Saturday, 16-01-21

 Morning!
It's cold outside so I've planned some warming meals today

Yesterday's meals:

Breakfast didn't happen as planned.  I ended up having an apple and two easy peelers and that was plenty.  No photos, I'm afraid.

Lunch was so good.
I made the pie like this.  I opened a can of M&S chunky steak and popped it into a sieve over a bowl to strain off most of the gravy.  I boiled up some frozen mixed veg and when that was done, added it to the steak and mixed it in.  I divided the steak/veg into two portions and put each p[portion in a smallish foil container.
In the meanwhile, I'd put some potatoes on to boil (using Thermione so it was really simple).  When they were done I mashed them in my ricer and added one egg yolk, 60g grated cheddar, some garlic granules, mustard powder, salt and pepper and mixed it all in well.  I topped the two pies with the potato; one was cooled and wrapped and went into the freezer and the other is what you see - twenty minutes at 180C while the veg cooked.  I warmed up the gravy in the microwave.  

Both pies are just one healthy extra A each and no syns.  Yes, it's a cheat using a can and that makes it more costly but it was relatively quick and easy and it really did taste great!  It looks a lot when you see it but, thinking about it, it's only the same as a jacket potato with a cheesy topping and some salad.

I saved the planned fruit for later.

Dinner also worked well; I had about two thirds of what I made and have a third for tomorrow's lunch.  It's very hard to make something like this just for one.  Even the smallest amounts of ingredients add up!
It wasn't a particularly colourful meal but it had good flavour.

I cooked some tagliatelle.

While that was cooking, I sliced some leek and fried it in 2 tsp butter (4 syns) until soft.  I added some sliced mushroom, frozen peas, some chicken stock powder, a bit of the pasta cooking water, garlic and onion granules and mustard powder and let it bubble briefly until all was incorporated and soft.  I then added four laughing cow light cheese triangles (pretty much an A choice) and finally mixed in the cooked and drained pasta.  If I'd had some fresh parsley, I'd have added some, but I didn't!

Today's meal plans:

B:  boiled eggs and toasty soldiers

I haven't had this for ages so it's about time.  A nice, comforting breakfast to have on a cold and snowy day too.  I'll use laughing cow spread for the toast and may also add some marmite.

SW:  one healthy extra B for toast and see below for the cheese

L:  leftovers of cheesy chicken and pasta with sprouts and broccoli; fruit

I may very well add some roasted tomatoes and some more mushrooms on the side as well.

SW:  it's a bit hard to estimate leftovers but I'm saying one syn for butter.  The melted soft cheese can combine with what I had for breakfast on the toast to make half an A in total

D:  chicken curry and rice; yogurt ice and squirty cream

I had a rootle through my spice mixes and will use a Spice Queen one for a chicken curry which has chopped tomato and I will add more veg to bulk it out.  I do love a one pot.

The recipe asks for lots of oil but I will cut it down to two tsp and I'm thinking of making enough for two portions (the mix makes four portions) because all my remaining chicken breast fillets in the freezer are quite large.  That would sort out tomorrow evening, both for curry and for rice.

SW:  four syns for oil, one and a half syns if I have half a pouch of posh rice (I could cook some from dry but I have pouches to use up), half a syn for yogurt and one syn for 10g squirty cream.  If I have some mango chutney, that will be another syn

Body Magic:  I think an online walk today.

Summary:

one healthy extra A (the rest of the A will be milk in my cuppas)

one healthy extra B

up to nine syns (but will be less if I save some of the curry for tomorrow)

I got the Spice Queen spice mix from a stall on Chelmsford market (so you can tell it is more than time to use them up!) but they also have an online shop.  
They're not as wide ranging as JD Seasonings, sticking to Indian type mixes, but there's still a great choice and the ones I have used are all very, very good.   Each mix comes in a pot with a recipe included.

If you like spicy (but not necessarily hot) stuff, it's worth taking a look.

Here's a link to the shop page on their site.

https://spicequeenuk.co.uk/shop/

(I have no contact with Spice Queen apart from using their mixes, I wasn't paid for the endorsement above and I bought the mix with my own money.  I just think thev are very good)