dinner

Black Eye Bean & Coconut Curry

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This is one of my favourite curries I loved eating when I was younger. The version I used to have would be a lot higher in syns so this is a SW friendly version I’ve adapted. The way my mum used to make this was a lot more complicated and she used some more spices but I find this way works well too.

I had a few people messaging me saying this is an odd combo but I don’t see how it is odd. Maybe because of my background I’m used to having a variety of different foods from different parts of the world that this is just another meal for me. I don’t know where it originates from but I am sure this type of curry is eaten a lot!

It is easy and very economical to make too. We have this served with boiled rice and masala fish.

Black Eye Bean Curry with Coconut

Black Eye Bean Curry with Coconut

 

Serves: 4

Syns: 2.5 syns per serving

Time Taken: 30 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  • Pinch of cumin seeds and chilli flakes (optional)
  • 1 tbsp. ginger/garlic paste
  • 1 tbsp. curry powder (or more if you prefer spicy)
  • Salt to taste
  • 2-3 tbsp. tomato puree
  • 2 tins of black eye beans, drained
  • 200ml reduced fat coconut milk
  • 5g desiccated coconut
  • fresh coriander, to garnish

Method

Fry the onions with the cumin seeds and chilli flakes (if using) and the ginger/garlic till the onions have softened and are lightly golden.

Add the curry powder and salt to taste and fry for a further 5 minutes stirring constantly. If the spices start to stick to the pan, add a little hot water and keep stirring.

Add the tomato puree and the beans with the coconut milk and cook on a low heat for about 10 minutes.

Once the curry is done, you can garnish it with fresh, chopped coriander and serve it with boiled rice.

Fried Rice with Salt & Pepper Chicken

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This recipe was one that was put together in minutes and have had many people asking me how I made it, so here it is. Apologies for the delay lovelies.

I used this Salt & Pepper Spice mix that I made following the Pinch of Nom recipe: http://pinchofnom.com/recipes/syn-free-salt-pepper-chicken-slimming-world/

It isn’t just adding salt and pepper to the chicken like I thought it was when I heard people talking about salt and pepper chicken in group! Please tell me I am not alone in thinking that 🙈 The spice mix makes quite a lot so once you’ve made some, you can store it in an airtight container and use it next time you need it. It is definitely worth making it! If you don’t have the time to make it or cannot be bothered with the hassle, you can buy ready made Salt & Pepper Spice kits from places like JD Seasonings (https://jdseasonings.com/product/salt-pepper-chips/).

I didn’t really measure anything with this recipe, you can add as much or as little soy sauce, chilli flakes and salt & pepper spice mix as you like.

I cooked the chicken in the actifry, here’s a link to the one I have: https://www.tefal.co.uk/Cooking-appliances/Healthy-Fryers/ActiFry-Original/p/1500637231

Fried Rice with Salt & Pepper Chicken

Fried Rice with Salt & Pepper Chicken

Serves: 2

Syns: FREE

Time Taken: 20 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

  • Cooked, leftover rice
  • Packet of stir fry veg
  • Soy sauce
  • 2-3 chicken thighs, chopped
  • Salt & Pepper spice mix
  • Chilli flakes

Method

Spray a wok with a low cal cooking spray and fry your stir fry veg. Once they’re cooked, add the rice and soy sauce and mix well together till the rice is heated.

Sprinkle the salt and pepper spice and chilli flakes on your chicken before placing it in an actifry and cook for 20 minutes.

That’s it! Really simple and so quick to make. Hope you enjoy it x

Khichdi – Rice with Lentils

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Serves: 4

Syns: FREE

Time Taken: 30 minutes plus soaking time

Difficulty: Easy

Khichdi with Kheema

Khichdi with Kheema

 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup basmati rice
  • 1/2 cup yellow lentils
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp. ginger/garlic paste
  • cinnamon stick
  • 3 whole cloves
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 green chilli, chopped
  • a pinch of turmeric

Method

Soak the rice and lentils in cold water for 30 minutes.

Fry the onion for around 5 minutes to soften them before adding the ginger/garlic paste, cumin seeds, green chilli, cloves, cinnamon stick and turmeric. Stir fry them for a couple of minutes before adding the rice & lentils (drain the water first) to the pan.

Mix everything well together and cover with 3 cups of boiling water. Season to taste. Cover the lid and cook the rice and lentils on a low heat for around 20-25 minutes, or until all the water has evaporated.

I like to serve this rice with kheema but it is lovely on its own too.

Prawn & Pesto Linguine

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A really quick and easy meal ready in less than 15 minutes! The pesto sauce can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days but I prefer to make it when I need it as it is super quick to prepare. If you do make extra, you can use the spare pesto over chicken and bake it for another quick meal.

This is syn free if you use the cheese as part of your healthy extra A choice (you can have 30g), I only use half the cheese allowance as I use milk in my coffees for the other half of healthy extra A choice. It is perfectly fine to split your healthy extra choices, you may not get the full calcium/fibre benefits but that is okay. I tend to do that with healthy extra B choices too. If you follow me on Instagram (@RahemaSW) you may notice that most of my breakfasts consists of 1 chocolate Weetabix, I almost always have a hifi bar for the other half of my B choice. You can find more information about splitting healthy extra choices on lifeline online if you are SW member, or your consultant can give you more info about it.

I have added chilli to this (I know, you don’t add chilli to pesto) but you can leave it out. I think most people know that I love spicy food so I tend to add chilli in almost everything! This isn’t a conventional pesto sauce as I didn’t use pine nuts (too many syns!) but tastes amazing nonetheless. Let me know if you make this and feel free to tag me if you’re on social media.

Prawn & Pesto Linguine

Prawn & Pesto Linguine

Serves: 2

Syns: FREE if using cheese as healthy extra A choice

Time Taken: Less than 15 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

  • 200g linguine
  • Cooked Prawns

Pesto Sauce:

  • 25g basil leaves
  • 15g rocket leaves
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 30g parmesan cheese
  • 50ml vegetable stock
  • 75ml fat free fromage frais
  • 1 green chilli (optional)

Method

Cook the linguine according the pasta intructions and whilst that is cooking make the pesto sauce by adding all the ingredients together and blending it all till smooth. Set aside till needed.

Once the linguine is cooked, drain and mix in the pesto and prawns. You can serve this with extra rocket leaves and cherry tomatoes.

Peri Peri Chicken & Rice

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Serves: 4

Syns: 1.5 syns per serving

Time Taken: 60-75 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Peri Peri Chicken & Rice

Peri Peri Chicken & Rice

 

Ingredients

For the chicken

  • 4 pieces of skinless chicken legs
  • Encona Peri Peri sauce (to taste, 1tbsp is 1.5 syns)
  • 2 Maggie seasoning cubes, crumbled
  • 1 tbsp Peri Peri seasoning

For the rice

  • 1 cup rice
  • 1 red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 carrot, peeled and finely grated
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp Peri Peri seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp chilli flakes
  • Handful of frozen peas & sweet corn

Method

Mix all the marinade ingredients for the chicken together and rub it all over the chicken pieces.

Let it marinade for a few hours if time permits.

Pre heat the oven and cook the chicken for around 45 minutes till it is mostly cooked.

Remove from the oven and grill the chicken till it is fully cooked, around 30 minutes, turning the chicken often and brushing it with the Encona Peri Peri sauce.

For the rice, spray a pan with plenty of low cal cooking spray and gently fry the onion with the carrot for a few minutes.

Add the tomato puree, Peri Peri seasoning and chilli flakes and cook for another couple of minutes.

Add the rice alongside the stock, stir and let it cook for around 15 minutes on a low heat with the lid on the pan.

Add the frozen peas & sweet corn towards the last 5 minutes of cooking.

What I eat!

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I usually get asked a lot what I eat on Slimming World! So I thought I would share a typical day. Usually most of my meals are Free Foods or very low in Syns, which gives me more options for my favourite treats. My syns vary depending on what I fancy on the day. Some days I want to eat crisps, other days I might want chocolate or something else. It varies!

Breakfast

I do try to vary my breakfast but my absolute favourite breakfast of all time is crushed Weetabix layered with Alpro Plain with Coconut yogurt with raspberries and any other fruit I have in my fridge. I never get bored of this breakfast!

Sometimes I will have overnight oats or boiled eggs or just fruit if I don’t have much time to eat. I always have boiled eggs ready in the morning, I boil 6 eggs at a time and that lasts me 2-3 days. If I don’t have them for breakfast, they make a great protein filled snack during the day!

Lunch

This normally consists of leftovers from the night before, or soup, or omelettes with a huge salad. Jacket potatoes are also one of my favourite lunches.

Dinner

I cook the same food for everyone in the house – spaghetti Bolognese, curries, stir fries etc. that way I am not tempted with any high syn foods. Sometimes if the kids want something from out, I will usually prepare something quick and easy for me like Batchelor’s Pasta & Sauce or Low Fat Noodles.

Snacks

Fruit! Any type of fruit, my favourite are bananas. Whatever is in season, I will eat that. I also use my syns for snacks, or have the Slimming World Hifi bars – they are absolutely delicious! My favourite are the Double Chocolate Crisp.

 

Chicken Pilau

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Serves: 4

Syns: FREE

Time Taken: 60 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Chicken Pilau

Chicken Pilau

 

Ingredients

  • 3 onion, chopped
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 1/2 tbsp ginger/garlic paste
  • 1 packet Laziza Yakhni Pilau spice mix
  • 100g 0% Greek yogurt
  • 2 cubes Maggie seasoning (optional)
  • 3 chicken breasts, chopped
  • 2 cups rice, washed and soaked for 30 minutes

Method

Spray a large pan with plenty of low calorie cooking spray. Add the onions and fry for 5 minutes.

Add cumin seeds and chilli flakes and continue to cook the onions till golden brown (around 15 minutes). Use hot water if the onions start to stick to the bottom of the pan.

Add the chicken, ginger/garlic paste, Maggie cubes (if using, or use salt to taste) and one packet of the Laziza spice mix. Fry until the chicken has browned all over before adding the yogurt. Cook for 10 minutes then add 4 cups of boiling water to the chicken. Check for seasoning and add the drained water.

Cook the rice on high heat till most of the water has evaporated then place the lid on the pan and cook on a low heat for 25 minutes or until all the water has evaporated and the rice and chicken is cooked.

 

Cottage Pie

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This is a comforting, warm dish perfect for the winter days and it is so versatile too. I use the same recipe (minus the mixed frozen veg) for spaghetti bolognaise. You can use chicken mince too but I prefer using beef.

Serves: 4

Syns: FREE

Time Taken:  60 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

  • 500g lean beef mince
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
  • 3 celery sticks, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 500g carton passata
  • 4 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 2 cubes of beef stock, crumbled
  • A cupful of mixed frozen veg (broccoli, carrots and peas), optional
  • 4 large baking potatoes, boiled and mashed
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • Cheese (optional)
Cottage Pie

Cottage Pie

Method

Spray a large pan with spray oil over a medium heat and stir fry the mince till it is browned. Then add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and chilli and cook for another couple of minutes.

Add the chopped tomatoes, passata, tomato puree, mixed herbs and the crumbled stock cubes. Cook over a low heat for 30 minutes stirring occasionally.. Season to taste. If using frozen veg add the veg towards the last 10 minutes of cooking.

For the mash, peel and boil the potatoes and mash. Once the potatoes are mashed, add the beaten egg to it and keep stirring so there are no lumps in the mash.

Put the cooked mince into a shallow oven proof dish. Top with the mashed potato (and cheese if using) and bake at gas mark 6 until the top is golden (around 20 minutes).

Chicken Fajitas

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This is perfect if you have a fussy family like mine. My girls love this recipe as they get to add whatever they want in their wraps and always have fun trying to stuff it with as many fillings as they can! I use a Weight Watchers wrap for myself which is a healthy extra B choice or 5.5 syns each and use cheese as part of my healthy extra A choice. If you want to save syns, you can use iceberg lettuce leaves instead of wraps. I tend not to use sauces like ketchup or mayo, but if you do use them, remember to syn them accordingly.

Serves: 4

Syns: FREE

Time Taken: 30-45 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Chicken Fajitas

Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients

  • 3 chicken breasts, cut into strips
  • 2 red onions, finely sliced
  • 1 green, 1 red and 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and finely sliced
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • Juice of 1 lime

Method

Spray a large wok with a free spray oil and place over a medium heat. Add the chicken and stir fry for 10-15 minutes until the chicken is mostly cooked.

Add the peppers and all the spices to coat the chicken spices and cook until the chicken is fully cooked.

Serve on a wrap with salad and cheese.

 

Crustless Red Onion and Courgette Quiche

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This is one recipe I haven’t made in absolute ages! Mainly because I don’t really buy courgettes but I was given a mahoosive courgette by one of my members that grows his own veggies in his allotment so the first thing that came to my mind was this easy to make quiche. This recipe is perfect for those following Extra Easy SP (EESP) plan as it is packed with Speed and Protein rich foods. You can serve this with a large salad or butternut squash chips to keep it EESP friendly!

Serves: 4

Syns: FREE

Time Taken: 60 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Crustless Red Onion & Courgette Quiche

Crustless Red Onion & Courgette Quiche

Ingredients

  • 1 large courgette or 2 regular
  • 2 red onions, halved and finely sliced
  • 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 100g low fat natural cottage cheese
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 tsp dried mixed herbs

Method

Preheat the oven to gas mark 4.

Coarsely grate the courgette and place in a large sieve. Press down to remove as much liquid as possible and set aside.

Lightly spray a round, shallow baking dish with low calorie cooking spray and set aside.

Spray a large frying pan with cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the onions, courgette and chilli and stir-fry for 10 minutes. Season well and transfer to the prepared baking dish, spreading evenly across the base. Spread the cottage cheese over the vegetable mixture.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl, season and add the dried mixed herbs. Pour the egg mixture over the cottage cheese.

Place in the oven and cook for 30 minutes or until set and golden. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for about 15 minutes before cutting into wedges.