Entertaining

January 5th 2016

Weigh in

Here we go then, first weigh in of the new year, not quite a full week of sticking to plan and I have managed to maintain.  Still the eight pounds to go then but feeling positive about the coming week.

Party Season!

Christmas and New Year are well and truly over but we all have special occasions and parties throughout the year so here is my Slimming World buffet to impress your friends and keep your weight loss on track.  I served this on Christmas Eve.  It takes a bit of effort but well worth it.

Smoked salmon, Chinese duck wraps, Indian spiced chicken nuggets (SW little book of light bites p65 & 75), Mediterranean fish cakes (SW little book of lunches p16) mozzarella cups (SW Christmas p123 - 1 syn each), merguez sausage bites (SW summer days p55) and prawns coated in breadcrumbs (my own recipe and free if using bread as healthy extra). Potato wedges and salad. All free unless stated and all delicious.  

Dinner Party

It's always lovely to have friends round for dinner and why should that change just because you are on a diet....sorry - healthy eating plan!  On New Years Day (My husband and I worked New Years Eve so we had our celebratory meal on 1st Jan) I decided to push the boat out and make what Slimming World called a Beef Wellington.  Traditionally of course Beef Wellington contains pate which would push the Syns up way too high so I think this would more accurately be called Beef en Croute.  Still 6 Syns for the filo pastry which is higher than I normally like to use on a meal (I prefer to save my Syns for what I consider to be a proper treat) but delicious and a great alternative to the traditional version.  I used fillet steaks (the recipe didn't mention this but I sealed them in a pan, sweated off some finely chopped mushrooms, onions and garlic - you can use any type of mushroom but they do suggest a mix of Porcini and chestnut, which gives the dish a fantastic richness - cut a filo pastry sheet in half and wrapped both halves around the steak and mushroom mixture to make a parcel and cooked on 200 (fan oven) for 15-20 minutes (this makes the steak fairly well done so if you prefer rarer steak, cook it for less time).  Served with some Slimming World Chips (more in these in a future blog) and vegetables.

The rest of my Week

I have returned to following the Slimming World plan, making sure I plan my meals for the week and have low syn or no syn snacks available for emergencies!  Here are a few of the other meals I have enjoyed this week...

Breakfast: Weetabix minis with chocolate chips (30g B choice) plus melon, bacon sandwich (cutting off the fat) with 2 x slices of wholemeal bread from a 400g loaf (B choice) with tomatoes and mushrooms


Lunch: Homemade vegetable lasagne (1 syn per serving), pastrami, gherkin and pepper lettuce wraps (free and SP), smoked salmon and prawn pasta salad (made with 1tbsp thousand island dressing - 1 syn)

Dinner: Lamb Hot pot (1 syn per portion), Spaghetti Bolognese (free), Chicken Tikka Masala with rice (free)

My tip...When you have the oven on cooking your dinner, pop a jacket potato in to cook, they keep in the fridge for a couple of days and can be quickly heated in the microwave for lunch or a quick tea.  Not quite the same as eating one straight out of the oven but a quick and easy meal when you don't have much time.