lunch

Spiced Chicken Meatballs

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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.

 

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.

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

19 Comments

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.

Chicken Kebabs

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Who doesn’t love chicken kebabs?! You can use any other type of meat if you want, but chicken is our favourite. We like to have these on their own as a starter, or you can serve them with a huge salad and some Slimming World chips.

Serves: 4

Syns: FREE

Time Taken: 30 minutes plus marinade

Difficulty: Medium

Chicken Kebabs Recipe

Chicken Kebabs preparation

Ingredients

  • 1kg chicken mince
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin powder
  • 2 medium onions, minced
  • 3 green chillies, minced
  • 1 tbsp ginger/garlic paste
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

Method

1 Mix everything together until it is evenly distributed, let it marinate for a couple of hours minimum or overnight (in a fridge) if time permits.

2 Shape into patties and grill sprayed with fry light, turning halfway. Takes about 10-12 minutes depending on how thin/thick they are.

Butternut Squash Soup

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This soup is perfect for those of you that like smooth soups. To make this even easier you can buy pre chopped chunks of butternut squash from most large supermarkets.

Serves: 4

Syns: FREE

Time Taken: 30 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

  • Low calorie cooking spray
  • 1 onion, peeled and diced
  • 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into wedges.
  • 1 small potato, peeled and quartered
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 900ml vegetable stock
  • A few thyme sprigs to serve

Method

Spray a large pan with low calorie cooking spray and place over a low heat, add the onion and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Add the butternut squash and potato and cook for 2 minutes over a medium heat. Add the garlic and season to taste. Pour in the stock and simmer for 25 minutes.

Using a hand-blender or food processor, blend until smooth and serve sprinkled with thyme sprigs.