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!

Prawn Saganaki

This is a dish that transports me instantly to the Greek Isles, particularly Corfu and is something I've been making for a decade. In fact I shared this recipe for it back in 2013 but I have updated it a little since then.

I serve this with fresh, chunky bread to dip in the unctuous sauce with oozing melty feta and a side salad.

You can use any prawns, but the shell on kind are the best as they add flavour to the sauce; just prepare a finger bowl with water and lemon and serve with serviettes or kitchen paper!

Prawn Saganaki

Prawn Saganaki

Here's how:

• 400g king prawns (shell on)
• 1 red onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp capers 
• 6 tomatoes (you can use a tin too)
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 3 tbsp dry white wine
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 1 block of feta (200g)
• Olive oil
• A few basil leaves to garnish

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and place an ovenproof pan on the hob on a medium heat with a generous drizzle of olive oil. 

Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic and add to the pan.

Roughly chop the tomatoes and add to the pan with the white wine, oregano, honey and a good pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook down for at least fifteen minutes or until the tomatoes have broken down and become a little mushy. 

Now remove about half of the sauce and place into a blender or Nutribullet and blitz to a puree then return to the pan and mix the two halves together. 

Break the feta into bite sized pieces and scatter two thirds of it all over the dish and bake in the oven for 20 minutes then remove from the oven and place onto the hob.

Now arrange the prawns on top, pushing each one into the sauce a little. Complete by taking the leftover feta and crumbling into small bits all over the prawns. 

Return to the oven for 12 minutes, or until the prawns are cooked through and have turned a glorious shade of pink. Take care not to over-cook or you'll end up with rubbery prawns. 

When you remove from the oven leave to stand for five minutes before serving and garnish with a few basil leaves. Enjoy!

As you may know I'm a little obsessed with Greek food and here are a few other recipes you may enjoy too:

• Lamb Kleftiko
• Beef Stamna
• Chicken Souvlaki
• Greek Chicken Thighs with Roasted Jersey Royals
• Spanakopita - Greek Cheese & Spinach Pie
• Greek Chicken One Pot
• Souzoukakia - Greek Meatball Bake
• Greek Stuffed Tomatoes - Gemistes
• Greek Chicken Tray Bake
• Moussaka - Our Greek Meat Pie
• Pastitsio - The Greek Lasagna
• Greek Briam - Vegetable Stew

Crab Madame & Crab Monsieur

This is such a fabulous brunch dish; truly decadent; rich, creamy and full of delicious crab meat and yet aside from a few processes it's not hard to create well at home. 

Also it is still very much do-able if you're following Slimming World as I am which is a massive bonus as it feels like such a treat. If you use your Healthy Option A's for the reduced fat Cheddar and milk for the bechamel sauce and Healthy Option B for a slice of wholemeal bread then this will work out at 7 syns per portion. 

Crab Madame & Crab Monsieur

The below serves four. 

Here's how:

For the toasts:

• 5 slices wholemeal sliced bread
• Flora Light

For the bechamel (white) sauce:

• 1 tbsp Flora Light
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 200ml semi skimmed milk
• Pinch salt
• Pinch black pepper
• Nutmeg 
• 2 tbsp double cream

For the crab mixture:

• 400g crab meat (I use a mixture of white and brown crab)
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• Handful dill
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of black pepper

Everything else:

• More dill to taste and garnish
• 70-80g reduced fat Cheddar
• 4-5 eggs (I don't eat eggs so mine was a Crab Monsieur)

Firstly you need to get two large pans on the hob on a low heat.

Now take the slices of wholemeal bread, and spread over just a slither of the Flora Light onto each, quite minimal to keep the calories down but enough so when added to one of the pans, it will take on a lightly golden toasted colour. Add each slice to the same pan, in batches of 2-3 and toast on each side then place into a baking tin. 

For the bechamel or white sauce; in the other pan, melt the 1 tbsp Flora Light, and once completely melted add the 1 tbsp plain flour and mix well with a wooden spoon or if it's clumping up you may need to use a whisk. Once combined into a kind of paste, add the milk and stir continuously for a few minutes until a sauce is formed. Season with a pinch each of salt and pepper and grate in some nutmeg. Cook this down for five minutes or until the sauce begins to thicken up and become quite glossy. Remove from the heat and stir in the double cream which will add to the glossiness and help to elevate your bechamel to a more luxurious, rich sauce. Set aside off the heat for now. 

For the crab, pour all of the crab meat into a mixing bowl. Stir in the Dijon mustard and squeeze over a little lemon juice. Add the paprika and season. Roughly chop the dill fronds and stir through until combined. Stir in 2 tbsp of the bechamel sauce too. 

Now take the crab mixture and spoon an equal amount onto each slice of wholemeal bread in the baking dish then spread across each until they are covered. Top each one with the remaining bechamel sauce. 

Finally add some of the grated reduced fat Cheddar onto each of the toasts and place into the oven for ten minutes. Set a timer for 7 minutes and then it will be time to fry the eggs for 3 minutes exactly and keep sunny side up (don't fry the yolk!). I fry these in just a couple of sprays of Fry Light. 

Remove the Crab toasts from the oven and place onto a board, or serving dish. Add a few additional dill fronds if you wish,  and a final sprinkling of black pepper and then use an egg slice to place an egg on top of each Crab Madame or keep it plain for a Crab Monsieur. Enjoy!

Crab Monsieur

If you're a fan of brunch-style dishes; here are ten more you may like:

• Shakshuka - Spicy Tomato & Pepper Baked Eggs
• Smoky Sausage & Bean One Pot
• Tomato & Feta Baked Eggs
• Healthy Cheese & Veggie Omelette Muffins
• Smoky Chorizo Beans on Toast
• Best Avocado on Toast
• Berry Yoghurt Pancakes
• Herby Courgette & Feta Fritter Cakes
• Creamy Mushrooms on Toast
• Deep Fried Halloumi with Chunky Guacamole

Prawn and Vegetable Spaghetti

This is an easy but delicious family meal that takes very little time to prepare making the most of succulent king prawns and your favourite vegetables.

I made up some courgetti - our first time having this in a long time, and washed and sliced some fresh Swiss Chard from my vegetable patch which worked wonderfully in this; but spinach or watercress leaves would also work well. The below served the four of us (two adults, two children under six). 

For those following Slimming World, this works out at under 2 syns per portion which is for the white wine, everything else is free and there is a lot of Speed used too. 

Prawn and Vegetable Spaghetti

Here's how:

• 300g king prawns (without the shells)
• 1 red onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• Few sprays of Fry Light either the Olive Oil or Extra Virgin Olive Oil variant
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp white wine (I used Vina Sol - my current tipple of choice)
• 2 tbsp capers
• Handful basil (leaves and stalks)
• Handful dill fronds
• 1 courgette
• 100g Swiss Chard, Watercress or Spinach
• 300g dried spaghetti
• Salt
• Black pepper

Firstly fill and boil the kettle for the pasta water and place a large pan on a medium heat with the few sprays of Fry Light.

Finely dice the red onion and mince the garlic and add to the pan to soften. Next add the capers and the chopped tomatoes with the white wine, season with salt and black pepper and mix. Take the stalks from the basil and finely chop and add to the sauce - this gives a great flavour to a tomato based sauce. 

Allow to cook down for five minutes. 

Now use the boiled water to completely cover the spaghetti in a large pot with a pinch of salt, stir and place onto a medium heat and cook for approximately 9-10 minutes, us until 'al dente' firm to the bite. 

While the pasta is cooking, take the time to make up courgetti. You can use a spiraliser if you have one, or you can cut the courgette into thick ribbons, and then cut long slices. 

Wash the green vegetable you are using whether that is the chard, spinach or watercress and cut into small pieces and set aside. 

When the pasta has just five minutes of cooking time remaining, add the courgetti to the pan with the sauce, and then the prawns and move around with a spatula to ensure they all get cooked well. In the last minute or two add the chard or other green veg and move around to ensure it takes on the heat of the dish. 

Once the pasta is cooked and the prawns are cooked through, use a spaghetti server to lift the spaghetti out of the saucepan and into the pan with the sauce. Once all is transferred, also add 2 tbsp of the pasta cooking water to the pasta and toss in the sauce, still on the heat. 

At this point add almost all of the basil leaves and dill fronds and allow them to be stirred through the pasta. Transfer to a serving bowl then garnish with more dill and basil; give a final seasoning of black pepper and you're ready to serve. Enjoy!

If you love pasta dishes, here are a few more you may enjoy:

• Salmon Pasta Salad
• Chicken & Chorizo Penne
• Cumberland Sausage Pasta
• Salmon & Dill Gnocchi Bake
• Smoked Salmon Carbonara
• Squash Mac & Cheese
• Seafood Spaghetti with Saffron & Chilli
• Crab & Asparagus Linguine with Parsley Pangritata
• Pastitsio - The Greek Lasagna
• Prawn & Chorizo Carbonara

Easy Fish Korma

This is a super simple fish curry recipe that can be prepared and on the table in under 20 minutes; it's a mild korma so is suitable for the whole family too. I used haddock, but cod, coley or hake would work well too; you want a fish that will hold it's shape. 

I serve over wholegrain rice for a tasty and nutritious family meal.

Easy Fish Korma

Here's how:

• 2 spring onions
• 3cm piece of ginger root or 2 tsp ginger paste
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 green chilli
• 1 tsp olive oil or vegetable oil
• 1 red pepper
• 250g cherry tomatoes
• 200g frozen peas
• 1 heaped tbsp Korma paste (I use Patak's)
• 800g haddock fillet
• 1 tin coconut milk
• 2 preserved lemons or 1 tbsp lime pickle
• Handful fresh coriander leaves
• 1 tbsp natural yoghurt

Firstly add the olive or vegetable oil to a large pan and place onto a gentle heat. 

Now finely slice the spring onions, peel and finely chop or grate the ginger, slice the chilli and crush the garlic and add all to the pan. 

Now cut each of the cherry tomatoes in half, and slice the red pepper and add both to the pan to soften quickly.

Roughly chop the preserved lemon and then cut the haddock into bite-sized chunks and set aside. 

Once the tomatoes and pepper have softened a little, add the korma paste and stir everything in the pan together. Add the coconut milk, the peas and the preserved lemons (or lime pickle) and stir through to combine. 

Place each piece of fish into the pan and ensure each piece is immersed in the curry sauce and allow to cook on a high heat for exactly six minutes. Turn each piece of fish over after 3 minutes; you should see it is cooked through as it will go from opaque to white. 

Remove from the heat and spoon over rice or whatever you are serving with. Add a spoonful of natural yoghurt to the middle of the dish, or spoon a few smaller bits all over to add a creaminess and scatter over as many coriander leaves as you like. Enjoy! 

Here are a few other Indian fake-away recipes you may enjoy:

• One Pot Coconut Fish Curry
• Slow Cooker Butter Chicken
• Bridget and Bea's Mild Chicken and Vegetable Curry
• Slow Cooked Beef & Lentil Curry
• Chicken Dhansak
• Sag Paneer
• Curried Lentil Soup
• Chicken Biryani
• Chicken Tikka Kebabs

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