Shrimp Appetizer

I have another shrimp recipe ( having posted my Shrimp Fettuccine recipe a few weeks ago) that I am excited to share with everyone. I like to make this as an appetizer or even as a light dinner. I'm only here in Portugal for one more month so I want to explore the cuisine of this beautiful country. Shrimp is an ingredient that every portuguese kitchen uses. You can have shrimps as a starter or even as a main dish. I think people will love today's recipe, because the shrimp, the tomato, the garlic, the coriander and the lemon go great together. In the future I'd like to try to taste and make other kinds of sea food and I'll try to share these experiences with you guys. 

INGREDIENTS:

500g shrimps

4 cloves of garlic

8 cherry tomatoes

coriander leaves

lemon

Optional: 

white wine

Peel the shrimps ( buy frozen raw shrimps if possible) ( you can buy pre peeled to make this step easier ) and set it aside in a bowl. Chop up the garlic, the tomatoes and the coriander leaves. Take a big frying pan, put some oil in it and then fry the shrimps with the garlic on a high heat. When the shrimps have turned pink ( they are done very quickly and you don't want to overfry them , because they will harden and lose their lightness ) you can add the tomatoes, coriander and squeeze some lemon juice in it. Add a splash of wine (this step is optional) as well. Season with salt and pepper and you can serve it with toasted bread or baguette.

Definitely try to make these shrimp appetizers and share them with family and friends. Take a picture of it and tag me on instagram or twitter.

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Mascarpone Raspberry Crepe Cake

It is finally summer and so I had to try to make a cake that is delicious, sweet and yet refreshing in this hot weather. I always wanted to try out a crepe cake, I love raspberries and I thought it would go nice with some mascarpone. So I tried to make a mascarpone raspberry crepe cake and it turned out more than okay. I really recommend trying the recipe this summer maybe when you're hosting a dinner party or bringing something sweet when going to a friends house. We had guests when I made this cake and they loved it. I'm pretty sure that this wasn't the last time I made this fruity summer crepe cake. 

INGREDIENTS:

-For the Crepes
1l milk
4 eggs
200 g flour
pinch of salt

-For the filling
500g mascarpone
4 tablespoons of cream
3 teaspoon of powdered sugar
raspberry jam
125g raspberries

Mix together all the ingredients for the crepes (if you feel that it is too runny then add more flour). Get your frying pan, put some oil on it and make as many crepes as you can out of the mixture. Stir together the mascarpone with the cream and the powdered sugar in a bowl. Take the first crepe and then spread on a layer of mascarpone, then put on another crepe on top of that one and then spread one layer of jam. Keep repeating this step until you put on the last crepe. Decorate the top with some mascarpone or even whipped cream and some raspberries.

If you decide to make my crepe cake recipe this summer, then be sure to take a picture of it and tag me on instagram or twitter.

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Sweet and salty salad

I believe that every restaurant should have at least one good salad on their menu. I am so happy whenever I go to a place that actually makes for example a good caesar or salmon salad. There is a place close to my house with good food and a beautiful view of the ocean. Recently I tried one of their salads. It was the perfect combination of sweet and salty and it was just different from the regular ones. There is fruit in it which makes it fresh and some nuts so it has some crunch in it. 

I wanted to upload this recipe last week, but unfortunately, my camera didn't want to cooperate, so I remade it one week later. I'm so happy that finally I can share this with you guys.

INGREDIENTS: 

salad mix

mango 

queijo fresco ( This is a protuguese cheese, which can be replaced with mozzarella.) 

walnuts

dressing:

olive oil

honey
salt and pepper to taste

Just like for my other salads, I like to give the ingredients, but not the measurements, because when it comes to a salad it is completely up to your taste how much you want to add from the different ingredients. 

Put together all your ingredients and then make the dressing. You put just honey on it, but if you make it with olive oil, then be sure to use mainly honey and just a bit of olive oil so it doesn't dominate the flavour. Whip the dressing up, and don't be afraid to taste! :)

If you try out this unique salad recipe, then take a picture of it and tag me on instagram or twitter.

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An Easy Treat

Today's recipe could make life easier for a lot of people. Especially for those, who don't like to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, but when they have family or guests over they have to prepare a little something. I have a really good and easy recipe that you should try if you find yourself in this situation. Basically it is puff pastry with a filling of your choice like nutella or marmalade... Also I want to show you how you can make this pastry look like you've bought it in a fancy bakery. 

INGREDIENTS: 
1 or 2 packs of pre-prepared puff pastry 
marmalade (blueberry, apricot,...)
powdered sugar 
chocolate sauce 

Dust your woking surface with a little flour and place the pre-prepared puff pastry on it. With a sharp knife cut same sized rectangles and then put nutella or marmalade(I used blueberry and apricot) in the center of one rectangle and place another one on top of that. Take a fork and start pressing down the edges. Place these on a baking pan (first put baking paper on the pan) and on 180 °C or 356 °F bake them for 12 minutes. When they are done dust powdered sugar on the ones with marmalade filling and you can put some chocolate sauce on the ones with nutella filling.

I hope you like this recipe and it makes your life easier. If you try to make it, then take a picture of it and tag me on instagram or twitter.

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Shrimp Fettuccine

When you live here in Portugal you'd better like sea food. For example shrimps, you can have it as a starter, which I love to do or as a main course (but in this case you might want to ask for something more, because by itself it might not be as filling). I went to an Italian restaurant not long ago and I ordered a shrimp fettuccine, because I wanted to eat something Italian, like a pasta, but have a little sea food in it, since I am in Portugal. This dish perfectly suits my taste. It had a creamy sauce with rucola and just enough garlic (if it is too garlicky it can ruin the whole dish) and the shrimp was perfectly cooked. Then I thought I could probably recreate this pasta at home, so I can make it for my family, but first and foremost I can eat it whenever I want to. :) If you like your pasta a little bit exotic or just love shrimps, then this is the perfect choice for you too. I think this dish is also great, because you can present it really fancy and make your guests or family feel like they are in a restaurant.

INGREDIENTS:
250g fettuccine pasta
200g pre cooked and peeled shrimps
2 tbsp butter
2 cloves of a garlic
rucola (the amount that you prefer)
4-5 tbsp of grated parmesan
150ml cream
salt, pepper
(makes 3 servings)


Cook the pasta in salty boiling water. Put 1,5 tablespoons of butter in a big pan and add the shrimp and the garlic and fry until the shrimps are pink (but do not over fry!). Chop up some rucola and add that to the shrimps and add the cream as well. Let that fry for 2 minutes while stirring once in a while. Season it with salt and pepper and add the grated parmesan. Pour the pasta in the pan, mix it together with the sauce and let it fry for 2 more minutes. Serve it on a plate with rucola and parmesan on top and you are done and ready to eat!

This recipe is so delicious and I recommend you guys to definitely try it. If you do then take a picture of it and tag me on instagram or twitter.

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Guilt Free Banana Cookies

Lately I've been experimenting with recipes that are healthy but at the same time delicious. Guilt free desserts are big challenges for me. I love eating desserts after my meals, it is just a habit of mine. I think you need a little something that keeps you going when you study or work all day and for me that little something is a dessert. When I am on my diet (when I say diet I don't mean like an actual diet. I mean the diet that I have created for my self for healthy eating, the one that I am following and that suits me and my life style, my body...) I usually have fruits for dessert, but there comes a time when you've had enough of fruit and you want something more filling and satisfying like a banana cookie! :)

I made these cookies and I am in love with them, because they don't have added sugar, only the the sugar in the banana and they taste like banana bread, which I love.

INGREDIENTS: 

1 ripe banana 

3 tablespoons of butter

5 tablespoons of flour

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder 

cinnamon (the amount that suits your taste) 
optional: 

raisins 
dark chocolate

These make about 4 smaller cookies(but you can obviously double or triple the recipe) 

Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F) and cover the baking pan with baking paper. Put the banana and the butter in a bowl and mash them with a fork. Mix together the flour, (you can add more flour depending on how soft and gooey you want it to be) the baking powder and the cinnamon in a separate bowl and then stir in the banana mixture until it forms a batter. If you want this really quilt free you just leave it like it is, but if you want to spice it up a little then you can add raisins or dark chocolate chips if you are making these for kids. (This adds some extra calorie) Put it in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until the edge is golden brown. 

I hope this recipe helps you when you crave something sweet, but you don't want to feel bad after eating a cookie. If you try this out, then take a picture of it and tag me on instagram or twitter.

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Triple Chocolate Cookies

I've been waiting to share this next recipe with you guys for a long time and I think it is finally time! Everyone knows that chocolate cookies are heavenly, but what about a triple chocolate cookie? I make these cookies so often, firstly because I love making  and eating them and secondly, because people always ask me for them. A few days ago I made a big batch and they only lasted for about 7 minutes. :) My family and friends liked them so much that I made another batch right the next day. 

INGREDIENTS: 
150g flour
1,5 tablespoon of cocco powder
1 teaspoon of cinnamon 
90g dark chocolate
90g white chocolate
100g butter
130g caster sugar
1 egg

Line your baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 170C (338°F). Mix the flour, coco powder and cinnamon in a bowl. Chop up your dark and white chocolate to smaller pieces and add them to the flour mixture as well. Mix the sugar and the melted butter with a whisk until it is well combined and then add the egg and mix that in as well. Fold together the flour and the egg mixture. Form little balls out of your dough, then place them on the baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 10 -13 minutes. 

If you decide to make these triple chocolate cookies then make sure to take pictures and also tag me in them on instagram or twitter. 

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