Salsa

I'm not sure if it's a good thing when I make this as it just makes me want to grab the crisps to eat with it - but my hubby loves it :)

I just make enough for one ramekin type dish as I'm not sure how long a big quantity would keep for - but this is just enough for crisps and dip for me and hubby when we settle down to watch something on a Saturday night :)

2 tomatoes

1/2 red onion

Jalapeno pepper - I buy the jar of pre-chopped jalapenos and I only use 2 pieces and that is hot enough for us - but if you like em spicy - add more.

Salt to taste

Lime juice to taste

Cumin to taste

Tiny amount of sweetener

Blitz the tomatoes, onions and jalapenos in a food processor, then empty into a bowl.  It does go a bit frothy which I don't mind, but if you don't like your salsa like that just remove the insides from your tomato before you add it to the food processor.  Add some salt, sweetener, lime juice and cumin to taste - I find that I don't need much of it at all - so use sparingly and taste as you go along.

Garlic & Ginger Prawns

Yumsters!  I've made this with chicken too and it works just as nice, although I leave the chicken to marinade for longer.  It's so simple to make and most of the work is just in the preparation.  It works out at only 1 syn per serving.

Serves 4

600g Prawns

large onion sliced

200g broccoli florets thinly cut

1 carrot thinly sliced

8 spring onions sliced

2cm piece of ginger grated

handful of bamboo shoots

100ml chicken stock

1 tablespoon of oyster sauce

Marinade

6 tablespoons of light soy sauce

4 garlic gloves crushed

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon of cornflour

First marinade the prawns for 15 minutes.

Add frylight and stir fry the onions, then add the vegetables and ginger and stir fry for another couple of minutes.  Add the stock and cook for a few minutes - add the prawns and oyster sauce and cook for 5 minutes.  

Week 12

Well......after having 2 busy weekends lately I was not looking forward to stepping on those scales, but miraculously I lost 1 lb!!  I didn't have almighty blowouts but I was most certainly over my syns allowance and eating and drinking things that I really shouldn't have - so to actually lose something and not gain anything has made me very happy.  I did try hard since Monday to get back on plan and rein it in a bit which obviously helped.  So I am now just a pound away from reaching my first stone. This stone award seems to be taking forever to achieve!  I've been doing this for 12 weeks now and I suppose almost reaching a stone isn't very much to show for it - but I would rather be the weight I am now than still be at the weight I was 12 weeks ago...and I'm just going to keep going however long it takes.  Hubby goes away again this week for 4 weeks so I think I will probably do better whilst he is gone because although he fully supports me in my diet....it's hard not to over indulge and do nice things when he is home - which normally involve food and alcohol!

So - my progress so far....

week 1  4 lb off
week 2  on holiday
week 3  on holiday
week 4  2.5 lb on
week 5  3.5lb off
week 6  3lb off (got my 1/2 stone award)
week 7  1.5lb off

week 8  2lb off

week 9  maintained

week 10 1.2lb off

week 11 ?

week 12 1lb off

Vegetable Noodles

This is a very slurpy meal so next time I'm just going to bung everything in the one pot and just make it a soup - and add grated carrot rather than sliced - mainly cause it's easier for me to grate than to try and slice them up!

Serves 4 (syn free)

250g dried noodles

750ml chicken stock

3 garlic cloves crushed

2cm piece ginger grated

4 tablespoons dark soy sauce

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon chinese five-spice powder

1/4 teaspoon mild chilli powder

1 carrot cut thinly sliced

1/2 red pepper thinly sliced

2 spring onions finely chopped

handful bamboo shoots

1/2 onion sliced

Pour stock into pot and add garlic, ginger, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, five spice powder, chill powder - stir well and bring to the boil then simmer for 5 minutes.

Add all vegetables except spring onions and cook for 5-10 minutes.

Make noodles as per packet instructions and drain.  Divide into bowls then add stock & vegetables.

Then get stuck in!!

As I said it was a bit of a watery, slurpy meal - but next time I'm just going to bung everything in the one pot and just make it a soup!!  

Week 11

Oh, oh, oh, I've been a naughty girl and have had major blowouts and 2 weekends away - one being a hen weekend!! (say no more!!).  So I couldn't make class on Saturday but oh lordy I am dreading the next weigh in!  I know I'm going to be so disappointed when I stand on those scales!!  I did enjoy myself though and I can't let myself be guilty as this journey is a 'life long' one and not just a quick fix - there are going to be times when you just have to go with the flow and not get too hung up about it. I will try hard this week to getting back to focusing on the plan again...

So - my progress so far....

week 1  4 lb off
week 2  on holiday
week 3  on holiday
week 4  2.5 lb on
week 5  3.5lb off
week 6  3lb off (got my 1/2 stone award)
week 7  1.5lb off

week 8  2lb off

week 9  maintained

week 10 1.2lb off

week 11 ?

Week 10

Arrrrgh I seem to have hit a bit of a blip at the moment - this week I only lost 1/2lb.  I had been good all week then on the Friday night (night before weigh in I might add) I had one almighty blow out!! Why???  However, I'm not going to beat myself up about it - this month has been really busy with things on and next weekend is going to be even worse - I have a hen weekend!!  Life goes on and sometimes you just have to go with the flow and just try and cope the best you can!  So still 2lb to go until I reach my first stone - I'm not sure about hitting it next week but hopefully I'll get something towards it though.  I'll just keep chipping away - I'll get there when I get there! :)

So - my progress so far....

week 1  4 lb off
week 2  on holiday
week 3  on holiday
week 4  2.5 lb on
week 5  3.5lb off
week 6  3lb off (got my 1/2 stone award)
week 7  1.5lb off

week 8  2lb off

week 9  maintained

week 10 1.2lb off

Roast Potatoes (Syn Free)

I saw this recipe on one of the slimming blogs I follow Vicki-Kitchen.  I love potatoes and miss having traditional roasters so was very intrigued when I saw how these were made.  They take a wee while but worth the wait :)

Oven needs to hot - gas mark 8 or 230 deg

Peel and chop your potatoes and par boil them in some salted water for 5 minutes, then drain.

Add potatoes to a roasting dish.

Make up some stock using an oxo cube. (I used chicken)

Pour in stock so that it's halfway up the potato.

Spray the tops of the potatoes with frylight.

Cook for 45-60mins until all the stock has been absorbed.  You might want to baste the potatoes half way through.

Enjoy X

Week 9

Not much to report this week - I had a pretty bad week!!  It was 'that time' and I felt I was cramming junk down my throat like nobody's business - especially chocolate!!  I'm not a big chocaholic - except for when it's 'that time'.  What is it that makes us crave it so badly at certain times - I'm blaming hormones!!  So I am actually quite pleased to report that I maintained from last week which I am very happy with as I really was expecting a gain and would have had nobody to blame but myself!

Unfortunately I couldn't stay to class as my hubby came home after 5 weeks away and I had heaps to do before I went to pick him up.  Even better though - as soon as he gave me a big hug he noticed right away that there was less of me - so I'm very happy with that :)   He can't believe how well I've done so that's given me a right wee boost, not that I was struggling with the plan or anything, but it's just given me the determination for the week ahead.

So - my progress so far....

week 1  4 lb off
week 2  on holiday
week 3  on holiday
week 4  2.5 lb on
week 5  3.5lb off
week 6  3lb off (got my 1/2 stone award)
week 7  1.5lb off

week 8  2lb off

week 9  maintained

Chicken Fajitas (Syn Free)

Chicken Fajitas is one of my husband's faves and I used to groan whenever he wanted it as it was never one of mine and I used to just buy a jar or fajita sauce or the fajita seasoning and I could take it or leave it to be honest as a lot of them tasted quite 'smoky' or bbq-ish which I'm not that keen on.

So I had a bash at making my own seasoning and I am now a convert!  This works out totally syn free as I had mine with some rice cooked with a chicken oxo cube for flavour.  If you want to use a wrap then you will have to syn it but seeing as I'm trying to banish all bread type things from my diet I went for the rice and it was every bit as nice.  I topped it with fat free natural fromage frais with 2 nacho crisps/doritos but I didn't syn the crisps - as there were only 2!

This recipe serves 3-4

3 chicken breasts thinly sliced

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1.5 teaspoon salt

1.5 teaspoon cumin

1.5 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon garlic powder/granules

0.5 teaspoon chilli powder (I used mild)

0.5 teaspoon paprika

0.5 teaspoon dried chilli flakes

1 half red pepper cut into thin slices

1 half green pepper cut into thin slices

1 half red onion cut into thin slices
fat free natural fromage frais (optional)

Mix the lemon juice and spices in a large bowl and add the chicken (I also sprayed the chicken with some frylight) and mix through until coated and leave to marinade.  I only left mine to marinade for 10 mins as I was super rushed and it still tasted really flavoursome after only just 10 mins.

Spray a frying pan with frylight and stir fry the chicken for 5-10 mins until browned and cooked through.  Set aside.  Add some more frylight to the pan and stir fry the onions and peppers for about 5 mins then add the chicken again and cook for a few mins.

I served mine with rice and a dollop of fat free natural fromage frais (oh and 2 doritos lol)

So delicious :)

Instant Potato Pancakes (Syn Free)

Okay this is my second recipe involving instant mash (makes me shudder) - so now I'm getting worried as yet again - I enjoyed it!!

These were very simple to make and a nice change from having just potatoes or chips.

The recipe made 4 decent size patties - and I ate all 4!  

1 cup cold water

3/4 cup instant potato

1 egg, beaten

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic granules/powder

1/2 tsp onion granules/powder

Frylight

Whisk together water, egg and all the seasoning in a large bowl.  Add the instant powder and mix until coated and the consistency of the mixture should be slightly thick (not thick like you could stand a spoon up in, but not a runny slop either).

Divide the mixture into 4 and make balls with each portion and then flatten out to make a pattie.

Spray a frying pan with frylight and add the patties.  Fry for about 10 minutes turning once or twice until brown and crispy.

These were about 1cm thick and were slightly crispy on the outside and soft inside, but if you wanted a more crispier pancake you could make them smaller and thinner.

Next time I might add a bit of spring onion to the mixture or some dried chilli flakes - you could add whatever seasoning takes your fancy!