Staycations & a Curry

Since the release of Apron Strings I've been rather busy, with demonstrations, book signings, interviews and lots of writing. I'm really amazed and very grateful for the good wishes and wonderful reviews which I have been receiving. We are keeping a list of the interviews and reviews on the Apron Strings website, with a link to any review that is available on the web; do have a little read. 

I have quite a bit of book related business to keep me occupied during the summer months, so instead of a week long break we are planning more of a "staycation". The children are so excited about this and have spent the past week jotting down where they would most like to visit. One of those such lists is pictured below and believe me it is getting longer every day. With our base as Westmeath, there are many day trip options available to us. I'd love a few more recommendation, especially from a parent's perspective, as to where really does provide a fun-filled family day out. Where have you been that you would whole heartily recommend? I'm looking forward to hearing your suggestions.

Today I would like to share with you a recipe for a quick and tasty curry, that serves well in any season. It was featured as part of my column for Easy Parenting's March/April edition.

Thai Red Prawn Curry

Every now and then I really crave a nice curry. One that is tasty, not too spicy but bursting with flavour. Preferably I like to skip the step of me having to make this delicious curry and be simply handed it, however this normally isn't the case. All I can do, when such a craving arises, is to whip up a curry which isn't too cumbersome to make but still possess a good depth of flavour. This Thai red prawn curry would be my quick fix to any curry craving, but of course if it's to be made in minutes some cheating has to occur. For any authentic Thai curry the Thai curry paste would normally be home-made and consist of many distinctively flavoursome ingredients. To bring this curry from the stove to the table just a little bit quicker I'm using a shop-bought red Thai curry paste. There are many good quality ones available to buy but feel free to make your own paste and use it in this recipe, if you prefer. I'm a huge fan of prawns and I will always have a bag stashed in the freezer, which makes for a rather convenient dinner option any day. However not everyone in the family is so keen on prawns. For the younger children I often substitute the prawns with diced chicken or else fish, such as hake, but I always allow a little extra time to ensure that they are fully cooked through before serving. When served with a portion of fluffy rice, a few poppadoms and a spoonful of mango chutney this curry sure can hit the spot. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

2 onions, finely chopped

Salt & freshly ground pepper

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2tbsp red Thai curry paste

1 tin tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato purée

1 tin coconut milk

400g raw frozen prawns

175g baby sweetcorn

Handful of fresh coriander leaves 

To Serve

boiled rice

poppadoms

mango chutney

Method

1.    In a large saucepan heat the oil. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper and sauté gently for a few minutes. Add the garlic and stir through, cooking for a minute.

2.    Stir in the curry paste, followed by the tomatoes, tomato purée and the coconut milk. Bring to a simmer then reduce the heat and let the sauce thicken for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure that the sauce is not sticking to the bottom of the saucepan.

3.    Add the raw prawns and sweetcorn. Cook for a further 10 minutes or until the prawns are cooked through. 

4.    Stir through the fresh coriander and serve straight away with rice and poppadoms and some mango chutney.