Just recently, while somewhat bed ridden with a stubborn virus (and I don’t do ill), I found myself scrolling and leafing through old recipes that have brought me so much joy over the last 10 years.
A family favourite was the Wild Alaska Salmon On Thai Potatoes from my 1st book ‘Return to Slender’ (no longer available as a hard copy but only as a downloadable pdf or e- book – see here and here if you’re interested). It’s a recipe that literally sings with the fresh flavours of Thai seasonings and very, very simple to make with a few spoonfuls of Thai red curry paste.
I thought it might work well with prawns/shrimp too so gave it a whirl. It’s fantastic and, of course, rings the changes when salmon becomes a bit samey. The recipe and timings have changed a bit so here it is below with also the new nutritional stats – where fats and calories are reduced but protein still stays high.
PRAWNS/SHRIMP WITH THAI POTATOES
Ingredients
METRIC/US
400 ml/14 oz can reduced-fat or light coconut milk
300 ml/1¼ cups fish or vegetable stock/bouillon
4 tsp red Thai curry paste (I used Barts)
1½ tsp ginger paste
¾ tsp ground turmeric
¾ tsp chopped red chilli (I used Lazy chilli)
1 bunch spring onions/scallions, about 6, chopped
675 g/1½ lb new or waxy potatoes, scrubbed and cut into small bite-sized chunks
salt and freshly ground black pepper
500 g/1 lb large shelled raw or cooked king-size prawns/shrimp
coriander/cilantro or flat leaf parsley sprigs to garnish (optional)
Method
- Put the coconut milk, stock/bouillon, curry paste, ginger paste, turmeric, chilli and spring onions/scallions in a large, shallow pan or wok (with a lid). Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and add the potatoes with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer the potatoes gently, without covering, for about 25-30 minutes or until just tender, stirring occasionally.
- Carefully add the prawns or shrimp, tucking them into the potato mixture and spoon some of the liquid over them. Cover and simmer for about 3-5 minutes, or until the prawns/shrimp are cooked or reheated. Purée a portion in a blender if serving as a soft food option (for the Amber stage of eating) at this point if required.
- Serve in shallow bowls, topped with some fresh coriander/cilantro or flat leaf parsley if liked.
SERVES 4
WLS PORTION: ¹/³ – ½
CALORIES PER PORTION: 301
PROTEIN: 23.5 g
CARBOHYDRATE: 33.4 g
FAT: 8.7 g
Images copyright © Bariatric Cookery (UK) Ltd