Delicious meals with minimum ingredients.

[chocko1]

SPICY SAUSAGE PASTA - Serves 4

1.5 Syns per serving

8 Syn Free SW sausages
1 large red onion, chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, crushed
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
150ml red wine - 6 Syns
400g can chopped tomatoes
400g whole-wheat pasta

Grill the sausages, then slice on the diagonal.
Spray a frying pan with Frylight and cook the onion until soft. As previously mentioned in other recipes, I usually start the onion off in the microwave with a splash of water. It just softens the onion off much better than just using Frylight. Either that or I always have frozen chopped onion in the freezer, which softens off really quickly.
Add the garlic and chilli, along with some seasoning. Cook for a further minute.
Add the sausage and wine to the frying pan. Bubble over a high heat for a few minutes.
Add the tomatoes and a pinch of granulated sweetener, bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick. Check the seasoning.
Cook the pasta, according to pack instructions, so the end of cooking coincides with the end of cooking for the sausage mixture.
Divide the pasta between warmed plates and top with the sausage mixture.

Lovely with HEX cheese grated over. Also good with mashed potatoes or SW roast potatoes.

 

[chocko1]

BEEF STROGANOFF FOR THE SLOW COOKER - Serves 4

4 Syns per serving but so worth it!!

600g stewing steak, all visible fat removed and cut into strips
1 can Heinz Classic Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup - 7.5 Syns
70ml skimmed milk - 2.5 Syns (or use from HEX's)
300g closed cup mushrooms, thickly sliced
2 medium onions, chopped
2 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
100g Tesco Extra Light Garlic and Herb soft cheese - 6 Syns
1 tsp. wholegrain mustard - 0.5 Syns
1 beef stock cube
Handful of green peppercorns

Add the stewing steak, mushrooms, mushroom soup, milk, Worcestershire Sauce, mustard and peppercorns to the slow cooker.
Sprinkle the beef stock cube over and mix gently together.
Cook on Low for 6-8 hours or High for 4-5 hours.
Twenty minutes before the cooking time finishes, add the cream cheese and stir well.

Lovely served with rice and courgettes. Could stir through a little brandy (Synned) at the end or, if you can spare the extra Syns, this is good with wine instead of milk or half and half! This is also good with chicken.
If there is too much liquid left at the end of the cooking time, I transfer it to a large pan and simmer rapidly until it thickens to the desired consistency.

 

[jade__sw]

thank you so much for this thread! exactly what I need x

 

[chocko1]

You're so welcome, Jade.

Kathy x

 

[chocko1]

HONEY CHILLI TUNA - Serves 2

2.5 Syns per serving

2 tuna steaks
3 tbsp. reduced salt soy sauce
2 level tbsp. runny honey - 5 Syns
Juice of 1 lime
Half a red chilli, with or without seeds, (depending on how hot you like it) finely sliced
3 spring onions, thinly sliced

In a bowl, mix together the soy sauce, honey, lime juice, chilli and spring onions.
Pan fry the tuna in Frylight for 2 minutes each side (rare) or to suit your taste.
Add the mixture to the pan and let the sauce bubble and thicken.
Turn the tuna over in the sauce to coat it.
Serve the tuna with the sticky glaze poured over.

Lovely with dried noodles and stir-fry veg.

I'm trying to eat more fish now and this is tasty, cheap and easy!

 

[chocko1]

FISH WITH A HERB CRUST - Serves 2

1.5 Syns for the whole recipe

2 fillets of white fish - haddock and cod are good but any will do.
75g fresh white breadcrumbs - taken from the HEX's
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp. fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1 tbsp. fresh chives, finely chopped
1 tbsp. extra light mayo - 1 Syn
1 tsp. Dijon mustard - 0.5 Syns

Pre-heat the oven to 220C/Gas 7.
Spray a shallow baking dish with Frylight. Place the fish in the dish.
In a bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, lemon zest, juice and herbs.
In a separate dish, mix the mayo and mustard and season with a pinch of salt and some ground black pepper.
Spread the mayo mix over the fish.
Top with the breadcrumb mix and bake for 18-20 minutes or until the fish is cooked through and the crust is golden and crunchy.

Lovely served with salad and new potatoes and, if you still have your HEXA left, it makes the crumb extra tasty when you stir grated cheese through, before topping the fish with it.

 

[chocko1]

HONEY GLAZED SALMON - Serves 2

4 Syns per serving

2 salmon fillets
4 tsp. runny honey - 4 Syns
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
11g sesame seeds - 4 Syns

Spray a frying pan well with Frylight.
Cook the salmon for 3 minutes on each side or for however long you prefer.
Add the balsamic vinegar and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Cover the salmon with 2 tsp. honey each and sprinkle half the sesame seeds over each.

Quick and easy but tasty. Good served with mange tout and baby corn for a light lunch.

 

[chocko1]

SPICED FISH - Serves 4

1.5 Syns per serving (or Syn Free if using Frylight)

1 tbsp. olive oil - 6 Syns
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
400g can chopped tomatoes
2 potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1cm cubes
600g thick fish fillets, cut into 3cm chunks - red snapper is good
Pinch of saffron threads, if you have any in

Heat the oil (or Frylight) in a large pan over a low heat.
Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion has softened and slightly caramelised.
Stir in the cumin, cinnamon and saffron and cook for 2 minutes.
Raise the heat a little and stir in the tomatoes and potatoes.
Add 250ml water, bring to the boil, then simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
Season the fish and add to the pan.
Simmer for about 10 minutes or until the fish is cooked through.
Check the seasoning and serve on warmed plates with couscous or rice.

 

[sparty]

FISH WITH A HERB CRUST - Serves 2 1.5 Syns for the whole recipe 2 fillets of white fish - haddock and cod are good but any will do. 75g fresh white breadcrumbs - taken from the HEX's Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon 2 tbsp. fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped 1 tbsp. fresh chives, finely chopped 1 tbsp. extra light mayo - 1 Syn 1 tsp. Dijon mustard - 0.5 Syns Pre-heat the oven to 220C/Gas 7. Spray a shallow baking dish with Frylight. Place the fish in the dish. In a bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, lemon zest, juice and herbs. In a separate dish, mix the mayo and mustard and season with a pinch of salt and some ground black pepper. Spread the mayo mix over the fish. Top with the breadcrumb mix and bake for 18-20 minutes or until the fish is cooked through and the crust is golden and crunchy. Lovely served with salad and new potatoes and, if you still have your HEXA left, it makes the crumb extra tasty when you stir grated cheese through, before topping the fish with it.

Now this is one I will def be trying!

 

[chocko1]

HONEYED BEEF STEW - Serves 4

2 Syns per serving

1kg stewing steak, all visible fat removed and diced
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped
3 sticks of celery, chopped - optional
2 large carrots, sliced
2 tbsp. runny honey - 5 Syns
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. English mustard - 1 Syn
4 tbsp. reduced sugar + salt tomato ketchup - 2 Syns

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/Gas 4.
Heat a large pan or hob to oven dish, that has been generously sprayed with Frylight and brown the beef on all sides.
Add the onion, pepper, celery and carrots and fry for 5 mins, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
In a bowl, mix 500ml water with the honey, lemon juice, mustard, ketchup and salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly.
Transfer the meat and veg to a 2 litre casserole or keep in the hob to oven dish.
Pour the ketchup mixture over the meat and veg.
Bake in the oven for 2 to two and a half hours or until the meat is tender.
If, by the end of the cooking time, the sauce needs thickening, either stir in some Synned, blended cornflour or put back onto the hob and boil rapidly, until the desired thickness is reached.

Lovely with lots of fresh veg. Obviously, add in any other veg you fancy. I often add mushrooms and extra peppers.

 

[chocko1]

MIXED BEAN BAKE - Serves 4

1.5 Syns per serving, if using the oil (cooks the onion so much better than Frylight and for not many Syns when divided up).

1 tbsp. oil - 6 Syns
1 onion, chopped
1 large clove of garlic, crushed
1 leek, chopped
1 pepper, any colour - deseeded and chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
2x400g cans chopped tomatoes
3 x 400g cans of beans (I use 1 tin of butter, 1 of cannellini and 1 of kidney)
Grated mature cheese, taken from HEX's

Heat the oil or Frylight in a large pan, then add the onion, garlic, leek and chopped pepper and fry until soft.
Add the carrot, tomatoes and all the beans.
At this point you can also sprinkle in some black pepper, mixed herbs and extra veg, if you like - I sometimes add in some chopped courgette.
Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. If, at the end of this time, you want the mixture to be thicker, remove the lid and boil rapidly until the desired consistency is reached.
Pre-heat the oven to 190C/Gas 5.
Transfer the bean mixture to an ovenproof dish and cover with the grated cheese.
Bake for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is turning brown.

This is lovely with a HEX chunk of crusty bread. Obviously, add in spices if you want it hot - chilli, garam masala, cumin, etc.

 

[chocko1]

SWEET POTATO AND CHORIZO SOUP - Serves 4

Approx. 2 Syns per serving

1 tsp. oil - 2 Syns
100g diced chorizo - 6.5 Syns
1 onion, chopped
1 large clove of garlic, crushed
750g sweet potatoes, cut into pieces, approx. 2.5cm
1.1 litre hot vegetable or chicken stock
2 sprigs of rosemary

Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the chorizo until golden. Lift out with a slotted spoon and place on a sheet of kitchen roll.
Gently fry the onion in the pan until softened, then add the garlic and fry for another minute.
Stir in the sweet potato and cover with the stock.
Add the rosemary sprigs and bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are completely soft.
Pull out and throw away the rosemary stalks (most of the leaves will have already dropped into the soup).
Use a hand blender or food processor to whiz the soup until smooth - thinning with a little more stock or water if it seems too thick.
Season to taste, then serve in warmed bowls. Serve topped with the fried chorizo.

If you prefer the soup a little chunkier, obviously don't blend quite so thoroughly.

This is lovely served with a HEX chunk of crusty bread, especially if it has some HEX cheese melted on to it first.

 

[chocko1]

BUTTERNUT AND CHORIZO SOUP - Serves 6

Approx. 3.5 Syns per serving

500g BNS, peeled, deseeded and cut into 2.5 cm chunks
300g diced chorizo - 19.5 Syns
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
2 large cloves of garlic, crushed
1 stick of celery, diced
1 tsp. ground cumin
Half a level tsp. smoked paprika
750ml hot chicken stock
Quarter tsp. nutmeg

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/Gas 4.
Spray a baking tray well with Frylight.
Put the BNS on the baking tray and spray generously with Frylight. Cook for 40 minutes or until soft.
Spray a large pan well with Frylight, heat over a medium heat and add the chorizo. Saute for 7-10 mins or until most of the fat has been released.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the chorizo from the pan and place onto a sheet of kitchen roll.
Add the onion to the pan and cook until soft.
Add the carrot and celery, stir and cover.
Cook very gently for 10-15 minutes, shaking the pan from time to time, until everything is very soft.
Add the garlic and cook, uncovered, for a minute.
Add the cumin and paprika and stir for a minute. Add the cooked squash and stir until well combined.
Pour in the stock, add the nutmeg and season with black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, covered, for 15 minutes.
Cool slightly and then whiz with a hand blender or in a food processor, until the desired consistency is reached.
Return the soup to the pan and stir in the chorizo, adding salt and more pepper, if needed.
Heat through gently and serve in warmed bowls.

When you first see the hefty amount of Syns you may be put off this recipe but it's actually not bad when divided between 6 people and it's well worth the Syns - my humble opinion, of course!!

 

[Time_to_diet]

Hi Kathy, for the sweet potato and chorizo soup, did you take the skins off? They're a pain to peel, but I thought I'd ask just in case it was nice with the skins left on! Thank you.

 

[chocko1]

I actually cheated and used the already diced chorizo from Sainsbury's!! Anything for an easy life!

Kathy

 

[chocko1]

SAUSAGE BAKE - Serves 4

Syn Free, if using the cheese as a HEX.

8 Syn Free SW sausages
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, crushed
Half tsp. dried basil
Quarter tsp. dried oregano
Quarter tsp. dried thyme
50g tomato puree
400g can chopped tomatoes
225g dried rigatoni pasta
120g mature cheese, grated (This is equal to 4 x HEX's.)

Grill or fry the sausages until browned on all sides. Cut into bite-size pieces.
Spray a large pan well with Frylight. Saute the onion, garlic, herbs and seasoning, until the onion has begun to soften.
Stir in the tomato puree and continue cooking for 3 mins.
Add the tomatoes. Bring to the boil, return the sausage pieces to the pan and reduce heat to low.
Simmer, uncovered, for about 40 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
Pre-heat the oven to 190C/Gas 5.
Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, rinse with boiling water and add to the tomato mixture.
Add 50g of the cheese and stir to combine.
Transfer to a casserole dish and top with the remaining cheese.
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time, to brown the top.

If you have any fresh parsley in the fridge, this is nice, chopped and stirred through at the same time as adding the tomatoes. Also, stir in some dried chilli flakes if you like a kick to your food.

 

[chocko1]

STRAWBERRY RICE - Serves 3

3 Syns per serving, if using the milk as part of the HEX's

25g unsalted butter - 9 Syns
100g Arborio rice
120ml milk, skimmed or semi
Granulated sweetener, to taste
1 tsp. good quality vanilla extract
100g strawberries, thinly sliced

In a large pan, bring half a litre of water to a simmer over a medium heat, then reduce the heat to low.
Place another large pan over a medium heat and add the butter.
When it has melted, add the rice and stir to coat.
Add the milk, sweetener and vanilla and cook for one minute, stirring.
Increase the heat to medium/high and stir in one ladle of the hot water. Stir frequently until the water is absorbed.
Continue stirring and adding a ladle of hot water at a time, allowing each ladle to be absorbed before adding another before adding the next.
Cook until the rice is tender and of a creamy consistency, probably about 25 mins.
Remove from the heat and stir in the strawberries until the risotto is light pink. Best served while still warm but can be eaten cold.

Because the strawberries aren't actually cooked, I don't Syn them. If I have time, I have this for breakfast sometimes or, if not, for a dessert.

 

[chocko1]

TURKEY POLPETTE WITH RIGATONI - Serves 4

Syn Free

2 onions, finely chopped
4 sprigs of rosemary, leaves only
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 courgette, grated
Zest of 1 lemon
500g lean turkey mince
2 x 400g chopped tomatoes
1 tsp. granulated sweetener
300g rigatoni pasta

Spray a large frying pan well with Frylight. Fry the onion until soft.
Stir in the garlic and rosemary and cook for 2 minutes.
Transfer half to a bowl and take the pan off the heat.
Squeeze the courgette in a clean tea-towel, to remove any moisture. Add to the cooled onion in the bowl with the lemon zest.
Add the turkey and season.
Mix and shape into 24 meatballs and chill on a plate in the freezer for 10 mins.
Meanwhile, return the frying pan and remaining onions to the heat.
Add the tomatoes, sweetener and 200ml of water. Season. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 mins.
Cook the pasta, according to pack instructions.
Spray another frying pan, well with Frylight. Brown the meatballs, in batches, for 6-8 minutes, then cook in the sauce for 5 minutes.
Serve with the pasta.

This is a Sainsbury's recipe, which I thought would be even tastier with HEX cheese grated over. Would also work with minced chicken or extra lean minced beef or pork.

 

[chocko1]

TOM YUM PRAWN RICE - Serves 4

4 Syns per serving

1 tbsp. oil - 6 Syns
3 large shallots, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or crushed
4 level tbsp. Tiger Tiger Hot + Sour Thai Tom Yum Paste - 10 Syns
250g dried Thai jasmine rice
750ml hot reduced-salt chicken or vegetable stock
225g pack frozen raw jumbo prawns, defrosted
175g pack mangetout and baby sweetcorn

Heat the oil in a large, lidded pan. Add the shallots and cook gently, covered, for 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and Tom Yum paste. Remove the lid and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.
Stir in the rice to coat.
Pour in the hot stock and bring to the boil. Cover and cook over a low heat for 8 minutes, then add the prawns and vegetables. Replace the lid and cook for a further 3-5 minutes, until the prawns are cooked through, the veg and rice are tender and all the stock has been absorbed.
Serve on warmed plates and, if you have any fresh basil leaves, tear a few and toss them over. Also good with a little lime juice squeezed over.

Another recipe from Sainsbury's!

 

[chocko1]

TROPICAL FRUIT SALAD AND PASSIONFRUIT SYRUP - Serves 6

Syns - negligible

3 ripe passionfruit
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp. caster sugar - 1 Syn
5 mint leaves, chopped - optional
1 papaya, peeled and cut into chunks
1 large ripe mango, peeled and cut into chunks
Half a ripe pineapple, flesh cut into chunks

Scoop the passionfruit pulp into a bowl. Add the lime juice, sugar and 1 tbsp. of water.
Stir until the sugar dissolves, then add the chopped mint, if using.
Toss the prepared fruit in the syrup. Cover and chill until ready to serve.