If you don’t want to use the wine, simply omit, you don’t need to replace it with any extra stock. This will make the risotto 8sp per serving.

One tip I picked up from the lovely Gemma at her cookery classes (You Say Tomato Cooking) is to keep the ends of your parmesan (the rind) so that you can use it as a ‘cheesy teabag’. I love this idea as it means you are using every part of the ingredient and so I’ve added it here to the stock to up the flavour. If you don’t have a rind to hand, don’t worry, simply leave this out but it adds a lovely additional base flavour (when I get to the rind I pop it in a food bag and into the freezer so I’ve always got one to hand now!).

If you don’t fancy using steak you can make this risotto with any meat you like, I’ve included the points for the risotto on its own as well as with the steak so you can adjust it if needs be.

The breadcrumbs add a lovely texture to the dish as well as a hit of flavour at the end. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t include them in the recipe but they really do take the dish to the next level!

Tomato and Mascarpone Risotto with Steak

Serves 4 = 9sp per serving for the risotto, 1sp per serving for the breadcrumbs and 5sp per steak = 15sp in total per serving on all plans

Ingredients

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 tsp olive oil

3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

200g arborio rice, dry

125ml white wine

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 vegetable stock cube

400g tin of chopped tomatoes

30g parmesan

30g light mascarpone

1 tsp butter

1 lemon (zest is used in breadcrumbs below, juice of ½ in risotto and the other half of the lemon cut into 4 for serving with the dish)

4 x 225g lean rump steak

For the breadcrumbs

30g panko breadcrumbs

Handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped

Zest of 1 lemon

1 tsp garlic powder

Method

Take a blender and add the chopped tomatoes, the crumbled stock cube and 400ml boiled water. Blend until smooth and then add to a large sauce pan. Add the other 400ml water, stir and keep the stock mixture simmering as you make the risotto (add the parmesan rind to the stock if using).

Next take a large non stick pan spray with 1kal and fry the onion in the oil until soft and golden (6-7 minutes). Then add the garlic and fry for a few minutes more. Add the Arborio rice and toast for a minute then add the wine, simmering until reduced by half.

Add the tomato puree to the pan, stir fry for a minute and then begin to add the stock a few ladles at a time, stirring and simmering and adding more stock once the previous addition has absorbed in the rice. Keep adding the stock until the rice is cooked to your liking (I like it so it still has a bit of a bite which takes around 25 minutes). You may not use all the stock, it will depend on the heat of your pan so if you have some left over don’t worry.

Ten minutes before the rice is ready, season the steak with salt and pepper and then add to a hot frying pan sprayed with 1kal. Cook the steak to your liking (I cook on a high heat for 3 minutes on each side as I like it medium rare). Remove the steak from the pan and pop onto a chopping board to rest. In the same pan that you cooked the steak, add the breadcrumbs, lemon zest, parsley and garlic powder. Reduce the heat to medium and toast the breadcrumbs until they are a light golden colour. Keep a close eye on the breadcrumbs so they don’t catch and burn. Remove the breadcrumbs from the pan and pop into a bowl until you need them.

Once most of the liquid in the risotto has absorbed and it is cooked to your liking, remove the risotto from the heat and add the parmesan, mascarpone and butter. Stir and then add the juice of half a lemon to the as well as any extra salt and pepper to season.

Slice the steak and get ready to serve.

Add the risotto to a bowl, top with the sliced steak sprinkle across the herby breadcrumbs. Add some crushed chillies if you fancy and serve with a slice of lemon.

Enjoy!

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Whenever I use king prawns I always buy them raw and frozen and they are cheapest this way. Just make sure they are thoroughly defrosted before you start cooking. This is actually a fairly straightforward risotto to make as you essentially make a ‘base’ risotto and then add all your other bits and pieces to it near the end.

If you aren’t a fan of prawns, there are many other meats that would also be lovely with this dish…chicken, pork, the world’s your oyster!

Cajun Prawn and Coriander Risotto

Serves 4 = 10sp on Blue, 10sp on Purple, 11sp on Green

Ingredients

1/2 tbsp oil

1 onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

240g Arborio rice

125ml glass of white wine

1 x chicken stock cube (made up with 750ml boiling water)

1 tbsp Cajun spice

100g spinach, roughly shredded

Small bunch coriander

100g light cream cheese

2 lemons

2 tbsp fresh grated parmesan

1 tsp light butter

Pinch of crushed chillies (optional if you like it spicy)

For the prawns

400g raw king prawns

1 tsp Cajun spice

To finish

4 tsp lightest soured cream

Method

Take a large non stick pan spray with 1 kal and fry the onion in the oil until soft and golden (6-7 minutes). Then add the garlic and fry for a few minutes more. Add the Arborio rice and toast for a minute then add the wine, simmering until reduced by half.

Next add the Cajun spice with 250ml of the chicken stock, stir and begin to simmer, letting the rice absorb the stock. Keep adding the stock as it absorbs until you have used it all (this will take around 25 minutes).

Whilst the risotto is simmering you can make the green element of the dish. Add the spinach and coriander (stalks and all) to a food processor with a small splash of water. Begin to blend for 30 seconds and then add the cream cheese. Continue to blend until you have more of a paste consistency and then add the juice of 1 lemon. Give a final pulse to combine the lemon juice.

Add the green paste to the risotto pan, season with salt and pepper and simmer for another five minutes until the rice is cooked to your liking.

Whilst the risotto is having its final simmer, pop your prawns into a large frying pan, sprinkle with 1 tsp Cajun spice, salt and pepper, spray with 1 kal and fry for 2-3 minutes until the prawns are pink and cooked through.

Once most of the liquid in the risotto has absorbed, remove the risotto from the heat and add the parmesan and butter (and crushed chillies if you are having them). Stir through and taste, adding the juice of half a lemon to the risotto if you think it needs it (I like a nice lemony touch at the end) as well as any extra salt and pepper to season.

Serve in a bowl topped with a tsp of light soured cream and the Cajun prawns.

Enjoy!

The post Cajun Prawn and Coriander Risotto first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

After doing a bit of brainstorming over what I fancied, I set my mind on creating a new risotto dish as I thought this would be the perfect way to retain the lovely smoky flavour of the garlic. The flavour of the garlic goes so well with both the paprika flavour in the chorizo and freshness of the prawns, and the addition of fennel to this dish really lifts it to a whole new level.

If you aren’t a fan of fennel, feel free to omit it from the dish. I blended my chorizo and I wanted the flavour to infuse throughout the dish however if you don’t fancy blending it, just chop it as finely as you can manage.

I don’t usually use oil or butter in my dishes but since an Italian chef told me that a risotto wasn’t a real risotto without both, I always now include a little of each (the oil is essential in toasting the rice so it retains a nice bite and the butter gives the risotto the creamy sheen at the end).

You can see the full selection of Very Lazy products over on their website http://www.verylazy.com/ and you can purchase their products in most major supermarkets. The smoked garlic and chillies are available in Tesco now!

Chorizo, Prawn and Fennel Risotto

Serves 2 = 12sp per serving

Ingredients

Punnet of cherry/baby plum tomatoes (around 300g)

300g prawns raw or cooked

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp olive oil

1 large onion, peeled and finely diced

30g chorizo, peeled and blended (or chopped into tiny crumbs)

2 tsp each Very Lazy smoked garlic and chopped red chillies

1 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp tomato puree

100g Arborio rice

125ml white wine

½ stock cube (chicken or veg), made up with 750ml boiling water

1 tbsp parmesan, grated

1 tsp lighter lurpack

Handful of fresh parsley and thyme, finely chopped

1 lemon, halved

Method

To begin, fill and boil the kettle. Then take a large non-stick sauce pan and add the fennel seeds. Toast on a medium heat for a couple of minutes until you can smell their lovely aroma and then remove from the pan and pop into a pestle and mortar. Pound the fennel seeds until they form a course powder (if you don’t have a pestle and mortal you can use a bowl and the end of a rolling pin!)

Next, take the same saucepan; add the olive oil and onions and fry on a medium heat for 5-6 minutes until the onions are soft. Season the onions and then add the chorizo, 1 tsp of smoked garlic, 1 tsp chopped red chillies, the ground fennel and 1 tsp oregano to the pan. Fry for another 3 minutes until the chorizo has turned the onion mixture a light red colour. Next, add the tomato puree to the pan, mix in and fry for another minute. Then add the Arborio rice, stir and toast the rice for a minute. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half.

Next, mix the stock cube with the boiling water and then add 250ml of it to the rice. Stir and begin to simmer, letting the rice absorb the stock. Keep adding the stock a little at a time as it absorbs until you have used it all (this should take around 25 minutes – you made need a little more or a little less depending on the heat of your hob). Once most of the liquid has absorbed, and the rice is cooked nicely, reduce the heat to very low and add the parmesan and butter. Stir through, taste and then season with salt and pepper to your taste. Leave the risotto on a very low heat whilst you cook the tomatoes and prawns.

Spray a non-stick frying pan with 1kal and add the tomatoes cut side down. Season with salt and pepper and fry for 3-4 minutes until the tomatoes have a nice colour on the cut side. Add most of the tomatoes to the risotto, reserving a few to dress the dish at the end.

In the same frying pan, spray with 1kal and add 1 tsp of smoked garlic and 1 tsp crushed red chillies. Add the prawns and fry for a couple of minutes on each side until cooked through. Turn the heat off the prawns and squeeze over the juice of ½ lemon. Add most of the prawns to the risotto (use a spoon or fork as you don’t want all the extra chilli and garlic in the risotto pan), reserving a few to dress the dish at the end.

Finally, remove the risotto from the heat and add the juice of ½ lemon and the fresh parsley. Stir through and then serve in a bowl topped with the reserved tomatoes and prawns.

Enjoy!

Please note, this recipe forms part of a paid collaboration with Very Lazy however all views on the products are my own.

The post Very Lazy Chorizo, Prawn and Fennel Risotto – 12sp first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

The post Truffled Wild Mushroom Risotto with Pan Fried Thyme Chicken – 11sp  first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

Ingredients

Serves 2 = 13sp each (Flex)

1 onion, finely chopped

2 small cloves of garlic, finely chopped

100ml white wine

100g Arborio rice

700ml vegetable stock (made with 1/2 stock cube)

4 spring onions, sliced

80g frozen garden peas

Large handful of spinach, shredded

120g smoked mackerel, skin removed and flaked (I used Aldi’s)

20g parmesan

Seasoning to taste

Squeeze of fresh lemon

Method

In a large saucepan fry the onion in 1kal until nice and soft (6-7 minutes). Add the garlic and fry for a few more minutes.

Add the rice and wine, stir and simmer for a minute or two and then add half of the vegetable stock and leave to simmer for around 15 minutes adding a little stock at a time when the rice starts absorb the stock. Stir regularly to ensure the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

Next, add the spring onions, spinach and peas, cook for a further five minutes, again adding a little stock at a time until it is all used up (I used all of it but it varies depending on the heat of your hob).

Next flake in the mackerel, give a good stir and cook for a further five minutes (or until the rice is cooked). Remove from the heat, add the parmesan and a good squeeze of lemon, season to taste and give another stir.

Serve piled high in a nice bowl and enjoy!!

The post Smoked Mackerel Risotto – 13sp first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

In this recipe I used frozen uncooked king prawns (from Sainsbury’s) which you can cook from frozen. They were just as tasty as fresh but a lot cheaper!

POINTS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serves 2 – per serving = 9 points or 474 cals, 9.8g fat, 58.4g carbs, 40.3g protein

Ingredients 

165g chicken breast, diced
1 onion, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
35g chorizo, peeled and thinly sliced
150g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tsp each paprika and smoked paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, ground turmeric and dried thyme
1/2 tbsp tomato puree
100g Arborio rice
1/2 chicken stock cube made up with 500ml boiling water
Small pinch of saffron
A few drops of Tabasco or a pinch of chilli flakes (optional if you like it a little hotter)
80g peas, frozen
100g uncooked king prawns, fresh or frozen
1 lemon
10g fresh parsley, roughly chopped

Low calorie cooking spray

Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Take a large frying pan, spray with low-calorie cooking spray and pop over a medium heat.
2. Add the chicken and onion, season and fry for 5–7 minutes until the chicken is cooked through, adding a splash of water if the pan gets a little dry.
3. Next add the garlic, pepper, chorizo and tomatoes and fry for another 2 minutes until the chorizo starts releasing its oil. Add the dried herbs and spices and fry for a minute and then add the tomato purée, frying for another minute.
4. Add the arborio rice, combine with the vegetables and spices and fry for a minute to toast the edges of the rice.
5. Add half the chicken stock to the pan with the saffron, stir, and begin to simmer over a medium heat. As the stock is absorbed, continue to add more to the rice. I ended up using all of the stock but, depending on the heat of your hob, you may need a little more or a little less.
6. After 15 minutes, add the Tabasco or chilli flakes (if having) and the peas and the prawns. Cook for a further 5–7 minutes until the prawns are completely cooked through and then add the juice of half the lemon and half the parsley.
7. Remove from the heat, cover with tin foil (or a pan lid) and leave to rest for 5 minutes. This will allow all the flavours to mingle nicely together and any excess liquid to absorb into the rice.
8. Serve in two bowls, finishing with a slice of lemon each. Top with a little more fresh parsley.

The post One Pot Paella first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

I cannot tell you how much we enjoyed this one. Every mouthful was packed with flavour and it felt like a real treat. This really is the perfect dinner party dish as it feels a bit fancy but it’s quite cheap to make and fills you up nicely! If you want to lower the points a bit further simply omit the chorizo, this will take the dish down to 9sp per person.

Minted Pea Risotto with Seabass and Asparagus

Ingredients

Serves 2 = 10sp per person (Flex)

For the risotto

½ tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

100g arborio rice

½ chicken stock cube

30g chorizo, roughly chopped

100ml white wine

2 spring onions, finely sliced

1 tbsp fresh parmesan

Juice of ½ lemon

For the pea puree

80g frozen garden peas

Handful of fresh basil, roughly chopped

Couple of  fresh mint leaves, roughlt chopped

1 tbsp reduced fat crème fraiche

Salt

Pepper

Zest of 1 lemon

Other

2 x 90g seabass fillet (or any white fish), seasoned with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon

Pack of asparagus, woody ends removed

Method

Begin by making the base risotto. Heat the oil in a large non stick saucepan and once hot, cook the onion, garlic and chorizo for 3-4 minutes, then add the rice and fry for 2 minutes on a medium heat, allowing the rice to toast into the hot oil. I don’t usually use much oil in my cooking however in risotto I think it’s essential to ensure you get the right texture for the rice. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon.

Pour the wine over the rice and continue to cook for a further minute to allow the alcohol to evaporate.

Make up the stock with 500ml of boiling water and the stock cube. Add a couple of ladles of stock to the pan and bring to a simmer. Continue to cook and stir until all the stock is absorbed.

At this point keep an eye on the pan as you need to keep stirring with a wooden spoon to make sure nothing sticks to it. Pour in the rest of the stock a little at a time, cooking until each addition is absorbed.

You will know the rice is cooked when all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is cooked but still has a slight bite. This takes around 20 minutes (and be careful, you may not need all the stock).

While the rice is cooking you can get it with making the pea puree. Simply pop all of the ingredients in a food processor with a little splash of the stock from the risotto and blend until smooth. This can now be left until the risotto is cooked.

Five minutes before the risotto is cooked, take a griddle pan, spray with 1kal and pan fry the asparagus until cooked to your liking. We like them crunchy so I usually give them 3-4 minutes and squeeze over a little lemon juice.

Remove the asparagus from the pan and then add the seabass, griddling again on each side until cooked to your liking, I cook for 2 minutes per side.

Once the risotto is cooked, remove from the heat and stir through the parmesan and spring onions. Then stir through the pea puree and finish with the juice of ½ a lemon. Pop the risotto in two large bowls, top with the seabass and finish with the asparagus. Serve with a ¼ slice of lemon per person.

Enjoy!

The post Minted Pea Risotto with Seabass and Asparagus – 10sp first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

Ingredients

Serves 4 = 12sp (previously 12pp) each

1 x 340g pack of Heck Chicken Italia Sausages, skins removed and crumbled

1 tbsp oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 or 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 box of mushrooms, chopped

240g Arborio rice

125ml glass of white wine

Pinch of crushed chillies

1 x chicken stock cube (made up with 750ml boiling water)

2 tbsp red pesto (sun dried tomato if you can get it)

2 tbsp fresh grated parmesan

1 tsp light butter

Large handful of spinach, roughly shredded

Handful of fresh basil (roughly chopped) (optional)

2 spring onions, finely sliced

Method

Take a large non stick pan, spray with 1kal and fry the crumbled sausages for 5-6 minutes until nicely browned.

Remove from the pan and pop to one side on a plate.

In the same pan, spray with 1 kal and fry the onion in the oil until soft and golden. Then add the garlic and mushrooms and fry for a few minutes more. Add the Arborio rice and toast for a minute then add the wine and crushed chillies, simmering until reduced by half. Add most of the sausage back to the pan (reserving a few bits for decorating the top).

Next add 250ml of the chicken stock, stir and begin to simmer, letting the rice absorb the stock. Keep adding the stock as it absorbs until you have used it all (this will take around 25 minutes). Then for the last five minutes, add the pesto.

Once most of the liquid has absorbed, remove the risotto from the heat and add the parmesan and butter. Stir through and then add the spinach and basil.

Serve in a bowl topped with the rest of the sausage, the sliced spring onion and another pinch of crushed chillies.

Enjoy!

The post Chicken, Mushroom and Spinach Risotto – 12sp first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.