbsp reduced sugar apricot jam

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas 4. Grease and line a 18cm round spring-form cake tin. Halve the apples, remove the cores and slice thinly. Place in a bowl along with the lemon juice and rind and toss together. Set aside.
2. Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Add the sugar and egg yolks and whisk until thick and creamy. Sieve in the flour and cinnamon and gently fold in using a large metal spoon taking care to retain as much air as possible.
3. Spoon half of the cake mixture into the tin and gently press in half of the apple slices, add the remaining mixture and then the remaining apple, arranging a few slices on the top.
4. Bake for 45-50 minutes until golden brown, risen and firm - or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool, then release and place on a serving plate.
5. Mash down the apricot jam using a fork, brush over the top of the cake, cut into 8 portions and serve.

Tip: This cake is also delicious served warm as a pudding.

Houmous

Made this so I had something to snack on while watching tv. Its lush and healthy. It's also free on slimming world.

Ingredients

• 1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced
• Low calorie cooking spray
• 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 20-50ml water
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Place the sliced red pepper on a baking tray sprayed with low calorie cooking spray and roast until softened.
2. Once the pepper is cooked and cooled, place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend, adding more water if necessary to create a smooth paste.
3. Add salt to taste and serve with lots of delicious Speed crudités to make this perfect for SP days

Spanish Orange Cake

Ok,it didn't rise for me but it still tasted good. My boyfriend said that it tasted a bit like a jaffa cake with out chocolate.

IngredientsFor the cake

• Low calorie cooking spray
• 4 eggs, separated
• 50g golden caster sugar
• 5 tbsp sweetener
• 2 tbsp finely grated orange zest and the juice of 2 oranges, plus orange segments to decorate
• 150g self-raising flour
• 1 level tsp baking powder

For the syrup

• Pared zest of 1 orange and 120ml of freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tbsp arrowroot
• 1 tbsp artificial sweetener
• 1 level tsp caster sugar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4. Line a 20cm loosebottomed
   sandwich tin with non-stick baking parchment and spray with a little low calorie cooking spray. 
2. Put the egg yolks, sugar, sweetener and grated orange zest and juice in a bowl and whisk until thick and pale.
3. Whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl until soft peaks form then
   fold into the egg yolk mixture. Sieve the flour and baking powder into
   another bowl then tip into the eggs and stir in very gently. Spoon this mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cake has risen and is firm to the touch. Set aside to cool.
4. Meanwhile, put the syrup ingredients in a small saucepan over a high heat and bring to the boil, whisking constantly. When it starts to thicken, remove from the heat and cool slightly.
5. Decorate the cake with orange segments, drizzle over the sauce and
   cut into slices to serve.

mushroom and chickpea curry

I love this curry, It's filling and syn free.

Ingredients

• Low calorie cooking spray
• 1 onions, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 450g mushrooms
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1-2 chillies, deseeded and chopped
• 1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 120g fresh spinach leaves, trimmed and washed
• 400g cooked/tinned chick peas
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

Method

1. Spray a large saucepan with low calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the onions, garlic and mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened and golden.
2. Add the spices and chillies, stir well and cook gently for about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and spinach and reduce the heat to a bare simmer.
3. Simmer gently for 5 minutes and then add the chick peas. Continue simmering for 5-10 minutes, until the spinach has wilted and the tomato liquid has reduced.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper and then stir in the chopped coriander.