Prawn & Mango Red Curry - Quick & Healthy Mid Week Supper

When you are up against it, stir fries are a great speedy dinner option, not to mention healthy. Here's the fastest stir fry I've made in ages and tastiest. The sweetness of the mango with the prawns works so well, along with the spicy red curry paste.

Ingredients

• 100g raw prawns
• 1/2 a fresh mango cubed
• 3 mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 red onion. thinly sliced
• 1  lime, quartered
• 10-15 fine green beans
• 1 tsp red curry paste
• 1 garlic clove, diced
• 1cm piece of ginger, diced
• 3 tbsp of coconut milk
• 1 tbsp of coconut oil
• 1 tsp of fish sauce
• 1 tsp of soy sauce

Rice to serve

Method

1. Put a wok on high heat, and heat the coconut oil. Fry off the onions, garlic, & ginger. Add the red curry paste, and cook it out for a minute or so.
2. Add the mushrooms and the prawns. Cook until the prawn turn pink. 
3. Add the mango cubes and the coconut milk and bring to a gentle simmer.
4. To thicken the sauce, pour a tbsp of water into a container with a tsp of cornflour and stir to make a loose paste. Add to the gently simmering sauce and it should thicken. 
5. Finally add the green beans to warm through, but they still retain their colour. To taste add the fish sauce and the soy sauce.
6. For freshness and zing, serve with a wedge of lime and some brown rice.

Super Fast Super Healthy Thai Beef Stir Fry

I'm  a huge Thai food fan, and luckily most Thai dishes are healthy! This dish is one of the healthy ones, perfect for guilt free dining mid week. You can really put any veggies with this dish, but I find that green peppers always pair beautifully with beef. There can be alot of calories in peanuts but a small amount are good for you and they help curb any 9pm hunger pangs that I sometimes experience with healthy stir fries.

Once you have all your ingredients prepped, this dinner can be made in a matter of minutes. Cut all your vegetables into even slices so they all cook at the same time.

Ingredients

• 3 minute steaks, cut in strips
• 1 carrot, sliced thinly
• 5 mushrooms, sliced thinly
• 1 green pepper, sliced thinly
• 1 red onion, sliced thinly
• 2 tsp of cornflour
• Stir fry oil, for cooking

Marinade

• 1 tbsp of fish sauce
• 1 tbsp of sesame oil
• 2 tbsp of light soy sauce
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 lemongrass, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, diced
• 1 thumb size piece of ginger, diced
• 1 tsp of chili flakes
• 2 tsp of sugar

To serve

• 2 tbsp of peanuts
• Wholewheat noodles
• Lime wedges

Method

1. First marinate the beef. Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and pour over the sliced beef. Leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Cook the noodles and set aside.
3. Put the wok on a high heat and pour in some cooking oil.
4. Stir fry the vegatables for 1-2 minutes and remove.
5. Drain the beef from the marinade, reserving the liquid.
6. Add the cornflour to the liquid marinade and stir to dissolve.
7. Add more stir fry oil to the wok and fry off the steak, this should only take 1 minute. 
8. Pour in the marinade liquid and stir to heat and cook the cornflour out.
9. Re-introduce the vegetables to the wok and stir fry for 1 minute.
10. Serve with hot noodles, scatter over the peanuts and serve with a wedge of lime.

I Can't Believe its healthy Tamarind Chicken

Looking at these succulent sticky pieces of chicken you would think that they are loaded with calories, right?! Wrong!! The marinade is actually cleverly low in fat and if you bake the chicken piece on a wire rack in the oven all the excess fat drips off. The marinade gives a wonderful South East Asian flavour to the chicken meat, even when ( or IF) you discard the skin, the flavours penetrate all the way through the  juicy meat. This is a super quick recipe to prepare, but obviously the longer you leave the chicken to marinate the better.

The trick to low fat recipes I find is using fresh herbs and spices to flavour the food. Asian cuisine is fantastic for this with the holy trinity of garlic, ginger and chilli. So no need to compromise too much on taste when cooking with South East Asian style and its calorie friendly also.

Ingredients

Marinade

• Tamarind sauce (I used the jar from Marks and Spencers)
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and diced finely
• 1 thumb size piece of peeled ginger, diced finely
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced.
• 1 stick of lemongrass, bruised and diced
• 1 lime, zested and juiced
• 2 tbsp of honey

• Chicken drumsticks or thighs, or even wings

Garnish

• Freshly chopped coriander
• lime wedges

(Note: I have been know to use shop bought chilli paste, garlic paste, lemongrass paste and ginger paste, in place of the fresh counterparts on occasion, making this a real store cupboard winner)

 

Method

1. Combine all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl and stir well to combine everything.
2. Place the chicken pieces in a shallow dish and cover with the marinade and allow to marinate for at least 1 hour but as long as you have really.
3. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line a baking tray with 2 layers of foil (to help with the washing up). Place a wire rack over the foil.
4. Place the chicken pieces on the rack and bake in the oven for 40 minutes.
5. Pour the remaining marinade from the shallow dish into a small saucepan and cook over a medium heat until reduced by half. Add another tsp of honey here if you like.
6. With a basting brush, brush the chicken pieces with the marinade every 5 minutes for 15 minutes.
7. When the chicken is cooked, brush the pieces with a final coating of the sauce before serving and scatter with lime wedges and coriander.

Paleo Friendly Asian Turkey Lettuce Cups - Bread-free Sambos

When taking on this new Paleo way of life, one of the main things I knew I would miss is my beloved bread!! I am addicted to sandwiches! When I used work in Galway I went to McCambridges on Shop Street EVERYDAY for my sambo at lunch. I used be morto when I used to go through the doors as the ladies behind the counter knew my order precisely. I live for sandwiches at lunch.

Even recently I've been having hummus on crackers for my lunch, both of which are a no! no! on the Paleo diet. I thought I would find it tricky but in fact, it's been fun eating outside my comfort zone for lunch. I bulk cooked and some of it lasted 3 days in tubberware in the fridge. I have to say, the body feels good without bread, bloat free. I must to admit I do still crave and miss bread however; but that's where my cheat meals at the weekend will save me.

Now on with this fabulous healthy, zingy and fresh lunch. I couldn't believe how full I felt after it, and I managed to stretch it for 3 lunches.

Ingredients

• 250g of minced turkey meat
• 1 garlic clove, chopped finely
• 1 stick of lemongrass, bruised and chopped finely
• 1 thumb size piece of ginger, peeled and chopped finely
• 1 red deseeded red chili, chopped
• 1 tbsp of mint/corriander, freshly chopped
• 2 tbsp of oil
• 1 tsp of fish sauce
• Juice of a lime
• 2 tbsp of coconut flakes
• 1 tbsp of toasted sesame seeds
• 1 large handful of spinach leaves
• 1/4 of a peeled mango, diced
• 4-5 leaves of baby gem lettuce

Method

1. Place the garlic, ginger, chilli, lemongrass, herbs and oil in and mini blender and pulse until liquidised to a paste.
2. Cook the paste for a few minutes on a high heat in a wok/skillet.
3. Put the turkey mince in the wok/skillet and stir fry until browned and loosened.
4. Add the fish sauce, coconut and sesame seeds and continue to stir fry.
5. Finally, turn off the heat and wilt in the spinach and finish with the lime juice.
6. Arrange the lettuce leaves cup-side up.
7. Distribute the mango pieces amongst the lettuce cups
8. Spoon the turkey mince over the mango and finish with some more lime juice perhaps.

Note: Large pieces of iceberg lettuce leaves work well here too, use them as roll ups as you might use a flour tortilla wrap perhaps.

Healthier Thai Sweet & Sour Chicken

Bin the take out menus and get cooking rather than dialing!!! When you say sweet and sour chicken, chinese take out normally springs to mind. Chicken coated in a heavy sticky batter in a sickly sweet syrupy sauce! Not good and certainly not healthy!!!

Rather than thinking 'nah, sweet and sour chicken is too unhealthy for me', check out this recipe for a healthy and fresh Thai sweet & sour. A wonderful Thai girl taught me this recupe while on a cookery course on Koh Samui a few years back, and I've been making my own version ever since. (some ingredients have been substituted due to sourcing difficulties).

Ingredients

• 4 chicken legs on the bone
• 1 tbsp of peanut oil
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 stalk of lemongrass, bruised and chopped
• 1 thumb size, peeled and chopped piece of ginger
• 3-4 dried kaffir lime leaves
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped finely
• 1 can of chopped pineapple chunks in juice
• 1 white onion, diced
• 1 cucumber, peeled and cut into bite size
• 3 tbsp of chopped coriander
• 3 tbsp of tamarind juice (you can get tamarind paste in M&S)
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp of Heinz Tomato Ketchup
• 1/2 tsp of palm sugar (brown sugar can be substituted)
• 1 tbsp of corn starch (corn flour mixed with water)
• 2 tbsp of hot sweet chili sauce
• Basmati rice and lime wedges, to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
2. Bake the chicken legs in the oven, in a oven proof dish covered with tin foil. Bake the chicken for 20 minutes.
3. In a wok, add the oil and stir fry the onion, garlic, lemongrass, chili, and ginger.
4. Add the lime leaves, fish sauce, ketchup, pineapple chunks and juice, tamarind juice and palm sugar.
5. Continue to stir fry.
6. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well to combine.
7. Remove the chicken from the oven and pour over the sauce.
8. Return to the oven, and cook for a further 20 minutes.
9. Serve with basmati rice, lime wedges and a  scattering of fresh coriander leaves.

Spicy Asian Beef Salad

The month of January is all about detox detox detox!! Gone are the mince pies, the selection boxes and the over indulging on Irish Cream Liqueur. Now tis the season to be healthy! Healthy for me doesn't have to mean boring. This Thai inspired beef salad is an exciting combination of fresh flavours, that is so tasty and satisfying you forget that its healthy.

The salad dressing is from Saba restaurant's cookbook. If you are ever in Dublin and in search of a great Thai/Vietnamese Restaurant, then you got to check Saba out. Everything on the menu is delicious. The recipe calls for 4 birds eye chilies in addition to everything else. I've left these out as I'm a bit of a wuss when it comes to chilies, but feel free to add them. I'm content with my chili flakes.

Serves 2

Ingredients

Beef

• 1 steak, fillet or sirloin
• 2 tbsp of mirin
• 1 tbsp of palm sugar or brown sugar
• 2 tbsp of rice wine vinegar
• 2 spring onions, roughly chopped

Salad

• 1 stack of rice noodles
• 1 carrot
• 50g of chopped roasted peanuts
• 2 spring onions
• 2 tbsp of chopped coriander

Salad Dressing

• 2 shallots, peeled and chopped
• 1 tsp of chili flakes
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp of coriander stalks
• 3 tbsp of fish sauce
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 tsp of sugar
• 1 tsp of chili sauce

To serve

• 1 tsp of chopped peanuts
• 1 tsp of freshly chopped coriander
• 1 lime cut into wedges

Method

1. Firstly, you must marinate the steak. Combine all the steak ingredients in non metallic bowl and place the steak in the bowl. Allow to marinate for at least 1 hour.
2. Pour Boiling water over the noodles and leave to soak for 30 minutes. Then drain and rinse in cold water and drain again.
3. To make the salad dressing, simply add all ingredients into a mini food blender and blend until liquidised.
4. Heat a frying pan on high, get it really hot then add the steak. Cook for 3 minutes each side and then set aside to rest for at least 10 minutes.
5. Pour the marinade into a small saucepan and cook on high heat until its thickened and reduced.
6. In a large bowl, combine the noodles with the rest of the salad ingredients. Pour over all the salad dressing and mix really well so that everything is coated.
7. Divide the salad into 2 bowls.
8. Cut the steak against the grain into strips as thinly as you can. Divide the steak pieces on top of each noodle bowl. 
9. Pour over the thickened reduced marinade.
10. Scatter with some more crushed peanuts, sliced spring onion and freshly chopped coriander. Serve with lime wedges.

Thai BBQ Prawns

This is a quick and easy recipe for Thai BBQ prawns. All you need is some metal skewers and sunshine, and then you're ready to throw some shrimp on the barbie!!!

Although sunshine is preferred, it is rarely guaranteed, so this recipe is just as good cooked on a griddle pan.

Makes 2 skewers

Ingredients

• 8 Crevettes (prawns, uncooked, unshelled)
• 2 metal skewers
• Thai marinade

Marinade

• 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely diced
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely diced
• 1/2 a red chilli, finely diced
• 1 stick of lemongrass, peeled and finely diced
• 3 tbsp of diced fresh coriander
• Zest and juice of 1 lime
• 1 tbsp of oil

Method

1. Mix all the marinade ingredients together.
2. Add the prawns to the marinade and leave for 3 minutes.
3. Place 4 prawns on each metal skewer (starting with the 'neck' and push the skewer out again at the 'tail')
4. Either place the skewers on a hot BBQ or Griddle pan and cook for 2 minutes and turn them and cook for a further minute.

Deshelling prawns can be quite messy so be prepared to get your fingers messy, though after you can lick them clean!!! Have a small bowl of lemon water and napkins handy to de-prawn.

Spicy Thai Crab Cakes

Crab cakes are one of the easiest things in the world to make, and because crab is considered a luxury decadent ingredient; an ingredient one wouldn't use daily; these cake cakes are seen as a little treat, reserved for a special occasion. Perhaps it's the fact that in this part of the world, crab doesn't come too cheap, unfortunately.

To add flavour and spice to these little cakes, I'm adding all the typical Thai ingredients that makes just about any dish sing.

These cakes, on this occasion are cooked for a main course, so I made really big balls and flattened them into cakes. For a dinner party starter, you can make smaller versions, and perhaps shallow fry them for a wonderful crunch.

Makes 5 large cakes

Ingredients

• 200g of fresh white crab meat
• 200g of potatoes
• Lime zest and lime juice of a half lime.
• 1 inch size piece of ginger
• 1 inch size piece of red chilli
• 1/2 a garlic clove
• 4 spring onions, sliced finely
• 1 egg
• 4 tbsp of fine bread crumbs
• 4 tbsp of fresh coriander
• Salt/pepper
• 1 lemongrass, chopped.
• 1 tsp of fish sauce
• 1 tbsp of soy sauce
• Oil for frying
• Sweet chilli mayo for dipping.

Method

1. Cook the potatoes, until tender, Peel the potatoes and mash them. Allow the mash to cool.
2. In a food blender, add the lime zest & juice, ginger, chilli, garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, crab, lemongrass, fish sauce, and soy sauce and coriander.
3. Blend until a smooth paste is formed.
4. Season and add the spring onions and the mash potato.
5. Mix to combine.
6. Get a baking sheet with parchment paper.
7. Divide the mixture into even balls, using an ice cream scoop is handy.
8. Flatten each ball and roll in plain flour.
9. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.
10. Heat the oil in a frying pan.
11. Fry the crab cakes, 4 minutes a side and then drain on kitchen paper.
12. Serve with lime wedges and quick sweet chilli mayo (to make 3 parts mayo with one part sweet chilli sauce and a squeeze of lime juice.)

Thai Red Chilli & Roast Tomato Salmon Marinade

Here’s a very quick and simple Thai Red Chilli & Roast Tomato Marinade, spiced with ginger, garlic and lemongrass for an Asian inspired meal.

All the ingredients are fat free so you’ve already got the brownie points ahead of the store-bought marinade sauces, but also you can’t beat a freshly made marinade in the taste department also. There is no comparison, simple as!

I chose a healthy piece of salmon to use the marinade on, but it would be just as delicious on chicken or pork. I served this with brown rice to create a well-balanced low fat nutritious meal.

Ingredients

·         2 pieces of salmon fillets

·         1 large red chilli, diced

·         1 piece of lemongrass, chopped finely

·         2 cloves of garlic, grated

·         1 white onion, finely diced

·         1 thumb size piece of ginger, grated

·         A handful of chopped coriander

·         1 tsp of fish sauce

·         1 tbsp of soy sauce

·         1 tsp of tomato paste/puree

·         2 oven roasted tomatoes*

·         Pinch of sugar

·         Juice of a lime

·         Brown rice to serve, lime and chopped coriander.

Method

1.       Combine all the ingredients, except the salmon and rice, in a mini food blender and whizz to a smooth paste.

2.       Pour into a shallow dish and place the salmon in the marinade.

3.       Let to infuse for 30 minutes.

4.       Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

5.       Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes.

6.       Meanwhile get your rice on according to packet instructions.

7.       To serve, place the rice on a plate, place the salmon on the rice in the centre and pour the cooked marinade and juices.

8.       Scatter with a little coriander and serve with a lime wedge.

*Cut the tomatoes in half and roast in oven at 150 degrees for 20-30 minutes. This can be done in advance.

This marinade is so diverse. For Thai inspired roast chicken, add some honey to the marinade, and rub all over the whole chicken. Stick a few unpeeled cloves of garlic and a stick of fresh lemon grass in the cavity of the chicken for extra flavour. Roast in a really low oven (160 degrees) for 2 hours, turning upside down half way through. Serve with egg noodles. It’s AWESOME!!!

Thai Chicken Noodle Soup

What nicer way to recover from getting soaked in the pouring rain outside than a lovely bowl of chicken soup.

In my opinion, chicken soup cures everything….. a flu,… a broken heart, ….a hangover, and its especially good in warming you up after a miserable day out there.

I decided to make a Thai Chicken Vegetable Noodle Soup with leftover uncooked chicken thighs in the fridge. It’s relatively simple to make, just need a few fresh vegetables, some limes, and some Asian store cupboard staples like coconut milk (light- of course), fish sauce and lime leaves.

This soup is would be a great starter for an Asian inspired dinner party, but also equally fantastic as a one pot supper.

For me it’s a case of throwing on the jam-jams and chunky socks, put on a roaring fire, and slurp (the only way to eat noodle soup) the soup propped in front of the fire whilst watching something soppy like ‘The Notebook’!!!!!

Serves 4

Ingredients

·         4 chicken thighs (skinned)

·         500ml of chicken stock

·         1 can of light coconut milk

·         1 red chilli, deseeded and diced

·         1 lemongrass stalk, bruised and chopped

·         1 thumb size ginger piece, peeled and diced

·         2 garlic cloves, minced

·         2 kaffir lime leaves (dried is fine)

·         2 tsp of fish sauce

·         3 crushed peppercorns

·         Juice of a lime

·         5-6 mangtout, sliced

·         1 carrot, sliced with vegetable peeler

·         5-6 mushrooms sliced

·         4-5 baby corns, sliced
·         4 spring onions, chopped

·         100g of straight to wok thin rice noodles

·         4 tbsp of chopped coriander

·         Extra fish sauce and limes to add as per individual tastes

Method

1.       Add chopped garlic, ginger, chili, lemongrass to a pan with a little oil and sauté for a min.

2.       Add the chicken thighs (skinned) and brown.

3.       Add the lime leaves and crushed peppercorns, stock and coconut milk.

4.       Bring to the boil, and then reduce to a simmer.

5.       Simmer for 10 minutes.

6.       Remove the chicken and slice off the bone, then return the slices to the pan. (discard the bones)

7.       Add the mushrooms, carrots, corn and mangtout and cook for 2-3 minutes.

8.       Add the fish sauce and lime juice, spring onions and the noodles;  stir to combine.

9.       Cook for a further minute.

10.   Scatter with coriander and its ready for serving.

Serve with extra fish sauce and lime juice if preferred and slurp away till your heart’s content!!!!

Tip: Make this vegetarian by using vegetable stock and tofu!!! I’ve heard vegetarian fish sauce does exist, but very difficult to locate, when in doubt substitute for soy sauce.

Low Fat tip: Leave out the coconut milk and chicken and add prawns instead.

Low Fat Thai Squash & Sweet Potato Soup

Making this soup, is one of the nicest things to cook to awaken the senses. The smell of the Thai flavours mingling together in the pot, brings me straight back to the streets of Bangkok. I only wish that I could share smells with you as well as visual and written parts of this blog as the recipe is a truly fantastic example of how smells of food evoke such wonderful feeling of wellness.The sweetness of the squash and sweet potato contrast so well with the smell of shallots, ginger, lemongrass and lime leaves. It all just works!!!
I went for a Thai massage yesterday with my sister in law in Killarney (me???, spoilt??, yea!) and for 1-2 hours was transported to Thailand. The incense and the ginger tea, the welcoming gentleness of the Thai therapists, just made me want to cook something to bring us back to those five weeks we backpacked around Thailand years ago.

This soup, although has some coconut milk, it is reduced fat milk and I only use 200mls. Simply just to give the hint of coconut. The rest of the ingredients for the soup are very healthy, in fact the natural medicinal healing properties of all the ingredients on their own, make this an incredible wellness soup, especially if you have been suffering from a recent flu or cold. According to your own liking, you may wish for a heat that's more intense, if so add a full red chilli. Be warned though, the heat intensifies over night, so if you are planning to have this soup over a few days, it very well might blow your head off on day three. Another addition to this soup, perhaps for a dinner party, might be to add some raw prawns and gently heat in the soup until cooked.


Serves 6-8 bowls of soup. Can be kept for up to 3 days refrigerated.

Ingredients

• 1/2 a butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 1 regular sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 garlic clove, diced
• 1/2 red chilli, deseeded and diced
• 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and diced
• 4 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 lemongrass stick
• 2 shallots
• 700ml of chicken stock
• 200ml of reduced fat coconut milk
• 2 tsp of fish sauce
• Juice from one lime
• 4 tbsp of fresh coriander
• 1 tbsp of vegetable oil.

Method

1. Fry the shallot, ginger, chilli, garlic in the pan with the oil.
2. Add the squash, potato, lime leaves, lemon grass and stir for a few minutes.
3. Add the chicken stock and fish sauce and bring to the boil.
4. Simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Blitz the soup smooth with a hand held blender
6. Add the coconut milk.
7. Stir through with the fresh coriander and lime juice.