Some recipes I have come to enjoy.

I have tried a few things over the past months that I enjoyed. Some I did was really not nice and others I changed a little. There is a few that I just kinda stuck stuff together and enjoyed and some only I will eat. It is really a thing of try and try again. You will never really know if you like it till you try it.

SW Chips
It really is a thing of try and try again. Every one has a different taste for them and some make it different. Personally I can't be asked to peal potatoes every time I want to make chips so I don't. I cut them up in chips,  spray the oven pan with Fry Light. Put the chips in the pan Spray Fry Light over sprinkle salt and put it in the oven on about 200ºC. You need to stick around the kitchen to check on them or they will burn, but around 15min and turn them and 15min again. If they have gone golden brown then they should be ready but another way to check is to squeeze it between your fingers if they are soft then it is done if it is not then leave them for longer.
I also do my roast potato and wedges the same way.  Some par boil there potato before they put it in the oven I even some times do it and yes some times I even peal the potatoes before hand, lol. It is some thing you need to figure out for your own taste buds.

Baked Potato
KISS - Keep it simple stupid... I have to say I would go as far as making this a life motto. Why make things hard for your self. A cleaned potato, cut a cross on the top about half way down (don't cut right the way down) stick in the microwave on a plate. Depending on how many potatoes you do at a time would very the time, but for 2 nice size potatoes I would do it on high for 4½min then turn them over and do another 4½min. Obviously you would need to check if it is soft so stick a sharp knife in it to see. When it is done then you push down on the previously cut cross to open it up. Easy Peasy. Toppings would be your choice.

Sautéed Potatoes
This is one of my fav's for breakfast when I don't want to use a HEB. The first time I had it this way was at Frankie and Benny's, I loved it so tried it for my self. Again KISS is key so here it goes. Take a Zip lock clear bag add salt and herbs. Cut the potatoes in cubes, again cba to peal them, Add them to the bag and give it a good shake to coat them in the herb mix. Add a teaspoon of water and zip lock it. Stick it in the microwave on high for around 8 - 10 min. They should still be a little hard when done.  They should dry out a bit before adding it to Fry Light sprayed pan. Sauté in pan till golden and there you have it.

This is an example of what it looks like going into the micro.

Potato Tortilla
Another easy one to fill the tummy. This is one to add scraps in to. Follow the instructions from Sautéed potatoes till it comes out the micro. Then add it to an oven dish sprayed with Fry Light. In a pan you fry some onion peppers mushrooms and what ever else you wanna add. I would add chopped up ham or bacon etc if I have it in the house.

Pour over the potato , then crack 6 - 8 eggs over it. Use a fork to stir it roughly and pop it in the oven on 200ºC till it is set and golden brown. Let it cool down and cut into squares. You can have these as snacks or with a salad for lunch.

Really Easy Sauce
This is probably a base sauce for everything I do. Some times money is tight so you could have this in the freezer and it is really simple to make.
I always keep a bag of frozen chopped onion and a frozen bag of peppers in the freezer. In a pan fry up a hand full of onion and a hand full of peppers, add some sliced mushrooms even maybe some frozen sweetcorn. Add a can of chopped tomato and half a carton of passata. Salt and pepper to taste and a little sweetener. Simmer in pan till it thickens. Not much to it is there. This can be use as a topping for baked potato, a relish over chips or Pasta sauce mix. The pasta can even be left to cool down as a salad.

SW Quiche
I have made this a few different ways already but kinda stick to only two, ham or bacon. In an oven dish sprayed with Fry Light add some diced onion, chopped peppers, chopped tomato, ham or bacon, sliced mushroom and what ever else you want. In  a bowl beat 6 eggs and a tub of cottage cheese together add some salt and pepper and pour over the mixture in the oven dish. Put it in the oven at 180ºC for 45min to an hour. When it has set and golden brown it is ready, take it out and leave to cool down. Cut in squares and serve with salad or as breakfast or even as a snack.

12 Speed Soup
One for the freezer, good for when it is cold and even as a quick meal.
Shopping list: 1 can mixed bean salad, 1 can green lentils, 2 cans chopped tomatoes, 1 can bake beans, handful of split lentils, 2 large leeks, 1 large onion, 4 medium carrots, 2 parsnips, green, red and yellow pepper, 2 beef stock cubes, salt, pepper, mixed herbs and enough water to cover all the ingrediants. Chop and put all veg in a pot or slow cooker. Add everything else and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer till soft. This can be left chunky or you can blend it, I have come to a conclusion that I don't blend it before hand. I personally don't like it blended but my eldest prefers it all mushed together. However when I freeze the lot I inveitably end up with the blended one.

Syn Free Pancakes
Now who wouldn't want pancakes...Try these for a different breakfast. 1 Egg separated, whisk the egg whites into soft peaks and add sweetener to taste. In a separate bowl mix the egg yellow with a few drops of vanilla essence and optional add sprinkle of nutmeg. Fold the yellow mix into the white mix trying to keep the air bubbles in. Heat a pan with Fry Light then spoon mixture into small mounds in to the pan. Once golden brown turn it over. Yes I know it looks like meringue at first but it does flatten in to a pancake. Serve it with fruit and Fat free yoghurt. My kids like these as well so I don't feel so guilty for making them.

Diet Coke Chicken
Now if you are doing Slimming World no doubt you have heard of this at some point. What's great about it is that you can change it a bit in what ever way. Use the sauce as a basic starting point and work from there. This is what you need: Diced onion, Worcester sauce to taste, 6tbsp passata and 1 can of diet coke. Now since this is diet coke chicken you should use fillet chicken (cut in strips or cubes) but I have used it with pork and beef strips as well. Fry the onion and chicken, add Worcester sauce, passata and diet coke. Simmer on high till thickened (it takes around 20min).
 Just to through the spanner in the works I have also used this for a few other things. When summer started we wanted to BBQ but I didn't want to syn on food so I tried this...Mix the sauce in to a container, add diced chicken and leave over night in fridge. In the morning you can make kebabs with chicken, mushrooms, tomatoes and peppers. stick them on the BBQ they are delish. Kids love'm and so have our friends.


to be continued....