Getting Saucy

One of the first things I learned to cook with my Mum was lasagne. Admittedly, she would make the bolognese and the bechamel sauce...my role in the dish was the assembly job.  The preparation time involved made you appreciate the meaty creamy layers when you finally took it out of the oven. Obviously the flour based sauce, full fat cheese and mince certainly helped me build some layers of my own!

Luckily,on Extra Easy we have quark. It's syn free, so beaten with some eggs and a Healthy A portion of grated reduced fat cheddar you can feel a little more relaxed about the creamy topping on your lasagne. There's no need to worry about the sauce going lumpy in the saucepan....you don't even need to cook quark white sauce just pour it over the top before cooking in the oven as usual. With extra lean meat, plenty of mushrooms, peppers and onions, pasta or potato layers..you can tuck in to a large plateful.

The same principle is used in the featured recipe on the Slimming World site - Moussaka. I am trying that tonight after several friends have recommended it. Essentially its very similar to a lasagne. The key differences are the use of aubergines instead of pasta, quorn or lamb instead of beef mince to which cinnamon is added rather than basil or oregano.  Both of these dishes keep well in the fridge or freezer for ready meals so make a large batch.

Note: I follow Extra Easy and for simplicity don't reference Green and Red days a great deal here!

A syn-free pizza the action!

If you are anything like me, one of the big eye-openers when I started Slimming World was the fact that pizza, was not just a little bit high in syns...it could take up your syns for a week or more if you managed a whole one!! I was a big fan of thin crust pepperoni pizzas with a side of garlic bread before I read the syn count during my first week on the plan eight years ago. Even so, to this day, I see the takeaway pizza adverts on TV during football matches or films and really have to reign in the urge to pick up the phone.

Imagine my joy then, when I discovered the syn free pizza (you read it correctly - syn free!). This is a great recipe for those nights when there are just a few bits of salad/veg in the fridge and some cheese (I use a Healthy A allowance of reduced fat grated mozzarella for this). If you make sure you have a stock of instant mash in your store cupboard, you can always use up the leftovers on days when you a low on supplies. If you have some syns left you could add the usual favourites like pepperoni to add extra flavour. For the tomato base I often use a tablespoon or two of salsa (0.5 syns per tablespoon), but you could use tomato ketchup (1 syn for tablespoon) or passata (syn free). I find that smaller pizzas work best. You need to de-seed any tomatoes used as they give off water and make the base soggy. Serve with Syn free chips or a 57g wholemeal bread roll, sprayed with buttery frylight, sprinkled with lazy garlic and toasted under the grill.

Syn free toppings - These are just a few examples:
Peppers
Onion
Mushroom
Tuna
Sweetcorn
Diced chicken
Egg
Jalapenos
Mince
Bacon
Basil
Oregano
Assorted cheeses

Share your experiences of using this recipe..or others to create tasty pizzas. Which are the best lower syn supermarket pizzas? Add your thoughts in the comments. You can find branded takeaway and restaurant pizza values in the Food Directory or in the basic product search in Syns Online.


Note: I follow Extra Easy and for simplicity don't reference Green and Red days a great deal here!

Ordering Chinese in for Friday night?

Don't panic. It doesn't mean going off plan! I often get the craving for a chinese takeaway whether its eating out or ordering in. I've edited our copy of the local chinese menu with Syn Values from my Food Directory book to help me make choices quickly. You can buy a Food Directory in class. There is also an excellent article on Chinese takeaway syn values on the SW website.

Your new Slimming World Take-out/ Eat-out Chinese feasts menu for 15 syns or less (based on average takeaway portions):

Low Syn Set Meal A!
BBQ Spare Ribs (8.5 syns)
Chicken Chop Suey (5.5 syns)
Boiled Rice (Free)
Total  14 syns

Low Syn Set Meal B!
Hot and Sour Soup (5 syns)
King Prawns with Ginger and Spring Onion (5 syns)
Egg Fried Rice (4 syns)
Total 14 syns


Super Low Syn Set Meal C!
Hot and Sour Soup (5 syns)
Beef with mushrooms (4.5 syns)
Boiled Rice (Free)
Total 9.5 syns


Or go Syn free!!!!

Stay in and follow recipes from the Slimming World website or other websites. Here are a few good recipes I have tracked down:

Syn Free Chicken and Sweetcorn soup on Minimins
Syn Free Sweet and Sour Chicken again on Minimins
Syn Free Egg Fried Rice on Blogger

So go on...order a 13, a 66 and a 115. You don't have to miss out to be on plan!!

Add your ideas for tasty chinese treats or reveal your favourite low syn choices for takeaways in the comments.

Note: I follow Extra Easy and for simplicity don't reference Green and Red days a great deal here!

Breakfast like a king...

I don't mean Elvis style..no burgers for breakfast please! I was just enjoying my breakfast and thought it would be worth passing on my favourite wake-up food!

Think you're in too much of a hurry for breakfast? Try putting an egg in a mug (optionally whisking it with a fork) and microwaving for 40 -60 seconds. Instant poached or scrambled egg. Serve it on a slice of brown toast from a 400g loaf and add salmon trimmings from the fridge. Pretty posh nosh!

Hard boil some eggs whilst cooking your evening meal, put them in the fridge and slice them into egg sarnies in the morning with ketchup or tomatoes (1 syn for a level tablespoon).

Not an egg fan? Take your Healthy B Ryvitas, slap on some Healthy A Extra Light Laughing Cow Triangles and slices of banana. Sprinkle with cinnamon and enjoy!

If you have a bit more time try the Syn free breakfast tortilla!

Let me know your favourite breakfasts in the comments.

Note: I follow Extra Easy and for simplicity don't reference Green and Red days a great deal here!

I'm hungry

Many people think being on a diet means being hungry. Slimming World is about being full and satisfied without being over stuffed. There are tons of ways to approach hunger pangs. Make sure you are eating enough often enough and don't ignore hunger. It doesn't help sustainable weight losses.

If your meals aren't satisfying, try adding more free foods making sure you balance them with fruit or veg (third of your plate on extra easy). Meats can be much more filling than carbohydrates so try having a little more. Once you have checked your meals are satisfying and frequent enough, it might be worth looking at your snacks. I keep syn free goodies in the fridge that are also great to take in a lunch box.

Fridge goodies:

• Hard boiled eggs (they last 4 days)
• Cooked syn free sausages:

Syn Free Sausage suppliers:

Chapman's Butchers Martham

Joe's Butcher's Southport - Free delivery available on 16+ packs

Hazel's Butchers, Norwich

More..

• Leftover meats/ham
• Mullerlights
• Cottage Cheese
• Using your healthy extras - cheese triangles or your daily allowance diced into cubes
• Cherry toms or sticks of veg
• Cook a syn free quiche and have pieces in a box in the fridge
• Jars of pickles

On the move - keep Hi-Fi bars, Ryvita minis or other cereal bars allowed on your healthy B choice in the car or in your bag.

Be sure to post your fridge favourites and snack ideas in the comments! Also add your favourite Syn Free sausage suppliers too.

Note: I follow Extra Easy and for simplicity don't reference Green and Red days a great deal here!