Coconut Shrimp

I made this dish a few days ago and it was enjoyed by the whole family, especially my son who is a big shrimp fan but when I added the crunch of Panko and coconut to it he said that it's the best shrimp he's ever had!

The coconut I used is the unsweetened kind and not to be confused with the variety found in the baking section of most grocery stores which is too sweet to be used for this dish...for my taste anyway.

Ingredients:

Shrimp
Flour+ salt+pepper+paprika
Panko(Japanese bread crumbs) +unsweetened coconut flakes
1 whole egg or more depending on the amount of shrimp

Directions:

Prepare 3 deep dishes as follows:

One with the flour, salt, pepper and paprika
The second dish will have one beaten egg
The third dish will have the mixture of Panko and coconut flakes

Pass the shrimp in the flour mixture then the egg and finally the Panko and coconut mixture and fry in hot oil in a deep pan or fryer until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Roasted Almonds

Almonds are my favorite nuts; I eat them sweet and savory, in baked goods or just on their own...I never say no to almonds no matter what! UNLESS they become a little chewy or stale .The bagged stuff bought from the store tends to loose a lot of the flavor before it gets to us (imagine how long it takes that bag to make it to your shopping cart).

I had once bought a huge bag of roasted almonds from a bulk store thinking that it would be worth it since they are a favorite snack in my house but by the time we consumed half of the bag the second half was rancid so we just tossed it out. I decided to start making my own in smaller amounts that would last for a week and when it's done make a new batch; that way the almonds are always at their freshest. There are many fancy recipes to make different flavors but I always stick to the basic one.

Ingredients:

Almonds

Salt

Water

Directions:

Line a baking sheet with some aluminum foil (you will love me at clean up time) in a bowl pour enough water to completely wet all your almonds and this will depend on the amount you're making but the goal is NOT to soak each almond but rather wet your whole batch in a uniform manner. Add Salt to your water (depends on your preference of how salty you want the almonds to be). That is it! Almonds wet with some salted water and spread in one layer on the baking sheet. They bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes, keep checking every 10 minutes to move the almonds around so all of them roast at the same time.

Enjoy!

Swedish baked potato

If there's one thing I love about cooking it would be that you can never stop improving; your signature dish can get even better when you find a new little twist to add to it, if you are more of a cook than a baker or vice versa then you can correct that with a little practice.

Another aspect I enjoy about cooking would be the variety that you can bring into your kitchen when you open it up to other world cuisines...It really is sad when a skilled cook limits himself in the kitchen because he doesn't have the confidence or open mindedness to try new exciting things. Different can be good, different can be delicious!

I made these Swedish baked potatoes after I had seen them on google images the other day and let me tell you...This is one elegant baked potato that makes for a great presentation.

Ingredients

Baking potatoes

butter

salt

pepper

paprika

garlic powder

olive oil

Directions:

Mix the softened butter with the spices (you can use any spices you like)

Wash the potatoes and dry them, cut a thin layer from the bottom so that they can sit flat

cut each potato into thin sections all the way across without going all the way to the bottom (You need to keep them attached see pic)

add the butter mixture between the sections

Drizzle with a little olive oil and bake at a 425 degree oven for 45-50 minutes or until the inside is tender.

Enjoy! 



Potato gratin

Easy and very presentable when entertaining; that would sum up this potato gratin. I love to find ideas of dishes and appetizers that can be either made ahead of time or prepped for and only assembled at the last minute. I cut the potatoes and cook them ahead of time so the only thing I need to do is add the egg/cream mixture and pop them in the oven right before serving.

Adorable heart shaped gratin

Ingredients:

3 Potatoes

1 chopped onion

2 eggs

1/4 cup of heavy cream

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Salt/Pepper

2 tablespoons shredded cheese+a handful for sprinkling on top

Directions:

Peel and cut the potatoes into small cubes, cook them in salted water until tender then let them drain and cool down.

Sautee the chopped onion in a little oilve oil and let it cool down completely.

Mix the eggs, cream, cilantro, salt/pepper, shredded cheese and cooled onion.

Distribute a first layer of potaotes in the bottom of the mold and pour some of the eggs mixture over it, then spread a second layer and cover with the remaining mixture.

Cook in a 375 degree oven for 20-30 minutes. Once cooked, add shredded cheese to the top and turn the oven off until the cheese is melted.

Important: I have used a silicone mold because it's easier to take the gratin out of it.

Enjoy!



Beef briwates

The term "briwates" refers to a number of appetizers and desserts that use a very thin pastry sheet filled with a sweet or savory mixture and shaped into either cigars, rectangles or little triangles.  The sky is the limit when it comes to the types of filling you can use but the most known ones are almond briwates, beef briwates and shrimp briwates.
These beef briwates were baked but they are traditionally fried; of course they would be even tastier when fried just like anything else lol.
 I suggest baking them for a beginner until you master the folding part because you'll have to have the pastry sheet tightly wrapped around the filling so it doesn't open once it hits hot oil. I bake them to keep the amount of fried food under control.

Ingredients:

Spring roll sheets

Thin chinese rice noodles

Hamburger meat

Green peppers

Cilantro

Onion

Salt/pepper/paprika/cumin

Melted butter and an egg yolk for the folding part.

Directions:

The mixture doesn't have to be what I listed; if you don't like peppers don't use them and you can use as little or as much meat as you want. Taste your mixture (once the meat is cooked) and season to your taste.

Cook the rice noodles by placing them in a bowl full of boiling water and let them soak for about 5 minutes. Drain and cut into small pieces.

Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a hot skillet and add the green pepper cut into very small cubes. Add the finely chopped onion. Once the pepper and onion are tender add cilantro and all the other seasonings. Mix quickly and add your hamburger meat in chunks.

Using a wooden spatula work quickly to make sure that the meat is combined with all the other ingredients and that there are no big chunks of meat.

Once the meat is cooked add the noodles and mix very well. Let the mixture completely cool.

Grab your spring roll sheet, and cut it to the size of your preference. I like my cigars medium sized so I cut 2 inches off the width. Brush the sheet with melted butter (This will make it crispy once cooked) place an amount of the mixture in the center and fold as shown in the picture

Remember to fold the sides so that they cover the mixture.

Add egg yok to seal the bottom, brush each cigar with melted butter and bake at a 400 degree until golden brown and crispy.

Enjoy!

Sweet rice

This sweet rice is a favorite in my house and is super easy to make, it is best when served just a little warm or at room temperature.

Ingredients:

Rice

Sugar

Cinnamon

Orange blossom water

Butter

Directions:

Cook rice until tender, drain it. Heat up a little butter in a skillet, add some sugar/cinnamon/orange blossom water. Add the rice and move it around the skillet for a few minutes to coat every grain in the sweet butter mixture.

pour in a mold and flip on a plate, decorate with some more cinnamon and powdered sugar. You can add some soaked raisins to the rice mixture.

Enjoy!

Maakouda

The closest thing I can use to describe Maakouda are potato latkes; they are both made out of potatoes and fried. Maakouda is a lot more flavorful than latkes in my taste and I enjoy the contrast between the crispy outside and smooth inside.
This is not the healthiest thing to eat since it's fried carbs :-) but here's my philosophy when it comes to eating well; I'd rather enjoy a small amount of some amazingly delicious food than eat a lot of bland tasteless food. So I keep the frying to a minimum and share anything sweet I make with others or freeze it for when I have company :-)

    

                          

Ingredients:

5 potatoes

1 onion

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1 egg

salt/pepper/cumin

Directions:

Cook your potatoes in some salted water until tender, peel and mash. finely chop the onion and sautee it in a little olive oil. Wait until the potatoes and onion are completely cool then add all the ingredients together.

Heat some oil (it needs to be very hot) prepare a plate with a mixture of seasoned flour (salt+pepper+paprika) and bread crumbs (I use italian bread crumbs)

form a ball with the potato mixture, flatten between the palms of your hands, give it a good coating of flour and bread crumbs and fry until both sides are golden brown. Place on a paper towel as soon as it comes out of the pan.

Enjoy!



Tangy garden salad

I knew I wouldn't be in the mood for cooking today so I did what I do whenever I  don't feel like spending too much time in the kitchen; I got some steak out for hubby to grill!!
I made this garden salad on the side and it was very fresh and tangy; I just made a little vinaigrette for it and it was ready in no time.

P.S you can use a store bought dressing of course just keep it on the zesty tangy side rather than the creamy side (think italian dressing or vinaigrette) I don't like masking the different flavors of a fresh salad like this one with an overwhelming creamy sauce and I save those for a simple salad like a ceasar that relies a lot on the taste of the dressing and not so much on the ingredients themselves.

For the vinaigrette:

Mix some canola oil with vinegar and salt and pepper (amounts to taste) in a bowl.
Start with canola oil and salt and pepper and add your vinegar little by little until you reach the level of tanginess you like.

Salad ingredients:
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Avocado
Kalamata olives
Goat cheese (feta is even better but I had some goat cheese waiting to be used)
Corn
(Any ingredients you prefere can be added)

Tapas style shrimp and egg

I had planned to make chicken for dinner a few days ago except that I came back home from work and realized that I forgot to transfer it from the freezer to the fridge to thaw...To be honest this is not the first time this happens; I find myself in this situation at least once a month so I've learned to think quick about the alternatives...Something that requires little to no thawing will be either vegetarian, egg based or shrimp based (It thaws under running water in no time).

I had made this dish before and really enjoyed the combination of homemade tomato sauce with shrimp and the juices of the over easy egg. Come armed with some bread for soaking up all that ymminess!!

 These mini pans were the perfect serving vessel for this dish, I had found them at Marshalls and have been serving eggs in them since (they are just too cute and make for a nice presentation)

Ingredients:

1 chopped shallot
1 big tomato
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
Shrimp
3 eggs
salt/pepper/paprika/1/4 bouillon cube
3 tbsp tomato sauce (unflavored)
Olive oil

directions:

In a big pan, heat up some olive oil and toss in the chopped shallot.
Once the shallot starts wilting add a very finely chopped or pureed tomato (no canned puree please!)
Add your spices and the cilantro and follow with the tomato sauce
Stir for 1to 2 minutes and add your shrimp
Let it cook just until the shrimp turns pink.
If you will be serving in the same big pan you cooked in, you can add the eggs at this point and cover just until they set to your cooking preference.
I transferred the shrimp and sauce to the individual mini pans and then added one egg on each and dusted it with a little paprika/salt and cumin and let it set to over easy. I added a little chopped cilantro right before serving.

Potato salad

My mom used to make this potato salad as one of the side dishes whenever she made fried fish. It can be served warm or cold but I personally prefer it at room temperature. It is so much lighter than the common potato salad and to me it's more delicious because you can actually taste the potato instead of just mayo.

Ingredients:

Red potatoes

cilantro

canola oil

vinegar

salt/pepper/cumin

Directions:

Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes. Cook the potato cubes by either boiling them or steaming them (I steam mine in my pressure cooker's basket)

In a small bowl add a tablespoon of chopped cilantro, salt, pepper, cumin, 1 tablespoon of canola oil and 1/2 tablespoon of vinegar and combine using a fork.

Once the potatoes are cooked, add the dressing and combine gently.

Enjoy!



Hearty shrimp soup

I often find myself making a dish just so I can clean my fridge from leftover ingredients that I had used during the week. This time I had half a bag of baby spinach, a few portabella mushrroms and a very ripe tomato so I added some shrimp to them and made this hearty soup.

Directions:

Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a pot and add one chopped shallot, once the shallot starts to wilt add slices of mushrooms and stir until tender.

Add one chopped tomato and spinach, salt pepper and half a bouillon cube ( I use Knorr) and stir until the spinach reduces in volume.

Add the shrimp and allow it to absorb the flavor from the mixture (about 2 minutes) before you add water
and cover. Let your soup simmer for 10 minutes.

you can add more ingredients if you want to make a big pot of soup; I only made 2 bowls.

Tip: instead of adding water, add tomato sauce and just a little water and let it simmer and you will transform this soup recipe to a delicious pasta sauce.

Fried cauliflower

This side dish is great with steak and brochettes or as a main course in a vegetarian meal.
It's very simple to make and is as delicious as it looks in the picture :-)

Directions:

Cut cauliflower into big pieces, wash and drain it.

Cook either in boiling water or in steam (Do not over cook it; you want to be able to handle it without it falling apart)

In a bowl whisk 2 eggs and add salt, pepper, paprika, cumin and some chopped cilantro.

Heat up some canola oil in a pan

cover each cauliflower piece in the egg mixture and pan fry until all sides are golden brown.

Place on a paper towel and serve hot.

Tip: if you have company coming over and you want to save time, cook the cauliflower the day before, drain it and save it in the fridge. You can also prepare the egg mixture and save it covered in the fridge...Now the only thing you'll have to do is fry it when it's time to eat.

Enjoy!

Shrimp and broccoli quiche

Quiche is one of the easiest dishes to make, yet looks like you slaved on it all day. The tastes I've combined in this one work so well together that I think it deserves its own name LOL(Lorraine and Florentine have nothing on this one).

Toss some salad on the side and it will make one complete meal.

Ingredients:

1 roll refrigerated pie crust
Broccoli
Shrimp
3 eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
Feta cheese
Shredded sharp cheddar
Salt/Pepper

Cook broccoli by either steaming it or boiling it in water until tender
Sautee shrimp in a little butter, add salt and pepper. You don't want to overcook your shrimp otherwise it will be rubbery in your quiche, you just need it to turn pink in the pan and then remove it.

Roll your pie crust out on a pie/quiche mold and press delicately with your fingers, don't pull on the dough to stretch it on the edges because it will shrink back down when it starts cooking and your quich will be edge less :-) you should be just pressing the dough against the edges.

Pre cook your crust in a 350 F oven for 10 minutes (it will bake again after you fill it)
In a bowl whish the eggs, heavy cream, crumbled feta cheese and the salt and pepper

After your crust cools, distribute your broccoli florets and shrimp evenly on it and then pour your egg mixture all over it. Work with your fingers or a spoon to make sure that the liquid goes into crevices.

Sprinkle the top with a small handful of sharp cheddar
Bake in a 350 for 25-30 minutes (the center will set and the top will turn golden)

Enjoy!

Cauliflower Gratin

One of my favorite ways to cook cauliflower is au gratin; I actually think that it absorbs flavor a lot better than potatoes in the classical french potato gratin (minus the carbs too!)

This recipe is very simple to make and delicious, you will never look at cauliflower the same way after you try this.

• Wash one cauliflower, cut into 4 to 6 big pieces and cook in salted water until tender
• Let drain completely while you make the sauce
• Whisk 3 eggs with half a cup of heavy cream
• Add some cilantro (optional) salt and pepper
• Add crumbled feta cheese (I used about 4 tablespoons)
• Place the cauliflower pieces in an oven safe deep dish (terra cotta for me)
• Pour the sauce evenly over the cauliflower
• Cook in a 400 F oven for 20-25 minutes
• Broil for about 5 minutes (watch closely)

 Voila! very easy