How To Cook The Slimming World Way - Hints and Tips

I was talking to a gentleman the other day and it turned out he had join Slimming World but was struggling to get back into it after an operation. He had joined with another family member and they were the main cook from what I could make out. The problem was they were so busy they had resorted to just having Slimming World ready meals as their main meal in the evening. Now they are Free, healthy and balanced but the one thing they don't give you is a massive variety and this is where this family had come unstuck. They were simply bored of what they were eating. He said although he could cook the basics he didn't feel he had the knowledge to tackle making the evening meals. So here is my advice on how to get started.

1. When starting to learn to cook finding recipe resources makes life a lot easier. As well as my recipes there are literally thousands of them online, from the Slimming World website (you can login in as a member) to funny recipe blogs and Facebook pages all dedicated to recipes and ideas. Slimming World also do cookbooks too on lots of different recipe themes. When you find a recipe you like print it out or save it in a folder on your computer. I have made a scrapbook of all my favourite recipes so they are easy to find. There are lots of recipes in the Slimming World magazine too.
2. Start one simply recipe at a time. Don't choose something that requires loads of unusual ingredients or lots of pans as this will make it much more complicated and stressful. One pot, slow cooker dishes and tray bakes are ideal for novice cooks. Or choose something like a salad that is fancier than lettuce, tomato and cucumber. Tuna nicoise is great as it has some cooked elements that are served cold, so can be cooked ahead of time and just put in the fridge until needed. You can also build on what you can already cook. If you can make a basic omelette try pimping it up by making a Spanish Omelette / Frittata or Slimming World Quiche. I would aim to maybe do two new recipes a week that you can intersperse with meals you are used to cooking or Slimming World ready meals. If you keep practicing these every month you will have a lovely easy repertoire in no time.
3. Once you feel a little more confident try something new. It could just be a vegetable you have never had before or trying to cook say a piece of fish. Cooking fish always seems scary to cook. Simply baked fish recipes are practically fool proof. Or try a new way to cook like doing a stir fry.
4. Learning to change something you can make like for example Bolognese into a chilli or a cheesy pasta bake. Leftover vegetables and potatoes into bubble and squeak or rumpledethump. It means you get two different meals for one, which also mean you are less likely to either leave it lurking in the back of the fridge or freezer until you fancy it again or end up throwing it out.
5. Learn to substitute ingredients. Low calorie cooking spray (1 calorie or less) will replace oils, butter and lard for frying, roasting and baking. Instead of cream use 0% fat yogurt or 0% fat fromage fraise or quark. If you need to add these into a sauce you can add cornflower made into a paste with water to them first (1 syn per tablespoon) to stop the sauce splitting but remember to take it from the heat before adding. Use dried rice, pasta and noodles not fresh to be syn free. Meat/poultry that is 5% or less fat or all visible fat removed. Sweetener instead of sugar. Wholemeal instead of white bread and if you like wholemeal pasta, noodles and wholegrain rice. Swap full fat milk dairy and dairy substitutes for low fat where possible as you can have more for your Healthy Extra A choice or it for less syns. Stock cubes or stock pots instead of fresh stock, low salt is better as it will stop your recipes being too salty and you can always add salt but you can't take it away.
6. Rack them up. Herbs and spices are a cooks friend as they can turn the most mundane meal into something you can really be proud of. Don't just go and buy loads of different ones, just get them as you need them for a new recipe but you may want to get basics like garlic granules or frozen garlic, chilli powder or frozen chillies, parsley, oregano, sage, rosemary, thyme, cinnamon and something like ground ginger and Chinese 5 spice if you like oriental dishes. You can also get frozen herbs and spices too from the supermarket which are great especially if you don't want to chop chillies and garlic. If you can you can get a little herb planter going on your windowsill. Basil, parsley and chives are great for this or have bigger pots by the kitchen door.
7. Plan your meals and write a shopping list, so you know exactly what you need for your recipes.
8. When cooking get all your ingredients, cooking utensils and pans etc. out before you start so you are prepared, fill and boil the
   
   kettle if boiled water is needed. You can then successfully work through the recipe without interruption.
9. Stock up your store cupboard with basics so you always have something on hand to make the basis of a meal. Pasta, noodles, couscous and rice, tinned tomatoes, passata, tomato paste, different types of beans, baked beans, tinned new potatoes, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and white wine vinegar can be used for dressings, pasta dishes, Chinese dishes and rice and couscous dishes by adding just a few fresh ingredients.
10. Try to learn low syn or free family favorites. That way you can feed everyone the same if you are cooking for a few and not having to make several different meals. Lets face it the kids will probably enjoy your home cooking more than a ready meal or something out of the freezer and it will encourage them to be healthy too.
11. Get the family involved, let them help prepare the meal and they are more likely to enjoy it. Make it fun and it can be a great learning experience too.
12. When you make a dish taste it before it hits the table. It may need a little more seasoning or a little more spice or a few more herbs or the vegetables may still be a little under cooked for the family. Trust yourself to make the adjustments the dish needs.
13. Make sure you have the best pans and baking. roasting trays you can afford. It seems a little bit odd to say this but if you have good quality pans and oven trays etc. food will cook more evenly, is less likely to stick, you may not even need any low fat cooking spray and it makes washing them up easier too. 
14. Learn to cook a Sunday Dinner. You will make your family and friends very happy.