PRAWN, POMEGRANATE, AND QUINOA BOWL
Rich in selenium and copper, prawns offer antioxidant support to muscles and nerves. Make this nourishing packed lunch the night before to let the flavours mingle.
SERVES 2
Ingredients
150g (5½oz) quinoa
150g (5½oz) peeled raw prawns, deveined
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 red chilli, finely chopped
4 spring onions, finely sliced
zest and juice of 1 lime
100g (3½oz) pomegranate seeds (or seeds of 1 large pomegranate)
handful of coriander, roughly chopped
1 avocado, sliced
lime wedges, to serve
1 Put the quinoa in a small pan with 300ml (10fl oz) water. Place on a medium heat and bring to the boil. Stir and leave to simmer for 10 minutes or until the water has absorbed.
2 Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. When hot, add the prawns and cook them for 2–3 minutes until they are dark pink all over. Stir in the chilli and half of the spring onions; then remove the pan from the heat and allow the flavours to infuse.
3 When the quinoa is cooked, remove the pan from the heat. Add the lime juice, mixing gently and fluffing the grains with a fork. Transfer the quinoa to a large bowl and allow it to cool a little, before adding the rest of the spring onions, lime zest, pomegranate seeds, and half of the coriander. Stir to mix.
4 Divide the fruity quinoa between two bowls (or transportable boxes). Top with the sliced avocado, chilli prawns, and any cooking juices from the pan, too. Garnish with the remaining coriander and serve with lime wedges. If you’re taking it for a packed lunch, drizzling lime juice on top will slow the avocado’s browning, or take the avocado and slice just before eating.
NUTRITION PER SERVING Calories 509 Total fat 24.2g Saturated fat 3.9g Carbohydrates 50g Dietary fibre 11.3g Sugars 11.7g Protein 26.2g Salt 0.6g
Smart swaps
• Replace the prawns with tofu for a mineral-rich boost of copper, phosphorus, and potassium. Copper is essential for making new red blood cells and has bonus antioxidant activity.
• Swap the pomegranate for sun-dried tomatoes to boost your intake of the antioxidant lycopene – sun-dried tomatoes contain the most lycopene of any form of tomatoes.
NUTRIENT KNOW-HOW
Prawns are naturally higher in salt than other fish. And since extra salt is often added during the cooking process, it’s better to buy raw prawns (frozen ones are great) whenever possible.