Make It Light (part 2): Szechuan-style prawns with rice noodles, Chicken & soba noodle salad

Szechuan-style prawns with rice noodles

Preparation + cooking time: 40 minutes (+ refrigeration)

·         500g uncooked medium prawns

·         2 teaspoons Szechuan peppercorns

·         ¹/₄ teaspoons paprika

·         1 clove garlic, crushed

·         2 tablespoons light soy sauce

·         2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

·         ¹/₄ cup vegetable or fish stock

·         1 tablespoon lemon juice

·         ¹/₃ cup (80ml) water

·         1 fresh small red thai chilli, chopped finely

·         200g thick fresh rice noodles

·         1 small white onion, sliced thinly

·         1 medium red capsicum, sliced thickly

·         115g fresh baby corn, halved lengthways

·         500g baby buk choy, chopped coarsely

·         2 green onions, shredded finely

1.    Shell and devein prawns, leaving tails intact.

2.    Using mortar and pestle, crush peppercorns until fine and transfer to medium bowl. Add paprika, garlic, sauces, stock, juice, chilli and 1 tablespoon of the water. Add prawns to peppercorn mixture and mix gently. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours.

3.    Place noodles in small heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water and stand until tender, drain.

4.    Remove prawns from marinade, reserve marinade. Heat lightly oiled wok and stir-fry prawns, in batches, until changed in colour. Remove from wok.

5.    Add white onion, capsicum, corn and the remaining water to wok and stir-fry about 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Return prawns to wok with reserved marinade, noodles, buk choy and green onions and stir-fry until sauce comes to the boil. Season to taste.

Serves 2

Nutritional count per serving energy 1680kJ; total fat 3.9g; sat fat 0.4g; carbohydrate 48.8g; protein 36.6g; fibre 10.5g.

Chicken & soba noodle salad

Preparation + cooking time: 25 minutes

·         125g dried soba noodles

·         170g asparagus, trimmed

·         60g snow peas, trimmed

·         1 teaspoon sesame oil

·         1 tablespoon mirin

·         1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

·         2 teaspoons Japanese soy sauce

·         1 clove garlic, crushed

·         240g thickly sliced cooked skinless chicken breast

·         1 fresh long red chilli, sliced thinly

·         2 green onions, shredded finely

1.    Cook noodles in large saucepan of boiling water until tender and drain.

2.    Meanwhile, boil, steam or microwave asparagus and snow peas, separately, until tender and drain. Rinse under cold water and drain.

3.    To make dressing, combine oil, mirin, vinegar, sauce and garlic in small bowl. Combine chicken, asparagus, snow peas, chilli, half the onion, noodles and dressing in large bowl and season. Serve sprinkled with remaining onion.

Serves 2

Nutritional count per serving energy 1672kJ; total fat 5.1g; sat fat 1.1g; carbohydrate 46g; protein 37.4g; fibre 4.5g.