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!