Chicken & Noodle Soup

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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

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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).

A menu example of a SW Food Optimising day

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One of the most common questions I get asked by members when they first join Slimming World is ‘So what should I eat?’ A lot of members get so overwhelmed by the amount of food you can eat on plan that they simply do not know where to start. So here is an example of a day on plan. You can find a 7 day planner on the SW website here (there is also a vegetarian option) or the SW magazines. If you have your own suggestions please comment below, I’ll be making changes to this list based on feedback.

Breakfast

Overnight Oats – super quick, prepare night before, using porridge oats, fruit and yogurt. Recipe is here.

breakfast brunch eggs beans etc

breakfast brunch eggs beans etc

Weetabix – really simple, just Weetabix with milk and topped with fruit of your choice.

Cooked Breakfast –  eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, baked beans, sausages and optional toast. See my favourite here.

Lunch

SW Ready made soup – available exclusively in Iceland. My favourite is this one

Homemade tomato soup – easy to make using only a few ingredients, recipe here.

Jacket potato – top it with your favourite toppings.

Dinner

Chicken curry with rice – super easy recipe here

Pasta with meatballs – one of our favourite meals

Fish & chips – eat chips and still lose weight! Make your own perfect chips.

Snacks & Syns

Fruit

Veg crudites

Hifi bars (available from SW groups only)

Low syn crisps – French Fries, Snaps, Walkers Pops etc.

Example Snack, Fruits and hifi bars

Example Snack, Fruits and hifi bars

 

Quark Pancake

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I know this may sound like a weird combination, but it tastes lovely when topped with fruit. It is so low in syns that you don’t have to feel guilty about having a couple or more!

Serves: 1

Syns: 0.5 syn

Time Taken: 10 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon Quark
  • 1 tablespoon sweetener
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

Crack the egg in a cup and mix it with the Quark, sweetener and vanilla. Try not to over mix as the Quark will make the pancake thicker!

In a frying pan, spray a low calorie spray oil and add the pancake mix. Cook on a low heat for a few minutes before flipping the pancake. Do be patient, try not to flip it too soon.

Easy Tomato Soup

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Easy peasy soup you can make with a few ingredients from your store cupboard without using up any syns! A tin of Heinz tomato soup can set you back by 11.5 syns!!!

Serves: 4

Syns: FREE

Time Taken: 1o minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

  • 2 tins chopped tomato
  • 1 tin baked beans
  • 1 tin carrots, drained
  • 1 pickled onion
  • Vegetatble/Chicken stock

Method

Open up all your tins and place the ingredients together in a pan. Add your pickled onion and cook everything together for about 5 minutes.

Add enough stock depending how thick/thin you want your soup.

Blend everything for a smooth soup.

 

Chicken & Spinach Curry

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Easiest way to cook a chicken curry! You can replace the chicken with any other meat or veg.

Serves: 4

Syns: FREE

Time Taken: 60 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

  • 500g chicken breast, chopped
  • 3 onions, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon worth of Garlic and ginger, chopped
  • 500g Passata
  • 1 tablespoon Tomato puree
  • Frozen chopped spinach
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder
  • ½ tablespoon paprika powder
  • ½ teaspoon cumin powder
  • Handful of fresh coriander stalks and leaves
  • 250 ml chicken stock
  • Salt to taste

Method

Spray a pan with lots of fry light and fry the onions, garlic and ginger until golden with the lid closed. This takes around 15-20 minutes. Add some chicken stock to stop it from burning.

Add passata, tomato puree, frozen spinach, coriander and spices and cook on high heat for about 5 minutes. Add stock if needed to stop it burning again.

Add chicken and cook for another 5 minutes on high heat, stirring constantly. Add chicken stock (however much or little needed) and salt to taste. Let it cook on low heat until chicken is fully cooked, around 25-30 minutes depending on how big the pieces of chicken are.

Easy Stir Fry

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This is one of the easiest stir fries ever! You can add any meat/fish to it for a more filling meal. We usually have this with chicken mince.

Serves: 4
Syns: FREE
Time Taken: 15 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Easy Stir Fry

Ingredients

  • Bag of stir fry vegetables
  • Bunch of spring onions
  • 1 red chilli (optional), chopped
  • Dark soy sauce
  • Light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp ginger/garlic paste
  • 2 cubes of Maggie seasoning, crumbled
  • 1 tbsp Chinese 5 Spice
  • Low calorie cooking spray
  • Egg Noodles

Method

In a wok sprayed with low calorie cooking spray, add 3 chopped spring onions, the ginger/garlic paste and the red chilli (if using). Fry for about 3-5 minutes.

Add the stir fry vegetables, soy sauces, Chinese 5 spice and the crumbled seasonings and stir fry for another 3 minutes.

Add any meat or fish at this stage and cook accordingly before adding the cooked noodles and giving everything a good stir. Adjust the spices if you need more.

Yummy Stir Fry

Overnight Oats

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This is a very popular breakfast option with members in group. I love it too as it is very easy to prepare and it is ready and waiting for you when you wake up! You can add any fruit to it, frozen fruit works really well as it is perfectly defrosted by morning.

Serves: 1

Syns: FREE if using porridge oats as Healthy Extra B choice

Time Taken: 2 minutes plus overnight chilling

Difficulty: Easy

Overnight Oats with Fruit

Overnight Oats with Fruit

 

Ingredients

  • 40g porridge oats
  • 200g fat free natural yogurt or a flavoured variety (check if syns)
  • Mixed blueberries, strawberries and raspberries

Method

Layer the porridge, yogurt and fruit in a jar or bowl. Cover and put in the refrigerator overnight so the porridge absorbs all the yogurt.

In the morning stir so all the layers are mixed together and top with more fruit.