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. 

Falafels

Ingredients

• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and coarsely grated
• 2x 400g cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 2cm piece root ginger, peeled and finely grated
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 3 tbsp very finely chopped fresh coriander
• 1 small egg
• Salt
• Low calorie cooking spray
• Paprika and fat-free natural yogurt, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Place the onion, carrot, chickpeas, garlic, ginger, cumin, chilli powder and the ground and fresh coriander in a food processor. Pulse and process for 1-2 minutes until blended but still fairly chunky in texture.
2. Transfer the mixture into a mixing bowl. Lightly beat the egg and add to the mixture. Season with salt and, using your fingers, mix thoroughly to combine. Cover and chill in the fridge for 6-8 hours to firm up and allow the flavours to develop. 
3. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas 6. Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment and spray lightly with low calorie cooking spray. Shape the chickpea mixture into 24 bite-sized balls and place on the prepared baking sheet. Spray lightly with low calorie cooking spray and cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden and firm. Serve warm, sprinkled with paprika and the yogurt alongside to dip into.

Tip: If you're enjoying an Extra Easy SP day, switch the yogurt for a quick dip made with fat free natural cottage cheese and paprika.

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.

Tomato and lentil soup

This is really easy to make.

Ingrediants:

tin of tomatoes
lentils
onion
stock
pepper
fresh tomatoes
garlic
basil

I roasted about five tomatoes, with the pepper, onion and garlic. once cooked I put through a sieve then added the stock, tin of tomatoes and lentils.

I boiled to lentils were cooked and then added the basil.

Profiteroles

I ended up with 12 profiteroles and they worked out at 7 syns for one.

Ingredients 

• 55 g (2 oz) butter
• 75 g (2 1/2 oz) plain flour, sifted
• 2 eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt
• One tub of double cream
• Chocolate

Method
Prep:15min  ›  Ready in:15min 

1. Put the butter and 150 ml (5 fl oz) water in a saucepan. Heat gently until the butter has melted, then bring to the boil.
2. As soon as the water boils, remove the pan from the heat and quickly tip in the flour all at once. Beat with a wooden spoon until the ingredients bind together into a dough.
3. Return the pan to a low heat and continue to beat until the dough is a smooth, dry ball in the centre of the pan.
4. Allow to cool for 2–3 minutes, then gradually beat in the eggs to make a smooth, shiny paste. Beat vigourously. Use straightaway, as directed in the recipe.
5. Place the baking sheet into the oven. Before closing the oven door, pour half a cup of water into the roasting tin at the bottom of the oven, then quickly shut the door. This helps to create more steam in the oven and make the pastry rise better. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden-brown - if the profiteroles are too pale they will become soggy when cool.
6. Remove from the oven and turn the oven off. Prick the base of each profiterole with a skewer. Place back onto the baking sheet with the hole in the base facing upwards and return to the oven for five minutes. The warm air from the oven helps to dry out the middle of the profiteroles.
7. For the filling, lightly whip the cream with the orange zest until soft peaks form. When the profiteroles are cold, use a piping bag to pipe the cream into the profiteroles.

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.

Bombay Bhajis

Ingredients

• Low calorie cooking spray
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 175g potato, cooked & chopped
• 225g canned chickpeas, drained
• 1 egg beaten
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp dried Bombay mixed spice
• 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
• Salt & ground black pepper

Raita

• ½ cucumber, chopped
• Salt
• 115g fat-free natural yogurt
• 4 spring onions, chopped

Method

1. To make the raita place the cucumber in a colander, sprinkle with salt and leave for 30 minutes. Dry well and transfer into a bowl. Stir in the yogurt and spring onions and chill until ready to serve.
2. To make the bhajis spray a non-stick frying pan with low calorie cooking spray and cook the onion for approximately 5 minutes until tender. Transfer to a bowl, add the potato and chick peas and mash together. Stir in the remaining ingredients and form into small balls. 
3. Arrange the bhajis on a baking tray that has been sprayed with low calorie cooking spray. Bake in a preheated oven at 220°C/200°C Fan/Gas Mark 7 for approximately 15 minutes until golden. Serve immediately with the cucumber rait

I didn't have bombay spice so just used normal curry powder .

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

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.

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.