Category: Live Cooking Videos

Spicentice Salt & Pepper Chicken & Chips

This is one of my favourite Spicentice meals it makes a fantastic weekend meal and it never disappoints! I don’t actually follow the cooking instructions on the back of the card 🙈 as I just find it easier doing this way but do whichever way is easiest for you.

I’m making 2 portions and the kits make 4 so I will save half and use it another day.

This is truly a fantastic weekend meal and can be served with so many different side dishes you could add egg fried rice, noodles, spring rolls it really does make a great basis for a Chinese banquet meal.

I always use a bag of stir fry with this meal to bulk it out I cook this separately with a splash of Soy Sauce.

If you decide to try any of the Spicentice kits you can use my discount code Jules20 for 20% off any order (AFFILIATE) https://bit.ly/2VYUZLG

by julessmithie

Flatbreads

Well after nearly 2 years 😂😂 I have finally made the video that you all wanted and hopefully the one that answers all your questions 👌

These are really simple to make and once you get the technique right you will be making them all the time.

You can make these as big or as small as you like it really depends on if you are following a diet plan and if so remember to calculate the flour and baking powder used.

I have made these using 30g, 35g and 50g of flour all with 2 Tablespoons of Fat Free Yogurt the trick is only add more yogurt if you are absolutely sure the dough won’t keep pulling away cleanly from the sides of the bowl and the I would only add small amounts at a time. If the dough is too wet you will end up using lots more flour to roll it to stop it sticking to the worktops and rolling pin.

Below is the 1 minute quick video for flatbread which i made in 2017 it has the ingredient list and step by step method, however the live video above goes into the how to in more detail


by julessmithie

Chinese Lemon Chicken

I love this recipe but have not made it for ages and its such a shame as it really does help when you hit the weekend and want a takeaway but don’t want to undo all your hard work. However you need to think ahead as the chicken needs marinating in a sauce and the longer you leave it the better it will taste.

This is a really simple recipe once you get the basics under your belt and that really means taking time with the sauce which takes time to reduce and thicken so have patience. Or you could cheat and add 1 teaspoon of cornflour with cold water and add that to the sauce and it will thicken quickly.

The other top tip is not the crush the cornflakes to dust leave some big bits and smaller bits as this really helps the cornflakes stick to the chicken or you can use breadcrumbs if you wish.

Lemons can be really sharp and tart so member to taste them as this will really determine how the lemon sauce tastes – once the sauce is reduced taste and adjust as needed. I would suggest if its too tart add more honey or small amounts of lemon curd until you get the sweetness you like.

The pans i use are on my Amazon Shop press the link it will take you there then look under KITCHEN GADGETS https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/julesthelazycook

by julessmithie

Cheats Stir Fry

This is a meal i made up very early on in my dieting life 😉 but to be honest its a quick easy meal that really helps use up all those bits at the bottom of the fridge and its really tasty as the little packet of “stuff” that comes with the supernoodles does most of the magic when it comes to packing in flavour. 

It works well as a vegetable dish or you can add any cooked meat you wish or cooked prawns, and if you want to be adventurous you could add more spices a splash of soy sauce….the world is your oyster.

Top tip….try and leave enough sauce when cooking the supernoodles to coat the whole meal if you can. 


by julessmithie

Banana Loaf / Cake

This is such a winner of a cake and a fantastic way to use up bananas that are going past their best its also very versatile so you can add any flavours you like ….vanilla, chocolate chips etc just remember to add them into your diet plan calculations.

In the recipe below you will see i have said 2-4 Tablespoons of sweetener this is because it will depend on how sweet your bananas are for this recipe the ones that are going black are the best as that’s when they are at their sweetest.

We love this cake and when you need something sweet but want to remain on plan it works so well. However this brings me on to the million dollar question if you are following Slimming World or Calorie Counting … Calories and Syns.

The calories are the easiest just add the recipe below into your calorie counting app but the problem with this is how many slices you cut the cake into to give you the cals per slice – this cake can be cut into 16 but let’s be realistic that isn’t going to happen.

Slimming world – this is where you need to decide what is best for you and your diet – mashed cooked banana is synned so you will need to decide what’s best for you. Personally I don’t syn it but that’s just me and its the same with sweetener this should be synned, again you need to do what’s best for you. You also need to decide how many slices you are going to cut the cake into .

by julessmithie

How To Make Creamy Mash

This seems like a really easy question to answer but if you are following slimming world everyone is looking for the holy grail of how to make it syn free and this is the method i use.

I know i really sounds crazy to add an egg but trust me it works – if you have not tried it yet please do.


by julessmithie

Roast Potatoes

This is always one of the questions i get asked “how do you make your roast potatoes” and i feel its always easier to show you rather than answer the question so i have made a little video going through how i do it.

In here you will see i do not use the traditional method of par boiling (in a pan on the hob) i just find that too fussy so i use a microwave and this works for anything you want to par boil.

I also dont use Frylite…..i know dont shoot me!! but i feel you just have to use way too much to get anything cooked and for me that is not healthy regardless of what anyone says, however if you remove some of the starch from the potatoes you may find you use less and lets face it that cant be a bad thing can it?

Use any potatoes you like I’ve used them all and they all work perfectly so just use whichever ones you and your family like.

by julessmithie

Red Onion Gravy

I think this has got to be one of the most asked questions i get from my Facebook Group and Instagram – so i thought i would make a little live video to show you how i do mine, i use this method a lot and it never fails plus i find it a nifty quick hack for whipping up a jug of tasty gravy.


If you don’t have a red onion then use a white one, you can leave it chunky as i did or blend it smooth – onion is a natural thickener so it will really help get a fab thickness if like me you like your gravy to coat the food.

The key is to have patience softening onions takes time and the more you soften then the sweeter & tastier they become. Also this gravy freezes well so any leftovers pop it in the freezer, during the winter months I make up a huge batch and freeze it saves me doing it every week 🤣.


To get this thicker style gravy I used a whole red onion between 2 of us soften it down added the liquid as in the above video. Then I took half the onion out with a little of the liquid and blended it smooth returned it back to the pan and continued to reduce. If you blend the onion it will give you a lovely thick gravy.
by julessmithie

Sticky Pork Stir Fry – Cooked in Real Time

It seems like an age since i have posted or made any new recipes – life and time always seem to get in the way and this is a great example of that! Me cooking in my pjs lol

Sticky Pork Stir Fry a very easy meal which can be created very quickly and if following slimming world the only syns are for the honey – this serves 2 people.

by julessmithie

Slow Cooker Cheats Pulled Pork Cooked Real Time

This is such a simple dish and really easy to cook and if your looking for no fuss easy slow cooker recipes it doesn’t get any easier than this one. In this recipe i have cheated to make the cooking of pulled pork simpler sometimes buying a huge joint of pork and getting all the fat off can be a right mess on but in this version there is non of that time consuming faffing needed. 

The finished dish freezes well and is a great one for batch cooking.


by julessmithie

Spicentice Chinese Chicken

I love a good curry and this is a good curry and i also love Spicentice and make no bones about how good i think their products are. This curry is designed to be cooked on the hob but i have also cooked this in the slow cooker. So here you will find the method for both ways, all i know is next time i cook it I’m making up 4 portions and freezing two as its such a fantastic fakeway.

The recipe calls for flour to thicken the sauce but i used XANTHAN GUM which you can find in most supermarkets you only need a small amount, don’t be fooled and start adding more – let the sauce reduce after you have added it and if you feel you need more add only tiny amounts.

If you want to try any of the Spicentice rubs or meal kits hit the link here →→ Spicentice
and enter code JULES20 at checkout to get 20% off your order.

The onion slicer i use in the video is on my Amazon shop press the link it will take you there then look under kitchen gadgets https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/julesthelazycook

HOB METHOD

I followed the ingredients and instructions on the card the only thing i did different was add the ginger and garlic into the stock it actually made no difference to the end taste and i didn’t use flour to thicken the curry.



SLOW COOKER METHOD

Lots of top tips in this video so keep you ears open – this method worked really well and if you are busy its a perfect solution.


by julessmithie

Cheese & Onion Potato Waffles

I absolutely love waffles sweet and savoury and now i have fallen in love with my electric waffle maker the world is my oyster lol.  These can be made in any flavour you like its just as you know i love cheese!

If following slimming world these are syn free – but if your using cheese remember to either syn it or use it as your HEa

NOTE 28th December 2019 ……..If you are following slimming world SMASH or Potato Flakes now carry syns so they best way to get a syn free waffle is by microwaving potatoes scooping out the flesh and adding any flavours you like then use an egg to bind the mixture.



NOTE MY WAFFLE MACHINE HAS 2 LARGE PLATES IF YOU HAVE A 4 PLATE WAFFLE MACHINE THIS RECIPE WOULD PROBABLY MAKE 4 SMALLER ONES.


by julessmithie

Southern Style Chicken (KFC) Using Spicentice

As you will see i have not made this one since 2018 lol its so easy to miss some fantastic recipes when you get stuck in a rut and especially changing seasons from Winter into Summer. In this version i used cornflakes as i find they give a better crunch but you can use breadcrumbs, panko breadcrumbs or anything else you like.

Spice kits are available from https://www.spicentice.com/ use code JULES20 for 20% off any order (AFFILIATE)

Live Cooking video making a KFC Style Meal.

Now this was such a treat and well worth making and to be really honest it was super simple it looks like a lot of work has gone into the meal from the finished picture but trust me its all about cheating lol.

You can swap out the panko breadcrumbs for a slice of bread blitzed up if you wish and if following slimming world this can then be your HEb.  The gravy mix i used was from Home Bargains but you can buy it from B&M also. 

by julessmithie

Creamy Mashed Potato (using an Egg)

I have seen this many many times on the internet and and blogs and always wondered does it work??? will it be eggy?? and will it leave lumpy egg in my mash??? well i can confirm the answer to all these are NO.

This works so well and gives a really creamy mash i used 1 egg in my portion and if following slimming world this now keeps your mash syn free.


by julessmithie

Slow Cooker Glazed Ham / Gammon

I made this for Christmas and have to say it was gorgeous, in our house at Christmas this is usually Graeme’s job but this year i decided i wanted to give it a whirl – was dreading ruining it lol. 

It all worked out fine and i have no idea what i was worrying about the glazed worked perfectly and the meat was beautifully infused. 

This is a fantastic way to cook ham or gammon for those special occasions and it really is super easy.

I used Marmalade and Ginger as the Glaze but you can use whatever flavours you like. You can also cook the ham in and liquid you like i use diluted orange juice as it adds a sweetness to the ham.

Cooking it in the slow cooker ensure the ham stays beautifully tender, after its cooked I always leave mine to cool completely the pop it in the fridge overnight then the next day add the Glaze I find this helps of you want to carve the joint.

If you over cook the ham in the slow cooker it will fall apart to prevent that happening use a digital meat thermometer and once the internal cooked temperature is reached remove it from the slow cooker.

This recipe also appears in my cookbook MY SLOW COOKER MEALS which is available on Amazon in Paperback & Kindle press here  https://amzn.eu/d/bxDzxmn

See my Amazon Shop for a digital meat thermometer look under kitchen gadgets https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/julesthelazycook


by julessmithie

Lamb Bhuna by the Twisted Curry Company

I was sent some sample packs by The Twisted Curry Company to try so decided to make the Bhuna one which is one of Graeme’s favourites.  These kits are designed to be cooked on the hob but me being me decided to cook mine in the slow cooker!! and to be honest it was such an easy dish to cook it worked perfectly.


There is a review of the Bhuna at the end of the video


This will batch cook well and freeze well.


by julessmithie

Firecracker Chicken by Spicentice

Firstly let me just say this was AMAZING and if you decide to make it i know you will be as impressed as i was.

Its a really simple one to make and the spice/heat level can be easily adjusted by altering the garlic and ginger you add.  The packet serves 4 and batch cooks well and freezes well so a great one for a little weekend cook off, plus this will make a fantastic fakeway saving the syns on a takeway!

I have used Spicentice for over 2 years now and have never been disappointed with any of their products their customer service is fantastic if you want to try any of their products i also have a discount code JULES20 which will get you 20% off anything you order

https://www.spicentice.com/


by julessmithie

Sticky Chicken

I think sticky chicken was the first Slimming World recipe i cooked and wowed Graeme with it is a fantastic recipe and really easy to cook. The only issue with this recipe and its not really a recipe issue its a person issue is you need to have patience to reduce the sauce. My top tip is get the chicken cook and they turn the heat up on the pan and bring the sauce to a rolling boil then keep taking the pan on and off the heat this will help the honey solidify and help you gauge how much further you need to reduce the sauce.

Its a great fakeaway recipe and will really help when you are fancying something tasty at the weekend.

by julessmithie