Erm's Photo Diary

[ermintrude]

Mmmm yum your jerk looks lovely. I suppose the syns would be negligible as you're only spreading it over? I am planning on having an Ermintrude week lol.

It worked out at 2 syns for the whole recipe (for the 2tsp sugar), which made 3 kebabs.

 

[ermintrude]

Can I be really cheeky again??? What is that lentil salad thing you have done on page 1? Looks lovely. I have a bag of green lentils that need using up. xx

That's an adaptation of a Delia thing. Best to use whole or Puy lentils if you can, but if you use split lentils be careful not to let them go soggy, they'll only need a few minutes.

This is the recipe for Puy lentils:

150g Puy lentils
1 small red onion, finely sliced
2 medium cloves garlic, crushed
About 20 basil leaves, chopped
1 bay leaf

For the dressing:
1 - 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 rounded tsp powdered mustard
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil (4 syns but serves about 3)
freshly ground black pepper

Put lentils and bay leaf in twice their volume of water, cover and simmer for 20-25min or until tender and all water gone.
Meanwhile cook onion & garlic in Fry Light for 5-10min until starting to soften
Crush garlic and salt in a pestle & mortar until creamy
Add mustard and work that in
Add balsamic vinegar and whisk it in
Add oil and freshly ground black pepper and mix well
When lentils are cooked mix them with the onion & garlic, basil leaves and dressing. Best served warm or at room temp.

 

[ermintrude]

Here's today's diary:

Sunday 17th: Green
Breakfast: coffee and fruit (1 HEXA)
Lunch: Salad, cheese & jalapeno wrap with mixed veggies and Quorn slices (5 syns for wrap, HEXA for cheese)
Tea: SW Puy lentil & halloumi salad (1HEXB for Halloumi) with tenderstem and green salad
Snacks: Apples, satsumas, 1 Mullerlight cheesecake (1 syn)

 

[Roziee]

Hey, what wraps do you use? X

 

[chun-ky]

WOW!!! Your food looks amazing. x

 

[ermintrude]

Hey, what wraps do you use? X

Weight Watchers wraps, 5 syns each, but they're only small. Thats why I wrap them in cling film, cos I cant stuff enough in them and keep them shut otherwise Apparently the Mission Deli Mini Wraps are only 5 too (but are the same size), but I havent managed to find any yet.

 

[craftylucyloo]

Thank you sweetie for the recipe. I will def try it. Xx

 

[craftylucyloo]

Been to the shops and bought Harissa paste - could only find tescos own. Also got the jalapeno peppers and the mixed pickle! Going to have a lot of fun experimenting. Could you put a bit of that harissa paste into cous cous do you think? Oh I bought some of those Peppadew peppers too. xx

 

[ermintrude]

Been to the shops and bought Harissa paste - could only find tescos own. Also got the jalapeno peppers and the mixed pickle! Going to have a lot of fun experimenting. Could you put a bit of that harissa paste into cous cous do you think? Oh I bought some of those Peppadew peppers too. xx

Mmmm I like Peppadews. Yeah you can put harissa in couscous, I dont eat couscous but I put it in my roast sweet potato and bulgur wheat salad, bulgur wheat is similar. Yay, happy cooking

 

[ermintrude]

Monday 18th - Green
Breakfast: Coffee & toast (1 HEXA & 1 HEXB, 2 syns)
Lunch: Salad, cheese & jalapeno wrap with mixed veggies and sweetfire beetroot (5 syns for wrap, 1.5 for sweetfire, 2 for salad cream, HEXA for cheese)
Tea: Chickpea & mackerel salad with broccoli and side salad (had a bit of a disaster here - I dont normally eat fish and hadnt realised *smoked* mackerel wasn't a HEX and was higher in syns - so from 13.5 syns I took 6 as a HEXB for mackerel itself = 7.5 syns. Also 1.5 syns for mustard & oil. I dont know if this is OK to do and I might have been able to juggle between EE/Red if I synned some cheese or chickpeas but at the end of the day I wasnt going to cook anything else after all the faff and just ate the damn thing - it doesnt matter what "Day" I call it once its in me tum
Dessert: Frozen fruit sticks with passion fruit & lime drizzle (1/2 syn)
Snacks: apple, satsumas, 400g box of pineapple.

 

[Honeyoc]

Erm your meals look sensational!! No one can ever accuse you of not having your 1/3 superfree!
Delicious!

 

[ermintrude]

Ha ha, I do mostly green but I do always try to fit some veggies in The last 10 days my food has been more interesting cos I've got the most recent batch of food mags and I want to try *anything and everything*!!! After the first couple of weeks I run out of new ideas and tend to resort to the tried & tested trio: curry; stuffed chicken with veg; buffet salad Although I think kebabs might become a regular

Bizarre really, Ive started eating loads more meat! I used to have it only about once a week/fortnight but Im having a bit nearly every night the last week or so. Only a HEX and a bit though, Ill never turn into a Reddie

 

[craftylucyloo]

Erm I have to thank you. I just made the hummus and WOW! It is amazing. Def going on my regular list of eaties. I'm making harissa chicken kebabs right now and sweet potato wedges. I wasn't sure what to do with the paste or how much to use so have just covered it and stuck under grill. It might be a bit strong. Xxx

 

[thefinalcountdown]

Wow!! Your food looks amazing!!! I don't eat meat, but all your salads and stuff look soooo good! How do you make your quorn curry, if you don't mind me asking?

 

[Honeyoc]

Ha ha, I do mostly green but I do always try to fit some veggies in The last 10 days my food has been more interesting cos I've got the most recent batch of food mags and I want to try *anything and everything*!!! After the first couple of weeks I run out of new ideas and tend to resort to the tried & tested trio: curry; stuffed chicken with veg; buffet salad Although I think kebabs might become a regular

Bizarre really, Ive started eating loads more meat! I used to have it only about once a week/fortnight but Im having a bit nearly every night the last week or so. Only a HEX and a bit though, Ill never turn into a Reddie

When I joined SW first time around I was a greenie girl and I was very successful. It still baffles me that my starting weight was 10st 5lbs when I joined *headscramble* got down to my goal of 9st in 3 months on pretty much all green. I looked like a model... Sigh... Now my target is 9st 7lbs, hopefully I'll look like a model with a baby Anyway I digress lol.

You've inspired me to try more Mexican dishes, the one cuisine that eludes me. Not only are your pics beautiful, any nutritionist would probably have a "when Harry met Sally" moment just looking at it. I just love the variety of wholegrains and pulses and veg veg veg!!!! Yummeh!

 

[ermintrude]

Tuesday 19th - Green (could also have been EE for pretty much the same syns in cheese)

Breakfast: Coffee & toast (1 HEXA & 1 HEXB, 2 syns), apple
Lunch: Salad, cheese & jalapeno wrap with mixed veggies (5 syns for wrap, 4 syns for cheese)
Tea: Lentil, chicken & feta salad with veggies and side salad - 1 HEXB & 4.5 syns for chicken, 1 HEXA for cheese, 1 syn for oil.
Snacks: Satsumas, 1/2 box cherries, Quorn slices. 2 Muller light cheesecakes (2 syns)

(This picture doesnt show it but this chicken & lentil thing was gorgeous, the chilli gave it that little kick and the salt/garlic/vinegar dressing was gorgeous as ever.

 

[ermintrude]

Erm I have to thank you. I just made the hummus and WOW! It is amazing. Def going on my regular list of eaties. I'm making harissa chicken kebabs right now and sweet potato wedges. I wasn't sure what to do with the paste or how much to use so have just covered it and stuck under grill. It might be a bit strong. Xxx

Glad you liked the hummus. The harissa recipe said 1 tbsp for two chicken breasts, but I like it hot so gave it 1tbsp each. It *was* hot but I enjoyed it. I think if you dont like things too hot a tbsp between 2 would be plenty.

 

[craftylucyloo]

Well it was delicious!! I put a pic on my diary and remarkably it looks like yours lol!! x

 

[ermintrude]

Wow!! Your food looks amazing!!! I don't eat meat, but all your salads and stuff look soooo good! How do you make your quorn curry, if you don't mind me asking?

I use my standard Achari recipe but substitute Quorn for chicken:

300g frozen Quorn pieces
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil - 2 SYNS (or part of your HEX) (you can use Fry Light but I find the syns worth it to cook spices properly without burning)
1/2 tsp each of: cumin seeds, fennel seeds, nigella seeds, black mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing)
3-4 dried red chillies, broken in half
5-6 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 inch ginger, peeled and chopped
2 medium onions, peeled
1 tsp turmeric
3 tsp coriander powder
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato puree - 1 SYN
1 chicken stock cube (I like Kallo)
3 tbsp dry fenugreek leaves (methi leaves)
1-2 tbsp Patak's mixed pickle - 2-4 SYNS (or to taste of your own favourite)
1 tsp rock salt
1 tsp Garam Masala
handful fresh coriander, chopped
juice of 1/2 a lemon

Total = 5-7 syns or 2.5-3.5 syns per serving - mostly for oil / pickle.

- Put onion, ginger and garlic in a food processor and whizz to a paste
- Heat oil, add cumin, fennel, nigella, mustard, fenugreek seeds and asafoetida
- As soon as the seeds crackle, add dried chillies
- Stir for 10 secs and add onion, ginger and garlic mix. Cook, stirring, for about 5 min
- Add turmeric and coriander powder, stir fry for 10 seconds, then add tomatoes, tomato puree, stock cube, fenugreek leaves and pickle
- Stir to mix, add chicken and cook on high, stirring all the time, until meat is no longer pink
- Cover and cook on low until done (20-30 min)
- Add garam masala, salt, coriander and lemon juice and serve

 

[ermintrude]

You've inspired me to try more Mexican dishes, the one cuisine that eludes me. Not only are your pics beautiful, any nutritionist would probably have a "when Harry met Sally" moment just looking at it. I just love the variety of wholegrains and pulses and veg veg veg!!!! Yummeh!

Ha ha, it's been a good week cos I've got a lot of recipes to try. Once I run or get busy you'll see a lot of boring old Quorn-bits-and-salad or stuffed feta chicken with veggies