Syn free pasta crustless quiche

OK, I readily admit this sounds weird.  It’s not an omelette nor is it pasta…it’s some hybrid syn free mix!  No, that isn’t really selling it but it’s good, it’s very easy, quick and it’s different as well as being super filling.  You can use whatever packet pasta mixes you have to hand as well as whatever meat and veg is spare so really it’s a huge win when you don’t have the time or ingredients to do much.

Chicken & mushroom syn free pasta crustless quiche

I think I might try a tomato/Bolognese type one next and see how that goes...maybe make them into muffins for lunch.  There’s a couple of ideas to have a go at still, I’ll let you know but in the meantime the recipe for my chicken and mushroom pasta crustless quiche (rolls off the tongue) is here

Enjoy!
Kathy xx

Fruity Chocolate Scan Bran Muffins

Anyone that’s looked through the cakes and treats I’ve made knows at Easter I did a chocolate orange scan bran cake with golden chocolate eggs.  It was very, very successful and the other day occurred to me to give it a twist.  I made chocolate orange scan bran muffins closely followed by a chocolate strawberry version.   

Chocolate orange scan bran muffins

Chocolate strawberry scan bran muffins

I've written the recipe for the strawberry version but to make the orange ones just swap the strawberry essence for orange and decorate with orange segments rather than strawberries – it’s as simple as that!

These buns are 2 syns each and take 5 minutes in the microwave, they’re perfect to impress unexpected guests or take to taster night when you forget!  Plus for me they’re pretty much the only way I could eat scan bran, that stuff is like nibbling on a shoe!

The recipe is here, give them a try for nothing else it’ll use up that scan bran hiding at the back of the cupboard!

Enjoy

Kathy xx

Cherry Chocolate Fakewells

I admit it, these have only been made to use up quark!  I had some left over from making the apple and spice flapjacks and decided that I’d try making quark icing.  I had glace cherries staring up at me and decided to make a chocolate cherry fakewell baked oat muffin with white chocolate icing (as you do). 

Low syn cherry chocolate fakewell tarts

Basically it’s the ususal baked oat muffins but with icing and a cherry on the top.  Not rocket science I admit but it’s taken the humble breakfast muffing to a new level, without going made on the syns.

With the oats as your heb these are only 1.5 syns each (if you’ve had your heb they’re 2.5 – 0.5 of which is the cherry!).  

For me, they are really great little cakes and perfect to serve up to friends, especially with the gooey chocolate middles.  A not so indulgent treat!

Give them a try, the recipe is here

 Enjoy!

Kathy xx

Low Syn Apple & Cinnamon Flapjack

I bought some fat free quark the other day and had absolutely no idea what to do with it.  In the end I decided to try put it to good use and combine using it up with trying to make flapjacks, not an easy feat if you’re following slimming world!

Low syn apple & cinnamon flapjacks

To be fair, there isn’t really going to be a comparison to flapjacks with their syrup and butter but as far as a low syn version goes this is actually really good.  The whole cake is only 3.5 syns (if you didn’t have your HEB) and 9.5 if you did.  Depending on the size slices you cut it’s going to be 1-2 syns a piece – pretty good on reflection.

You don’t have to use apple, you can just have sultana, you could use raspberries – whatever you like.  I had apples in the house and they needed eating so they were thrown in on a bit of a whim.  Personally I don’t syn cooked fruit and never have, it has not slowed down my weight loss nor has it made me struggle to stay at target but to be fair I don’t eat a lot of cooked fruit, just what you see here and in Weetabix muffins.  If you do syn your cooked fruit (like you’re supposed to) please add that to the total.

Recipe is here, hope you enjoy!

Kathy xx

Low Syn Banana Bread

I think everyone likes banana bread, with a cup of coffee it’s the perfect way to take a few minutes out on a day.  Rather than miss out on my moment of peace and quiet I’ve created this low syn version which comes in at about 2 syns a slice depending what you add to it.  Unsurprisingly for me, I went all out adding chocolate chips, walnuts and sultanas but I didn’t add 25g of each…couldn’t decide which I wanted so I went with them all!!

Low syn banana, walnut, choc chip, sultana bread!

A word of caution – this is not the same consistency as a ‘normal’ banana bread but anyone that’s been on SW a while will expect that.  It doesn’t have any butter and there’s less flour and a higher egg ratio so it’s lighter, more airy if that makes sense.  But it is very, very good, just different. 

Comes in about 2 syns a slice for this banana bread

Because it’s so light the ‘extras’ tend to sink but again, that’s ok as the taste is absolutely spot on.

If I didn’t put you off (!!!!) the recipe is here – really, do try it … I shared it at class and was very pleasantly surprised how much everyone liked it.  Hope you like it too

Enjoy

Kathy xx

Low Syn Pizza Bites

I think it’s fair to say my favourite food is pizza, after all it is all the food groups!  I’m always looking for ways to have pizza and not use a years’ worth of syns in one mouthful.

This idea was a surprise and not something I made up in fact I came home the other day to find them in progress in the kitchen and couldn’t believe how simple the concept is and how you truly can have whatever you want and still have live a healthy lifestyle.  It’s really easy to do, quick and can be adjusted to suit whatever your personal tastes are and what you have to hand.  I also think it’s a great idea for homes with kids as you can share these and no one feels like they’re missing out…smiles all round!

Low syn pizza bites

The bites come in a about 1-2 syns a serving depending what you put in them and whether or not you’ve had your healthy extras for the day so they are a treat but that's what syns are for and I for one will happily use my syns on pizza!

The recipe is here, feel free to use what you like.  It can be a completely vegetarian snack or you could use tuna, prawns, sweetcorn and olives for a Mediterranean option!

Enjoy!

Kathy xx

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

I don’t know about you but sometimes I miss crunchy food and I really miss peanuts.  Never really ate them a lot but I think when you want to have something you want to have it if that makes sense and at the weekend I wanted peanuts.  At around 8 syns for 25g that’s just not happening so I decided to make my own version….roasted chick peas!  OK, it doesn’t sound great but give them a chance.  It’s very simple and they really did taste like roasted nuts!  I chose to do piri piri flavour and have to be honest and that they were excellent.  Really spicy and crunchy and I served them still warm which was good too.  

Syn free Spicy Roasted Chick Peas

Going to try a few different flavours depending what spices I have in the cupboard and look for some inspiration in the peanut aisle but absolutely give these snacks a try, they’re totally perfect for when you’re watching TV.  The recipe is here.

Enjoy

Kathy xx

Cherry Clafoutis - 1 syn a slice!

Out shopping the other day I saw some really lovely cherries and got them to nibble on but just never got round to eating them so in the end decided to try making something different and created a slimming world friendly cherry clafoutis.  

Basically, it’s a bit like an apple Betty but without apples and with different flavours (so not really at all!) or an egg custard, sort of eggy - so if you don’t like eggy you won’t like this but if egg custards and sweet omlettes are on your 'yes' list then you'll absolutely love it

Almost syn free cherry clafoutis

It’s really simple and only a few ingredients, recipe is here.  With regards syns, the only syns are the cooked cherries which makes this 1 syn per slice but I never counted the syn value of cooked fruit, which I know is wrong but not everyone does so if you do this whole dessert is 6 syns and if you don’t then it’s free!!!

1 syn per slice and absolutely delicious

Give it a try, I think apple and cinnamon would be good, maybe with a few sultanas as would blueberries and almonds.  Just a couple of ideas for next time

Enjoy

Kathy xx

Crustless Quiche

At the weekend I went through my old Slimming World magazines, cutting out and keeping the recipes I liked or wanted to have a play about with and getting rid of anything else.  I’d been given a great present - a big polka dotty folder and loads of plastic pockets so off I went, paper and old magazines everywhere. 

Anyway, I came across a recipe for crustless quiche which I’ve always thought sounded disgusting.  I mean I’m from Yorkshire and to me the whole point of quiche is the pastry - it's the best bit…so I’ve never done it.  Anyway in the magazine it looked ok, but I wanted to try make it more to my style and taste.  At dinner that night I made loads of extra roasted peppers and onions so I wouldn’t  have to do them again and just threw that, lots more bacon than the original recipe allowed for and Italian herbs into the eggs, milk and (loads of) cheese and hey presto it worked!

Syn free (HEA) crustless quiche

Now, depending how many portions you make it is actually syn free.  There are three HEA portions of cheese and ½ in milk.  The whole quiche is 6-8 slices which means using your HEA it is totally syn free, if you don’t it’s going to be 3-4 syns a (huge) slice but you have to have your syns somewhere and trust me, this is a very decadent place to have them.

Bacon and roast veg quiche

You can change it up, adding whatever combination of flavours you like but to me this was a great start.  If you want to try, the recipe is here

¾ Syn Jaffa Cakes

Anyone that knows me knows I love a good cookie, ok I love a bad cookie sometimes too and every so often anyone on a diet really misses something specific….Roll round to me missing Jaffa Cakes, no idea why, it’s not like I used to eat them every day or anything but I really missed them so into the kitchen I went to see what I can do.

It doesn’t always go right, I started out with 16, tried a few different things and ended up with four that were spot on…but that was just fine as I had to eat them to check and yup, all four were exactly as I’d hoped (and the other four that fell into my mouth were ok but not as good!).

Low syn jaffa cakes - 3 = 1 normal cake!

Now making these is slightly more fiddly than my usual ‘chuck most stuff together and bake it’ method but for a change, and for a really good faux Jaffa Cake these will totally be worth the extra effort PLUS at only ¾ a syn each I can have three instead of one ‘normal’ Jaffa cake so I’m totally sold!  If you want to give them a try the recipe is here

Enjoy!

Kathy xx