Tinkerbell85
Member
I was just reading an old issue of a slimming world magazine and found a page on Chef's top tips and thought i would share them with you all.
Some really good tips here and hope they help
Stock:
Where stock is mentioned in recipes you can use any of the following as they are all free: Beef or chicken bovril, Marmite or Vecon.
Spoon-wise:
Unless u measure ingredients accurately, it's very easy to go over on your intended syn intake. For instance 1 tablespoon of cornflower is 3.5 syns, 1 rounded tablespoon counts as 5 syns. To get a precise level spoon measure, scrape a knife along the top of the spoon, knocking the excess food back into it's container. For accuracy and ease, we recommend investing in a set of measuring spoons.
Fresh herbs:
These are an excellent way of adding flavour to any meal. Chives, chervil and coriander are particularly fast growing and delicious. To get a taste of summer all year round you can also freeze fresh herbs. Just chop, season and a teaspoonful to each compartment of an ice cube tray. Pour water over and freeze until required. They're ideal for soups, casseroles and curries.
Trimming meat and poultry:
Trimming any visible fat from meat and removing the skin from poultry before you cook it keeps the syn count low (and you won't be tempted to eat it when it's cooked)!
Very low fat fromage Frais & yogurt:
These are both wonderful ingredients for cooks as they give dishes the creamy texture and taste normally achieved with cream. However, when boiled they tend to separate and can make the dish look unappetising. Add them at the end, once all the other ingredients have been cooked. If you have favourite recipes that use cream, it's normally possible to replace this with very low fat natural fromage frais or yogurt to achieve equally tasty results. For a delicious alternative to cream thats free on green and original, stir sweetener and vanilla essence into very low fat fromage frais. Wonderful as a trifle topping, smothered over fresh fruit and meringue plus much more.
Fruit syn values:
Reading through recipes you will notice that some contain fruit that has been given a syn value. Fruit is given a syn value when it is juiced, cooked, pureed, mashed, stewed or blended because it becomes very easy to over consume. Pureeing or juicing fruit adds a lot of extra energy in a non filling form and it doesn't satisfy your appetite in the same way as eating fresh whole fruit.
Some really good tips here and hope they help
Stock:
Where stock is mentioned in recipes you can use any of the following as they are all free: Beef or chicken bovril, Marmite or Vecon.
Spoon-wise:
Unless u measure ingredients accurately, it's very easy to go over on your intended syn intake. For instance 1 tablespoon of cornflower is 3.5 syns, 1 rounded tablespoon counts as 5 syns. To get a precise level spoon measure, scrape a knife along the top of the spoon, knocking the excess food back into it's container. For accuracy and ease, we recommend investing in a set of measuring spoons.
Fresh herbs:
These are an excellent way of adding flavour to any meal. Chives, chervil and coriander are particularly fast growing and delicious. To get a taste of summer all year round you can also freeze fresh herbs. Just chop, season and a teaspoonful to each compartment of an ice cube tray. Pour water over and freeze until required. They're ideal for soups, casseroles and curries.
Trimming meat and poultry:
Trimming any visible fat from meat and removing the skin from poultry before you cook it keeps the syn count low (and you won't be tempted to eat it when it's cooked)!
Very low fat fromage Frais & yogurt:
These are both wonderful ingredients for cooks as they give dishes the creamy texture and taste normally achieved with cream. However, when boiled they tend to separate and can make the dish look unappetising. Add them at the end, once all the other ingredients have been cooked. If you have favourite recipes that use cream, it's normally possible to replace this with very low fat natural fromage frais or yogurt to achieve equally tasty results. For a delicious alternative to cream thats free on green and original, stir sweetener and vanilla essence into very low fat fromage frais. Wonderful as a trifle topping, smothered over fresh fruit and meringue plus much more.
Fruit syn values:
Reading through recipes you will notice that some contain fruit that has been given a syn value. Fruit is given a syn value when it is juiced, cooked, pureed, mashed, stewed or blended because it becomes very easy to over consume. Pureeing or juicing fruit adds a lot of extra energy in a non filling form and it doesn't satisfy your appetite in the same way as eating fresh whole fruit.
