Crab, Chilli & Rocket Linguine

I've been experimenting with some new recipes this week, in particular pasta recipes as I tend to stick to my old favs. Pasta is cheap and filling so it makes a good basis for a family meal.  However if you are trying to lose weight, pasta needs pairing with something light if you are to keep to a 12 or 13 ProPoint dinner and this makes its use is slightly more challenging. Seafood is ideal and this dish uses crab meat as it's protein element.

It is that time of year where everyone tightens their belts a bit after the spending spree of Christmas so I've also been looking at budget friendly recipes this week. This dish for 2 people totalled £3.85 or £1.92 per serving. You can't buy a decent ready meal for that (and I use these words together in the loose sense).

As we all know there are  health benefits to home cooking a meal from scratch, far less 'processing' going on, yada yada. Plus you can adjust ingredients to suit personal taste e.g. salt, garlic, chilli.  I know I am preaching to the converted, but if you are new to eating healthily and trying to lose weight on WeightWatchers or any other plan, it doesn't have to be all ready meals.  And, and this is a big AND, this meal takes less than 15 minutes to prepare! Perfect mid-week supper!

You'll need for 2:

• 4 vine medium to large vine tomatoes, seeds and insides removed, diced
• 1 170g tin crab meat in brine
• 1 lime
• Half a back of wild rocket
• 200g linguine
• 1tbsp oil (I used chilli & garlic oil)
• or pinch chilli flakes & 1 garlic clove

Get a large pan of salted boiling water on the go and stick the pasta
in to cook according to the packet instructions.

In a large frying pan, gently heat the oil. I was given a lovely set of flavoured oils from Italy for Christmas so this was a perfect opportunity to start using them! If you don't have a flavoured oil, then just bash the garlic clove and add this with a pinch of chilli flakes to the oil.

Add the diced tomatoes (seeds and inner bits removed) and saute for a few minutes.

Add the crab and a squeeze of half a lime. Season to taste.

Once the pasta is ready, drain reserving some of the cooking liquor. Add the pasta along with a couple of ladles of the liquor to the crab mix and toss through on a very low heat. Add the rocket and stir through so the rocket just wilts with the heat from the pan.

Serve up (with extra chilli and garlic oil if you are not weightwatching!)

WeightWatchers ProPoints Per Serving: 13

Pastina in Brodo

So the New Year has started and I am back on a healthy eating mission after a wonderful few weeks of indulgence. My birthday, Christmas, New Year and the holiday period has left me half a stone heavier. But it has been well worth it! 

The weather has been up to all sorts this week with that biting wind fiercely blowing.  What better way to warm up when it's cold outside with baby pasta in a homemade chicken broth or 'pastina in brodo'.  I've had this dish cooked for me many times over the years by various members of my husbands Sicilian family. I have always loved it and learnt how to make it a few years back.  Watch the pasta portions if you are WeightWatching, but overall it is a low fat, healthy but very tasty meal.  My kids absolutely love pastina and it is one of those versatile meals that we can sit down together as a family and all enjoy.  It's also the only food I can get into my 5 year old when he is sick!

You'll need for 3- 4 adults or 2 adults and 2 kids:

• 6-8 chicken thighs and drumsticks
• 1 medium to large onion, halved then quartered
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 3-4 sticks of celery, cut into 2 or 4 pieces per stick
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 few parsley stalks
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 1-2 tsp salt
• 3-4 vine tomatoes, halved then quartered
• 250g - 300g baby pasta such as farfalline

What to do:

In a very large saucepan place all the ingredients in and cover to the top with cold water from the tap. It should be around 3 litres but this very much depends on the size of your pan. Place on a high heat and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally. Once boiling, reduce heat a little so it doesn't boil over. After 15-20 minutes use the wooden spoon to press the tomatoes against the side of the pan to extract out all the flavour.

Add the salt, treading cautiously if cooking for children. You can always add more for adult taste later.

After 45 minutes or so, depending on the size of the chicken you should have a delicious tasting chicken stock. Using tongs, remove the chicken carefully and set aside.

Using a large colander and another saucepan, strain the vegetables catching the stock in the new saucepan.  Depending on the size saucepan you used originally you may have leftover stock. I usually have enough to freeze a container full (approx 1 litre) for the kids to have another time, or you have some fabulous homemade stock to use in any other dish requiring it.  To be sure you use the right amount of broth for the quantity of pasta, put 1 litre-ish aside and top up if there is not enough for the next step.

Place the new saucepan with the stock on the heat and bring to a boil. Add the baby pasta and reduce the heat slightly, cooking until the pasta is cooked through. This usually takes about 5-6 minutes. Do not be tempted to speed up the process by cooking the pasta seperately in water! The pasta absorbs all the wonderful flavours from the broth and is what really makes this dish so utterly moreish.

There are a number of ways you can serve this dish. For the kids I chop the chicken and carrots up and mix it in the pasta and broth with loads of parmesan grated on top. In true Italian fashion, we like to have the chicken as our 'secondi', or second course along with salad or vegetables. Don't waste the delicious tasting carrots and celery used in the broth(this is the reason I peel my carrots) and finish them off in a hot oven to serve with the chicken.  This evening we ate the pastina at 5pm with the kids and then much later ate the chicken, heated in a hot oven along with the vegetables and some roasted butternut squash.  Perfecto!

WeightWatchers ProPoints Per Serving: 12
(based on 80g pasta, 1 large chicken thigh & 1 large drumstick per person)

Cherry Tomatoes & King Prawn Pasta

I have a problem with cooked tomato skin.  I just cannot bear it.  It ruins the eating experience of a tomato, getting stuck  to one side of your mouth spoiling the delicious flesh part.  Raw tomatoes are less of an issue for me, but cooked ones simply must have their skins removed.  This poses a problem when cooking with cherry tomatoes as de-skinning is time consuming. 


My husband has, on occasion, blanched, cooled and de-skinned, by hand, 1kg of the wonderful datterini tomato (a delicious grape like tomato).  This has taken him several hours.  How nice that he may have the time to do this on a Saturday afternoon with a glass of wine in hand, but for me, a busy Stay At Home Mum (sorta) I need to find a much quicker way of losing the little blighters as spitting them out onto my plate is hardly good table etiquette.


This dish has been in my repertoire for a couple of years.  The tomato sauce can be used in a variety of ways but I love combining it with some king prawns, freshly griddled and tossed in at the end.  Try it with diced roasted aubergine or black olives and capers. Oh and don't forget; Italians NEVER serve parmesan cheese with any kind of fish/seafood pasta, but hey if you like it on your prawns, who am I to stop you?!

You'll need for 2:

• 350g cherry tomatoes, or a couple of small punnets
• 1-2 garlic cloves, bashed
• 1/2 onion, finely diced
• 1 tsp olive oil
• Good pinch of chilli flakes or a fresh chili finely chopped
• 150 - 175g raw king prawns
• Glug of white wine
• Handful of fresh parsley
• 200g linguine or spaghetti

What to do:

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and saute the onion.  Add the garlic and turn the heat right down so you slowly cook the onions and garlics until soft without browning them.  This will take a few minutes.

Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and add these to the pan with some seasoning.  Turn the heat up to get some heat back in the pan and when the tomatoes start sizzling turn it back down.  Add a pinch of chilli flakes or the fresh chilli and allow to cook gently for 10 minutes or so.  Now for the tomato skin removal.  Turn the heat off and using 2 teaspoons, gently tease the skin away from the flesh.  You can of course completely avoid this step but I personally feel you get a much purer taste if you spend a few minutes doing this.  If the skins don't come away easily then let them cook for a little longer and try again.  I often prepare the sauce up to this stage in advance

Cook your pasta according to the packet instructions in salted water.  Once drained, reserve some of the cooking liquor.

Once all the skins are removed, turn the heat up a little and add the wine allowing it to bubble away for a couple of minutes.  Add the drained pasta and some of the cooking liquor to the tomato mix and toss thoroughly. Stir through the parsley

Meanwhile heat a griddle or frying pan.  Spray the prawns with olive oil and season.  Cook in the pan turning once for a couple of minutes on each side until the prawns are completely pink.

Toss the prawns through the pasta and serve up!

WeightWatchers PropPoints Per Serving: 12
 

Spaghetti Bolognaise

Who doesn't love a good spag bol? It's a firm family favourite, quick, easy and full of goodness. The supermarket is stacked with jarred sauces to make this meal even easier but you really don't need to use them as it's so easy to get a fantastic flavour by using good storecupboard and fresh ingredients.  The key is to pack in the veg and use a very lean mince beef so you can really stretch how far the sauce can go.

All this said, I've long struggled with finding the balance of bolognaise sauce & pasta, that meets my requirements; tasty, filling, max 12 ProPoints.  I am pleased to say that I think I am there! My tastebuds are tingling from the wonderful eating experience of this evening.  (Ok I admit, after a glass of red to wash it down, I may also be a tad tipsy!)

One last thing; the preparation of this was super-quick with the aid of my fabulous Pampered Chef food chopper. It really made light work of the prep and if you ever get invited to a Pampered Chef party, you won't regret this purchase!  No wonder it's one of their best sellers.

You'll need for 5 adults or 4 adults & 2-3 kids. (I usually freeze bolognaise x2 adult portion and x2 child portion)

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 medium sized onion,  finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots, finely chopped
• 2 sticks of celery, finely chopped
• 1 large courgette, finely chopped
• A few chestnut mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 500g extra lean mince beef, 5% fat
• 2 tins of chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• Approx 10 dashes of worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• Pinch of sugar
• 2 fat garlic cloves, crushed or chopped
• Handful of freshly chopped basil
• 425g spaghetti or your choice of pasta

Get a large, heavy bottomed saucepan on the stove.  I love using my cast-iron pan.  Heat the olive oil.  Gently saute the onion.  I tend to prep vegetables as I'm going and throw them into the pan as they are chopped. This often involves turning the heat on and off depending on how quick I am at chopping!!  Next add the carrots, celery, garlic, courgettes and then the mushrooms.  Keep stirring and add a little water if it looks a little dry.

Next, turn the heat up and add the mince, breaking it up with the wooden spoon and browning all over.  Add the 2 tins of tomatoes.  Fill one of the cans with water and add that to the pan too.  Keep stirring and add the worcestershire sauce, the tomato puree, salt & pepper and pinch of sugar. 

Now just leave it for a good 30 - 40 mins on a low simmer and add some freshly chopped basil at the end. 

Boil your pasta in salted water according to the packet instructions.  I work on the basis on 85g dried pasta per portion. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce. Serve up!

You can portion up the bolognaise sauce and freeze for later date

Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese for additional 1-2 PP.

WeightWatchers ProPoints Per Serving: 12

Carbonara

Having recently returned from Sicily I felt I simply had to post a pasta dish.  I have a problem with eating pasta when being strict on WeightWatchers in that you don't get much for your ProPoints so admittedly this is a bit of an indulgent supper and one which you may choose to save for the weekend.

Authentic carbonara is not made with cream.  Fact.  The creaminess is obtained by using a mix of eggs and some of the pasta cooking liquor and of course some good parmesan.  (You are already freaking out at the sound of eggs, pasta and parmesan in a WW friendly dish aren't you?!)  I promise that this is worth the extra couple of ProPoints and you really will enjoy this one...

You'll need for 2:

• 180g spaghetti or linguine
• 4 reduced fat bacon medallions or rashers with all fat removed, chopped
• Good sized handful of chopped fresh parsley
• 3 tbsp freshly grated parmesan
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, bashed
• 2 medium eggs

What to do:
In a big saucepan cook the pasta according to the packet instructions in plenty of salted water.

Heat the olive oil in a big frying pan and add the garlic clove and saute for a few minutes.  Add the bacon and fry until cooked and brown.  You could substitute the bacon for a mix of wild mushrooms for a vegetarian version.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs with some black pepper.  Add the chopped parsley and half of the parmesan cheese.  Mix well (you could also add a glug of white wine to this for an even naughtier but nicer taste!)

Once the pasta is cooked drain, reserving a cupful of the cooking liquor.  Keep the frying pan on the hob but with the heat turned off.  Add the pasta to the frying pan with the bacon and garlic along with a couple of ladles of the cooking liquor until the pasta is nicely coated.  Remove the garlic at this point if you prefer.  Then add the egg mixture stirring continuously to coat. 

Pile into pasta bowls and finish with a sprinkling of the remaining parmesan cheese.  Yummy!

WeightWatchers ProPoints Per Serving: 15

My Pasta Amatriciana (bacon, mushrooms & chilli)

Thursdays seem to come round quickly.  Thursday is the only night that we can enjoy pasta (unless indulging at the weekend).  For an Italian family, this is hard!  The reason I avoid pasta during the week is that you need a fairly decent size portion (around 100g) to create a satisfying meal.  On the WeightWatchers plan 100g of pasta is a whopping 10 ProPoints! I try to work on a maximum of 12 ProPoints per main meal/dinner so that leaves just 2 for any protein or sauce.  You can forget about adding parmesan cheese!!

I have managed to find a handful of pasta dishes that fit into my lifestyle.  With hubby and I exercising at different times on a Thursday evening, I need to create a pasta sauce during the day that can be added to freshly boiled pasta upon request.  This sauce takes minutes to knock up and I have been known to do this inbetween feeding kids, talking on the phone, tweeting...you get the picture.

You'll need for 2:

• Half a red onion, finely diced
• 4 reduced fat bacon medalions, chopped
• 1 tsp olive oil
• Pinch of chilli flakes
• 1 punnet chestnut mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp freshly chopped basil
• Half a bottle passata
• 1 garlic clove, smashed
• 200g pasta: penne, rigatoni or farfalle all go well
• Black pepper

What to do:
Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan.  Add the red onion and saute.  Add the bashed garlic and soften for a few minutes with the onion.

Add the bacon and fry until browned.  Then add the mushrooms, black pepper and chilli flakes.  Once the mushrooms are nicely coated and starting to soften, add the passata.  Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer.  Throw the basil in at the end.

When ready to serve boil the pasta according to the packet instructions and drain.  Retain a little of the cooking liquor.  Add the pasta to the sauce and stir to coat.  Add some of the cooking liquor if it looks a little dry.

WeightWatchers ProPoints Per Serving: 11

Add a teaspoon of grated parmesan if you just cannot resist (I can't!) for an extra 1 ProPoint.

Linguine Nero Di Sepia con Gamberoni & Capesante

Black squid ink linguine with king prawns & scallops

It was our 7^th wedding anniversary on Sunday so a celebratory meal was in order.  My hubby decided to continue with his latest desire to master the Italian cuisine.  It’s very fitting he should choose this particular dish which is so reminiscent of the wonderful times we have spent in Sicily eating fresh seafood, but more so as it was on this day 7 years ago that we tied the knot with the beautiful mountainous countryside of Sicily and our backdrop as we feasted on a 7 course meal which includes some of the best seafood we have ever tasted.

A bit about the produce:

When DH decides to do something, he does it to perfection so it is no surprise that he selected one of Italy’s finest variety of tomato to use in his fresh pasta sauce, the datterini.  These sweet, almost grape like tomatoes are available from Italian importers but do not come cheap at around £9 a kilo.  To get the most from this speciality tomato, he scored, blanched and peeled each baby plum tomato to create a wonderful sauce.  This was an afternoon’s work on its own!  Any good ripe, vine tomato would suffice if you do not have the inclination to use the datterini, however you can source them from Natoora

The fish was purchased from our favourite fishmonger; Chelsea Fishmongers in Guildford.  You can be guaranteed that what you find here has not been farmed or preserved in a warehouse only to reach our plates 3 weeks later.  The fish here is the freshest, often line caught or wild and off the boat within the last 48 hours.

The last ingredient that needs a special mention is the wonderful Linguine Nero di Sepia.  This black pasta gains its colour from squid ink which is of course, black. The injection of colour also adds as a flavour enhancer, making it the perfect accompaniment to seafood.  You can find squid ink pasta in specialist Italian delis such as Camisa

You’ll need for 2 adults:

• 150 – 200g linguine nero di sepia
• 500g datterini tomatoes, skinned and crushed, juice discarded
• 20g parsley, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp dry white wine
• 1 large garlic clove, crushed
• 8 king prawns, middle legs removed and middle peeled.  Head and tail not removed
• 6 large scallops, cut into 2 or 3
• ½ red chilli finely chopped.  Seeds added or not – to your liking
• Seasoning

What to do:

Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted water until al dente.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and add the garlic and chilli.  Fry gently for about 30 seconds.  Add the prawns and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until they start to go lightly pink.  Remove to a plate.

Add the tomatoes and parsley and cook for around 7 minutes on a medium heat.  Add the wine and allow to evaporate for a minute or two.   Add the prawns back in and add the scallops too.  Season using plenty of black pepper and salt to your taste.

Drain the pasta and retain some of the cooking water.  Add to the sauce.  Toss together and serve.  Add some of the pasta water if you need to loosen the sauce at all.

When eating, you can remove the prawn heads and let all the wonderful juice from the head fall into the plate to add even more flavour and depth to this most delicious dish.