Baseless vegetable quiche! SW friendly - Michelle's recipe

Slimming World friendly quiche

I've made Slimming World quiche since I started on Slimming World, but for some reason, this one has been the tastiest one yet!

Ingredients:

1 Tub of Morrisons 'savers' plain cottage cheese

3 'sweetbite peppers', finely chopped

3 spring onions, finely chopped

1 Tin of Morrisons 'savers' sliced mushrooms

5-6 eggs

Cheese (HEa choice or synned if not using it as HE) (optional)

Method:

Finely chop vegetables and drain mushrooms.  Arrange in the bottom of a flan dish.  I did mine across 2 dishes flan dishes

Whizz up eggs and 1 tub of cottage cheese in a blender, until combined thoroughly and pour over vegetables/ham etc in the flan dishes.  

Pop in a preheated oven, approx 160c Fan oven, until starting to set.  Sprinkle over hea of cheese (synned if not using as a hea choice) and pop back into the oven until cooked through and bubbling.

I prefer this hot, but it's also delicious served cold with some salad and a jacket potato.

Please remember though, that if you're using the cheese as a HEA choice, you need to eat the whole quiche or portion in one day to get the full benefit of your hea.  

*Please excuse the mess on the top of my cooker, my son loves baking but hates helping clean it up!! Grrrrr!!*

*Disclaimer* This recipe is my own and is tried and tested on more than one occasion.  Ingredients may be altered/amended/changed to whatever free food filling you would like.  These are the fillings I used at the time.

©Cheznal x

What happens when you don't drink enough fluids!

Why you should ideally make sure you are drinking enough water or fluids!

I used to drink just tea or Pepsi Max, but recently I started drinking 2-3l of water a day and found that it started benefitting my weightloss, as I lost 3.5lbs the week that I upped my water intake!  I stopped drinking Pepsi Max as much and reduced the amount of tea I was drinking to only a couple of cups a day of 'normal' tea and drinking peppermint, chamomile or lemon green tea for a change on an afternoon.

On Wednesday 3rd April, I drank 1 cup of tea with my breakfast as normal, 1 cup of tea at lunchtime and 1 cup of tea at 4pm.  I had no other drinks, although I did pick up a water bottle to fill up with water but was distracted by my 3 year old son, therefore didn't actually fill it up.  I then 'forgot' to drink any more fluids after that as I was quite busy.

I attended my Slimming World class, got weighed and went to get a drink of my water, to which then I had realised that I had left it on the bottom of my son's buggy at my parents house when I dropped him off.  Grrrrrr.  So I went without a drink whilst at my class, baring in mind I hadn't drank anything since 4pm and this was now 8pm.

Hubby and I arrived at my parents house to collect our son after I'd been to class, and after sitting for 30 minutes, asked my husband to get me my bottle of water off the buggy whilst I nipped to the loo.  I got up and felt dizzy and slightly sickly.  I kept losing my balance and thought I'd be ok once I reached the loo, except I never got there.  I remember switching the toilet light on before collapsing in the doorway, banging my head, face, neck and shoulder on the way down.  Blood sugars were ok (hubby is type 1 diabetic and has a meter), and the only thing I can think of is that I hadn't had much to drink.  I normally drink 10+ teas and water on top of that, but hadn't had anything near that amount! I had been eating throughout the day and I wasn't hungry, so knew it wasn't due to my food intake.

I remember everything that happened, I remember switching the light on and my whole body just giving way until I hit the deck with a thud, even sitting myself up on the toilet floor and asking my husband for a drink of water.  I recovered soon after having a drink (and then recovered more after scoffing down 2 freddos for some sugar to make me feel a wee bit better) - when my hubby has a 'hypo' he doesn't remember anything, so definately not my sugars and I've had bloods etc done before.  Oh and before the question is posed, I am definately NOT pregnant lol.

I started googling once I got home, looking for causes of collapsing, with no other apparent reason.  Apparently dehydration can make you dizzy and sickly, and can make you pass out.  I've never ever had this happen to me before, and I certainly can't remember collapsing at any point in my life, other than the time I sliced my hand open when a glass shattered in my hand at work.  I've eliminated most other causes - bug/not eating enough/blood sugars.  I did have a migraine the day before which saw me take to my bed when I got home from work, but I had recovered from that by the time this had happened.  I also realised that even though I was headed for the toilet before I collapsed, I didn't actually need the toilet and had been twice since waking at 9am that morning.  I went at 9am when I got up and then 7pm before my class.  I hadn't had a wee at any point in between, which is mega unusual for me.

I still believe it has something to do with not drinking anything from 4pm - 10pm, and only drinking 3 cups of tea all day.  Moral of this story is to always keep fluids topped up and not to ignore your thirst.  I learned the hard way and it wasn't a nice lesson to learn!

*Disclaimer*  I am NOT a medical professional, and this is based on my own experience and internet research of my own symptoms and what I had to eat/drink that day.  I also researched sources like NHS and have asked nurses if dehydration causes collapse, to which they have advised me that if a patient has low blood pressure they give them fluids to drink or via an IV to get their blood pressure raised, and as rapid drop in blood pressure can cause collapse, they said it could be a major factor in my collapse at home.  I am 100% fit and healthy - healthwise - on a normal day and I do not have any underlying medical conditions or problems.  I am currently waiting an appointment to be checked out by my GP to make sure that this was nothing sinister, but in the meantime, please keep up your fluid intake, I know I am!!

Homemade Chicken and Veg Casserole (Slimming world friendly)

Homemade Chicken and Veg Casserole (Slimming world friendly)

Serves 2

4 chicken thighs, skin and visible fat removed

2 onions, chopped

1 stick of celery, finely sliced

2 carrots, peeled and chopped into 2cm pieces

2 trimmed leeks, finely sliced

100g Mushrooms chopped (I used a tin of mushrooms as had no fresh in at the time

4 chicken oxo cubes

2pt boiling water

1. Remove all skin and visible fat from chicken, spray a frying pan with frylight and seal chicken portions
2. Remove chicken from pan and pop into an oven proof casserole dish
3. In frying pan you used for chicken, pop in onions, celery and mushrooms and fry for 2-3 mins until starting to go soft.  Add to chicken
4. Make up 2pt of stock using 2 of the oxo cubes and boiling water.  Pour a little bit into the frying pan to get any of the chicken juices/veg sediment off the bottom of the pan and then pour over chicken and veg. 
5. Pour over the rest of the chicken stock.  Give everything a good stir and pop a lid on.  Put into a preheated hot oven, around 180 degrees for about an hour
6. Take casserole out of the oven and stir.  Stir in leeks, put lid back on and put back into oven for a further 30 mins.
7. Check seasoning in the casserole (I added another 2 chicken stock cubes to my personal preference rather than salt and pepper), stir and then thicken using whatever means you normally do.  (I used a tbsp of plain flour 4.5syns for 25g).  Pop back in the oven for a further 10 mins to ensure the flour is cooked out,
8. Serve with whatever further veg/pots.

I served mine with some aunt bessies midweek roasties (synned at 1.5 for 100g raw), broccoli and green beans.  Was absolutely amazing, and all done with what was in my fridge that needed used up. 

Oriental Chicken - SW friendly - Recipe

Oriental Chicken

1 Large onion, chopped

3 tbsp Soy Sauce

4oz Mushrooms

Large tin beansprouts/fresh beansprouts

8oz Skinned chicken

Frylight

Seasoning to taste

Lightly fry the chicken in frylight until cooked through

Fry onion in soy sauce and cover until tender

Add the mushrooms and cook gently for 2-3 minutes

Add the beansprouts and the cooked chicken, toss together and heat thoroughly

Season to taste

Serve with salad, veg, boiled rice, jacket potato, noodles, syn free chips…..

Simple, inexpensive family meals - SW Style

I am aware that people don't have a lot of money or time these days and are often looking for meals that are quick and easy to prepare and cook and those that are cost effective.

I'm not one for extravagant meals myself, and as a working mother, most of the time 'I can't be bothered' to cook fancy meals from scratch when I get home from work/picking up our 3 year old son/shopping, so most of our meals are quite basic.

Here are some meal ideas for anyone who may be struggling with ideas:

Jacket Potato, tuna and salad

Jacket potatoes, HE cheese, salad, 'Tuna Crunch' and Garlic Roule cheese (synned) on the side.  Jacket potatoes cooked for 15 mins in the microwave, sprayed with Buttery Frylight and popped in the oven for 10 mins to crisp up.  

' Tuna Crunch' is 1 can of tuna in brine, drained, 1/2 red pepper finely diced, 1 red onion finely sliced/chopped, 1/2 can sweetcorn, drained and all combined with 1 level tablespoon of lighter than light mayo

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Bangers, Mash, Peas and Gravy

Baked quorn sausage or any low syn sausage of your choice cooked without oil, potatoes (boiled and mashed without butter.  I use some milk from my hea allowance and 'whip' it up with my hand whisk, and it's really thick and creamy mash).  Open up a tin of pea, pop in a pan and crumble in a beef oxo cube.  Heat through and serve.  Yummy.  A real winter warmer when you're pushed for time.

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Poached egg, tomatoes and toast

This has to be my most favourite 'simple meal' ever!  I would live on this if I could, in fact I used to live on this since being a teenager, but it wasn't SW friendly as my eggs were fried in oil and my toast would be lathered in butter.  This version is so much healthier.  Eggs are poached, tinned tomatoes are superfree and my toast is a HEB choice with a scraping of flora light spread.  Certainly a cost effective meal, filling and takes minutes to make.

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Fry Up

 Jazz up egg and tomatoes on toast by adding some bacon (fat removed) and either grilled or cooked in frylight, mushrooms if you fancy them.  Again, quick and easy to prepare.  

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Mince and Tatties

Something as basic as Mince and mashed potatoes can be a fantastic, filling meal thats great for the full family and comforting.

I cook my mince with some frozen veg (carrots/broccoli/cauli/peas/corn - depending on what I've got in the freezer), a couple of oxo cubes made up in boiling water and just cooked down.  I use cornflour (synned) if the gravy requires thickening.  I make my mash by boiling potatoes as I normally would and whisking them with a drop milk until fluffy and creamy.  

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Jacket potatoes again!

Jacket Potatoes, Prawns in a low syn seafood dressing, salad and hea cheese

Quick, easy and filling! 

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Quiche

Yummy served with salad.  Very quick and easy to make and so filling.  Delicious served hot or cold.  Check out my recipes to find out how I made this one.

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Lamb Hotpot

Fab for using leftovers from Sunday lunch, and fab for serving on its own or with some extra vegetables.  This one is a firm favourite in our house x

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Beef Casserole

If you work or are out/busy all day for various reasons, then a casserole may be your answer to a filling family meal that is ready when you want to serve.  Fab if you have a slow cooker.  Just throw it all in, switch it on and bang! You have a meal ready when you are

Or even chicken casserole:

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Roast Dinners? 

 One way of getting your 1/3 superfree

These are just some of my meal ideas which I find are quite quick and easy to prepare and are quite cheap to make.  Most recipes are my own and can be found on my blog (I'm currently updating, so please bear with me, however, if you see something you like and would like the recipe and it's not on here, please feel free to drop me a line and I'll pass the recipe on.  Thanks!

*All photographs are my own, taken by me and are of my own meals which I have prepared and served.  Recipes provided on my blog*

Michelle's Chinese Chow Mein Recipe - SW style

Chow Mein 

SW Style

(Also works with other meats, just mix and match as you go)

Ingredients

1 bag of frozen stir fry vegetables (asda/morrisons around £1.00 per bag)

1lb diced lean beef/chicken/lamb/pork

Dried egg noodles - 1 nest per person (I use Amoy medium dried egg noodles)

250g mushrooms, halved/quartered (optional)

For the sauce

60ml Dark soy sauce

40ml Light soy sauce

1 heaped teaspoon garlic powder

1 level teaspoon chinese 5 spice powder

1 teaspoon of oyster sauce (1 syn per 1 level tablespoon)

Method

1.  Soak/cook noodles as per package instructions (I find it easier to boil the kettle and soak them in a bowl of boiling water)

2. Whilst noodles are soaking, fry off your meat until browned

3. Make sauce by mixing together all sauce ingredients until combined thoroughly

4. Drain noodles and pour over sauce mixture, mixing until all noodles are coated.  Leave to soak

5. Meanwhile, add the stirfry vegetables to the pan with the meat and cook as per instructions

6. Take off the heat once all cooked, and stir in soaked noodles and the remaining sauce mixture.  Stir until completely combined.  Keep on the heat for a further 5 minutes to ensure it's piping hot.

Serve immediately

Sauce can be adjusted to your own  taste.  It took me a while to fiddle around with the quantities until we got a sauce that we both liked.  I first tried it with 100ml dark soy sauce but this was too salty for my taste.  This combination works well for us.  

*Disclaimer* 

This recipe is of my own making, quantities are based on meals made for our family which we have found worked well to our tastes.

Bargain hunting......SW style - Thursday 14th March 2013

Right!  I've been shopping today and I've hunted out a few bargains.

First stop was B & M Bargain stores.  Todays purchases were:

Little buckets of Garlic powder and chilli flakes - 2 for £1.50

Large jar of Pickled cherry peppers - 89p

Hellmans Garlic mayo (hubby) - 39p

Second stop was Morrisons.  Bargains found there today are:

400g Wholemeal Bread - 2 for £1.00 (heb choice)

Tangerines - 50p per net

Plums - 50p per punnet

Pilgrims Choice Lighter cheese - £2.19 per block

Chantenay Carrots - 50p per pack

Savers Cottage Cheese - 59p per tub (check this out, it actually has less fat than Morrisons 'low fat range')

Savers Rindless Back Bacon - £1.64 per pack (definately worth checking out, I bought 3 packs today and not one of them has a thick layer of fat, and every one is a decent lean slice - just cut the remaning fat off and you wont lose half your bacon, if you get what I mean)

I also got a nice little cheap haul at the reduced section:

Large bag of mushrooms - 35p

1/2 Galia Melon - 55p

Bag pears - 35p

Celeriac - 35p

Mullerlight Vanilla yogurts -19p

Next stop was the butchers for a meat sandwich and some 'Slimmers' steak burgers, Chilli steak burgers, chicken burgers, pork and leek sausage and pork sausages - costing a total of £8.59 - eeeeek..  I did buy 8 burgers and 10 links of sausage though!

Last stop before heading home was Home Bargains:

Ryvita wholegrain crackerbreads - 69p a box

Quavers - 99p multipack

Bottled water - 6 x 500ml bottles for £1.00

Flumps (1.5syns each) 9p

Multipack of 'fluffs' (cheaper flumps pk of 10) - 69p

Hellmans salad cream - £1.19

Caramel bunnies (5syns each/10syns for pack) - 4 for £1.00

All Bran Golden Crunch - £1.79 a box - heb choice

All in a days good work

My advice is to research your purchases before you go to the shops to save time and money :) x

©Cheznal x