Pasta Arrabiata

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A really simple and delicious pasta dish.

Serves: 2

Syns: FREE if using cheese as Healthy Extra A choice

Time Taken: 40-60 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Pasta Arrabiata

Pasta Arrabiata

 

Ingredients

  • 2 red onions, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 tsp Chilli flakes
  • Carton of passata
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • Chopped frozen spinach
  • a handful of fresh chopped basil or 1 tsp dried basil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 cubes of Maggie Seasoning, crumbled (optional)
  • 300g Pasta
  • 80g light cheddar cheese

Method

Fry the onion, garlic and chilli flakes in fry light till golden. Add the chopped pepper, passata, spinach and herbs. Season, cook for about 20 minutes.

Cook the pasta separately according to the packet instructions. Drain and mix with the sauce. Put the pasta into a dish, sprinkle the cheese and cook in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Chickpea & Red Kidney Bean Curry

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This curry is super easy to make, I always have these ingredients in my cupboard! You can use all chickpeas or use any other type of tinned pulses you enjoy. Using tinned pulses saves a lot of time in cooking.

Serves: 4

Syns: FREE

Time Taken: 20-30 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Curry Ingredients

Curry Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 2 medium onions, chopped
  • 1 tbsp. ginger/garlic paste
  • 1 tbsp. curry powder
  • 1 tsp black onion seeds (optional)
  • 1/2 carton passata
  • 2 Maggie seasoning cubes
  • 1 tin each of red kidney beans and chickpeas
Chickpea & Red Kidney Bean Curry

Chickpea & Red Kidney Bean Curry

 

Method

Spray a pan with fry light and cook the onions till they are golden brown (around 10 minutes). Add a little bit of hot water to the pan if needed if the onions start to stick to the bottom of the pan.

Add the ginger/garlic paste and cook for another couple of minutes before adding the passata, the curry powder, crumbled seasoning cubes and black onion seeds if using.

Let it cook for a further 5 minutes on a low heat. Then add the chickpeas and the red kidney beans and cook for 10 minutes. You can serve this with boiled rice and a speedy side salad.

 

A new SW Member – Me!

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So today I took the brave step to walk into a new Slimming World group as a new member. I haven’t weighed myself for a while and every so often I weigh at my own group but I strongly feel I need the support for my own journey.

The last few months I have struggled myself. I know the plan, I know it works and all my meals are cooked the SW way but old habits have started to creep in! No excuses for it really, just me giving in to temptations and not caring about the consequences. I’ve had enough of feeling this way, and I know I’ve gained some weight back as my clothes are starting to get tight!

I chose a group far away from where I live as I just want to be a member, I don’t want people to judge me for being a consultant.

I followed my Sat Nav to the venue and parked up. I have to admit I felt very nervous, just as nervous as I was back in January 2011 when I first joined a SW group. I’d previously sent a text to the Consultant to let her know that I was going to join her group. She already knew who I was and asked to be treated just like a member.

As I walked into the hall the room was busy. Lots of women were chatting away to each other. I had no idea where to go next. I felt as if all eyes were on me. I was looking out for the Consultant and could not see her at all. I started to panic as I thought maybe she wasn’t in today! I went up to one of ladies and asked for the Consultant and thankfully she was there! She was weighing her members.

I made my way to the new members area and started filling out an enrollment form. The Consultant came over and had a little chat making me feel more at ease. I didn’t get a new Member Talk, she said ‘you know the plan and what to do’. So over I went to find a seat in the horseshoe. Most of the chairs were taken up, people put their bags and coats over them. I found an empty seat and just sat there. I sat there for what seemed like an eternity, looking around, checking the surroundings and the members chatting to each other. Luckily I had my phone on me so I decided to check my messages and read the news!

The group was really buzzing and more people kept coming. Eventually the Consultant started the session. I missed her ‘hello and welcome’ with all the noise from the members! They were a rowdy bunch! It reminded me of my group. I am a quiet Consultant, I sometimes struggle to get my members attention when we are ready to start too.

Yet it got worse, throughout the whole of Image Therapy the ladies sitting to my side kept chatting to each other! I found it really distracting and totally rude to the Consultant and other members actively involved in Image Therapy. Crucially there were a few times when I missed what was being said by another member because of all the little group chats. Again, that got me thinking, how must new (and existing) members at my group feel?? What important information are they missing out on? Does this put them off from staying for Image Therapy?

I got weighed at the end of group by the Consultant. I was really dreading the scales. I had no idea what to expect! I knew it would be a gain but didn’t know how much. I was surprised by the amount I’d let myself gain but at the same time I was so glad I went along. Had I weighed at my group, I would’ve ignored the damage and carried on regardless. After all, I didn’t feel I had to be accountable to anyone. I set my target again, I need to lose 1st to be where I was a few months ago. I am annoyed, disgusted, ashamed and angry at myself for losing sight of my journey. Every week I stand in front of my members and help them learn new slimming grooves, make better choices and find healthier alternatives. I was not just letting myself down but also my members.

I know that now I am part of a SW group again, as a member, I will concentrate on getting those weight losses going again for myself. I also know I can do it, I’ve done it before. If anything, now it should be easier as I know the plan inside out! I owe it to myself to not cheat the plan, I promise myself to weigh and measure everything that needs to, count my syns more carefully and most important of all, I will enjoy eating Free Foods without feeling guilty. I am done with the self sabotage, here is to a healthier me again.

To my dear Members in both Groups, my experience has made me realise that it is easy for both new and existing members to miss out on the immense benefits of Image Therapy. I wish to ask all of you to please be aware of this and to catch up with fellow members and friends before and after Image Therapy and not during it, and while Image Therapy is ongoing and you have something to share please share it with all members in attendance.

Jilabi Review

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Selfie Time

Selfie Time

I visited Jilabi on Saturday 4th March 2017 with some friends to celebrate a birthday. As you can imagine the restaurant was packed on a Saturday night, but luckily we made a reservation a couple of weeks before.

We were shown to our table straight away and the waiters were very attentive. They even placed the napkins on our laps! Drinks orders were taken straight away and we were asked if we wanted poppadums whilst looking through the menu. I did find them quite pushy with the poppadums though!

The menu is pretty standard as you’d expect to see in a curry house, all the regular dishes were there as well as a few named after people. There is also a selection of ‘Desi Specials’ which is supposed to be slightly spicier.

I ordered one of my favourite food ever for starters – Paneer! Whenever I go to an Indian Restaurant I have to choose a Paneer dish of some sort. I have no idea on the syns for it but this is one the foods that I never make at home so I really enjoy it when I am out. Paneer is an Indian cheese and it is sooo nice.

Paneer

Paneer

For mains I chose a chicken dish from the ‘Desi Specials’ expecting it to be spicy, I even asked them to make sure it was hot but it wasn’t as I expected. It was nice but not spicy. I can’t even remember what the mains was called but it was nice. I had it with boiled rice to save on syns instead of naan bread or chappatis.

Mains

Mains

Jilabi always bring a chocolate cake and ice cream at the end of your meal which is a really lovely touch from them. They did make my friend’s birthday special by bringing her cake with a candle and they sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to her. We were also given a complimentary bottle alcohol-free bubbly! Top marks for the service there. You can see from Julie’s face how happy she was to have us all sing to her.

Birthday Girl

Birthday Girl

I can see why so many of my friends go to Jilabi quite often as their customer service is something you do not expect or receive at any other Indian Restaurant. Absolutely amazing service! You can check out their website and have a look at their menu here.

 

 

 

Chicken Biryani

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This is one of the easiest ways of making a delicious and syn free biryani. If you don’t use Fry Light you can replace it with oil and just syn accordingly. You can also use any other brand of Biryani masala, I love the Laziza brand plus it is syn free!

Chicken Biryani

Chicken Biryani

Serves: 6

Syns: FREE

Time Taken: 60-90 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

  • 4 onions, finely chopped
  • 4 tomatoes, chopped
  • 750g chicken breast, cubed
  • 1/2 packet Laziza Chicken Biryani mix (use more if you prefer spicier, I keep it mild so the kids can eat it too)
  • 2 cups of basmati rice
  • Yellow food colouring
  • 1/2 bunch each of fresh mint and coriander leaves, finely chopped (optional)
  • Fry Light

Method

Spray lots of Fry Light in a pan and add the onions. Cook them on a moderate-high heat until golden brown. Add boiling water to the onions to stop them sticking to the bottom of the pan as needed. Keep stirring, this should take around 20-30 minutes.

Onions

Onions

Add the chicken, tomatoes and the spice mix and cook for a further 5-10 minutes until the tomatoes have softened and the chicken is no longer pink.

Chicken, tomatoes and spice mix

Chicken, tomatoes and spice mix

Lower the heat, cover the pan and cook for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the rice. Add the rice to double the quantity of boiling salted water and cook till half done, around 8 minutes. Drain the water, rinse it in cold water and set aside till needed.

Once the chicken is cooked you can start to layer it with the rice. Use the pan you’ve used to cook the rice and add a third of the rice to the bottom of the pan. Top it with half of the chicken, then rice again, chicken, and finish off with a layer of rice reserving some to mix with the food colouring to add colour to the rice. Add the mint and coriander if using at this stage.

Cover the pan and cook the biryani on a low heat for 30 minutes.

 

 

Pizza-Topped Chicken

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This is a delicious alternative to pizza, saving you syns without compromise on taste! I served it with white flesh sweet potato chips and a large speedy salad.

Serves: 1
Syns: FREE when using cheese as part of your Healthy Extra A choice
Time Taken: 40 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

  • Thin chicken breast fillet
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • Sprinkle of oregano
  • Pizza toppings of your choice – red onion, jalapenos, mushrooms are my favourite
  • 20g light cheddar cheese
Pizza-topped Chicken

Pizza-topped Chicken

Method

Place the chicken breast in a frying pan with lots of fry light and fry on both sides for around 5-7 minutes on each side.

Remove from the pan and spread the tomato puree over the top of the chicken. Add the oregano and all your toppings before sprinkling it with the cheese.

Cook in a pre-heated oven on gas mark 6 for around 20 minutes till the chicken is cooked.

Ferrero Rocher

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I absolutely love Ferrero Rocher, they are one of my all time favourite treats. These are so easy to make and much lower in syns compared to the real thing!

Serves: 16

Syns: 2 Syns each

Time Taken: 1o minutes, plus chilling time

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

  • 3 Weetabix
  • 5 level table spoons of Nutella
  • One Options hot chocolate sachet (flavour of your choice) for dusting

Method

Mix your Weetabix and Nutella together.

Roll your mixture up into Ferrero Rocher sized balls and then roll in the hot chocolate powder. The mixture can be quite sticky so it is worthwhile dusting your hands with hot chocolate before rolling each ball.

Place into mini cake cases and leave to stand in the fridge for at least one hour.

 

Epic Sandwich Fillings

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Whether you’re a cheese and onion fan or more of a tuna and cucumber devotee, we all love a good old sandwich. The great thing about Food Optimising is that bread isn’t a ‘banned’ food (as it is with many other eating plans). Below are some popular bread choices you can choose from to enjoy your sandwich. You can get a full list of all the latest healthy extra options on the Slimming World website.

Popular Healthy Extra ‘b’ bread choices include:

  • 60g wholemeal roll
  • 2 slices of wholemeal bread from a small 400g loaf
  • 3 slices of Kingsmill Wholemeal No Crusts
  • 1 BFree Foods Multigrain Wrap
  • 1 Kingsmill Wholemeal Sandwich Thin

If you use up your healthy extra B choice with other options, you can still get the same great sandwich taste, for Free! Here is how:

  • A ‘wrap’ made of firm lettuce leaves, such as iceberg or romaine
  • A thinly cooked omelette takes the place of a high-Syn tortilla (an average wrap is 9 Syns!). To make the omelette lightly beat 1 egg in a large measuring jug and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour the egg mixture into a non-stick pan and tilt it around. Cook for 1½ minutes on each side or until the edges turn golden then loosen with a palette knife and slide on to greaseproof paper.
  • Grilled Portobello mushrooms make delicious, veggie-friendly burger bun replacements. Just grill them on a medium heat for 5-10 minutes.
  • A jacket or sweet potato, piled with your favourite sandwich filling.

As for Free fillings, anything goes! Use your imagination! Comment below what your favourite fillings are.

Prawn and rocket – juicy pink prawns, rocket and homemade Marie rose sauce (1tbsp quark, 1 sprig finely chopped dill, 1 tsp tomato puree and seasoning)

Tuna melt – tuna, green peppers, tomatoes and sweetcorn sprinkled with reduced fat cheddar cheese (40g is a Healthy Extra ‘a’ choice) and grilled.

Mushroom, cherry tomato, mozzarella & basil – slices of mushrooms (cooked in low calorie cooking spray), cherry tomatoes (cut in half),  50g mozzarella (Healthy Extra ‘a’ choice) and basil leaves.

Smoked salmon, lemon & chives – put 40g of smoked salmon trimmings in a bowl, 4 tbsp quark, a sprinkle of chives and a squeeze of lemon.

Houmous & red pepper – a thick layer of homemade red pepper houmous topped with Peppadew Mild Piquante Peppers (available in most supermarkets).

Sausage buttie – two frozen Linda McCartney’s Red Onion and Rosemary sausages (syn free) and ½ medium onion cooked in low calorie cooking spray. For a mustard mayo, mix 1 tsp mustard powder with 1 tbsp cold water. Add 1 tbsp fat-free fromage frais, and whisk until smooth. Serve with grated carrot and red cabbage. Add 1 tbsp ketchup for 1 Syn.

Tuna Marie-rose & cucumber – tuna canned in water or brine mixed with marie rose sauce (1tbsp quark, 1 sprig finely chopped dill, 1 tsp tomato puree and seasoning) and a few thin slices of cucumber.

Egg & tomato – sliced boiled egg with spinach and sliced tomato.

Pastrami, gherkin & pepper – mix together ½ tsp mustard powder with 3 tbsp fat free fromage frais and spread on the bread. Top with pastrami, chopped gherkins and 1 bottled roasted red pepper in brine, cut into slices.

Cheese & onion – grated red Leicester (30g is a Healthy Extra ‘a’ choice) and slices of red onion.

Toasted sandwich – filled with any topping of your choice with 40g Light Cheddar cheese (healthy extra A choice).

 

Chicken Katsu Curry

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This is a mild Japanese curry with a Slimming World take! To save on time and convenience you can use ready made breadcrumbs, just remember to look up the syns beforehand. I served it with boiled rice and pickle cucumbers.

Serves: 4

Syns: 1.5 syns per serving

Time Taken: 60 minutes

Difficulty: Moderate

Chicken Katsu Curry

Chicken Katsu Curry

Ingredients

For the chicken

  • 4 skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 slices of wholemeal (from a 400g loaf)
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the curry sauce

  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and grated
  • 4 celery sticks, thinly sliced
  • 5 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 1 tbsp mild curry powder
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 600ml chicken stock
  • Low calorie cooking spray
Chicken Katsu Curry

Chicken Katsu Curry

Method

Pre heat your oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas 6. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Place the chicken breasts between cling film, beat until 1 cm thick and season.

Whizz the bread in a food processor to make fine crumbs. Tip onto a large plate and season well. Dip the chicken breasts into the eggs, then lightly coat each in a quarter of the breadcrumbs. Transfer to the baking tray sprayed with low calorie cooking spray and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Season the breadcrumbs with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place each chicken breast in some clingfilm and flatten with a rolling pin or meat tenderiser. Remove the clingfilm and dip the chicken in the egg, then coat with breadcrumbs and place on a baking tray sprayed with low-calorie cooking spray.

For the sauce, spray a large frying pan with low calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Stir fry the onions for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic, carrots and celery. Stir fry for a further 5 minutes then add the curry powder, stock, soy sauce and season. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 15-20 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. Blend the sauce for a smooth curry.

To serve, slice the chicken breast into pieces, spoon over the curry sauce and serve with steamed jasmine rice.

Speedy Hummous

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Hummous is such an easy thing to make and great to have with some speedy crudités as a snack or even a light lunch with crispbreads.

Serves: 2

Syns: FREE

Time Taken: 10 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Speedy Hummous

Speedy Hummous

Ingredients

  • 400g can chickpeas, drained
  • 2 garlic clove, crushed
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice, plus extra to taste
  • 2 tbsp fat free natural Greek yogurt
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Method

Put the chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice and yogurt into a food processor and pulse until fairly smooth. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, add more lemon juice to taste and sprinkle with cayenne pepper if you want a bit of spice.

Keep in the fridge for up to 3 days and serve with your favourite crudités or crispbreads.