Yummy yummy Chilli Con Carne

This is my recipe for chilli con carne.  It is a mixture of different recipes I have found and I have adapted it to my tastes.  I think it is absolutely fab but you will need to make it and taste it for yourself!  I had added a picture which can be seen here:

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Servings: 3 large servings

Syns: 7 Syns

Syns per serving: 3 to be safe

Ingredients:

• 225g extra lean minced beef

• 2 medium onions sliced

• 2-3 cloves of garlic sliced thinly

• 1 chilli deseeded and chopped

• 1 tin of tomato’s

• 2 tablespoons tomato puree – 1 Syn

• 1 small glass of red wine – 6 Syns

• 1 beef oxo cube

• A couple of splashes of worcestershire sauce

• Chilli powder – to suit your tastes

• A teaspoon of cumin powder

• 1 stick of cinnamon

• Salt and Pepper

• Tin of kidney beans

• Small wine glass of water

Method:

• I always use a large knife to chop up the mince as I find this makes it more tender.  Do this until it is all mashed up

• Fry the mince with the onion, chilli and garlic.  Once nearly browned crumble in the oxo cube

• Once the mince is browned add the red wine and reduce down until half the volume

• Then add all other ingredients minus the kidney beans

• Cover and simmer for about an hour until the mince is really tender.  Keep an eye on it incase you need to add some water

• Remove the cinnamon stick and add the kidney beans and simmer for about another 20 mins

I like to serve mine with homemade chips or wedges and some cheese sprinkled on top.  Just make sure you syn the cheese or use one of your healthy extras.

Enjoy!

 

Simply the best Leek and Potato Soup

This is my fool proof recipe for Leek and Potato soup and there isn’t much to it at all! I don’t like the creamy blended soups so I had to come up with my own recipe to satisfy my soup cravings and this hits the spot every time. I will warn you though, it can tend to stink the house out so leave a window open or invest in a chefs candle!

Servings: Usually about 3 or 4

Syn value: Free on extra easy and green

Ingredients:

• 2 large leeks

• 2 medium potato’s

• 2 chicken stock pots or cubes

• Pinch or two of mixed herbs

• Freshly ground pepper

• Pinch or two of cayenne pepper

Method:

• Split leeks lengthways and give them a good wash.  Then slice up the lengths, as thick or thin as you want

• Peel and chop the potato’s.  I usually make mine quite chunky.

• Boil the kettle with about a litre of water and spray a large pot with frylight.

• Fry the leeks until starting to soften.  Then add the potato’s

• Pour the boiling water into the pot until all the vegetables are covered and add the remaining ingredients.

• Simmer until the potato’s are cooked and hey presto a healthy filling soup!

Simply the best Leek and Potato soup

 

Good for you Enchilada’s

I have used this sauce a number of times and it is fabulous.  Great when you fancy something Mexican without the mega calories.  I have included the method on how I make my Chicken Enchiladas but you could substutite the meat for anything you want.  Let me know if you like it.

Enchilada sauce recipe was created by sal and can be found here.

Extra Easy Syn value: 22 Syns

Syn value per portion: 11 Syns

Servings: 2 very big portions.

Ingredients:

• Frylight – Enough sprays to cover the pan
  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 1/2 teaspoons chilli powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 4 tablespoons salsa – 2 Syns (Can be made without this though)
  
• 175g (6 oz) passata
• 350ml (12 fl oz) water
• 1 -2 Chicken Breast’s (Depends on size) sliced into strips
  
• Mushrooms quartered
  
• Onions sliced
  
• 4 Tortilla Wraps – 20 Syns
• 84g reduced fat cheddar cheese – 2 x healthy extra A choice or 16 Syns
  

Sauce Method:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the onion, oregano, chilli powder, basil, black pepper, salt, cumin, parsley, salsa and passata.

• Mix together and then stir in the water. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes

Put it all together:

• Once your sauce is ready, fry your chicken strips and once browned remove from the frying pan and put aside.

• Fry your onions and mushrooms until just about cooked.  Then add back the chicken and most of the enchilada sauce.

• Allow this to cook for about 5-10 mins or until everything is cooked.  Make sure you keep an eye on it so it doesn’t dry out.

• Once your filling is ready, heat your tortillas in a dry frying pan for about 30 seconds on each side.

• Once the tortillas are warmed split your mixture between the two tortillas (you will probably have far too much, just add in enough so that you can roll them up).

• Once you have rolled up your filled tortillas place them in a baking dish which has been sprayed with frylight.  Top with any remaining mixture and the left over sauce.  Sprinkle the top with cheese and place in a pre-heated oven at 200 degrees celsius until the cheese is bubbling.

• I like to serve these enchiladas with a nice salad or some SW free chips.

Enjoy

 

Better than the takeaway Chicken Chow Mein

Taken from SW website here.  I had this for dinner last night and I have to say it was pretty damn tasty, I will definately make this again

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This Chinese favourite’s ready in minutes so it’s great for when you’re on the go…

Serves: 4
Syns per serving:
1½ Syns on Green*, 7½ Syns on Original, Free on Extra Easy
*Add 6 Syns if not using chicken as a Healthy Extra

Ingredients:

• 150g packet dried egg noodles

• 3 garlic cloves

• 4 spring onions

• 2 carrots

• 113g/4oz mangetout

• 113g/4oz mushrooms

• 1 red pepper

• 4 cooked chicken breasts

• Fry Light

• 1 tsp finely grated root ginger

• 4 tbsp soy sauce

• 85ml/3fl oz chicken stock made with Bovril

• 142g/5oz beansprouts

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

• Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions, drain and set aside.

• Meanwhile prepare the ingredients: finely grate the garlic; slice the spring onions; cut the carrots into matchsticks; halve the mange tout lengthways; halve the mushrooms; deseed and thinly slice the pepper; roughly shred the chicken.

• Heat a frying pan sprayed with Fry Light, add the ginger, garlic and spring onions and fry for 2-3 minutes.

• Add the soy sauce, chicken stock, carrots, mangetout, mushrooms, red pepper and beansprouts and stir fry for a further 3-4 minutes. Add the chicken and noodles, toss together and heat through. Season well and serve immediately.

 

Snuggly Beef Stew

This has been borrowed from the SW website.  Original recipe can be found here.

I haven’t tried this yet but as soon as I do I will update this post with how it was and any changes/additions I made.

Tuck into traditional British tucker with a generous helping of beef stew – perfect comfort food for early autumn evenings!

Serves: 4
Syns per serving:
1 Syn on Original and Extra Easy,
5 on Green*
If not using steak as a Healthy Extra, add 6 Syns per serving.

Tip: If you can’t find shallots, use 2 onions, peeled and sliced.

Ingredients:

• 12 shallots

• 2 carrots

• Fry Light

• 567g/1lb 4oz braising steak, all visible fat removed

• 1 level tablespoon tomato puree

• 1 bouquet garni

• 170g/6oz closed cap mushrooms

• 2 level teaspoons onion gravy granules

• salt and freshly ground black pepper

• freshly chopped parsley, to garnish

Directions:

• Peel the shallots. Heat a large pan sprayed with Fry Light, add the shallots and fry for 5 minutes until browned. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

• Slice the carrots, place in the pan with the steak, tomato puree, bouquet garni and 852ml/1½ pints water. Cover and simmer for 1½ hours.

• Halve the mushrooms, add to the pan with the shallots and simmer for a further 20 minutes. Sprinkle over the gravy granules and stir until thickened. Season to taste, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

 

Pizza Base recipe

I have found this recipe on the Minimins forum and it was posted by angie.  I haven’t tried it as yet, plan to at some point next week but really wanted to add it to here so I can find it easily

The inital post can be found here

Syn value: 9.5

Serving size: 2 12″ pizza bases

Ingredients:

• 75ml tepid water

• 1/2 tsp sugar (1/2 syn)

• 1 tsp dried yeast (1/2 syn)

• 100g plain flour – preferably OO flour (18 syns)

• 1 tsp salt

Directions:

• Add the sugar and the yeast to the water. whisk together with a fork and leave to stand somewhere warm for 10 mins til froth forms.

• Mix the salt and flour in a large bowl. Add the liquid in and mix to incorporate all the liquid.

• Tip out onto a non stick surface (I use a greaseproof liner) and knead for 5 mins until smooth and silky.

• Leave to rise in a bowl until at least doubled in size (I went to weigh in!)
  ‘knock back’ (poke and punch the air out again) and form into 2 equally sized balls.

• On your non stick liner again, roll and stretch this dough to the size you want your pizza. I can get it to about 12″, but it could easily be thicker and smaller. Small holes is not a problem at all – it just goes crispy

• Frylight a pizza or oven tray, and lay your dough onto it. Leave somewhere warm for about 10 mins while you make your toppings.

 

The best pizza sauce recipe

This is a recipe I found on Recipezaar and it was posted by SAMS_Club and it is absolutely gorgeous.  I have adapted it slightly to make it more SW friendly.  Don’t be too concerned by the syn content of this sauce, a little goes a long way, I have made about 6 pretty large pizzas with this amount of sauce.  Plus it can be frozen!  You could also have the parmesan as a healthy extra but I haven’t done that here since we will need cheese for the actual pizza

The original recipe can be found here

Total Syn value = 7 1/2

Servings = Approx 6 large servings

Syns per serving = 1

Ingredients:

• Frylight – a good few squirts

• 1/2 cup onion, chopped

• 1/4 cup celery, chopped

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 9 1/2  tablespoons tomato puree – 4 1/2 syns

• 13 tablespoons passata or 227g

• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan – 3 syns  (Not necessary, but adds a little extra flavour)
  

• 1 teaspoon dried basil

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon sweetner

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 small bay leaf

• 1 teaspoon fennel seed

Directions:

• In a large pot, spray enough Frylight to cover the bottom and melt the butter using a medium heat. Add the onion, celery and garlic and saute until soft and transparent.

• Add passata and tomato puree and stir until smooth.

• Add remaining ingredients and bring to slow simmer.

• Simmer for 30-60 minutes (or not at all depending on your taste and time frame).

• Remove the bay leaf and spread the sauce on your prepared pizza dough.