Banana Pancakes

Fantastic! I finally managed to prepare them ;) With an irreplaceable help of Nigella's 'Feast' Book :)

I do recommend them, they're outrageous!
I slightly changed the original recipe as I personally prefer them without a banana.

Ingredients:

• 150g of flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 30g butter
• 1 egg
• 250ml of buttermilk*
• 1 teaspoon caster sugar

Optional ingredients:

• 1 banana

Additionals:

• maple syrup (I honestly do recommend it)
• honey
• more bananas
• shredded coconut
• jam
• etc ;)

* buttermilk makes pancakes springy, but I realize that it is fat, so you can easily add milk, 1,5-3,2% but then it is very important to add 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar


Preparation:

1. Take a bowl in which you can mix ingredients (preferably a bowl suitable for using a mixer or blender).
2. Melt the butter and put it aside to let it cool down.
3. Optionally - Wash and peel the banana, chop, put in the bowl and mix till smooth.
4. If you're using milk - put it in another bowl, add vinegar and leave for 5 minutes. After that time add all the ingredients (without butter, unless it is already cold) and mix, till smooth.
5. If you're using a buttermilk - add all the ingredients except for melted butter in a bowl. Mix to receive smooth mixture.
6. When the butter is cooled down, add it and whisk again, till smooth.
7. Take a frying pan, put some oil on it and distribute the oil using a paper towel (yes, pancakes aren't supposed to swim in that oil ;) the frying pan just needs to be greased).
8. Turn on the lowest heat. Wait a minute.
9. Put some dough on the frying pan, fry for a minute or two, till the colour is gold (keep paying attention to your pancake, they fry really fast), overturn.
10. Take it off from the frying pan, add your favourite additional ingredients. 
11. Bon Appetit! ;)

Tropical Pavlova

I have no idea why I was hesitating for such long time... this is absolutely gorgeous... It exceeded all my expectations :) not only its appearance on the table is wonderful but the taste is just overdelicious! sweet meringue with tropical fruits! this is a real feast for senses ;) I do recommend! :) 

For those afraid of baking a meringue - here is a tip - you can buy a ready-made one in a good bakery ;) And they are probably available in a few sizes - you can make a couple of small pavlovas or one, very big :) all of them will be same delicious :)

Recipe for the meringue comes from this website, the rest is my idea, as Pavlova might be prepared in plenty different ways and will always taste good :)

Note: meringue and lemon curd might be prepared earlier. But - lemon curd must be stored in a closed box, in the fridge.

Ingredients:

Meringue:

• 4 egg whites from 4 big eggs 
• 250g of sugar 
• 1 teaspoon of potato starch 
• 1 teaspoon of white or rice vinegar 

Lemon curd:

• 3 eggs 
• lemon zest and lemon juice from 3 lemons 
• 100g of powdered sugar 
• 100g of cool butter 

Whipped cream:

• 500 ml of 36% cream 
• 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar 
• 1-2 packages of powdered whipped cream (to stiffen the whipped cream, or polish smietan-fix*) 

* remember to stick to the proportions while using powdered products. If powder package says it is enough for 200 ml of cream/milk (no difference), and you're using 500ml of cream - add 2 packages.

Top:

• Tropical fruit (any, tinned or fresh) 
• peach 
• mango 
• passionfruit 
• lychee 
• pineapple 
• guava 
• ... :) 
• a handful of shredded coconut, to sprinkle the top 

Preparation:

Meringue:

1. Preheat the oven to 120C (without convection, just this time) 
2. Prepare a baking sheet, cover with baking paper. Draw a circle (diameter: for M size eggs - 18 cm, for L size eggs - 20 cm). Put aside. 
3. Take a mixer and its bowl, put egg whites inside, start beating. After a while, start adding sugar, one tablespoon after another, stiring precisely all the time. The beating should take 10-15 minutes, not less. The meringue after the beating should be stiff and shiny. 
4. When done, add potato starch and vinegar and beat for another few minutes so that it links. 
5. Using a spoon or spatula, distribute the meringue on the baking sheet, on the drawn circle. Pull up the sides. (please don't play with it much, just few good moves, because the meringue might be destroyed). 
6. Put in the oven and bake for 30 min in 120C. After that time, lower the temperature to 100C and bake for another 3 hours. 

Lemon curd:

Lemon curd requires a 'bath' so it is necessary to have a suitable pot and a bowl, that can be put one on another.

1. Chop the butter into smaller pieces. 
2. Take a pot, put some water inside, start boiling it. 
3. Take a bowl that matches the pot, put eggs inside, beat. 
4. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, powdered sugar and stir till everything links and there are no lumps. 
5. Now put the bowl on the top of your pot (make sure the bowl stands out from the pot so that you don't get burn) and slowly keep heating up the mixture (don't boil it). 
6. Keep adding the butter, one piece after another, stiring after adding. 
7. When all the butter is melted in the mixture, turn off the heat and put the bowl with lemon curd somewhere aside, to let it cool down. 
8. Then put your lemon curd in the fridge so that it stiffens more. 

Finishing:

1. Prepare fruit. If fresh - wash, peel (if necessaroy) and chop. Dry them on a paper towel. Put aside for a while. If tinned - half of the job is already done - just chop and dry. 
2. When the meringue is baked and cooled down, distribute cooled down lemon curd all over the top. 
3. Now, prepare whipped cream going through the steps below:
   
   Whipped cream: 
   1. Before preparing the whipped cream make sure your cream is really, really cool (I always put it in the freezer before beating, for around 10-15 minutes). 
   2. Take a mixer and its bowl, put cream inside, start mixing. After a while add powdered sugar and something to stiffen it (powdered whipped cream/smietan-fix). 
   3. Beat for around 10 minutes (depending on the power of a mixer it might take more or less time, keep paying attention not to make butter).
   
   
4. Distribute whipped cream all over the top. 
5. Just for the sake of safety, dry all the fruit again on a paper towel, before putting them on the meringue with whipped cream (as the juice from fruit may destroy both whipped cream and meringue). Make any pattern you wish out of the fruit. 
6. Sprinkle with shredded coconut. 
7. Store in the fridge. 
8. Bon Appetit! ;) 

Monte Coffee

I really enjoy trying new tastes of coffee out! That's why, for example, I never order in a restaurant a coffee that I can prepare on my own at home ;)
So, today, here is a cute and very sweet idea from MK Cafe website :) It contains a well-known dessert/yoghurt for children, that I think everyone loves - ohh yes - Monte :) 
....The real taste and pleasure begins, obviously, when you stir all the coffee layers together... ;)
Mmmmm, I will come back to this recipe very soon, I'm sure!
Bon Appetit, everyone! ;) especially Monte Lovers ;)

Ingredients (for 1 coffee):

• 1 monte
• 50-100 ml of milk
• 100-200 ml of black coffee
• 50-150ml of milk foam 
• brown sugar (optional)

 For the top:

• whipped cream, chocolate (chips), cinnamon, cocoa, caramel, nuts... :)

Preparation:

1. Take a latte spoon. Using it, take the first, white layer of monte, put it on the left or right bottom side of a latte glass. Do the same with the dark, chocolate part of monte, putting it on the opposite bottom side.
2. Gently patter the latte glass on the surface, so that monte  won't mix that easily with the milk.
3. Prepare your favourite coffee (without adding milk).
4. Add sugar to the coffee if you wish and stir.
5. Hold the glass, tilt it a little and start adding milk, pouring it slowly down through the glass's side.
6. Using the same method as with the milk, slowly add the coffee.
7. Cover with milk foam or whipped cream and additional toppings.
8. Bon Appetit! ;)

A Shark Steak

Uhh, I must admit that was a challenge. A shark. My first question: my Goodness, is it edible? I bought only one small piece (in case it turns out to be terrible) and searched through the Internet to find out more about good ways to prepare THAT. During my research I found some information that sharks are under preservation, did you know? Well I didn't... so that's for sure the last time I bought it. I do encourage you all to look up for such information, they're life-useful.

But - for those who don't mind or - as me - didn't know and have already bought it - here is extremely easy and short recipe that will help you prepare it and not put it in the bin (as wasting food seems same bad...)

About the fish - surprisingly not disgusting, though it probably depends on your own taste and how well can you deal with the 'fishy smell' and 'fishy taste' of the fish ;) the meat itself is bright, delicate and moist. Personally I don't know what to do with the dark part of the fish - it is edible but maybe it should be cut out?
The big advantage is - no fishbones! :) except for a big one, that needs to be cut out before preparing, but that seems obvious :)

The recipe comes from... all the ideas from the Internet put together ;)

Ingredients (serves 1):

• 200g of shark steak
• 1-2 drops of lemon juice 
• spices: salt, pepper, oregano, basil
• chopped parsley

Optional/Additional:
anything you like to eat it with, for example:

• boiled vegetables
• chips
• potatoes
• rice
• couscous
• grains

Preparation:

1. Defrost the fish, wash. Cut out the big fishbone. (And here maybe the dark part too?)
2. Sprinkle with all the spices and put aside for 10 minutes.
3. Take a grill (electric one, or a grill-like frying pan, etc.) put the fish on it, add 1-2 drops of lemon juice, put parsley on the top, start grilling.
4. After few minutes overturn, add another 1-2 drops of lemon juice and parsley, keep grilling for another few minutes.
5. Bon Appetit (? ;) )

Eggs In Dressing

A nice, light starter, which looks (and tastes) surprisingly wonderful. It is also an interesting variation for casual, well-known boiled eggs. This is the kind of recipe that could be described as 'you wouldn't come up with such idea even though it is so easy and seems so obvious' ;) Everyone enjoyed it a lot :) It disappeared quite quickly from the table, if that will persuade you to try it ;)

The idea derives from this website.

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons of mayo
• 1-2 bunches of dill, chopped
• salt, pepper
• boiled eggs, cut into halves
• 5-7 radishes, cut into slices
• a bunch of chive, chopped

Preparation:

1. Take a blender with its cube cutter, put the dill inside, mix. Add mayo, mix again till smooth.
2. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Put aside for a while (it will change its taste a little). Season again, if necessary.
4. Put egg halves on an oval plate, pour the mayo dressing on the plate. Sprinkle with radishes and chive. 
5. Bon Appetit ;)

(Easter) Peach Muffins

Very nice ones, might serve Easter occasion easily :) I like the taste - sweet, thanks to soft, delicate whipped cream, moist cake with delicious fruit and to make a nice contrast to that sweetness -sour lemon curd. Mmmm!
These might be filled with different ingredients. The original recipe is with advocaat, though for the sake of children and family members who needed to drive a car, I made them with peaches :) The dough is actually weird - it is very thick and sticky, but after baking turns out very nice - soft and moist (that's probably thanks to peaches ;)). I know you might be tempted to make a swiss buttercream for the top, but I'd recommend stiff whipped cream, as buttercream would make them very heavy.

To prepare these cute cupcakes I mixed recipes from here and here and added a little bit of my own creativity ;)

Ingredients:

Muffin dough:

• 120g of butter
• 110g of sugar
• 2 big eggs (or 3 smaller ones)
• 200g of flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 3 teaspoons of advocaat (for the dough, not for the filling, but this is optional, I skipped it)

Filling - ideas:

• 1 tin of peaches cut into smaller pieces (and a little bit dried on a paper towel)
• advocaat
• vanilla custard (previously prepared, for example from this recipe)
• lemon curd 
• apricot

Lemon curd:

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• lemon zest and lemon juice from 3 lemons
• 100g of powdered sugar
• 100g of cool butter

Topping:

• 250ml of 36% cream
• 1-2 tablespoons of powdered sugar
• something to stiffen it - either so-called 'smietan-fix' or for example 'fake-powdered-whipped cream' (a powder you mix with milk to get a whipped cream ;) it stiffens the cream as well) or 1 teaspoon of gelatin - though here be careful not to make lumps

Preparation - muffin dough:

1. All the ingredients should be in room temperature.
   During that time you can prepare your muffin tins, greasing them with butter or just simply putting paper muffin cases into every hole. If you decided to use peaches - open the tin, take everything out of it as it isn't healthy to keep food in an open tin, separate the syrup from the fruit. Using a paper towel, dry the fruit and chop into smaller pieces.
2. Sieve the flour with baking powder and put aside.
3. Take a mixer and its bowl. Chop the butter into smaller pieces, add sugar and mix till you get a bright, fluffy mixture.
4. Add eggs, one after another, mixing precisely after adding one.
5. Add flour with baking powder, mix on a low rotation till everything links. 
6. Here you can add advocaat to the dough and mix till it links or you can skip that step.
7. Using a teaspoon, put some dough (+ - 1 teaspoon) to every paper case. Then add the filling and cover with another teaspoon. Don't be afraid while adding the filling - it is really fine to put quite a lot of it (I added 4 peach pieces into every muffin and they seem to get lost in the dough anyway ;))
8. Put the muffins in the oven for around 15-20 minutes, on 180C, till they get gold and the toothpick is dry.
9. Cool down.

Preparation - lemon curd:

Lemon curd requires a 'bath' so it is necessary to have a suitable pot and a bowl, that can be put one on another.

1. Chop the butter into smaller pieces.
2. Take a pot, put some water inside, start boiling it.
3. Take a bowl that matches the pot, put eggs inside, beat.
4. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, powdered sugar and stir till everything links and there are no lumps.
5. Now put the bowl on the top of your pot (make sure the bowl stands out from the pot so that you don't get burn) and slowly keep heating up the mixture (don't boil it). 
6. Keep adding the butter, one piece after another, stiring after adding.
7. When all the butter is melted in the mixture, turn off the heat and put the bowl with lemon curd somewhere aside, to let it cool down.
8. Then put your lemon curd in the fridge so that it stiffens more.

Preparation - topping:

1. Before preparing the whipped cream be sure your cream is really, really cool (I always put it in the freezer before beating, for around 10-15 minutes).
2. Take a mixer and its bowl, put cream inside, start mixing. After a while add powdered sugar and something to stiffen it.
3. Beat for around 10 minutes (depending on the power of a mixer it might take more or less time, keep paying attention not to make butter).

Finishing - cupcakes:

1. When everything is cooled down and ready, using a teaspoon, take some of the whipped cream and start distributing it all over the top of your muffin. In the middle top, make a small hole for lemon curd.
2. When all the whipped cream is distributed, put your muffins in the fridge, so that the cream stiffens a little before adding lemon curd.
3. Then, using a syringe or a teaspoon, put some lemon curd into previously prepared holes in whipped cream. 
4. Keep in the fridge.
5. Bon Appetit ;)
   
   
   
   

Pasta with basil pesto

Ohhh my! this is the very best meal I've recently eaten! And it might be prepared in many different variations as there are a few types of pesto :) Another advantage, for those of You, who has little time - some of the ingredients - like pesto - might be bought, ready-made, no need to prepare home-made pesto :) though I do encourage You to try ;)

Recipe for a good basil pesto.

Just one important thing about basil pesto - home-made or ready-made: do not heat it up, as it may change its taste, into bitter, because of the basil, so that you may not like it anymore.

Ingredients:

• 1 packaging of lovage-flavoured pasta
• 1 jar/packaging of ready-made pesto (or see the pesto ingredients&recipe below)
• 500g of chicken breasts
• salt, pepper, oregano (optionally something else to make it more spicy, like cayenne pepper)
• grated cheese
• chopped parsley leaves

Home-made pesto:

Ingredients:

• 25g of fresh basil leaves
• 1/3 small clove of garlic
• 25g of pine nuts or pumpkin seeds or cashew or walnuts
• 10g of 'hard' cheese, (like permigiano, grana padano, pecorino)
• 70ml of olive oil
• sea salt, freshly ground black pepper

Pesto preparation:

1. Take a blender, put all the ingredients inside and crush them all into very small pieces. In the end, season with spices.

Preparation:

1. Take a pot, put water inside, add a little salt, boil. When boiling, add pasta and boil for around 10 minutes, stiring from time to time (basic pasta preparation).
2. Take the chicken, chop into small pieces and put in a bowl. Season with salt, pepper, oregano (and optionally cayenne) and stir/shake, so that it covers all the pieces.
3. Take a frying pan, add oil, start heating. Add chicken and fry till gold.
4. Strain the pasta, put some on your plate, add some chicken, put pesto on it. Sprinkle with grated cheese*, some freshly ground pepper and parsley leaves.
5. Bon Appetit! :)

*If the meal isn't hot enough anymore to melt the cheese, it is ok to add cheese before pesto and put it for a few seconds in a microwave.