Spicy Prawns with Hot Quinoa Salad

gluten free supper recipe
  • Ali

I love cooking but I loathe the tidying up afterwards. For me it’s such a shame that the simple art of cooking has to be sullied by washing up and tidying away! I know I need to be more mindful but this year without a dishwasher has been trying to say the least! You can add any quick cooking veg - I like to add peas, edame beans, broccoli spears, sweetcorn etc too 

That said, you can imagine why I love a one pot supper dish or something that pretty much leaves nothing to be done at the end of the meal. This is one such dish. My other two favourites for this are this Portobello mushroom and red pepper tray bake and this Harissa Chicken Traybake.    Enjoy

Ingredients

Serves 4

1 tsp rapeseed oil

1 small onion or two to three spring onions chopped

1 red pepper chopped into 2 cm pieces

200g green beans chopped

1 courgette – chopped into 1cm pieces

1 – 2 garlic cloves

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp rose harissa paste

4 – 6 chopped tomatoes

400g raw peeled prawns – I like to use jumbo prawns

 

For the quinoa

200g quinoa or a pouch of cooked quinoa

150ml hot vegetable or fish stock if cooking your own quinoa

Zest of 1 lime

Handful of fresh herbs – oregano, parsley, coriander etc

 

2 - 3 tblsp sunflower seeds – toasted

 

1 bag fresh rocket, salad herbs or baby leaf spinach

 

Salt and pepper to taste

1 – 2 tblsp chopped herbs to serve

 

Directions

 

To prepare and cook the quinoa

Rinse the quinoa to remove any soapiness and soak in cold water while you prepare the vegetables

 

To cook

 

Drain the soaking quinoa and transfer to a saucepan. Cover with the stock and bring to a boil

Once boiling reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 mins until light and fluffy.

Check for seasoning and then add the herbs and lime zest stirring through the hot quinoa.

 

For the toasted seeds

Heat a heavy based pan over a medium heat. Pour in the sunflower seeds. Stir as they begin to brown – 2 – 3 mins. Removing them from the heat and set side. If you don’t catch them quickly enough, remove from the pan and set aside on a cool plate as they will continue to cook if you leave them in the pan.

 

For the sauce

Prepare all the vegetables.

 

Heat the oil in a heavy based saucepan or large wok and add the onion, pepper, courgette and green beans. Cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and ground coriander plus the rose harissa and cook for a further 1 – 2 minutes.

 

Once the onion has begun to soften add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer allowing the tomatoes to soften and release their juices.

 

Continue to cook for 5 minutes until the vegetables are starting to soften. Stir in the prawns and continue to cook for 3 minutes or until the prawns are pink and cooked.

 

Once the prawns and vegetables are cooked, arrange the rocket or salad herbs on each plate,  spoon the quinoa on top and top with the prawn mix.

 

Sprinkle over the toasted sunflower seeds and chopped herbs to serve.