Pasta with broccoli and mackerel

I’ve seen a lot of people I know join Slimming World – some do really well, some not as much. I personally think one of the key things to making Slimming World a success for you is to be open minded and try new things. Slimming World is such an easy to follow plan but you do need to make changes to yourself and the way you eat if you truly want to succeed.

Some of my friends who also go to Slimming World always torment me a little for some of the seemingly strange things I eat – adding vegetables to my super noodles, eating savoury rice for breakfast – and this next recipe is going to seem a bit strange at first. But I promise, it’s delicious and SO easy that I feel a little bit silly even calling it a recipe!

Pasta with Mustard Mackerel and Broccolli

Ingredients:

Single serving of pasta (I find spaghetti to be the best)
Can of mackerel in mustard sauce (I use Princes) ½ syn
3 broccoli florets (optional)

Method:

Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet, cook the brocolli at the same time if using (I steam mine above the pan of pasta). Drain the pasta and stir through the can of mackerel, flaking the mackerel as you stir. Cut up the broccoli florets into bite-sized pieces and mix these through too. Season with black pepper. Eat and enjoy!

This works well as both a hot or cold dish and it’s perfect to take to work for your lunch! It’s also just as delicious if you use other flavours of tinned mackerel, such as tomato or curry sauce – just make sure to check the syn value!

Fasta Pasta!

 

Today I was really hungry and wanted something quick, filling and free on Extra Easy! I threw together this pasta on a whim and it turned out to be really delicious. You could also easily make a vegetarian version by just simply omitting the bacon!

Ingredients:

• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 small red chilli
• 2 rashers bacon – all visible fat removed
• 125g spaghetti
• Sprig of parsley
• 1 large mushroom
• Black pepper
• Frylight

Method:

Put a pan of water on to boil, and add the pasta. Finely chop garlic and chilli. Spray a pan with  frylight and set over medium heat. Add the chilli and garlic to the pan and stir until you can smell them starting to cook. Add the chopped bacon, and mushrooms. Make sure to stir often. When the pasta is cooked, drain and remove bacon and mushrooms from the heat. Add the pasta to the pan and mix well. Finely chop the parsley and sprinkle over the pasta, serve and enjoy!

Mini Quiches – Free on Original

Last Monday night was my second week at Slimming World, and my first weigh in to see how much I’d lost! I was overjoyed to find out I’d lost… 6.5lbs! I was absolutely over the moon! Also, at the meeting we had a “tasting session” where we all took in a dish and I took…

Mini Quiches, which are free on original! They were delicious, and went down really well with everyone at group. I’m not sure if the recipe has ever been featured in one of the magazines or anything, the only time I’ve ever seen them is when someone brought them in to group when I was a member back in 2006. Here’s my own personal take on the recipe for these:

3 eggs
Half a carton cottage cheese
Nine slices of ham
Five cherry tomatoes
Freshly ground black pepper
Handful of fresh chopped parsley
Fry Light

Method: Preheat the oven to 150 degrees. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk lightly. Spray a baking tray (the type with ”cups” in, like a bun or muffin or Yorkshire pudding tray) with fry light, and push a slice of ham into each section. Pour the egg mixture into each hole. You can sprinkle a little grated cheese on the top of each one if you like, but it’s optional and I didn’t include it. Slice each cherry tomato in half, and put half on the top of each quiche. Bake in the oven for about fifteen minutes, but keep an eye on them. They should be firm and dry-looking on top when they’re done, or you can insert a skewer into the middle to check on them.

The great thing about these is there’s so much you can do with them, you could add onions, mushrooms or any other vegetables you enjoy into them, and they’re perfect for parties, picnics, or to keep in the fridge as a snack.

Home, sweet home

After a twenty month stint in Australia and New Zealand, I’m finally back in England and as of last night, back to my beloved Sliming World!

Check back very soon for some delcious, low-syn recipes!

Coming soon…

This is a brand new blog; so bear with me while I get it up and running!

Check back soon for lots of delicious, healthy, low-syn recipes!