Original Dinner party..... help!

Im following the original plan and regularly have friends over to eat.

Usually I crack open my best Nigella creamy, high syn recipes but this time I want to stick to plan as as soon as I fall off the wagon I struggle to get back on again...

I like chicken, prawns, salad, veg etc and creamy style puddings...... any suggestions?

Thanks

I'd suggest a soup to start with, quick and easy, can be prepared in advance and heated on the night, I usually make a spicy carrot soup - sweat off an onion in fry light, add 5 - 6 carrots and stock (made with chicken bovril) and curry powder, cook until carrots are soft then liquidise. All my friends and family have loved it so far.

I love making this Delia recipe for guests either served over chicken breasts or tuna steaks (then do them in a foil parcel and bake them). I reserve a little bit of the sauce and toss it with freshly steamed green beans and serve with new potates in a little Flora extra light (10g = 1/2 syn, from memory so you may need to double check) and fresh parsley.

Everyone I've made it for loves it and it's quite low syn but very fresh tasting!

Salsa Verde:
Serves 2-4
(3 syns per serving or 1/2 of HEX B if serving 4)

1 clove garlic, peeled
1 level teaspoon Maldon sea salt
2 anchovy fillets, drained and chopped
1 level teaspoon wholegrain mustard
1 level tablespoon salted capers, rinsed, drained and roughly chopped
1 heaped tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
1 heaped tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1½ tablespoons lemon juice
freshly milled black pepper
Crush the garlic with the salt using a pestle and mortar and, when it becomes a purée, simply add all the prepared ingredients and whisk well to blend them thoroughly.

I then place each tuna fillet on a separate piece of foil, spoon some of the salsa verde on top and wrap up the foil like a parcel. Place on a baking tray in a preheated oven (about 180). Check after 10 mins to see if tuna is done. You'll want it slightly pink in the middle so it's not dry. If it's not done then keep an eye on it every few minutes as it cooks quickly.

This recipe works equally as well with chicken (foil parcel and bake for about 20-25 mins depending on how big the chicken breast is). I also tend to reserve a few spoonfuls of the salsa and toss it into freshly steamed green beans or broccoli to serve with the tuna/chicken. YUM!

You could also try the salsa with just 1 tbsp of oil - I think you could get away with it.

PS - don't be scared to use the anchovies. It really adds to the flavour and once it's all blitzed nobody will know they're in there! (my friend who doesn't like them loves this recipe!)

how about some large mushrooms stuffed with extra light soft chees with garlic and herbs mixed with diced ham and cooked in the oven for starters

you could do the syn free liver and bacon pate for a starter with a couple of melba toasts like tesco's healthy living ones

Hi, I usually convert the recipies I usually do and just syn them. So far the only thing I have really had to cut out is margarine and for cream I use natural yogurt, but not the LF kind as it does tend to split.

Thanks for your suggestions its now hard to decide which ones as they all sound yummy!!

Ive been flicking through my old SW mags too, I found a recipe for low syn chicken kievs and lost it again lol but they looked good too.

Im defo having a go at the strawberry cheesecake, Ive not used gelatine before so I hope its not a new ball for the kids instead of a pudding LOL

Thansk again x

Last time I did a dinner party I made the following:

Starter - Chicken Kebabs (replaced the sugar for sweetener)

Main - Delia Cheat Braised Beef in a mushroom & madeira sauce

Dessert - Chocolate & Raspberry cheesecake - I basically replaced all the 'high fat/syn' items with low syn

I didn't work out the syns but I used flexible syns that week & when I got weighed on the Monday I still managed to lose 1/2 pound.

I have attached the main course & dessert in case someone can make them seriously low syn & let us all have the recipe back!