Butternut Squash and Leek Risotto with Garlic-Ginger Tiger Prawns

Serves 2

2 syns on Extra Easy*

* providing you use the cheese as your Hex A

6 large raw tiger prawns

knob of ginger

4 cloves garlic

2 tbsp tomato purée

1 tbsp paprika

150g arborio rice

bouillon powder

125ml dry white wine

60g grated Parmesan cheese

1 large leek, sliced

a small butternut squash, quartered

Bake the butternut squash at 210°C until al dente (or as soft as you would like it). When cooked, scoop out the flesh using criss cross cuts which don't go right the way through the skin (much as you would with a mango).

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and add the prawns. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the turn pink. Do not overcook or they will be tough. Drain, retaining the liquid, and plunge immediately into a bowl of iced water to arrest the cooking process. When cool enough to handle, peel the prawns.

Sautée the garlic and ginger in a little Fry Light until it is just beginning to go brown, then add the tomato purée and paprika plus a little of the cooking water from the prawns. Just before the risotto is ready, add the prawns to the sauce – either whole or sliced – to reheat.

Place the rice in a saucepan with some of the cooking liquid from the prawns, bring to the boil and stir continuously while the rice absorbs the liquid. Continue adding about a ladle-ful of water each time, adding the wine and bouillon powder at some stage. About half way through (the whole process usually takes 20-30 minutes), add the leeks. When the rice is cooked to your liking, add the butternut squash and stir until the squash it heated through. Take the risotto off the heat and stir in the cheese. Serve with the prawns on top.

Turkey and mushroom stroganoff

This dish is nowhere near as difficult as it looks and is sure to impress your guests. It has plenty of superfree, especially as I served it with carrots, sugar snap peas and baby sweetcorn. 

 Lots of superfree

Serves 4

Syn free on extra easy

500g turkey breast, cubed

200g mushrooms, sliced

3 leeks, sliced

200g fat free fromage frais

1-2 tbsp bouillon powder

½ tsp mustard

1-2 tbsp sweetener

dash of Worcestershire sauce

500g wholewheat tagliatelli

Sauté the turkey, mushrooms and leeks in Fry Light until the vegetables are soft and the turkey cooked through. Turn the heat right down and add fromage frais, bouillon powder, mustard, sweetener and Worcestershire sauce to taste. Stir until heated through, but make sure it doesn't boil at it will curdle. You may want to add some water to get the right consistency.

Meanwhile, cook the tagliatelli as per packet instructions, and drain. Grease a doughnut-shaped baking tin and stuff the pasta in the ring. Place a flat serving dish over the top and put the whole thing in an oven on very low for a few minutes to firm it up a bit. It is best to have a dish that is quite a bit larger than the size of the ring as the content will spill over the edge when you cut into it if the plate is too small (as I found out). When you are ready to serve, turn the plate upside down and ease the tagliatelli out of the ring. Spoon the stroganoff into the centre and serve with vegetables or a salad. 

 

Zeytinyağlı Pırasa

This is a Turkish side dish of leeks and carrots with rice, and is very easy to make as well as a good way of ensuring you get some superfree with your meal. 

 

Serves 4

Syn Free on Extra Easy

4 leeks, thickly sliced

1 big onion, chopped

2 carrots, sliced

¼ cup rice

juice of half a lemon

1 tsp sweetener

salt and pepper

Sauté the onion in Fry Light for a few minutes, then add the carrots and continue frying for 3-4 minutes longer. Add the leeks and stir for a couple more minutes. Add 2/3 cup of water, the sweetener, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then add the rice and lemon juice. Cover and cook on a low heat until the rice is cooked.

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. 

 

Spätzle with Spiced Chicken and Roasted Vegetables

Serves 2

Syn Free on Extra Easy

2 chicken breasts, cut into smaller pieces

150g spätzle

½ red pepper

½ green pepper

½ yellow pepper

½ red onion

1 small leek

1 tbsp fresh sage leaves

1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves

2 tsp bouillon powder

1 tsp celery powder

1 tso dried sage

1 tsp dried oregano

½ tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp paprika

Coriander leaves to serve (optional)

Cook the spätzle for 15 minutes or according to the packet instruction. Meanwhile, roast the vegetables. Chop the peppers, onion and leek in equal sized pieces, about 2cm². Place in an oven dish with the rosemary, sage and bouillon powder. Stir well to coat, then bake for 20-30 minutes according to how well you like your vegetables done.

Place all the spices in a spice grinder or food processor and grind to fine powder. Put the chicken in a large bowl and add the spice mix, stirring well to coat all over. Lay the chicken pieces in a single layer on a grill plate, and grill for ten minutes, turning once, until the chicken is cooked through and beginning to brown.

Mix the spätzle with the roasted vegetables and top with the chicken pieces. Serve with coriander leaves if using.

Mixed Onion and Tomato Pasta

I had a little accident in the greenhouse today, one of the chilli plants became top heavy and toppled over onto the floor, breaking off a branch in the process. There were four unripe chillies on the branch, so I had to find a dish to add them to. My first dish cooked with my own, home-grown chillies! Not knowing the strength of the Goat Horn chilli, I only risked one in the dish – but wish I'd used more, as it was very mild.

Serves 2

Syn Free on Extra Easy

1 onion, chopped

1 leek, sliced

4-5 shallots, sliced

1 tin chopped tomatoes

200ml passata

1 tsp bouillon powder

1 chilli, chopped

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

150g pasta shapes

fresh basil to serve

Sauté the onion, leeks, shallots and chilli in Fry Light until soft. Add the tomatoes, passata, herbs and bouillon powder and simmer for a few minutes. Meanwhile, boil the pasta until cooked to your liking. Stir the pasta in the sauce and serve sprinkled with a little fresh basil. 

 

Ham, Egg and Mustard Veggies

Inspired by the piccalilli my mother in law always used to serve with ham, I created a mustard sauce to go with the vegetables for this dish. 

 

Serves 3

2 Syns on Extra Easy*

* Providing you use the milk as your healthy Extra A

3 slices lean cooked ham

4-5 potatoes

3 eggs

½ cauliflower

1 leek

4-5 shallots

1 pkt Coleman's White sauce

300ml skimmed milk

1-2 tbsp mustard powder

1 tsp bouillon powder

pinch of sweetener

½ tsp turmeric

Peel and slice the leeks. Peel the shallots and quarter. Break the cauliflower into small florets. Sauté the leeks in Fry Light until soft. Boil the shallots and cauliflower until done to your liking. I did mine separately as I wanted the shallots cooked for longer than the cauliflower, which I like to still have a bite to it.

Cut the potatoes in wedges and place on a baking sheet. Spray with Fry Light and bake at 230°C for 30-40 minutes until cooked through and nicely browned.

Make the white sauce according to the instructions on the packet. Add mustard, bouillon powder and sweetener to taste, and turmeric for some colour. Add the vegetables and heat through.

Fry the egg in Fry Light for a few minutes.

Place the ham on three plates, top with the fried egg and serve with the wedges and mustard vegetables. 

 

Mustard Glazed Gammon

Serves 3

1½ syns on Extra Easy

500g gammon joint, all visible fat removed

1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

1 tbsp demerera sugar

1 large sweet potato

3 carrots, peeled

3 parsnips, peeled

2 leeks, peeled

1 red onion, peeled

200g baby new potatoes

250ml sugar free appleade

Cut all the vegetables into same sized chunks and place in the bottom of a large oven dish. Poor in the appleade and spray the top of the vegetables with Fry Light. Place the gammon on top of the vegetables and spread the meat with mustard, then sprinkle the sugar on top. Bake in the oven at 200°C for an hour until the meat is cooked through. Slice the gammon and serve with the vegetables. 

 

Sweetcorn and Bacon Rösti Tray Bake

This has got to be one of the easiest recipes I have posted on this blog to date. If you like, you can get all the ingredients ready the night before and just add egg in the morning before baking.

Serves 3-4

Syn Free on Extra Easy

2 large potatoes, peeled and grated

1 large leek, sliced and sautéed until soft

1 cup cooked sweetcorn

4 eggs, whisked

1 gammon steak, cooked and diced

Tomatoes to serve

Mix all the ingredients together and press down in an oven tray. Bake at 210°C for 20 minutes until cooked through and nicely browned. Serve with griddled tomatoes. 

 

Sweet Potato Bubble and Squeak

Again, this is not a recipe as such, just a suggestion of what you can do with some leftover vegetables for breakfast.

Bubble and squeak is so good in so many ways:

• uses up lots of leftover vegetables
• is syn free
• ensures you get plenty of superfree in with your breakfast
• gives you a filling breakfast without using your Healthy Extras
• tastes good
• can suit vegetarian or carnivore depending on what you serve with it
• is very healthy as no extra fat is added

I used sweet potatoes for this one, but most potatoes will do. In a large bowl I placed

sweet potato

sautéed leeks

steamed green beans, chopped

roasted red onion

spiced cauliflower

grated courgette

mashing it all up with a potato masher. Grease four cooking rings and place on a greased oven tray. Press the vegetable mash into the rings and smooth off the top. Spray with a little Fry Light and bake at 220°C for 10 minutes or so until nicely browned. Serve with grilled bacon and tomato, or some poached eggs if you like.