Recipe/Ricetta - Prawn, Mango and Avocado Cous Cous Salad

This salad is simplicity itself, yet full of taste and nutritional goodness. It's also something you could get your children involved with - even very young children are capable of making the dressing, and then mixing the whole lot together.

You could actually eat this by itself and still have almost all the nutritional requirements for a meal, but I love to have it with something very decadent such as my baked figs. Try it for yourself and see what you think!

A word about cooking scampi (prawns/shrimp): I can't tell you how long to cook yours for because we all like them cooked differently; I like mine quite well-done but some like them almost raw. Some of the fish merchants in the pescheria di Rialto like to eat them raw - they claim that it's the best way to taste them. One or two even go so far as to say that the prawn is tough like a man, and the shrimp is sweet like a woman! I have never tasted raw scampi, so I just take their word for it!

If you haven't got one, get a mango splitter like this -honestly, it's of the best investments I've ever made. This will make your life so much easier, especially if you eat a lot of mangos like we do! If you've never seen one before, this is how they work...

So now you know! OK, let's make this salad!

Prawn, Mango and Avocado Cous Cous Salad

Nutritional values per person:

Calories: 323

Carbohydrate: 44g

Protein: 14g

Fat: 11g

Sodium: 429mg

(Please note that these are based on the ingredients I used - your own may be slightly different)

For three people:

100g dry cous cous

135-150g prawns, shrimps etc.

1 mango (around 190g flesh)

1 avocado (around 100g flesh)

Juice of 1 lime

10g fresh flat leaf parsley

1tbsp maple syrup

1tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1tsp coarse mustard (I use Pommery de Meaux - it's one of the few mustards I like)

.25tsp tabasco (or to taste)

Pinch sea salt

Dash freshly ground black pepper

~~~

1. If your scampi are uncooked, place them in a pan of cold water with a little salt, and gently heat. As soon as they start to turn pink, turn off the heat and let them sit in the hot water until they are done. You'll have to test them every few minutes until they get to the point at which you like them. As soon as this happens, drain them in a colander, and rinse with cold water to prevent any further cooking. Set to one side.

2. Make up the cous cous according to the instructions on the pack (usually you add some boiling water, stir, and leave to stand for 10-15 minutes).

3. While the cous cous is soaking, peel and cut up the mango and avocado, and chop the parsley.

4. Make up the dressing: in a small jar/jug/other suitable container, whisk together the lime juice, maple syrup, oil, and mustard. Add the tabasco a few drops at a time, whisk in, taste.

5. Once the cous cous has finished soaking up the hot water, fluff it up with a fork, then put it into a large bowl with the mango, avocado, scampi, and parsley. Gently mix it all together, then mix in the dressing. Finally, season with salt and pepper, to taste.

As I said before, this is wonderful by itself but you could have it with some crisp green leaves, some grilled halloumi, or whatever you fancy! Whatever you decide, I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Buon appetito!