N was in Amsterdam last week to celebrate a friend’s birthday. Left to my own devices for a few days, I decided to cook up some favourite recipes that I don’t get to eat too often (N isn’t keen on risotto or prawns!). Who says cooking for one has to be boring?
Anyway these recipes are beautifully simple to make, not too heavy on the calories but still feel a little bit decadent. First up I’ll show you how to make a really easy risotto, then I’ve got a lovely light lunch for you – marinated grilled prawns.
I used to think that risotto was a complicated dish to make until I actually tried it. This is an adaptation of a recipe I first cooked courtesy of my weekly subscription to HelloFresh. The hardest part is having to stir the rice for 20 to 25 minutes, but when you have a glass of white wine in the other hand this really doesn’t seem like too much of a chore!
The following recipe results in a rich, cheesy creamy risotto. Whilst it’s not exactly a healthy eating recipe, it’s only about 550 kcals a serving so you can indulge a little without completely chucking your good eating habits out of the window. I put the second half in the fridge and ate it the following day – it kept really well.
Ingredients (serves 2)
Stock pot/cube (vegetable or fish)
1/2 clove garlic
1 onion
1 celery stick
230g arborio rice
4 tbsps white wine
A handful of asparagus
A handful of parsley
60g parmesan cheese
10g butter
1tbsp olive oil
Directions
Finely chop the garlic, onion and celery. (I’m dangerous with a sharp knife so I blitz them for about 6 seconds in the food processor!).
Next boil 800 ml water and mix in the stock. Leave this simmering on the hob.
Add in the rice and mix it all together.
Add in a pinch of salt and a glug of wine (about 4 tbsps) and continue to stir for 3 minutes. (You can glug some wine too at this point if you like – the hard part is over!).
Add 1/2 cup/measuring jug of stock to the rice and keep gently stirring it until it has all been soaked up. Add another 1/2 cup and keep repeating until all of the stock is gone, which should take about 20 minutes.
Once all the stock is gone, grate the parmesan cheese into the mix, add in your parsley and gently stir it together.
Finally, add in the asparagus and season with a little salt and pepper to taste.
I had some truffle oil so I drizzled a bit of that over the top as a last finishing touch – olive oil would work too!
You can sprinkle a bit of extra Parmesan and parsley over the top to make it look even more appealing!
Grilled King Prawns with a Chilli Soy Sauce Marinade
These are best prepared in advance and left to marinate overnight so that all the flavours are absorbed into the prawns. The next day all you have to do is grill them and in 10 minutes you have a filling snack / light lunch!
Ingredients: Day 1 – Marinade
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 red chilli
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 limes
Ingredients: Day 2 – Cook and Serve
10 to 12 King Prawns (shelled)
A handful of coriander
Directions
On day one:
Wash the prawns under a cold tap and pat them dry with some kitchen paper, then add these to your marinade. Cover with the lid or some clingfilm and leave in the fridge overnight.
When you’re ready to eat, heat your grill to medium and place your prawns on a grill tray.
After two minutes turn them over and baste the prawns with more of the marinade.
Repeat again after another 2 minutes. After 6 minutes the prawns should be pink. If they don’t look quite done, pop them back under for another minute or two, but take care not to overcook them as they’ll go a bit tough!
Serve with a nice leafy salad, sprinkle over the coriander and get sticky fingers by dipping them in your favourite sauce!
