Turkey meatballs
Following restrictive diets or faddy quick-fixes are the fastest way to fall off of the weight-loss wagon.
People often fall into the trap of thinking that cutting down the amount of food you eat or avoiding certain food groups is the best way to lose weight. Long term these kinds of plans just aren’t sustainable though, and spark a never-ending cycle of weight losses and gains.
At Slimming World, our Food Optimising plan is based on what we call Free Foods – such as pasta, rice, potatoes, pulses, fruit and vegetables, lean meat, poultry, fish and more – which are filling and lower in calories.
Satisfying your appetite on these normal, everyday foods keeps you fuller for longer without jeopardising your weight loss. A lot of our members tell us that they can’t believe eating more food actually helps them to lose weight – but it’s true because by filling up on Free Food slimmers are less likely to eat lots of snacks that are high in fat and sugar and don’t keep you feeling satisfied.
Each week right across all our groups, members share recipe ideas and hints and tips that help them stay on track, we also have a website, magazine and recipe books packed full of ideas to help members achieve their weight loss dreams while still being able to cook family favourite meals. Free Food Feasts is one of our recipe books and features more than 60 delicious recipes, from meaty mains to fantastic fish dishes and versatile veggie feasts – all of which can be enjoyed without worrying about weighing, counting or measuring.
Just to tantalise your taste buds we’ve pulled together a delicious dinner menu from Free Food Feasts.
This two-course menu is simple and tastes great. If you serve this for your family and friends they won’t be able to believe it’s possible to eat so well and lose weight. That’s the great thing about Slimming World though – as this book illustrates, nothing is off the menu. And if these meals leave you wanting more, everyone’s welcome at our groups where we’ll help and support you to eat your way to a slimmer, healthier, happier you.
Try this quick and easy 2-course guilt-free meal:
What about this delicious smoked trout souffles?
Starter: Smoked trout soufflés
Soufflés are easier to make than you think – and these beauties make a lovely starter with a fresh salad.
Serves 4
Ready in 30 minutes
300g fat free natural fromage frais
1 tsp mustard powder mixed with 2 tsp water
3 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon
240g smoked trout, finely chopped
4 large eggs, separated
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4.
Put the fromage frais in a bowl and whisk in the mustard mixture.
Stir through the herbs, smoked trout and egg yolks. Season to taste.
In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form and carefully fold the egg whites through the trout mixture with a large metal spoon, being careful not to knock out all the air.
Divide the mixture between four 300ml ramekins, place them on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until well risen.
Serve the soufflés hot with salad.
Main Course: Turkey meatballs in Creole sauce
Turkey is one of the leanest meats around and minced turkey makes truly magnificent meatballs. We’ve served them with a vibrant vegetable sauce using the gentle heat of Cajun spices.
Serves 4
Ready in 50 minutes
low calorie cooking spray
800g lean turkey mince (5% fat or less)
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
small handful of chopped fresh parsley, to garnish
for the creole sauce
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 onion, thinly sliced
6 celery sticks, finely chopped
3 peppers (a mix of red, yellow and orange looks great), deseeded and roughly chopped
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato purée
a pinch of sweetener
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp Cajun seasoning
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4.
First put all the sauce ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil over a high heat. Reduce the heat to low, season to taste and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, spray a large ovenproof dish with low calorie cooking spray.
Put the turkey, thyme and chilli in a large mixing bowl and season to taste.
Using your fingers, mix well and roll into walnut-sized meatballs. Arrange the meatballs in a single layer in the ovenproof dish. Spray with low calorie cooking spray and cook in the oven for 10-12 minutes.
Pour the tomato sauce over the meatballs to cover them evenly, then return the meatballs to the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.
Scatter over the parsley and serve hot with vegetables or rice.
