This recipe is the perfect January recipe to get you kick started for the new year. It has the lovely comforting warmness that any winter dish needs, but the crab, chorizo and chilli combo bring a lovely fresh and vibrant flavour to the dish. Using orzo instead of risotto brings the cooking time right down so it can be made much more quickly if you are in a rush. If you can’t get a hold of fresh crab meat, tinned crab meat will work just as well. Most supermarkets have samphire these days and for such an easy ingredient to cook, it brings a lovely fresh crunch to the dish. If you can’t get a hold of any samphire I would add a handle of frozen garden peas to the dish ten minutes before it’s finished so that it keeps a nice green burst.

Crab, Chorizo and Chilli Orzo with Samphire

Serves 2 = 11sp each

Ingredients

1 x white onion, peeled and finely diced

2 x garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced

1 x red chilli, finely chopped (and deseeded if you don’t like it too hot)

40g chorizo, peeled and sliced into half moons

1 tbsp tomato puree

125ml white wine

120g orzo, dried

½ litre vegetable stock (made with 1 vegetable stock cube)

125g cooked white crab meat

Large handful of parsley, finely chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

Small pack of samphire

1 tsp lurpack lightest

Method

1. Take a large saucepan and pop onto a medium heat. Spray with 1kal and add the onions. Fry for 4-5 minutes until the onions start to soften (add a little water if the pan gets dry).

2. Add the garlic, chilli and chorizo and fry for another minute until the oil from the chorizo starts to release. Then add the tomato puree, fry for another minute and then add the wine.

3. Simmer the wine for a few minutes until the wine reduces and then add the orzo, stirring in.

4. Add half the stock so that it covers the orzo turning down to simmer.

5. Keep adding the stock until the orzo is cooked (it usually takes 12-15 minutes). Once the orzo is cooked and the stock is absorbed, add the crab meat and season to taste. Toss the crab meat through the orzo until it is warm.

6. Add the parsley and juice of 1 lemon and then take off the heat. Leave to rest for a minute while you cook the samphire.

7. Boil the samphire in another pan for 2-3 minutes. Drain and pop back into the same pan with the butter. Let the butter melt with the heat of the pan and toss through the samphire.

8. Serve the orzo in a bowl topped with the samphire.

9. Enjoy!

The post Crab, Chorizo and Chilli Orzo with Samphire – 11sp first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

You could add some brown crab meat to this recipe if you fancied an even stronger flavour of crab. You could also finish with a little Parmesan but be sure to add the extra points.

Crab Linguine 

Serves 2 = 10sp per serving (Flex)

Ingredients

100g linguine

5 x spring onions, sliced into rounds

1 chilli, finely chopped

2 large garlic cloves

100ml White wine

1 lemon

Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved

200g White crab meat

3 tbsp half fat creme fraiche

1 courgette

Two large handfuls of rocket

Method

Pop the linguine on to cook.

Meanwhile , take a large frying pan, spray with 1kal and warm up on hob. Add the spring onion, chilli and garlic and fry for a few minutes to soften (add a little water if the pan is dry).  Then add the wine and the zest of one lemon. Simmer to reduce a little then add the juice of half the lemon. Throw in the tomatoes cut side down and simmer for another few minutes until the tomatoes soften a little. Next add the crab meat and let it absorb a bit of the liquid , then add the creme fraice amd a good twist of black pepper and stir to combine until you have a nice silky sauce. Add a little of the pasta water if you could like the sauce a bit looser. Using a julienne peeler, peel the courgette into the sauce and warm through so it softens a little.

Finally drain the pasta, add to the sauce and toss everything together.

In a bowl pop a handful of rocket leaves on the bottom. Top with the crab linguine. Halve remaining lemon and serve with the pasta.

Enjoy!

The post Crab Linguine – 10sp first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.