Chermoula Chicken with Tabbuleh

Inspired by an article in the Slimming World magazine this month, as well as my raffle winnings in group, I set out to make Chermoula Chicken for dinner tonight. I adapted the recipe to fit with what I had in the fridge / cupboards, and as we have already had couscous this week, I thought I'd serve it with tabbuleh instead. Tabbuleh is a more recent discovery of mine – the first time I had it was in a Lebanese restaurant in Tripoli in Libya in 2005. It was love at first bite. 

Tonight's version was a variation on a theme, adding more vegetables to ensure I got the required amount of superfree, and I used coriander rather than mint as that is what was lurking in the fridge drawer. You can of course add any vegetables you would like to the tabbuleh; it's great for using up leftovers too.

Serves 2

Syn free on Extra easy

2 chicken breasts

1 tin chopped tomatoes

5-6 cloves garlic

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp celery salt

small handful of coriander leaves and stems

zest and juice of a lime

1 tsp sumac

Mix together all the ingredients except the chicken and the sumac and whizz through a liquidiser. Make deep cuts in the chicken breast and place in a shallow bowl. Pour over the liquid and bake in the oven at 200°C for 20-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Slice the chicken and serve on top of the tabbuleh, sprinkled with the sumac.

Serve the rest of the cooking sauce separately to pour over the chicken at the table.

Tabbuleh with a Difference

a couple of handfuls of bulghur wheat

juice of 1 lime

100g tomatoes. chopped (I used golden pomodorino)
a handful of chopped coriander
a handful of chopped flat leaf parsley

100 g cooked green beans, chopped

2 tinned roasted red pepper, chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

Place the bulghur wheat in a large bowl and pour in the lime juice and enough boiling water to cover. Leave to infuse while the chicken is cooking, adding more water if the mixture looks too dry. Add all the other ingredients and mix well. 

 

Mulligatawny Soup made from Leftover Chilli Con Carne

Nice and quick, nice and comforting, nice and easy, nice and warming, nice and healthy. What more can you want on a miserable day? 

 

Serves 2

Syn Free on Extra Easy

1 cup leftover chilli con carne (syn free of course)

½ cup red lentils

2 onions

2 stems celery

2 tsp bouillon powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp ground turmeric

½ cup cooked carrots, chopped

a few drops food colouring

a small handful chopped coriander leaves

1 red chilli (optional), finely chopped

Finely chop the onion and celery and onions and sauté in Fry Light until soft. Add the lentils and bouillon powder and enough water to make it a soup consistency. Boil rapidly for ten minutes. Turn the heat down, add the leftover chilli con carne and spices and simmer for another 15-20 minutes until everything is cooked through and the lentils are soft and mushy. Add the carrots and fresh coriander and heat through. Add a few drops of food colouring if the soup looks a little insipid. Serve topped with some chopped coriander. 

 

Potato Cakes with Baked Beans

The half a syn in this recipe comes from the fresh breadcrumbs – I made one small slice into crumbs and used maybe only 1/5 of it. You can of course omit the breadcrumbs to make it syn free. I added some leftover stir fry vegetables to try and get some superfree in – any cooked vegetables would work in this recipe I reckon.

Serves 4

½ syn on Extra Easy (see note above)

450g potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

1 large onion, chopped

3 tbsp fromage frais

2 egg yolks

1 egg, beaten

1 slice wholemeal bread from a 400g loaf

tin baked beans

leftover cooked vegetables

2-4 tbsp passata

Cook the potatoes in salted water for 20 minutes until cooked through. Drain well and mash. Leave to cool a little. Meanwhile, sauté the onion in Fry Light until soft. Stir the onions into the mash with the fromage frais and a little water if necessary to get the consistency right. Mix in the egg yolks and season.

Shape into rounds, then flatten to make approximately 16 patties about 5-6 cm across. Place the patties on a greased baking sheet and brush with the beaten egg. Sprinkle some breadcrumbs over the top (see note above) and bake at 180°C for about 30 minutes until nicely browned.

Heat the baked beans with the added vegetables. Add the passata and a little water to dilute the sauce and serve with the potato cakes. 

 

Kuku

I am continuing my 'international week' with a tangy chicken stew from Kenya.

Serves 2

Syn Free on Extra Easy

2 chicken breasts, each cut into 3 or 4 pieces

1 tsp ground ginger

100g mung beans

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

2-3 tomatoes, de-seeded and chopped

1 green chilli, seeded and finely chopped

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 cup rice

1 carrot, grated

1 courgette, grated

Boil the mung beans in plenty of salted water for 35 minutes, until tender, then mash. Cook the rice with the grated carrot and courgette for 10 minutes. Sauté the chicken pieces and onions in Fry Light for 10-15 minutes, then add the tomatoes, chilli, garlic, ginger and lemon juice. Add the mashed beans and enough water to make a thick sauce. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Serve with the vegetable rice. 

 

Tuna, White Bean and Asparagus Salad

I used dried cannellini beans for this recipe, but you can use tinned if you prefer.

Serves 2

Syn Free on Extra Easy*

* Providing you use the olive oil as your Healthy Extra B. You can of course omit the oil completely if you like.

1 can tuna steaks in water, drained

1 cup dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight

1 bunch asparagus spears

4-5 shallots, finely chopped

a few fresh tarragon leaves, finely chopped

1 tbsp capers

½ tsp olive oil

½ tsp red wine vinegar

plenty of freshly ground black pepper to serve

Cook the cannellini beans according to the packet instructions, or drain if using tinned. Allow to cool. Cut the asparagus spears in one inch lengths and boil gently for a few minutes until cooked to your liking. Mix all the salad ingredients together and toss with the oil and vinegar dressing. Serve with black pepper. 

 

Pork Fried Rice

You can of course use just normal, plain pork steaks for this dish. Or coat them with your favourite spice mix before grilling. I just find Joe's meats to be such an easy option when I'm busy.

This was my very first Ajo Hot chilli harvest, and I was disappointed. There was very little heat to it, although it had a nice fruity taste. 

 

Serves 2

Syn Free on Extra Easy

1 pkt Joe's Chinese Pork Steaks

1 cup rice

2 tsp bouillon powder

1 onion, chopped

handful green beans, chopped

1 pkt beansprouts

100g spinach

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tsp sweetener

2 tsp rice wine vinegar

1 red chilli, finely chopped

Grill the pork steaks until cooked through and slice very finely. Boil the rice in plenty of water with the bouillon. Drain. Sauté the onion and beans in Fry Light until soft. Add the beansprouts , spinach, soy sauce, vinegar, sweetener, rice and chilli. Stir over a low heat until the spinach has wilted and the beansprouts are beginning to get soft. Serve with extra soy soy if you like. 

 

Feta Cheese Pannacotta

When I first saw a recipe for a savoury cheese pannacotta, I really wasn't sure how I felt about that concept, but as I had some feta cheese (the original recipe used goat's cheese and was way more complicated), I thought I'd give it a go. I am all for new taste experiences. I am so glad I did, as it was delicious! The saltiness of the feta went really well with the lentils and vegetables. As soon as the pannacotta hits the hot lentils it starts to melt, so make sure you serve it immediately. You could also serve the whole dish cold as a salad. 

 

Serves 2

Syn Free on Extra Easy*

* Providing you use the cheese as your Healthy Extra A

100g feta cheese

1 tub fat free plain yogurt

1 sachet gelatine crystals

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil

1 cup puy lentils

1 onion, chopped

1 leek, sliced

100g spinach

1 cup frozen mixed vegetables (the finely chopped variety)

1 tbsp bouillon powder

Melt the cheese in the microwave or on the stove. Mix the gelatine with 100ml boiling water and add the hot cheese. Stir thoroughly. Gradually mix in the yogurt until really smooth and add the herbs. Pour mixture into two individual moulds and leave in the fridge to set for at least two hours.

Meanwhile, sauté the onion and leek in Fry Light for a few minutes, then add the lentils, mixed vegetables and bouillon powder with 3 cups of water. Simmer for 20-25 minutes until the lentils are cooked to your liking. Add the spinach and stir until it has wilted. Serve the lentil and vegetable mix topped with the inverted pannacotta. 

 

Fish Fingers with Wasabi Pea Purée

Ever since seeing an advert last week, Husband has had a craving for fish fingers. I refuse to 'pay' the syn value for shop bought fish fingers, so I promised him I would make my own. Me being me, I couldn't just serve the usual fish fingers, peas and mash – I wanted to put my own original stamp on the recipe. Rather than just plain mushy peas, I added a few extra vegetables to ensure I got my one-third superfree, and to liven the pea purée up a little, I added wasabi paste. Husband loved it! 

 

Serves 2

Syn Free on Extra Easy*

* Providing you use the bread as your Healthy Extra B

2-3 frozen cod fillets

2 slices wholemeal bread from a 400g loaf

1 tsp dried dill

1 tsp celery powder

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp salt

1 egg, beaten

2 cups frozen peas

1 cup green beans, chopped

100g spinach

1 onion, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

6-8 mint leaves

1-2 tsp wasabi paste

1 carrot

1 courgette

4 tomatoes

Remove the fish fillets from the freezer – leave to thaw slightly for 30 minutes or so, then cut into fingers while still partially frozen.

Tear the bread slices in pieces and place in a food processor. Pule a few times until fine breadcrumbs. Add the dill, celery powder, garlic powder, pepper and salt, and mix well. Spread out on a large baking sheet and place in the oven for 5 minutes on 200°C until crisp and browned.

Dip the fish fingers in the beaten egg, then coat in the breadcrumbs. Bake at 210°C for around ten minutes or so until cooked through, depending on the thickness of the fish.

For the pea purée, boil the peas with the onion, celery, beans, spinach and mint leaves for around ten minutes. Briefly liquidise for a few seconds, and add wasabi paste to taste. 

 

Peel the carrot. Using a cheese slicer or vegetable peeler, thinly slice the carrots and courgette lengthways. Take one slice of each and roll up together, securing with a cocktail stick. Steam for 7-10 minutes. Carefully remove the stick before serving. 

Halve the tomatoes and grill.

Place a large spoonful of pea purée on each plate and top with the fish fingers. Place the vegetable rolls and tomatoes around the edges and serve. 

 

Spicy Mince and Beans

This is comfort food at its very best, combining two of my favourite foods: minced beef and baked beans. I was running late and popped in the supermarket to grab a few things to cook a quick and easy dinner before a night out with the girls, and came up with this. 

 

Serves 2

Syn Free on Extra Easy

250g extra lean minced beef

1 onion, finely chopped

1 tin baked beans

250ml passata

1 tsp harissa paste

1 pkt ready chopped root vegetables (carrot, swede and potato)

1 tsp bouillon powder

150g runner beans, trimmed

¼ cauliflower, cut into florets

Fry the meat and onions until the meat is browned and the onions soft. Add the baked beans, passata and harissa paste and stir until heated through.

Meanwhile boil the root veg and mash with the bouillon powder. Cook the cauliflower and runner beans to your liking, and serve with the mince. 

 

Dirty Rice with Sausages

Dirty rice is a Cajun dish which is traditionally served with chicken livers. This is just a slight variation on a theme to fit in with the Slimming World Plan. 

 

Serves 2

Syn Free on Extra Easy

3 Joe's sausages, cooked and thinly sliced

1 cup rice

2 tsp bouillon powder

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

handful cooked green beans, chopped

1 tbsp (or to taste) paprika

½ cup chopped parlsey

salt and pepper

Boil the rice in stock made with the bouillon powder according to the instructions on the packet. Drain. Meanwhile, sauté the onion, pepper and celery in Fry Light until soft. Add the drained rice, sausages, vegetables, paprika, salt and pepper. Stir for a few minutes. If the mixture is a little dry, add some water. Stir in the parsley and serve. 

 

Egg Fried Rice with Chicken

The Slimming World version is every bit as good as the syn-laden original of this great Chinese take-away.

Serves 2

Syn Free on Extra Easy

1 pkt Joe's Chinese Chicken

1 cup basmati rice

1 carrot, finely chopped

handful green beans, finely chopped

3 stalk celery, finely chopped

5-6 spring onions, finely chopped

4 eggs

soy sauce to serve

Grill the chicken fillets for ca 10 minutes until cooked through. Finely chop.

Boil the rice in plenty of salted water, adding the carrots, celery and beans for the last few minutes. Drain.

Heat a pan with Fry Light and add all the ingredients except the eggs. Stir well. When the mixture is very hot, add the eggs. Stir to make sure the egg is well incorporated. Once the egg is cooked, serve immediately with soy sauce if using. 

 

Jacket Potato with Spicy Beans

It is sometimes a bit of a struggle to ensure that you have your one-third superfree with every meal. I love a jacket potato with beans, but how to get those Slimming World superfrees in? Easy! Onion, tomato and passata. Job done. And very nice it was too.

Serves 2

Syn Free on Extra Easy

2 large baking potatoes

1 tin baked beans

1 red onion

1 large tomato

200ml passata

1 tsp harissa paste

Bake the potato at 210°C for 90 minutes or until done to your liking. Finely chop the onion and sauté in Fry Light until soft. Add the beans, tomato, passata and harissa paste. Stir until heated through. Serve with the potato. 

 

Sausage and Bean Pie

A slightly different way of serving the usual breakfast ingredients if you're bored with the same old same old. 

 

Serves 2

Syn Free on Extra Easy

2 cooked Joe's Sausages (I used Olde English)

1 tin baked beans

cooked potatoes, thickly sliced

2 eggs

 

Slice the sausages and place in the bottom of two individual ramekin dishes. I used the slightly larger ones at 10cm diameter, but you can use smaller ones too (although they might get a little full!), and even one large serving dish.

Add the baked beans and top with the sliced potatoes. I used new potatoes, which was probably easier because of the size of them, fitting them into the dish. Spray with Fry Light and bake for 10-15 minutes until everything is heated through.

Top with a poached egg and serve. 

 

Chilli Con Carne

Comfort food at its best. You can make this as spicy or not as you wish. I often add an extra onion in to my savoury dishes, that way I am sure to get my superfree as well as make the meat go further. 

 

Serves 2

Syn Free on Extra Easy

200g extra lean minced beef

2 onions, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

sml tin red kidney beans

400g tin of tomatoes

1 tube tomato purée

1 tsp chilli flakes

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp oregano

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp sweetener

2 tsp bouillon powder

Fry the beef in Fry Light with the onions and green pepper until the vegetables are soft and the beef browned. Meanwhile grind the chilli flakes, cumin seeds and oregano in a spice grinder and mix with the garlic powder. Add the tomatoes, purée, chilli powder, kidney beans, bouillon powder and sweetener to the meat and onions. Simmer for a few minutes until well mixed and heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve with boiled rice.

Gammon and Mustard Fusili

Serves 3

2 Syns on Extra Easy*

* Providing you use the milk as part of your Healthy Extra A

225 g fusili

2 gammon steaks, grilled and chopped

200g mixed baby tomatoes, halved

2 onions, chopped

100g green beans, cooked and chopped 

100g rocket 

2-3 tsp dried mustard

1 pkt Coleman's white sauce

Fry the onion in Fry Light until soft. Meanwhile cook the pasta in plenty of salted water for 10 minutes or so until al dente. Make the white sauce according to packet instructions. Mix in the mustard with the white sauce to taste.

Stir the tomatoes into the onion with the beans, gammon, rocket and pasta. Cook on a low heat until the tomatoes and rocket start to wilt ever so slightly, about one or two minutes. Stir in the white sauce and serve.