I Heart Comfort Food! :)

Hi everyone!

How nice and 'home comfort foody' does this look? :)

Shepherdess Pie :)

I made this for tea the last night (appropriately enough on National Womens Day!) and it has become a definate comfort food favorite :) I think It is the perfect antidote to the cold, miserable, rainy and generally dark and gloomy weather we have been having recently, and as the recipe makes loads, its perfect for portioning off and reheating in the microwave for a quick, comforting tea when you have finished work.

Although I adore the 'original' sheperds pie recipe, this version is cheaper, just as yummy, and is also very healthy, bonus!

I found its perfect for using up bits and bobs in the fridge, and its also very low in syns on the slimming world diet plan. (I actually just chucked in whatever I had lurking around, and it tastes devine!)

I thought I would do this as a tutorial, so here's how to make a vegetarian, healthy twist on an old favourite...

Ingredients (to feed 4):

• 1/2 chopped onion
• 1 grated carrot
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes or 1 carton of passata
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1/2 tsp dried herbs or 1 tsp fresh herbs (mixed herbs, basil or oregano)
• 1 small tin sweetcorn, drained
• I small tin/frozen garden peas
• 1 chopped red or yellow pepper
• 4-6 mushrooms, sliced or chopped
• 1 tin of beans or lentils, drained...haricot, black eyed, mixed beans, red kidney, whatever! (baked beans would be fine too)
• mashed potato (or mashed: sweet potato, carrot & swede, cauliflower - let your imagination run wild!)
• grated cheese (optional)

Method:

Fry onion and pepper in a little oil or fry light, for a couple of minutes, add carrot and mushrooms, then add tomato puree and cook for a couple more minutes.

Add tomatoes/passata and herbs and bring to the boil, then add sweetcorn, peas and beans (simmer mixture for around 10 mins if using as a pasta sauce).

Put in a casserole dish, top with mashed potato and top with grated cheese, if using.

Bung in the oven at about 180 C/Gas 4 for 30 mins, until cheese is lightly browned and bubbling.

DONE!

(You could also use the filling as a pasta sauce or to fill tortilla wraps. Vary the ingredients and chop finely or in big bits, depending on what you (or your kids!) like)

What is YOUR favorite comfort food?

 

Slimming World low syn Chocolate Cake Tutorial

Hi everyone!

I was given this recipe for a very quick chocolate cake fix by one of the girls at my meeting, and after trying her cake, I was quick to take the recipe! This cake is perfect if you are in need of a sweet treat, and only chocolate cake will do!

The ingredients seem quite strange, but, trust me, although the slimming world 'version' is not up to double chocolate fudge cake standards, its really nice! (And lets face it, if I didnt love all things sweet and chocolatey, I wouldnt be needing Slimming World in the first place!)
So here is the recipe:

Slimming World Low-Syn Chocolate Cake

 Syns:  9 yummy Syns or 6 1/2 Syns + 1 Healthy Extra 'b' choice for the whole cake! 

You will need:

5 Scan Bran, (available from Slimming World meetings) or All Bran
3 beaten eggs
1 level tbsp golden syrup
1oz cocoa powder
Half a mug of sweetener


Method:

1.  Soak the Scan Bran/All bran in boiling water to soften. Then drain and mash.

2.  Mix all the ingredients together and pour into a microwavable bowl.

3. Microwave on high for 7 minutes. When cooked the cake will be springy to the touch. and will have pulled away from the side of the bowl.

4. For a free topping, pile with (defrosted) frozen forest fruits and fat free creme fraiche  or, for extra Syns, top with chocolate spread. Tips - to make different flavours, when weighing the cocoa powder, add an Options sachet (the one in class tonight was hazelnut, mint is a good one, or if you want to try chocolate orange, I'd add a bit of orange essence too; or use a Cadbury's Highlights sachet, the fudge one is particularly nice) to the scales, then top up to one ounce with the cocoa powder, this makes the whole cake 10 syns.

To serve - It's nice warm or cold, to warm up put a piece in microwave for 20-30 seconds, I usually have the cake with a small pot of Ambrosia Light Custard (5 1/2 syns), or you can have it with a free yoghurt of your choice, Mullerlight Banana & Custard is good to get the custard flavour, or the vanilla one.

Enjoy!

Please let me know your thoughts if you make this 'cake' :)

Resolution Summary

Hi everyone!

I thought I would do a quick post to say how I have done/am doing with the New Years Resolutions so far, as most people seem to fall off the wagon come February!

1) Lose Weight. This was to lose the excess weight that seems to have attached itself to me without my permission, since I quit smoking two YEARS ago! 
Well, my 'diet' has honestly been pretty much non-existant, so I have decided to join a Slimming World group, with my first meeting on Monday, as I have lost weight with a slimming club before, and I think the fear of getting weighed every week really does help to motivate me in losing the lard.
I will do a regular post with updates of my weightloss and/or struggles, along with recipes from Slimming World if anyones interested in that?

2) Drink more water. This is still a resolution.

3) Skin care routine.  This is sort-of happening, by which I mean I am following a skin care routine, but as im currently using up odds and ends of products, the creams and lotions that im currently using are likely to change, although the routine itself wont (if that makes any sense!)

4) Start Driving Lessons - I think these will probably happen in the summer, as by then I should have finished my Dispensing Technician coursework (I work in a Pharmacy, and i'm in the final year of a two year NVQ 3 course) so will be richer! yay!

5) Save money - which I am already doing, so thumbs up to me!

6) Burlesque lessons - These start at the end of March, beginning  of April (I think), and I am definately going to do them!

7) Learn knitting - well, im on my way, as I have bought some wool and needles! My gran is a fantastic knitter, so Im sure if I ask politely, she will show me the basics!
Im hoping to make a scarf, surely it wont be too hard?!

8) Writing course. Again, i'm going to do this after the current coursework im doing finishes, hopefully around summertime :)

9 & 10)  Homemade presents, and learning new crafts - I have started making soap, bath bombs, soaks (see previous post) ect, which im hoping to improve on and give as presents, with a view to eventually sell them if I get good enough :)

How are your Resolutions going?