ASIAN INSPIRED PRAWN, PEANUT & PINEAPPLE SALAD

Well here I go again…the fruit in the salad routine! Can’t help it, just adds that piquancy that a salad needs. This salad is quick, to the point and totally great to increase or decrease to suit the numbers you are feeding. Add more spinach, avocado, prawns, peanuts, and/or pineapple to suit.

A great summer option, or as in this case, autumn (‘fall’ down under) option…we are still having 35°C (95°F) days here! Frankly I’m looking forward to a good ole rainy day and the chance to cook up a batch of soup or something, but in the meantime, this sort of food reminds me of why I love summer. My pic was compromised somewhat due to the earlier setting of the sun, (damn Thermomix office that holds me till all the good light has gone)! And of course I am off to Melbourne this week, of all weeks, for a food shoot on a work project with a proper stylist and photographer and everything, so this pic hardly sells me does it…oh so much to learn, and so excited to do so…I may never come back!

NEED:

Dressing;

3 cloves garlic

1/2 red onion

50g fish sauce

juice of 3-4 limes (50-60g)

40g EVOO

2 tbsp palm sugar

3 handfuls fresh mint leaves

few sprigs fresh coriander leaves

1 bunch chives thinly sliced

1 *roasted large red chili sliced thinly

Salad;

300g peanuts

500-600g forzen prawn cutlets (use fresh, but alter cooking time significantly!)

1 whole pineapple, peeled, cored and diced

1-2 large avocadoes peeled and diced

200g baby spinach

DO:

Make dressing by placing garlic, onion, fish sauce, lime juice, EVOO, palm sugar, mint and coriander into Thermomix bowl and blending for 15 seconds on speed 6.

Add chives and chilli and stir through for a few seconds on Reverse + speed 3. Set aside. (You can premake the dressing and allow flavours to blend for up to 24 hours prior to use. This dressing would also be excellent on other salads.)

Roast peanuts by placing nuts into 200°C oven and cooking for 10 minutes or until fragrant. Cool slightly.

Prepare prawns by placing into paper lined Combi Steam Oven tray, or Varoma tray and steaming for 15 minutes. (This time refers to frozen prawns, if using fresh you will need significantly less time.)

Gently toss all salad ingredients together with dressing and add a few extra coriander leaves. Serve immediately.

*I roasted my own chillies by simply placing them on top of the naked flame on my Kleenmaid wok burner for around 5-7 minutes. I did need to keep turning them (used one, saved one) until they were fairly evenly charred. Wrapped them in foil after that, until the skins blistered and rubbed off easily. The flavour difference in doing this is significant…and it is so easy and quick to do, I hope you try it.