Thai Salmon Fishcakes with Quick Chilli Dipping Oil

These are a great lunchtime meal if you are following Slimming World - they come in at just 4.5 syns for the oil and Thai Green Curry Paste and I use my HEB for the Ryvita.

I serve with ribbons of carrot and cucumber made using a vegetable peeler a small side salad and a tiny pot of chilli infused oil.

The below makes two fishcakes - be warned they are moreish!

Here's how:
Dipping Oil:

• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
• 2 tsp olive oil

Fishcakes:

• 1 100g fillet of salmon
• 2 spring onions
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 thumb of fresh ginger
• 1 red chilli
• Juice of 1/2 a lime
• 1 tbsp fresh coriander
• 1 tsp Green Thai Curry Paste
• 1 Original Ryvita 

Firstly in a small pot place the chilli flakes and the oil and leave to infuse a little - this is your dipping sauce and will act as a great dressing for any salad you serve alongside too.

Now drizzle in a tiny bit of oil or spray into a pan and place on a low heat.

Finely chop the spring onions, chilli and coriander and place into a bowl.

Mince the garlic and add to the bowl and grate in the ginger.Cut the lime in half and squeeze into the bowl.

Crumble the Ryvita into the bowl.

Next finely chop the salmon into small pieces and add to the bowl and give a good stir with a spoon.

Finally add the curry paste and again stir. Then you'll need to get your hands messy by smushing it all together with your hands and making two rounds which will be your fishcake. You could of course use an egg in this mixing process which will help bind the fishcakes too, I just chose not to.

Next add each fishcake to the pan and fry gently for three to four minutes on one side before turning over to do the other side. Each side should be nicely golden brown. Don't be tempted to cook for too much longer as the salmon will overcook. Enjoy!

Chickpea & Paneer Curry

This is a family-friendly vegetarian curry with a mild flavour; it's an easy store-cupboard dish that can be thrown together in under 30 minutes.

If you are following Slimming World and use your 40g Paneer as part of your Healthy Option A then this is also completely syn-free, even when served as I have here with some boiled basmati rice, a spoonful of fat free yoghurt (which when stirred through gives a creamy consistency to the curry) and some coriander leaves.

Chickpea & Paneer Curry

The below serves four; here's how:

• 1 onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3cm piece of ginger root
• 1.5 tbsp Mild Curry Powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 courgette
• 1 can of chickpeas
• 3 tomatoes (or 1/2 tin of chopped tomatoes)
• 1 Vegetable Stock Pot
• 150ml water
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 160g paneer cheese
• 150g spinach leaves
• Black pepper
• Salt
• Fry Light

To garnish:

• Fat free yoghurt
• Coriander leaves

Firstly in a large pan or wok, add a few sprays of Fry Light and place onto a low heat.

Finely dice the onion, mince the garlic and finely chop the ginger and add to the pan.

Once beginning to soften add the curry powder and all of the dried spices and continue to cook for a minute or so.

In the meantime, roughly chop the tomatoes and add to the pan.

Cut the courgette into bite-sized chunks and add to the pan. Drain the chickpeas of any liquid and add to the curry along with a pinch of salt and black pepper. 

Add 150ml water, the tomato puree and the vegetable stock pot, give a good stir and allow to cook for 20 minutes until the chickpeas are beginning to soften and the sauce to thicken.

In the meantime, wash the spinach leaves and set aside and cut the paneer cheese into small bite-sized pieces.

Add the paneer cheese and again stir through so the cheese is immersed in the curry sauce and allow to cook for a further five minutes. Add the spinach at the very last minute before serving and simply stir through, the heat of the curry will immediately cook and wilt the spinach. 

Chickpea & Paneer Curry

Garnish with fat free yoghurt and fresh coriander leaves and serve with rice for a syn-free meal. Enjoy!

Harissa Chicken Kebabs (Slimming World Friendly)

These gorgeous Harissa Chicken Kebabs are ideal for the BBQ or cooking under a grill and make for a lovely and light summer meal. 

I tend to serve with a big salad dressed in lemon juice and sumac and here I also roasted some peppers, red onion and courgette in Fry Light and served with wholemeal pitta. I'm currently doing Slimming World and the below makes x4 skewers which each work out to 1/2 syn each making this a really low-syn-meal especially if you use your Healthy Extra Option B choice for a wholemeal pitta or wrap. 

This is also great with a syn-free Tzatziki dip too; use this recipe but switch the Greek Yoghurt for Greek Fat Free Yoghurt instead. 

Here's how:

• 500g skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 2 tbsp Harissa paste (you can find in most spice sections of supermarkets, I really like the M&S one)
• 2 tbsp fat free yoghurt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 lemon
• 2 garlic cloves
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic granules
• Fry Light

A few hours before you wish to cook the kebabs, get a bowl and fill with the fat free yoghurt, harissa paste, cumin, garlic granules, a pinch each of salt and black pepper and the garlic cloves, roughly chopped. Halve the lemon and squeeze in the juice and then throw the lemons into the bowl too for extra flavour. 

Give the marinade a good mix. 

Now chop the chicken into small, bite-sized pieces and throw into the marinade. Use a spoon to mix the chicken around in the marinade so every piece is immersed and soaking up the flavours. 

Cover with a lid or clingfilm and place into the fridge for a few hours, removing about 30 minutes before you wish to cook. 

When ready to cook; thread the chicken pieces onto skewers so they are tightly packed on. I recommend investing in some reusable metal skewers; you can pick up for under a fiver in the summer months, and they are much better than the throwaway wooden ones; plus there's no chance of them setting alight on the BBQ or under the grill.

When the chicken is all threaded on, give each one a spray with Fry Light then place the skewers under a hot grill or onto the hot BBQ and allow to cook for exactly four minutes, then carefully turn onto the over side and cook for a further four minutes, which should be ample time to cook through. Take one skewer off and check one of the biggest pieces of chicken by cutting into the centre, and ensuring it isn't pink inside. 

If satisfied these are cooked, remove from the grill and place onto a plate to rest for another four minutes, or return to the grill for a couple more minutes to finish off. Enjoy!

If like us, you love a kebab or food one a skewer here are a few other recipes you may like:

• Adana Kebab
• Chicken Tikka Kebabs
• Italian Chicken Skewers
• Beef Terriyaki Skewers
• Lamb Shish Kebab
• Beef Kofte Kebabs
• Chicken Souvlaki
• Healthy Chicken Shish Kebabs

Salmon Pasta Salad (Slimming World Friendly)

This is a super simple and light pasta salad dish ideal for hot summer lunches or dinners. 

This works out at 1.5 syns on Slimming World (for the light mayonnaise and Dijon mustard). 

The below serves x4 and can be served with the pasta and salmon hot or cold. 

Salmon Pasta Salad (Slimming World Friendly)

Here's how:

• 500g salmon
• 350g dried pasta
• 1 tbsp capers
• !/4 cucumber
• 3 tbsp frozen peas
• Handful dill fronds
• 2 large spring onions
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 tbsp light mayonnaise
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

Fill and boil the kettle and place the oven on at 180 degrees. 

Pop the salmon into an oven-proof dish and place into the oven for 10 minutes or until cooked through.

Cook the pasta with the boiled water and a pinch of salt according to the packet instructions or until cooked; usually between 9-11 minutes. 

Also cook the frozen peas and drain and set aside .

In the meantime prepare the rest of the salad ingredients. Dice the cucumber, pull the dill fronds apart and slice the spring onions and add all to a big bowl. Add the capers whole. 

Once cooked, drain the pasta and give a good shake and add to the bowl with the peas. 

Finally add the salmon, gently cut into flakes and add to the bowl.

Now add the light mayonnaise and Dijon mustard and season generously and give a really good stir till all of the pasta is coated with the sauce. 

Spoon into serving bowls and then add a few more dill fronds and a pinch of black pepper. Enjoy!

If you love salmon as we do, here are a few other dishes you may enjoy:

• Classic Salmon & Pea Fishcakes (Slimming World friendly)
• Cajun Salmon Tortilla Bowls (Slimming World friendly)
• Sticky Asian Salmon 
• Salmon & Dill Gnocchi Bake
• Thai Salmon Fishcakes with Quick Chilli Oil

Greek Chicken Thighs with Roasted Jersey Royals

This is an absolute favourite in the summer months as once the chicken is thrown into the marinade, it soaks in so much flavour and then you just bung it into the oven to cook through - so simple yet so tasty.

You could also cook for just twenty minutes in the oven and then finish on the barbecue if you prefer. 

The below is enough for x6 adults as a main meal and the great thing is, once marinated, you can also freeze the chicken and simply defrost and cook next time you want it. 

As I've been following Slimming World, I used skin-less thighs for myself, but skin-on for everyone else and using the below it works out at around 5.5 syns per portion (accounting for x2 chicken thighs per person). 

I serve with a Greek Salad (obviously measured out feta for HEA) and some Tzatziki made with fat free yoghurt which is completely syn free for Slimming World too. 

Greek Chicken Thighs with Roasted Jersey Royals

Here's how:

• x12 chicken thighs
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 1 tbsp rosemary
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp dried chilli flakes
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 250ml white wine
• 3 lemons

For the roast new potatoes:

• 1 pack Jersey Royal Potatoes (or any other new potatoes)
• Fry Light
• 4 garlic cloves
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• Rosemary 

Marinate the chicken a few hours before you plan to cook in a large bowl. Place the chicken thighs into a bowl with the olive oil, white wine, oregano, rosemary, paprika, cinnamon and dried chilli flakes. Season generously with salt and black pepper. Now mince or roughly chop the garlic and place into the bowl and cut the lemons in half, squeeze in the lemon and add to the bowl. Use a large spoon to move the chicken thighs around and ensure all get a good coating of the marinade. Cover with clingfilm and place into the fridge for a few hours or until ready to cook.

When ready to cook, firstly pre-heat the oven to 180, fill and boil the kettle and then fill a saucepan with the boiled water, add a pinch of salt and add the Jersey Royals or whichever new potatoes you are using into the water with a lid on and cook on high for fifteen minutes. 

Now drain the Jersey Royals and give them a really good shake in the colander. 

Place into a roasting tin and spray generously with Fry Light, season with sea salt and black pepper and scatter the garlic cloves about along with some fresh rosemary and set aside. 

Now place the chicken into a roasting tin too including all of the marinade ingredients. Move the chicken so each piece is skin side up and then place into the oven to roast for 40 minutes. 

Ten minutes into the cooking time, add the Jersey Royals into the oven to roast for 45 minutes; so the potatoes should stay in the oven for a further fifteen minutes when you remove the chicken, and allow it to rest in the pan until serving. Enjoy!

Classic Salmon & Pea Fishcakes (Slimming World Friendly)

I call these Salmon & Pea Fishcakes 'classic' as they are flavoured with capers, mustard, spring onion and chives mainly, whereas I have shared a few other fishcake recipes previously which ave a bit of spice such as these Thai Fish Cakes with Quick Chilli Oil, Haddock Fishcakes, Tuna Fishcakes and Mexican Style Salmon Fishcakes  

I am following the Slimming World programme at the moment, and this was an 'on plan' meal at only 2.5 syns per portion for x2 fishcakes (this is for the small amount of flour and the wholemeal breadcrumbs - you could actually use HEB for this if you haven't already as I had yesterday). 

This recipe makes x8 fishcakes which I shared between the family, but if you're cooking just for you, these would keep in the fridge for a few days and you can also freeze them. I serve with a big salad for lots of Speed. 

I also made a quick and syn-free 'tartare sauce' by popping into a small bowl 3 tbsp fat free yoghurt, a tbsp of capers and a few cornichons chopped up with a squeeze of lemon juice, some chopped chives and a pinch of salt and pepper. 

Classic Salmon & Pea Fishcakes (Slimming World Friendly)

Classic Salmon & Pea Fishcakes (2.5 syns on Slimming World)

Here's how:

• 1/2 side of salmon or roughly 470g salmon 
• 1 large spring onion
• 3 potatoes (or some leftover mash potato)
• Handful fresh chives
• 1 tbsp English mustard
• 1.5 tbsp capers
• 150g frozen peas
• Salt
• Black and white pepper
• 1 slice of wholemeal bread
• 1 egg
• Fry Light Spray (I like to use the Rapeseed spray)
• 1 tbsp plain flour

Firstly place the x3 potatoes, with their skin on, into the microwave for fifteen minutes. 

In the meantime prepare the rest of the Salmon & Pea Fishcake ingredients. 

In a large bowl place the capers, English mustard, snip in the chives and finely slice the spring onion and add to the bowl. 

Take the 1/2 side of salmon or fillets, and chop into bite sized pieces and add to the bowl. 

Cook the frozen peas for a couple of minutes in boiling water, drain and add to the salmon mixture. 

Once the potatoes have cooked for fifteen minutes, remove from the microwave, slice in half, then spoon out the potato inside and place into the bowl. 

Season generously with white pepper and salt and use a fork or spoon to mush together and mix up until all of the ingredients are combined. 

Separate into eight almost equal sized amounts, and then use your hands to shape into a fishcake, circular shape and place onto a plate, repeat until you have eight fishcakes. 

Now into one bowl place the flour and season with black pepper and a pinch of salt. 

Into the second bowl, place the breadcrumbs from the wholemeal bread (I blitz in the Nutribullet). 

Into the the third bowl, crack in the egg, and give a quick beat. 

Now you are ready to pane the fishcakes. But first place a large non stick frying pan onto a low-to-medium heat on the hob and give a spray with the Fry Light, 3-4 sprays. 

To pane, firstly, take one fishcake and roll into the seasoned flour, then place immediately into the beaten egg, and finally roll in the breadcrumb mixture. Set aside on a clean plate. Repeat until all of the fishcakes have their breadcrumbs and are ready to cook.

Place each fishcake into the pan and pop a timer on for five minutes. 

After five minutes, carefully turn each fishcake over, they should be slightly golden. I use two tablespoons to turn over carefully. 

Cook for a further five minutes and serve with a wedge of lemon, a big salad and if you like, the Fat Free Yoghurt Tartare Sauce. Enjoy!