Beef Lasagne

This was really nice and rich, and my dad loved it. He took the rest of it home with him for the freezer. 

Serves 4

2½ syns on Extra Easy*

* Providing you use the cheese as your Healthy Extra A

500g extra lean minced beef

2 onions, chopped

200g mushrooms, chopped

300ml passata

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp sweetener

2 tsp dried thyme

2 tsp dried basil

2 tsp dried oregano

2-3 tsp bouillon powder

9 dried lasagne sheets

180g reduced fat Cheddar, grated

1 pkt Coleman's white sauce

300ml skimmed milk

Salad to serve

Fry the onions and meat in Fry Light until the onions are soft and the meat slightly browned. Add the mushrooms and cook for a few more minutes. Add the herbs, bouillon powder, sweetener, Worcestershire sauce and passata. Stir well and simmer for a few more minutes. Make up the white sauce according to packet instructions. 

 

Place a layer of three lasagne sheets in the bottom of a dish. Top with half the meat mixture, then another three pasta sheets. Next, put the rest of the meat sauce and another three pasta sheets. Pour over the white sauce and top with the grated cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 200°C until the pasta is cooked and the cheese browned. Serve with your choice of salad. 

 

Creamy Coconut Keema Pilau

I boiled up too many mixed vegetables yesterday when cooking up dozens (46 to be exact) dishes for my dad's freezer, so I had to think of something to do with overcooked veggies (my dad doesn't believe in al dente!). I used the frozen mixed vegetables that come in 1cm large cubes or so for this. 

 

Serves 2

½ syn on Extra Easy

300g extra lean minced beef

2 cups cooked finely chopped mixed vegetables

1 cup rice

2 tsp bouillon powder

2 tubs Müllerlight Greek yogurt with coconut and vanilla

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp chilli flakes

2 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp turmeric

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

Boil the rice in the stock for 10 minutes. Meanwhile sauté the meat in Fry Light until browned and cooked through. Mix together the yogurts and the spices. When cooked, drain the rice and mix into the meat along with the vegetables. Stir well and simmer until everything is heated through. Take the pan off the heat and allow to cool for a minute or so before adding the yogurt mix. Stir well and serve. 

 

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. 

 

Roasted Butternut Squash with Teriyaki Turkey

You can either use shop bought teriyaki sauce at 1½ syns per tablespoon, or make your own syn free version.

Serves 2

Syn Free on Extra Easy

250g turkey mince

1 butternut squash

2 small onions

1 tbsp soy sauce

½ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp garlic powder

1 tsp Chinese cooking wine

½ tsp sweetener

Cut the squash in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds. Spray the cut sides with Fry Light and bake the squash for 30-40 minutes at 210°C.

Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the onion. Sauté the onion with the turkey until the onion is soft and the meat browned. Add the other ingredients and stir well. Serve with the squash. 

 

Turkey Laap

Also spelt lapr ot larb, the national dish of Laos has as many variations of the recipe as there are of stews in the UK. Every chef has their favourite, and this is mine. I really like the combination of sweet, sour, hot and salty, and love the fresh taste of the crunchy lettuce. You can of course use lettuce of your choice, but a crunchy one is best. Laap can be made with turkey, beef, pork chicken or even fish, but for this one I have chosen to use turkey. Be careful when you chose turkey mince though, as it isn't always easy to spot the difference between breast and leg mince, the latter being much higher in fat content. 

 

Serves 2

Syn Free on Extra Easy

400g lean turkey mince

2 onions

2 romaine lettuce hearts

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 tbsp sweetener

1 red chilli, chopped

chopped coriander

Shred the lettuce hearts and place on two plates

Spray a frying pan with Fry Light.

Finely dice the onions.

Sauté the onions with the turkey mince, breaking the meat up as you go along. 

 

Fry for a few minutes until the meat is slightly browned and the onion soft.

Add the soy sauce, vinegar, sweetener and chilli. Stir well to combine.

Add the chopped coriander and serve on top of the lettuce.

Enjoy!