Pete Evans' paleo recipes

Rainbow pad Thai

If there is one dish that I urge you to try, it has to be this one. This salad has everything – colour, texture, aroma, simplicity and, of course, flavour. It's really important to include some vegetables as part of every meal. Of course, gorgeous salads are a great way of doing this, but if I am really short of time, I just grab a whole carrot, cucumber or even fennel bulb and stick it on my plate with a drizzle of raw apple cider vinegar or sauerkraut.

1 large carrot

1 large zucchini

1 red capsicum, deseeded, finely sliced into long thin strips

1/8 red cabbage, finely shredded

2 long red chillies, deseeded and finely sliced lengthways

2 spring onions, cut into 5-centimetre batons and finely sliced lengthways

50g (⅓ cup) cashew or macadamia nuts (activated if possible), chopped

Sesame seeds, toasted, to serve

Coriander leaves, to serve

1 lime, cut into quarters, to serve

Dressing

3 tbsp almond butter

3 tbsp lime juice

2½ tbsp tamari or coconut aminos

1 tsp fish sauce

3 tsp honey (optional)

1 tsp sesame oil

1½ tsp finely grated ginger

1 garlic clove, crushed

Method

To make the dressing, place all the ingredients and three tablespoons of water in a bowl and mix until combined. Set aside until needed.

Use a vegetable peeler to shave the carrot and zucchini lengthways (or you can finely slice with a sharp knife). Cut each slice lengthways again in to thin, noodle-like strips.

Place the carrot, zucchini, capsicum, cabbage, chilli and spring onion in a large bowl, pour on the dressing and gently toss through with your hands to combine. Allow to stand for 10–15 minutes before serving so that the vegies absorb the lovely dressing.

Transfer the pad Thai to serving bowls, sprinkle with the nuts, sesame seeds and coriander leaves and serve with the lime wedges on the side.

Paleo spaghettini with prawns

This is one of my favourite recipes. It takes less than 15 minutes to pop on the table and it's a culinary triumph. This taste sensation combines dairy-free pesto with just-cooked zucchini spaghetti, plump and juicy prawns, and crunchy pistachios. You just have to try it to understand how seriously good it is.

4 tbsp coconut oil

700g raw king prawns, shelled and deveined, with tails in tact

4–5 zucchini, spiralised into thin noodles

Pesto

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 large handful of basil leaves, plus extra to serve

1 large handful of mint leaves

60g pine nuts, toasted

120 ml olive oil

1½ tablespoons lemon juice

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve

Extra-virgin olive oil

80g (½ cup) pistachio nuts (activated if possible), toasted and roughly chopped

Lemon wedges

Chilli flakes (optional)

Method

To make the pesto, place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and whiz until the herbs and nuts are finely chopped. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Melt two tablespoons of coconut oil in a large frypan over medium–high heat. Season the prawns with salt and pepper, then cook, in batches, for one minute on each side until just cooked through.

Remove the prawns from the pan and set aside, covered with foil to keep warm.

Wipe the pan clean and place over medium heat. Add the remaining coconut oil and the zucchini spaghetti and saute for two minutes until the zucchini is almost cooked through. Season with a little salt and pepper.

Remove from the heat, add the cooked prawns and the pesto and toss to combine.