When we used to live in Manchester we used to head to Altrincham Market most weekends as the food in there was always good. Inside there was the most amazing little window that served the freshest Korean Rice Bowls and they were always my go too choice of dinner. I got a proper craving for one this week and so I decided to try and recreate it at home. The result was delicious. Low in points yet so filling and satisfying, the flavours and textures of this dish are so fresh and zingy, you will want it again the next day!
We are lucky enough to live on the coast which means we have access to some amazing fishmongers with the most incredible fresh stock. We visit as much as we can and pick up whatever takes our fancy but one thing I always have in the freezer is a giant bag of king prawns. For around £12 you get enough prawns for at least 4 meals (so 8 portions) which is great value for money. The prawns are always huge, fresh and juicy too. If you don’t live near a fishmonger, supermarkets also sell a great range of fresh and frozen prawns, either will do. Just make sure if you use frozen, the prawns are thoroughly defrosted before cooking. I defrost mine by popping into a covered bowl in the fridge the night before.
I always have a bag of frozen, raw king prawns in the freezer as they are so flexible and can be thrown into most dishes to make them extra special. This week I also had some left over harissa and so thought I would get the two ingredients together to make a quick and easy dinner. The result was lovely. Fresh and lively flavours, filling and best of all, so quick and easy to make.
I’ve always enjoyed a prawn curry but adding enough prawns to make it filling can end up a little pricey at times. That is unless you use the delightful option that is frozen king prawns! A large bag of these little beauty’s in the supermarket is so much cheaper than buying them fresh and so many people say they are actually better quality as they are frozen at sea as soon as they are caught. If you are using frozen, raw king prawns, make sure they are properly defrosted before adding to the dish.
Coriander is probably my favourite herb and I find it makes its way into lots of my cooking. One dish it hadn’t yet made it into was a risotto and, after fancying a different kind of risotto this week, I decided to have a little experiment with a Mexican style creation. The result was delicious. The risotto itself is creamy and indulgent yet bursting with fresh and vibrant flavours and the Cajun prawns add that little bit of extra oomph to the dish.
Korean gochujang chilli paste is one of my favourite store cupboard essentials. I use it in lots of my recipes and, as it’s always in my cupboard/fridge, I love to come up with new ways to use it in my everyday meals. Last week, after fancying something summery for tea, I thought I would give it a whirl as part of a potato salad dressing and the result was delicious. Bursting with flavour, colour and goodness, the best thing about this recipe is that the dish can be on the table in the time it takes to boil the potatoes.
Mackerel is a fish that both the hubbie and I love and it’s often on offer /reduced (or on a ‘whoopsies’ as our local supermarket likes to call it) near the end of the day in larger supermarkets. As a cheap and flavoursome fish, mackerel is great way to add oily fish to your diet without adding in too many extra points.
Happy 2019 to you all! Whether you are new to Weight Watchers or are simply continuing your wellness journey from last year, January is often the time when many of us jump back onto the health wagon and begin once again ton think consciously about the food we eat. One of my main mottos regarding the food I eat is that I should never feel like I’m on a ‘diet’ but rather my everyday diet is filled with colourful and healthy, delicious and filling food.
One of my favourite changes brought about by Flex was that salmon, one of my favourite fish, became 0sp. I’d always eaten a lot of salmon anyway but, since the change, I’ve been using it in ways I may have avoided a little before, such as here with pasta and a creamy sauce.
This recipe came about one Saturday night when I wanted to make a quick and easy dinner with the ingredients I had in the fridge/store cupboard. I threw them all into a plastic bag, headed to my sisters and freestyled to see what I could come up with. The result was the delicious pasta dish which we both thoroughly enjoyed (I could have quite happily licked the bowl!).