Prawn, Avocado and Pecan Herb Salad

After too many lunch times consisting of the same sandwich or tortilla wrap day after day I decided it was time for a change and with Hubby working from home it was a perfect opportunity to make something special. What better way for a change than with a heart healthy recipe from Sally Bee’s The Secret Ingredient? This dish proved that salads do not have to be boring! The prawns cooked with the garlic, spring onion and soy sauce combined wonderfully with the avocado and pecans to deliver a great tasting, warm and full of texture salad. This is a recipe I will certainly make time and time again! It would also make a great healthy starter.

Prawn, Avocado and Pecan Herb Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients

drizzle of olive oil

2 salad onions or spring onions, peeled and finely chopped

1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

1 tbsp soy sauce

freshly ground black pepper

8 (or more) uncooked king prawns

mixed salad leaves

watercress

1 ripe avocado

2 tomatoes, sliced

juice of 1 lemon

handful of fresh basil, torn

handful of shelled pecan nuts

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chopped salad onions or spring onions, crushed garlic, soy sauce, black pepper and raw prawns. Sauté until the prawns have turned pink all the way through.

Arrange the salad leaves, watercress, avocado and tomatoes in a big dish, then pour over the prawns and other cooked ingredients. Squeeze over the lemon juice, sprinkle with torn basil and pecan nuts and serve.

Chilli Con Healthy

I recently purchased Sally Bee’s cookbook, The Secret Ingredient: Delicious and Easy Heart-Healthy Recipes that might just save your life. At the age of 36 Sally suffered 3 heart attacks in a single week, she had never smoked, didn’t drink and was fit and healthy. But she was to find out that she had a rare heart defect that had gone undetected, SCAD (spontaneous coronary artery dissection) and is usually diagnosed post-mortem! Sally survived against all the odds. Determined to stay alive, she revolutionised her diet and through this book she now shares her secrets about healthy eating for life. The recipes in the cookbook are all eye pleasing, easy, filled with fresh ingredients and flavoured with herbs and spices. I’ve booked marked many recipes but decided to try out the Chilli Con Healthy first. I love chilli but for years have always used the same recipe, I have now been converted and will be using this recipe here on in. This chilli was amazing and my idea of comfort food. I served it along-side basmati rice and dollop of low-fat crème fraiche, which gave it a creamy texture. A must-try!

Chilli Con Healthy

Serves 4

Ingredients
450g extra lean mince beef
extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 fresh red chillies, deseeded and chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp paprika
pinch of cayenne pepper
400g can chopped tomaotes
1 level tbsp tomato puree
600ml beef stock
freshly ground black pepper
400g can red kidney beans, drained
chopped fresh coriander, to serve
low-fat natural yoghurt or crème fraiche (optional), to serve

In a large, lidded saucepan, dry-fry the minced beef until brown over a hight heat. Drain off any fat. Turn down to a medium-low heat and add a splash of olive oil and then add the onion and garlic and cook gently until softened.

Add the chillies and all the spices and continue frying, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes.

Add the canned tomatoes, tomato puree and stock. Stir well and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes, or until the liquid is slightly reduced.

Season with pepper and add the drained kidney beans. Cover and heat through gently for another 30 minutes, adding a little extra stock if required.

Serve hot, sprinkled with chopped coriander leaves and a dollop of yoghurt or crème fraiche, and accompanied by basmati rice or a fresh salad.