extra easy

I'm not one for cakes and sweet treats (give me crisps any time!) but after sampling some Scan Bran cakes in class today I was inspired to do something with the packet of Scan Bran that's been languishing in my cupboard for the last few months. I tend to use my single Healthy Extra B choice at breakfast on either bread or Alpen Light bars, but you get such a paltry amount you always need something to go alongside it - using your B choice for Scan Bran and making it into a cake like this is really good value (even with a couple of extra syns on top)!

The whole cake is 9 syns on all plans, or you can have it as a Healthy Extra B choice plus 4 syns (5 Scan Bran = HEB). Alternatively it would slice nicely into 9 pieces to make 1 syn per portion. A single slice would probably fill you up more than an Alpen Light bar!

Ingredients

5 Scan Bran

a large mugful of strong tea (I use 2 tea bags to make it)

28g dried mixed fruit (4 syns)

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 teaspoon baking powder (0.25 syns - I don't bother to count it's so small)

5 tablespoons sweetener

2 tablespoons mixed spice

Method

1. Soak the Scan Bran and dried fruit in the tea until soft and mush it up
2. Add the remaining ingredients and mix
3. Pour into a microwaveable container (I use a silicone loaf tin) and microwave on high for 6-7 minutes

I love cheese, and I really love blue cheese but it's been all but absent from my diet since starting Slimming World. I was inspired to try it in this recipe after making the caramelised onions and I'm glad to report it worked! I'm happy to have found a way to enjoy blue cheese flavour without too many syns.

Serves 1 (but you can scale up as required)

Syn free on Extra Easy and Green (if using the cheese as a Healthy Extra, otherwise 6 syns)

Ingredients:

100g dried pasta

28g blue cheese (a strong one is good as you are using so little) (HEA or 6 syns)

1 large red onion, sliced

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon sweetener

Fry Light

Method:

1. Gently cook the onions in Fry Light until they begin to soften, then add the balsamic, water and sweetener and contine to cook over a low heat until the liquid is gone and the onions are soft and caramelised (I cooked mine for at least 20 minutes in total)
2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the packet instructions
3. Drain the pasta and then crumble in the blue cheese and stir to melt it a bit. Mix in the caramelised onions and serve.

This is a classic recipe for Slimming World followers - it sounds really bizarre, but have faith, it turns into a really tasty barbecue-style sauce, and best of all it's FREE! I served mine with vegetable rice, but it would work equally well in a pitta bread, on a jacket potato or with Slimming World chips.

Serves 4

Syn free on Extra Easy and Original

Ingredients:

400g sliced chicken breast

1 onion, diced

330ml can Diet Coke

6 tablespoons passata

Dash of worcestershire sauce

Fry Light

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Heat a large saute pan and spray with Fry Light
2. Add the chicken and onion and fry until beginning to colour
3. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil
4. Simmer until the sauce thickens and reduces down to about half its volume - approximately 30 minutes

This is what I made for my lunch today from what I could find in my cupboards and fridge - it would be great in a lunchbox. I think it would also work well with some broad beans or sugar snap peas added for next time.

Serves 2

Syn free on Extra Easy

Ingredients:

1 tin green lentils, rinsed and drained

200g cooked salmon, broken into chunks

1-2 roasted red peppers from a jar, sliced

half a small red onion, finely chopped (or a couple of spring onions would work well)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1-2 tablespoons chopped coriander

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Mix all the ingredients together and serve!