Easy School Holiday Meals with Birds Eye

When Birds Eye got in touch with me and asked me if I would like to try out some of their spring recipes I knew that the school holidays would be the ideal time to try one out. During the school holidays we all want to have meals that are quick and easy. When you have days out or have just had a busy day at home you want to be able to prepare a meal that is both nutritious and tasty.

Birds Eye do a great range of frozen fish, chicken, vegetables, potato products, pie, ready meals and even breakfast sweet treats. I decided to use some of their delicious fish products in a recipe. The Birds Eye Inspirations range allow you to feast on fish that is full of flavour and that has been paired with perfect extra ingredients. As you know I am following the Slimming World eating plan and will admit that it did play a part in what I decided to get. When I was looking at the syn value in the fish I was delighted to find that the Salmon in Lemon and Dill Sauce was syn free it went straight into my trolley!

I decided to make a meal based on the serving suggestion on the front of the box. The picture shows the salmon on a bed of pasta and peas.

This is what I did...

Super Boost Green Matcha Smoothie

Since starting Slimming World 25 weeks ago I have noticed my body and tastes change a great deal. Now that I have stepped up my weight loss plan to include more activity what I eat and drink has changed even more. On the days that I exercise my appetite is bigger but for good foods. Before I exercise I have an oat based breakfast and try to include banana for energy and a natural peanut butter to help the long term release of energy. My favourite way to start a gym day is with a lovely big bowl of my Full of Energy Porridge.

Whether you are exercising or not what you drink is also an important part of your diet. When I drink alcohol my whole body feels it and it effects the way I eat. So I am trying to make a conscious effort to not drink as much, limiting it to the odd drink. I have started to add super green matcha to my drinks again and on a gym day the matcha really does give me an added boost! In the past I have written about matcha and what a great drink and ingredient it is. I have used it in porridge, cakes and drinks. When I have matcha in my diet I find that my energy levels are higher, my moods are better and I generally feel better in myself. Over the last few weeks I have been starting the day with a delicious, green smoothie. It has become a loved part of my daily routine hence why I am sharing it with you today!

Quinoa Stir Fry Salad

Quinoa is one of those great ingredients that I just cannot get enough of. I love it! It is such a versatile ingredient. I can be used in sweet dishes as well as savoury and is so quick to prepare. I always have a good supply of quinoa in the house!

Not only is quinoa versatile and tasty it is also a super food. Quinoa is gluten free and a complete protein that contains all of the essential amino acids which helps your body to repair muscle, which is especially needed after exercising. Quinoa contains three times more iron than brown rice so it is an ideal addition to your diet if you suffer from anaemia. As well as amino acids and iron it is also a great source of folate, manganese, magnesium and zinc. When I cook quinoa I usually cook it in a bulk as once it is cooked it can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days!

My quinoa stir fry salad is a bit of a mixture of meals. It contains stir fried vegetables but it is like a salad. It can be eaten warm or cold the following day. It is such a versatile base to a meal. I have enjoyed it with smoked salmon and eggs, while the hubby had his the following day with mackerel in tomato sauce. The possibilities are endless!

This is what I did...

Kale and Egg Brunch

Since starting the Slimming World eating plan back in October I have been focused on good, healthy food to get my weight down. I have now lost 30lbs and now is the time to start thinking about toning up and getting fit. My weight loss has slowed down and this is due to me relaxing the eating plan a little and then need for more exercise. I was recently referred to the gym via my lovely doctor who could see how my belly was affecting me. During my twin pregnancy I got huge and my poor stomach was stretched more than I thought it was possible. I carried two, beautiful, healthy babies so believe me I am not ashamed of how my stomach looks now. It is a testament to carrying two 6lbs babies at the same time. But I do get very uncomfortable as I have been left with excess skin. After visit the doctor, who I will admit was so much more understanding than I was expecting she advised me to loose weigh, which I am doing, and improve my fitness. After waiting for almost 4 months I got the call from the gym! I have had my induction session and a tailor made workout has been set for me. This week is my second week of going to the gym. At the moment I have only been twice but I am hoping to up it to 2 sessions a week. 

Now that I am focusing on my fitness, the food, on my gym days, has changed. I am not concentrating so much on the 'syns' but eating what I know is good for me. Before I go to the gym I start the day with a bowl of my Full of Energy Porridge. This bowl of porridge is full of goodness from the oats, banana, cinnamon and peanut butter, just what my body needs before a good workout. What you eat after a workout is just as important. Protein is essential after exercise as it helps to repair your muscles. My go to protein foods are eggs and chicken. Today I am sharing with you one of my favourite post workout meals, Kale and Egg Brunch. This is such a simple meal that is full of flavour and full of goodness!

This is what I did...

Syn Free, Gluten Free Pancakes!

Tomorrow is pancake day and if you are watching your weight it can be a day of temptation. But if you want to enjoy pancakes without the guilt then I have the answer! Since making my Banana Pancakes last week I have been experimenting with eggs and yogurt and trying a range of different ingredients and I kept coming back to the most simple way of making a guilt free pancake. 3 simple ingredients, eggs, sweetener and flavoured essence. These pancakes are sweet omelette's and they are so delicious!

The beauty of these pancakes is that they can be made using a wide range of flavoured essence. So far my favourite has to be vanilla and salted caramel. To make them even healthier you can top them with yogurt and super healthy fruit.

This is what I did...

Gluten and Dairy Free Banana Pancakes (Low FODMAP and Low Syn)

If there is one foodie event that we all love it has to be pancake day. What is there not to love? It is the one day that you can have as many pancakes that you want without feeling guilty! But with me following the Slimming World eating plan and the hubby having so much success with the FODMAP eating plan we really do not want to undo the hard work. This got me thinking as to how I can adapt the classic pancake into one that is not just healthier but also one that is going to keep everybody's tummies happy.

When I saw that this week Aldi had included bananas in their fantastic Super6 offer I got stocked up. Everyone loves bananas here so I knew that if I used them as the base for this years pancakes they would go down well and priced at just 69p I can buy plenty as once you have tried these pancakes you will need to make more!

This is what I did...

Cottage Pie Topped with Butternut Squash - Pressure King Pro Recipe

A couple of weeks ago I told you about my new favourite kitchen gadget, the Pressure King Pro. Since I received this product is has been used so many times I have lost count. As it is being used so much and how much I genuinely love the product I am going to be posting many more recipes that I have made in the Pressure King Pro.

Today I am sharing with you one of our most loved recipes, cottage pie. This is a recipe that I have tweaked a lot over time, I have added new ingredients, tried different ideas and it really has evolved over time. When I started to use the Pressure King Pro I knew that a cottage pie sauce would cook beautifully in it and I was not wrong!

This is what I did...

Low Syn/Gluten Free Broccoli Pizza Base

I love pizza but on Slimming World it is a no go if you want to keep those syns down! As I am not one to be beaten I got researching and found a recipe for a cauliflower base on the Slimming World website. I had a go and it was nice, but there was something missing. I found it had to handle and when I tried to turn it over it did break. But this did not put me off, I planned to try again. However when I checked if cauliflower was high or low FODMAP I discovered that it was high. As the hubby is following a low FODMAP eating plan I had to think again. I started to think about what other vegetables could work and broccoli kept coming back to mind. It has a similar texture to cauliflower so thought I'd give it a go.

It was a huge success! Forget cauliflower pizza bases, broccoli is the one the choose if you want a vegetable pizza base. It was so much easier to handle and finished with an irresistible crispy edge, it was so good! I did make a cauliflower one too, for me, and did end up eating the broccoli one with the hubby. As it was such a hit here I thought that it would be a great recipe to share with you.

This is what I did...

Smoked Fish Tagine - 101 Cook Books

One of my favourite Christmas presents had to this gorgeous, traditional tagine.

I have wanted to invest in a tagine for a while now and my lovely eldest son picked up on this and asked the hubby to buy me one for him to give to me as my Christmas present. This gift means a lot for two reasons, the first is that it is something that I have really wanted but secondly, J took the time to listen and realise this was something that I wanted and found this one for me himself. My first born is certainly growing up at a scarily rapid rate! As this is a traditional tagine a heat diffuser is needed to prevent cracking, so once I had one I could not wait to get cooking! 

You may also see in the title I have a new theme. This is the first, what I hope to become a weekly feature, 101 Cook Books posts. Like a lot of foodies I have a huge collection of cook books. I have had a count of the books that are in my kitchen, office and living room bookshelf and have actually accumulated about 101 cook books! Before I counted them I had no idea how many I had and yes, I was amazed by the number. My 101 Cook Books posts are my way of sharing the books that I love but I am also wanting the posts to encourage me to use my books more often. Each week I am going to use one of my cook books to make a meal and I am going to blog about it. My posts will feature the recipe, tell you what, if anything, I changed and tell you a little bit about the book. Over time I hope to tell you about all of my cook books and who inspires my everyday cooking.

Today's recipe is based on a deliciously slimming recipe that I found in Slimming World Free Food Feasts. Since I started to follow the Slimming World eating plan this has to be one of my favourite go to cook books. It contains 60 fantastic "free" recipes. If you do not know how Slimming World works, "free" foods are foods that can be eaten freely, no calorie counting, no weighing and no limit except from your appetite! My Smoked Fish Tagine has been based on the Slimming World Squash, Swede and Chickpea Tagine recipe. The majority of the recipe has been followed, I have not used the garlic as the recipe states as they are high in FODMAP's but have added carrots, red pepper and smoked fish.

This is what I did...

Smoked Salmon and Kale Pasta - An Aldi Recipe

Recently kale has become my favourite green vegetable to add to meals. When I serve it on it's own, as a side serving, the children are not keen but as soon as I add it to a sauce or mix it with other ingredients they all eat it with no questions asked. So any recipe that contains kale is an instant hit with me.

When I was looking at Aldi's Feed the Family for £5 recipes their Smoked Salmon Pasta immediately caught my eye. Smoked salmon is a fantastically versatile ingredient and thanks to Aldi it is a more affordable ingredient to use. The recipe is part of Aldi's latest campaign that is showing families that you can prepare healthy, tasty meals for under £5. Over the coming weeks I am going to be trying out some of their recipes and taking some inspiration from them to show you that it can be done. Sticking to a budget does not mean that you should compromise on healthy choices.

Today I am going to be telling you how I have taken inspiration from Aldi's Smoked Salmon Pasta recipe which is served with a spinach and walnut salad. I have not made the salad but have added kale and broccoli to the pasta and have even made it Slimming World friendly by making a few simple swaps.

This is what I did...

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

Soups are a perfect winters lunch. They are warming, super healthy and full of nutritional goodness. If you make your own they are even slimming! One of my favourite soups has to be a good old tomato soup. The tomato is such a versatile ingredient and it is an ideal base for soups. My recipe today uses the base of tomatoes but the other vegetables really are the stars of the show.

For this soup I have used roasted vegetables. Roasting vegetables gives them an added boost of flavour, their sweetness really does come through and transforms their overall flavours. Combined with the trusty tomato this soup is a bowlful of healthy deliciousness.

This is what I did...

The Ultimate Syn Free BLT

Who doesn't love a good sandwich? I certainly do but now that I am following the Slimming World eating plan I cannot always have bread. So to keep lunches exciting I have been thinking of ways to enjoy a sandwich type meal without needing to count the syns.

One of my favourite sandwiches has to be the classic BLT, bacon, lettuce and tomato. This recipe was created one hungry lunchtime when all I wanted was a BLT. I got thinking about how I could make it without using bread and, in my opinion, this is even better that the classic bread version.

My Ultimate Syn Free BLT is packed with speedy vegetables and protein so you know that with each bite you are getting nothing but goodness!

This is what I did...

Weekly Meal Plan - Week 2 2017

It is not often that I say this but thank goodness it's Monday and a new week!

Last week was manic. J returned to school on Tuesday while the twins returned on Wednesday. Just as I was getting stuck into some jobs on Thursday I got a text message from J's school to inform me that the school was having an emergency closure! After just 2 days at school they were closed again due to a power cut, then on Friday it was a teacher training day so last week was not as "back to routine" as I was hoping. But this week, fingers crossed, everything will be back to normal.

In my meal plan last week I told you about how I was planning our meals following the FODMAP plan. Last week this was a huge success. All of our meals were delicious and I really am looking forward to continuing on with this eating plan and hope to find that it does make a difference to the hubby's digestive health.

Leftover turkey with pesto kale and mango salsa

Slimming World crispy chicken with low FODMAP, syn free naked salad

Broccoli pizza, recipe coming this week

Naked Coleslaw - Low FODMAP and Syn Free

For the next few weeks we are following the FODMAP eating plan.

For years the hubby has suffered from digestive discomfort and one day while he was looking on the internet he discovered the FODMAP plan. FODMAP stands for Fermantable Oligo-saccharides Di-saccharides Mono-saccharides and Polyols, otherwise known as FODMAP's. FODMAP's are carbohydrates that can be hard to digest and cause digestive discomfort and eliminating foods which contain these carbohydrates can ease symptoms such as bloating, abdominal pain, gases and bowel problems. They are found in various fruits, vegetables, dairy and many other foods. After doing my own research and visiting various different websites I now have a list of FODMAP foods. The list is divided into two sections, high 'red' FODMAP foods, which I need to avoid in the hubby's meals and low 'green' FODMAP foods which he can eat.

This has meant that my meal plans need to be planned more carefully. Now when I write my weekly meal plan I am carefully looking at the ingredients that are needed for each individual meal and adapting them accordingly.

When I was planning this weeks meals I found a recipe in the Slimming World magazine that I knew everyone would love, but it was served with a homemade coleslaw which contained many high FODMAP ingredients. This got me thinking how I could make a coleslaw type salad that is both syn free for me and, of course, low FODMAP for the hubby. What I created was a huge success and is now a firm favourite.

This is what I did...

Weekly Meal Plan - Week 1 2017

Hello, happy new year and welcome to another year of meal planning. Towards the end of last year I was tempted to stop meal planning. But having not planned last week I have realised why I do plan. Last week I dreaded the question "What's for tea?" but when I meal plan I am ready for it and can relax knowing that I have a plan in place.

I have tried to food optimise as much as I could over the Christmas period. I was so disappointed when I went to get weighed at my Slimming World group the Friday before Christmas as I had put on 4lbs. I think that my reduced steps and activity as the children were at home and I was sat working really did have a devastating effect of my weight loss plus the Christmas treats and alcoholic drinks certainly did not do me any favours! This however did give me a bit of a kick up the backside and during the Christmas week I did allow myself treats but did not go mad and drank a lot less that I usually do at Christmas. When it came to stepping on the scales last Friday I was delighted to see that I had managed to maintain my weight. Now that the festivities are over I am back on plan and raring to go!

Another change in our diets is for the hubby. After suffering from digestive problems and doing a lot of research we are going to be trying to follow the FODMAP diet. FODMAP's are a collection of poorly absorbed both simple and complex sugars. They are found in various fruits, vegetables dairy and other foods. Eating foods with a high amount of FODMAP can be hard to digest and can cause pain. So I have a list of low FODMAP foods and am going to be sticking to those for, initially, the month to see if it makes a difference. So watch this space!

Now on to this weeks meal plan. I am looking forward to getting back into a routine. Our meals have been so unorganised and we have had many a late meal which is not great. The hubby and J are back at work and school tomorrow and the twins return of Wednesday so then it will be back to normality.

This is what we will be enjoying this week...

Christmas Bakes

Christmas is a great time for bakes. I would love to have the time to bake more for Christmas but life simply gets in the way and I am not able to bake everything that we love. Thankfully Aldi have got a deliciously tempting range of Christmas bakes this festive season. Whether you are looking for tempting sweet bakes or some savoury baked snacks you can be sure to find what you are looking for. Today I am going to show you my top Aldi finds of sweet baked products and share with you a healthier Christmas cake recipe.

Before I tell you all about the sweet treats let me tell you about a little bit of news. You may have seen in the media how this year Christmas dinner is going to cost more, that everything is more expensive, however if you shop at Aldi this is not going to be the case. Yahoo recently published an article how this year, thanks to Aldi, your Christmas dinner will be the cheapest in 8 years! The Good Housekeeping Institute have conducted a comparison survey of the main supermarket retailers and found that Aldi was the cheapest, coming in at just £22.03 to feed a family of eight! That is just £2.75 a head! This is yet another reason to go to Aldi and save money!

Now back to the sweet treats!

Here are my top sweet baked treats from Aldi this Christmas...

Full of Veg Pasta Bake

Since starting Slimming World seven weeks ago how I cook our meals has really changed. Now when I cook I am striving to cram in even more vegetables. This includes already healthy recipes. Bulking out dishes with more vegetables simply means bulking out with even more goodness!

When I was looking through one of my Slimming World cookbooks, Family Feasts on a Budget I found a lovely recipe for Sweet Potato Pasta Bake. I had planned to follow the recipe but, in true Hijacked By Twins style, I could not stick to the recipe and added a lot more vegetable goodness.

This meal was a huge success and I wanted to share it with you today.

This is what I did...

Carrot Cake Porridge

Since starting Slimming World six weeks ago breakfasts have become a meal that I look forward to. In the past I have, more often than not, skipped breakfast. This often leads to snacking. Breakfast is often known as the most important meal of the day as it gets your metabolism going and sets you up for the day.

Breakfasts do not need to be boring they can be easily transformed into something quite special. My favourite breakfast food has to be porridge oats. They are such a versatile ingredient that can be revamped into so many different flavours and accompanied with endless additional ingredients.

I recently shared my Fruit Layered Porridge Breakfast Bowl which has been a favourite of mine. That was until I tried today's porridge. While I was at my Slimming World group last week someone mentioned a carrot cake porridge bake. This certainly got my attention as carrot cake has to be my favourite cake. So when I got home I looked at my favourite carrot cake recipe, noted the ingredients and got planning as to how I could transfer the flavours into a porridge.

This is what I did..

Smoked Haddock and Black Tiger Prawn Fat Free Veggie Noodles

If there is one way of serving vegetables that I love it has to be in noodles. I love using my spiraliser and am always looking for new ways to use them in our meals. They are not only a great way to get more vegetables into our diets but a quick and easy way to prepare vegetables.

Today's recipe with Aldi is all about the delicious fresh products that are available in Aldi. In this recipe I have combined two different vegetables to create bright noodles. Paired them with some lovely smoked fish and black tiger prawns then used some great, fat free Quark to make a creamy sauce.

Now that Halloween and bonfire night are done for yet another year you know what is coming. Yes, as of next week Tuesdays are going to be all about Christmas with Aldi. Last year I focused on how to have a budget Christmas. This year I am going to be showing you how Aldi can not only help you save money this Christmas but how they provide top quality food and drinks at the bargain price that we have grown to expect from Aldi. Next week I am going to be telling you about the Christmas in July event that I went to where I had a preview of their Christmas range. I am not going to disclose too much today, but I was extremely impressed with what I saw and am excited to showcase some of their best products. You can have a sneak peak at their Christmas products here. I will also be telling you what I will be covering over the coming weeks.

Now back to today. This is what I did...

Winter Kale Salad

At the moment we have got a lot of kale in the garden ready for harvesting. Kale is one vegetable that I think often gets over looked. We get bored of eating it the same way, steamed, so I am always looking for new ways to add this super food to our diets. Now that we have had our first frost I know that the kale will be even sweeter and perfect for salad!

One thing that kale is great for is as a salad. It has a firmer texture and fuller flavour than lettuce and, in my opinion, makes a more filling salad. Today's recipe contains 6 delicious vegetables and is jam packed with goodness. It is perfect as a lunch or goes great with a jacket potato.

This is what I did...