I’ve already posted about the cauliflower and broccoli soup I make for fast days. It’s a great soup and very filling but I do like a little variety in my soups so here are a few other options at around 50 cals per serving
Mushroom
- 250g chestnut mushrooms
- 2 tsp marigold bouillon powder
- 1 pint water
- Few turns of black pepper
That’s it. Slice the mushrooms, add those stock and water and cook until tender. Remove a few pieces and then blitz the rest. Once smooth add the reserved slices and season with the pepper to taste.
Makes 2 huge portions – 39 cals per serving.
Courgette and Parmesan
- 2 large courgettes
- 2 tsp marigold bouillon powder
- 1 tbsp grated Parmesan
- 1 pint water
- Few turns of black pepper
Cook the courgette in the water and boullion, when tender blitz until smooth add the parmesan and season with pepper to taste.
Makes 2 portions – 46 cals per portion
Curried Butternut Squash
- 200g butternut squash (seeds removed)
- 2 tsp marigold bouillon powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 pint water
- Few turns of black pepper
Cut the squash into chunks no need to remove the skin it’s perfectly edible in soups. Add the curry powder, bouillon, water and coo when tender blitz until smooth add the parmesan and season with pepper to taste.
Makes 2 portions – 55 cals per portion
Basically bouillon powder, veg and a little seasoning is all you need to make soup. You don’t need to cook the veg in oil, add butter, cream or thickening. You can if you like but save it for a feast day 😉 These are all free on Slimming World no matter which plan you follow too.
The butternut squash in this curry gives it a lovely creamy texture whilst the addition of spinach and potatoes adds a lot of bulk meaning that you can cut back a little on the meat.
Ingredients and approximate cost
- 350g diced boneless and skinless chicken or turkey (can be breast or thighs) £3.00
- 1 medium butternut squash (80p)
- 1 red pepper (40p)
- 2 red onions (50p)
- 300g potatoes peeled and cubed (50P)
- 2-4 tsp Garam Masla (or your spice mix of choice)
- 1/2 tsp dried chilis
- Splash of white wine vinegar
- 300g baby spinach leaves (£1)
- Water
- 100g Total 0% Greek Style Yoghurt (or similar) (50P)
Serves 4 large portions – total cost £6.70
Calories per portion 242
The Spice Mix
I use chili, ginger, cardamon, ground coriander, cumin, garam masala, garlic and cinnamon in this recipe. If you don’t have all these available then use Garam Masala (or just a generic curry powder)and add garlic, ginger and cinnamon. I use.
- 2 tsp Garam Masala
- 2 tsp garlic granules
- 1/2 tsp dried chilli
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger (or l a good squirt of lazy ginger or 1/2 inch grated ginger root)
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamon (if I remember, it’s in the garam masala any way)
Mix it all together and put into a dish for use later. If using wet ingredients such as the lazy ginger, mix to form a paste.
Cut the squash in half and deseed – there is no need to peel which is a bonus as they are hell on earth to peel. Spritz with frylight and place on a baking tray, place in a hot (200 degree) oven and roast. After 15 minutes the pepper and onion, these should have been quartered and spray the whole lot again with frylight. Leave for 15 minutes and then turn the oven off but do not remove them.
In the meantime, add your spice mix to a large frying pan or wok and toast slightly to release the flavours, once you start to smell them add the cubed chicken and seal, making sure the meat is well coated in the spices. Add the chicken to a slow cooker and deglaze the pan with a little water to ensure all the flavour of the spices is kept.
Remove the roasted vegetables from the oven and place in a bowl or jug, blitz until smooth with a hand blender adding water as required until it has the consistency of Heinz Tomato soup. In other words it should thickly coat a spoon
Pour over the chicken in the slow cooker, and then add vinegar and the cubed potato. It should be fairly liquid as the potatoes will absorb some of the water and thicken the sauce.
Leave for 2-3 hours checking occasionally to ensure that there is enough liquid.
Just before you are ready to eat stir in the baby leaf spinach as the heat of the curry will cook it, remove from the heat, add the yoghurt and serve.
Slimming World this is free on EE – (serve with rice or wedges/jacket potato) or wholemeal chapatti as an HE
Variations
- this is lovely with fish substituted in place of the chicken but add only for the last hour of cooking
- sweet potato can be used in place of normal potato
- if using normal spinach instead of baby leaf steam it and chop a little before adding
- Green beans make a lovely addition to this as do mushrooms and baby corn if you wanted a totally vegetarian version
Less of a recipe than a list of things that make up a cooked breakfast that are low fat and how to cook them so that they are dieting and Slimming World friendly. The Syn Free Breakfast is one of the major selling points of Slimming World in the UK and with good reason as they are completely delicious. Traditional ones are hugely calorific though but with a few tweaks they can actually be healthy.
The important thing to remember with all low fat cooking is that cooking without fat tends to dry food out. For this reason I advise having things slightly less well done then you may normally prefer, especially meat. Let the natural juices of it provide the moisture not the fat on it or cooked in it. A lot of the flavour is in the fat too and so you need to maximise what is left so removing the juices is also bad from a taste perspective too.
Bacon
I love bacon and lean bacon is free on SW (original and EE) and naturally low in fat. If you have the budget for it then you can buy bacon medallions but otherwise you can simply pick the leanest back bacon available and trim it yourself. I grill it on one side only. Serve it grilled side up and no one sees the underside plus it means it is cooked through without drying out.
Eggs
Scrambled without fat these are free on SW (all plans), so are poached ones and boiled and ones fried without fat. You can use frylight or other lowcal spray oils though. I have silicon rings to hold the eggs in place. Simply heat the pan, place the rings so that they are flat to the bottom, spray with pan and ring with frylight and cook. Without fat to spoon over it does take longer for the white to set so you can try one of these methods. Removed the rings (if using) and then flip over to cook the top. This gives an “over easy” egg that still has a runny yolk. If you prefer the look of “sunny side up” eggs then simply flash them under a hot grill until the white is set but the yolk still yellow.
Mushrooms
These are super free on SW (all plans) and according to SW rules one third of a meal should be super free 🙂 It can be difficult to get mushrooms right. Through trial and error I have come to the conclusion that flat mushrooms are the best. I remove the stalk and then microwave them whole for 2-3 minutes. Once cooked I drain off any liquid, pat dry and fry in the same pan as the eggs with frylight.
Tomatoes
Tinned or fresh they are free on both plans and a great way to add some superfree to a breakfast. You can of course have a slice of melon or other fruit to finish your meal. The fresh ones I season, spray with frylight and grill alongside the bacon.
Beans
Free on Green and EE (can be an HE on Original) these are not superfree though so don’t rely on them as such.
Hashbrowns
Deep fried, crunchy, salty and delicious, but also a bit of a dieting nightmare. However making your own low fat ones is easy enough.
- Coarsely grate potato (and onion if liked) and place in a colander. Add salt and cover with a plate.
- Add a weight to the plate (the can of beans will do just fine) and press to get rid of as much moisture as possible.
- Once you have done this, put the mix into a clean teatowl and squeeze. You want the mix as dry as possible.
- Add a beaten egg to the mix to help it bind (optional it will work without) and then press into mould that have been sprayed with frylight. Small muffin tins, Yorkshire pudding tins etc are perfect.
- Spray the top with frylight and bake in a hot oven (220 c)until golden brown.
These are free but not superfree on EE and Green. You can also make bubble and squeak with leftover mash and veg, or fry sliced leftover new potatoes in frylight to make homefries.
Sausages
Most sausages are filled with fat and filler but there are syn free and low syn ones out there. I am very fortunate in that my local farm shop makes ones that work out to be syn free. Now Syn is a trademark of Slimming World and they only assigne Syn values to branded products. This means that the sausages you buy in a supermarket will be on their database but ones from butcher’s shops will not and they are not permitted to use the phrase “Syn Free” they can be though and entering the nutritional information into the SW Syn Calculator will confirm that.
I believe that Quorn ones and some Linda McCartney ones are low syn or syn free but I am a carnivore and prefer meaty ones. I get mine from here Cannon Hall Farm Shop which are described as Sin Free rather than Syn free. They are delicious but a little dry. Nothing that dipping in an egg won’t sort but I repeat my warning about over cooking things… they are also lovely in a casserole etc. Not cheap at 50p approximately per sausage but they are a quality product made with lean pork and British to boot!
For those calorie counting rather than following Slimming World, this works out at around 350 calories depending on the sausages used 🙂
Of all the comments I get about my food the one thing that stands out is that people think it looks great, really appetising. I am really pleased to hear that as I do take time to make sure my food is presented well as well as tasting good. I am a firm believer that the first bite is taken with the eyes. I like to look at my food, smell it and appreciate it before I even taste it. I shudder when I see the food that some people eat.
It has been made with love or at the very least in the hopes that it will be enjoyed. Time has been taken preparing it so why just throw it on a plate any old how in a big unappetising looking lump. Yes it will rprbably taste the same but will it be enjoyed as much? I don’t think it is. I certainly wouldn’t. For a start I am actually quite fussy about what I eat and I want to decide what will mix and how. I like a bit of seperation on my plate with each component clearly defined. That may make me odd but I don’t care. This is not workhouse gruel slopped into a bowl. Food is not just about keeping you alive.
I know that there are people out there that genuinely don’t care, they may even eat food directly from the pan or even the can but I’m not one of them. I also like to sit at the table when I eat rather than in front of the TV. I like the rituals surrounding food as much as I like food. Table manners, using the correct silverware, napkins etc fill my heart with joy. I also much prefer plain white plates and dishes. Patterned ones distract from the food and look messy. This once again is my opinion. I also prefer the plates to be oval. Daft isn’t it? Oh and don’t get me started on my collection of types of glasses which must be used for specific drinks… *weep*
Finally and the reason for this post, the reason I like to arrange and present food is because you can make it look like there is a lot more on the plate. This is especially vital when you are fasting. Sitting down to a small plate of food look depressing and psychologically you feel as though you will not be full. Spread it out with nice presentation and the plate looks fuller and you actually feel fuller at the end. Expectations are really important if you expect a meal to satisfy you then it probably will, if you expect it to leave you hungry, well the same applies.
This recipe helps to bulk out a meal in every sense of the word. It also tastes good. Crispy “seaweed” as sold in many Chinese restaurants is in fact Spring Greens finely shredded, deep fried and seasoned. This one is much the same but without the calories.
Ingredients and approximate cost
1/2 pack of Spring Greens finely shredded (50p)
Frylight or oil from a mister
Tsp course Salt
1/2 Tsp Sweetener or soft brown sugar
Pre-heat the oven as high as it will go, arrange the shredded cabbage onto a couple of baking trays making sure it is thinly spread. Spray with frylight, sprinkle with salt and place in the over for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes the edges will have dried out and turned slightly brown. Move it around so that the browner bits are in the middle and the green on the outside. Continue to cook and stir checking regularly until most of it is crisp but do not burn.
Removed from the oven, sprinkle with sweetener/sugar and stir again. Serve immediately.
Serves 4 total cost 50p. Calories per portion 35 per 100g raw cabbage if using sweetener
Ready for the oven
Variations
- use Kale or Savoy cabbage if preferred
- sprinkle with 5 spice powder if liked once cooked
- I love this served with fish or with a stir fry
Slimming World
Syn Free on all plans if you use sweetener.
Serves as part of a 300 calorie meal
Look at the picture above, can you imagine how small and unfulfilling this meal would be without the seaweed? The corn is also on the cob so there is maybe 2 tablespoons of actual corn kernels but much more fun to eat. It looks (and is) a proper plate full of food. A meal rather than a snack. It was also delicious.
This week’s cool gadget is a leetle more expensive than last week’s. Ok a LOT more expensive. It’s an Actifry. These are the near magical contraptions that cook chips and roast potatoes with little effort and a tiny amount of oil
The Actifry
It’s not the only air fryer on the market but it’s the only one that I have. If people want to send me other makes I will happily try them out and blog about them 🙂
The are expensive. Mine was around £50 and I bought it second hand. It’s very much an investment buy for me though as it means I don’t have to turn on the over whenever I want chips/wedges/roast potatoes. Of course if the oven is already on then I use it but having something that sits on the counter top and does not require any attention is fantastic. I don’t have to turn them part way through, I don’t have to move the brown ones from the outside of the tray and replace them with the anaemic ones in the middle. Even with a fan when I am making oven cooked slimming world style chips this happens.
With an actifry the potatoes are moving constantly giving a very even finish. It also means that any herbs/spices/seasoning you add is also evenly distributed and not in clumps on some. In addition you cannot pile up chips in the oven you have to spread them out thinly on baking sheets and this takes up quite a lot of space. If you do have the oven on for other reasons you are forever playing Tetris with hot trays trying to get everything to fit in.
I am firmly sold on mine now and use it at least twice per week. The crucial test came the other day when I did have the oven on and did have room for one tray of potatoes. However one is not enough so I decided to do that tray plus a load in the actifry. We then did a taste test. The actifry cooked ones won hands down, despite being almost identical in appearance the texture and taste was just better.
You can also add Frylight or other spray oils instead of the tiny amount of real oil and it works pretty much as well although they are nicer if you use oil and it’s only 1 tsp or thereabouts to cook 1.2kg of potatoes which easily serves 4 people.
I’m not sure if I would pay full price for one but I am more than happy with mine. It is quite bulky, fortunately I have room for it but it is something to consider if you are thinking of buying one.
Top tips
- Par-boiling really does not make any difference to the end result but can cut time, I’d prefer just to cut them smaller
- Just before they are cooked stop the actifry and add salt, then let the actfry ensure that they are all coated and delicious.
- Granualted garlic added to the potatoes at the start makes them taste wonderful and adds texture.
- Add garlic, ground cumin, chili and ground coriander for Tex-mex wedges or try with sweet potato for a twist
- Small cubes of potato with garma masala or any curry powder are absolutely delicious serves with a curry.
- Do not overload the actifry. There is a weight limit and for a reason the blade on it is fairly robust but they do break
On the left dry roasted potatoes, on the right actifry ones
Actifry skinny fries with steak
Spiced potatoes with chicken tikka
I am planning ahead and finalising the menu for tomorrow’s fast day. Once again soup is the lunchtime meal as it is cheap, filling, perfect for the weather at the moment and can be very low in calories.
This is possibly the easiest and quickest soup I have ever made and is insanely low in calories given how good it tastes.
Ingredients and approximate cost
One cauliflower (£1.00)
600g broccoli (£1.50)
4 tsp marigold bouillon powder (£0.40)
500ml water
Salt and pepper to taste
That’s it. Just bang it all into a pan, cook until the veg is tender an blitz. No cream or potato is needed. It tastes and looks as though it has masses of ingredients but nope just those. You can reduce or add more water as required. Simple but very filling and very tasty.
Serves 4 (large portions) total cost £2.90 calories per portion 55
Variations
- use the stalks, leaves and everything as its liquidised it does not matter
- Add leek if liked
- You can make this with just cauliflower and substitute half of the bouillon for curry powder for a spicier option
- Add a dash of low fat cheese or quark if you want something creamier – I recommend Laughing Cow light blue as they are delicious and only 25 calories
Slimming World
Syn Free on all plans
Middle Class Value 