Before Mr Redding and I got married we followed the Sirt diet for a few months - it did the trick. Almost no fat, kale juice deadening the appetite, and no carbs led to a gratifying but not silly weight loss. We tried it again last month but suddenly swamp water wasn't cutting it for us. So I have decided to off piste, inspired in some way by a fellow food blogger @thefoodjudge. Her plates of spiralised vegetables and protein looked interesting, delicious, and a fabulous antidote to Christmas food. So I bought a spiraliser, looked to Sabrina Ghayour for some middle eastern flavours and set off. I will say up front that I am not counting calories but I am avoiding carbohydrates and saturated fat.
First of my recipes is a soupy noodly prawn dish - it is deeply satisfying, a bit hot, very tasty. This recipe is for two people.
INGREDIENTS
1 tblsp. oil
400g kings prawns, cut down the back and intestinal track removed
Tblsp. soy sauce
6 spring onions, white part sliced diagonally, green part shredded
Inch of ginger, sliced and shredded finely
Garlic clove, sliced finely
2 red birds eye chillies, sliced finely
2 stalks celery sliced
Tin of sliced water chestnuts drained
Handful of coarsely chopped coriander
2 medium courgettes, spiralised or cut into long fine strips
2 medium carrots, spiralised or cut into long fine strips
Chicken stock cube
1. Heat the oil and soy sauce together. When hot add the prawns and cook until they have just turned pink all over. remove from pan and set aside with juices. Wipe out pan.
2. Add oil to pan, out on medium heat and add spring onion whites, ginger, garlic and chilli - sweat down until soft.
3. Add the celery, water chestnuts and the stock cube along with a mug of water. Bring to boil for five minutes. Add the spiralised vegetables and cook for a couple of minutes, adding the prawns in the last 30 seconds to warm through.
4. Serve in two bowls, sprinkling over the green bits of spring onions and coriander.
