Tag Archives: Healthy

Mango & Prawn Thai Noodles

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11th September 2013

Here’s a dishy little recipe I cooked up when I was craving Thai food the other day.  It’s super quick, easy and makes the kitchen smell fantastic.  

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I sort of threw this together, so quantities and ingredients can be altered depending on what you have available.

What I used:

  • Thai green curry paste
  • Shallots
  • Coconut milk
  • Fish sauce
  • Mango
  • Tomato
  • Prawns
  • Medium soft noodles

I think that a stick of lemon-grass would be a good addition, but I didn’t have any to hand.

Roughly chop the tomatoes and shallots.

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Cook the shallots with a couple of teaspoons of the curry paste in a large frying pan until they’re soft.

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Slowly add the coconut milk (and some coconut cream if you have it), along with a dash of fish sauce and seasoning to your taste.  Keep the sauce moving until it has a smooth creamy consistency.

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Then throw in the tomatoes and simmer.

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Chop up a yummy, juicy mango.

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And then add this as well, followed by the prawns.  The tomato and mango will make the sauce lovely and sweet.

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Let it all heat through, and finally add the noodles.  Cook the noodles in the sauce for a couple of minutes at most, and then take the pan off the heat.

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It’s ready! Can’t have taken more than 20 minutes.  I ate mine from my favourite hedgehog bowl (what else) and the rest went into tupperware in the fridge.

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P.S. A confession.  This is what I snacked on while I was cooking.

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‘Nearly Pesto’ Pasta

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21st August 2013

The summer is flying by, and I’ve been meaning to post this for a while.  However, Italy, skiing, and bad internet connection have all provided enough of an (enjoyable) distraction that I haven’t gotten around to it.  

OK, no more excuses – here is a simple pasta recipe that I made last time I went home.  It’s like a tangy, lighter version of home made pesto. First stop – the greenhouse, for fresh basil. 12 The warm, tomato-ey smell of the greenhouse is one of my favourite things. 1 2 3 Basil in hand, I returned to the kitchen to prepare the rest of the ingredients. 13 For this pasta sauce, you’ll need:

  • Parmesan or other hard cheese – I used one I found in the fridge and can’t remember the name of – will update!
  • Pine nuts
  • Basil
  • Lemon
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Cream (if you like dairy)
  • Tomatoes, courgettes and so on can be used as a side salad if you fancy it – or you could mix them into the pasta.  Options!

(I’m sorry I haven’t included quantities – that’s because I didn’t really use them.  Just go for a ‘good handful’ of everything, and adjust to taste).

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Grind up the pine nuts with a pestle & mortar, and then throw in some more whole ones for a bit of diversity in the texture.  Add the parmesan to the nuts as well.

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Chop your beautiful fresh basil…

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And then grate the rind of a lemon and throw the whole lot in with the nuts and cheese.

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(My lemon is a bit pink because it got up close and personal with a pomegranate.  But no harm done.)

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A nice big slosh of olive oil and a squeeze of the lemon – and there you are.  The next picture isn’t that pretty but it’s what it looks like.  It tastes fab though.

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You can set that on one side or in the fridge until you’re ready to eat.  When you are, boil up some fresh pasta – don’t forget to add a bit of oil and a pinch of salt to the water.

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Put the cooked pasta into a serving dish and pour the sauce mixture on top of it, then toss it all together.

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You can add more basil and ground pepper on top to serve.  I also sloshed in a little bit of cream.

Everyone to the table!  

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Glass of wine?

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I think someone was a bit jealous…

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Summer Salads, Spanish Omelette

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24th July 2013

I am always happy when I get to tick recipes off my very long ‘to make’ list.  

I was meant to be meeting N and K for drinks last week, but given that every restaurant and bar with outside space in London is full to bursting at the moment, we made a last minute decision to cook at home.

I decided on two summery salads and a Spanish omelette – a light colourful dinner that we could eat in the garden.  

The first salad is a simplified version of Ottolenghi’s Tomato and Pomegranate.  The second is a recipe I found on BBC Food.  And the omelette is a Jamie Oliver classic.  Here’s how to make them…

Chop red and yellow tomatoes, red pepper, garlic, red onion – and chuck it all in a serving dish.

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Drizzle the mixture with good olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Finally, garnish with pomegranate seeds and oregano leaves.  (Hint – you can buy pomegranate seeds packaged separately from Waitrose.  It’s way easier and quicker than getting them from the fruit yourself!)

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Easy to do, but it looks beautiful.

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Next salad up!

Lightly toast some almonds in a pan – this will only take a few minutes.

While the almonds are toasting, lay out some mixed salad leaves – ideally spinach, watercress and rocket (the bitter flavour will contrast well).  

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Chop up some crumbly feta…

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The almonds should be ready by now, so take them off the heat.

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More pomegranate seeds go on this salad as well, so make sure you have enough. Shake the feta, seeds and almonds onto the green leaves.  

This one also gets a dash of olive oil, but add some sesame oil too (just a little).  Season, and squeeze half a lemon over everything before tossing it.

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Last but not least – the omelette.  I wanted to add a bit of body to the meal, and this is a good option – not too carb heavy, but still satisfying.  

Boil a few potatoes until cooked, and then cut them roughly into slices/chunks.  While you’re waiting for the potatoes to boil, beat the eggs in a mixing bowl with a fork.  I used ten eggs and this was plenty for four people as an accompaniment to the salads.

Cook the potato pieces and a bit of chorizo and onion in a large frying pan until they’re golden.  Add some fresh rosemary after a few minutes.  

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When the rosemary is crisp, pour the egg mixture into the pan.

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Cook on the hob for another minute or so, and then pop the frying pan into a preheated oven (about 200ºC).  When the omelette is cooked through in the middle, it’s ready.

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Take everything outside and serve with white wine (and in our case, Summer Fruits squash as well – why not hmm?!).

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A plate full of goodness…

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And what else to finish?  Strawberries, of course.

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It was a lovely girly evening of food, gossip… and snapchat.  Everyone loves a bit of snapchat.

Here are the original recipes if you want to browse:

  • Ottolenghi’s Tomato and Pomegranate recipe
  • Leafy salad with feta and pomegranate recipe – BBC Food
  • Jamie Oliver’s Potato and Chorizo omelette recipe