What a beautiful Spring we are enjoying and summer is (hopefully) on it's way. At Slimming World we have continued to welcome new members to our groups each week, everyone learning together how to cook and eat well, while losing weight and feeling fab. We have enjoyed sharing recipe ideas with each other for meals as well as those snacks in between. Here are a couple of our favourites.

Ingredients

 8 cannelloni tubes

 A few basil leaves, torn

 2 level tbsps grated Parmesan cheese*

For the Filling:

 225g fresh spinach, washed and trimmed

 225g fat-free natural cottage cheese

 Freshly grated nutmeg

 1 egg yolk

 Salt and ground black pepper

For the Sauce:

 425ml passata

 Pinch of sugar

 1 garlic clove, crushed

 Salt and ground black pepper

Tip: *Vegetarian Parmesan-style cheese can be used as an alternative.

Method

• 1. To make the filling put the spinach in a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of water. Cover with a lid and cook very gently over a low heat for about 5 minutes, until the leaves are limp and bright green. Drain in a colander, pressing down on top of the spinach with a saucer to squeeze out all the liquid.
• 2. Chop the spinach and mix with the cottage cheese, nutmeg, egg yolk and seasoning. Spoon the filling into the cannelloni tubes and arrange them in an ovenproof dish.
• 3. Mix the passata, sugar, garlic and seasoning together and pour over the cannelloni. Sprinkle with basil and Parmesan cheese and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas Mark 6 for about 20 minutes, until bubbling and golden brown.

Cannelloni

This quick and easy version of the classic baked pasta dish can be made with dried pasta tubes, which you can buy in most supermarkets. This recipe is perfect for vegetarians who will love the spinach and cheese filling and tomato sauce.

Or how about a curry? 

A firm favourite on the take-away menu but traditionally high in ‘Syns’.

Our version is sensational and completely ‘Free’.

Try a ‘Food Optimised’ version of the nation's most popular dish!

Ingredients

 4 tbsp tikka spice mix

 4 tbsp fat free natural yogurt

 2 tbsp lemon juice

 4 x 115g skinless, boneless

                                   chicken breasts

 400g fat free natural fromage frais

 A pinch of paprika

 2 tbsp freshly chopped coriander

This recipe is not suitable for home freezing

Method

• 1. Mix together the tikka spice mix, yogurt and lemon juice. Cut the chicken into cubes, toss in the yogurt mix and leave for a few hours to marinate in the fridge.
• 2. Preheat the grill to a moderate heat and grill the chicken, turning occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer to a pan and stir in the fromage frais. Mix well to coat the chicken and heat through very gently on a low heat.
• 3. Divide the chicken tikka between four serving plates, serve with boiled rice and garnish with coriander and a pinch of paprika.

Tip*: Be careful not to boil the fromage frais as this will make it curdle. Just heat gently until hot.

Or how about dessert  -  Black Forest ice cream

Strictly for grown-ups (and too delicious to share!) this decadent ice cream marries black cherries and kirsch in this modern twist on the 70's dessert trolley classic!

Ingredients

 4 x 175g pots Mullerlight cherry yogurt   (or any other Fat Free yogurt)

 3-4 tbsp artificial sweetener

 110g drained canned black cherries in juice

 1 tbsp Kirsch

 150g fat free natural fromage frais

 1 tsp vanilla essence

 Grated chocolate, to garnish   (optional)

Method

1. Spoon the yogurt into a mixing bowl and stir in sweetener to taste. Transfer the mixture to a large freezer proof container and place in the coldest part of your freezer. Allow to freeze for 1½ hours until the mixture is slushy. Beat well to break up the ice crystals.

2. Meanwhile chop the cherries into small pieces, mix in the Kirsch, then cover and chill until required.

3.  Place the fromage frais in a bowl and add the vanilla essence, cherries and Kirsch and then fold into the ice cream mixture. Return to the freezer. Beat the mixture two or three more times at 30-40 minute intervals - this helps make a smoother, less icy ice cream. Then cover, seal and freeze until solid.

4.  Take the ice cream out of the freezer around 30 minutes before you want to serve it so it scoops easily. Sprinkle over a little grated chocolate (1½ ‘Syns’ per level teaspoon), if using, before serving.  

So as you can see at Slimming World we love our food yet the plans are so fantastic we still lose weight each week. The support of the group is key to successful weight loss in a confidential and motivating way. We have talked about all the foods we can enjoy over the summer months ahead, planning what to take on family picnics, days out and BBQ's with friends.

Slimming World has also partnered up with Cancer Research and we are collecting all the clothes we have slimmed out of and donating them to our local cancer research shops. The final number of bags is still being finalised and I'll let you know what the total is in the next edition. 

We have also been encouraging each other to get more active and with Slimming World that means ‘Body Magic’, every step counts and it encourages us all no matter what our starting level to get moving that little bit more. We have lots of ideas and support at group so everyone can get involved if they choose to. 

So come along and see what Slimming World is all about and what we can offer you.  There's no obligation to join (but I’m sure you'll want to) we meet in Stonehouse Community centre at 9.30am on Wednesdays or Wednesday evenings at 5pm and 7pm in Eastington Village hall. I look forward to meeting you. 

Lorna | 01453821751  or  07974937830