Vegetable Couscous with Spiced Yogurt

This is a great way of using up leftover vegetables – anything will do as long as it is chopped finely enough. 

 

½ cup giant couscous

½ red pepper, chopped

2 onions, chopped

½ savoy cabbage, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

½ courgette, chopped

1 tbsp bouillon powder

1 tub 0% fat free plain yogurt

1-2 tsp harissa paste

Cook the couscous according to the packet instructions, adding the onion, pepper, cabbage and celery. Just before the cooking time is up, add the courgette.

Swirl the harissa paste into the yogurt, and serve with the couscous.

Sausages on Lentils

I had two spare sausages to use up, so had to come up with a recipe with lots of vegetables and one sausage each. This is a good way of using up lots of leftover cooked vegetables should you want to. I used Joe's sausages which are syn free, if you use another type of sausage, be sure to calculate the syn value. I left the beetroot raw for crunch (I prefer them raw to cooked), but you can of course boil yours prior to adding it to the lentils. At the moment I am adding chillies to almost everything as I am still picking several chillies from the plants daily. We both love spicy food, so that suits us fine.

Serves 2

Syn Free on Extra Easy

2 Joe's Old English Sausages

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 red onion, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

½ cup green lentils

1 tbsp bouillon powder

1 red chilli, chopped (optional)

½ cup cooked carrots, chopped

1 small cooked potato, chopped

1 beetroot, chopped

½ pkt spinach, cooked

Sauté the onion and celery in Fry Light until they begin to soften. Add the lentils, bouillon powder, chilli (if using) and 1.5 cups water. Boil for 10 minutes then turn the heat down and simmer gently for 20-35 minutes, depending on how well you want your lentils done. Keep a check on it to make sure it doesn't boil dry. Meanwhile, grill the sausages to your liking. For the last couple of minutes, add the carrots, potato and beetroot to the lentils. Divide the lentil mixture between two plates, top with the drained spinach and top with one sliced sausage on each. 

 

Sloppy Toms

Sloppy Toms is like Sloppy Joes but with turkey – minced meat in a sauce served in (or rather draped over) a bun. You can of course vary the herbs and spices to suit your taste. 

 

Serves 2

Syn Free on Extra Easy*

*Providing you use the bun as your Healthy Extra B

250g lean minced turkey

1 onion, finely chopped

2-3 stalks celery, chopped

a few mushrooms, chopped

200ml passata

2 tsp dried basil

2 tsp dried sage

2 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp bouillon powder

2 x 60g wholemeal rolls

Sauté the turkey, onion and celery until the onion is soft. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking until the celery is soft. Add the passata, herbs and bouillon powder.

Divide the rolls in two and toast. Place the bottom halves on two plates and spoon over the mince. Top with the upper half of the rolls.

Serve with Slimming World chips and grilled tomatoes. I sautéed my tomatoes in a pan with some chilli flakes for an extra kick. 

 

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. 

 

Thai Green Chicken Salad

There is nothing remotely authentic Thai about this salad, I was just inspired by the green coloured ingredients and the Thai curry paste in the dressing. I made this for our picnic last night, but unfortunately I forgot to take a photo of the salad after the dressing was drizzled over. Bad Grete. 

 

Serves 2

1 syn on Extra Easy

150g cooked chicken, chopped

4 stalks celery, thinly sliced

½ red onion, finely sliced

1 green pepper, finely sliced

150g green grapes, halved

3 apricots, chopped

2 little gems, thinly sliced

2 Müllerlight coconut and vanilla yogurts

1 tsp Thai green curry paste.

Mix all the salad ingredients together in a salad bowl. For the dressing, mix the yogurt with the curry paste and stir well. Drizzle over the salad.