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.