Can't Cook - Slimming World Challenge 2019

[Wolves_Fan07]

Hi All,

This is my first post - I've found your forum when I've researched my various Slimming World questions so I thought I'd join and start contributing!

I am trying the Slimming World Diet - however I cannot cook to save my life!

It's my New Year's resolution to learn a new recipe every week on the Slimming World plan - so not only am I trying to lose weight, but learning a new skill at the same time! I'm doing the challenge with my partner.

We started this week (Monday 7th January) and we're enjoying the diet so far! Although we're not necessarily following the diet properly by counting Syns etc - we are just following the principle of the diet so far to ease us in.

We have eaten a lot of fruit, salad and vegetables - however we've discovered that we can't have tins of Heinz soup so these are off the menu now.

I have also eaten Special K as I didn't realise these are on the 'Syn' list - so when we've finished the box I'll try another cereal or some porridge.

This weeks trial recipes are Chicken based:

Sticky Chicken - served with home made Egg Fried Rice and Lettuce
Cajun Chicken - served with slimming world Chips and Sweetcorn and salad.

We're starting off simple - and hoping for the best!

Any recommendations to try?

 

[Dave.]

I wouldn't worry too much about the issue of cooking. When you find meals you like the cooking will come to you as you'll know just how you like it.

The only things I really cook which take a small bit of effort are chilli con carne and spaghetti bolognese and both are pretty much the same recipe! Mince done in a pan then drained off. In a pan with fry light fry some onion and pepper then some garlic and tomato puree, add a couple of tins of chopped tomatoes, some mustard, worcestershire sauce, bovril and salt and pepper then if it's a chilli some mixed beans in spicy tomato sauce, chickpeas and a couple of chillis. Chuck it in the slow cooker for 4-8 hours and serve up with either spaghetti, pasta, rice, wedges or cauliflour rice. Both are syn free too.

Most of my meals are just boiled and/or steamed veg with either slimming world burgers or sausages or a chicken breast with schwartz powder on and some home made wedges, again, all syn free.

I found the effort of making these special slimming world meals a lot of hassle for me to screw it up and get annoyed! I stick at what I know I like and it works well for me.

Out of interest, what's your sticky chicken recipe?

 

[Wolves_Fan07]

We made the marinade last night:

3 TBSP Soy Sauce
3 TBSP Honey
3 TBSP Balsamic Vinegar

Cut the chicken into strips and added to the bowl of marinade.

I've left it overnight, and just finishing work now so looking forward to the end result!

 

[Eclecticdonkey]

Don't worry about the cooking. It takes time and practice. I've been cooking SW meals since 2015 and now know them all by heart and syns off the top of my head. What I find works for me is picking the meals I love and making them syn free or low syn. Like my cottage pie, used to be made making a packet of powder, now I use a stockcube, some garlic and some herbs and w. Sauce. I fell off the wagon for a while and got lazy with jars of sauces and not measuring extras and it all came back. So 2019 is a fresh start

 

[Wolves_Fan07]

Last week was a great week!

It didn't feel like I was on a diet as I could eat quite a lot of food - and I lost 4lbs!

In terms of new recipes cooked the Sticky Chicken and it was beautiful! So the dreaded Friday night takeaway urge was beaten by some nice cooked food.

Saturday we tried the KFC Chicken - which we used a 40g bag of Doritos, a tablespoon of Paprika a tablespoon of Chili and a tablespoon of Onion granules (we needed garlic granules but didn't have them) and they were really tasty!

Sunday - we tried the Slimming World Pizza which were very tasty!

We've also prepped a Beef Stew for tea tonight which I'm very excited to try in approximately 1 hour!

All in all a successful week

 

[Eclecticdonkey]

Well done on 4lbs! Brilliant loss

 

[Wolves_Fan07]

Well done on 4lbs! Brilliant loss

Thank you - I'm happy I had a plan of 1lb a week so 4lb a month.
Any loss now this month is a bonus!

 

[Wolves_Fan07]

Well I feel like a changed person - I am a self confessed - can't cook use a jar kind of person!

However - I am going home to a home made Bolognaise sauce in the slow cooker.

Just need to freshly cook my pasta

Will update on flavours tomorrow!