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.

Caramelised Basa Fillets with Tamarind

Trey kho umpil

We first encountered this Vietnamese dish at a small beach restaurant in Dai Lanh near Nang Tra back in 1997. To reach the restaurant we had to traverse the river on a rickety old wooden footbridge, and the place itself looked run down and maybe not the sort of place I would normally have chosen to eat; but the fish was very fresh and absolutely delicious! The sweet, sour and spicy flavour combination has stayed with me ever since, although this is the first time I have attempted to make it at home. 

 

I'd stocked the freezer with lots of different fish when I went to Morrisons last week, and I asked Husband to take out a random packet of fish for tonight's supper. I was looking on line for inspiration about how to prepare basa fillets when I saw this recipe and the memory of this ramshackle beach café in Vietnam came back to me.

Basa is a type of catfish native to Vietnam and Thailand and has a somewhat unusual consistency but a nice firm flesh and good flavour. We both loved this dish and I shall definitely be cooking it again.

* The recipe called for fish sauce, but as I am not very keen I substituted some extra thick soy sauce. You can of course use normal dark soy sauce, but the consistency will be thinner. You can get it at Chinese supermarkets – I bought mine at Wai Yee Hong OrientalSupermarket in Eastville. 

 

Serves 2

Less than ½ syn per serving

2 basa fillets

2 small onions, very finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp extra thick soy sauce*

1 tbsp tamarind paste (½ syn)

1 tsp sambal oelek (or lazy chilli)

2 tbsp sweetener

1 bunch of spring onions, sliced diagonally in 1 inch slices

Sauté the onion in Fry Light over a low heat until translucent and soft. Add 200ml water, the soy sauce, sweetener, tamarind paste, garlic and sambal oelek and stir well. Place the basa fillets in the liquid and simmer gently until they are cooked through, some 7-10 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets, turning half way through to ensure the fish is coated in the mixture. 2-3 minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the spring onions.

I served this with brown rice with a handful of frozen chopped vegetables added for the last couple of minutes of the cooking time; tenderstem broccoli and Do Chua Vietnamese pickles. I used a bit of a cheat's recipe for the pickles, as I made them up fresh rather than actually pickling them. Husband said it was very refreshing and went well with the fish. 

 

Do Chua

½ daikon or mooli, grated

1 large carrot, grated

knob of ginger, grated

2 tbsp rice vinegar

2 tbsp sweetener

Mix all the ingredients together and serve. Any leftovers can be kept for several days in the fridge. 

 

Kale and Mint Salad

I had some kale in the fridge that needed using up, and I was searching the internet for inspiration when I came across a recipe that I managed to doctor enough to fit in the Slimming World Plan. Normally I would just fry the kale in some Fry Light until crispy, so this was the first time we've had it raw. 

 

Serves 2

Less than ½ syn per person*

* providing you use the cheese as your Healthy Extra A

1 packet kale, picked over to remove the thick hard stems

1 packet of mint, leaves roughly chopped

Dressing

zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 small garlic clove, very finely chopped

1 tsp Dijon mustard

¼ tsp red chilli flakes

30g finely grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp plain fat free yogurt

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Mix all the ingredients for the dressing together and add water until you get a dressing-like consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in to the kale and mint leaves until thoroughly mixed.

I served mine with some chilli and garlic grillsticks from Joe'sSausages for an almost syn free lunch with lots of superfree.

We both found the texture of the raw kale a little unusual, but agreed that its chewy consistency was not unpleasant. I would definitely have it again. 

 

 

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.

Pulled Beef Chilli

More leftovers for dinner tonight. Using the pulled beef from last night, I added tinned tomatoes, passata, kidney beans, cooked leeks, red pepper, yellow pepper and onions; chopped red chilli, cumin powder, oregano and garlic. 

 

I was going to serve it with twice cooked jacket potatoes, but we'd been out for the afternoon and got back so late I wanted something quick and easy. If I have to wait too long for dinner in the evening when I am hungry, it becomes a bit of a danger area for me for snacking. There are times when you can wait, and times when you need instant gratification. 

 

The jacket potatoes can wait until later this week - there is plenty of leftover chilli (leftover of the leftovers) to go inside the potatoes, so that's another easy meal sorted. 

 

Dhal Masala Vadai

Vadai (also known as also known as wada or vade or vada or bara) is a south Indian savoury fritter type snack, which can be made from lentils (dhal), chick peas (channa), gram flour (besan) or potato (aloo). It is usually deep fried, but I decided to bake mine instead to make it fit in with the Slimming World regime.

I used leftover lentils and vegetables for this, but you can of course cook these especially for the vadai. I had green lentil mixed with onions, Chinese leaves and spring greens from Friday night's dinner; and also some leftover roasted vegetables from Saturday night which I added to the mix for extra superfree (red, green and yellow peppers, red and yellow onion and sweet potato). Add spices to taste – I used ground cumin (my favourite!), ground cinnamon, ground coriander, fresh and dried ginger, fresh garlic and red chilli flakes. Whizz it all up in a food processor, using the 'pulse' button to ensure it becomes paste-like but still retains some texture. 

 

Using wet hands so that the paste doesn't still to my fingers, I formed the mixture into little balls and placed them in muffin cups flattening them ever so slightly with my hands before spraying them with Fry Light and baking in the oven at 230°C for 20-25 minutes until nicely browned and crispy on the outside. 

 

In India, vadai is eaten as a snack (often for breakfast) or a side dish, never as a main course; and is found for sale all over the south at street food. I served mine with leftover coleslaw and potato salad from yesterday's picnic lunch; tomato salad made from chopped tomatoes (flesh only), onions, a red chilli and coriander with the juice of half a lemon and some salt and coarsely ground black pepper; mint raita (made from 0% fat plain yogurt, mint sauce and sweetener); and some rocket leaves to turn it into a complete meal. Garnished with red onion. 

 

Baking the vadai rather than deep frying them means that they do become a lot more crumbly when you cut into them, and it would be difficult to eat them as a street food snack with your hands (right hand only of course); but if you don't mind the texture, the flavour was superb. Even non-lentil-loving Husband enjoyed it so much he had second helpings. 

 

Mulligatawny Soup made from Leftover Chilli Con Carne

Nice and quick, nice and comforting, nice and easy, nice and warming, nice and healthy. What more can you want on a miserable day? 

 

Serves 2

Syn Free on Extra Easy

1 cup leftover chilli con carne (syn free of course)

½ cup red lentils

2 onions

2 stems celery

2 tsp bouillon powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp ground turmeric

½ cup cooked carrots, chopped

a few drops food colouring

a small handful chopped coriander leaves

1 red chilli (optional), finely chopped

Finely chop the onion and celery and onions and sauté in Fry Light until soft. Add the lentils and bouillon powder and enough water to make it a soup consistency. Boil rapidly for ten minutes. Turn the heat down, add the leftover chilli con carne and spices and simmer for another 15-20 minutes until everything is cooked through and the lentils are soft and mushy. Add the carrots and fresh coriander and heat through. Add a few drops of food colouring if the soup looks a little insipid. Serve topped with some chopped coriander. 

 

Joloff Chicken and Rice

This well known, colourful West African dish is easy to prepare and very tasty. My first experience of this was in Kumasi in Ghana, in a small restaurant just off the town centre with a delightful poster on the wall. Although it didn't instil much confidence in the food at the time, it did bring about a few laughs, and we were told that the meaning was to suggest that you “live for today as you don't know what tomorrow brings”. Maybe it lost something in translation. 

 

The mats on the table are also West African – we bought them in a small village in Burkina Faso, where we could see the women weave mats and baskets. 

 

I baked the chicken legs in the oven before adding them to the stew, as I wanted to make sure that they were cooked through. 

Serves 2

Syn Free on Extra Easy

2 chicken legs, skin removed

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp dried thyme

1 can chopped tomatoes

2 onions, chopped

200ml passata

1 chilli, finely chopped

150g rice

flavourful chicken stock

Rub the chicken with the garlic and set aside for 30 minutes. Bake at 200°C for around 20 minutes, until almost cooked. Meanwhile, sauté the onions in Fry Light until soft. Add the tinned tomato, chilli, passata, chicken legs and enough stock to just cover. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the rice and chicken are cooked through. 

 

Tanzanian Fish Curry

I removed all the flesh from the bones before adding the fish to the sauce, as both of us are fussy fish eaters, but you can of course serve the bream whole on top of the curry if you wish. You can alter the amount of ginger to suit your taste, we love ginger with a passion, so usually add way more than the recipe states. I added some carrots and leeks to my rice to bulk out the superfree.

Serves 2

4½ syns on Extra Easy

2 fresh breams, cleaned

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 can chopped tomatoes

2 tbsp smooth peanut butter

1 green pepper, chopped

small knob fresh ginger, chopped

1 green chilli, finely chopped

rice and vegetables to serve

Sprinkle the fish with salt and grill for 5-10 minutes until it is cooked. Meanwhile, sauté the onion, garlic, ginger and peppers in Fry Light until soft. Add the tinned tomatoes, peanut butter, chilli and enough stock to make a thinnish sauce. Simmer for a few minutes. When the fish is cooked, remove the skin and bones and add the flesh to the curry. Serve with rice. 

 

Spicy Sausage and Cauliflower Pasta

I used the leftover spicy cauliflower from a couple of says ago from this, but below is the instructions on how you would make it from scratch. 

 

Serves 2

½ syn for the entire dish

½ cauliflower

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 fresh red chilli, seeded

½ tsp ground turmeric

1 tub Müllerlight coconut and vanilla yogurt

1 tsp sweetener

1 tsp tamarind powder

3 cooked Joe's sausages, sliced

150g cooked pasta

2 tbsp Greek Basil, Chopped

Trim the stalk from the cauliflower and break into tiny florets. Cook in plenty of salted water for a few minutes until tender. Grind the onion, garlic, chilli and turmeric together in a food processor to form a smooth paste. Stir in yogurt, sweetener, salt and tamarind powder. Add the cauliflower, sausage, pasta and basil. Gently heat in a saucepan without boiling. 

 

Peruvian Ceviche

Last time I ate ceviche was in a Peruvian restaurant in Panama – somewhat random eh? I have never made it at home, so I thought I'd have a go as part of my 'international week'. I used one of my own, home-grown habareno chillies, and boy did it pack a punch! Unless you like you food fiery, you may wish to use a less potent chilli, or leave it out entirely. 

 

Ceviche is a dish where fish or seafood is 'cooked' by marinating it in lime or lemon juice and eaten 'raw'. Make sure you only use the freshest of fish fillets for that reason. You can use other white fish if you can't find tilapia. 

 

Serves 2

Syn Free on Extra Easy

2 tilapia fillets, diced

½ small red onion, halved and slivered

¾ cup lime juice

1 habareno chilli, seeded and finely chopped (optional)

1 sweet potato

1 corn on the cob

salad to serve

In a large bowl, combine the fish, lime juice, chilli and onion. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel the sweet potato and cut into slices. Slice the corn and boil both for 5-7 minutes until just tender.

Serve the ceviche over the salad with the corn and potato on the side. 

 

Lobster Piri Piri

Frozen lobsters were on special offer at Costco a while back, and continuing with my 'international week', I adapted an original Nigerian recipe for this.

Many years ago I inherited 12 solid silver lobster forks – not the most useful of kitchen implements, not for me anyway: I think I have served lobster at home a total of four times including today! So at least the forks got a quick polish and an outing into the real world. The place mats with the fish motifs came from Bali. 

 

For some reason I wasn't expecting a great deal from this meal, but it was absolutely delicious! 

 

Serves 2

Syn Free on Extra Easy

1 cooked lobster, halved

200g cooked prawns

1 red onion

1 green pepper

200ml passata

small knob fresh ginger, cut into thin strips

1 red chilli, finely chopped

1 tsp bouillon powder

½ tsp sweetener

boiled white rice to serve

Sauté the onion, pepper and ginger in Fry Light until soft. Add the passata, and chilli with some water to dilute to a thinner consistency. Simmer for a few minutes, then add the prawns and heat gently.

The recipe suggests adding the lobster to the pan to heat, but I decided to leave it cold until after we'd picked the meat off it, then mixing it all in with the sauce and rice, the lobster meat heated through that way. I find it difficult enough to get the meat out of a lobster without the shell burning my hands! 

 

Sambal Kol Kembang

This Indonesian spiced cauliflower dish can be served as an accompaniment to meat dishes, or as a vegetarian dish in its own right. I have amended it to suit the Slimming World plan by substituting coconut yogurt for the coconut cream and sweetener for the sugar. 

 

Serves 4

½ syn for the entire dish

1 cauliflower

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 fresh red chilli, seeded

½ tsp ground turmeric

1 tub Müllerlight coconut and vanilla yogurt

1 tsp sweetener

1 tsp tamarind powder

Trim the stalk from the cauliflower and break into tiny florets. Cook in plenty of salted water for a few minutes until tender. Grind the onion, garlic, chilli and turmeric together in a food processor to form a smooth paste. Stir in yogurt, sweetener, salt and tamarind powder. Add the cauliflower and gently heat in a saucepan without boiling. 

 

Sambal Kecap

I made this to serve as a separate dip to go with the Indonesian satés (for Husband and me) as my dad doesn't like spicy food. I amended the original recipe to avoid the deep fried onions, and also wanted to thicken the sauce a little, so liquidised some of the onions after frying. I left the seeds in the chilli for extra heat, but you can remove them if you like your food less spicy. If you don't have tamarind powder, you can use lemon juice instead. It sure was potent! 

 

Syn Free on Extra Easy

1 onion, quartered, then thinly sliced

1 fresh red chilli

3 cloves garlic

1 tsp tamarind powder

4 tbsp dark soy sauce

Sauté the onion in Fry Light for around 10 minutes, until it is quite brown and sticky. Liquidise half the onion with the garlic, chilli, tamarind powder (or lemon juice), and soy sauce. Mix it all together with the other half of the fried onions and leave for at least an hour for the flavours to develop.