Carrot Cake Slices

These carrot cake slices are absolutely delicious, really filling and only ¾ syn each (because I need sultanas in my carrot cake – but you can leave them out to save the syns)

Low syn carrot cake slices

They’re perfect to take to work as breakfast that lasts all day as one portion is six slices but they’re really good with white chocolate quark ‘icing’ too – that’s what’s on my checkerboard here with extra orange grated over the top

If you’d like to try my low syn carrot cake slices the recipe is here

Enjoy!

Kathy xx

Chilli Meatballs with Green Rice

This is a very simple recipe, another using things from my cupboards really.  I’ve started doing batch cooking more and am trying to add something different every week so there’s a variety in the freezer for the week when I have little time to cook and heating a healthy meal makes sure I don’t stray too far off course

1 syn spicy chili meatballs with green rice

The whole dinner comes in at 1 syn a portion which is really good for a meal this size and could be completely syn free if you made up your own chilli seasoning mix (I usually do but for this I cheated and used a packet as I was pressed for time)

The great thing here is that this recipe makes 60 meatballs and whilst they take a while to shape, once you’ve done them you have a LOT of meatballs to go at!  As you can see, I had them in sauce with green rice but I also took some not in sauce to work for lunch and had them in lettuce cups instead of wraps or bread – as there’s seasoning in the meatball itself and not just the sauce it was still a really good way to have a super low syn meal at my desk

If you’d like to make the almost syn free chili meatballs and green rice my recipe is here

Enjoy!

Kathy xx

It’s cocktails but not as we know them

Dry January is here and nope, I am not loving it at all.  Everyone that knows me knows I love a glass (or three) of wine but, well, you have to do what you have to do.  I had too much over the holiday season and it’s head down and focus for a few weeks which means no wine.  Or prosesso.  Or gin.  (I see a theme here...)

Syn free mocktails for dry January

During the day I drink coffee, sparkling water and squash but on an evening I like to have something different almost as a treat so I’ve made a mocktail in my trusty gin glass.  This is pink lemonade with gin & tonic flavoring and fruit.  Now don’t get me wrong, this tastes nothing like a G&T but it does taste different to my day time drinks which is half the battle (the other half being a mix of stubborness and willpower!).

It sounds silly but just using a different glass, trying a new squash or even flavouring like this can really help keep you on track and distracted from he booze.  If you’ve other ideas for good mocktails let me know!

Sticking with it for another couple of weeks so watch this space for more attempts at pretending I don’t miss wine!

Enjoy!

Kathy xx

Lamb & Potato Curry

I love curry and I love lamb, I cook it for my Dad at every opportunity (poor Dad) and usually have some slow cooked lamb in the freezer.  This week I decided to use that and other store cupboard items to make a curry and created this really tasty lamb and potato curry.  

Syn free lamb and potato curry

It uses passata but isn’t especially tomato-y as it also has stock and loads of spices but isn’t too spicy (unless you want that!).  The lamb had a pulled appearance and the potatoes were cooked in the sauce so absorbed the flavor and were really tasty.

You could add whatever veggies you liked, personally I don’t like that many but for me this was exactly what I wanted.  A warm and filling meal that looked and tasted beautiful and even better was syn free!

If you’d like to try the lamb and potato curry my recipe is here

Enjoy!
Kathy xx

Chocolate donuts

Ok so the most important thing is that SIX of these donuts are your HEB and a max of 4 syns!  That’s just over a hi fi bar and I have to say far more exciting.

Low syn chocolate donuts with white chocolate icing and sprinkles

As well as being really low syn they’re possibly one of the easiest things to make on the planet and as long as you have a donut mould you’re all set.  If you don’t you can still make these as little buns, they would be just as good.

These may not have the sugary appeal of a Dunkin Donut but they come in at about ½  a syn each which compared to 12 syns for a traditional chocolate donut is a winner in my book!

If you’d like to try the low syn chocolate donut with white chocolate icing the recipe is here

Enjoy!

Kathy xx

Potato, Leek and Gammon Soup

This syn free soup is incredibly easy to make, just a few ingredients thrown in the slow cooker and left for hours.  The result is a really filling, tasty meal that’s healthy and inexpensive.
 

I did not come up with the original recipe, I saw it on a great website called Pinch of Nom, which you should absolutely check out if you didn’t already.  The link to their site is: http://pinchofnom.com/

Syn free potato, leek and gammon soup

I’ve changed the recipe slightly, mainly to make more as I wanted soup to take to work plus I always think if the slow cooker is on it might as well be making 10 portions rather than 4.  Batch cooking has saved me many, many evenings so I stick with what I know works!

If you’d like to try this hearty soup the link is here

Enjoy!

Kathy xx

Chinese Fakeaway

I love Chinese food but it’s so high in syns so I’ve perfected a really filling fakeaway, curry, rice and noodles and I have to be honest it’s all quicker to make than waiting for a delivery!

This is the Mayflower curry which is 4 syns a portion when you make it up per the instructions, chop suey and fried rice which are both syn free.

Low syn Chinese fakeaway!

As you see, I love to serve in the takeaway tins and often write on the lids much to everyone’s amusement.  Personally I think this is a quicker, healthier, tastier, faster and cheaper way to have takeaway night!

You can add prawn crackers but if you do please syn them...I may have to see if there's a way to try make a low syn one in the near future....

Try yours in the foil containers for that extra fakeaway feel!

Enjoy

Kathy xx