Our Free Food Festival is now underway in groups and on Slimming World Online – and as part of this celebration of Slimming World Free Foods, our members will be sharing their favourite Free Food creations in our epic cook-off competition.
Rewind to last February and Slimming World member Kev Smith was crowned the winner of our Free Food Festival 2023, after his harissa meatballs and orzo recipe wowed our judges.
As part of his prize, we’ve made Kev’s delicious dish part of the Slimming World Free Food range, available exclusively in Iceland stores!
As a special treat, we took Kev behind the scenes so he could watch his ready meal being made. Press play to see how the magic happens.
More on the blog: What is Slimming World’s Free Food Festival
Kev Smith, 44, has lost 2st 10lbs with Slimming World and says our food range helped him build up his cooking confidence.
“I was always convinced I couldn’t cook – although Leanne, who’s my partner and my Consultant, would say, ‘It’s not that you can’t, it’s that you won’t!’. It turns out she was right…
Inspired by seeing the recipes on the packaging of Slimming World’s Free Food range, I followed a super-simple one for Spanish chicken. It turned out surprisingly well and, since then, I’ve been experimenting and gradually building up my kitchen skills.
When I heard about the Free Food Festival competition, I decided to give it a go. I’m a fan of orzo and Leanne had introduced me to harissa spice mix, so I combined the two to create a pasta and meatball dish with a twist.
I was chuffed when it was our group’s top dish… little did I know it would end up being the overall winner!”
Fancy trying more Free Food recipes? This fab four use just 5-ingredients
Harissa meatballs and orzo
Congratulations to Kev Smith, whose fabulously fragrant meatballs reboot wowed our judges!
serves 4
Free
ready in 55 minutes plus 5 minutes cooling
freezer-friendly
What you need:
low-calorie cooking spray
2 onions, finely diced
2 tbsp harissa spice mix*
3 tbsp tomato purée
500g lean beef mince (5% fat or less)
1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
1 yellow pepper, deseeded and diced
500g passata
400g can chopped tomatoes
250g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tsp garlic granules
300g dried orzo
100g fat-free natural Greek yogurt
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint
large handful baby spinach
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander
3 spring onions, finely sliced
1 tbsp pomegranate seeds
1. Spray a large non-stick frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and put it over a medium heat. Add half the onions and cook for 4-5 minutes, until soft, then leave to cool for 5 minutes.
2. At the same time, mix together the harissa mix and tomato purée with 1 tbsp water to make a paste.
3. Put the mince, softened onions and half the harissa paste in a bowl and mix well. Divide the mixture into 28 equal-size pieces and roll into meatballs.
4. Using the same pan that you used for the onions, add more low-calorie cooking spray and brown the meatballs – this should take about 6-8 minutes over a medium heat – then set aside.
5. Add the peppers and remaining onion with a splash of water and cook for 4-5 minutes, until soft. Stir in the passata, canned and fresh tomatoes, garlic granules, the rest of the harissa paste and 200ml hot water. Season to taste and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Add the meatballs to the sauce and cook for 15 minutes more.
7. At the same time, cook the orzo according to the pack instructions and mix together the yogurt and mint.
8. When the orzo and meatballs are cooked, stir the orzo and spinach through the sauce. Divide between 4 bowls and top with the minty yogurt, chopped coriander, spring onions and pomegranate seeds.
*Watch out for spice/seasoning blends that have added ingredients (like sugar, oil or starch). To protect your weight loss, count ½ Syn per level tsp/1½ Syns per level tbsp.
More on the blog: Seven quick midweek meals
