Plum Clafoutis

Serves: 8
Syn's per serving: 2 on EE

300g Plums cored (4½syn's)
3 tbsp Flour (10½ syn's)
4 eggs
7 tbsp Sweetener
2tsp Vanilla Extract
500g Fromage Frais
½ tsp Cinnamon

Preheat oven at 200º. Beat eggs and sweetener together. Add Extract, fromage frais and flour. Mix well and add cinnamon. Cut up plums and place at the bottom of the baking pan. Pour mixture in baking pan and bake in oven for 40min. Serve warm.

Cous Cous Quiche.

I have said before I make this a few different ways but gave this ago after someone else made it in group.

In an oven dish sprayed with Fry Light add some diced onion, chopped peppers, chopped tomato,  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. I then add a handful of couscous (and a tsp of curry powder). Pour the mixture over the veg layers 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 even as a snack.

Happy days.

½ Syn Cake.

Some one gave this ago and posted it on there Facebook so had to give it ago myself.

4 eggs separated whites whisked till stiff. Mix yolks with ½ tub of Quark,  4 tbsp of sweetener (or to taste) 1tsp of Baking Powder (½ syn) and 1 tsp of vanilla extract (I added 2). Fold in the egg whites and pour into baking tin. In the oven for 30min on 180º .

When it comes out it will be puffed up pretty high and as it cools it will sink down, this is normal don't worry.  Mix the other ½ of the tub of quark with 2 tbsp of sweetener (or to taste) and pile this on top of the cake with selection of fruit.

                                                                  Enjoy it guilt free.

Quick and easy Curry Sauce

Everyone has been talking about this in group so eventually I had to give it go. Mind you the only reason I hadn't was because hubby doesn't eat peas, so I didn't share that bit with him lol.

Quick & Easy Curry Sauce

In a pan fry some chopped onion with frylight, add a can of chopped tomato, can of mushy peas and can of baked beans in tomato sauce. Heat it slowly and add salt and pepper to taste, teaspoon of hot curry powder (or mild I suppose) and I add teaspoon of turmeric as well to make it go yellow. I use my stick blender just to mush it up a bit so hubby can't see the peas in it, that would be up to you I suppose.

I have used the sauce over Jacket potato and with wedges or chips. The other night I added chicken and veg and even the kids loved it. The one day I had left from lunch and every one else had pizza or something so I added a bit of white fish, crab sticks and veg to make a seafood curry, was yummmmmm.


Will add picture when I make it again...

Savory Pancakes / Breads

I came upon this one the other day by mistake but have to say really enjoyed it. It has grown a little and reminds my hubby a bit of french toast, so I suppose it could be used in that way to. I made it in place of pancakes and then instead of bread with my soup this evening. (Keeping my HEB for my Alpin bars lol)

Really easy to do. In a seal able container add about a hand full of couscous. Top with boiling water just till it is covered and seal for 10min. Open it for a further 5min so it can dry and then mix in some salt and curry (optional) or what ever you would like. Beat 3 eggs and add to couscous.

Mini pancake size

Brown on both sides

In a hot pan sprayed with fry light pour some of the mixture to make small mini pancakes. Turn over till both sides has browned and serve hot.

Breakfast-Savory cake with fruit as super free

Reckon this would be good with a curry as well. Hope you enjoy.

Curry Cake with a bowl of Tomato veg soup...yumm

Chocolate Baked Rice Pudding

Being from SA I do miss my traditional Sago pudding. I have not managed to find the same thing here and most people eat rice pudding. I can't however say that I like it. I have tried the recipe that SW gives us but it just was not nice to me.

I decided to try make my own thing. I was in desperate need to get a chocolate fix and for that matter wanted to have a pudding of my own when the rest of my family had there's.

So baked Rice Pudding was born.
Serves 4 for ½syn each.

Add 1 Cup of rice mixed with a Mint Chocolate Options (1½ syn's) and 350ml of Boiling Water in a microwave safe bowl. Put it in the microwave for 10min on high. Give it a stir and if you need more boiling water then add some. Just remember that all the water needs to have been absorbed by the end. Back in the micro for a further 5min and let it cool.
Add 2 tsp of Vanilla Extract and Sweetener to taste. Mix in 2 eggs and 6 to 8 heaped tbsp of Framge Frais.
Spray fry light in a smallish Pyrex dish and pour mixture in to it. Bake in oven for 40min or so at 180º

Serve warm or cold with a Custard and Banana Muller light (1syn). The Muller you could share between 2 so in that case it would be 1 syn per serving. Yummmmmm. Better photo to follow

I will try get better picture next time I make it.

Totally syn free Pannacotta

Was looking for something as a dessert cause my family like to have an ice cream or mouse after there supper. Looking in my books I found this one in the Four Seasons Cookbook.

Serves 4 and is syn free (yeaahhhh)
200g Quark
5tbsp Sweetener
1tsp Vanilla extract (I used 2)
400g Vanilla yogurt (I used the onken fat free one)
1 10g sachet Gelatine
1 egg White

Whisk the quark, sweetener, extract and yogurt in a bowl until smooth.
Place 2 tbsp boiling water in a small bowl and sprinkle gelatine on it. Stir till dissolved and let it cool. Whisk it into the yogurt mixture.
Beat the egg white until peaks form and gently fold it into the yogurt mixture.
Pour into 4 moulds and chill in fridge for 3-4 hours till set.
When ready dip moulds into hot water to unmould onto plates. serve with fruit.

I don't have nice mould but just used a normal bowl

Meatball Stoup

6 servings
1.5 syn's per serving

This was a recipe that I use to make a few years ago. I saw it on Rachel Ray's show and had to try it myself. We really enjoyed it but I have not made it in a really long time.
With wanting to change it up a bit in the kitchen I decided to look at it again. Made a few changes and and ta ta Meatball Stoup Slimming World way.

Thinner than a stew, but thicker than a soup...it's a stoup! Add peppers, mushrooms and even zucchini to make it more super speed. Add them at the same time as the onion and serve with a salad.

fry light for frying
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 large onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1 carton passata (500g)
2 cans chopped tomatoes
1 quart chicken stock
750g Extra lean mince
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Flat leave parsley, finely chopped
1 egg
½ cup couscous
40g Grated Italian Hard cheese ~ optional (syn's 40g = 9.5.)
Salt and Pepper to taste (I add some chilly as well)
Spaghetti broken in half enough for 6

In a soup pot fry the garlic, onion and bay leaf add carrots and sauté for 5min or until softened. Season with salt and pepper and then add the passata, chopped tomatoes and chicken stock. Cover and bring to a boil.

Place the mince in a bowl and add the Worcestershire sauce, parsley,egg, couscous, cheese, salt and pepper. After thoroughly combining everything with your hands. Roll mixture into small balls and drop into the soup pot.

Leave to simmer for 10min stir in the spaghetti and leave for further 10 min. Season to taste and serve with cheese as topping for syn's.
If stoup gets to thick just add boiling water to thin it out a bit.
If stoup gets too thick, just add boiling water.

I didn't use the cheese as did not want to use the syn's but that would be up to personal preference. It is definitely nicer with it.

Meatball Stoup

Lazy Cook

If there is one thing I am it is a lazy cook most days. Don't get me wrong I love food and love preparing big extravagant meals, but most days I really cba.

This morning I made myself a cooked breakfast, while doing dishes and cleaning the kitchen, it was that easy.

Fromelet

Fromelet with cottage cheese

Remember I said I keep the frozen bags of diced onion and peppers in freezer, yes that's right take them out. In a pan with Fry light add your onion, peppers and some mushrooms. What ever you fancy really. I added sweetcorn and chopped tomato to it. Fry that till browned then add 3 eggs, mix it in and leave it to set for a bit. Stick under the grill till golden on top and serve with some cottage cheese. Yumm. Like I said fromelet, not really and omelet but not quite a frittata.

Scrambled eggs

Who likes scrambled eggs? Who likes cleaning the pan after?. Not me, I hate it especially when the hubby makes it... I had a friend teach me this one, was really impressed by it and use this method often. Crack open your eggs in a large microwave dish. Add your salt and pepper and beat it up with a fork. Pop it in the microwave for about minute and a half and give it a stir. Keep doing this till 70% cooked then leave in the micro for few min, it will carry on cooking. There you have it, break it up a bit and dish over your toast. Done. Doesn't take more than 5 min and no pan to scrub. One happy me.

Ok so you have previously seen that I talked about making potato in the oven and even the pasta and rice. Talk about lazy cooking, lol. I tried making paella the other day and had to improvise a little so here is my suggestion for easy paella...

Paella

Firstly I took 2 veg stock cubes and dissolved it in 400ml of boiling water. Added this to a 350g of rice and popped it in the microwave covered with cling wrap for 15min, don't forget large bowl for rice. By the way the first time I tried this, I cooked the rice in the pan like they said and still had hard bits in it at the end, just shows you I can not do rice on the stove lol. Right in a pan with Fry light fry some onion, peppers and mushrooms. Then add a can of chopped tomatoes.and let it simmer. when the rice is done add the whole lot to the pan and give it a good mix. Add some veg, like beans peas and carrots and give it another mix. Add some prawns and some crab or mussels etc. The last lot I made I had a packet of prawns from ASDA and a can of minced crab and it was delish. I really enjoyed it.

The best thing in my day is when asking my girls "what do you want for supper tonight" and they reply "ghetti and meatballs" dead easy. A can each of spaghetti in tomato sauce and meatballs and couple of slices of toast. That easy then I am only left with what to feed myself. Well tonight it was mixed veg for a starter and sw chips with my own brew over it.

Tomato relish sauce - my style

Remember that frozen bag of onion, peppers and mushrooms, bring them out. In a pan add a handfuls of each and brown it up. Add a can of chopped tomato and couple of tables spoons of passata and season to taste. Add some sweetcorn, Worcester sauce and a can of diet lemonade/coke. Let it simmer till it thickens up. There you have it pour over your sw chips and yummm.

to be continued...

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....