The warmer weather provides the perfect excuse to light up the barbecue and eat dinner al fresco outside on the deck. Barbecued prawns and salad make an ideal fast day meal. Low in calories, very quick and easy to prepare. Today’s offering packs a huge flavour punch. With a Middle Eastern twist. Harissa marinated barbecued prawns paired with an Israeli couscous salad. Inspired by the flavours of tabbouleh; tomato, cucumber, parsley and mint.
Israeli couscous is much larger and sturdier than regular couscous, and lends itself beautifully to prepare ahead salads. With this recipe I can marinate my prawns and make my salad well ahead of time, so all that is left to do for dinner is thread the prawns onto their skewers and fire up the grill. The actual barbecuing very practically outsourced to my husband or son. A very easy and delicious meal idea for well under 400 calories. Two prawn skewers account for just 150 calories and a serving of the refreshing Israeli couscous salad another 202.
Barbecued Harissa Prawns With An Israeli Couscous Salad.
Serves 4 ( 352 calories per serve)
Barbecued Harissa Prawns
Serves 4 (150 calories per serve)
As a general guide, 1 kg of green prawns in the shell equals about 24 medium to large prawns, and yields about 500g of peeled prawn meat. 100 grams of green peeled prawn meat carries an energy count of 105 calories.
750g (about 18) medium to large green prawns, in the shell (395 calories)
1 tablespoon harissa (recipe here) (65 calories)
1 tablespoon olive oil (120 calories)
juice and finely grated zest of 1 lemon (24 calories)
SOAK wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes. Peel and devein prawns, leaving tails intact. Set aside in a glass or ceramic bowl.
Whisk together the harissa, olive oil, lemon juice and zest in a jug. Pour over the prawns, cover and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
HEAT BBQ to high. Remove the prawns from the marinade and thread two prawns onto each skewer.
GRILL on the BBQ until they become pink and no longer translucent, about 3-5 minutes per side.
SERVE immediately.
Israeli Couscous Salad
Serves 4 (202 calories per serve)
Israeli couscous is rolled into larger balls than regular couscous and is toasted rather than dried, giving it a nutty flavor and sturdier texture which retains it’s shape and more importantly doesn’t clump together when cooked. It is very similar to Italian fregola which I used for this dish simply because I had an open packet in my pantry.
1 cup Israeli (pearl or giant) couscous or fregola (510 calories)
1 tablespoon good quality olive oil (120 calories)
juice and finely grated zest of 1 lemon (24 calories)
1 garlic clove, minced (4 calories)
3 roma (plum) tomatoes, finely diced (40 calories)
1 cucumber, finely diced (45 calories)
1 red capsicum, finely diced (30 calories)
3 long green spring onions, finely sliced (12 calories)
1/4 cup fresh parsley and mint, finely sliced (10 calories)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
BRING a medium saucepan half filled with water to a rolling boil. Add the Israeli couscous or fregola. Cook for 10 to 12 mins or until al dente (firm to the bite but not hard). Drain and rinse with cold water.
PLACE rinsed couscous or fregola into a large mixing bowl. Add olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and zest. Toss well to combine. Set aside to cool.
ADD tomato, cucumber, capsicum and spring onions tossing to combine.
COVER and allow to sit for 30 minutes before serving to allow flavours to meld.
JUST before serving toss through the finely sliced herbs and a good squeeze of extra lemon juice.
The Paddington Foodie 
Thanks for including a calorie count with all your recipes. It’s truly helpful for those of us trying to balance our diets.
Glad you find it helpful. Calorie counting goes hand in hand with the 5-2 diet so it’s useful to record the calories of each ingredient used. Keeps me honest and on track.
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