recipe

Lamb Chops

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Tonight’s dinner was simply delicious! I cooked lamb chops in JD Seasonings Steak Rub (buy them here) in my Tefal actifry for 20 minutes and they turned out amazing!

I marinated the chops for about 3-4 hours before cooking them. I cooked them in batches of two.

Lamb Chops with JD Seasoning

Lamb Chops with JD Seasoning

They were so juicy and super easy too! I could have easily eaten the lot

Lamb Chops, Bulgar Wheat and Salad

Lamb Chops, Bulgar Wheat and Salad

I had mine with bulgur wheat and a speedy salad drizzled with the new Crucials Hot Pepper Sauce (0.5 syn for 3tbsp) I picked up from FarmFoods today.

Crucials Hot Pepper Sauce

Crucials Hot Pepper Sauce

Making Bulgur Wheat

Makes enough for 2/3 people. Finely chop 2 small onions and then fry till golden brown. Add:

  • 1 tsp of cumin seeds
  • 1 tbsp of tomato puree
  • 1 tsp of ginger/garlic paste
  • 1 tsp of cumin powder
  • 1 tsp of coriander powder
  • 1/4 tsp of turmeric
  • 1 crumble of chicken stock cube
  • chilli flakes to taste (more = spicier)

Fry all together for 3/4 minutes. Add 1 cup of Bulgur wheat, add 1.5 cups of boiling water and simmer for about 10 minutes or until ready.

That’s it. Done.

Pancakes

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You don’t need to wait till Shrove Tuesday to enjoy these pancakes! This basic recipe is perfect whether you like a sweet or a savoury topping.

Makes: 8

Syns: 1.5 syns each

Time Taken: 45 mins (inc 30 minutes standing time)

Difficulty: Easy

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Ingredients

  • 50g plain flour
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 150g fat free fromage frais
  • 150ml skimmed milk
  • Low calorie cooking spray

Method

Sift the flour into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the eggs and fat free fromage frais and whisk until smooth. Pour in the milk and whisk again to form a batter. Stand for 30 minutes, then cook one at a time in a non-stick pan lightly sprayed with low calorie cooking spray.

TIP: If you’re in a hurry use a ready made pancake mix (128g pack makes 12 small pancakes, around 2 Syns per pancake)

Cauliflower Cheese Patties

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I had a tub of cauliflower rice that needed using up and normally I only ever make pizza (see full recipe here) with it but thought I would try something else to have with the chicken we were having.

I used pretty much similar ingredients to cauliflower pizza but made patties out of them. I didn’t measure anything out, just added everything randomly! This is what I used:

  • Tub of cauliflower rice with parsley
  • Garlic granules
  • Chilli flakes
  • Salt & pepper
  • 1 egg
  • 20g light cheddar cheese (half healthy extra A choice)

I dry fried the cauliflower rice in a large frying with the spices for about 5 minutes. Once done, I removed it from the heat and transferred to a mixing bowl and let it cool. I left it for about an hour as I had gone out! Once back home I added the egg and cheese and mixed it altogether. In the frying pan I sprayed lots of fry light and added a couple of spoonfuls of the mixture making a round shape. I used a ring on top of the frying pan so I could get a perfect round shape. I cooked the patties for about 5 minutes on each side. And that was it!

This is what I had it with!

Cauliflower Patties with Piri Piri Chicken & Salad

Cauliflower Patties with Piri Piri Chicken & Salad

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.

 

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.

 

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.

Onion Bhajis – Pakoras

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These are a perfect little snack. The recipe should make 12 pieces, making each only 1 syn.

Makes: 12 pieces

Syns: 1 syn each

Time Taken: 30 minutes

Difficulty: Easy


Ingredients

  • 200g onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
  • 60g gram flour
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp coriander seeds, crushed
  • 1 tsp deseeded and chopped green chilli
  • 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
  • ¼ tsp baking powder
  • Salt
  • Low calorie cooking spray

Method

Place the onions, gram flour, lemon juice, cumin, coriander seeds, green chilli, chopped coriander and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and add a few tablespoons of water to form a thick batter that coats the onion. Leave to rest for 15 minutes and then, using your fingers, mix again to combine thoroughly.

Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C Fan/Gas 7. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and, using your fingers or a dessert spoon, drop small mounds of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet to give you 12 bhajis.

Spray with low calorie cooking spray and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and serve immediately sprinkled with the paprika.

Mince Tarts

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I have to admit I have never been a fan of mince pies until I made these little tarts – they are so delicious! A lot of my members love these whenever I make them for group tasters. I like to use Asda’s own make of mincemeat!

Makes: 45

Syns: 2 syns each

Time Taken: 25 minutes, plus chilling and baking

Difficulty: Moderate

Mince Tarts

Ingredients
For the pastry:

  • 225g plain flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 110g margarine or butter
  • Cold water, for mixing

For the filling:

  • 16 level tbsp mincemeat
  • level tbsp icing sugar for dusting (optional, I usually skip it)

Method

Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C Fan/Gas Mark 5. Lightly spray some bun trays with low calorie cooking spray.

Make the pastry. Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Add the fat, cut up into little pieces. Gently rub it in with your fingertips. Add sufficient cold water to mix to a ball that leaves the sides of the bowl clean. Rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Roll out the pastry thinly on a lightly floured surface. Cut out 32 rounds with a 7½cm fluted cutter. Use to line the prepared bun tins.

Divide the mincemeat between the pastry cases. Roll out the remaining pastry trimmings and make some little stars with a small star cutter. Use to decorate the tops of the tarts.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, until the pastry is crisp and lightly coloured. Cool on a wire rack and dust lightly with sifted icing sugar if using.

 

Easy Pasta Sauce

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One of our favourite family meals has to be pasta! We all love it so much. We are quite happy just having plain pasta topped with cheese for a quick meal but on the days we need a sauce this tomato sauce is a saviour. It is super easy to make! You can also add pretty much anything to it if you wish – tuna, chicken, mince etc.

Serves: 4

Syns: FREE

Time Taken: 10 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Easy Pasta Sauce Ingredients

Easy Pasta Sauce Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 1 tub of passata
  • 1 tsp garlic granules
  • 1 tsp onion granules
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
  • 1 tbsp dried basil
  • 1 stock cube or 2 Maggie seasoning cubes
  • Seasoning to taste

Method

In a pan pour out the passata and add all the rest of the ingredients and heat through thoroughly for about 5-8 minutes. Once heated through, you can add any chicken/tuna/veg you may be using and cook till it is done. And that is it! How simple is that?