Author Archives: Louise ASJ

Frozen Yogurty Dots – Free on Slimming World

This is a gorgeous little sweet treat for anyone following the Slimming World plan.

Syns Free on all plans
Serves 3 (I have a tray of these as after-dinner treats over 3 evenings)
Time 10 minutes to prep. A couple of hours to freeze

Ingredients
One tub flavoured fat free yogurt (I use Mullerlight)

Method

Cover a large baking sheet with greaseproof paper.

Open a small freezer / sandwich bag over a mug.

Pour the yogurt into the bag.

Lift the bag out and squeeze the yogurt down to the bottom.

Make a small snip at the bottom of the bag.

Carefully squeeze small droplets of yogurt across
the baking sheet.

 

 

 

 

 

Place the baking sheet into the freezer (it needs to be flat!) and leave for a minimum of 2 hours.

When they’re frozen, take out a few at a time. I eat quite slowly and I find that they melt if I take them all out at once.

A bit like a tiny icecream treat, and they certainly satisfy my craving for a something a bit different.

Sticky Five Spice Gammon – Slimming World Recipe

A gorgeous Slimming World recipe for Five Spice Gammon. Brilliantly simple!

Serves 4
Syns 1 per serving (4 for the whole recipe)

Ingredients
2 tsp Chinese 5-Spice powder
4 x 175g gammon steak cut into bite-sized pieces (remove all the fat first)
Frylite or other syn-free cooking spray
2 red chillies, deseeded and finely sliced
Finely grated zest and juice of an orange
1 level tbsp of runny honey
100 ml of chicken stock
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
Pak choi to serve
Egg noodles to serve

Method

1 – Cook the noodles according to packet instructions

2 – Sprinkle the 5-spice powder over the gammon pieces.

3 – Put a few sprays of frylite into a wok or large frying pan.

4 – Cook the gammon over a high heat for around 2-3 minutes until the edges are slighty browned.

5 – Add the soy sauce, honey, red chillies, orange zest and juice and stock and simmer for 4-5 minutes or until the sauce becomes sticky and the gammon is glazed and golden (with slightly burned edges if you like that sort of thing).

6 – Serve straight away with pak choi and cooked egg noodles, and any pan juices poured over.

Two Steps Forward

The first time we went to Slimming World, a few years ago now, we giggled to ourselves afterwards about how the tiniest of losses were celebrated.

I’d only ever been to Weight Watchers before, and their weight announcements are much more hushed – actual losses aren’t even mentioned sometimes, being replaced with a sort of knowing look from the leader and a whispered word unintelligible to the rest of the group

But with Slimming World, even though it was all dreamed up in a little Derbyshire village, it has this sort of celebratory American tone to it. And the first time we went, there was a woman four seats down from us. Let’s call her Sue (I don’t have the slightest clue whether or not that’s actually her name).

Sue had been going to the classes for eight months and she’d lost half a pound. Not half a pound that week, but half a pound in total over the whole eight month period. But when the leader announced it, she did it as if Sue had just climbed a mountain or run a marathon. And everyone joined in with their applause.

Sue took the shine off a bit because she wanted to talk about how she couldn’t keep a yogurt down, and she couldn’t really grasp what the leader was saying when she was trying to explain that it’s no longer 1982 and none of us have to eat yogurt if we don’t want to; slimming doesn’t have to mean suffering.

But (and I’m getting to the point here) I’m finding myself in Sue’s shoes.

I’ve been at this round of Slimming World for over a month and my net loss is less than a pound.

I went down five, down 3.6, up 7, down 3.6 and now up 4.4

I was doing so well this week until I gave in to a battered sausage and three trifle bakewells.

But I’m starting again. Determined and renewed.

Pastryless Quiche for lunch, I think.

Slimming World Chicken Casserole Recipe

This is a great Slimming World Chicken Casserole recipe for the slow cooker.  It’s really hearty and filling, and v. simple to make.

Syns Free on Extra Easy
Serves 4-6
Time 30 minutes prep. 6 hours cooking.

 

Slimming World Chicken CasseroleIngredients
Do replace canned ingredients for fresh ones if you have them.
400g chicken, cubed
2 sprays fry light
150g bacon with fat removed
200g mushrooms, halved
4 carrots, chopped into large chunks
2 onions, chopped
2 large potatoes, chopped into large chunks
175g (or thereabouts) tin of cannelini beans, drained
1 can of chopped tomatoes
300g (or thereabouts) can of sweetcorn, drained
300g (or thereabouts) can of broad beans, drained
2tsp sage
2tsp thyme
bouquet garni
1 litre cold water

Slimming World Chicken CasseroleMethod

1 – Fry the chicken briefly in fry light to seal.

2 – Lightly grill the bacon and cut into pieces.

3 – Put the chicken, bacon and vegetables into the slow cooker.

4 – Add the herbs.

5 – Pour the water over.

6 – Cook in the slow cooker for six hours.

It really is a complete meal just as it is, but can also be served with either rice or extra veg.

Slimming World Chicken Casserole