Budget Bites: What does chorizo go well with? Just about everything

Into big, meaty, smoky flavours? These three ways with chorizo will hit that craving

(Sorted Food)

Chorizo is a fantastic ingredient to use if you are into big, meaty, smoky flavours.

As part of our Budget Bites column – where we’ve teamed up with Sorted Food to bring you easy, affordable, quick and (most importantly) tasty recipes once a month – we’ve brought you three ways to the Iberian pork sausage that maximise on taste, and minimise on both mess and food waste. They also make the most of your staple ingredients while keeping your fresh shopping list minimal.

We’ve also provided a handy shopping list for the ingredients (thoguh hopefully most of it will be knocking about already), which are used across all recipes to ensure minimal food waste. You just need to decide where to shop, whether it’s locally or online.

Shopping list

• 1 clove garlic (for each recipe, total of 3 cloves)
• 1 lemon
• 30g fresh parsley
• 30g fresh basil
• 2 large carrots
• 1 red onion
• 200g cherry tomatoes
• 200g tenderstem broccoli
• 200g fine green beans
• 550g chorizo
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• 20g unsalted butter
• 200g dried pasta
• 150g basmati rice
• 30g dried panko breadcrumbs
• 7 tbsp olive oil (2 tbsp + 5 tbsp)
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• Chicken stock cube
• 500g microwave Puy lentils

Chorizo and garlic baked rice with charred greens

This oven baked rice dish is perfect for a lazy weekend (Sorted Food)

Switch out the greens depending on the season, this works really nicely with cabbage for example.

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

100g chorizo

4 tbsp olive oil

200g tenderstem broccoli

200g fine green beans

150g basmati rice

1 lemon

1 clove garlic

1 tsp Dijon mustard

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C, then fill the kettle with water and put it on to boil - this will be for the rice later.

2. Mince 100g of chorizo with a sharp knife.

3. Toss the chorizo with 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a baking dish.

4. Roast in the oven for 6-8 minutes, until the chorizo starts to release some of its oil. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.

5. Cut 200g of Tenderstem broccoli florets in half lengthways - this will ensure they cook faster later. Cut the tops and tails from 200g of green beans.

6. Wash 150g of rice through a sieve over the sink. Once the chorizo is ready, tip it in with the rice. Toss to coat in the oil.

7. Season the rice with a pinch of salt, then add 320ml of boiling water from the kettle and cover the dish tightly with tin foil.

8. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, until the rice is soft and all the water has been absorbed by the grains. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.

9. Place a large frying pan over a high heat - we will use this to char the veg in the next step.

10. Once the pan starts to smoke, tip in the veg along with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Cook for 8-10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until charred in places and soft throughout. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.

11. Finely grate the zest of 1 lemon and squeeze its juice into a large mixing bowl, then peel and finely grate in 1 clove of garlic. Add 1 tsp of mustard, 2 tbsp of olive oil and a generous pinch of salt, then give everything a quick mix.

12. If you’re still waiting on the veg, crack on with some washing up. Once the veg is ready, tip it into the bowl and give everything a good toss to coat.

13. Once the rice is ready, fluff the grains with a fork and divide between plates. Top each portion with a mound of dressed veg and serve.

Roast chorizo and cherry tomato pasta

This minimal effort pasta will wow your dinner party guests (Sorted Food)

If tomatoes aren’t in season, this dish can be made with drained tinned plum tomatoes instead.

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

125g chorizo

200g cherry tomatoes

5 tbsp olive oil

200g dried pasta

30g dried panko breadcrumbs

1 clove garlic

30g fresh basil

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C, then fill the kettle with water and put it on to boil - this will be for the pasta later.

2. Cut 125g of chorizo into small, 0.5cm chunks, then halve 200g of cherry tomatoes.

3. Toss the chorizo and tomatoes with 2 tbsp of the olive oil and a generous pinch of salt in a large roasting tray, then spread everything out into 1 even layer.

4. Roast in the oven for 15-17 minutes, until everything is sticky and golden. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.

5. Add 200g of pasta to a medium saucepan, season generously with salt and cover with boiling water from the kettle. Place the pan over a high heat.

6. Cook the pasta for 8-10 minutes, until soft but still with a slight bite. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.

7. Add the remaining 3 tbsp of oil to a small frying pan and place it over a medium heat.

8. Once the oil starts to shimmer and loosen, scatter in 30g of breadcrumbs. Fry, tossing regularly, for 4-5 minutes, until light golden brown.

9. Once the breadcrumbs are light golden brown, take the pan off the heat, finely grate in 1 clove of garlic, season with salt, then toss together. Set aside ready for serving later.

10. Once the pasta is ready, use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer it into the tray with the chorizo and tomatoes. Add the leaves from 30g of basil and toss everything together.

11. Divide the pasta between plates, top with the breadcrumbs and get stuck in!

Chorizo and puy lentil stew with garlic aioli

A packet of puy lentils is a store-cupboard saviour (Sorted Food)

If you can’t find Puy lentils in pouches, use tinned green lentils instead!

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

225g chorizo

2 large carrots

1 red onion

2 tbsp olive oil

500g microwave Puy lentils

1 chicken stock cube

3 tbsp mayonnaise

1 clove garlic

1 lemon

30g fresh parsley

20g unsalted butter

Method:

1. Cut 225g of chorizo into bite-sized chunks, then peel and finely dice 2 carrots. Halve, peel and finely dice 1 red onion.

2. Tip 2 tbsp of olive oil into a large frying pan and place it over a medium-low heat.

3. Tip the veg and chorizo into the oil and fry, tossing occasionally, for 10-12 minutes, until softened.

4. Once the veg has softened, add 2 250g pouches of lentils, crumble in 1 stock cube, then season with salt and cover with water.

5. Whack the heat up to medium and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until the liquid reduces by ½. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.

6. Add 3 tbsp of mayo to a small bowl. Peel, and finely grate in 1 clove of garlic, then finely grate in the zest from 1 lemon and squeeze in its juice. Beat everything together, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

7. Finely chop most of the leaves from 30g of parsley - we will use the rest for garnish later.

8. Once the stew is ready, take the pan off the heat and toss through 20g of butter and the chopped parsley.

9. Divide the stew between bowls, top each portion with a dollop of aioli and garnish with the reserved parsley leaves. Tuck in!

In response to the rising cost of living, we have teamed up with Sorted Food to bring you easy, affordable, quick and (most importantly) tasty recipes once a month. Find out more about Sorted and their nifty meal-planning app Sidekick at sortedfood.com/sidekick.