Cajun Dirty Rice – a filthy feast for less than 300 calories!

I’d become a little bored of my favourite healthy eating recipes and was in need of some inspiration. The Pinch of Nom series of books (Pinch of Nom and Pinch of Nom Everyday Light) have been a breath of fresh air and contain some novel recipes that I haven’t come across in other ‘diet’ books.

One of ‘Nom’s’ most celebrated dishes within their huge online community is Cajun Dirty Rice. Now I can see why. This amazing meal packs so much variety of different ingredients, all for less than 300 calories. Phenomenal. Who doesn’t love meat, vege and rice in one belly-busting bowl?

You will have various ingredients leftover so here’s what you can do with them. For peppers, check out menemen, warm griddled vegetables with halloumi or sweet and sour chicken. For mushrooms and bacon go for tagliatelle carbonara or halloumi and smoky bacon hash. No leftovers, no waste. Enjoy.

Recipe: Cajun Dirty Rice

Calories: 291 per serving

Serves: 4

Book: Pinch of Nom

Prep time: Approx 10 mins

Cooking time: Approx 30 mins

Ingredients:

• 200g basmati rice
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 chicken stock cube
• Low-calorie cooking spray
• 400g 5% fat minced beef
• ½ onion (finely chopped)
• 4 bacon medallions diced
• 2 tsp Cajun seasoning (or more, to taste)
• Dash of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 medium carrot (fine chopped)
• 6 mushrooms (sliced)
• ½ red pepper (deseeded and finely chopped)
• ½ yellow pepper (deseeded and finely chopped)
• ½ green pepper (deseeded and finely chopped)
• 200ml beef stock (1 beef stock pot dissolved in 200ml boiling water)
• Small bunch of spring onions (trimmed and thinly sliced)

Cost per portion: Approx £1.87

Method:

Cook the rice according to the packet instructions, adding the bay leaf and chicken stock cube to the water before cooking. Set the rice aside once cooked.

Spray a frying pan with some low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the minced beef, onion and bacon and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring, until brown. Add the Cajun seasoning and Worcestershire sauce and stir, then add the carrot, mushrooms, peppers and pour in the beef stock. Cooking for 3-4 minutes until the peppers start to soften.

Add the cooked rice and the spring onions to the pan and stir over a medium heat until all the rice is coated and it is warmed through. Taste and add some more Cajun seasoning if you prefer it spicier, then serve.