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 ;)