Mushroom couscous

1 cup couscous (f)
1 tsp chopped dried mushrooms (f)
1 chicken stock cube (f)
1/2 tsp Lidl 'stirfry' seasoning (f) (or any flavouring you like)
1/2 tsp umami powder (f) (or worcester sauce)


7 large mushrooms (sf)
3 slices lean ham (f)
2 eggs (f)




Mix dry ingredients.
Add boiling water and mix. Wait 5 mins.

Chop mushrooms and fry/boil in a few tbsp water. Chop and add ham. Add to coucous.

Scramble eggs and add.

Yum. Dead quick (about 10 mins start to finish) and lovely.

Serves 2 normal people or one very hungry one.

Super-speedy tomato soup

This tomato soup is incredibly quick and easy to make, while also incredibly nice! It's so simple, I challenge anyone to make it and say it's too hard!


I'm keeping a set of ingredients in my tin cupboard, for one of those 'too tired to cook' days - when you get in late, rubbish day at work, and you really can't be arsed - literally 2 minutes preparation and it's on the table in 15.



1 tin carrots in water (f)
1 tin baked beans (f)
2 tins chopped tomatoes (sf)
1 silversweet pickled onion (f)
200ml hot water
stock cubes/pots (f)
salt and pepper (f)
1-2 tsp sweetner (sucralose, f)
(optional) basil (f)
(optional) garlic (f)

(optional) umami powder or worcester sauce (f)

Open tins and tip into blender.
Whizz for a minute.

Tip into saucepan and warm on medium for 5-10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Pour into bowls and sprinkle with basil.
If you're feeling really posh (or taking photos) swirl in a tablespoon of fat-free fromage frais and add a fresh basil leaf.

If you have plenty of syns of a hexB, add a slice of bread or I had a box of croutons in the cupboard from Lidl (20g of croutons is 4.5 syns according to the SW calculator).

Made a good 3-4 generous portions.

Bami Goreng (Indonesian noodles)

1 Leek (sf)

half a box of mushrooms (sf)

stock cube (f)

soy sauce (f)

1 layer noodles (f)

2 ham slices (shredded) (f)

Not quite authentic, but I can throw this together in 10 minutes. Fantastic for a half-hour lunchbreak!

Boil a kettle and half-fill a small saucepan. throw in the noodles and put on low heat.

Slice leeks.Grab non-stick pan and put on high heat, then throw in leeks and stock cube, and a small splash of boiling water. Stir occasionally.

Wash and slice mushrooms, and add to pan, stirring ocasionally. Slice ham into thin strips and add, cooking until water is driven off and pan is nearly dry. 

Shove mix to one side and clear a space, then crack an egg in and give it a quick mix. allow to cook through and then cut up into strips 

Basic potato and leek soup in soupmaker

5 shallots (sf)

1 large potato (f)
2 leeks (sf)
2 stock cubes  (f)





Chop up ingredients.

Put in Morphy Richards Soupmaker.
Add water to line.











Wait 21 minutes
Eat :)