cauliflower mushroom risotto w/ prawn rainbow chard

leftovers are underrated… especially when you have fabulous leftovers to start.

here’s a simple way to repurpose and reinvent creamy cauliflower & mushroom risotto from a previous yumyumyummers recipe. just add some prawns and some rainbow chard and you’ve got a brand new dish. gotta love leftover redux.

the prawns:
- heat up 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil in large pan on medium heat
- brown 1 large shallot (peeled, rough chop) w/ 1 tsp fennel seed in pan
- add 1.5 cups raw prawns (deveined, deshelled) to pan
- season w/ ground black peppercorns
- add a dash of sea salt
- sauté prawns & stir ingredients for 1-2 min until partially cooked

the chard:
- wash & drain 1 bunch of organic rainbow chard in colander w/ cold water
- remove stems from chard
- add chard to pan w/ prawns
- season w/ ground black peppercorns
- sauté for 2-3min until leaves are wilted and a darker shade of green, and until prawns are cooked through

the risotto:
- add leftover creamy cauliflower & mushroom risotto to prawns & chard in pan
- fold ingredients together until well combined and risotto is warm

food styling:
- for a more rustic look (and for portion control!), i like to dish up creamy risotto into small individual ramekins.
- for for a sharing feast, place the creamy risotto in a large, shallow serving bowl.
- season w/ ground black peppercorns
- season w/ freshly ground nutmeg

ginger shrimp & edamame noodle bowl

friday night stirfry? yes, please! skip the chinese takeout menu — chances are, you already have everything you need right in your own kitchen.

perhaps the best thing about this dish is that it’s a one-pan — er, one-wok — recipe. and it’s based on healthy, simple ingredients that you likely already have in your fridge and pantry. easypeasy recipe and easy cleanup. perfect for friday night dindins after a busy week.

the ginger shrimp:
- heat up 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil in large wok on medium heat
- add 2 sprigs of green onions (rooted stems removed, rough chop into sliced rounds)
- add 1.5 cups pre-cooked shrimp (deveined, deshelled) to wok
- season w/ ground black peppercorns
- add 1.5 tbsp fresh ginger (julienne-cut)
- sauté shrimp & stir ingredients for 1-2min

the veggies:
in the same wok, add the following ingredients to the shrimp:
- 1 red bell pepper (pitted, thinly sliced)
- add 1/2 cup edamame beans (deshelled, pre-steamed)
- season w/ ground black peppercorns
- sauté for 1-2min & stir regularly
- stirfry ingredients together in wok until well combined

the noodles:
- soak 350g brown rice noodles in a shallow bowl w/ warm water for 8-10min, or until noodles are slightly tender
- drain water from noodles in a colander
- add noodles to other ingredients in wok
- drizzle low-sodium soy sauce over noodles
- season w/ ground black peppercorns
- stirfry noodles w/ other ingredients until well combined, and the shrimp and bell peppers are tender

(tip: do not overcook noodles or let the noodles go soggy.)

coconut pad thai

this is definitely not your average pad thai. did the coconut & pistachios give it away? :)

in the spirit of culinary experiments — and in appreciation of fusion cuisine — i thought i’d add a tropical twist to this pad thai with some light coconut milk and crushed pistachios. tasty, indeed. not too shabby for my first go at cooking pad thai.

the prawns & the coconut:
- heat up 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil in large wok on medium heat
- add 2 sprigs of green onions (rooted stems removed, rough chop into sliced rounds)
- add 1.5 cups raw prawns (deveined, deshelled) to wok
- season w/ ground black peppercorns
- add a dash of sea salt
- add 1/2 can light coconut milk
- sauté prawns & stir ingredients for 1-2min until partially cooked

the tofu & veggies:
in the same wok, add the following ingredients to the prawns:
- 1/2 orange bell pepper (pitted, sliced)
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper (pitted, sliced)
- 1/3 green zucchini squash (sliced rounds)
- 1/3 yellow zucchini squash (sliced rounds)
- season w/ ground black peppercorns
- sauté for 1-2min & stir regularly
- then add 1 cup raw tofu (chopped into bite-sized chunks)
- add 1/8 cup fresh cilantro (stems removed, rough chop) to wok
- stirfry ingredients together in wok until coconut milk is well combined