chocolate jellies

These sweets are a fun way to kick that sweet craving whilst staying on my Slimming World plan. And because they’re only 2 syns for the whole lot, you can scoff away and not feel guilty about it!

Slimming World Jelly Chocs

Ingredients

• 2 sachets of gelatine
• 1/4 pt boiling water
• 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
• 3 heaped tablespoons on Muller Light yoghurt (I used After Dinner Mint)
• 2 tablespoons of sweetener

Method

• Empty your sachets of gelatine into a bowl and dissolve using the most of the hot water. (Save just a splash).
• In a small cup or bowl, dissolve the cocoa powder with the leftover splash of hot water and whisk until blended and no lumps remain
• Add your cocoa paste, Muller Light and sweetener to the dissolved gelatine and stir until combined
• Spoon into a silicon mould and refrigerate until set

Tip: If you like your sweets more chewy, then simply add an extra sachet of gelatine to the mix. 

coconut macaroons

Ingredients

• 4 egg whites
• 35g swetener
• 71g desiccated coconut

Method

1. Beat the egg whites until frothy (Make sure no yolk whatsoever has contaminated the egg whites, otherwise you could be whisking for ever!)
2. Add the sweetener and beat until stiff. 
3. Fold in the coconut, put mixture into a piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe 30 macaroons onto a parchment covered baking sheet.
4. Bake for 30 minutes in a preheated oven (170ºC/150ºC Fan/Gas Mark 3).
5. Remove from oven, and allow to cool for a few minutes before removing them from the baking sheet.

Spanish meatballs

Ingredients

• 500g extra-lean beef mince
• Small handful of finely chopped fresh coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Low calorie cooking spray
• Small handful of finely chopped fresh parsley

Method

1. Put the mince, coriander, spices and garlic in a bowl. Season and mix with your fingers until well combined. Cover and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
2. Divide the mince mixture into 20 portions and shape each one into a bite-sized ball.
3. Spray a non-stick frying pan with low calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Stir-fry the meatballs for 6-8 minutes until browned and cooked through (you may need to do this in two batches), then drain on kitchen paper. Put the meatballs in a large serving dish and scatter with the parsley.
4. These meatballs are great eaten straight away or you can cool them and keep them in the fridge for up to 2 days. They’re delicious cold or thoroughly reheated.

Tandoori Marinade

Ingrediants:

Tandoori spice
Fat free yoghurt
Lemon Juice

Mix a couple of table spoons of yoghurt and lemon juice together, add a good amount of the tandoori spice.

Once all mixed add the meat of your choice and leave for at least of couple of hours before cooking.

Spicy barbeque marinade

Ingredients

• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• ½ tsp chilli flakes
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp sweetener

Method

1. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and blend well together.
2. If not using the sauce immediately, store in an airtight container in the refridgerator for up to 48 hours.

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.

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.

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.

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.

chocolate, chilli and coffee mousse.

Ok so I didn't put any alcohol in this as the recipe says and I don't think it needs it. It's very rich but worth the 6 syns

 Ingredients

• 125g dark chocolate
• 4 medium eggs, separated*
• 4 level tbsp sweetener
• ½ tsp dried red chilli flakes
• 2 tsp instant coffee granules dissolved in 1 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp cognac or brandy
• fat free natural fromage frais, to serve
• 1 level tsp cocoa powder, to dust
• orange zest, to decorate

Method

1. Break the chocolate into small pieces, place in a large heatproof bowl and melt over a pan of gently simmering water. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly at room temperature.
2. Meanwhile whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until stiff but not too dry.
3. Whisk the egg yolks, sweetener, chilli flakes, instant coffee mixture and cognac or brandy in a separate bowl and spoon into the melted chocolate, mixing well.
4. Lightly fold in the egg whites with a metal spoon until well combined.
5. Spoon this mixture into six tea cups or dessert dishes and place in the freezer for 2-3 hours or until just set.
6. To serve, top each serving with a spoonful of fromage frais, lightly dust with cocoa powder and decorate with orange zest.

Tip: *Pregnant women, the elderly and babies are advised not to eat raw or partially cooked eggs.

Not a recipe but some good advice

I know loads of people always say go to your local market for fruit and veg, but I wanted to stamp the point across.

I went to my local market today and got two punnet of strawberries, a bag of satsumas, a large punnet of grapes, two punnet of blackberries and two punnet of raspberries as well as a piece of broccoli for £6.

If your on a budget, trying to eat healthy or loose weight get yourself to your local market and save some money.

vegtable fried rice

I love friend rice and find that it's a great comfort food. I usually add soy sauce and oyster sauce in as well to give a bit more flavour.
For this dish I used half a cup of rice, two eggs, mushrooms, pepper, spring onion, ginger, garlic and a glug of soy sauce and oyster sauce.