Delicious meals with minimum ingredients.

[chocko1]

BLACK BEAN DIP - Serves 6

2 Syns for the whole recipe, if using the cheese as a HEX or part HEX's shared between the 6.

1 tsp. olive oil - 2 Syns
Half a medium onion, chopped
Half tsp. cumin seeds
300g canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 tbsp. freshly chopped coriander
Juice of half a lime
30g mature Cheddar, grated

Heat the oil in a medium pan, over a medium/high heat. Add the cumin seeds and onion.
Saute for 2 minutes, before adding the beans and tomato. Saute for an additional 2 minutes.
Add 2 tbsp. water and remove from the heat.
Either with a hand blender or food processor, blend until smooth.
Stir in a dash of salt, the coriander and the lime juice.
Spoon into a small oven-proof dish and sprinkle the grated cheese over.
Place under a medium grill until the cheese has all melted.

I sometimes mix the cheese with a sprinkling of smoked paprika. This is lovely served with a variety of vegetable crudités.

 

[chocko1]

CHEESY EGGY BREAD - Serves 1

Syn Free, if using bread and cheese as HEX's

2 slices of bread (60g), from an un-sliced loaf
30g or 40g, if using fat-reduced, grated mature Cheddar
Wafer thin ham
2 eggs, seasoned with salt and pepper, whisked with a fork
Mustard powder

Grate the cheese into a bowl, sprinkling in some mustard powder, to taste and mixing well.
Make a sandwich using the grated cheese and the ham.
Dip the sandwich, on both sides, into the egg mixture.
Spray a small, non-stick frying pan, well with Frylight. Heat and fry the sandwich on both sides until golden.

Serve with a crunchy side salad.

If I can spare the Syns, I fry this in a little butter, instead of Frylight. It makes it taste even better! 10g butter = 3.5 Syns.

 

[chocko1]

CHOW MEIN STIR-FRY - Serves 2. This one's a bit of a cheats recipe but it's for when you haven't time to cook everything from scratch.

Approx. 5.5 Syns per serving

1 x 120g sachet Amoy Chow Mein stir-fry sauce - 8.5 Syns
1 x 150g pack Amoy Straight to Wok medium noodles - 3 Syns
2 skinless chicken breasts, diced
5 large button/open mushrooms, sliced
1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
1 small can of bamboo shoots, drained

Spray a large non-stick frying pan well with Frylight, heat and stir-fry the chicken for 3-4 minutes.
Add the veg, re-spraying, if necessary and cook gently until softened. Add the bamboo shoots and continue to cook for 2 minutes.
Add the sauce and stir for 1 minute.
Add the noodles and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
Serve on warmed plates.

 

[Llamasoks]

CHEESY EGGY BREAD - Serves 1

Syn Free, if using bread and cheese as HEX's

2 slices of bread (60g), from an un-sliced loaf
30g or 40g, if using fat-reduced, grated mature Cheddar
Wafer thin ham
2 eggs, seasoned with salt and pepper, whisked with a fork
Mustard powder

Grate the cheese into a bowl, sprinkling in some mustard powder, to taste and mixing well.
Make a sandwich using the grated cheese and the ham.
Dip the sandwich, on both sides, into the egg mixture.
Spray a small, non-stick frying pan, well with Frylight. Heat and fry the sandwich on both sides until golden.

Serve with a crunchy side salad.

If I can spare the Syns, I fry this in a little butter, instead of Frylight. It makes it taste even better! 10g butter = 3.5 Syns.

Think I've just died and gone to food heaven if this is Syn free!

 

[Lyndsey83]

Just made the special fried rice with chorizo and prawns nom nom nom

Sent from my HTC One using MiniMins.com mobile app

 

[angelajane]

CHOW MEIN STIR-FRY - Serves 2. This one's a bit of a cheats recipe but it's for when you haven't time to cook everything from scratch.

Approx. 5.5 Syns per serving

1 x 120g sachet Amoy Chow Mein stir-fry sauce - 8.5 Syns
1 x 150g pack Amoy Straight to Wok medium noodles - 3 Syns
2 skinless chicken breasts, diced
5 large button/open mushrooms, sliced
1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
1 small can of bamboo shoots, drained

Spray a large non-stick frying pan well with Frylight, heat and stir-fry the chicken for 3-4 minutes.
Add the veg, re-spraying, if necessary and cook gently until softened. Add the bamboo shoots and continue to cook for 2 minutes.
Add the sauce and stir for 1 minute.
Add the noodles and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
Serve on warmed plates.

I keep a variety of these sauce sachets in the cupboard for quick dinners - I also keep a packet of frozen cooked chicken pieces to throw into the pan!! Lovely x

 

[Sofartogo!]

GARLIC MUSHROOMS - Serves 1 1 - 1.5 Syns 1 fat clove of garlic, crushed 100g mushrooms, wiped and peeled and cut into thin slices 20g extra light soft cheese, like Philadelphia - 1 - 1.5 Syns Spray a large frying pan well with Frylight and heat over a medium heat. Add the garlic, cook for one minute, then add the mushrooms and cook over a low to medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the cream cheese and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes, until the cream cheese has melted into the mushrooms. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Gorgeous on a HEX portion of toast, cut from a crusty loaf. Tastes even better if cooked in butter (if you can spare the Syns), instead of Frylight. 10g = 3.5 Syns.

I have something like this with pasta. But add fresh thyme and Parmesan to it. Think I found in on the philli website. It is amazing!!! X

 

[celtic-chick]

CHEESY EGGY BREAD - Serves 1

Syn Free, if using bread and cheese as HEX's

2 slices of bread (60g), from an un-sliced loaf
30g or 40g, if using fat-reduced, grated mature Cheddar
Wafer thin ham
2 eggs, seasoned with salt and pepper, whisked with a fork
Mustard powder

Grate the cheese into a bowl, sprinkling in some mustard powder, to taste and mixing well.
Make a sandwich using the grated cheese and the ham.
Dip the sandwich, on both sides, into the egg mixture.
Spray a small, non-stick frying pan, well with Frylight. Heat and fry the sandwich on both sides until golden.

Serve with a crunchy side salad.

If I can spare the Syns, I fry this in a little butter, instead of Frylight. It makes it taste even better! 10g butter = 3.5 Syns.

Hi Kathy.Just to let you know fry light do a buttery spray too & it's syn free.Just to save you some syn's.Mushroom's are ment to taste fab done with that spray.

 

[chocko1]

Oh, wow! Even better then!! Thanks, celtic-chick.

xx

 

[chocko1]

Just made the special fried rice with chorizo and prawns nom nom nom

Sent from my HTC One using MiniMins.com mobile app

Really glad you liked it, Lyndsey. One of my favs and so easy to do.

Kathy x

 

[chocko1]

SPICY SAUSAGE AND BEAN POTATO TOPPER - Serves 4

Syn Free

8 Syn Free SW sausages
3 onions, finely chopped or just use loads of frozen onion!
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 peppers, any colour, deseeded and chopped
2 tsp. sweet chilli powder
1 tsp. dried thyme
400g can cherry tomatoes and the juice
400g cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
400g red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Mashed potato to cover

Pre-heat the oven to 200C/Gas 6.
Boil and, when ready, mash the potatoes.
Dry-fry the sausages until browned all over. When cool enough to handle, cut into bite-size chunks.
Spray a pan well with Frylight, add the chilli powder and thyme and cook for 1 minute, before adding the tomatoes and sausage chunks. Bring to the boil. Cover tightly and simmer gently, until the sauce has thickened slightly.
Meanwhile, in another pan which has been well sprayed with Frylight, fry the onion and garlic until softened. Add the peppers and stir-fry for 3 minutes.
Add the onion mixture to the tomato mixture and add in the beans. Cook, uncovered for about 5 minutes. Season to taste and pour into an oven-proof dish.
Cover with the mashed potato and cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes.

Really tasty when you top the potato with several HEX grated cheeses.

 

[chocko1]

MEATBALLS WITH RICE - Serves 4

Syn Free

450g extra lean minced beef
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
2 handfuls of fresh basil, torn
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp. smoked paprika
300g short grain paella rice
600-900ml hot beef stock

In a large bowl, with your hands, mix together the mince, tomatoes, a handful of the torn basil and seasoning to taste.
Shape the mixture into about 12 walnut size meatballs.
Spray a large pan well with Frylight. Fry the onion and garlic until starting to soften and beginning to turn a light, golden brown.
Add the paprika and rice and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add 400ml of the hot stock, stir well and gently place in the meatballs.
Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes, covered. Don't stir until the meatballs have changed colour and have 'set'. If you don't wait, the meatballs will just break up.
Add a little more stock during the cooking, as it becomes absorbed by the rice.
Stir gently and then leave to soak up all the flavours.
When the rice is cooked, add the remaining basil and, maybe, some cherry tomatoes too.

 

[chocko1]

VEGGIE AND RICE BAKE - Serves 4

Syn Free, if using cheese as HEX's

200g brown rice
2 0nions, finely sliced - or use frozen onion
200g spinach leaves, chopped
5 medium eggs, lightly beaten
80g reduced-fat grated mature Cheddar - the equivalent of 2 HEX's
3 tbsp. grated Parmesan - taken from another HEX or Synned
3 tomatoes, sliced

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/Gas 4.
Spray a 1.5 litre oven-proof dish with Frylight.
Cook the rice according to pack instructions.
Spray a frying pan well with Frylight and cook the onions until beginning to soften.
Put the spinach in a lidded bowl and microwave on High for 2 mins. Put into a clean tea-towel and squeeze out any excess water.
Combine all the ingredients, including the drained and rinsed rice, in a large bowl, saving a little of both cheeses and the sliced tomatoes. Season the contents of the bowl with black pepper. Spoon into the prepared, greased dish, arrange the tomato slices on top and sprinkle evenly with the reserved cheeses.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden on top.

Of course, you could add in some garlic, sliced mushrooms, chopped peppers, cooked bacon, diced, etc.

 

[chocko1]

BAKED SALMON AND VEGETABLES - Serves 6

1 Syn per serving

900g new potatoes, scrubbed and cut into bite size pieces
2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil or parsley
1 tbsp. olive oil - 6 Syns. Frylight really isn't good for this and, at only 1 Syn each, it really doesn't matter anyway!
6 skinless salmon fillets
100g frozen soya beans. If you have difficulty finding these, you can substitute another frozen bean, like broad beans. Waitrose sell frozen soya beans though.
2 different coloured peppers, deseeded and quite thinly sliced
150g sugar snap peas
Half a red onion, finely chopped

Pre-heat the oven to 190C/Gas 5.
Cook the potatoes for 10 minutes, then drain and transfer to a large ovenproof dish.
Add the herbs and olive oil to the dish and toss to coat the potatoes.
Put the salmon fillets on top of the herby potatoes. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
Add the soya beans, peppers, sugar snap peas and the red onion to the dish. Return to the oven for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the salmon is cooked through.
Serve on warmed plates with some steamed or boiled broccoli and quarters of lemon to squeeze over.

 

[chocko1]

CHILLI BEEF PIE WITH SWEET POTATO TOPPING - Serves 4

Syn Free

1 onion, finely chopped, or use frozen
1 large carrot, grated
1 courgette, grated
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp. Mexican or Cajun spice
300g extra lean minced beef
2 tbsp. tomato puree
400g can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
400g can chopped tomatoes
600g sweet potatoes, cut into chunks or use, half and half with BNS

Pre-heat the oven to 190C/Gas 5.
Spray a large pan well with Frylight and cook the onion, carrot and courgette until softened.
Meanwhile, be cooking the sweet potatoes in boiling, salted water.
Add the garlic and spice and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Add the mince to the pan, breaking it up with a wooden spoon and cook until browned. Add the tomato puree and cook for a further minute.
Add the kidney beans and tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
Mash the potatoes.
Put the minced beef into a large casserole dish and top with the mash.
Cook in the oven for 15 minutes or until the top is golden.

Lovely served with lots of fresh veg. Really nice if HEX grated, mature Cheddar is stirred into the mashed potato.

 

[chocko1]

SPICED HONEY ROAST SQUASH, PRAWN AND FETA SALAD (Inspired by the How To Cook Good Food site). - Serves 2

2.5 Syns per serving, if using the Feta as part HEX's. 45g Feta = 1 HEX.

1 BNS, peeled, deseeded and cut into bite-size chunks. Easier to peel after 'cooking' for about 4 mins on High in the microwave.
2 level tbsp. runny honey - 5 Syns
1 small bag of rocket
100g king prawns
1-2 tsp. Discovery chipotle paste - 2 level tsp. = 0.5 Syn (nominal so haven't included Syn)
100g cooked, chopped bacon, smoked or unsmoked
50g Feta cheese, crumbled

Pre-heat the oven to 200C/Gas 6.
Line a large baking tray with baking parchment and spray it with Frylight.
Put the BNS into a large food bag, spray really well with Frylight, add seasoning and shake until thoroughly mixed. Spread the BNS out on the baking tray and spray again with Frylight. Cook in the oven for about 40 minutes or until softened. Put gently into a bowl.
Warm the honey, with the chipotle paste stirred through, in the microwave for 20 seconds, then pour gently over the warm,cooked BNS, stirring gently with a spoon, to combine.
Put the BNS back in the oven for 5 minutes, then remove.
While the BNS is finishing off in the oven, put the rocket leaves into a serving bowl, adding the prawns and cooked bacon.
Allow the BNS to cool slightly, before adding some of it to the salad. Depending on the size of the BNS, there will probably be some left over, which tastes lovely stirred through some cous cous for later, maybe!
Finish off the salad by crumbling the Feta over the top.

The original recipe for this used 100g chorizo, instead of the bacon and I have used this in the past - it tastes absolutely gorgeous. This, of course, increases the Syn value, making it 5.5 - 6 Syns per serving but, if you can spare the Syns that day, is well worth it!

 

[chocko1]

EGG AND BACON FRIED RICE - Serves 2 This is a take on a recipe from a cook book called Vatch's Thai Street Food.

Syn Free

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
6 rashers of smoked bacon, all fat removed and cut into strips
1 red pepper, deseeded and finely sliced
4 spring onions, finely sliced
2 eggs, beaten
1 tbsp. fish sauce - Blue Dragon nam pla is Free
1 tbsp. light, salt-reduced soy sauce
Half tsp. sweetener
225g cooled, cooked Jasmine or Basmati rice

Spray a wok or large frying pan with Frylight and fry the bacon and garlic, over quite a high heat, until the bacon begins to turn golden.
Add the spring onions, red pepper, fish sauce, soy sauce and sweetener and cook for one minute.
Add the cooked rice. Stir-fry for two minutes, then make a well in the middle of the mixture and tip in the lightly beaten eggs. Make channels in the rice for the egg to flow along, as this will help it to cook.
Once the egg has set, give the mixture a couple of stirs and then turn off the heat.
Let it sit for a minute, allowing the flavours to infuse, before serving on warm plates.

You could always stir in some cooked peas, mushrooms, sweet-corn, etc. if you like and, if you like a bit of a kick, top it off with some finely sliced chilli.

 

[sparty]

Ooh I've been wondering what to cook for dinner tonight since I'm in on my own and this is just the thing!!

 

[Welshsparkle]

Amazing thread! x

Sent from my GT-P3110 using MiniMins.com mobile app

 

[chocko1]

Thanks, Welshsparkle. So glad you like it.

Kathy x