Orange Mousse - 0.5 Syns Each

Apologies for the gap in posting but I've had rough few weeks with unexpected gains and not really made anything new as such. But i'm back! and I have a few new things to post...

Starting with these little Orange Mousses! These work out at 0.5 syns per pot and the flavour can easily be changed. (the recipe I used was for strawberry but silly me didn't realise I had no strawberry jelly crystals!)

Ingredients
1 sugar free Hartleys jelly crystals sachet (1.5 syns)
250g fat free Natural Yoghurt
1 Muller Light

Method
Make up the crystals with 60ml of hot water and stir.
Once mixed add the Natural Yoghurt and the Muller Light and stir thoroughly.
Pour into your pots and pop in the fridge to set

It's that easy!

Obviously I used an Orange Muller because I used orange jelly, but these could easily be changed to suit what you have in!

Slow Cooker Lasagne

So I finally took the plunge and tried this Slow Cooker recipe for Lasagne that can be found here on the Two Chubby Cubs website

I tried a little bit last night and it tastes amazing, I'm excited for tea later. I made it for 4 large portions and it is your A choice (for the Mozzarella) and 1 syn for the extra cheese I sprinkled on top, but if you miss this off then it is just your A choice.
I definitely need to try some more of their recipes because each one I have tried so far I've absolutely loved!

SW Quiche

So I tried making little quiches at the start of my journey and I hated them. I couldn't stand the eggyness or the texture so they all went in the bin... almost 2 years down the line and I know my tastes have changed so I thought i'd make them again using the flavoured cottage cheeses you can now get.

Ingredients
1 small tub of fat free cottage cheese (with sweet chilli & grilled pepper)
6 eggs
Ham (sliced up)
Onions (sliced)
Mushrooms (sliced)
Chopped tomatoes

Method
Fry off mushrooms and onions and place in moulds
Combine eggs with cottage cheese and season
Add ham to moulds
Pour over egg/cheese mix
Add tomatoes to top if wanted
Cook on 180 for 40 mins
As easy as that!>

Cous Cous for Breakfast!

So i've seen a few recipes floating round that use COUS COUS for breakfast instead of Porridge Oats etc, saving your B choice to use for something else! I was a little skeptical about it but figured i'd give it a go and I was pleasantly surprised!

I simply added 100ml of boiling water to 100g of cous cous, added some salted caramel essence as I didn't have any vanilla and left for 5 mins to soak it up. It's as simple as that. You could obviously use different flavourings etc to suit you and I'll definitely be trying others.
I then simply added my muller light and my raspberries.

I made this at 7.45 am using frozen raspberries and ate it at 9.30am so even if you forget to do it the night before it can be thrown together in the morning, I imagine it soaks up a lot more overnight but it was still enjoyable!

Campfire Stew

So i've been doing Slimming World for nearly 2 years now and I still hadn't made the famous Campfire Stew... well now I can tick it off my list! It's a really great, easy slow cooker meal and I would highly recommend it!

Ingredients
1 small gammon or pork joint
1 chopped onion
2 chopped peppers (or I just used some frozen ones)
3 crushed garlic cloves
1 tbsp paprika
2 tins of baked beans
6 tbsp tomato puree
1 chopped red chilli (or tsp or chilli powder)

Method
Place all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours, separate the gammon with forks before serving

All syn free and really filling! Could easily be served on its own or with chips/rice/jacket etc

Italian Chicken And Tomato Soup

So in honour of FREE FOOD FEBRUARY starting this week in group I decided to make this for my first offering! Completely SYN FREE and amazing flavours!

Ingredients

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and grated
2 lean back bacon rashers, all visible fat removed, finely chopped
2 large skinless and boneless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
600g canned chopped tomatoes
400ml chicken stock
1 tbsp chopped rosemary
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

Method

Place the onion, carrots and bacon in a large non-stick saucepan and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
Add the chicken, tomatoes, stock, rosemary and lemon zest and juice.
Bring to the boil, stir, then cover and simmer on a medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Season to taste and serve sprinkled with chopped parsley if you want to.

Salted Caramel Loaf Cake

I have previously posted this recipe but thought it worth re posting as I tried it again but this time doubled up the flour to make it more cake like.

Ingredients:

100g self raising flour
4 eggs
Salted caramel flavouring
1 tbsp Sweetener

 

Method
Separate eggs
Combine the egg yolks, sweetener, salted caramel and flour
Whisk the egg whites into firm peaks
Fold in the egg whites
Cook for approx 25 mins or until golden brown
Enjoy

The whole cake is 16 syns so if you slice it into 8 each slice would be two syns etc. Please adjust syn amount to suit your slices.

Obviously it will never be as amazing as a full fat million syns a slice cake but I think it's a good substitute!

 

Low Syn Treats

Another one of the Photo Challenge pictures for this month is titled 'Low Syn Treats' so I thought i'd pick my top 9.
I've picked ones you can make rather than buy and I will post a link to each recipe.

1. Chocolate Orange Squares - Each piece is 2.5 syns. I haven't made these for ages but I think I need to, just been looking through my camera roll and completely forgot about these little gems!

2. Coconut Macaroons - Admittedly these look more like Meringues but they are still yummy and I love making these, I make them a lot for tasters as they're a huge hit at only 1 syn each!

3. Cinnamon Swirls - Easily one of my favourites. 1 syn each and worth every bit of it!


4. Lemon Cake Pops - These are simply the Lemon Loaf Cake recipe make into cake pops, I find it a lot easier to snack on and you feel like you're eating more!

5. Half A Syn Cake - Admittedly if you're a newbie I think you'll be disappointed with this if you're expecting an incredible Victoria-esque sponge, but if you've been doing the plan a while and struggling with your sweet tooth I think it's definitely a good substitute!

6. Low Syn Chocolate Cake - Similar to the above, they certainly don't put Mary Berry to shame but they're a means to an end and at 10 syns for the WHOLE cake, you can hardly complain!

7. Ombré Jelly Slice - 3 syns for this entire thing. I love it, especially in summer. You can add 1.5 syns for another layer if you like, it's easy enough to experiment with and the flavours can easily be changed!

8. Salted Caramel Loaf Cake - I amended the Lemon Loaf cake recipe and made it into a Salted Caramel one so really I could have posted them together but oh well here goes!

9. Last but not least, the Fake Jelly Sweets - These are 1.5 syns for the whole lot! I ended up portioning them up into 3 so I could sit watching TV and know I was only using half a syn munching on these!

I definitely want to try some new ones, there's probably a heap more that I could have included but I thought i'd just share some old and some new ones that I've found really useful in keeping me on plan!

Speedy Bolognese

I love a good bolognese but I hadn't made one for AGES! My other half makes a great bolognese and it's actually syn free.
Even managed to use my hex a for cheese now that I have my winter spice! I will get the recipe off him at some point...

Sunday Roast

Made a roast today, used my syns on the yorkies and gravy because I didn't have time to make them syn free but it was so yummy. Missed a good Sunday Roast! It's great you can make something like this and choose to be syn free if you like. Definitely need to try the syn free stuffing and yorkies at some point!

Chinese/Indian - Low Syn Fakeaway

The best thing about slimming world takeaway recipes is how easy it is to mix and match. I had an urge to make the onion bhajis but also fancied some mayflower curry.
The onion bhajis are completely syn free and my portion of mayflower curry was 4 syns.

Onion Bhaji Recipe:
Ingredients
Frylight
2 large onions, sliced - I used 1 white, 1 red
2 eggs, beaten
1 sweet potato, peeled then grated
2 tablespoons of curry powder - you decide on the strength I use medium usually

Directions
Slice the onions
Grate the sweet potato
Beat the eggs
In a bowl, mix all the ingredients
Spray a cake tray with frylight
Using your hands, mould the mix into balls and add to the tray
Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown, allow to cool then enjoy

The mayflower curry is 4 syns for 28g of powder, you simply add this to cold water and heat through until mixed, you can have this as thick or watery as you like. I usually just stick it in the slow cooker with the chicken, peas, onions etc and leave for a few hours on low. I made enough to serve 4 and froze whatever wasn't used. EASY!

BBQ Friendly Food

Some of the easiest recipes can make such a difference. I used to spend loads on all these flavoured chicken drumsticks and thighs etc so I didn't have to do it myself. I made these syn free skewers to pop on my friends BBQ so we could both stay on plan, the burger is a SW one from iceland but you can easily make your own. 

I combined some syn free natural yoghurt with some tandoori powder and the juice of 1 lime, then cut up the chicken breasts and mixed together. Left to marinate for about an hour (the longer the better, overnight if possible) and then put them all on skewers. Normally I would add peppers/onions etc to the skewers but as it was last minute I hadn't been shopping. Then simply cooked on the BBQ and they were lovely, even my other half loves them!

Everyone Loves Cake!

So Saturday night was awesome. My friend made a sin free lasagne and I loved it! I then made some more of this salted caramel cake as well as a chocolate orange version so we could both keep on track! I even took my own measured milk so I didn't go over!

Hunters Chicken

I got a steamer off a friend so attempted to make hunters chicken and it was amazing. Just didn't add the cheese as didn't have enough syns and I'd had my hex A. 

Made the sauce using the SW recipe online and popped it all in the steamer to cook itself. So easy and completely Syn free!

 

Speed Soup

Exactly what it says on the tin. Quick to make, quick to eat. Keeps you full and it tastes just like Heinz Tomato Soup but with a lot more flavour!

Key Lime Cheesecake

Ingredients

1 x sugar free lime jelly crystals - 1.5 syns

8 x digestive biscuits - 3.5 syns each (28 syns) 

350ml fat free vanilla yoghurt - syn free

250ml quark - syn free

2 limes - syn free

3 tbsp sweetener - syn free

2 tsp powdered gelatine

Method

Break up digestive biscuits into crumbs and heat over a low heat until they damp then fill the bottom of your tin using a flat surface of a spoon etc to press into the corners and make sure it is level. 

Put in fridge whilst continuing with the rest. 

Make up lime jelly as per the instruction and leave to cool. 

Grate the zest of 1 lime and put to the side, juice both limes and also leave to the side. 

Once jelly has cooled (but not set) add the yogurt, quark, gelatine, sweetener and lime juice then mix until smooth. 

Pour over biscuit base (I hadn't set mine well enough so bits actually set in the jelly part too). Sprinkle some of the zest on top then put in fridge to set (overnight if possible) then sprinkle more zest for decoration if you like.

The whole thing is 29.5 syns so I was classing it as 3 per portion based on it serving 10 people.

Please make sure you check syns on what you're using, my syn value above is based on the syn values listed in the ingredients, different brands may vary.

Enjoy! 

All I ask if that if you use any of my recipes on your own blog/social media, please can you link back & give credit to mine. Many thanks!

Schwartz Curry Sachets

Sometimes it's good to have a low syn sachet you can use and not have to rely on making your own curries etc. 

This was super easy to do in the slow cooker which is perfect when you don't have much time. 

5.5 syns for the sachet, packet full of speed veg and chicken. Serves 4 so just under 1.5 syns per portion :)

Chocolate Orange Squares

Apologies for the lack of posting, I batch cooked a few things last weekend so I haven't really had any new recipes to post about. SO! Here's an oldie that I love, and I definitely need to make again soon...

4 eggs, separated
50g caster sugar
5 tbsp artificial sweetener
150g self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp finely grated orange zest
Juice of 2 oranges
120g Kraft chocolate Philadelphia
Tin of mandarin oranges (drained of syrup)


Method
Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C Fan/Gas 5. Line a cake tin with non-stick baking parchment, approximately 24cm x 17cm.

Place the egg yolks, caster sugar, sweetener, self raising flour, baking powder, orange zest and juice in a bowl and whisk until thick and pale.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until softly peaked then fold them into the egg yolk mixture.

Spoon this mixture into the prepared cake tin and cook in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the cake has risen and is firm to touch. Leave to cool.

Warm the chocolate Philadelphia in the microwave for a few seconds, then turn the cake upside down, remove the baking parchment and spread the chocolate Philadelphia over the top.

Cut into 24 pieces and place a mandarin orange segment on the top of each square.


Taken from the Slimming World website.

One Square is 2.5 syns!

KFC Fakeaway - Smash

Recipe for KFC Chicken: 

2 large chicken breasts (or cuts of chicken of your choice) 
4 tablespoons of smash
1 teaspoon oregano 
1 teaspoon chilli powder 
1 teaspoon ground sage 
1 teaspoon basil 
1 teasppon pepper 
2 teaspoons salt 
2 teaspoons paprika 
1 teaspoon garlic powder 
1 teaspoon garlic salt 
2 eggs 

Method: 
Slice the chicken breasts into mini fillets or to the size of your liking 
Put smash into a bowl and add all of the seasonings and mix until everything is blended together to create your coating. 
Crack the eggs and mix together.  
The chicken needs to be dipped in the egg and then to the smash mixture and repeated to get an even coating. 
Bake the chicken in the oven for 20-25 mins on a medium heat, until cooked through.  
Cut one of the thickest bits to make sure it is cooked in the middle. 
Enjoy  Recipe for the gravy:

2 Chicken OXO Cubes
2 Knorr Stock Pots
Garlic Salt
Black Pepper
Boiling Water

Method:

Add ingredients to pan
Add boling water a little at a time until you reach a consistency you're happy with
Taste test and adjust the Garlic Salt/Pepper until you're happy.
Make sure all ingredients are combined before serving

Sweet Tooth Managed!

Had a major sweet tooth and hadn't had my b choice today so whipped this up. 

Weetabix cake was made by breaking up 2 Weetabix and combining with 2 eggs, vanilla essence and sweetener then baked for 30 mins (turning over half way). 

Then the raspberry purée was made just by heating up the raspberries with a touch of water and sweetener all done in the microwave. The yoghurt was the muller cheesecake lemon one. 

Syns were 1 for the raspberry purée and 1 for the yoghurt. Healthy extra choice for the Weetabix or an extra 6 syns if not. Absolutely delicious!