Venison Parcels - Six syns Per serving - Serves 2.

Ingredients:

• 1 onion
• Frylight
• 1 garlic clove
• 100g mushrooms
• A small handful of chopped parsley
• 2 large sheets of filo pastry
• 2 venison steaks
• Worcestershire sauce

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to Gas mark 7.
2.  Fry the onion, garlic, mushrooms and a little worchestershire sauce in a frying pan for 6 minutes, stirring. Turn of the heat, stir in the parsley and season, then set to one side off the heat.
3. Cut a Filo pastry sheet in half. Place one of the venison steaks in the middle of one half. Spoon over half of the cooked mushroom mix from the pan, wrap the pastry around the mushroom covered steak, and spray with Frylight. Wrap again with the other half of the pastry sheet, and spray with a little more Frylight. Repeat for the other steak and place on a baking tray sprayed with Frylight.
4. Bake the parcels for 30 minutes. Serve with vegetables of your choice.

Baked Mini Ring Doughnuts - 50 doughnuts - 1 syn each.

Ingredients:

• Frylight
• 200g wholemeal flour – 32 syns
• 25g sweetener
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 small eggs,
• 100ml skimmed milk – 2 syns
• 3 teaspoons light margarine, melted - 1.5 syns
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons fat free fromage frais

For the topping:

• 3 teaspoons caster sugar – 3 syns
• 3 tablepoons sweetener
• 3 tablespoons cinnamon

38.5 syns for the whole mixture.

Method:

Mix ingredients in a bowl. Pour the mixture into a mini doughnut tray. Place in a pre-heated oven at Gas mark 4 for 20 minutes. Let cool. In a bowl mix the brown sugar and sweetener until there are no lumps. Push the doughnuts out of the tray, spray the doughnuts with frylight and roll in the topping mixture and serve.


Doughnuts were only really available from American soldiers during the war but this recipe is a "half-way house" between the American doughnut and the British sweet fritter. For more memories of doughnuts during the war see the link below:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/76/a3958176.shtml

French toast - 1 syn per serving - serves 2

This is a fab french toast recipe. Really easy to make. If you want to spend less syns on this use the toast as a healthy extra B. Otherwise count 7 syns for 1 serving.

Ingredients:
4 slices of wholemeal nimble bread
2 eggs
100ml milk
2 tbsp sweetner
2 tsp cinnamon
Frylight
2 plums
A handful of berries
Fat free fromage frais

Method:
In a bowl mix eggs, milk, 1 tbsp sweetner and cinnamon. Put the bowl to one side. Cut the plums up and pop in a pan with the berries and remaining tbsp sweetner. Cook on a low heat. In the meantime spray a frying pan with Frylight and put on a medium heat. Cut the bread in halves. Pop the bread into the egg mixture, making sure to cover both sides before transfering to the frying pan. Cook on both sides until brown. Put the toast onto a plate, top with the fruit mixture and a generous spoonful of fromage frais.

For further information on the history of french toast: 

http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/11/french-toast-was-not-invented-in-france/

Bread and butter style pudding - 6 and a half syns per serving - Serves 2.

A low fat version of a classic british dessert. 

Ingredients

4 slices of wholemeal bread (I used nimble.)
16g. of chopped raisins
2 eggs
166g fat free fromage frais
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 level tbsp sweetner

Method

Preheat your oven to gas mark 4. Cut up the bread and place in a small baking tin, sprinkling mixed spice and raisins in between each layer. In a separate bowl beat together the eggs, fromage frais, lemon juice, vanilla extract and 2 tbsp of the sweetner. Pour this mixture over the bread in the tin. Sprinkle the nutmeg on top. Place the tin inside a larger baking tin half filled with boiling water. Very carefully put into the oven. Cook for 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove the small tin from the larger one. Sprinkle the remaining sweetner over the top. Leave for ten minutes before serving with a little custard or vanilla yogurt.

Barley Stew - 4 syns per serving

A filling but tasty barley based stew. Serves 4.

Ingredients:
150g pearl barley
700ml vegetable stock
Frylight (Oil)
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp rosemary
75g button mushrooms,  halved
1 large carrot, chopped
400g cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
400g can chopped tomatoes
60g spinach

For the dumplings:
70g Aunt Bessie's hearty dumpling mix
1 tbsp rosemary
Salt and pepper

Method:
Put barley and stock in a pan and bring to the boil. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile put the dumpling mix, rosemary and 2 tbsp cold water in a bowl.  Season and mix into a soft dough adding more water if needed.  Divide into 8 balls and set aside. In another pan fry the garlic and onion until tender, add the mushrooms and rosemary and cook for a further 5 minutes.  In a casserole dish mix the fried onion and mushrooms,  barley, stock and the rest of the ingredients.  Place the dumplings on top. Place the lid on. Place in a pre-heated oven at gas mark 5 for half an hour, then serve.

Cheese and Potato Scones - Half a Syn Each

Obviously the original recipe asked for flour and full fat Cheddar rather than cottage cheese but my recipe is low fat, contains no flour and is still very tasty.

Scones:
3 eggs
1 packet of instant mash
1 300g tub of non fat cottage cheese
1 clove of garlic chopped fine
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp parsley
3 spring onions

Top with:
40g reduced fat Cheddar

Method:
Mix the scone ingredients together in a bowl. Roll the mixture out as thick as required as these scones don't rise. Use a cutter to cut scone shapes. Place on a greased baking tray and top with the reduced fat Cheddar.  Place in a pre-heated oven at gas mark 4 for about 20 minutes or until they brown slightly.
Goes well with a little chilli jam and a lovely big salad. 

Anzac Biscuits -The full fat recipe

These biscuits were originally made to send to the ANZACs (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) serving in Gallipoli during WW1.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anzac_biscuit

Ingredients:

1 cup porridge oats
3/4 cup dessicated coconut
1 cup plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 tablespoon golden syrup
2 tablespoons boiling water

Method:

Mix oats, flour, sugar and coconut together. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the syrup and butter together. Mix the soda and the boiling water and add to the melted butter and syrup. Add butter mixture to the dry ingredients. Drop by teaspoons on greased baking tray. Bake at gas mark 4 for 18 to 20 minutes.

Very high in Syns I should think.  I am making them for a party rather than eating them myself!

Leek and Potato Stew - 0 Syns - Serves 2

Ingredients: 

(Items in brackets were the original WW2 ingredients.) My version is low fat and Syn free.

Fry light (or 1 tsp lard)

2 Leeks

2 Potatoes

2 large carrots

3/4 pint Beef stock

1 tsp marmite

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (or malt vinegar)

1 cup of peas

8 cherry tomatoes

Instant mash (or corn flour)

Method:
First fry leeks and potato in a pan in a little fry light. When browned add beef stock, marmite,  vinegar and mustard powder. Add peas and cherry tomatoes.  Let simmer until the potatoes are soft. Thicken with a little corn flour or instant mash.

Cheese Cake - 1/2 a Syn per slice

Not strictly wartime but a rather nice low fat, no sugar dessert!

This made 2 whole cakes for me! 8 slices each cake. Just over half a syn each slice. Half the ingredients to make just one cake.

For the crust:
3 tbsp extra light margerine melted
Enough water to moisten the:
5 scan bran
1 tsp sweetner

For the cheesecake filling:
3 x 300g pack Quark cheese
83g sweetner
3 tbsp instant mash
1½ tsp vanilla extract
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon (about 2 tsp)
1½ tsp lemon juice
3 large eggs seperated, plus 1 yolk
284ml carton non fat yogurt.

For the topping:
142ml carton non fat yogurt
1 tsp sweetner
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest.

Position an oven shelf in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to fan gas mark 4. For the crust, melt the margarine in a  pan. Put the scan bran in a bowl and put enough water in to moisten them. Add the melted marge. Stir in the sweetner. Make sure the mixture is evenly moistened. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan and bake for 15 minutes. Still in the tin, cool on a wire rack while preparing the filling.For the filling, increase the oven temperature to gas mark 9. In a table top mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the quark cheese at medium-low speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low, gradually add the sweetner then the instant mash and a pinch of salt. Swap the mix into a bowl and whisk. Continue by adding the vanilla, lemon zest and juice. Whisk in the yolks, one at a time, scraping the bowl and whisk at least twice. Stir the 284ml carton of yogurt until smooth,  Whisk to blend, but don't over-beat.  In a seperate bowl beat the egg whites until it forms stiff peaks. Fold the egg white into the mixture.  The batter should be smooth, light and somewhat airy. Spray the sides of the tin with fry light. Pour in the filling - the top should be as smooth as possible. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to gas mark 1 and bake for 30 minutes more. If you gently shake the tin, the filling should have a slight wobble. Turn off the oven and open the oven door for a cheesecake that's creamy in the centre, or leave it closed if you prefer a drier texture. Let cool in the oven for 2 hours. The cheesecake may get a slight crack on top as it cools.Combine the reserved  142ml of yogurt, the sweetner and lemon juice for the topping. Spread over the cheesecake right to the edges. Sprinkle with a little grated lemon zest. Cover loosely with foil and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.Run a round-bladed knife around the sides of the tin to loosen any stuck edges. Unlock the side, slide the cheesecake off the bottom of the tin onto a plate.

Haricot Beef - 3 Syns - Serves 4

The original WW2 recipe consisted of:

8 oz Haricot Beans.
1lb Beef Mince.
1 Small Cabbage Shredded.
1 Chopped Leek.
Salt.
Peppercorns.
1 tbsp Mustard Powder.
1 tbsp Gravy Granules.
1/2 Pint Vegetable Stock.

The Modern Low Fat Version:

1 Can Drained Haricot Beans.
1lb Extra Lean Beef Mince.
2 handfuls of Shredded Cabbage (Frozen pre chopped is easiest.)
1 Chopped Leek.
Low Salt.
Ground Black Pepper.
1 tbsp Mustard Powder.
1 tbsp Gravy Granules (3 Syns).
1/2 Pint Vegetable Stock.
My own additions:
1 tbsp Tomato puree.
Instant Mash packet made up.
Parsley.

Method:
Layer beans, beef, cabbage and leek in a casserole dish, with salt and pepper sprinkled in between each layer. Separately mix the vegetable stock, mustard, gravy granules (and tomato puree if desired,) in a jug. Pour the mixture in the jug over the ingredients in the casserole dish. (Make up the packet of instant mash and place as a layer over the top of the ingredients in the casserole dish. Sprinkle the top with parsley.) Place the casserole dish in a pre heated oven at gas mark 5 for 45 mins.
I served mine with tomatoes and peas.

Liver and Bacon with a Twist - Low Fat - 1 syn

This liver and bacon recipe is really great and makes a good introduction for those unused to eating offal.

Recipe - 2 servings:
400g Liver, chopped (unrationed at the start of the war but queues were long to get it.)
2 Leeks, rinsed and chopped (only the white section counts towards your 5 a day. (You can use a small onion but remember that they were rare and were even raffled off as prizes during war time!)
2 Slices of lean bacon, all fat removed and chopped (part of the weekly ration.)
1 can chopped tomatoes.
Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp Gravy granules (1 Syn)
Frylight or similar spray oil for frying.

Method:
Fry the leek and bacon using a little fry light. Add the chopped liver and cook until browned. Add the can of tomatoes, gravy granules and Worcestershire sauce. Allow to simmer until the tomatoes are cooked and gravy granules have melted in to form the sauce. We served ours with mashed potatoes(made with no fat yogurt) and peas.

Lower in Fat, Stuffed Hearts Recipe - 1 Syn each.

This is an adaptation of two recipies: The original stuffed lamb hearts recipe that was my nan's (posted earlier on this blog) and an adapted recipie for a traditional sephardic jewish stuffing, which as a cook for jewish families in the 1930's, I think nan would probably approve of.

Ingredients:
2 Lamb or Pork Hearts
frylight
150g Extra lean lamb or pork mince
3 Apricots, de-stoned
A handful of fresh coriander
2 scan bran (1 syn each)
Beef stock cube made up with water
Method:

Take the heart and remove the tubes and innards to create a pocket. Almost as if you were doing a stuffed pepper. Don't be squeamish you big girls blouse! ;-) Just make sure you have a good chopping board and sharp knife and then the job should be really easy and straightforward.

Make up the stuffing by frying the mince in a pan. While it is browning, chop the apricot, coriander, and scan bran in a blender. When the mince is fried add it to the blender and mix. Add as much stock as it takes to bind the mixture. Use the mixture to fill the hearts. Take a casserole dish and fill the bottom with instant mash. Lay the hearts on top. Spray the tops with frylight. Place the lid on top and put in a pre heated oven at gas mark 5 for 1 and a half hours, turning the hearts over halfway through or so. Serve with the mash and your choice of vegetables. We used mushrooms.

My advice would be to use pork mince as extra lean lamb mince is really hard to find.

1 syn per heart.

Vegetable Scramble - Low fat - Free = No Syns

A really simple recipe this. You may spot the purple potatoes that we used to accompany the scramble. Purple potatoes taste the same as regular spuds but they are higher in antioxidants.

Recipe:
2 eggs
Frylight
220g mixed raw vegetables
salt and pepper

Method:
Spray a pan with frylight. Add the vegetables and lightly cook. Beat the eggs add salt and pepper and pour over the vegetables.  Scramble lightly and serve with potatoes or on toast. Also makes a good sandwich filling when cold. We topped ours with a Healthy Extra A of grated cheese.

Low Fat Version of the Meat Curry - 2 Syns

Meat curry - (Low fat version based on the 1946 curry recipe.)

Ingredients:
1 onion
1 apple
300-500g diced lean chicken, lamb or beef
4 tbsp dry instant mash
1 1/2 tbsp curry powder
1/2 tbsp mustard powder
3/4 pint of stock
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice (1/2 Syn)
Zest of one orange
1 tbsp sweetner

200g red lentils

1 tsp sliced almonds if liked (1 1/2 syns)

Method:
Fry the onion and apple in a pan for a few minutes until the onion starts to brown. Then add the meat. Fry lightly then remove the meat and put to one side. Then add the dry instant mash, curry powder and mustard powder to the apple and onion and stir until everything is coated. Then gradually add the stock, stirring as you go. Then add the vinegar, the orange juice, Zest and sweetner. Add the meat back in along with the lentils. Stir this all together. Let the mixture simmer for an 25 minutes stirring regularly (so the lentils don't stick and burn) and serve topped with almonds and served with rice.

A dedication to healthy eating and my vow to you.

I have been pretty naughty with my eating habits between my honeymoon and Christmas, and have piled on the pounds.  I have a stone and a half to lose. So I have signed up to slimming world. I have also signed up as a Dryathlete to raise money for cancer research.  (Text SYNG50 and your donation amount e.g. £2 to 70070 to support me. Thanks! )

So the recipes on my blog will reflect this from now on. I did try to do a lighter form of the wartime diet a while back, but I found that without the support of a group I fell foul of my own low will power: Hello sausage rolls and doorstep butter filled sarnies! So in an effort not to yo-yo yet again I signed up.

I will be adapting wartime recipes to fit my slimming world plan. They will all be low in fat, low in sugar and low in salt, so perfect for dieters and non dieters. They will be budget meals and most of all they will be different from your usual low fat fare. I hope this helps a few of you with your own healthy eating journey and inspires you to try new things. The wartime recipes will still remain.  I will always try to list the original as well as the adapted recipe in each case. What's the good news?  Offal, pigeon and rabbit is still on the menu! You'll thank me later.... Lol!