Tuesday evening, 10-09-24 and some salad dressing ideas

Good evening, everyone!  

When I put together the tuna bean salad, it definitely needed something to brighten it up and I didn't want to use mayo so I Googled (one of my best friends/tools, for sure) and found loads of ideas, a few of which I have reproduced below just as lists of ingredients.

What I ate today

I enjoyed breakfast.  I decided to go autumnal with my fruit and used apple (from the freezer, apples given to me by friends), a couple of plums and a pear with chia seeds in the yogurt and pumpkin seeds sprinkled over.

One syn for the seeds.

Lunch was a bean, tuna and walnut salad (plus side salad) made with a small can of tuna, mixed chickpeas and haricot beans, chopped red pepper and red onion, black olives (one syn) and some capers for a real pop of flavour, plus 15g walnuts, chopped a bit smaller.  Oh, and I used tuna in sunflower oil which I drained so that's four syns.

 I made the dressing which I have added at the bottom of The Extra Bit, I used the lot and it was delicious.

For dessert, I had some melon as it really did need using up.

One healthy extra B for the walnuts four syns for the tuna and and six and a half syns for the dressing (six for the evoo).

Bit high on the old oil so far today.  Just as well I can have extra syns when in my happy zone - well, I can anyway but you know what I mean!

I'm not sure what to make if this recipe, baked prawns with feta.  For a start, the portions were enormous and I wonder if there was a type and it should have said serves 4, not 2.  I made a quarter, more or less and it was loads.

I'm not terribly fond of prawns but I think with chicken, pulses or salmon, it would really be quite nice.

I don't have pomegranate molasses but I googles and it said balsamic vinegar and maple syrup would be an OK sub so I did.

What really shocked me was that it said six tbsp - yes, tbsp, not tsp - of olive oil.  That's three per portion.  I mean, no way!!

Anyway, I adapted and it was OK but I won't make it again with prawns.

No dessert.  Neither wanted nor needed it.

I used two syns worth of evoo, half a tsp maple syrup is negligible but let's call it half a syn and the feta was a healthy A

Summary:

one healthy extra A

one healthy extra B

thirteen syns (nine and a half was for evoo and healthy fats)

My meal plans for tomorrow:

B:  fruit and yogurt, maybe seeds

L:   h m hummus, focaccia toast fingers, crudités, side salad; fruit

D:  grilled chicken and veg orzo salad; fruit

Exercise:   a walk

The Extra Bit

I was on the lookout for a dressing to go with the tuna and bean salad and here's a few I found.  I'll just post the ingredients - essentially it is oil and acid (vinegar, lemon juice, etc) in the proportions 2/1 and the rest is to taste.

Whisk or shake together, taste and adjust.

(evoo is extra virgin olive oil, by the way)

Disclaimer - I haven't tried them all - they just look a likely proposition for different flavours!

Vinaigrette:
evoo

lemon juice

white or red vinegar (or others if you fancy - apple cider or sherry maybe)

honey

dijon mustard

rated or crushed garlic

dried oregano

dried basil (I won't!)

salt and black pepper

A simple yogurt dressing

lemon juice

cumin

yogurt

sweet chilli sauce

(no oil!)

A simple honey lemon dressing

evoo

lemon juice

honey

salt and pepper

(maybe add a bit of mustard too)

Peanut butter salad dressing with Asian vibes

evoo

rice vinegar

peanut butter (I will use peanut butter powder and a splash of water)

soy sauce

sweet chilli sauce

parsley or coriander, chopped finely

lime juice

And another one for luck

smooth peanut butter (or PBP and water)

grated ginger

grated garlic

soy sauce

sesame oil (just a little)

lime juice

splash water for consistency

Just be aware that measuring what you use and synning is essential if you're on Slimming World but made from fresh is loads better for you than pre-made from the shop, loaded with 'rubbish' ingredients (especially the 'lighter' kinds).  I'm happy to pay the syns.

And finally - the one I made today for lunch with amounts.

one tbsp evoo - six syns

half a tbsp apple cider vinegar
a quarter tsp each of Dijon mustard and maple syrup (half a syn total)

some garlic puree

salt and black pepper

Put everything in a small pot with a lid and give it a good shake.  Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Monday evening, 09-09-24 and a soup recipe

Good evening, everyone!  

It's not been a very nice day today, all damp and dull and a bit chilly, so I made soup because that's what you do, isn't it?

I decided to make a big potful and put most in the freezer as a base soup so that I can ring the changes when I fancy a portion.

I've rambled on for ages about what I did in The Extra Bit at the bottom.  Why can't I be succinct when I write out a recipe?  I dunno!!

Totally different - in SlimWin (Facebook, look it up, it's great) yesterday, Roe mentioned about a raspberry vinaigrette, shop bought, that she uses.  It seems that it is quite easy to make so maybe I will have a go at some time.  It has to be better for me than a commercial one, wouldn't you think?  

What I ate today

The usual fruit with yogurt underneath.  Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and a tsp pumpkin seeds with a sprinkle of sweetener.

One syn for the seeds.

Later on, I had an apple.

Soup for lunch on a damp and gloomy Monday and it was really nice.  Details down below in The Extra Bit.

No room for dessert straight away.

One healthy extra A for 30g hard goat's cheese, one and a half healthy extra Bs for the focaccia and two syns for the oil.

A close up!

Later on, I had an apple.

I found the dinner recipe in a publication from Woman and Home - Mediterranean Air Fryer Recipe Book (more a thick magazine really).  It's called Spanish Chicken Bake and I wasn't sure.  I found the timings and the temperature a but off - air fryers differ so much - and I used stock because I didn't have white wine but it was lovely.  The onion, tomatoes and oil made a lovely deep sort of sauce and I decided to team it with a salad.

Definitely making that again, for sure.

Six syns for a tbsp oil and one and a half for olives.

Summary:

one healthy extra A

one and a half healthy extra Bs

eleven syns, eight of them for olive oil

My meal plans for tomorrow:

B:  fruit, yogurt, seeds

L: tuna, bean and walnut salad; fruit

D:  baked prawns with feta, salad or vg; fruit

Exercise:  

The Extra Bit:

I haven't made a hearty bean and veg soup since - well, last winter, I think.  I used to make it a lot when I went over to Mum and Dad's because they both liked it, I could ring the changes with the flavours, it froze well and it was something that Mum could manage as it didn't take much chewing.

Like many soups, it is an idea rather than a recipe, very ad hoc depending on what you have in the  house at the time but, for me, the key parts are:

veg (definitely onion and whatever else)

pulses (mixed or single, what you fancy or have)

stock and seasonings

And, for me at the moment - olive oil!  You could use spray oil or other oil.

It makes a sort of 'base soup' to which you can add whatever.

This time, my base soup had

two tbsp olive oil (12 syns)

onion

the snapped off bits of asparagus - I just cut off the very bottom bit

broccoli stalk - I cut off the florets for another time

sweet potato

carrot

edamame beans for extra protein!

chicken stock from the freezer - I had rather a lot so a good way to use some up

a mix of haricot beans and chick peas - I didn't need them all but tomorrow I am having a bean and tuna salad and on Wednesday I have hummus planned.  There was a bit left so that went in a poly bag in the freezer.

Plus salt, pepper, vegetable all rounder and garlic.

Apart from the oil, the rest is speed or SW free food.

I softened the onion, added the rest of the veg, all chopped up into dice, then the squashed garlic, put in the stock and the mixed pulses, brought it all up to a simmer and just let is bubble away until everything was soft.

I didn't bother to check the seasonings because it was mostly going in the freezer and this is a base so less is more.

It made six portions so two syns per portion.

One portion stayed out and to that I added some bulgur wheat, mushrooms, tomatoes and extra seasoning plus some grated cheese for an A and focaccia for one and a half Bs

Sunday evening, 08-09-24 - such a delicious day today

Good evening, everyone!  

Good news - for me, that is.  I got on the scales this morning and I have lost a bit more weight since before I went away.  Not loads, around a pound, but I'm not looking to lose loads, I just want to sit comfortably in the middle of my Happy Zone.  I'm well pleased with that.

I'm also pleased that all my clothes fit nicely again instead of feeling uncomfortably tight.  Such a relief.

I am working to get properly back into my 16-8 eating window again.  Obviously, while away, one fits in with what ones hostess does.  Today, I lasted until about quarter to eleven before having breakfast so nearly there.  The other meals are fine, it's just breakfast.

What I ate today

Here's breakfast.  It was quite a whoppa but I have fruit to use up that I put into vacuum containers before I went away (which worked a treat but I need to use it up now).  I had a pear, a plum, some melon, raspberries and strawberries.  I carefully weighed out walnuts and pumpkin seeds to make a healthy extra B and added half a tsp chia seeds to the yogurt (no more, remembering the - er - the explosive effect last time) which I pre-soaked in the yogurt for about an hour.

It was super delish, it really was.

One healthy extra B for the nuts and seeds and as for the chia seeds, a level tbsp is one and a half syns and I had half on one tsp so I'm not counting it.

(and no chia issues this time, phew)

I do love a colourful salad!

OK, so this was some garlic toasted focaccia with smashed avocado, smoked salmon and some chopped tomato and onion plus a salad.

The focaccia is a B, the avocado is two and a half syns, the olives are one syn, the garlic oil is one syn and I made a mini salad dressing with one tsp olive oil for two syns, half a tsp balsamic vinegar (free), a very small bit of maple syrup and Dijon mustard which I am calling half a syn for both.  So that totals seven syns - I think . . .

(I wrote it all down as I used it)

Later on I had a small bowl of strawberries, grapes and melon.

Dinner was a recipe from the Quick Roasting Tin recipe book and oh, my word, it was so, so good (page 36, if you have the book).
I did some subs to work with what I had - toasted sesame oil instead of just sesame oil, peanut butter powder instead of crunchy peanut butter, pumpkin seeds instead of chopped salted peanuts, chilli flakes instead of fresh chilli, lettuce instead of spinach and it all worked.  And I decided to serve it with bulgur wheat rather then rice or noodles.  Quicker and I'm becoming addicted to the stuff - it's lovely!

I found the recipe online here.

Now for the values:  the toasted sesame oil was three syns, the peanut butter powder was one and a half syns and the pumpkin seeds were one syn.  The rest was all speed or free.

I was full up so no dessert needed and I closed the eating window.

Summary:

no healthy extra As - ooops

two healthy extra Bs (I can have an extra A or B as a target member)

twelve and a half syns - that's better and most of them come from healthy oils/fats.  Just what I need.

My meal plans for tomorrow:

B:  fruit and yogurt with pumpkin seeds on top

L:  bean and veg soup, focaccia for dunking; fruit

It's not supposed to be a particularly nice day tomorrow according to the BBC; bit chilly too so  Autumnal soup is calling!  I've planned a bean salad for Tuesday so I can use half the beans for the soup and the other half for the salad.  Perfick!

D:  Spanish chicken bake, maybe some bulgur wheat, maybe side salad (depends how much the recipe makes); fruit

Exercise:   a walk or a Lindsey class on YouTube.

Saturday evening, 07-09-24 - home again, back to normal and new cookery books

Good evening, everyone!  

I've had such a lovely time away, staying with a very long standing friend.  She's introduced me to a new cookery book and it was on the door mat when I got home.  I've had a wonderful; few hours looking through and marking recipes I want to try fairly pronto!  Starting with dinner tomorrow!

This is it and it really does have some delicious meals in it - two of which Suzanne and I made this past week and which I will want to make again, for sure.

I also had a lot of fun leafing through Jamie's 5 Ingredients Mediterranean book and that, too, looks a bit like a porcupine with post-its sticking out in all directions.

These next weeks are going to be fun!

And I must step on those scales tomorrow morning to assess any damage!

What I ate today

I forgot to take a photo of breakfast so instead I will treat you to a photo of what I picked from the garden when I got home.  Lovely veg!

Breakfast was fruit salad (apple, kiwi, strawberries, blueberries and grapes) with some Greek yogurt.

Syn free.

For lunch, I got a portion of bolognaise out of the freezer and thawed it.  It was a bit watery and I wanted it to do two meals so I added some bulgur wheat which added fibre, flavour and thickening.

Then I made a two egg omelette, spooned on some of the bolognaise, crumbled over one As worth of  feta cheese, rolled it up and had it with a side salad.  Very tasty.
Afters was a small apple and some melon.

One healthy extra A and two syns for one tsp olive oil.

This kept me full until dinner - no fruity snack needed in between.

I had the rest of the bolognaise mince with added bulgur wheat left and I remembered that I had some butter beans in the freezer so I got them out, added some roasted red pepper, some seasoning and some chilli flakes plus some cooked wholewheat penne and a dollop of Greek yogurt and it made a very tasty and substantial dinner.

The whole thing was syn free.

Summary:

one healthy extra A

no healthy extra B

two syns - quite low, not much olive oil, but I will try to do better tomorrow.  

My meal plans for tomorrow:

B:  fruit and yogurt with seeds and chopped walnuts

L:   garlic toasted focaccia with smashed avocado and smoked salmon, side salad; fruit

D:  chilli peanut beef with red peppers, sweetcorn and spring onions; fruit

Exercise: a Lindsey pre record on YouTube

Friday evening, 06-09-24 - no Eat-Your-Syns day this week

Good evening, everyone!  

I've had a lovely time at my friend's and it has really helped that she is 'into' healthy eating with plenty of fruit and veg and olive oil.  It's been good for me to step away from healthy extras and syns for a few days, not because they are bad but because I need to know that I can regulate my eating without a total reliance on them.

I am giving Eat-Your-Syns-Day a miss this week - not prizes for guessing why.  😉😊

Things will be back to normal tomorrow and I'm looking forward to that.  On Sunday morning I will step on my scales and see what, if any, damage has been done after which we carry on with SW the Med way and intermittent fasting (I've missed that).

What I ate today

Breakfast was my usual fruit - apple, kiwi, grapes and strawberries and very nice too.  

I remembered to take a photo!!  Suzanne and I shared a ready made sandwich at Wisley and it really was rather nice - spicy bean and avocado with tortilla chips - not that I could see the point of that last as they were soggy!!

And that was that - not SW friendly, a little bit Med friendly (wholegrain, seed, avocado and pulses) and probably OK in terms of calories.

And here's dinner.  A most delicious concoction of salmon, leeks, shallots, peas and a wine and crème fraiche sauce.  

Back to the straight and narrow again tomorrow.

My meal plans for tomorrow:

B:  probably fruit and yogurt

L:  at home again after a mini shop to top up with fruit and veg.  an omelette wrap with some bolognaise mixture (from the freezer), some cheese (feta?) and a side salad; fruit

D:  pasta arrabbiata using the rest of the bolognaise from the freezer, runner beans if there's enough to pick or maybe green beans; fruit

Exercise:   a rest day, I think.

Thursday evening, 05-09-24 - eating while staying at a friend's

Good evening, everyone!  

What I ate today

Fruit and yogurt for breakfast suited us both.

No photo of lunch but we finished off the mushroom and goat's cheese tart and made more inroads into the tuna rice plus a simple side salad of leaves, cucumber and tomatoes.

Later on, I had an apple.

Dinner was a curry made with sweet potato, onion, lentils, various spices, peas and coconut milk and we polished off the tuna rice instead of cooking fresh.  The curry recipe was from the same book as the tart yesterday and I have now ordered a copy for myself because there are so many delicious recipes.  It keeps my interest high and I do enjoy cooking.

No summary today or tomorrow.  I'm not totally in control of the meals and would find it too tricky to work out syns.  I know what I'm eating is pretty healthy and absolutely delish.  Can't ask for more, can I?

(We won't talk about the chocolate  mousse, OK?)

My meal plans for tomorrow:

B:  possibly fruit and yogurt again, I am not sure

L:  weather permitting, something at Wisley

D:   the salmon and leek thingy because we didn't have it today.  It has to be, the salmon is out of the freezer!

Exercise:   more walking.

Thursday morning, 05-09-24

Good morning, everyone!  As half expected, I wasn't able to post yesterday evening and, while I remembered to take a breakfast photo, my friend and I were talking way too hard for me to remember lunch and dinner photos so I will post the one and give a verbal description of the others!

What I ate yesterday:

This was breakfast.  I treated myself to one of those pancake/tortilla/omelette pans, the kind with a bigger base and minimal sides.  It is the perfect size for a two egg omelette when you want it as a kind of wrap rather than a filled omelette or frittata kind of thing.  I just fried mushrooms and tomatoes in a little olive oil to go inside and it was both finning and easy on the time - perfect for before a two hour journey.

For lunch, Suzanne had prepared a tuna and rice salad with tomatoes, roasted red pepper (from a jar) and evoo mixed in and we had a cucumber and leaves salad on the side.  It was delicious.  Afters was a pear that needed using up (I'm not the only one that does this, as I?) and then I had an apple as well.

Then, for dinner, we jointly made a mushroom and goats cheese tart - the kind of thing where you lay out a sheet of puff pastry and put things on it so the sides rise up when it is baked.  the 'things' were some crème fraiche, sliced mushrooms, assorted herbs and some rounds of goat's cheese and it was absolutely delicious - I am going to take a photo of the recipe.  Not, strictly speaking, Mediterranean but the mixed salad we had with it was and the way we ate undoubtedly was.  No red wine but we talked and talked and talked so the meal took well over an hour to enjoy.  Very Med in style.

No dessert!

No Slimming World summary either, it's just not possible.  I will resume them when I get home.

My meal plans for tomorrow:

B:  I think breakfast will be mostly fruit based.  There's pineapple that needs using, apples, loads really!

L:   Either the rest of the mushroom and goats cheese tart or the tuna rice, maybe both!

D:  I think it might be salmon and leeks done in some way but I'm not sure.  It's up to my friend.

Exercise:   plenty of walking today.