Omega - i eat shape yogurts every morning, but i literally just ran downstairs after reading your post to put them in the freezer. What a cool idea! Can't wait til breakfast tomorrow now.

It is a brilliant idea - at least it really works for me!!! I think that overnight will be too long to have them in the freezer for you. I suggest that you experiment and see what 1.5 to 2 hours is like. Lets face it - trial and error is no hardship if it involves eating good food.

If I get delayed and it is 3 hours I tend to leave them on the side for a little while to soften up a bit...

If you squeeze the pot lightly you can tell if it is too solid (rock hard) as soft as normal yoghurt or nicely as hard as ice cream.

This is probably not a true dip in the sense of some dips, but nonetheless, is very tasty and has a summer feel to it. Black bean and corn salsa. To be fair, this recipe is borrowed from another website, but, my wife and I have made it a few times and it is really good. Just stay away from traditional tortilla chips and go with something a little bit healthier for you like a whole wheat pita or tortilla.

INGREDIENTS
1 (15 ounce) can yellow corn, drained
1 (15 ounce) can white corn, drained
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, drained
1 bunch finely chopped cilantro
5 green onions, finely sliced
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup lime juice
1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and diced
2 tablespoons olive oil, or to taste
DIRECTIONS
Stir the yellow and white corn, black beans, tomatoes, cilantro, green onion, red onion, bell pepper, and garlic in a large bowl. Gently mix in the lime juice and avocado. Drizzle with olive oil to serve.

You can substitute fresh tomatoes for the canned, but, it becomes less "dip like" if you do this. The canned tomatoes add some liquid to the consistency. Either way is good, it just depends on preference.

Latest bonus information...

This one is great for this week--the chicken gives you protein and the refried beans adds to your beans points.

Golden Chicken with Spicy Refried Beans Recipe on Yahoo! Food

I keep meeting people on the forum that have liked fast food and are struggling to give up chips. Slimming World suggest that there is no need to give them up if you make your own.

The following recipe is classed within their plans as being free on green or extra easy...

Chips, eggs and beans

908g/2lb medium-sized Maris Piper potatoes
Fry Light
Eggs
Loads of baked beans
Sea salt
Malt vinegar

1. Preheat the oven to 240°C/Gas 9. Peel the potatoes and remove any blemishes or ‘eyes’. Slice lengthways into chips approximately 1cm/½inch thick.

2. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the chips and cook for 4 minutes. Drain and leave aside for 10 minutes to dry.

3. Return the chips to the dry saucepan, cover with a lid and shake to ‘rough up’ the edges of the chips. Spray a metal baking tray with Fry Light. Transfer the chips to the tray, spray lightly with Fry Light and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown on all sides

4. Meanwhile, lightly spray a frying pan with Fry Light. Break your eggs into the pan and heat until the white is solid. Flip over if you like your eggs well done, or leave sunny side up for a runny yolk. Pour the baked beans into a sauce pan and gently heat until warmed through.

5. Drain the chips on kitchen paper and serve on a plate with the eggs and baked beans. Sprinkle with salt and vinegar – enjoy!


I would have to lay off the salt as I am sodium sensitive...

SW add the following info re chips:

Did you know...

Chips are high on the list of food that's hard to give up when you're losing weight.

Size matters!
The thinner they are, the more fat they absorb, because a larger area on the outside is exposed to oil.

Keep em straight!
Crinkle-cut are the fattiest chips as they have the greatest surface area and so absorb most fat. Deep fried chips are the very worst culprits, but some varieties of oven-baked can be high in fat too.

Nutrition information (per 8oz/227g cooked)
Slimming World chips
Fat: 0.9g Cals: 170

Chip-shop chips
Fat: 28.1g Cals: 545

Pita Pizzas

I didn't come up with this myself - I think I stole it from Weight Watchers, but it does make tasty, small, and fairly healthy pizzas that are easy to make.

Take a whole wheat pita
Spread some plain tomato sauce on it - add herbs and garlic to taste
Throw on some veggies - I usually go for mushrooms, onions and capers - my wife likes to pile on the veggies and adds olives, tomato, spinach, pineapple, and black beans and probably other stuff too
Maybe add a little lean meat if you want - chicken breast, lean buffalo (I tried veggie 'pepperoni' a few times but it just seemed wrong)
Top with 1oz of grated skim mozzarella (melts fine, tastes great and only 15% mf)

Throw in a 350 degree over for about 9 minutes or until cheese is melted the way you like it.

a simple meal i used to eat which takes 10 minutes and pretty good for lunch:

mackeral and leek 'soup'
grill a smoked mackeral (or pan-cook) until the skin can come off, and remove it, cut into rough chunks
same time, cook a chopped up leek (usually half of one, depending on what you want) until soft
put them in the same hot pan, and add some mushroom ketchup, worchestershire sauce, or hendersons relish, and a bit of thai fish sauce.. itll start fizzing and bubbling.
cook for a couple of minutes so the natural juices come out of the mackeral and make it all into a broth incredibly tasty with green beans, baby sweetcorn and/or broccoli and maybe some thin noodles or just with bread. also nice with thinly chopped up mushrooms, which add more liquid.

simple but incredibly tasty, if you dont mind smoked fish!

Thanks for the posting blueberry. We are getting quite a collection of yummy recipes here.

CREAMY STUFFED BAKED POTATOES

3 lg. baking potatoes
3/4 c. low fat plain yogurt
1/4 c. low fat blue cheese salad dressing
1/4 -1/2 c. of onion, finely chopped (leeks, chives, green onions would work here too if that is your preference)
Paprika (garnish)

Bake potatoes 1 hour in preheated 400 degree oven. Slice potatoes lengthwise in half. Scoop out potato, reserve shells. Combine potato, yogurt, salad dressing and onion; beat until fluffy. Divide among shells. Sprinkle paprika across the tops to add color and a touch of taste. Return to 450 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes to lightly brown the tops. Makes 6 servings.

I am a meat and potato person at heart. Potatoes in and of themselves are not all that bad for you. Loading them with butter, sour cream, bacon, cheese, etc. is what kills them. These are twice baked potatoes with some flavor, very little fat.

Aubergine and Bean Bake

This is a simple, silly but very tasty casserole dish for those who dont have a lot of money or time to cook everyday (lasts 3-4 days). can use different and nicer ingredients as well, just keep the hot sauce and baked beans as a base

Ingredients:
a thinly sliced aubergine
can of baked beans
at least 1 tbsp hot pepper/tabasco sauce
~220 g frozen sliced green beans
~425 g can butter/kidney/other beans
~250 g tomatoes, thinly sliced, or just some tinned chopped tomatoes
1/4 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp chopped parsley
optional: sliced mushrooms, cheese for taste on top, salt, pepper
will need a large casserole dish, maybe 1.5litres

Preheat oven to 200°C, 400°F, Gas Mark 6, heat up casserole dish with a bit of oil as well if you want so it doesnt stick
1) Fry up the sliced aubergine until brown (opt: and mushrooms)
2) In a casserole dish put in layers in this order:

• a tin of baked beans (reduced sugar/salt if you wish), with a healthy amount of tabasco sauce over it.
• green beans
• other beans
• the sliced aubergines
• opt: sliced mushrooms
• tomatoes
• sprinkle on the thyme and parsley
• opt: cheese, salt, pepper

bake for 30 minutes

I know I'm not on the challenge, but i enjoy giving recipes! Today i made a Thai Prawn Curry. Lasts for 3 days, probably ~200 calories a portion on its own.

Ingredients
~220g pack of king prawns
1 large clove of chopped garlic
1 small tbs red curry paste
1/2 cup of coconut milk
1 cup chicken stock
1 tbs curry powder or garam masala
1 pinch of turmeric powder
2 tbs of fish sauce
1 ts lime juice or squeeze half a lime

Optional Ingredients:
egg noodles/rice/bulgar wheat
sliced red peppers
sliced leeks
sliced button mushrooms
half a sliced red chilli pepper
vegetables. pak choi for instance, or sliced green beans..

Instructions
1) heat up coconut milk, stir in curry paste until dissolved, on a low heat
2) once it starts simmering, add everything else except the prawns. leave to cook for a minute or so, then add the prawns.
3) leave on the hob to simmer for maybe 15-20 minutes
4) at the same time as above, cook up any egg noodles or rice, green veggies, etc. also good with bulgar wheat.

Blueberry - it is always great to see healthy recipes - and it is great that you are sharing them with us despite not being involved in the challenge.