Pasta with Avocado and Garlic Prawns

Ingredients:

500g fettuccine or linguini or spaghetti

For the Avocado Sauce

4 avocados, peeled and pitted

60ml fresh lime juice

60ml plain yoghurt or sour cream

125ml chopped fresh coriander

125ml chopped fresh parsley

2 spring onions, chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

30ml Olive Oil

½ jalapeño pepper

2.5ml ground cumin

For the Garlic Prawns

30ml butter

80ml Olive Oil

8 cloves garlic, finely sliced

2.5ml dried hot red pepper flakes

salt and black pepper, to taste

30ml chopped parsley

500g large prawns, peeled and deveined

Method:

Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add the pasta and cook it according to the package directions until al dente, about 8-10 minutes.

While the pasta is cooking, cook the prawns. 

In a large pan, heat the butter and olive oil over low heat. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper and cook about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is tender but not browned. Increase heat to medium and add prawns and sauté, turning the prawns once with tongs, until prawns are just cooked through, about 2 minutes each side. Set aside.

Make the avocado sauce: 

Place the avocado in a blender or food processor, add the remaining sauce ingredients and process until smooth and creamy.

When pasta is done cooking, drain and place pasta into a large bowl. Add the avocado sauce to the pasta and toss until pasta is well coated.

Using tongs, add the prawns to the pasta and pour the garlic sauce over the prawns. Garnish with parsley or coriander and serve immediately.

Avocado and Prawn Cocktail

Prawn cocktail was a popular starter in the 1960's and 70's. Adding avocado to it is a very South African thing but the combination of this creamy fruit and sweet juicy morsels of fruit of the sea is a marriage made in heaven. Adding chilli to the mix reflects the Mozambique influence, where prawns without chilli is a sacrilege. 

Enjoy.

Ingredients:
3-4 small gherkins, finely chopped
30ml capers, chopped
5ml tomato puree
20ml olive oil
250ml Mayonnaise
5ml chilli flakes
24 uncooked fresh or frozen prawns, drained
30ml chopped chives
6 Iceburg lettuce leaves, finely shredded
2-3 avocados, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
juice and zest of a lemon

Method:
Place the gherkins, capers, tomato purée and mayonnaise in a bowl. Mix to combine, cover with cling film and store in the fridge.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium to high heat. add the chilli flakes and prawns. Cook until the prawns have turned pink and started to brown, turning the prawns to cook on both sides. Cool slightly and toss in the chives.

Divide the lettuce between 6 serving dishes. Place a serving of the mayonnaise mixture on the lettuce and top with the prawns and avocado. Squeeze a little lemon over each serving and garnish with lemon zest. 

Cool and serve as a starter or salad.

Chilli Fish and Prawn Curry

This seafood curry may be hot for some, but is delicious if accompanied by refreshing side dishes. Serve it with rice steamed with a couple of cardamom pods and a few cloves along with small dishes of grated fresh coconut, thinly sliced onion, sliced banana sprinkled with lemon juice and diced cucumber in white wine vinegar. For those who find the sauce too hot, provide a little plain yoghurt, which is not only cooling, but also helps the digestion of spicy foods.

Ingredients:
30g unsalted butter
15ml curry powder
2 onions, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
5ml chilli powder or tandoori masala
30ml tomato paste
15ml golden syrup
zest and juice of 1 lemon
500ml fish or chicken stock
1 star anise
100g shelled cooked prawns
250g cooked firm fish fillets, diced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

Method:
In a heavy-based saucepan, melt the butter and fry the curry powder and chilli powder over low heat for about a minute. Add the onions and garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the tomato paste, golden syrup, lemon zest and juice and gradually stir in the stock. Add the star anise and simmer, covered, for about an hour. The sauce should now be quite thick.

Remove the star anise. Carefully stir in the prawns and fish, ensuring that they are covered with sauce and cook, uncovered, over gentle heat for about 10 minutes. Season to taste and transfer to a heated serving dish.

King Prawn and Coconut Curry

For a long time, I wouldn't eat prawns. I'd had a bad experience as a teenager when my dad brought prawns back from a business trip to Mozambique. They defrosted in the heat of the car and went off, but he insisted on eating them. I will never forget the pong when I had to cook them for him. For many years I couldn't even abide being in the vicinity of their being cooked, but a couple of years ago my husband persuaded me to try them, after all I love langoustines. So I relented and had a taste.

I can't believe I had spent all those years not having tasted these delicious crustaceans! I blush at the thought of the hostesses I offended when they served prawns and I gave mine to my husband, too fearful to eat them myself. It just goes to show, facing your fear can be such a good move, LOL.

Prawns are an extremely good source of protein, yet are low in fat and calories, making them a healthy food choice, especially if you need to move a few unsightly bulges from whatever unsightly part of your anatomy. Although they allegedly have a high cholesterol content, they are low in saturated fat, which is what raises cholesterol levels in the body, and therefore is bad for you. So there is no need to think you should avoid eating these delectable creatures. apart form the minerals like zinc, potassium, selenium and iron, these crustaceans offer, as well as vitamin B12 in particular, prawns provide a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids, protection for the heart, circulation, joints, nerves , the list goes on.

This excellent Bangladeshi curry has a Malay influence in its use of coconut and lime juice. It's ever so quick to prepare and can be made in a hurry when those unexpected visitors drop by. When you can get king prawns, stock up the freezer and wow those guests with a speedy delicious curry.

Ingredients:
2-3 red onions, roughly chopped
2 inches root ginger, roughly chopped
5-6 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
400g large raw peeled prawns
5ml turmeric
5ml salt
50ml vegetable oil
5ml cumin seeds
5ml black mustard seeds
3 -4 bay leaves
10-12 curry leaves
2ml cayenne pepper
2ml mild paprika
150ml water
4 long thin green chillies, slit lengthways
300ml coconut milk
30g fresh coconut, grated (or 30g desiccated coconut)
15ml Garam masala
10ml muscovado sugar
juice of half a lime

Method:
Put the onion, ginger and garlic into a mini blender with a little water and blend to a smooth paste.

Put the prawns in a bowl and toss them with the turmeric and salt. Heat 30ml oil in a large non-stick frying pan, add the prawns and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until they show a bit of colour. Remove the prawns from the pan and set aside on a warmed plate.

Add the remaining oil to the pan with the cumin and mustard seeds, the bay and curry leaves and allow them to sizzle for about 30 seconds. Add the onion paste, cayenne pepper and paprika and fry gently over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring until the paste is rich and aromatic. Add 150ml water, cover and simmer for 6 minutes, stirring from time to time. Stir in the green chillies and simmer another 4 minutes.

Add the coconut milk and bring back to a simmer. Add the prepared prawns, grated coconut, garam masala and sugar. Simmer for 1-2 minutes until the prawns are cooked through and coated with sauce. Stir in the lime juice and serve.

Prawn, Grapefruit and Watercress Salad

For starters, salads fit the bill, and what could be more refreshing than the tangy taste of watercress to begin a meal with? The addition of grapfruit to the salad, of course.

.

Ingredients:

2 pink grapefruit

5ml Dijon mustard

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to season

150ml olive oil

5-6 cooked prawns per person

2 packets of watercress, (75g per pack) washed and drained.

Method:

Using a ribbon zester tool, remove the zest from the grapefruit and put it in a small pan of cold water and bring it to the boil. Drain and leave aside. Holding the grapefruit over a bowl to catch the juice, carefully cut the white pith from the fruit with a sharp serrated edged knife. Cut the flesh into segments, then squeeze the remaining membranes to extract the juice. Put the grapefruit segments and juice to one side.

Put the mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl and add 100ml of the grapefruit juice. Whisk together well. Whisk in the oil. Spoon 60ml of the dressing over the cooked prawns, then cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Toss together the watercress, grapefruit segments, strips of zest, prawns and the remainder of the dressing.

There you have it; you are ready to serve.

Pumpkin and Seafood Curry

In keeping with "National Curry Week"

I have another curry for you,

one with a Thai influence.

I don't get to make this very often

as my husband does not eat pumpkin and,

I confess, I'm not crazy about sea food,

so this is a bit of a 'Jack Sprat and His Wife' dish for us.

I eat the pumpkin and he eats the fish.

If you don't like it hot, vary the amount of curry paste.

The recipe for my

"Yellow Thai Curry Paste"

can be found in my e-book,

"Herbs and Spices",

Which will be available soon.

Ingredients:

1 can of coconut milk

30ml Yellow Thai Curry Paste

250ml fish stock

20ml Thai fish sauce

10ml white or light brown granulated sugar

5ml turmeric

3-4 lime leaves, snipped into strips

1 stem of lemongrass, bruised

1 kg pumpkin (or butternut), peeled and chopped into large chunks

500g salmon, or other firm fish like cod or monkfish, cut into 1 inch cubes

100-200g prepared raw prawns

2 small pak choy, chopped

Juice of 1 lime

Chopped coriander leaves to garnish

.

Method:

Put the creamy top half of the can of coconut milk into a large saucepan with the curry paste and mix well.

Add the rest of the coconut milk, stock, fish sauce, sugar, turmeric, lime leaves and lemongrass into the broth and bring to the boil. Reduce to simmer.

Add the pumpkin chunks and cook until tender.

Add the fish and prawns and cook for about 5 minutes before adding the pak choy and lime juice. Simmer for a few more minutes to just wilt the greens.

Serve with rice or noodles, garnished with chopped coriander leaves.

.

If you are making this for a special dinner,

prepare the broth up till the pumpkin is cooked.

The broth can then be set aside

and warmed again when ready to add the fish.

To make a vegetarian version,

omit the fish and add a tin of chick peas or beans of your choice.

These will need to be cooked in the broth

for about 15 minutes to absorb the flavours.

.

Prawn and Spinach Stir-Fry

Delicious, healthy and quick!

Ingredients:
500g large raw prawns, peeled and deveined
30g ghee for frying
(if you can't get ghee, use unsalted butter with a little olive oil so as not to burn the butter)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
5ml garam masala
5ml ground coriander
5ml turmeric
a pinch of chilli powder to taste
15ml tomato puree
500g pack fresh baby spinach, washed and drained

Method:
Heat the ghee or butter and olive oil in a large frying pan, add the garlic and onion and fry gently until soft.
Add the spices and tomato puree and stir-fry for 4-5 minutes.
Stir in the spinach and sweat them down until soft.
Add the prawns and stir-fry until they turn pink and are well coated with the softened spinach, spices and sauce.
Serve at once on rice or noodles.

If you want to make a smaller quantity,

adjust the prawns and spinach,

but leave the other ingredient quantities the same.

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