Month: January 2017

Spiced Chicken Meatballs

4 Comments

Easiest way to make meatballs, we like to have them with pasta but you can also serve them with lots of roasted veg or make a curry with them.

Serves: 4

Syns: FREE

Time Taken: 30 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Spiced chicken meatballs

Ingredients

  • 1 kg chicken mince
  • 2 tablespoons of peri peri mix

Sauce

  • Passata with onions and garlic
  • Fresh basil
  • Oregano
  • Chilli flakes
  • Seasoning

Method

Mix the peri peri mix into the mince and shaped them. Spray fry light in a pan and brown the meat balls. Pour carton of passata with the herbs and season to taste. Cook until meatballs are ready, about 25-30 minutes.

Chicken Tikka Nibblets

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I am always looking for ways to spend as less time as possible cooking, the more I can get away from it the better! I tend to use spice box mixes when I am pressed for time. The brand I use mostly is Laziza. You can purchase them in most Asian supermarkets or if you have a large Asda/Tesco near you, they usually stock this brand in their ‘World Foods’ aisles. I tend to hardly ever follow the recipe provided at the back of the box.  Nearly all of the range is Syn Free which makes it perfect for us slimmers.

Serves: 2

Syns: FREE

Time Taken: 25 minutes plus marinade time

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon of chicken tikka mix
  • 1/2 tablespoon ginger/garlic paste (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons (or more if you prefer) lemon juice
  • Chicken pieces (I like to use skinless chicken nibblets)

Chicken tikka nibblets with salad

Method

In a bowl mix the spice, ginger/garlic (if using) and lemon juice together until you a have a smooth paste. Mix that in your chicken pieces and let it marinade for as long as you can. If you don’t have the time to marinade it will still taste good!

I place the chicken pieces in the actifry for about 20-25 minutes without adding any oil or fat in it. Alternatively you can cook in the oven, gas mark 6 for around 40 minutes.

 

Weetabix Fruity Muffins

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If you’re a fan of fruity malt loaf, you’ll love this recipe for Weetabix cake packed with juicy blueberries and mixed spices. You can replace the blueberries with any fruit of your choice just remember to syn accordingly. This is one of my husband’s favourite treat with a cup of tea.

Makes: 12

Syns: 2.5 syns each

Time Taken: 4o minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Weetabix Fruity Muffins

Ingredients

  • 2 Weetabix, crushed
  • 100g blueberries
  • 150ml skimmed milk
  • 150ml water
  • 100g self-raising flour
  • 2 tsp mixed spice
  • 4 tbsp sweetener
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 egg, beaten

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas Mark 4.

Put the Weetabix and blueberries in a bowl. Pour the milk and water over the top and leave it to soak for about 10 minutes.

Stir in the flour, mixed spice, sweetener, vanilla extract and beaten egg.

Spoon the mixture equally into 12 silicone muffin cases and bake for 25-30 minutes.

 

Chicken & Noodle Soup

4 Comments

I love making this soup when I have leftover chicken to use up from a roast dinner. It is so easy to make and super delicious. If you can’t find celery salt you can use chopped celery (2 or 3 sticks are enough) but I didn’t have any celery today! I haven’t specified the amount of chicken and noodles used as it varies. If I have a lot of leftover chicken, I use half a pack of the noodles pictured (Blue Dragon noodles from Asda). If I don’t have much chicken then I will use a whole pack of the dried noodles.

Serves: 4

Syns: FREE

Time Taken: 25 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
  • 3 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp dried parsley
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 1 tsp celery salt
  • 2 chicken stock cubes
  • Cooked chicken, shredded
  • Dried noodles
  • Low calorie cooking spray

Chicken & Noodle Soup

Method

In a large pan, spray low calorie spray and add the carrots, onions, parsley, chilli flakes and celery salt. Cook on a medium heat for about 10 minutes till the veg are soft. If you find the veggies are sticking to the pan, you can add boiling water to stop that.

Add the chicken, chicken stock cubes and enough water to cover the chicken. Cook for about 5 minutes.

Add the dried noodles and more water if you need it (depends on how you like your soup, I usually start off by adding 1 litre and add more if needed). Cook for a further 5 minutes till the noodles are done.

 

Chips – Slimming World Style!

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I didn’t realise I hadn’t posted a recipe for my favourite food EVER – CHIPS!! I do have them quite often in a week, so glad potatoes are a Free Food!

Serves: 1

Syns: FREE

Time Taken: 30 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Slimming World Chips

Best Ever Slimming World Chips

Ingredients

  • 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into thick chips (I prefer using red potatoes)
  • Low calorie cooking spray

Method

You can use your oven (if so preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas 6) or an Actifry, Halo Fryer or Air fryer instead. I do recommend investing in one as the chips always turn out best when cooked in it. You can also cook lots of other food in it too.

If you do use an Actifry you can put the cut up potatoes straight in without parboiling! Spray with low calorie cooking spray (fry light!) and they take about 20-25 minutes.

If using your oven you need to parboil the chips first. Basically boil the chips for 4-5 minutes in a pan of hot water. Drain well, return to the pan and cover.

Leave to cool slightly, then shake the pan to roughen their edges. Line a baking tray with baking paper and put the chips on top in a single layer.

Spray with low calorie cooking spray (fry light!) and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden.

Coconut Macaroons

2 Comments

These coconut macaroons are absolutely divine! Crunchy on the outside with a soft and chewy interior. Perfect sweet tooth fix.

Makes: 30 portions

Syns: 2 syns each

Time Taken: 30 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

  • 4 egg whites
  • 198g sugar
  • 71g desiccated coconut

Method

Beat the egg whites until frothy (Make sure no yolk whatsoever has contaminated the egg whites, otherwise you could be whisking for ever!) Add the sugar and beat until stiff.

Fold in the coconut, put mixture into a piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe 30 macaroons onto a parchment covered baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes in a preheated oven (170ºC/150ºC Fan/Gas Mark 3).

Remove from oven, and allow to cool for a few minutes before removing them from the baking sheet.

Baked Oats

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Whoever came up with this is a star! I love baked oats, and the possibilities are endless as to the flavours you can have.

Serves: 1

Syns: 1 syn plus Healthy Extra A and B choices, count syns for any fillings accordingly

Time Taken: 15-20 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

  • 40g porridge oats
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 2 tablespoons sweetener
  • 50ml skimmed milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

Mix together all the ingredients and place them in silicone muffin cases to be baked for around 15 minutes at gas mark 6.

To make the bakes oats a bit more exciting, you can add fruit, nuts, chocolate chips etc before baking but just remember to syn accordingly. The ones pictured have chocolate chips and were baked in mini silicone cake cases.  I also love making the basic recipe and cook them in waffle shaped silicone mold. I then top them with fresh fruit and a little drizzle of Sweet Freedom Chocolate Shot sauce (1 tsp is only 0.5 syn).