Thai Green Prawn Curry with Broccoli

Twenty minutes, one pan, and lighter than the takeaway. Fry the paste in the thick coconut cream first; that is where the flavour comes from.

Dinner

Serves 2

Thai green prawn curry with broccoli and red pepper in a bowl, with brown rice and lime

Ingredients

250g raw peeled king prawns
2 tbsp Thai green curry paste (check the label if you avoid gluten)
1 tin of light coconut milk (400ml), unshaken
200g tenderstem broccoli, halved lengthways
1 red pepper, sliced
1 tsp fish sauce
1 lime
A handful of coriander, and Thai basil if you can find it
1 tsp neutral oil
120g brown rice, to serve

Method

Put the rice on first; brown rice takes 25 minutes, so it sets the pace.
Open the coconut milk without shaking it and spoon the thick cream from the top into a wide pan with the oil. Heat it until it bubbles and starts to look oily, then add the curry paste and fry it in the cream for two minutes, stirring, until it smells strongly fragrant. Frying the paste is what turns it from sharp and raw into rounded; stirring it straight into the liquid is why homemade curries taste thin.
Add the rest of the coconut milk and the fish sauce and bring to a simmer. Add the broccoli and pepper and cook for four minutes.
Add the prawns and cook for two to three minutes, only until they turn pink and curl. Overcooked prawns turn rubbery, and they keep cooking in the hot sauce after you take it off the heat.
Taste, adding a squeeze of lime and more fish sauce if it needs it. Scatter with coriander and serve with the rice and lime wedges.

Why it works

A takeaway Thai green curry with rice can easily pass 1,000 calories, most of it from full-fat coconut milk and white rice. This version is around 550, with 30g of protein, and it is on the table in the time a delivery takes to arrive.

Prawns are almost pure protein and low in fat. They also bring selenium, iodine and some zinc, though far less zinc than oysters or red meat; they are a useful contributor rather than a zinc source. The cholesterol in prawns worries some people, but for most, dietary cholesterol has a modest effect on blood cholesterol compared with saturated fat.

Which brings in the coconut milk. Coconut fat is mostly saturated, which is why the recipe uses the light version: it has well under half the fat of full-fat coconut milk and keeps most of the texture, especially once the paste has been fried in the cream at the top of the tin.

Brown rice and broccoli are what earn the blood-sugar tag. With protein and fibre in the same bowl, the glucose response is slower and lower than a takeaway with white rice, and steadier blood sugar matters for both audiences: insulin resistance tracks with lower testosterone in men and with more difficult symptoms through perimenopause: menopause and diabetes risk.

If you have prawns in the freezer and want something even faster, the garlic prawn and spinach stir-fry takes twelve minutes.

thai-green-prawn-curry

Thai Green Prawn Curry with Broccoli

Dinner

prawns, coconut milk, broccoli, red pepper, lime, coriander, brown rice

salmon-traybake-potatoes-broccoli

Salmon Traybake with New Potatoes, Broccoli and Dill Yogurt

Dinner

salmon, potatoes, broccoli, lemon, dill, olive oil, greek yogurt

Baked salmon fillets with new potatoes, tenderstem broccoli and lemon on a baking tray

greek-lemon-chicken-traybake

Greek Lemon Chicken Traybake with Potatoes and Olives

Dinner

chicken, potatoes, onion, red pepper, olives, garlic, lemon, olive oil, oregano, greek yogurt, cucumber, dill

Roast chicken thighs with lemon halves, potatoes, red onion, peppers and black olives on a baking tray

tuna-white-bean-salad

Tuna, White Bean and Red Onion Salad

Lunch

tuna, white beans, onion, tomatoes, cucumber, rocket, capers, parsley, lemon, olive oil

Tuna and white bean salad with red onion, cherry tomatoes, rocket and capers in a bowl

spinach-feta-egg-muffins

Spinach, Feta and Red Pepper Egg Muffins

Breakfast

eggs, spinach, feta, red pepper, spring onions, milk, chilli flakes, olive oil

Twelve golden egg muffins with spinach, feta and red pepper in a muffin tin

chia-pudding-mango-lime

Chia Pudding with Mango, Lime and Pumpkin Seeds

Breakfast

chia seeds, soy milk, mango, lime, pumpkin seeds

Chia seed pudding in a glass topped with diced mango, lime zest and pumpkin seeds

beetroot-walnut-hummus

Beetroot and Walnut Hummus

Snack

beetroot, chickpeas, walnuts, tahini, lemon, garlic, cumin, olive oil, carrots, cucumber, red pepper

Bright pink beetroot hummus topped with walnuts and olive oil, with vegetable sticks

turkish-eggs-garlic-yogurt

Turkish Eggs with Garlic Yogurt and Chilli Butter

Breakfast

eggs, greek yogurt, garlic, butter, chilli flakes, dill, parsley, sourdough, olive oil

Two poached eggs on garlic yogurt, drizzled with red chilli butter and dill

smoky-roasted-chickpeas

Smoky Roasted Chickpeas

Snack

chickpeas, olive oil, smoked paprika, cumin

Bowl of crispy roasted chickpeas with smoked paprika

chicken-ginger-congee

Chicken and Ginger Congee

Dinner

chicken, brown rice, ginger, garlic, spring onions, stock, sesame oil, tamari

Bowl of chicken congee with ginger and spring onions

red-lentil-dal-spinach

Red Lentil Dal with Spinach and Ginger

Dinner

lentils, spinach, onion, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, turmeric, cumin, coconut milk, brown rice

Bowl of golden red lentil dal with spinach and rice

steak-rocket-parmesan-salad

Steak, Rocket and Parmesan Salad

Lunch

steak, rocket, parmesan, tomatoes, olive oil, lemon

Sliced steak on rocket with parmesan shavings and tomatoes

quinoa-edamame-pumpkin-salad

Quinoa, Edamame and Pumpkin Seed Salad

Lunch

quinoa, edamame, pumpkin seeds, cucumber, lemon, olive oil, spring onions, parsley

Quinoa salad with green edamame and toasted pumpkin seeds

tofu-scramble-turmeric-spinach

Tofu Scramble with Turmeric, Spinach and Tomatoes

Breakfast

tofu, spinach, tomatoes, turmeric, onion, garlic, olive oil, sourdough, nutritional yeast

Yellow turmeric tofu scramble with spinach and tomatoes in a pan

date-cacao-protein-balls

Date and Cacao Protein Balls

Snack

dates, peanut butter, almond butter, protein powder, cacao, hemp seeds, chia seeds, cinnamon

Date and cacao protein balls on a board, some cut in half

mussels-tomato-garlic-broth

Mussels in Tomato and Garlic Broth

Dinner

mussels, tomatoes, garlic, onion, parsley, chilli flakes, sourdough, olive oil, lemon

Open mussels in a red tomato broth with sourdough

cottage-cheese-pomegranate-walnuts

Cottage Cheese with Pomegranate, Walnuts and Honey

Snack

cottage cheese, pomegranate, walnuts, honey, cinnamon, greek yogurt

Bowl of cottage cheese topped with pomegranate seeds and walnuts

chicken-butter-bean-kale-pot

Chicken, Butter Bean and Kale One-Pot

Dinner

chicken, white beans, kale, onion, garlic, lemon, olive oil, stock, parsley, tomatoes

One-pot chicken with butter beans and dark green kale

mackerel-egg-watercress-toast

Smoked Mackerel, Poached Egg and Watercress on Sourdough

Breakfast

mackerel, eggs, watercress, sourdough, lemon, olive oil, tomatoes

Smoked mackerel and poached egg on sourdough with watercress

turmeric-tempeh-cauliflower-bowl

Turmeric Tempeh and Cauliflower Bowl with Tahini

Lunch

tempeh, cauliflower, tahini, chickpeas, turmeric, lemon, olive oil, spinach, cumin, garlic

Bowl of roast cauliflower and tempeh with tahini dressing

miso-tofu-edamame-noodle-soup

Miso, Tofu and Edamame Soup with Buckwheat Noodles

Lunch

miso, tofu, edamame, buckwheat, spring onions, garlic, ginger, seaweed, sesame oil, spinach

Bowl of miso noodle soup with tofu cubes and green edamame

kiwi-kefir-night-bowl

Kiwi and Kefir Night Bowl with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Snack

kiwi, kefir, pumpkin seeds, honey, cinnamon, greek yogurt, walnuts

Bowl of kefir with sliced kiwi and toasted pumpkin seeds

turkey-sweet-potato-cherry

Turkey, Sweet Potato and Tart Cherry Traybake

Dinner

turkey, sweet potato, cherries, olive oil, garlic, onion, rosemary, spinach

Turkey breast traybake with sweet potato and dark cherries

sardine-white-bean-smash

Sardine and White Bean Smash on Sourdough

Dinner

sardines, white beans, garlic, lemon, olive oil, sourdough, parsley, tomatoes, onion, chilli flakes

Sardine and white bean smash on toasted sourdough with lemon

garlic-prawn-spinach-stirfry

Garlic Prawn and Spinach Stir-Fry

Dinner

prawns, spinach, garlic, brown rice, lemon, olive oil, chilli flakes, spring onions

Garlic prawns with spinach in a pan with lemon

chickpea-egg-avocado-bowl

Chickpea, Egg and Avocado Lunch Bowl

Lunch

chickpeas, eggs, avocado, tomatoes, rocket, lemon, olive oil, pumpkin seeds, onion, cumin

Chickpea bowl with halved boiled eggs, avocado and rocket

spinach-feta-pumpkin-omelette

Spinach, Feta and Pumpkin Seed Omelette

Breakfast

eggs, spinach, feta, pumpkin seeds, olive oil, tomatoes

Folded spinach and feta omelette with pumpkin seeds on a plate

pumpkin-seed-oat-bites

Pumpkin Seed and Oat Bites

Snack

oats, pumpkin seeds, almond butter, dates, honey, flaxseed, dark chocolate, cinnamon

No-bake oat and pumpkin seed bites on a wooden board

kimchi-fried-rice-eggs

Kimchi Fried Rice with Eggs

Lunch

brown rice, kimchi, eggs, spinach, garlic, spring onions, sesame oil, olive oil, sesame seeds, tamari, gochujang, rice vinegar

Kimchi fried rice topped with a fried egg, sesame seeds and spring onion

kefir-berry-brazil-smoothie

Kefir Smoothie with Berries and Brazil Nuts

Breakfast

kefir, greek yogurt, blueberries, brazil nuts, flaxseed, chia seeds, cinnamon, lemon, banana

Kefir and berry smoothie in a glass with Brazil nuts and flaxseed

beef-black-bean-chilli

Beef and Black Bean Chilli

Dinner

beef mince, black beans, tomatoes, onion, red pepper, garlic, brown rice, greek yogurt, dark chocolate, olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, chilli flakes, tomato puree, stock, coriander