Coconut shrimp tortellini

A while ago I started to cook very often with coconut milk as an alternative to cooking cream. I've been using it for soups, curries, and even desserts, until I decided it might be a fun idea to try it for pasta as well, although it seemed a little out of place. But by adding ingredients that usually go well with it, such as shrimps, I realized there is nothing that can go wrong. So I just threw in the pan some shrimps, spinach and coconut milk and the end result was amazing. Instead of regular pasta I used tortellini filled with cheese because this is what I had around the house. But this recipe is so flavorful that it will also turn out great with plain pasta. So with this post I hope to inspire all of you to use coconut milk more often in your recipes.

Ingredients (for 2 portions):

• 200 ml coconut milk
• 200 g spinach
• 200 g shrimps
• half a big onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 200 g dry tortellini 
• salt 
• pepper
• garlic powder
• chili flakes
• nutmeg
• 100 ml white wine
• juice from 1/4 lemon
• olive oil

First I started with marinating the shrimps a couple of hours before cooking. To do this I added 2 Tbsp. of olive oil, lemon juice, chilly flakes, 1 tsp. garlic powder, salt and pepper over the shrimps and made sure they are evenly coated. Important thing to keep in mind is to take the shrimps out of the fridge on time, so they can reach room temperature by the time you are cooking them.

Then I boiled some water and cooked the tortellini according to the packaging instructions. In the meantime I chopped the onion and garlic clove and roasted them on medium heat in 1 Tbsp. of olive oil until golden, and afterwards I added the wine and reduced. I continued by adding the coconut milk (if you find the coconut milk too heavy or too intense in flavor, you can replace some of it with pasta water, as it will make the sauce lighter, but with the same creamy consistency), followed by the shrimps and spinach. I cooked for another 2-3 minutes until the sauce reduced and the shrimps got nice and pink (shrimps need very little time to cook). I turned off the heat, added the tortellini and as final touch I seasoned with some salt, pepper, and nutmeg. 

Enjoy! :)

Lemon Cheesecake

Who doesn't love a smooth, sweet-sour citrus flavor? Recently, cakes with lime or lemon flavor have become extremely popular, like the well-known loaf cake, which I also find extremely delicious. Although I didn't bake a loaf cake, my cheesecake manages to captures perfectly the intense lemon flavor that I was aiming for, without adding any sort of lemon essence. I decided to combine 2 of my favorite recipes, taking my classic cheesecake recipe (found also here) and the lemon curd recipe that I used for my tart (found also here). While most of previous ingredients and instructions do not change, I made some slight adjustments for the cheesecake, making less cheese mixture. That is because I decided to make the lemon curd the star of the cake and tip the scale in its favor, so too much cheese would have slightly prevented that. In this case, less is actually better. This being said, let's get to work!

*For this recipe I used a round baking tray with the diameter of 26 cm

For the base:

• 60 g unsalted butter, and a little extra for greasing the tray
• 200 g digestive biscuits

First, I greased the baking tray with butter and I covered its base with baking paper. Then I preheated the oven at 150 degrees Celsius/ level 2 on gas and in the meantime I started preparing the biscuit base.

In a kitchen robot I crushed the biscuits until they had the texture of breadcrumbs. You can also do this step by hand. Just put the biscuits in a bag, cover it with a kitchen towel and find something heavy, like a meat hammer or even an empty wine bottle to crush it until the biscuits inside have the right texture. After my biscuits were ready, I mixed them with the melted butter. If you are using a kitchen robot it will be easier for you to mix them, but by hand is also fine. I added the mixture in my baking tray, spreading it evenly, and then I used the bottom of a glass (you can also use your hands) to press it into the tray and make sure it is well compressed and even. I baked the biscuit base at 150 Celsius for 10 minutes, then I let it completely cool down.

For the cheese mixture:

• 250 g cream cheese (I used Philadelphia) 
• 250 ricotta
• 250 g mascarpone
• 3 large eggs
• 100 g granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp. semolina
• 2 Tbsp. vanilla essence
• juice and zest from one lemon
• 2 Tbsp. cognac

Next, in a bowl I mixed the cheese with the sugar and semolina. Then I added the eggs, one by one, until fully incorporated, and lastly I added the vanilla, lemon and cognac. I poured the mixture over my biscuit base and I baked it at the same temperature for 80-90 minutes, until it became golden and the sides were golden brown. Try to pay attention to your cake after 70 minutes have passed.

! Even though the cake is baked, the mixture will still be soft and creamy, therefore you need to leave the cake completely cool down, so the cheese mixture can fully thicken. I left my cake to cool down in the oven, with the door open, which I also recommend you to do.

For the lemon curd: 

• 5 egg yolks
• 100 ml lemon juice
• zest from 2 big lemons
• 210 g granulated sugar
• 100 g butter high in fat

First I poured my freshly squeezed lemon juice through a strainer, to keep the pulp out. I put then all the ingredients above in a heat-resistant bowl which I put at Bain-Marie* for aprox. 20 minutes, continuously stirring, until the mixture became thick and shiny. It is important to stir slowly, in one direction, to prevent the mixture from separating. After the curd was ready I let it cool down and I poured it over the cheesecake, which I left over night (or at least 6 hours) in the fridge, until the curd thickened and had a jelly-like texture.

Feel free to decorate your cheesecake as you wish, I went for some fresh lemon slices and mint leaves for some extra color.

*Bain-Marie= heating our mixture over a pot of hot, almost simmering, NOT BOILING water, where our bowl does not touch the water in the pot. This technique is used because the steam created is a more gentle source of heat than the direct heat of the stove which could ruin our dish.

 Enjoy! :)

Orange Loaf Cake

    Who doesn't love the fresh smell and taste of citruses, of their sweet and sour juice or their volatile oil hidden in the zest? This magic fruits serve de basis for an amazing dessert, the loaf cake, spongy, soft, fluffy and moist. The main star today is the orange, which for me has the perfect balance between sweet and sour. (I might have also chosen orange because a good friend of mine had an intense craving for this dessert and used to mention it to me daily for a while).  If I've already captured your attention and you're wondering what you have to do in order to get this cake, don't worry, you just have to keep adding and adding orange at every step, and there will still not be enough. So let's preheat our ovens and star baking.

 Ingredients:

• 115 g soft butter
• 250 g flour
• 100 g sugar
• 1 vanilla bean
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• a pinch of salt
• 2 large eggs
• 100 ml orange juice
• 5 ml cognac 
• 2 Tbsp. orange zest
• 1 Tbsp. lemon zest

Extra:

• some more orange juice+ orange zest
• powder sugar

!! I recommend using organic oranges and lemons for this recipe because they are not chemically treated. Search in your local supermarket for citruses that have their zest suitable for consumption.

    I prepared the dough by separately mixing the dry and the wet ingredients and the combining them. First, with the help of a mixer I beat the butter together with the sugar until the sugar dissolved and the mixture got creamy. Afterwards I added the eggs, one by one, mixing continuously. When the eggs were incorporated I added all the other wet ingredients: the orange juice and zest, lemon zest, cognac and the vanilla from one bean and I mixed until fully homogeneous.

    In a separate bowl I mixed the flour together with the baking powder and salt. I gradually incorporated the flour mixture into the wet one and poured everything in a loaf tray. If you are using a silicone tray I suggest greasing it with some butter before pouring the mixture and If you are using a tin one also cover it with some baking paper after greasing it, in this is way you will remove the cake easily and you don't risk tearing it apart. 

Final mixture in the loaf tray

    After this essential step I baked the cake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven at 180 Celsius/ 4 on gas. The cake is ready when it reached a golden-brown color and the top is cracked, like you can see in the picture below.  You can also check it by inserting a toothpick which should come out completely clean when the cake is done. 
 

Cooling down the baked cake

    After the cake was baked I took it out of the oven, letting it to partially cool down. While is was still warm (not hot) I poured some orange juice over it in order to make it moist. The rule for this soaking process in quite easy to remember: if the cake is warm, then the liquid used to make it moist has to be cold and if the cake is cold them the liquid has to be warm. Finally, I let it completely cool down and I glazed it with some orange icing which I made by mixing powder sugar with some orange juice until I got a thick and creamy consistence. Feel free to pour as much icing as you want :). I sprinkled some orange zest, I let the cake chill in order for the icing to thicken and then I dug in. 

Glaze

Enjoy!

Mousse de lamaie

     Ma intrebam cum as putea sa ma racoresc si sa-mi astampar pofta de dulce in acelasi timp, asa ca am revenit la unul din aliatii mei de nadejde, gelatina, pentru un desert fin, aerat, pe care l-am preparat repid. Este foarte simplu sa faci si tu o spuma acasa, care este mult mai gustoasa decat plicurile gasite prin magazine. Nu uita ca folosesti albusuri crude, asa ca  recomand ca ouale sa fie ecologice si cat mai proaspete.

Ingrediente:

• 150 ml smantana lichida grasa 
• 100 ml zeama de lamaie 
• 50 ml apa  
• 2 albusuri mari  
• 120 g zahar tos  
• 1 + 1/2 foi de gelatina 
• coaja de lamaie  

  

     Am inceput prin a pune la foc mic apa, zeama de lamaie si jumatate din cantitatea de zahar, amestecand incontinuu pana cand zaharul s-a dizolvat, dupa care am dat focul mai mare si am lasat amestecul sa dea in clocot. Intr-un bol cu apa rece am pus la inmuiat foile de gelatina pe care le-am incorporat ulterior in siropul de lamaie cald, nu fierbinte, apoi am lasat amestecul sa se raceasca complet.

     Cu un tel electric am batut albusurile spuma, adaugand treptat zaharul ramas, pana am obtinut o bezea tare si lucioasa. Intr-un bol separat am batut usor smantana, am incorporat-o in siropul de lamaie apoi am adaugat si bezeaua. Am pus spuma in boluri, am decorat cu coaja de lamaie si am lasat la frigider peste noapte.

   

                   Enjoy!

Cheese Mousse and Lemon Curd Tart

English: (Romanian below)

For me the tart is the ideal dessert because it offers you the possibility to be creative. You can make a delicious combination with everything you find around your house: a variety of fruits, cream, etc. I chose this recipe because it represents the right balance between sweet and sour, thus being very refreshing. Moreover, it can be done anytime of the year due to its key ingredient, lemon, which can be found anytime in any store.

It takes 3 hours the complete this dish, not because it is very difficult, but because each element needs to cool down very well before it can be added.

For the crust we need:

• 250 g flour
• 125 g cold butter 
• 100 g powder sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• one vanilla bean (can be replaced with 2 tsp bourbon sugar)
• 2 Tbsp cold milk

I started by combining the sugar, flour and vanilla, the I added the yolks and the butter sliced in small cubes and I mixed them all together (by hand or with the help of a kitchen mixer) until the dough started to look like bread crumbs. In the end I added the milk and I mixed a little bit more with my hands until the dough was done.

! Try to mix as less as possible, otherwise the dough will become elastic which is not what we want. Also, keep the dough in the fridge for at least one hour before baking. 

After that, on the kitchen counter where I sprinkled some flour, I stretched the dough with a rolling pin until it had aprox. 5 mm. I greased a 26 cm diameter round baking tray with some butter, I put the dough in the tray, I baked the tart in the preheated oven at 180 Celsius for aprox. 20 minutes until golden and then I let it completely cool down.

TIP: To prevent your tart from rising while baking in the oven, cover the middle of it with some baking paper and pour some kidney beans on top of it. Their weight will prevent the tart from rising. 

For the cheese mousse we need:

• 200 g cream cheese 
• 100 g white chocolate
• 200 ml whipping cream
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

I melted the white chocolate at Bain-Marie* in a heat resistant bowl and then I let it completely cool down, while in a separate bowl I whipped the cream. Finally, I combined the cream cheese with the chocolate and vanilla and I gradually added the whipped cream with the help of a spatula, using circular moves, in order to keep it fluffy and to keep the mousse texture of the mixture. I added the mousse on the tart crust and put it in the fridge for 2 hours.

For the lemon curd we need:

• 5 egg yolks
• 100 ml lemon juice
• 210 g granulated sugar
• zest from 2 lemons
• 100 g butter with high fat

I mixed all the ingredients above and I kept them at Bain-Marie* for aprox. 20 minutes, continuously stirring, until the mixture became thick and shiny. It is important to stir slowly, in one direction, to prevent the mixture from separating. After it was done I let it cool down and I poured it over the tart, which I left over night (or at least 6 hours) in the fridge, until the curd became a jelly.

*Bain-Marie= heating our mixture over a pot of hot, almost simmering, NOT BOILING water, where our bowl does not touch the water in the pot. This technique is used because the steam created is a more gentle source of heat than the direct heat of the stove which could ruin our dish.

Enjoy! 

Romana:

Pentru mine, tarta este desertul ideal deoarece iti da posibilitatea sa fii creativ. Poti realiza o tarta gustoasa cu orice gaseti prin casa: o  multime de fructe, crema etc. Am ales aceasta tarta deoarece reprezinta combinatia ideala intre dulce si acru, fiind foarte racoritoare. De asemenea, poate fi facuta in orice anotimp deoarece ingredientul cheie este lamaia, gasita oricand la magazine.

Prepararea dureaza cca 3 ore, nu pentru ca ar fi greu de gatit, ci pentru ca toate cele 3 elemente trebuie lasate la racit inainte de a fi "asamblate".

                                                                
                
Pentru blatul de tarta avem nevoie de:

• 250 g faina
• 125 g unt rece
• 100 g zahar pudra
• 2 galbenusuri
• o pastaie de vanilie ( daca nu aveti se poate inlocui cu un pliculet e zahar vanilat bourbon) 
• 2 linguri lapte rece

Am amestecat zaharul cu faina si cu vanilia, apoi am adaugat untul taiat cubulete impreuna cu galbenusurile si am amestecat (cu mana sau cu ajutorul unui robot de bucatarie) pana cand compozitia a capatat aspectul unor firimituri. La final am adaugat cele 2 linguri de lapte si am cotinuat sa amestec cu mana pana cand aluatul a devenit omogen.

! Incercati sa framantati cat mai putin posibil, altfel aluatul va deveni elastic, ceea ce  nu e de dorit. De asemenea, aluatul trebuie sa stea la frigider cel putin o ora inainte de coacere.

Pe blatul de bucatarie am presarat faina si cu ajutorul unui facalet am intins aluatul de tarta la grosimea de cca. 5 mm.  Am uns o forma de tarta rotunda cu diametru de 26 cm cu unt apoi  am asezat aluatul in forma si am copt apoi tarta in cuptorul preincalzit la 180 de grade cca 20 de minute si am lasat-o sa se raceasca complet.

PONT: Pentru ca tarta sa nu se umfle in cuptor, acoperiti-o cu foaie de copt si puneti deasupra o mana de boabe de fasole. Greutatea acestora va impiedica tarta sa creasca.

Pentru mousse-ul de branza avem nevoie de:

• 200g crema de branza
• 100 g ciocolata alba
• 200 ml smantana pentru frisca
• 1 lg esenta de vanilie

Am topit ciocolata alba la Bain-Marie* intr-un vas termorezistent si am lasat-o sa se raceasca, iar int-un vas separat am butut apoi frisca. In cele din urma am amestecat crema de branza cu vanilia si ciocolata topita si cu ajutorul unei spatule am incorporat frisca, in mai mule transe, cu miscari circulare, pentru a ramane aerata si pufoasa si pentru a putea conferi in continuare textura de mousse dorita. Am turnat compozitia in forma de tarta si am dat-o la rece pentru 2 h.

 

Pentru curd-ul de lamaie avem nevoie de:

• 5 galbenusuri
• 100 ml zeama de lamaie
• 210 g zahar tos
• coaja de la 2 lamai
• 100 g unt gras

Am amestecat toate ingredientele de mai sus la Bain-Marie* pentru cca 20 de minute, pana cand compozitia s-a ingroasat si a capatat o textura lucioasa. Important este sa amestecati incontinuu, lent, in sensul acelor de ceas, pentru a evita taierea compozitiei. Dupa ce aceasta s-a racit, am turnat curd-ul peste tarta si am tinet la frigider cel putin 6 ore (ideal peste noapte), pana cand curd-ul de lamaie a  capatat aspectul unui jeleu.

*Bain-Marie= incalzirea amestecului la baie de aburi, deasupra unei oale cu apa fierbite, nu data in clocot. Aceasta tehnica este folosita deoarece aburul este o sursa de caldura mai blanda decat flacara directa a aragazului, care poate distruge preparatul.

                                                                       Enjoy! :)