TJ's GARLIC PRAWNS

Prep Time: Approx 10 Minutes

Cook Time: Approx 15 Minutes

I was never much of a seafood lover before I arrived here. The few sea-faring items that I would eat, all basically lived in shells at some point. This would mean lobster (in New Zealand these are a claw-less variety and the locals refer to them as crayfish), prawns (only the ones large enough to be deveined before I bought them), fresh crab, scallops (minus the horrible orange roe that Kiwis seem to love and Americans throw away or use for stock), and fresh clams.

You see, even living in the grand Pacific Northwest region of America, I never learned to appreciate the plethora of fresh trout or salmon always on offer much. Even if it was caught fresh that day just off the coast or in one of our very own rivers, I wasn't interested. No, the only scaly fish I would eat were tuna or halibut, pretty much. I think it's the aroma that always put me off really...that, and watching my Dad devein shrimp in Texas when I was a kid...yyyuck! Once I knew what it really was that he was removing, that was it!!! No "shrimp" for me for another 10 years or so - honestly! As for the finny fish, it was probably not helpful to see my lovely late grandma baking trout and serving it to us without removing the heads either. (I still shudder at the memories of it all.)

Now I live on the other side of the world and there are so many new things to try. We have local Farmers' Markets that sell incredible fruits & veggies as well as fresh fish - right off the boat! So, my point is that I have learned to appreciate some of the new seafood available to me here (even the Aussie Moreton Bay Bugs - grilled with creamy garlic sauce over the top).

Anyway, I digress...this recipe is one of my favourites now. I love prawns and this is another recipe I used to make quite often even whilst I was counting Weight Watcher points. Again, portion control is the name of the game, but it's up to you to decide how important it is to you once you've tried this recipe. My apologies on the photos this time, my light source was....uhm, compromised. :o)

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

400-500 Gm (1 Lb) Raw Prawns (tail-off, deveined)

2-3 Cloves Crushed Garlic

1/2 Cup Sour Cream (lite/lowfat versions are just as tasty)

2-3 Tbsp Fresh Chopped Basil

2 Tbsp Fresh Chopped Parsley

4-5 Tbsp Freshly grated Parmiggiano Reggiano or Romano Cheese

(Rice or pasta of your choosing. I use either Basmati Rice or Tricolore Spaghetti, but Fettucini works nicely too.)

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare approximately 4-5 servings of rice or pasta ahead of time, as the prawns only need a few minutes of actual cooking time.

Heat oil over medium heat and add prawns when the oil is hot. Cook for 2-3 minutes making sure that all of the prawns are turning pink.

Now reduce the heat and add your garlic. Cooking garlic for too long or at a temperature too high will burn the garlic and lend a bitter taste, so be careful not to overcook or brown it.

About a minute or two after adding the garlic, add the sour cream and cook until the sauce begins to thicken.

At this stage, add the basil and parsley then give it a good stir through.

Remove from heat and serve the prawns over the rice or pasta and a healthy veg, and top it off with the freshly grated cheese.

If you care anything for your food, please refrain from buying the American-style canisters of parmesan cheese...it only takes 30 seconds to grate it yourself and it tastes HEAPS better!

There you go - a really quick & easy meal that leaves you licking your fork at the end!

Cheers.