Cooking Lab - Prawn and Quinoa Salad with Balsamic Roasted Autumn Harvest (輕食午餐: 繽紛鮮蝦藜麥蔬菜沙拉)

I got some beautiful large fresh prawns from the fish market this morning and they looked so fantastic! 

This flavorful autumn seafood salad is loaded with protein, fiber and healthy fats. It is fresh tasting, hearty and would make you smile on a warm sunny day. 

天氣轉冷，冬季也來臨了。來做一道營養價值極高的午餐補充我們的健康能量！Power Up!

這道簡單又鮮豔的鮮蝦藜麥蔬菜沙拉，吃起來可口開胃，甜中帶酸的優格醬汁，會讓人多吃幾口也不會有負擔。

看起來非常大盤，因為𥚃面加入了大量蔬菜，但應該不到一碗飯熱量哦！這道沙拉的彈性很大，可以依當令食材來做調整。

這樣吃，最能增進免疫力!


(c) GMV - Got My Vote!

A good flavorful seafood salad with tangy yoghurt dressing. It is loaded with protein, fibre and healthy fats.

  You can make the salad ahead and just add the yogurt dressing before serving. 

Ingredients:

-16 large cooked prawns 
- 1 ripe avocado 
- 4 truss tomato 
- 4 continental cucumber 
- 2 large onion 
- 6 pink radish 
- 1/2 cup black quinoa 
- 1 cup seafood stock 
- 2 tablespoon olive oil 
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 
- 300g mixed gourmet salad 
- Sea salt & pepper to season 

For yogurt dressing: 

- 1/2 cup chopped corriandar 
- 1/2 cup chopped mint 
- 1/4 cup diced onion 
- 1 juice of lemon 
- 250g low fat yogurt

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.

2. Whisk together all the yoghurt, onion, lemon juice, coriander and mint. Set aside in the fridge.

3. Line tomato, cucumber, onion and chick pea on baking tray.

4. Drizzle light olive oil on top.

5. Bake for 30 minutes.

Absolutely love the oven roasted chickpeas!  Seriously, they turned into a popcorn-esque snack.

Smoky, Salty and Nutty! Yum~

6. Remove chick pea from the oven after 10 minutes.

7. The roasted chickpea should be golden and crunchy.

8. Season with sea salt on top.

9. Cook black quinoa in fish stock according to packet instructions.

10. In a small sauce pan, add quinoa in stock and bring it to boil.

11. Reduce heat and let it simmer for 10-15 mins or until quinoa has absorbed all stock liquid.

12. Set aside to cool.

13. Wash and dry the gourmet salad.

14. Add balsamic vinegar and toss well.

15. Remove the roasted vegetables from the oven.

16. Slice cucumber and pink radish.

17. Arrange roasted vegetables on a large serving plate.

18. Spread quinoa on top.

19. Scatter the roasted chick pea around.

20. Place fresh tiger prawns on top of the sliced avocado.

21. Divide among 4 small serving plates.

22. Serve warm with yogurt dressing on the side.

Don't you just love a colorful salad filled with fluffy quinoa, roasted chickpeas and various roasted vegetables? We do! It is a terrific salad on its own or a vibrant side dish to any main course. 

Cooking Lab - Golden Chives w Prawns (韮黃蝦仁炒蛋)(黃金ニラと海老の塩炒 め)

Golden Chives (韮黃) combines the flavors of garlic and traditional chive, but with a milder and sweeter taste.

Light...flavour...simple~

(c) GMV - Got My Vote!'

Golden Chives with scramble eggs & prawns.

A super easy dish to make.

Ingredients:

- Golden Chives 1 bunch

- Cooked Large Tiger Prawns x 5

- Eggs x 2

- Cooking Rice Wine

- Salt & Pepper

Instructions:

1. Heat pan on high heat, toss in the prawns to add colours. Remove.

2. Add the Golden Chives to the pan and quickly stir-fry for about 1 minute. 

3. Pour in the beaten eggs and let it run to cover the golden chives.

4. Return the prawns to the pan.

5. Sprinkle some salt and add a dash of cooking wine.

6. Season with salt and cracked black pepper.

A bit more delicate than your average green garlic chives. If you don't like strong garlic taste, this chive is for you.

Very versatile, tender, mild and sweet. Good ingredient to any salad, stir-fry, dumpling & soup.

An easy prawn & golden chive stir fry.

Note: if I chopped each ingredients into finer pieces, they can be used as dumpling filling :)

This served really well as a side dish and goes well with sake (Japanese rice wine).

Cooking Lab - Vita Stir-Fry Prawn Noodles in XO Sauce (活力蔬菜炒麵)

Summer is approaching, stores are introducing a healthy alternatives; juice bars are offering energetic wellbeing drinks.

Pouring with heavy rain - cold and windy - there was no Summer spirit today. It was quite a refreshing feeling walking in the rain ... now need to satisfy my hunger..

So tonight, I thought why not introduce healthy ingredients into my meal. Heehee - call it an innovative healthy energized concoction.

(c) GMV - Got My Vote!'

Ginkgo nuts are very nutritious and have anti-aging properties. In addition, they can assist in revitalize, energize and recharge our tired bodies. 

This noodle dish is aimed to increase our energy level after a long tired week. We need to treat ourselves to some healthy goody meal. 

I am attracted to green these days. So when I saw packs of green noodles - I couldn't resist.

Ingredients:

- 300g Green Vita Noodles (綠色台南刀削麵)

- 150g Fresh Green Banana Prawns 

- 100g Broccoli

- 100g Chive Flowers (韮菜花） 

- 100g Ginko 

- 50g Korean Fish Cakes 

- 3 tablespoon Soya Sauce

- 1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce

- 1 teaspoonXO Sauce

- 1 teaspoon Shallot Sauce (紅蒽醬) 

A very healthy combination of ingredients 

Haha - yes all green (I can get a bit overboard sometimes) 

Preparations:

A. Cook vitality noodle according to packet instructions.

B. Cut broccoli into florets and boil in salt water until tender.

C. Wash and drain the Ginkgo nuts.

D. De-shell and de-vein the prawns. Marinate the prawns in cooking wine. Season with salt and pepper.

E. Cut the garlic chives and fish cakes in equal length.

  Instructions: 

1. Heat oil in a fry pan over medium heat, pan fry the prawns until golden. Remove and set aside.

2.  In the same fry pan, cook the fish cake slices. Season with pepper. Then add in the garlic chives and the broccoli.

3. Toss in the Ginkgo and season with soy sauce, salt and chicken powder.

4. Add in the noodle to the fry pan.

5. Season with xo sauce and mix well together.

     6. Add in the prawns and the cherry tomatoes.

The vitality noodles are mixed with delicious prawns, garlic chives, tomato and ginkgo nuts. A fantastic quick dinner filled with goodness. 

I like it a lot. 

Cooking Lab - Garlic Prawn & Asparagus Heart Tart

These gorgeous sweet heart tarts will put a smile on everyone's face. Scrumptious prawns with asparagus are perfect as an entree dish or light lunch.

Got this secret recipe from a friend who got it from her mum. Very guarded recipe! 

Sensitive information (treat with caution) - now I can see why! They are so good, once the news is out, everyone will be asking you to make them for every dinner party!

Such sweethearts!~

Very pleased!

(c) GMV - Got My Vote!"*\(^o^)/*

Such an endearing dish. Pretty, colorful and delicious. ~ 

Ingredients:

- Garlic Prawns (See previous Cooking Lab recipe)

- Asparagus Tips

- Puff Pastry (6 sheets) $3.99

- Eggs x 3

- MAZZETTI Balsamic Vinegar Glaze $6.99

- Wild Rocket

- Parsley - roughly chopped

- Caramelized Brown Onion slices 

- Roasted CherryTomatoes 

- Chargrilled artichokes 

- McCain's Original Potato fries $2.50

- Mozzarella Cheese

- Italian Blue Cheese $7.00

1. Preheat oven to 220C or the grill option.

2. Grease the bake tin with some oil or butter (This will prevent stickiness and allow pie to slide out easily.)

3. Cut out the heart shapes from pastry, lay gently into the baking tin.

(Handy Tip: Use dental floss to measure the width and length around the heart tin. Line the dental floss on the pastry and let it be the guide to perfectly cut out the right sizes. Clean, easy and disposable. Who would have thought of such an use for dental floss but someone who hate to see the dentist !! ^o^)

Variation 1:

4. Lightly coat the top edges with some egg to ensure a golden-kissed look.

5. Whisk 3 eggs and add some chopped parsley, then salt & pepper. (The 1st variation is just plain egg mixture.)

6. Line asparagus stems & potatoes at the base (I forget to buy the potato, so I used potato fries as substitute - tasted fantastic!)

7. Add the chargrilled artichokes.

8. Pour in the egg mixture into the baking tin.

9. Add mozzarella cheese on top, and

10. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.

11. Add caramelized onion slices, roasted tomatoes and garlic prawns on the tart in the final 3 minutes. 

12. Just out of the oven. Stunning crisp golden heart tart filled with loads of goodness.

13.  Add the roughly-chopped parsley and rocket on top.

14. Then add some blue cheese for that extra flavor 'Oomph' punch! (Optional).

15. Drizzle balsamic glaze across the pie. Add some lemon juice if you wish.

Appetizing garlic prawn tarts. Perfect as a starter or light snack!

Variation 2:

Pretty much the same method as Variation 1, except the chopped parsley are embedded into the egg mixture.

Perfect to fool the big & small kids into eating their greens! Ha~ :)

Add some asparagus tips to decorate.

Add some cracked pepper and top it off with shaved Parmesan slices.l

The finished presentation!

Double hearts and double delights!!