Shrimp and courgette risotto

It had been a while since I wanted to try the combination of shrimp and courgette in a risotto, and finally I had time to make it! It is such a delicious recipe, creamy and very tasty.

Ingredients:

300 gr. de shrimp
1 mug of risotto
1/2 onion
1 small courgette
Olive oil
2 mugs of stock from the shrimp
Parsley, chillies and crushed garlic
Salt to taste

Preparation

Place the shrimp in boiling water and season with spices and salt.When cooked peel them, put the shells and heads back into the water. Save 2 or 3 shrimp to decorate at the end. Take the peeled onion very finely chopped and add it in a pan with the olive oil. Add the zucchini, peeled and cut into strips. Reduce the heat and add the rice. Garadually add the stock filtered, just enough not to burn or stick in the pan. Stir and add the rest of the water little by little until creamy and cooked (around 20 minutes). Taste for salt, correct seasoning and serve immediately with a shrimp on top.

Apple and caramel cake

Brussels is filled with a tropical climate these days, and nothing that I desire more than a warm and delicious apple and caramel cake.

Ingredients: (cup- 250 ml)

3 cups of sugar
2 cups of fine flour
4 apples
2 cups of milk
4 eggs
1 tea spoon of cinamonn

Preparation:

Mix the flour with half portion of the sugar, and add the eggs, milk and the cinamonn. Place the rest of sugar in a pan with a bit of water and turn it on until it starts to golden (with mixing!). Cut and peel the apples and add them to the first mixture, thinly cut. Add the caramel and mix very fast. Pour the batter into a unsticky- baking tray and bake it in the pre-heated oven (170º-180º).

Cod, peas and rocket salad

With such hot day, there is nothing better to eat than a fresh and tasty salad. This one is one of my favorites, as it is perfect either eaten on the moment or cold from the fridge.Voilà!

Ingredients:

1 slice of previously un-salted cod
70 gr. wukd rocket
400 gr. chick peas
2 cloves of garlic
1 tomato
Olive oil
Oregano to taste

Preparation:

Roast the slice of cod in the pre-heated oven (200º) around 25-30 minutes. Place a frying pan with the olive oil with the garlic chopped finely e season with the oregano. Switch off when it begins to fry and add the chick peas. In a big bowl, put the finely chopped tomato, the shredded cod and the wild rocket. Pour the chick peas on top as well as the olive oil seasoning. Mix and serve.

Cottage cheese pancakes

It's beens 2 years since I have tried the Tvorog, a very typical cheese in the Eastern Europe, and used very often in cookery. At that time, I had it with home-made jam, but in countries such as Russia, Ukraine or Poland people also serve it with pancakes. I remember the smoothness of this cheese, it was so delicious. And although it is hard for me to find it nowadays, one can always substitute it for cottage or any other soft/fresh and unsalted cheese.

Ingredients:

225 gr. Cottage /fresh cheese
3 tablespoons flour 
1 egg +1 egg yolk
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preparation:

Mix all the ingredients into a bowl and beat well until the mixture is creamy. Take a non-stick skillet to medium heat and add a little oil. Pour a tablespoon of batter and fry for 1 minute over medium (not too strong) heat, making sure it doesn't burn. Turn the pancake with a spatula and cook the other side for another minute. Remove the pancake and place it on a plate. Repeat the process until the batter is finished. Enjoy the pancakes with yogurt, honey, cinnamon and / or scarlet fruits.

Source: Adapted slightly from "The food and cooking of Russia" by Elena Makhonko

 



Chilli feta cheese

As I saw Nigel Slater cooking a feta cheese in one of his latest shows for BBC- Simple Suppers, I knew I would just love this recipe! I run to grab a paper and a pen and wrote it down, as Nigel started cooking it. That was also an interesting program itself, where he showed different types of chillies, from the point of production to the selling. This is also a great starter for a lazy dinner with friends or a naughty snack! Even though I am not a fan of extra spicy food, here the thyme goes incredible well with coriander and the chillies, and also the saltiness of the feta. Enjoy!

Ingredients

3 medium hot chillies
Bunch of coriander
Bunch of lemon thyme
5-6 spring onions
Olive oil
200g feta cheese
Naan bread to serve

Preparation:

Cut the chillies, remove their seeds and finely chop it. Slice the spring onions as well as coriander, very finely. In a shallow pan, put the olive oil and when its hot, add the chillies and spring onions and leave to soften over a gentle heat, stirring from time to time. Add the thyme leaves, up to your taste. When the spices are tender, put the whole feta in the pan and leave to cook for few minutes (without melting). Cover with chillies and serve the bits with Naan bread, seasoned with the sauce.

Coconut and white chocolate chip cookies

As I saw these cookies in Donna Hay's website, I immediately knew I would love them! They are so chewy and deliciously soft inside. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

125g butter, chopped
1 cup (220g) white sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup (150g) plain (all-purpose) flour
1 cup (150g) self-raising (self-rising) flour
1 cup (80g) desiccated coconut
100g white chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 180ºC (355ºF). Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla in an electric mixer until light and creamy. Add the egg and beat well. Add the plain and self-raising flours and coconut and mix with a butter knife until a soft dough forms. Add the chocolate. Using your hands, mould 2 tablespoons of cookie mixture into a flat round. Place on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper, leaving room to spread. Repeat with remaining mixture. Bake for 10 minutes or until light golden. Allow to cool on trays.

Almond and coconut truffles

I had found a little note with this recipe lost in the middle of my recipe book, and so I couldn't remember where exactly it was from! These little almond and coconut truffles are delicious anyway, and quite easy to make.

Ingredients:

160 gr. almonds peeled and crushed
90 gr. sugar
1 egg yolk
2 tsp. cream
100 gr. shredded desiccated coconut

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until you get a dough which is firm. If you find it dry, add another tablespoon of cream. Pour some sugar onto a plate and with your hands mold small balls and then roll them in the sugar. Place them in paper liners and chill until ready to serve.