PRAWN & MANGO WRAPS

This is a light and easy meal that screams 'summer' to me. I like to buy prawns all ready to be cooked, but sometimes I do the dirty work myself; peeling, deveining and removing their tails. It's up to you which way you go. I can see myself eating a lot of these wraps over the hot months! 

INGREDIENTS

• 250g prawns, peeled, deveined & tails removed, uncooked 
• 1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce 
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 8 small tortilla wraps or mountain bread wraps 
• a handful of mixed or green lettuce, washed and roughly shredded
• 100g cucumber, thinly sliced into rounds
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced thinly
• 1 small mango, cut into cubes, around 100g 
• Optional- a handful of fresh coriander leaves

COOKING 

1. Combine the prawns and sweet chilli sauce in a small bowl. 

2. Heat and swirl the oil in a medium fry pan over medium-low heat. Add the prawns and cook, stirring regularly, for 2 - 3 minutes or until the prawns are pink and no longer translucent. Remove from heat immediately so they do not continue to cook. 

3. Lay a wrap down flat on a plate or chopping board. Arrange 1/8 of the cooked prawns, lettuce, cucumber, avocado, mango and coriander if using in the middle of the wrap and fold to wrap. Repeat until all wraps and ingredients are used. 

Serves / 4 / 2 wraps per serving 

Total Preparation & Cooking time / max 15 minutes (this does not include prepping the prawns)

x Emily 

PRAWN & VEGETABLE RICE NOODLES

I love eating prawn vermicelli salads when I go out to Vietnamese restaurants. Making your own is actually very easy and cheaper! I like to buy ready made prawns, that is, prawns that have already been peeled and deveined themselves, if I am time poor. Otherwise super fresh prawns will do, they will just require a little more prep time to remove their shells, tails and faeces track. I love the thicker rice noodles, but you could substitute for vermicelli. As there are only 50g cooked noodles per serving, the carbs are relatively low and the meal is light. Add whatever vegetables you have on hand that can be eaten raw. 

INGREDIENTS

Noodles 

• 250g uncooked prawns, peeled, deveined & washed
• 2-3cm fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
• 2 spring onions, plus extra to serve, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil 
• 100g pad thai rice noodles (thicker than vermicelli)
• 150g green beans, trimmed and cut into small pieces 
• 1 large carrot, grated 
• 1 lebanese cucumber or 1/2 a continental cucumber, diced
• Optional - a handful of fresh coriander leaves, washed & roughly chopped 

Dressing 

2 teaspoons fish sauce 

the juice of 1 large lime

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

2 tablespoons water 

COOKING 

1. Marinate the prawns with the ginger, garlic, chilli, spring onions and oil in a medium bowl. Place in the fridge until step 4. 

2. Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan filled halfway with water to the boil, covered. Once boiled add the noodles and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the noodles are tender but not mushy. Remove from the heat and drain the noodles in a colander under cold running water, separating the noodles with a fork. 

3. Make the dressing by combining all ingredients in a small bowl and stirring to combine. 

4. Heat a small to medium fry pan over medium-low heat. Once warm add the prawns and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until the garlic and ginger is cooked and the prawns are pink in colour. Remove from heat. 

5. Place the cooked prawns in a large serving bowl with the cooked noodles. Add the beans, carrot, cucumber, a handful of spring onions and coriander, if using and toss well to combine. Drizzle the dressing over the top and toss again. 

Serves / two 
Total Preparation time / max 15 minutes (longer if you need to prepare the prawns yourself) 
Total Cooking time / 15 minutes 

x Emily 

THAI FRIED RICE

Janella Purcell’s cookbook ‘Janella’s Wholefood Kitchen’ has really assisted me in getting back into cooking this week. Last night’s recipe was Thai Fried Rice and it was the tastiest fried rice I had ever eaten. The paste and sauce does require a bit of grunt work with the chopping and preparing, but the flavour is definitely worth it. Add more chillies to really achieve the spicy tang; I was a wuss with 1 large chilli. I added chicken for a little more protein; you could add beef or more vegetables. If you do not have black sesame seeds, go get some at your local health food store- I add them to most stir-fry / Asian dishes. 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 free-range eggs, beaten
• 400g prawns, peeled and deveined
• 250g chicken breast, cooked and cut into 2cm pieces
• 2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce or tamari
• 4 cups brown rice, cooled
• Optional- asian greens, such as buk choy / broccoli, roughly chopped
• 250g bean sprouts
• 1 cup loosely packed coriander leaves, plus extra to serve 
• 2 tablespoons of white sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons of black sesame seeds

Paste 

• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup firmly packed coriander stems, finely chopped
• 1 heaped teaspoon tamarind paste 

Sauce

• 1 large red chilli, roughly chopped (more chilli if you like spice)
• the juice of 1 large lime
• 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fish sauce 

PREPARATION 

1. Cook the rice by combining 2 cups brown rice and 4 cups water in a small - medium saucepan. Bring to the boil, covered, then simmer for 25-27 minutes or until the rice is tender and has absorbed all the water. Then transfer the rice to a low set bowl or large plate to cool. Start cooking the rice before you start preparing the paste items. 

COOKING 

1. To make the paste: combine the ingredients in a mortar and pestle and pound until it has formed a paste. Set aside. 

2. To make the sauce: combine all the ingredients in a food processor or use a stick blender and blitz together. Set aside. 

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil in a large wok over medium-high heat. Pour in the beaten eggs and form a thin omelette. Remove from heat, cut into small strips and cover to stay warm. 

4. Heat another tablespoon of sesame oil in the wok and add the paste, stirring constantly so it does not stick. Cook for 30 seconds, then add the prawns and stir. The prawns will be cooked when they have changed colour and become a pink pearly colour. When cooked, add the cooked chicken, soy sauce or tamari, rice and asian greens if using. Toss well to combine, then add the bean sprouts, coriander leaves, sesame seeds and omelette strips and stir to combine. (If cooking with asian greens, continue to toss until they are cooked. If omitting the asian greens, toss only until everything is combined and the rice is warm). 

5. Divide amongst 4 serving bowls, topping with more coriander leaves and lime juice if you desire. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 30 minutes (including preparing the rice)

Total Cooking time / 15 minutes (or longer if cooking asian greens)

x Emily 

BAHN XEO - VIETNAMESE PANCAKE

This Vietnamese Pancake stands out for me, as it is one of the most creative and mind-blowing dishes I have ever made. This Banh Xeo is also the most colourful dish I have ever prepared, as you can see by the vibrant hues in the photo above.  Whilst you would think that the preparation and cooking would be quite arduous, it was actually surprisingly fun, as you knew that the end result would be unlike anything else you had created. Traditionally, these pancakes are served with fatty pork and prawns as a filling, however I omitted the pork, not being a raving fan of this meat myself. You can make a vegetarian version of the dish by simply removing the prawns from the ingredient list. Thanks to chef Yotam Ottolenghi for this imaginative and inspiring recipe! 

INGREDIENTS

Pancakes

• 200g rice flour
• 1 egg, preferably free range
• 400ml light coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• sesame oil
• Optional - water & sea salt 

Sauce 

• 1/8 teaspoon chilli flakes
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 4 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce or tamari sauce

Filling

• 2 medium carrots, peeled & cut into matchsticks (small, thin pieces)
• 1 medium lebanese cucumber, cut into matchsticks
• 3 spring onions, cut into small pieces on an angle
• 1 cup red cabbage, finely shredded
• 200g bean sprouts
• 2 tablespoons fresh coriander or fresh mint, finely chopped
• 200g cooked & defined prawns, with tails removed (marinated with 1 finely chopped garlic clove & 1 teaspoon sesame oil)

COOKING 

1. To make the pancake batter, combine the rice flour, egg, turmeric and a pinch of sea salt in a large bowl. Gradually add the coconut milk, whisking well so no lumps of flour exist. We are aiming for a very thin, runny batter, therefore slowly add water if all the coconut milk has been used and the batter is not at this consistency (you may find that the batter will thicken slightly through the preparation stages, therefore you may need to add more water right before step 3). Set aside. 

2. To make the sauce, whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Add more chilli if you like or remove completely if you do not like any spice. 

3. Before making the pancakes, check if you need to add any more liquid to the batter (refer to step 1). Heat a small amount of sesame oil over medium heat in a non-stick frying pan of around 20-22cm in diameter. Pour in one-quarter of the batter and swirl around the pan so that the consistency between the edges and the centre of the pancake are as even as can be. Once a substantial amount of air bubbles have appeared on the surface of the batter (this will take around 2 minutes of cooking time) very gently flip the pancake over and cook the other side for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the pan and cover the pancake to keep warm as you repeat this process with the remaining batter to make four pancakes in total. 

4. Meanwhile, using a small frying pan over medium heat, add the prawns and the marinade and cook for 4 minutes or until prawns are pink in colour. Remove from heat and set aside. 

5. Place a warm pancake on each serving plate and place the filling you desire (carrot, cucumber, red cabbage, spring onions, bean sprouts, herbs and/or prawns) in the middle of the pancake, leaving some space on the edges of the pancake. Drizzle with sauce and fold the edges of the pancake over so you can pick it up. Serve with remaining sauce on the side to use as a dipping sauce for the pancake. 

Serves / 2 as a main meal or 4 as a light meal

Total Preparation time / 20 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 25 minutes 

x E

MANGO CHILLI PRAWN SALAD

Prawns and mangos are going to be my focus this summer. I just adore them. So why not put them together? Feeling a little lazy the other night I did purchase a mango chilli salad dressing, however I fully intend to make my own before spring become summer. A super easy and quick light lunch or dinner, this dish can be served with couscous or as a side to become more filling. If you are fortunate enough to have a BBQ, chargill the prawns and serve with some lemon drizzled on top.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 large tomato, roughly chopped
• a handful of iceberg lettuce, washed and roughly shredded
• 125g prawns, peeled & deveined
• 1/4 cup Coles Simply Less or other brand Mango Chilli dressing 
• Optional- 1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped

COOKING 

1. Combine prawns, half of the mango dressing and chives (if using) in a small bowl, tossing well. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cut up and place the cucumber, tomato and lettuce in a small bowl. 

2. After 15 minutes, cook prawns in a small frying pan over medium heat, stirring often until prawns are pink in colour. Remove from heat, place on top of salad and serve with the rest of the mango chilli dressing drizzled on top. 

Serves / 1 

Total Preparation time / 17 minutes (including refrigeration time)

Total Cooking time / 5 minutes 

x E

GARLIC & PARSLEY PRAWNS IN TOMATOES

This is one of the simplest prawn meals I have ever made. It was late on Wednesday night and I had no idea what to make for dinner. I had bought some frozen prawns with the tails off (you can certainly make this dish with prawns with tails intact) and was saving them to make sushi or a complex risotto. Instead, I figured that garlic, parsley and prawns would go well together. The tomatoes were a last minute addition in an effort to increase the meager vegetable intake in the meal. This recipe would take only a few minutes to cook, if not for the steaming of the brown rice. To save time, use white rice such as doongara or basmati, as its cooking time is less. You could also add Asian greens into the dish, such as buk choy.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups brown rice 
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 200g raw prawns, peeled & defined (tails on or off- your choice)
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 heaped tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 400g diced tomatoes 
• a pinch of chilli flakes

COOKING 

1. Cook brown by rice by combining rice and 3 cups of water in a small to medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 25 minutes, or until all water is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from heat. 

2. Heat a wok over medium heat and add the sesame oil, swirling around to coat. Add garlic and prawns and cook for 3 minutes or until prawns are cooked (that is, their skin has changed from transparent to a soft pink colouring). Add diced tomatoes, parsley and chilli flakes and cook over medium for a few minutes, until the tomatoes are cooked through. Remove from heat. 

Serve tomato & garlic prawns on a bed of brown rice. 

Serves / 2 - 4

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes

Total Cooking time / 30 minutes 

x E

PAD THAI

I’ve always wanted to try my hand at cooking Pad Thai since I started eating takeaway Thai food (only allowed once every 3-4 weeks at my childhood home). Over the past 2 years I’ve cooked various pad thai dishes, some greasier than others, some much tastier than others. The recipe below is my latest attempt at pad thai and the recipe that I find to be the healthiest and the most flavourful. If you do not have an intolerance to gluten, by all means use regular oyster sauce, sweet chilli sauce and soy sauce (instead of tamari sauce).

INGREDIENTS

• 200g cooked and peeled prawns
• 500g chicken mince
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3cm fresh ginger, grated
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 head of broccoli, cut into even florets
• 200g green beans, trimmed and washed
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 375g rice stick noodles
• 1 tablespoon gluten-free oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons gluten-free sweet chilli sauce 
• 1 tablespoon tamari sauce
• 1 tablespoon lime juice 
• 2 tablespoons roasted unsalted peanuts, crumbled, to serve 
• a handful of fresh coriander leaves, to serve 

COOKING 

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add rice noodles and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until noodles are tender but not soggy. Remove from heat and drain twice with cold water. 

2. Heat oil in a wok over medium heat and swirl to coat. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant. Add chicken mince and stir constantly, cooking until coloured through. Add eggs and stir-fry until set. Add broccoli and beans and continue to stir for 4 minutes. Add prawns and toss to combine. 

3. When green vegetables are cooked through and almost tender, add the drained noodles to the wok with the oyster and sweet chilli sauce. Stir-fry until combined, then remove from heat. 

4. Place the stir-fry in a large serving bowl, adding tamari sauce and lime juice. Toss well to combine, then serve with coriander leaves and roasted peanuts, if desired. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 25 minutes 

x E

PRAWN CURRY STIR-FRY

I’ve recently discovered a new-found love for prawns and have received so much joy and satisfaction in cooking them. It seems that when you change your diet considerably by omitting certain things, your palate craves food that you have previously disliked. Seafood was on the top of my no-go list last year but this year I found myself more adventurous and wanting to try new things. This prawn curry was a bit of a thrown together dinner and I was not sure how it would taste throughout the cooking process. Making your own homemade curry paste really makes a substantial difference in taste, however if you are pressed for time buying a prepackaged paste is fine (just remember to read the label carefully in case any gluten or other ingredients you may be intolerance to have been thrown in there).

INGREDIENTS

• 200g prawns, cooked & deveined 
• 1 1/2 cups doongara rice
• 400ml light coconut milk
• 200g green beans, washed & trimmed
• 1 small red capsicum, seeds removed & chopped 
• 1 large carrot, peeled & cut into long sticks
• 2 tablespoons homemade curry paste (see Chickpea & Chicken Curry, Potato Curry for ingredients) or prepackaged curry paste 
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
•  1 teaspoon sesame oil

COOKING 

1. Cook rice by adding 3 cups water to 1 1/2 cups rice in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. When boiled, simmer for around 10-12 minutes or until rice is tender and all water is absorbed. Remove from heat and sit. 

2. Meanwhile, heat sesame oil in a wok and swirl to coat. Add garlic and stir for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Then add curry paste and stir constantly so paste does not stick to work. When fragrant (this should only take 1 minute at most) pour in coconut milk and stir, bringing to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add green beans, capsicum and carrot. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until beans are almost tender. Add prawns and cook for another 3 or so minutes or until the prawns are heated through. 

3. Remove curry from heat. Place rice in a large serving bowl and pour curry over the top of the rice. Serve warm with fresh coriander on top if you wish. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes (15 if making curry paste from scratch). 

Total Cooking time / 25 minutes 

x E