Butternut Squash and Leek Risotto with Garlic-Ginger Tiger Prawns

Serves 2

2 syns on Extra Easy*

* providing you use the cheese as your Hex A

6 large raw tiger prawns

knob of ginger

4 cloves garlic

2 tbsp tomato purée

1 tbsp paprika

150g arborio rice

bouillon powder

125ml dry white wine

60g grated Parmesan cheese

1 large leek, sliced

a small butternut squash, quartered

Bake the butternut squash at 210°C until al dente (or as soft as you would like it). When cooked, scoop out the flesh using criss cross cuts which don't go right the way through the skin (much as you would with a mango).

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and add the prawns. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the turn pink. Do not overcook or they will be tough. Drain, retaining the liquid, and plunge immediately into a bowl of iced water to arrest the cooking process. When cool enough to handle, peel the prawns.

Sautée the garlic and ginger in a little Fry Light until it is just beginning to go brown, then add the tomato purée and paprika plus a little of the cooking water from the prawns. Just before the risotto is ready, add the prawns to the sauce – either whole or sliced – to reheat.

Place the rice in a saucepan with some of the cooking liquid from the prawns, bring to the boil and stir continuously while the rice absorbs the liquid. Continue adding about a ladle-ful of water each time, adding the wine and bouillon powder at some stage. About half way through (the whole process usually takes 20-30 minutes), add the leeks. When the rice is cooked to your liking, add the butternut squash and stir until the squash it heated through. Take the risotto off the heat and stir in the cheese. Serve with the prawns on top.

 

Prawn Laksa

There are lots of different versions of prawn laksa, and this is my take on this popular spicy noodle soup from Singapore. Instead of the usual coconut milk, I used Müllerlight coconut and vanilla yogurt at only ½ syn per pot. You can easily use leftover vegetables in this soup, or any combination that you like, only limited by your imagination! Below is a list of what I used, for two people.

4 banana shallots

a knob of ginger

4 garlic cloves

1 tsp sambal oelek

1 tbsp bouillon powder

2 noodle nests

1 pkt of uncooked prawns

½ pkt bean-sprouts

5 spring onions, chopped

a handful of coriander leaves, chopped

a handful of mint leaves, chopped

½ cooked butternut squash, cubed

1 tub of Müllerlight coconut yogurt

In a large saucepan, fry up the shallots, ginger and garlic in some Fry Light, then added water, sambal oelek and bouillon powder. Let it simmer for a few minutes, then add the noodles and bean sprouts. Once they start to go soft, add the prawns, spring onions, cooked butternut squash (or whatever leftover vegetables you are using) and stir until the prawns turn pink. Switch off the heat and add the yogurt and herbs. Check the seasoning and serve.

Lime Prawn Stir Fry

Serves 2

Syn Free on Extra Easy

300g cooked king prawns

1 small courgette, sliced

5-6 baby sweetcorn, sliced

1 small carrot, sliced

4-5 asparagus, sliced

1 onion, chopped

pkt rocket, watercress and spinach

1 tbsp soy sauce

juice of 2 limes

1 small chilli, chopped

1 tbsp sweetener

Sauté the onion in Fry Light for a few minutes, then add the carrot, asparagus, babycorn and courgette. Continue stir frying for a few more minutes, then add the soy sauce, lime juice, chilli and sweetener. Stir well, then add the rocket, watercress and spinach. Stir until the salad vegetables are just beginning to wilt. Serve immediately. 

 

Spiced Smoked Salmon Mousse with Prawns

We decided to have a date night in on Saturday night, and popped to Morrison's for a steak. I love their meat and fish usually, but this time they really excelled themselves – the steak was one of the best we've ever had! It was meltingly tender and beautifully tasty. Heavenly.

Anyway, this is the starter I made to go with the date night. They were selling off end pieces of smoked salmon at a well reduced price, and I had some prawns already in the fridge.

Serves 2

Syn Free on Extra easy

60g smoked salmon cut-offs

2 tbsp fat free fromage frais

½ tsp harissa paste or minced chillies

salt and pepper to taste

¼ tsp sweetener

6 king prawns

lemon swirls to serve

Whizz the salmon and fromage frais through a liquidiser until a smooth paste. Stir in the harissa paste, salt, pepper and sweeter. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Place the salmon mousse in shot glasses. Thread the prawns on to skewers and place into the shot glasses. Decorate with lemon and serve.

Soba Noodle Bowl with Prawns

If I had to choose one particular world cuisine as my favourite, it has to be South East Asian. I love the combinations of flavours and textures, and how they use such fresh ingredients. This is an adaptation of a recipe I found on line, which I changed somewhat in order to fit it into the Slimming World plan and according to ingredients I had and wanted to use. It is such a quick and easy meal, and very tasty. 

 

Serves 2

Syn Free on Extra Easy

125g cooked king prawns

85g soba noodles

1 carrot

1 bunch spring onions

1 small knob ginger

80g edamame beans

¼ cup dark soy sauce

¼ cup rice wine vinegar

¼ cup sweetener

Cut each prawn in three. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions and drain. Cut the carrot, spring onions and ginger into julienne strips. Heat the soy sauce, vinegar and sweetener with ¼ cup of water in a pan. Add all the other ingredients and stir until heated through. Serve in noodle bowls with chopsticks. 

 

Prawns Wrapped in Parma Ham

Although I have synned the ham as per guide lines, I also removed all the fat, so I expect most of the syns have been removed.

Serve with soy sauce (syn free) and sweet chilli sauce (1 syn per tbsp) for dipping.

The syn value of this dish depends on the number of slices of Parma ham you use, which again depends on the size and number of prawns.

* ½ syn per slice

250g uncooked king or tiger prawns

5-8 slices Parma ham*

Remove the fat from the ham and cut each slice into four pieces. Wrap around the prawns and place on a greased baking sheets. Repeat with the remainder of the prawns.

Bake for a few minutes until the prawns have turned opaque. Serve with the dipping sauces. This dish would make a nice starter for a dinner party, or as part of a finger buffet as I did. 

 

Picchi-Pacchi Spagetti with Prawns and Chilli

Picchi-pacchi is an Italian expression for 'fresh', which describes this dish perfectly.

Serves 2

Syn Free on Extra easy

150g wholemeal spagetti

2 onions, chopped

4 vine-ripened tomatoes, de-seeded and chopped

4 large garlic cloves, sliced

1 red chilli, chopped

1 bunch spring onions, sliced

250g cooked king prawns

½ pkt flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp course ground black pepper

30g grated parmesan from your Healthy Extra A to serve (optional)

Sauté the onions and garlic in a little Fry Light until soft but not burned. Meanwhile cook the spagetti for ten minutes in plenty of salted water. Just before the spagetti is ready, add the prawns, tomatoes, chilli, and spring onions to the pan with the onions and garlic. Stir until heated through. Add the lemon juice, parsley, black pepper and drained spagetti and toss together. Serve with the parmesan cheese if using. 

 

King Prawn Salad

This salad is so easy and quick to make, but never fails to satisfy. You can vary the amount of chilli to suit your taste.

Serves 2

Syn Free on Extra easy

1 packet of king prawns

1 packet salad leaves – I like to use watercress, rocket and spinach

2-3 limes

1-2 tsp sweetener

1 red chilli, finely chopped

Divide the salad between two plates and top with the prawns. I like to take it all out of the fridge at least an hour before serving, as I don't like my food cold (that even includes ice cream!).

Mix the juice from the limes, sweetener and chopped chilli together – or cheat as I do and use sambal oelek (or lazy chilli in a jar) in place of the chilli. Drizzle over the dressing and serve. 

Prawn and Quinoa Laksa

This 'creation' is a combination of two recipes and far from authentic, but who cares as long as tastes good? The quinoa helps to thicken the soup and adds a bit of substance.

Prawn and Quinoa Laksa

Serves 2

1 Syn on Extra Easy

2 small onions

2 stems lemon grass

small knob of ginger

3 cloves of garlic

1 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp sambal oelek

1 tbsp curry paste

100g quinoa

200g king prawns

small handful of mange tout, finely sliced

1 carrot, finely sliced

handful of beanspouts

bouillon powder to taste

1-2 tbsp sweetener

2-3 tsp light soy sauce

Boil the quinoa in just enough water to cover for about ten minutes. Meanwhile, place the onions, lemon grass, ginger, garlic, coriander, sambal oelek and curry paste in a liquidiser and blitz until smooth, adding water until you get about 600 ml of liquid with a consistency like a thick soup. Add bouillon powder, sweetener and soy sauce to taste. Add the mange tout and carrots and simmer gently for a few minutes. Meanwhile, simmer the beansprouts for a few minutes in a separate saucepan. Add to the soup with the prawns and heat through gently. 


Chopsticks brought back from Japan. 

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