Spicy prawn salad

This will do about 300-400g of prawns (so just scale up or down as required).

Serve with garlic bread (focaccia is good) or your choice of bread (and chopped cucumber, tomatoes, peppers...)

Mix one and a half to two teaspoons of brown sugar, three heaped teaspoons of ground coriander, about half to one teaspoon of paprika or cayenne pepper (according to taste, but even one teaspoon of cayenne is quite medium) with about three tablespoons of lemon juice. Add some chopped spring onions (to taste, at least three or four, or just stick the bunch in) and a big handful of chopped fresh coriander. (If you are not using garlic bread, maybe add in a couple of cloves of crushed garlic. If you like a thicker dressing, add a couple of teaspoons of vegetable oil in too. It is still tasty if you don't have any fresh coriander.))

Leave the dressing to stand if you have time to let the flavours develop. Taste it and adjust lemon juice/sugar etc if necessary.

Stir in the prawns about five to ten minutes before you serve.


(This quantity is generally enough for the amount of prawns, but bear in mind if you are using tiddly ones it will not go as far, or if you like to soak up the tasty dressing you might want to make more)

(I made this as a starter for the first meal I prepared for the now Mr TT. It's still a favourite)


A teaspoon = 5 ml

A tablespoon = 15ml

300-400g = 3/4 to a pound (ish...)

You might also like:

Chilli Prawn Curry

Salsa Salad

Ribbon Salad


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Smoked fish (and prawns) in a lemony white sauce

This is a lovely filling for a baked potato. Serves about four. It is easier to make than it sounds!

Gently heat some butter/spread in a pan (about an ounce)

Chop an onion or two (depending on size) and soften for a couple of minutes, then stir in about an ounce of plain flour (I don't measure this out, a heaped dessert or rounded table spoon is about an ounce) so it combines with the flour and then cook it gently for a minute or two.

Add about 2-3 tbsp lemon juice (depending on how sharp you like it). This is about the juice of one lemon if you are using fresh and not bottled.

Now start to add a bit of milk slowly while stirring, then add some more and stir, more and stir as you make a sauce from the paste...

This is the slightly tricky bit as lemon juice and milk are not natural friends, but be bold and stir fast - if the milk splits to start with, the mixing it with the flour paste does bring it all back together, honest!)

Keep adding the milk until you have as much milk in as you want sauce (probably up to a pint*) and let it cook on low for a minute or two to thicken and until it starts to gently bubble. Grind in some black pepper while it heats. (If you do use a fresh lemon, grating the zest into the sauce is really nice too.)

Add chunks** of smoked fish (eg cod/haddock/coley, about 1lb. I prefer un-dyed) with the skin removed*** and stir carefully to coat the fish with the sauce (you want the fish to stay in chunks as much as possible) then put the lid on. Check after about five minutes and carefully stir again. It might need a couple more minutes, depending on the size of the chunks)

Once the fish is cooked, stir in any prawns if you are using them (bear in mind that if they are still frozen it will add more liquid and salt, probably worth thawing first, or at least giving them a quick rinse in a sieve under the cold tap and patting gently with some kitchen roll)

Give them a minute or two to heat through, then add in any frozen veg (sweetcorn, peas, green beans) to heat through too. (Or it's nice served with courgettes, or fresh green beans/mange-tout/sugar-snaps)


*You want the sauce to be a bit wet so it cooks the fish, but also bear in mind that the fish and any prawns and veg you add will also add liquid, so keep it quite thick at this stage. (I usually add a little bit of milk around the edge of the pan just before I add the fish so it steams)

** Big chunks take a little longer to cook, but if you start big and the chunks break up, at least you are left with smaller chunks and not mince-y fish rubble. I usually start with inch-pieces.

*** Start at the tail end with a sharp knife and cut down at a slight angle to the skin. Hold the tail firmly and pull it while sliding the knife along towards the other end. If you've done it a few times, you can do this while the sauce is heating up, as it does only take a minute or two to skin and chop if you have a bit of confidence. Otherwise maybe do this before you start the sauce, or switch the heat off while you are doing it.


1oz = 25g
1tbsp = 15ml
1pt = 450ml
1lb = 450g




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Rice with chorizo and prawns (sometimes also with chicken)

Not really a risotto or a paella, but v tasty.

This serves three to four hungry people sometimes with leftovers for lunch the next day.

Takes twenty to thirty mins, depending on how fast you chop.

Quantities of meat and veg up to you, be as economical or indulgent as you like to make what you have go round.

(If you are using chicken chop it into small pieces and cook it before you add in the onions)

Chop an onion or two (depending on size) soften in a big pan with a tiny bit of butter/spread/oil, stirring on a gentle heat.

While onion is softening, chop some peppers  (I usually do one and a half to two, but whatever you have to hand and your own taste) and add to the pan to soften too, stirring.

Boil the kettle. Weigh out rice (about 8 ozs. I usually use basmati, but it doesn't really matter) and stir it into the pan.

Add about 15 fl oz to a pint of boiling water (just to cover) and add some oregano, black pepper and a stock cube (chicken or veg, I usually just add a half,, you probably won't need one at all if you are using a fair bit of chorizo) while bringing back to the boil.

Give it a good stir, lower the heat and stick a lid on for about five minutes while you chop the chorizo into chunks. (You can use a pack of sliced, but I think the cooked sausage ones are better value)

Take the lid off, give it a good stir, especially making sure it isn't sticking to the bottom. (If there's not much liquid left, you might need to add a little more, but beware too much especially  if you are adding frozen stuff in a few minutes)

Add the chorizo, stir and put the lid back on for 2-3 mins.

Check it, if the rice is just about cooked through, add in some prawns (frozen is fine, just they will add more liquid and it'll be saltier than if they are defrosted and drained) and any frozen veg you fancy; sweetcorn, peas, green beans.

Another good stir and cook for another couple of mins until prawns and veg hot through. (Usually with lid back on, but if it is looking a bit wet, leave it off and keep stirring)

Eat!

(8ozs is aprox 250g, 15 fl oz is about 400mls)


You might also like:

Spicy Chicken Drumsticks

Mushroom Rice

Spicy Prawn Salad

Chicken Kebabs


For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas

Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )