Spaghetti/Pasta without tinned tomatoes!

[northernboi]

I'm trying to get into green days a bit more and I'm a bit fed up of meat, meat, meat.

The problem is... I'm not really a great cook and I've been struggling a bit to come up with something to eat apart from packet pasta n sauces and jacket potato and beans.

So I've been to the supermarket this morning, bought a ton of veggies, spaghetti and pasta.

But I really can't stand tinned tomatoes. I looked for some 'passanta' in the supermarket which I believe is concentrated tomato sauce... but I couldn't find it.

I've got some pesto to bung on the spaghetti, but it's 4 syns per tbsp so I can't have too much of that... I'm trying to have as many syn free days as possible!

Is there anything free/low syn that I can do with pasta and spaghetti that doesn't involve tinned tomatoes?

 

[KittyB]

Not sure how many syns it is - but half fat creme fraiche on some dry fried mushrooms onions courgettes etc and then mixed into a pasta with a small amount of grated cheese is nice?
xx

 

[debsxdiet]

on green days i eat sw chips, sw quiche with savory rice and veggies in it. i m not a fan of tomatoes so i fry some veggies mushrooms peppers onions etc and put 2 tbsp of tomato puree in and if its to tomato i add a bit of very low fat youghurt and there are a few recipies with qurk i havent tried yet.

My fav on a gree day (i love sweet and sour) is quorn chicken style pieces with veggies same veg as above and i add 6tsp of tomato puree and 1 tbsp of tomato ketchup and about 3/4 of a can of diet coke then reduce down. 4.0 syns for the whole lot but makes loads

Debs x

 

[amm451]

Hey there, just used quark last night with chili and garlic and vege over pasta... was ok and a bit of a change from the usual tomato pasta sauce.

I do loads of roasted veg with fry light, a bit of soy sauce and balsamic vinegar can be blended with passata for a thick veg pasta sauce, or on its own for a salad luchbox.

The other big pot I do is a three bean chili. baked beans, kidney beans, canneloni beans, chickpeas and pasta with loads of spices theres a recipe on line too.

I also made syn free houmous which is a bit different for a baked potato topping. blended chickpeas, garlic, paprika and nat yogurt.

I mainly do green days as its so different to be able to eat carbs on a diet!

 

[Edwin]

Hi

Couple of ideas for you ...

Rainbow Pasta

spring onions, garlic cloves, red & yellow pepper, L/F cheddar cheese, pasta, peas, fry light, sweetcorn, eggs, L/F nat yoghurt

chop onions, garlic, peppers & cook pasta. Cook all veg in fry light for a few mins then add cooked pasta - mix well. Transfer to oven proof dish. In separate bowl besat eggs, stir in yoghurt & cheese then pour it over pasta & veg. Bake for 20 mins at high temp (gas 7).

Veg chilli skins

baking pots, red / yellow / green peppers, red onion, fry light, sweetcorn, can of mixed beans in chilli sauce, cheddar cheese

cut pots into quarters and boil for 5 mins. Scoop out flesh from pots leaving skins then put on baking tray. Chop peppers and fry in fry light then add sweetcoern & sweetcorn. Put mixture on pot skins and cover with grated cheese. yum yum

Rissotto

onion, courgette, peppers, mushrooms, risotto rice 255g, vegetable stock 1 litre, glass white wine, parmesan cheese, fry light

Fry veg in fry light until soft add rice and stir until transparent. add glass of wine and stir until it is absorbed by the rice. gradually add the stock and stir until it is absorbed by the rice - do this until the stock has gone. add the cheese.

This is obviously synned by the wine, stock and cheese altho the cheese can be a HEa and the stock cubes are fairly low. You could skip the wine and use vecon so it would be free.

If you do use tinned toms for anything then remember a bit of sweetner takes away the acidity. also cook them well and you pretty much have passta!

You dont have to stick to pasta / spaghetti on green days. Have you tried quorn? I think it's one of those love or hate it things! But you can pretty much make any red meal using quorn (not fish obviously).

HTH

 

[nannydi]

when i do green days i tend to have wholemeal pasta and beanfeast bolognaise style
tastes lovely but gives you wind unfortunately
x

 

[northernboi]

Wow!

Thanks very much for all these great tips.

debsx - diet coke?! In food? Heh I have to try that!

Amm - I'm def going to have a go at the blended roast veg passata - thanks!

And Edwin - the rainbow pasta sounds brilliant! And good tip re the sweetner in tomatoes - I'll try it, just bought some Splenda. I've not done much with quorn - I have a bag of frozen quorn mince sitting in the freezer. All I've tried are the sausages and I found them a bit dry... but I'll give the mince a go!

Thanks again everyone - I'm going to print off this thread and stick it on the inside of one of my kitchen cupboards! It's like a dummies guide to a green day without tinned tomatoes! Perfect

 

[debsxdiet]

yeah lol diet coke, thats what i thought but i love it forgot to say u put a few dashes of worster sauce in to. i took the diet coke quorn into my class for tasting everyone turned their nose up then tried it and all wanted the recipe lol. Plus to make it more bbq swap the tomato puree for ketchup its a bit higher syns so i just use puree and i think with all ketchup its a bit ketchupy

but thats my fav i d rather have that than sweet and sour from the chinese now lol

Debs x

 

[nannydi]

forgot to mention that the beanfeast is free!!!! on green days

 

[Beki]

Oh wow is it really??? That's fab - i LOVE beanfeast

 

[mod-karen79]

this is a good meal for a green day that doesn't taste like 'diet' food.

spicy potato wedges with 'chicken' burger

to make the potato wedges:
- cut a few potatoes into wedge shapes and put in a plastic bowl
- microwave for about 4 minutes, give them a shake and zap for a further 3 minutes
- spray wedges with frylight and sprinkle with salt and fajita or cajun seasoning and shake in the bowl to coat the wedges
- throw onto a pizza tray and bake in the oven on the highest heat for 10 minutes.

for the burger:
- put a quorn crisy fillet in the oven (they're like chicken breast in light batter) ...tescos do them in the freezer and they're only 3.5 sins each and so worth it
- stick in a wholemeal roll (hex b) with iceburg lettuce, cheese slice (hex a), ketchup (asda's own brand is only 0.5 sin per tbsp) and extra light mayo (1.5 sins for 2 tbsp)

 

[amm451]

Another one I love is fresh tom chopped up, pepper, red onion, mixed through with some pesto (well worth it syns if you have extra black olives). I also use feta cheese from Hex yummy! I could eat a huge bowl right now... its also nice in half a roasted pepper or in a large flat cap mushroom

 

[northernboi]

Thanks Karen! I do need to try some more quorn stuff - it seems to be very popular and is maybe the way forward for me on green days!

Amm - Feta cheese! I didn't realise Feta could be used as a HEX - but I just checked by book and you can have 42g! Thanks! I am gonna try me some Mediterranean food for sure!

Thanks for all the tips guys - there's no way I can go hungry or get bored now on a green day!

Ste
x

 

[mod-karen79]

Another one I love is fresh tom chopped up, pepper, red onion, mixed through with some pesto (well worth it syns if you have extra black olives). I also use feta cheese from Hex yummy! I could eat a huge bowl right now... its also nice in half a roasted pepper or in a large flat cap mushroom

that sounds flippin' gorgeous!!! gonna make that with some natural yogurt with cucumber and mint sauce mixed in

might even splash out sins on a wrap!

 

[Beki]

cor that DOES sound yum!!!

 

[flipflop]

I love pesto, always thought it would be too high in syns to have on SW, but I might have a go. My kids love it with chopped bacon or chicken and pasta.

 

[northernboi]

Nah, it's not too bad!

It averages about 2 syns for most red pestos (including the Delia Smith Walnut one which is quite nice) and 4 syns for the green pesto. As you'd expect, the green one is usually nicer!

But I don't mind 4 syns considering it's the biggest meal of the day. Probably not something I'd do every night... but it's nice every now and again.

Enjoy!