One-pot Mediterranean chicken pasta

PREP TIME: 10 MINS COOKING TIME: 1 HR 10 MINS CALS PER SERVING: 437

FREEZABLE

ORZO has only become popular in the UK recently. Although it looks like rice, it’s actually pasta and it creates a great, light dish with a filling power punch. Whatever you do, don’t confuse allspice with mixed spice!

SERVES 4

1 ½ tsp smoked sweet paprika 1 ½ tsp ground allspice ½ tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp sea salt 6 chicken thighs (skin removed) Low-calorie cooking spray 1 onion, diced 1 medium carrot, diced 1 celery stick, diced 6 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole 4 mushrooms, thickly sliced Handful of cherry tomatoes Juice of 1 lemon 500ml chicken stock (1 chicken stock cube dissolved in 500ml boiling water) 250g orzo Handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped, plus extra to garnish COMBINE the paprika, allspice, turmeric and salt. Coat the chicken thighs in the spice mixture and set them aside for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200C/180c fan/gas 6. Spray a large ovenproof frying pan or casserole dish with some low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the chicken thighs and saute until they start to brown, then turn them over and brown on the other side. Remove from the pan and set aside. Spray the pan with more low-calorie cooking spray, then add the vegetables and fry for 5 minutes until the onion is soft. Add the tomatoes, lemon juice and 100ml of chicken stock, then return the chicken to the pan. Cover with a lid (or a piece of foil) and place in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, then add the orzo, parsley and the rest of the stock. Stir and return to the oven for 20 minutes with the lid off. Serve with extra parsley.