Mediterranean prawns with spicy basmati rice

This is an excellent dish for summer entertaining and is ideal for serving outdoors on hot, summer nights. It is so simple and easy to make and tastes amazing. It’s very low in calories and fat.

Nutrition rundown

• Excellent lean protein source as the prawns provide over 44g protein per serve, supporting muscle repair, satiety and metabolic health.
• Very high in selenium & iodine which are important for thyroid function and immune defence.
• Rich in vitamin B12 essential for energy production and nervous system health.
• Anti-inflammatory spices like turmeric (curcumin), cumin and coriander provide antioxidant and digestive benefits.
• High lycopene content in tomatoes and tomato paste, which are rich in lycopene, linked to heart health and reduced oxidative stress.
• Strong vegetable diversity in the capsicum, carrot, tomato and spring onion, which increase vitamin A, C and phytonutrient intake.
• Moderate healthy fats in the extra virgin olive oil, as it supplies heart-protective monounsaturated fats and polyphenols.
• High cholesterol but low saturated fat as prawn cholesterol is naturally high but research shows it has minimal impact on blood cholesterol for most people.
• Balanced macronutrient profile in a strong mix of protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats makes it filling and stabilising for blood sugar.

Ingredients – prawns

• 600 g prawns (use wild caught, fresh, uncooked prawns)
• 3 spring onions (chopped finely)
• 2 carrots (grated)
• 2 large capsicums (chopped finely)
• 6 tomatoes (chopped finely)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 cup fresh coriander
• 2 tbsp olive oil (cold pressed, extra virgin)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Ingredients – spicy basmati rice

• 1 cup basmati rice
• 2 tbsp Olive oil (cold pressed, extra virgin)
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp salt

Method – prawns

1. Peel the shell from the prawns, but leave the tail intact.
2. Remove the vein from the outer middle part of the prawns. Set the prawns aside in the fridge until they are ready to be added.
3. Add the olive oil to a stainless steel frying pan and when warmed a little, add the chopped spring onions and cook over medium-high heat until they are almost translucent in colour.
4. Add the grated carrots and stir through for about 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the chopped peppers and stir through for another 2-3minutes.
6. Add the chopped tomatoes as well as the tomato paste, salt and pepper and stir through.
7. Leave to simmer for about 10 minutes. Add a little cold water if the sauce thickens too much.
8. Add the basil leaves about five minutes into the simmering and stir through.
9. Add the uncooked prawns and stir through until they are cooked – they become pink and curl around into a circular shape.
10. Serve the dish by adding some rice to the dish, then to the side add some sauce and place the prawns on top of the sauce. Sprinkle with a bit of the coriander leaves.

Method – spicy basmati rice

1. Rinse out rice in cold water several times, until water is clear.
2. Add rice to stainless steel pot with about 5cm (2″) water covering it.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and leave covered to cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally.
4. Check on the rice to make sure there is enough water for the rice to absorb (it can be a matter of trial and error until the right amount of water is used for this method).
5. The rice will be cooked when the water has absorbed. The cooked rice will be fluffy and perfectly cooked.

Nutrition information

The % daily values are based on a diet of 2000 calories per day
These are approximate values.