This is one of those meals that covers all the bases… it’s super quick to cook, uses basic store cupboard ingredients with minimal prep, requires zero technical skill, works as a weekday meal, or even a luxurious date night treat. It’s delicious, high in protein and very low in calories.

Serves two for dinner. You’ll need a decent non-stick frying pan for this, and plenty of kitchen paper…

Start by peeling and deveining the prawns, if they’re not already done. Mine came with only the tail shells left on, but I prefer to remove them because I don’t want to fiddle with them once they’re on my plate – wastes valuable eating time!  Now dry them thoroughly on a couple of layers of kitchen paper. They need to be really nice and dry before the next stage.

In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, sugar substitute and five-spice powder and set aside.

Once the prawns are really dry all over, put them in a clean bowl and sprinkle over one tablespoon of cournflour/cornstarch.

Get in with your fingers to thoroughly coat each prawn in cornflour, mopping it up from the bottom of the bowl (this is why they need to be DRY!)

Now heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large, non-stick frying pan. Once hot, reduce the heat to medium and add the shrimp in one single layer in the pan. Allow them to just turn pink on the bottom, then flip them over and cook the other side. The cornflour will get nice and crisp. You don’t need to cook them through at this point, they’ll be going back on the heat to finish off later.

Remove the prawns from the pan onto kitchen paper, whilst trying to keep any oil and crispy bits in the pan.

Reduce the heat to low, and add a teaspoon of garlic and ginger paste to the frying pan. Lightly stir, then sprinkle over the spice mix to warm through. 

Put the prawns back into the pan and shake gently in the spices. Leave them for barely a minute, then turn them over to spice the other side and get nice and crisp.

Right at the end, you can sprinkle over a pinch of dried chilli flakes if you like some heat.

Serve over basmati rice. I made a fridge-raider salad on the side which turned out to be delicious… shredded iceberg, grated carrot, cucumber and red pepper, a little raw broccoli. Found a sachet of cumin lime ranch dressing lurking in the fridge too, so I used a little of that on the salad and it was really good! I’ll figure out a recipe for that soon.

The whole meal came to 429cals

RECIPE: Salt and Pepper Shrimp 181cals

You will need a large non-stick frying pan, and lots of absorbent kitchen paper

INGREDIENTS:

• 16 large shrimp
• 1 tbsp cornflour / cornstarch
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp minced ginger & garlic paste
• ½ teaspoon sugar substitute (Lakanto Classic or Sugarly)
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• a pinch of dried chilli flakes (optional)

To serve: Basmati rice & shredded salad with cumin lime ranch dressing for a 429cal dinner

METHOD:

• Peel and devein the prawns, if they’re not already done. 
• Dry them thoroughly on a couple of layers of kitchen paper. They need to be really nice and dry before the next stage.
• In a small bowl, combine half a teaspoon each of salt, pepper, sugar substitute and five-spice powder and set aside.
• Once the prawns are really dry all over, put them in a clean bowl and sprinkle over one tablespoon of cournflour/cornstarch, thoroughly coating each prawn in cornflour.
• Heat one tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large, non-stick frying pan. Once hot, reduce the heat to medium and add the shrimp in one single layer in the pan. 
• Allow the shrimp to just turn pink on the bottom, then flip them over and cook the other side. The cornflour will get nice and crisp. 
• You don’t need to cook them through at this point, they’ll be going back on the heat to finish off later.
• Remove the prawns from the pan onto kitchen paper, whilst trying to keep any oil and crispy bits in the pan.
• Reduce the heat to low, and add a teaspoon of garlic and ginger paste to the frying pan. Lightly stir, then sprinkle over the spice mix to warm through.  
• Put the prawns back into the pan and shake gently in the spices. Leave them for barely a minute, then turn them over to spice the other side and get nice and crisp for another minute. Sprinkle over a pinch of dried chilli flakes right at the end if you like some heat.
• Serve over a cup of basmati rice with a chopped salad and light dressing on the side (see notes above).