Love Bites Tangy Prawn Salad

In the midst of unpacking our new home a couple of weeks ago I needed a quick tasty meal for one. M and S ready cooked prawns are usually my 'go-to' for when cooking for one so I grabbed some of these en route home and threw this salad together with the leftover food in the fridge. It worked a great and was efficient and delicious - a true Love Bites recipe to a T. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Serves One

INGREDIENTS

• 2 handfuls of rocket

• 1 handful of cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1/2 small red onion, quartered and sliced 

• 1/2 an avocado, sliced into bite sized pieces

• 1 packed of M and S chilli and coriander precooked prawns (180g)

• fresh basil to garnish

For the Dressing

• 1 tbspn Sweet Thai Chilli sauce

• 1/2 the juice of a lime

• a very small lug of fish sauce

METHOD

• Arrange all salad ingredients in a bowl

• Mix together all dressing ingredients (season to taste)

• Top the salad with the prawns and throw over the dressing

• Garnish with the fresh basil 

Voila! Enjoy!

Herby Lamb Greek Salad

This is a fast and efficient recipe that's is a taste sensation. It's a great variation of a traditional Greek salad and perfect to use up leftovers in the fridge. It's a sure winner for all!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lamp steaks

• tbspn chopped herbs (any of these will do: mint, basil, coriander, oregano)

• salt and pepper to season

• 1 crushed garlic clove 

Salad Ingredients

• 2 pickled peppers, sliced 1cm wide lengthways 

• 1 small red onion, quartered and sliced

• 10 cherry tomatoes, halved

• half a block of feta chunks

• mint and basil and balsamic vinegar to garnish

METHOD

• smother the lamb in the chopped herbs, garlic and salt and pepper

• prepare salad ingredients and combine on a plate (per person)

• fry lamb steaks on a medium - high heat until seared on the outside and cooked to your liking on the inside (remember the meat will still cook for a minute or two once removed from the pan)

• slice the steaks diagonally and layer onto each salad portion

• garnish with the fresh herbs and some balsamic vinegar

In this image of this salad I used up some brocolini that was in the fridge. Just lightly cooked in the microwave. Great to add another veg for your five a day but not necessary. 

Thai Green Prawn and Aubergine Curry

 This recipe is a delight every time I cook it. The biggest surprise was the eggplant, I have never used it in a curry before now and it really makes this recipe something special. Even if your not an eggplant fan this recipe has the opportunity to appeal to everyone. It's simple, quick for an after work meal and perfect for anytime of the year (bearing in mind eggplant's need to be in season usually July - October). Brown rice makes this dish even healthier and pompadoms are a really nice accompaniment. I hope you enjoy this little gem as much as I do!

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbsp. olive oil for frying

1 eggplant / aubergine, cut into small chunks

1 piece of ginger, size of your thumb-nail, finely chopped (optional)

1tsp of lemongrass (optional)

1/4 jar of Thai Green Curry paste (or as per jar instructions)

400ml can light coconut milk

250g packet of cooked prawns (I use Marks and Spencers)

1 lime, finely grated zest and juice

100g baby spinach

1 tbsp Thai fish sauce

1 small bunch fresh coriander, chopped, plus extra to garnish

brown or jasmine rice to serve (usually 70g pp)

METHOD:

1. Cook rice as per packet instructions
2. Heat oil in a wok or large frying pan over a medium heat, add the chopped aubergines and fry until slightly golden all over. Add chopped fresh ginger and lemongrass with the green curry paste and fry for 1 minute until fragrant
3. Add the coconut milk, bring to the boil, then lower to a simmer
4. Add the prawns and lime zest and cook for 3-4 minutes until the prawns are heated through
5. Add the fresh spinach, fish sauce, lime juice and coriander and serve with steamed rice and pompadoms.

Asparagus, Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

This is a quick-fire, super scrumptious salad which is easy to make and brightens up any Winters day or Summer BBQ dinner. Get creating!

INGREDIENTS
a handful of baby asparagus per person
1/3 packet of cherry tomatoes
1 spring onion finely chopped
1 clove of garlic finely chopped
1 lug of good quality olive oil
juice of half a lemon
1/3 ripped fresh mozzarella
small handful of basil leaves
seasoning to taste

METHOD
Blanch the asparagus in boiling salted water whilst you prepare the tomato topping
roughly dice the cherry tomatoes and place in a bowl with the lemon, oil, garlic and onion and salt and pepper
drain the asparagus and arrange on a platter, top with tomato mixture
garnish with mozzarella and basil

Ta-daaah! A taste sensation!

Variations: use blue cheese instead of mozzarella for a stronger flavour or top with Kalamata olives

LoveBites Delish Fish and Lentil Ensomble

This recipe was derived from a recent meal a friend of mine had at a local gastro pub in Hampshire...

INGREDIENTS
serves two

• 2 cod fillets (or firm white fish fillets)
• 2 tspns tomato paste or sundried tomato paste (1 tspn per fillet)
• 2 chorizo sausages, sliced
• 10 mixed coloured cherry tomatoes, halved and quartered randomly
• 80g fresh baby spinach
• handful of chopped parsley
• 3/4 cup of puy or green lentils
• Lemon juice and garlic butter to garnish
• Garlic butter - 1 clove pured garlic, 2 tbspns butter, melt in microwave for 20 - 30 seconds

METHOD

1. Cook lentils as per packet instructions
2. Paint fish with tomato paste and place on a baking tray covered in foil,
3. Loosely cover fish with the foil and bake in oven with tomatoes for 10-15 minutes
4. Fry the sliced chorizo sausages in a fry pan until cooked through
5. Blanch fresh spinach in boiling water then drain and cool under fresh water immediately
6. Make garlic butter
7. Serve spinach on top of lentils, followed by fish, topped with tomatoes, parsley and sprinkle the chorizo around the outside
8. Garnish with garlic butter and lemon juice

NB: I use Marks and Spencers sunblushed tomato cod fillets which saves you covering the fish yourself. You can also make this healthier without the chorizo and a different alternative is to not cook the tomatoes but have them fresh on top as a Summer time option (see below). Enjoy!

2am Pizza

Coming home at 2am when no one will deliver pizza calls for some drastic measures to raid ones fridge and make ones own! Here is my recipe for 2am Pizza that is guarenteed to taste saucy even if its not after a few wines!

Ingredients

• x2 Tortilla / flatbreads or pita (leftover from dinner two nights ago)
• 1/2 Red onion sliced (leftover from yesterdays salad)
• 1 Tomato sliced or a handful of cherry tomatoes (same as above)
• A few slices of salami, pepperoni or choizo, sliced halveways
• A handful of rocket
• Grated cheese (as much as necessary to cater for ones aquired gooey-ness)
• Heinz tomato sauce

Method to the Maddness

• Turn the oven up to about 180 degrees
• Spread the Heinz tomato sauce like a tomatoe paste over the base of the tortilla or chosen pizza base
• Sprinkle the red onion, tomatoes, rocket and cheese on one pizza and meat and cheese on the other
• Bake for approx 5-10 minutes until the cheese has melted and the tortilla has crisped up
• Slice as desired and consume!

This recipe can be cooked at any hour and is especially good as a snack, lunch or just to use up leftovers!

LoveBites Thai Beef Salad

Thai Beef Salad is one of my all time favourite dishes. There are so many variations with this salad that I always seem to do it a different way. When I went to my LoveBites Asian Inspired Beef Salad original post recently, I realised that I don't really make my Thai Beef Salad's like this anymore.
So it's time for an update: a new recipe, something easier to follow and quicker to make = perfect LoveBites standards!

Feeds 2

 Ingredients

• 300g Rump Steak
• 2Tbspns Soya Sauce
• 1Tbspn Fish Sauce
• 1/3Cup Sweet Chilli Sauce
• 1 Clove Garlic, crushed
• 1 Red Chilli, de-seeded and diced
• Juice of1/2 a Lime, other 1/2 slice into wedges
• Handful of fresh Coriander, roughly chopped (save some leaves for garnish)
• 1/2 Red and Yellow Capsicum, sliced thinly
• 1/2 Cucumber, peeled lengthwise
• 1/2 Large Red Onion sliced thinly (can also use x2 Spring Onions sliced thinly)
• x2 Packets individually packed Vermicelli Noodles (optional)
• 1 Cup Sugar snap Peas sliced (optional)

Method

• Combine Soya, Sweet Thai Chilli, Fish sauce, 1/2 the fresh Chilli, and 1/2 the lime juice in a small mixing bowl or jar
• Crush the garlic and press into the beef in a dish and pour over half the sauce mixture, set aside
• Chop the salad ingredients and combine in a large bowl, boil the jug
• Place the noodles in a bowl of boiled water, cover and set aside
• Sear the steak for approximately 2 minutes per side, remove from the pan and once slightly cooled, slice in 1cm thick slices
• Drain the noodles and combine with the salad, mixing well with your hands
• Scoop into individual bowls or plates, arrange the steak slices on top and sprinkle with the remainder sauce, lime slices and garnish with the rest of the coriander.

The picture used for this recipe did not have noodles. If you are not using noodles I would recommend using more herbs and rip them up in your hands so they are still quite large rather than dicing them. Capsicums (peppers) can be any colour, orange was used for this pic.

I also made a bit of a dressing to go with this version : combine soya and fish sauces, sweet chilli, lime, coriander and chilli and pour over the dish. This recipe is a great backbone so make it as you so desire!