This prawn dish (or shrimp dish as my friends in the U.S. say) is a perfect light lunch, or an impressive starter for a dinner party.

The not-too-spicy Thai dressing for the prawns couldn’t be any easier. Notice how the measure are mostly all the same? I try to do this with all my recipes, as it makes them easier to eventually memorise.

I don’t like my food too spicy so I have avoided using fresh chillies, until now that is! I have discovered the wonderful colour and not-too-spicy flavour of the “long red chilli”. Now it is a regular in my fruit and veggie bowl. If you want the dressing to be more spicy, simply don’t deseed the chilli or use a hotter variety of chilli.

When using coconut oil in the dressing, ensure all the ingredients are at room temperature otherwise the coconut oil will solidify from the coldness of another ingredient. If this does happen, simply gently heat until the coconut is just liquid again.

It is important to use fresh, locally sourced prawns that still have their shell on. The prawns that have been peeled and imported from overseas will have been preserved in a sulphite solution that some people, including myself, are allergic to. If I peel the prawns myself I am fine but if I eat pre-peeled prawns, I get an itchy rash on my neck that can sometimes travel down to the trunk of my body. The same thing happens if I eat any food with sulphites in it.

The Australian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, states that “Metabisulfite preservative can sometimes be used to stop crustaceans (such as prawns) from discolouring. Reactions to this preservative (also used in wine, beer and some dried fruit as a preservative) include wheezing/tight chest (more common in those with asthma), stomach irritation (e.g. nausea, pain) and very uncommonly, itch/rashes.” (https://www.allergy.org.au)

This dish can also be served as a tossed salad without the skewers.