Risotto

This is one of the things I make with my leftovers of roast chicken. It's so quick and simple to make.  I add some chicken stock to some risotto rice, add some shredded chicken, chopped onion, frozen peas, garlic, salt and plenty of black pepper.  Cook in the oven for about 20/25 minutes until the liquid has absorbed and the rice has softened and then at the end sprinkle with grated parmesan.  I love it :)

Measurements for 1 serving approx 75g rice and 250ml chicken stock.

Chicken and Oyster Sauce

Seeing as it was Chinese New Year - I thought I would make something Chinese.  Oh this was so yummy and so, so tasty and far healthier that a takeaway!

1 serving

1 chicken breast thinly sliced

crushed garlic (I used a heaped teaspoon of the lazy garlic)

chopped veg of choice

1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

1 tablespoon of light soy sauce

2 tablespoons of oyster sauce

1-2 tablespoons of water

grated ginger 

Stir fry the chicken until browned, add veg and crushed garlic and ginger and stir fry for about 5 mins.  Sprinkle over the black pepper.  Add the soy sauce/oyster sauce and water - and you're done :)

Slow Cooker Chicken

I make this at least once a week. The chicken just falls off the bone and there is very little left over and what is left over usually goes in a curry the next night.

Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for at least 5-6 hours.

Place 4 small balls of kitchen foil on the bottom of your slow cooker to stop the chicken sticking.  I rubbed a seasoning on my chicken ( 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp each of oregano, thyme, basil). Then placed chicken upside down in slow cooker and sprinkled remaining seasoning on top.

Sometimes I cook it with garlic butter and some herbs too.

Chicken Curry (syn free)

Quick chicken curry made with last night's left over chicken!

Fried off some onion, garlic, chilli and added a carton of Asda chopped tomatoes with chilli and pepper, 150ml chicken stock, tablespoon of curry powder (I used mild and found that hot enough as the chopped tomatoes have kick in them, but depends on your taste).  Simmered away and then mixed though a couple of tablespoons of fat free fromage frais at the end - was really tasty!

Cock-a-leekie Soup (syn free)

Love soup at this time of the year. Especially love this one. My Mum's recipe.

Pint veg or chicken stock
Couple of handfuls of rice
1 chicken breast diced
1 leek sliced
1 carrot sliced
Salt/pepper

Add all ingredients to a pot, bring to the boil and then let simmer for 30 mins.

I like too add Swartz red & black pepper for an extra kick.

Enjoy x

Chilli chicken

Think I've just had one of my favourite SW meals ever....everything together was just so yummy and my kind of food!

Chilli chicken - easy peasy!

I used chicken breast fillets enough for 4 people

Marinade the chicken for a few hours or overnight in 6 tablespoons light soya sauce and 2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce and some garlic and I also added some chilli flakes for a bit of a kick - then grill.

1syn per serving

Chicken & sweetcorn soup

Another quick and simple dish!  It's only 1 syn per portion and that's because cornstarch is added to thicken it.

Pint of chicken stock, 2-3 chicken breasts, spring onions, egg, garlic powder, salt/pepper

Cook the chicken in the stock, then shred the chicken.  Add creamed sweetcorn, spring onions and shredded chicken. Mix in the cornflour.  Drizzle in a beaten egg and mix.  I also mixed in about 1 teaspoon of garlic powder and some salt and pepper to season.

I drizzled some dark soy sauce on top and it was as simple as that! A really tasty bowl of soup!!

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 :)

Chicken Chow Mein

This was a hot favourite at our taster day and I think it is every bit as nice as the real thing and what's even better is that it's all fresh ingredients and probably about 100% healthier than a takeaway version.

Serves 4

1/2 syn on Extra Easy

4 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp hot chilli sauce

2 tsp chinese rice vinegar or white wine vinegar

4 crushed garlic cloves

2cm piece ginger grated

1tsp chinese five-spice powder

3 chicken breasts diced/sliced

200g dried egg noodles 

frylight

bag of stir fry veg

spring onions

1 level tbsp sweet chilli sauce

4 tbsp dark soy sauce

chilli flakes

Mix together light soy sauce, hot chilli sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger and five-spice powder.  Add the chicken and marinate for 10 minutes.

Cook the noodles as per the packet instructions and drain.

Spray a large wok or frying pan with frylight and add the chicken and stir fry for 5 minutes until lightly browned.  Add all the vegetables and stir fry for 5 minutes.

Add the noodles, sweet chilli sauce and dark soy sauce and cook for 5 minutes.  

Sticky Chicken

I've seen this on quite a lot of different Slimming World forums.  It's very quick and easy - which I love!

Serves 4 (2 syns per person)

3-4 chicken breasts diced

3 level tablespoons honey (7.5 syns)

3 level tablespoons balsamic vinegar 

3 level tablespoons light soy sauce

Stir fry the chicken with frylight until browned.

Mix the sauces together in a bowl and add to the chicken and cook for about 15-20 minutes until the sauce reduces and thickens.

Tasty enough but I think next time I might add some chopped garlic and some dried chilli flakes to give it a bit of a kick.

Done!!

Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup

This is lovely and I had this for my lunch almost every day this week!  I had to add rice to mine as I had no noodles, but was equally as nice. Really easy to make too which is always a big thumbs up in my book!

Ingredients:

1 pint chicken stock using 2 chicken stock cubes

2 sticks celery finely chopped

1 onion finely chopped

1 clove crushed garlic

1 carrot finely chopped

1 chicken breast diced up into small pieces

1 teaspoon turmeric

60g dry noodles chopped 

salt and pepper to season

Throw everything in a pot and bring to the boil.  Simmer for about 30 minutes.  Add the noodles at the end.

This is also nice with a squeeze of honey added in at the end (but remember to syn it!)

Chicken Tikka Masala

I've been making this curry for a while now and when I looked at the ingredients it was perfect for fitting in with Slimming World.  I just made a few tweaks to make it syn free!

I had some mini poppadums with it which was 3 syns for the 13g - but the curry is free.

Serves 3/4

Marinade 4 chicken breasts (diced) with 2 tablespoons of mild curry powder, 1.5 teaspoons of paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 cloves of garlic (crushed), 6 tablespoons of natural fat free yoghurt.

For the sauce - 1 large onion finely chopped, 2 cloves of garlic (crushed), 1 tablespoon of mild curry powder, 2 tablespoons of tomato purée, 2 teaspoons of artificial sweetener, 1 teaspoon of salt, 350ml of water.
Fry the onions & garlic in frylight for a couple of minutes and add the rest of the ingredients.  Simmer for about 5 minutes and then set aside (or if you have a fusspot in the house like me who hates any signs of veg - then blitz in the blender)

Spray a pan with frylight and add the marinaded chicken and cook for about 5/10 mins. Then add the sauce and simmer for about 15 minutes.  I also add a bit more yoghurt as it's cooking as the spices can sometimes taste a bit bitter and that tones it down.

Then serve with some boiled rice :)

Chicken Fried Rice

This is a firm favourite but need to broaden my horizons or else I'll be living on it!

Serves 2 - Syn free on Extra Easy

2 cups of cooked rice (cold)

200g of cooked chicken

1 small finely chopped onion

1 teaspoon grated ginger

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

half red pepper finely chopped

generous handful of grated carrot or 1 small carrot finely chopped

4 mushrooms finely chopped

handful of frozen peas

3 tablespoons of light soy sauce

2 eggs beaten

2 spring onions finely chopped

Frylight Spray

Spray a wok with Frilight

Add the onion, garlic & ginger and cook for a few minutes to soften

Add pepper & carrots and fry for a couple of minutes

Add soy sauce & chicken and fry for a few mins to heat through

Add rice & peas and mix. 

Make a hole in the middle and add the beaten egg.  Stir until the egg starts to cook and mix through.

Add spring onions at the end.

Delicious!