OK, so here is the deal: I normally don’t post 2 articles in a row in the same category on the blog. But today will be an exception. My parents were having a get-together with friends a few weeks ago, and my mom has asked me to make my Tiramisu for dessert. I gladly agreed, because it is one of my all time favourites, and I can never have too much of it anyways.

Everyone loved it so much so, that one of the ladies have been dying to try it at home, and she’s been asking my mom to get the recipe from me ASAP. So I decided instead of just writing it all out for her, I might as well post it here for all of you, my lovely readers (and of course the lady who requested the recipe initially), to see and try for yourselves as well.

Now, this version of a Tiramisu, might not be the “proper”, from scratch version, but I’ll tell you, it’s quick, easy to whip up on short notice & tastes heavenly nonetheless. Even better than some that I’ve tasted at fine Italian Restaurants. I am not even kidding you either!

So here is the list of the ingredients you’ll need:

Tiramisu
Preparation time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

One package of Ladyfingers (could be found at many grocery stores, just ask the sales clerks to help you find it if you don’t know where to look)
6 eggs (which will be separated into egg yolks & whites)
1 package of Mascarpone Cheese (about 450 g)
Brewed Espresso or  Dark Coffee (cooled to room temp)
OPTIONAL: You can add a shot or two of your favorite coffee flavored liqueur to the espresso/coffee, to punch up the flavor, (but you don’t have to)
Small carton of Whipping Cream (or about 1 1/2 cups)
1 Cup White Granulated Sugar
2-3 tbsp Cocoa Powder for garnish
Small chunk of dark chocolate for garnish

Here is a visual:

Ladyfingers, Mascarpone cheese, Eggs, Whipping Cream, Espresso, Sugar, Cocoa Powder, Dark Chocolate. As for the equipment, you’ll need: a mixer, mixing bowls & rectangular baking dish to assemble the end product in.

Start off by separating the egg yolks from the whites. Now, this is a crucial point. BE VERY CAREFUL, to not get even a drop of the egg yolk or water into the bowl with the egg whites. If you do, your egg whites will NOT whip up to that fluffy and cottony white that we need. I have done this mistake in the past, and now I am SUPER careful when I separate my eggs. Lesson WELL learnt!

Add the sugar to the bowl with the egg yolks…

Mix on med-high with an electric mixer until…

The mixture is well incorporated and is light in color.

In a separate bowl whip the whipped cream until it soft peaks are formed. About 3-4 minutes.

Scrape and add the whipped cream to the egg yolks & sugar mixture and mix well together.

To that add the mascarpone cheese…

And whip it all together on med-high… Deliciousness!! YUM!

Now mix / whip the egg whites on med-high speed for about 4-5 minutes, until soft peaks appear.

Using a spatula, gently add the egg whites to the mascarpone mixture….

Using the spatula, very, very gently fold the egg whites into the creamy mixture. DO NOT over mix! The point of the egg whites is to add lightness and fluffiness to the cream, so mix just until it’s well combined.

Now dip the ladyfingers, one by one into the cooled espresso / coffee mixture, holding it down for about 1 second on each side. The ladyfingers are extremely light & absorbent, so make sure not to hold it in the coffee mixture too long, as the ladyfinger will likely fall apart on you.

So dipping the ladyfingers one at a time, arrange them in  a single layer in the baking dish…

Just like so…

Dump half of the cream onto the ladyfingers and spread evenly all the way across with a spatula…

Now repeat the process… dip each ladyfinger into the espresso / coffee mixture and arrange on top of the cream in a single layer.

Top it off with the remaining cream and spread evenly all the way across…

Now… You have my permission: Lick the remaining cream off of the spatula & the bowl… this cream tastes heavenly! Mmm…

Now, using a small sieve sprinkle the cocoa powder in an even layer all the way across the top of the cream

And to finish it off, shave some of that delicious, dark chocolate over the top of the cocoa powder…

And you are done!

After you take however much time you need to admire the beauty and the deliciousness… Cover the cake with plastic wrap carefully, not to ruin the top, and place in the fridge for a couple of hours.

After all the ingredients have time to marry each others flavours… there is nothing that tastes as good as a Tiramisu…

Make one soon!

You’ll be glad you did!

Enjoy!

]]> http://leylasroom.com/food-and-entertainment/tiramisu/feed/ 9 http://leylasroom.com/food-and-entertainment/honey-cake/ http://leylasroom.com/food-and-entertainment/honey-cake/#comments Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:00:01 +0000 Leyla http://leylasroom.com/?p=1285

Honey Cake, which is called Midoviy Tort in Russian, was and still is one of my favourite dessert cakes of all time. When I was growing up I would always ask my mom to bake this, and would always ask her to buy this cake when we were going to visit relatives and friends. As time went by and we moved to Canada, I completely forgot about this delicious and rich cake, until we went to visit back home after 5 years of being away.

It was at one of many family gatherings that my cousins, sister and I were given the task to go out and buy a cake. When we entered the bakery and as soon as I saw this yummy cake, so many memories flooded my mind, and I immediately told everyone that’s what we were going to get. Thankfully, I didn’t have to convince anyone too hard, as everyone seemed to agree this was the best option. I had to be so patient after we came home, to wait until dinner was over and it was time for dessert. As soon as I dug in with my spoon and was finally able to taste this deliciousness, I was in dessert heaven!!

Since then, I’ve been dying to make this cake at home, and recently was able to obtain the recipe from one of my favourite women, my sister’s future mother-in-law. This is one of her signature cakes, and I just had to try it!

And try it I did! It was absolutely delicious and I got rave reviews from everyone who was lucky enough to try a piece. I made this cake a few weeks ago, and have been saving the recipe to share with you all on the blog. As I’ve been putting together this post, I am getting increasingly hungry to make it again soon. And you should too! It is a real piece of cake to make And here I will show you how.

Here is a recipe to start you off with.

Honey Cake
Preparation time: 20 minutes, baking time: 3-4 minutes per layer (usually you’ll have 4-5 layers in total)

INGREDIENTS

For the dough:
2 eggs
1 cup white granulated sugar
1 tbsp honey
1 cup unsalted butter
2 tsp baking soda
4-5 cups of sifted flour

For the cream:
1 can of condensed milk
3/4 stick unsalted butter

And again, because all posts are better with photos, here is what you’ll need:

Sugar, eggs, sifted flour, baking soda, honey, butter and condensed milk (which we’re going to boil)

Put the can with the condensed milk in a pot and cover with water. You’re going to need to boil the condensed milk for about 2 hours in advance to making the cream. So plan ahead.

Next, if you have a double boiler use that, if not (like me here), use a small pot, fill it with water and bring to a boil. On top, in a glass bowl combine sugar, butter, eggs and honey…

Keep stirring the mixture over the steam of the boiling water, as it melts and make sure to not let it boil over.

Once it’s all nice and melted, take it off the heat, and sprinkle in the baking soda, and put back over the boiling water.

Keep stirring, until it’s all combined. You’ll notice the mixture is going to lighten up in color considerably after you’ve added in the soda. That’s a good thing.

Now that it’s well combined, take it off the heat and start adding in your sifted flour, one cup at a time, mixing well to combine.

The batter is going to be extremely sticky, because of the honey, so you’ll need to add plenty of flour to make it manageable. I can’t remember how many cups I used exactly, since it’s been awhile. But I think you’re probably going to need about 4-5 cups. Basically, you want the dough to be soft and pliable, so you’ll be able to spread it over the parchment paper. Use your judgement here.

Now, using the bottom of a spring form pan, outline the shape on a parchment paper and cut it out. You can either make 4-5 of these to use for each layer that we’re going to bake, or you can just make 2, and keep re-using them, which is what I did.

Now spray the parchment paper with cooking spray oil lightly…

Dip your fingers in flour and flour the surface of the parchment paper to prevent the dough from sticking. Next, take a chunk out of the dough and place in the middle of the circle. Using your fingers, gently spread the dough to cover the entire circle in an even layer. Don’t worry if you didn’t get enough dough, you can always add some if you don’t have enough to spread all around. Or add in places if you have any holes or tears.

This is what it should look like when you’re done.

At this point, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Take the bottom of the spring form pan and place the circle with the dough on top of it.

Once your oven is heated to 350, place the circle in the center of the oven, on a middle rack and bake for about 3-4 minutes, depending on your oven. Want you want is a nice golden-brown color all around.

While it’s baking, spread a large kitchen towel over a flat surface (kitchen island or dinner table). Once the layer is baked, take it out of the oven (be careful not to burn yourself), and turning it upside down, place it on the kitchen towel. Once it’s cooled a bit, carefully remove the parchment paper from the baked cake layer.

Repeat and do the same thing with all of the layers. I managed to get 4 layers out of my dough, which worked out fine, but if you can get more, you’ll end up with a nice, high cake.

Leave all 4 layers to cool on the kitchen towel

Now on to make the cream.

Crack open the can of condensed milk…. And exercising all of your will power, try REALLY hard not to grab a spoon and devour all of its contents at once.

Assuming you were able to withstand the temptation, dump the condensed milk into a mixing bowl and your butter, which should be at room temperature. Cube the butter, so it will be easier to mix.

Using a mixer, beat the butter and the condensed milk until it’s well combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes to cool.

Once the cream got a chance to cool a bit, it’s time to assemble the cake.

Using whatever platter you want to serve the cake in, place one layer of the cake onto it…

NOTE: I should mention here, the mistake I did… I forgot to consider that I would need some extra dough to make the crumbles that are supposed to cover the entire cake after you’ve assembled it. So what I did is, after my cake was done, I went around it with a knife and cut off the uneven edges, and crumbled up those pieces. But my mistake was in that it was hard to crumble, because the cream is so sticky.

So what I should have done instead is either: A) bake an extra layer of dough and use that to crumble, or B) put all 4 layers on top of each other without the cream and cut around the edges then. Oh well, live and learn!

Back to the assembly…

Spread the first layer with a generous amount of cream over top

Repeat the same with all of the layers, including the top layer.

Now using those crumbles that I’ve just talked about (hopefully you used one of the A & B options, and not do what I did), sprinkle them evenly over the entire surface of the cake…

The trick with this cake is patience. Once it’s assembled, you’re supposed to leave it alone for at least a few hours, so the cream can work its magic and absorb into the dough. If you’ll be patient enough, then you’ll have a deliciously rich, soft and moist cake to indulge all of your senses.

Because it’s a very rich cake, I recommend enjoying it with a nice, hot cup of tea…

Mmm… Yum! I want a slice.

Make it soon, I promise you won’t regret it!

What is your favourite childhood dessert? Go ahead and share it in the comments below. =)

This is one of those recipes that almost everyone will love, except of course, you are a vegetarian. Then you will either hate it, or be indifferent to it. But if you are a meat eater, then you will be very satisfied with this hearty, classic Italian Pasta Bolognese Recipe. Which of course, means Meat Sauce in Italian. So, call it whatever you want, but this is one easy and delicious pasta recipe that is sure to warm up your heart & tummy on these cold winter days. Or if it is warm wherever it is that you are, then you can still enjoy it, of course you might get hot and sweaty after eating it, but either way, you will enjoy it!

So enough talking, here is the recipe:

Pasta Bolognese
Preparation time: 10 minutes, cooking time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 Package Fusilli Rice Pasta (or whatever type of pasta you prefer, spaghetti works really well also)
1 pound lean-ground beef
1 pound mushrooms, sliced (I am using Button Mushrooms here, but you could just as well you use Crimini Mushrooms, which are delicious)
1 whole red onion, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, pressed
2 small cans of tomato paste
1 10-15 oz jar or can of tomato sauce
4-5 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese, grated (to garnish, not pictured below)
Parsley, chopped (to garnish, not pictured below)

Here is a photo, because blog posts are always better with photos

To begin, bring a pot of water to a boil. Oh and don’t forget to salt it to taste first.

But you probably knew that right? I am making an assumption here, but I’m sure most people know how to boil some pasta…

While the water is boiling, grab the red onion, cut off the ends, peel off the skin and cut in half.

Finely chop it up…

By this time your water is probably boiling, so dump the pasta into the boiling water…

And give it a good stir… Make sure you do that, because if you don’t, it’ll all stick together, and we definitely don’t want that.

Next peel and press (or chop, if you don’t have a garlic press) the garlic…

But as a side note, if you don’t own a garlic press, invest in one. They are so handy and time saving.

For some reason, when it comes to chopping garlic, I really don’t have patience for it. So the press works for me

Next, take out the stems out of all the mushrooms and discard. Or if you want to use them, go ahead and do so, they are edible and I used to use them in my cooking as well, until one day I stopped. Don’t ask me why.

Perhaps it has something to do with my anal, obsessive nature of wanting all my mushroom pieces to look the same? Who knows

Oh yeah, at this point, don’t forget to check on your pasta. Follow the package instructions. You want the pasta to be al dente (which means, a little more than half cooked, so it has a pretty hard texture), because we’re still going to cook it later in the meat sauce.

Use your judgement, and if you think it’s ready, drain it and set aside.

Back to the lovely mushrooms. Slice’em up, not too thick, not too thin. Mushrooms sort of melt as they cook, so if you slice too thin, they will disappear.. and you definitely don’t want that. We want to feel the delicious mushroom texture in the end result.

Now, on medium-high heat, using the same pot that we used to boil the pasta in, pour in the Extra virgin olive oil, and when it’s heated up, throw in the chopped red onion, and then the garlic.

Season with salt & pepper to taste…

Let it get golden brown, stirring occasionally, to prevent burning.

When the onions are nice and caramelized, add in the ground beef. Use your wooden spoon to sort of break apart the big chunks of meat, so it’s nice and loose.

I know we’ve already seasoned the onion & garlic mixture, but I like to season the meat as I add it in. Not too much… just enough to bring out the flavour.

Keep stirring until the meat starts to brown… Which will probably take 7-8 minutes.

Then add the mushrooms…

Stir it around and let cook for about 5-6 minutes.

Next, goes in the tomato sauce…

Dump it all in, baby… don’t be stingy.

Stir well… Mmm… Smells delicious!

Now you can add the tomato paste, which will thicken the sauce and add a nice texture to the whole thing.

Remember that pasta we boiled and drained earlier? Well, now you can finally add it in.

Let it simmer for about 3-4 minutes on medium heat with the lead on.

Turn off the heat and serve while hot for best results…

Oh yeah, almost forgot… Grate some fresh parmigiano-reggiano cheese right over top…. Come on, be generous!

And sprinkle some parsley for a pop of color, and of course the health benefits of fresh herbs!

Buon Appetito!

It is no secret to anybody that knows me well, that I   L . O. V. E.   to eat, and that I especially have a soft spot for freshly baked goodies. I can never resist the smell of freshly baked, anything! =)

I have always wanted to learn how to be able to bake, and not just bake anything and have it turn out O.K., I wanted to learn how to bake like the pros, from cakes, to cookies, to breads and everything in between.

I’ve only recently started to experiment and test out my baking abilities. And I love it so much! There is something magical to me about mixing, and stirring and whipping a few ingredients into each other, and have a different creation every time. I must say, for someone who is more or less a newbie into the baking/cooking world, I am (and everyone else who gets to try it) quite pleased with the results. =)

Today I wanted to share with you an easy & delicious Banana Bread recipe. I’ve been dying to try out this recipe for awhile, and finally managed to make it. Like the name suggests, this isn’t just any regular Banana Bread. It’s rich, moist, dense & delicious! And you’re probably wondering about the twist part? Well, that’s easy: it’s Poppy Seeds! When I told my mom I was going to attempt making Banana Bread, she asked me to add some poppy seeds into it, because she said it’s one of her favourites at Starbucks. And since I love anything with poppy seeds in it, I happily obliged. =)

This time around I am changing things up a bit in the order of how I list the recipe. One of my lovely readers reached out to me and asked if it was possible for me to list the ingredient list before all the step-by-step instructions, as opposed to at the end, like I used to, as it would be easier than scrolling up & down to find a piece of info.

Since, I am always open to constructive criticism, I am happy to make that change. =) I welcome you guys to tell me if the format of my posts works for you, or if there is anything you’d like me to change.

So, ’nuff talking! Lets get to baking!

Banana Bread with a Twist
Preparation time: 10-15 minutes, baking time: 60 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 cups all purpose flour
1 level tsp baking soda
1/2 level tsp baking powder
1 stick or 1/2 cup of softened unsalted-butter
1 1/2 cups of white granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 tbsp sour cream
1/2 cup milk
4-6 medium overripe bananas
1 tspn poppy seeds

Here is a visual:

A few things here: You’ll also need a mixer, mixing bowls, a loaf pan & cooking oil spray (or extra butter to grease the pan)

Also, if you’re really observant (or anal like me), you’ll notice I’m using 30% fat sour cream, because I am not afraid of fat. The more fat content, the tastier it is. So, let go, and go wild. You only live once! The end result will be a lot richer with a higher fat content sour cream.

I promise!

Ok, lets begin.

Start by sifting together flour, baking soda and baking powder into a mixing bowl.

Set aside.

Next, cream together softened (room temperature) unsalted butter and sugar.

When the butter & sugar are well incorporated, add the eggs and the vanilla extract and…

The sour cream and the milk. Mix well together on medium-high speed.

Now add in the dry ingredients (the flour mixture with the baking soda & the baking powder, remember?)

Mix on medium speed until all the ingredients are well incorporated.

Set aside.

Now the main ingredients! We save the best for last. =)

Peel and break the bananas into 2″-3″ pieces into a bowl and mash’em up into a smooth consistency.

When the bananas are nice and smooth, add in the poppy seeds & mix well together.

Now, gently & gradually pour the banana mixture into the rest of the ingredients and mix on med-high speed until it’s all well incorporated.

At this point, pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Spray your loaf pan with some cooking oil spray (or grease with butter, whatever rocks your boat, is cool with me )

Now just pour the mixture into the pan and pop it in the oven for an hour.

Do not open the oven for the first 25-30 minutes, to allow for the bread to rise nicely. At about 45-50 minutes start checking for readiness by poking a hole with a toothpick right in the center. If the toothpick comes out clean, then it’s ready!

And this is the goodness that is going to emerge out of your oven after about an hour. Doesn’t it look beautiful? I love the crack in the middle. Makes it look like real bread… YUM!!!

Oh, and it smells divine!

Are you wondering what it looks like inside?

Here ya go! It’s heavenly! Just look at that fresh, dense, rich, sweet (but not too sweet), delicious bread!! I’m salivating just looking at it now…

Go ahead, cut yourself a nice thick slice and enjoy with a cup of tea, coffee or milk.

You’ve got to make this soon. You will love this Banana Bread. It is one of the few things that is a guarantee in this life

Today I am so excited and proud to introduce you to my new good Blog-Friend, Farida, who as it happens, was born and raised in the same city as me. The beautiful city of Baku, which is the capital of Azerbaijan. For all those who’ve never heard of this tiny country, look it up on Google & educate yourselves… come on people! Where is your curiosity?!

I found Farida’s wonderful & delicious food blog when I did a quick search for a Zebra cake recipe on Google. I wrote about that here. I was so happy & proud when I went over to her blog and to my delightful surprise realized she was from Baku, just like me! It is not every day I see a fellow blogger, who is also from the same background as me.

I absolutely love, love, love Farida’s blog, for so many reasons. For one, as far as I know, she is the only one who’s got such a beautiful & successful Food Blog, featuring traditional Azerbaijani / Azeri food recipes. On top of that, her food styling and food photography is absolutely gorgeous and delicious. If you ask me, I think she is super talented and should pursue a career in food styling. But that is just my opinion. Another reason why I’ve gotten to love Farida & her fabulous blog, is because she is just so sweet, kind and genuine. And no, I’ve never actually met Farida in person, but I can tell through our interactions & through her wonderful writing style that she is a super sweet mother of two beautiful children and a wife to a lucky husband that get to taste her delicious cooking every day.

Today I’ll be sharing a short interview with Farida herself to help you get to know her better, and also one of her many wonderful recipes. You absolutely must check out her blog though, because it is filled with so many more, fabulous, traditional & yummy (Azeri & more) recipes.

Enjoy & make sure you are full before proceeding, because I warn you, the photos below are sure to bring out your appetite… BIG TIME!

Eggplant Rolls

Leyla: Please take a moment to introduce yourself and your delicious blog.
Farida: I am Farida and I am almost 32. My blog, named AZ Cookbook, is about Azerbaijani food and foods from around the world that I love experimenting with.  Through my blog, I share recipes, stories and pictures of food with my readers.

Leyla: I was so excited to find a fellow blogger, who is also from my hometown of Baku. How old were you when you left Azerbaijan, and how do you like living in California?
Farida: I moved to California with my husband right after we got married, when I was 25 y/o. Living in California has been great so far. I love the weather, the traffic, the diversity, the people. We live in Long Beach and I feel very much at home here.

Potato Pirojki

Leyla: What made you want to start a blog?
Farida: The idea to start a food blog was born shortly after I began writing a cookbook on Azerbaijani food, about 2 years ago. I happened to listen to a radio while driving somewhere, and the program was about blogs and blogging. I was intrigued by the concept of blogging and set out to enlighten myself  about blogs, and food blogs in particular. I was surprised to find out that there were quite a few out there, some of them very professional and with a huge following. And I didn’t know about them! I loved the idea behind food blogging – being able to share your passion for cooking with others, to share your personal stories and recollections, to be able to interact with readers – all these appealed to me greatly. This, doubled with a good friend’s encouragement and cheering for me, led to the creation of AZ Cookbook. I keep it separate from the cookbook to be published. The two are two different projects that I am working on.

Saffron Infused Chicken with Quince

Leyla: All of your food looks extremely appetizing. At what age did you discover your passion for cooking?
Farida: It’s a bit complicated. I have always loved food, but to be honest, I rarely cooked back in Azerbaijan. I lived with my parents until I got married and as very typical back there, my mom did all the cooking. I did, however, help her make appetizers and desserts when we invited guests over or on holidays and family celebrations. My parents preferred to see me read a book rather than cook for the family and apparently this worked fine with me. But I have been an avid collector of recipes since I was about 12-13 years old. That’s when I began my first recipe notebook. I would jot down any interesting recipes that I stumbled upon. Back in Baku, I would read and reread a few cookbooks we had like they were hard-to-put-down novels. But the irony of all this is that I only rarely used them to cook anything. So, when I arrived in California with my husband and I realized there was no mom in my kitchen and that the yearning for the homemade food is too strong to ignore, I decided to make use of my recipes and began to cook like a crazy woman, making a mess and tons of mistakes, getting frustrated at failed attempts to produce something descent and edible, but eventually realizing that all it takes is practice and patience and armed with these, I set out to improve my cooking skills.

Eclairs

Leyla: Your food photography and the overall compositions of your photos is so gorgeous. How did you learn to be so good at both styling and photography? Have you had any formal training?
Farida: I haven’t had any formal training in either food styling or photography. I am self-taught and I think there is still room to hone my skills at both. I am never satisfied.

Leyla: Do you use Photoshop to enhance your images?
Farida: Yes, I do use photoshop, but I try not to distort the images and keep them as close to the original as possible.

Leyla: I’m very excited about your cookbook that you are working on right now. If it is anything like your blog, then I am sure the end result will be fantastic. How did the idea come to you, and who/what was the inspiration behind actually going through with the whole thing?
Farida: Thank you so much for your encouraging words. I love cookbooks and I especially love ethnic cookbooks that teach you a lot about the food culture of a particular place. In the US, bookstores carry so many ethnic cookbooks from different parts of the world but I haven’t found any dedicated entirely on Azerbaijani cuisine and culture (there are only a few with chapters on Azerbaijani food). I decided I wanted to fill in this gap and write a cookbook.  My inspiration behind the process is my memories of Azerbaijan, its colorful culture, and of course its delicious food. I wanted to bring these things together in one book.

Baked Fish Stuffed with Walnuts

Leyla: Cooking is a big part of one’s culture, and it’s so great that you’re keeping that alive by cooking traditional Azeri dishes. What are the things you miss the most about living in Azerbaijan / Baku?
Farida: If you mean something food related, then I will say it is Azerbaijani bazaars. Farmer’s markets in California are good but they cannot replace the liveliness, the colors, the abundance, the variety of Azerbaijani markets. I also miss the hustle and bustle of those places, with sellers exhorting you to buy their stuff by almost singing praises to them. I find it more interesting now that I am far from it.

Tandir or Tandoori Bread

Leyla: I am a huge advocate for home made cooking, but I know a lot of people think it takes too much time. What is your secret for managing to run a household and always prepare delicious, fresh, homemade food?
Farida: There is really no secret. I do what I love to do and what I think I should do as I a mother of two young children. Cooking does take a portion of your time every day, but I feel responsible for what goes in our palates. I prefer to feed my children freshly made meals instead of frozen or store bought. I also “blame” my culture for my daily marathons in the kitchen. I spent a chunk of my life seeing my mom, my grandmother, my aunts, my neighbors, all Azerbaijani women for that matter, cook food from scratch on a daily basis. They always found the time to cook for the family no matter what, even if they worked full time. So it is a cultural thing too. But I am in no way a superwoman. I do enjoy occasional breaks and outings to restaurants for a change of atmosphere and for a chance to get more culinary inspiration.

Hope you guys enjoyed the interview & here is the promised recipe:

Tomato-Thyme Soup with Cheese & Croutons

Serves 4 to 6

2 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegetable oil
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 medium juicy tomatoes, peeled and pureed in a food processor
5 cups chicken broth or water (or combination)
1 tablespoon dried thyme (decrease to taste)
1/2 cup milk
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste

To garnish:
shredded mozzarella cheese
croutons (recipe follows)

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and stir-fry for a minute. Add the pureed fresh tomatoes. Cook for 3 minutes longer. Add the chicken broth or water, and thyme. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.

Gradually pour in the milk, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook for another 2 minutes, then remove from heat. Ladle into bowls, garnish with shredded mozzarella and croutons (recipe follows).

CROUTONS
Remove crust from bread slices. Cut into cubes. Brush the cubes with some olive oil (or melted butter). Sprinkle with salt. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350F (170C) until browned, about 10 minutes.

ENJOY!

Are you guys starving yet from all of Farida’s delicious, mouthwatering food photography? I know, I am! Please show some love in the comments below if you enjoyed this feature.

Zebra Cake used to be one of my most favourite desserts when I was little. This cake is quite popular back where I am from, which is a beautiful country of Azerbaijan. Recently, I remembered about this cake and wanted to recreate it. One of my friend’s mom (also from Azerbaijan), here knows how to make this cake, but I couldn’t get a hold of her at the time to get the recipe, so naturally, I turned to the life saver, otherwise known as Google!

The first link with this recipe that came up was this fabulous cooking blog called AZ Cookbook. I was so happy to find this beautiful lady, Farida, who is also originally from Azerbaijan, now living in sunny California. Her food photography is absolutely mouth watering, and most of her wonderful recipes come from Azerbaijan, which is so nice to see. Looking through her blog brought back lots of happy childhood memories. I was so happy to find and befriend this wonderful lady, that I promise to do a more thorough feature on her fabulous blog, very soon!

Back to the cake… This is a very simple recipe, that produces a beautiful end result, that impresses anybody who sees this fabulous cake.

Here is a list of ingredients that you will need:

Flour, Baking Powder, Cocoa Powder, Eggs, Milk, Sugar, Vegetable Oil (canola or sunflower is fine), Vanilla Extract, Cooking Oil Spray & Springform Pan (or whatever baking pan you have)

Start by cracking all the eggs into a mixing bowl, and add the sugar.

Now beat the eggs with the sugar using a mixer or a whisk, until the mixture is light in colour.

See how it becomes lighter and creamier, that’s what you want to see…

Now to this, add your milk & the oil

And mix together, until it’s well combined.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine and mix well together flour, baking soda and vanilla extract. I have to mention here. Farida’s recipe calls for vanilla powder. But since all I had was the vanilla extract, I used that. Which would have been fine, if I added it to the wet ingredients. I only realized I made a mistake when I had small bumps in the flour mixture. So, the lesson here is, either use vanilla powder and add to the dry ingredients. Or if using vanilla extract like me, add it to the wet ingredients. It’s not a big deal, but I thought I’d mention it anyways.

Now, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet and beat together with a mixer until the batter is smooth and the dry ingredients are well combined. Farida mentioned this on her blog too, and I will stress this point also: DO NOT OVER BEAT, to prevent air pockets from forming in the batter. To be honest with you, I think I did overbeat mine, as you will see some air pockets in the end result. So listen to her, and don’t overbeat!

Next, separate the batter into two equal portions. Either by eye-balling like I did, or if you’re more precise, by measuring it all out. Either way, once you separate the batter into two bowls, leave one as is, and add cocoa powder to the other one and combine using a mixer.

This is what it will look like.

One dark, one plain.

Opposites attract.

Ying & Yang

Alright, alright… I’ll stop right there, before I go any further.

Now, preheat your oven to 350F (180C).

Grease your baking pan by spraying with some cooking oil, or line it with parchment paper if you don’t have cooking spray oil. The point is, to do whatever you can to prevent the cake from sticking to the pan.

Now the fun part begins!

The assembly of the two batters in the baking pan, that gives you that beautiful zebra effect. Basically, all you do is alternate the light and the dark batters, but here is the detailed instructions as described by Farida here:

Scoop out 3 full tablespoons of plain batter into the middle of the baking pan. Then scoop 3 tablespoons of cocoa batter and pour it in the center on top of the plain batter. IMPORTANT! Do not stop and wait until the previous batter spreads – KEEP GOING! Do not spread the batter or tilt the pan to distribute the mixture. It will spread by itself and fill the pan gradually. Continue alternating the batters until you finish them.

Just keep going…

Until all the batter is finished. I like to finish off with a dark layer. Just because I think it looks nicer and provides a good visual contrast. This is how mine looked like, just before going into the oven.

Bake in the oven for about 40 -45 minutes. Do not open the oven door at least the first 20 minutes or the cake will shrink and will not rise. To check if the cake is ready, insert a toothpick into the center. It should come out clean when ready. Remove from the oven. Immediately run a small thin knife around the inside of the pan to loosen the cake, then invert the cake onto a cooling rack. Turn the cake back over and let cool.

Those were the very well explained instructions by Farida. But of course, the impatient me, I couldn’t wait to let the cake cool. So I cut into it right away… And this is why you see some parts are mushed together. Because it was still hot. So, LET IT COOL for at least 10-15 minutes before you cut into it!

It’s a delicious cake, and nothing beats the beautiful presentation of it!

Make it soon, you will love it!

Zebra Cake
Preparation time: 10 minutes, baking time: 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (8 oz / 250 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (8 fl oz / 250 ml) milk, at room temperature
1 cup (8 fl oz / 250 ml) oil (corn, vegetable or canola is fine)
2 cups (10 oz / 300 g) all-purpose flour
1/3 teaspoon vanilla powder or extract
1 tablespoon (equals 3 teaspoons) baking powder (if not available, substitute with 1 teaspoon baking soda)
2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder

Enjoy with a hot cup of tea or a glass of milk. However, you choose to eat it, you are sure to love this rich and moist cake.

Thank you Farida for this wonderful recipe!

Oh the delicious flavours of Summer time… I love tropical fruits, and I especially adore them in salads. One day I had a ripe pineapple sitting on the counter for a few days, so I wanted to find a recipe for it. I came across a few yummy Pineapple Salsa recipes, modified it according to what I had in my fridge and the flavours that I thought would work well together, and came up with this easy-breezy recipe.

Although it’s not very Fall/Winter like recipe, because I love everything Summer, personally I like to prolong the taste of Summer well into the cold months, so who is to say  we cannot enjoy a little ray of sunshine with this Pineapple Salsa on a cold Winter day?!

Here is what you need to make this healthy, fast & delicious Pineapple Salsa:

Pineapple, Red Peppers, Lime, Fresh Ginger Root, Jalapeno Pepper, Parsley, Shallots, Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), Soy Sauce & Honey

Of course you can always get the pre-cut pineapple at most grocery stores these days, but I prefer to start from scratch with a fresh pineapple, and cut it all myself. I don’t know why. It just makes me feel better, than buying it pre-cut, not to mention it is a lot cheaper to buy a whole pineapple anyways.

There are many ways of cutting a pineapple, and you can do it whichever way works for you. I like doing it this way, and I will show you how I do it step-by-step below. Why? Because I’m nice.

So, start by placing the pineapple on its side on a cutting board…

And chop off the top…

Then turn it around, and chop off the bottom. Now place the pineapple upwards again…

And start to carefully slice off the skin as shown below.

Keep going all the way around the pineapple…

Until you got all the skin off, and you’re just left with a clean & juicy pineapple.

Now cut the pineapple in half length-wise as shown below…

Now just place the cut halves on their flat sides and slice into approximately 3/4″ thick slices.

Using a knife cut out around the thick center of each individual slice…

And cut each slice into 4 pieces. Basically this is the pretty sun shape that you will be left with in the end.

Now just dice up the pineapple into smaller, about 1/4″ thick pieces and add to a mixing bowl.

Now comes the red pepper. Chop of the end, and clean out the seeds.

Cut the pepper in half and cut each half into thin strips, and then dice up those strips into smaller pieces, as shown below…

It’s time for the jalapeno pepper. I’ve said this in one of the previous posts, but I will say it again, for your own good. Wear gloves when handling jalapeno, or be VERY careful NOT to touch anything at all until you wash off your hands really well.

So, cut off the end of the jalapeno, and cut in half…

The seeds are the deadliest / hottest part, so clean out all the seeds and the white parts, just like shown below…

Cut the jalapeno into thin, thin strips, and dice up into tiny pieces.

Cut the fresh ginger root into about 2″ piece, peel off the skin and grate into the mixing bowl.

Now chop up some parsley and add to the mixing bowl.

Last goes in the shallot. Cut the ends off and take off the skin.

Cut in half and cut again sideways, along the flat side.

Now cut into strips in the opposite direction (length wise).

And finely dice it up…

Squeeze out the juice of the lime into a small mixing bowl and add in a tbsp of honey.

Into the same bowl add in the EVOO, Soy Sauce and salt & pepper and mix well together.

Pour over all the other ingredients into the mixing bowl and mix well.

Mmm… It smells delicious!

This is such a versatile salsa and can be served as an appetizer on its own, or as a side dish with grilled chicken breast or shrimp. I decided to serve it with some wild rice & grilled chicken. The sweet & juicy pineapple is a great compliment to crunchy red pepper and the jalapeno adds just enough of a spicy kick.

It is a perfect blend!

You’ve got to try it… It is so easy to make & can’t beat all the vitamins that are in this baby!

YUM!

Pineapple Salsa
Makes: 6 servings
Prep Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:

4 cups diced pineapple
2 whole red peppers, diced
1 lime, juiced
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped into tiny pieces
1 shallot, chopped
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger root
1 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup soy sauce (or add a bit more if you like the salty flavour)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Easy – breezy, healthy & delicious!

Enjoy!

Welcome to the Brand New The World’s Got Talent segment at Leyla’s Room! To some of you this is not news, but to those not too familiar with the growing Blogging trend, it might be interesting to find out that the ever-expanding world of Blogging is filled with so many amazing, fabulous, talented, hilarious and genuine people that we can all draw inspiration from. There are quite a few blogs that I visit regularly, and there is so many new ones that I discover daily! Every time I find an interesting, educational, inspirational, fun etc blog, I feel the need to share it with others. So I have decided to add a new segment to Leyla’s Room, where I will feature these amazing people from all walks of life.

Today I am super excited to dedicate the very first Blog Feature to a special lady, who is just as passionate about food as I am. I have recently came across Paula’s delicious Blog called bell’ alimento, through another wonderful Community of Fabulous Cooks called Tasty Kitchen. I was immediately attracted & addicted to Paula’s fun writing style, wonderful sense of humor, and don’t get me started on all the yummy, mouth-watering recipes! After you finish reading this interview, I urge you to check out Paula’s Delicious Blog for some amazing recipes. All tested in her own kitchen and beautifully photographed for our viewing pleasure.

WARNING: The delicious recipes & photos will make you hungry (even if you just ate!) =) Don’t tell me I didn’t warn ya!

Below is a short interview to help you get to know the lady behind all the wonderful food creations a little better. At the end of the Interview, Paula was sweet enough to share one of her favourite recipes with all of us! On top of that, I couldn’t resist sharing more of Paula’s wonderful food photos, so throughout the interview you’ll find some of Paula’s yummy photos & to get the recipes, you just have to follow the link below the photo.

Enjoy!

Chicken with Olives

Interview:

Leyla: Please take a moment to introduce yourself?
Paula: My name is Paula & I am the food writer & recipe developer for bell’alimento. I am not a chef, just someone who is very passionate about food, specifically Italian food. I share my recipes, photos and stories through my blog www.bellalimento.com In addition to writing for bell’alimento I write for several other online communities as well.

Leyla: Why did you decide to start a blog, and what’s the story behind the name?
Paula: You might be surprised to hear that I started the blog ONLY after a friend of mine suggested it to me . At first I thought they were crazy (in a good way of course) To give a little back story, I had been for quite a time posting what I was making for dinner to my Facebook status & was always amazed when someone would ask me for the recipe. Which became quite often. So then my friend approached me & asked if I had ever considered writing a blog? My response was: Really? Me? I’m just a cook, I don’t know anything about blogging (were some of my many responses LOL). I was very skeptical about whether or not anyone besides my friends & family would see it, let alone read it. But after much coaxing from my friend I decided hey, why not, I’ll give it a go. First up was deciding on the name. Which was incredibly important. I KNEW right away it had to be Italian, because that is after all the food I am passionate about. Bell’Alimento is Italian for “Beautiful Food” & as I believe you eat with your eyes first, this was perfect! I had my name & I was off!  Bell’alimento was launched  earlier this year.

Pepperonata

Leyla: You mention on your blog that you were lucky enough to experience life in Italy first hand for a few years. What was that experience like for you? What would you say was the best and the worst  part about living in Italy?
Paula: How much time do you have? LOL Italy for me was life changing. It is an amazing country & I can’t say enough about it. From the moment I arrived I was fascinated & fell in love, deeply in love with everything about it. It’s people, it’s culture, & oh yes, definitely the FOOD! There is no place like it. The experiences that I had while I was there have stayed with me to this day & have shaped the way I think, eat & view things. For me, there isn’t ONE best thing about Italy. I could ramble on for days about what I loved. The worst part you ask? Well that’s easy. That was having to leave!

Leyla: Your passion for food is obvious and comes through in every single recipe. How old were you when you first started to cook?
Paula: I don’t remember an actual age when I started cooking. I started out very young helping my Mom & Grandmother when I could. Most often it would be when they were baking & it was purely selfish as I wanted to lick the bowl & beaters, LOL. I always enjoyed watching them prepare & cook the meal as I learn visually. I was always fascinated that you could turn a few ingriedients “magically” into something beautiful & delicious with your hands. Still feel the same way.

Saffron Seafood Risotto

Leyla: Since discovering your blog, I turn to it often to get my dose of inspiration from your most delicious & mouth watering recipes. Where do you draw your inspiration to continue to cook & take such amazing photographs?
Paula: Well thank you very much. Inspiration for me comes from the ingriedients. When I’m shopping I search the produce section & meat sections & when I find something that catches my eye I work my recipe around that. I have just as much fun taking the photographs as I do cooking. Again, to me you eat with your eyes first so the picture is just as important to showcase the food.

Leyla: Like all creative people, I am sure you have days when you might not feel as motivated to cook. During those times, what is your remedy that helps you get back to your usual self?
Paula: I definitely have days when I’m not as motivated to cook. During those times I look to the foodblogs that I am inspired by, and there are MANY that I love to read and follow on a regular basis. I’ll find myself trying new dishes (dishes that are outside of the normal realm for me), which gets me back into the creative spirit again.

Strawberry Gelato

Leyla: Being an organizer by nature, I’m always curious to know how others organize their days around. So please describe a typical day in the Live of Paula.

Paula: My daily schedule varies depending on the kids activities. I am a work at home Mom so I’m fairly flexible with my schedule. Which I love. But, generally speaking, my day starts out by getting the kids ready & off to school. The baby & I then have breakfast, settle in & then I open up the laptop to check my emails to see what needs responding to immediately. I make my Social Media Rounds & then I’m doing chores around the house & playing with the little one. Quick lunch for the two of us & then it’s naptime for the little one (sadly not for me LOL). During naptime I focus on work items & recipe development. Then much too quickly, midday nap is over & it’s time for the other 2 bambini to get home. Homework, playtime & then dinnertime. Naturally there are photographs being taken before any food is allowed to be eaten LOL They know the drill ; ) Then it’s off to any kids activities (soccer, drama, etc) bath time, bedtime & then it’s back to work for me. I do most of my writing in the evenings. Luckily I’m a night owl which helps. Then it’s up at same time again & the routine continues.

Leyla: I’m not sure if your work has been published in print (magazines, books etc), and if it hasn’t, it absolutely should! Have you thought of writing a recipe book?
Paula: Why thank you. I have not yet been published in any Print media but I have been published in several prominent online sites, including Saveur.Com. Yes, I would absolutely love to one day have a cookbook of my own. So any publishers out there feel free to contact me *wink wink* : )

Insalata Caprese

Leyla: What is your ultimate goal in life?
Paula: WOW, my ultimate goal in life. I have many goals, but the most important one would be to be a good example to my children & to raise & teach them well. To experience as much as possible and to learn as much as possible in that time.

Leyla: If you had the power to change one thing in the World today, what would it be & why?
Paula: That is a VERY tough question. If I could change only one thing, what would I change? WOW, there are so many HUGE problems in the world that need addressing. Hunger, Violence & Education, are among the many that pop into my mind straight away. I’m not sure I would know where to begin, but I do believe we need more: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, & self control. That would be a good start.

And finally here is the promised recipe from Paula:

Nutella Creme-Brulee

Nutella Crème Brulee:

What you’ll need:
4 cups of heavy whipping cream
1 vanilla bean
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar (plus additional for dusting)
4 tbsp Nutella – melted
Fresh Berries – Optional for Garnish

What to do:
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. In a large saucepan, add your cream. Slice your vanilla bean down the center and scrape out the insides. Add bean & insides to the cream. Heat over medium high heat until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside.

While cream is cooling, add your egg yolks & sugar into the mixer. Using your whisk attachment, whisk until mixture is creamy and has a light color. Remove vanilla bean from cream & discard. Temper the egg mixture into the cream mixture by whisking it slowly to avoid scrambling your eggs. Add in your melted Nutella & continue mixing until everything is combined.

Pour cream/egg mixture into your ramekins. Filling to near the top. Place your ramekins into a large casserole ovenproof dish. Fill dish with warm water so that water level reaches half way up the sides of the ramekins. This creates a water bath so that it will cook through evenly. Place dish into oven. Bake for approx 40-45 minutes (until center is slightly jiggly and sides are firm)

Remove ramekins from water bath with tongs. Transfer to a baking sheet and refridgerate for 3-4 hours or until mixture sets up completely. Remove crème brulee 15 minutes PRIOR to serving. Dust the tops of each ramekin with sugar. Rolling the edges so that the sugar is distributed evenly. Using your kitchen torch, scorch the tops. Allow to rest a few minutes prior to serving.

Garnish with fresh berries or whipped cream (or both!)

Buon Appetito!

A couple of years ago, when I first tried a delicious risotto at a restaurant, I thought it was something complicated and time consuming to make. For that reason I never attempted to make a risotto at home. Until my lovely sister (who is a vegetarian), did a bit of her own research and created this recipe. The first time she made it, it turned out oh-so-yummy! And it gave me that extra push to try making it myself.

It was super easy to make and turned out nice & creamy & delicious!

I dedicate this dish for all you Italian Food lovers! And the fact that it is vegetarian makes it that much more appealing to all my vegetarian readers.

Here are all the ingredients you will need to make this scrumptious Wild Mushroom Risotto:

Risotto Rice (sold in pre-packaged boxes, in most supermarkets), Dried Wild Mushrooms (again, sold in most supermarkets), Vegetable Broth (since this is a vegetarian version, but you can sure substitute it for Chicken broth if you’d like), Shallots, Garlic, Fresh Parsley, Parmigiano Reggiano, White Wine, 18% Table Cream, Extra Virgin Olive Oil and a bit of butter (not pictured)

Start by pouring out the vegetable broth into a pot…

And bring to a gentle boil.

Now, empty about half of the wild mushrooms into a separate pot…

Cover with boiling water and let them sit for about 10 minutes (no cooking required yet).

Now cut off the ends of the shallots and peel off the skins…

Cut in half…

And then slice length-wise as shown below…

Now give them a fine chop in the opposite direction.

I prefer my herbs fresh, so I will use lots of parsley, but only for garnish. I love the aroma and the punch of flavor that it provides.

Cut off the coarse stems…

And finely chop up the rest…

Set aside is a small bowl, to be used for garnish as a final step =)

Now that the mushrooms have had a chance to soften up in the boiling water, drain or take them out of boiling water using a sifter like I did. Do not throw out the water they’ve been sitting in. You will need it later. I promise to tell you when.

Put a few paper towels on the plate, and place the mushrooms over top to soak up the liquid.

Cover them with another layer of paper towels

And squeeze out all the excess liquid that’s sitting in the mushrooms…

This is what they should look like after a nice squeeze. It doesn’t hurt them, I promise.

They told me so themselves.

Chop up the mushrooms into smaller pieces on a chopping board and set aside.

There are a few ways to take the skin off of the garlic cloves, and you can use whatever way works for you. But I just wanted to show you guys how I do it, and what I find is the fastest/easiest way to get rid off the stubborn skin.

Place the garlic clove on it’s side, and using the flat side of a chef’s knife, press down just enough to break it open.

And look at this…. The skin comes right off! Magic

Now, pour some olive into a skillet…

And throw in the chopped shallots.

After you let them brown a bit, throw in the pressed garlic.

Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Now throw in your butter. Don’t be afraid of butter… In this recipe, it is our friend. It will add a delicious flavor and creaminess to the risotto.

Let the onions and the garlic to brown for a bit.

Mmm… It smells delicious! I love the smell of sautéing onions with garlic…

Now you can throw in the mushrooms and allow them to sauté for a few minutes, stirring occasionally…

Now you can add the risotto rice.

Here is the trick of risotto making… It will exercise your patience, I promise. Which is a good thing, right? =)

Between the water that the mushrooms sat in, the vegetable broth, the wine and the cream, there is a LOT of liquid that has to go into the dish. And you cannot add it all at once. The trick is to keep adding a bit at a time and stirring the mixture until it absorbs all the liquid, and then adding more until it absorbs the liquid, and then adding more, until all the liquid is done and the rice is nice and tender… You get the point. Be patient. It will be worth it in the end!

So start by adding the mushroom water, a bit at a time, until it’s all done…

Now, start adding the vegetable broth, a bit at a time…Notice how the rice is becoming fatter, from the last picture to this one? It’s because the rice is starting to absorb all the delicious liquids and the flavours…

Keep adding a bit at a time, and stirring until you see it has absorbed it all and then adding more…

After all the vegetable broth is finito add in the white wine, and stir well…

After about a minute, add in the cream and stir well together…

This is what the rice should look like. Give it a taste. Is it soft, tender & creamy? If it is, then you did everything right, and you can pat yourself on the back!

You’re done! Take it off the heat and serve immediately…

I use lots of parmigiano reggiano and fresh parsley to garnish the plate… Yum-yum!!

Wild Mushroom Risotto
Makes: 6 servings
Prep Time: 10 min, 30 min cooking

Ingredients:

3 cups pre-packaged Risotto Rice
3 cups dried wild mushrooms
3 whole shallots, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, pressed
4 cups vegetable broth
4 cups water that mushrooms sat in
2 cups fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 cup White Wine
1 cup 18% Table Cream
As much parmesan cheese as you like
Salt & Pepper to taste

Personally, I don’t like to follow recipes to a T, and only use them as guidelines, so feel free to adjust the amount of ingredients depending on how dry or watery, or creamy you like your risotto. I promise not to call in the Food Police. This is your kitchen, your meal and you have every right to make it just the way you like it. =)

Buon Appetito!

I love appetizers. I love shrimp. I love veggies & most of all I love to grill/barbeque. So when I saw this recipe on the Food Network, I just had to give it a try. It looked so easy, delicious & beautifully presented. And it was all that & more once I finished & got to enjoy this simple appetizer recipe with a glass of chilled Chardonnay. =)

To make this pretty Shrimp & Zucchini Ribbons you will need:

Shrimp, Zucchini, Lemon, Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), Dried Oregano Leaves, Wooden Skewers, Salt & Pepper & a pinch of Chili Flakes (optional)

Start by peeling the shrimp, removing the tails & placing in a bowl.

Next cut off the ends of the zucchini…

And slice into very thin slices length-wise. This is a critical step. Because if the slices are too thick, they will break when you try to thread it onto a skewer. And if they are too thin they will melt/burn when grilling. So do your best to get it about 1/8″ thickness.

Now for the marinade. In a small mixing bowl combine the EVOO, freshly squeezed lemon juice, oregano, salt & pepper.

The recipe doesn’t call for it, but while I was mixing the marinade I felt like it was missing something. I wanted to add a bit of a punch to the flavors, so I added a pinch of chili flakes, to give it an extra kick. This is totally optional.

Mix well and set aside…

Now start by threading the skewer with a slice of the zucchini, from the bottom, then skewer the shrimp, then pierce through the middle of the zucchini, then add the next shrimp and finish off by enveloping the shrimp with the end of the zucchini. I put two sets of ribbons on one skewer. If the instructions are too confusing, just look at the photo below. Should be self-explanatory. =)

Once you’re finished, place the skewers onto a platter & pour the marinade right over, making sure to coat all surfaces. Cover with saran wrap & refrigerate for about 15-20 minutes…

Once you let them marinade for a good 15 minutes, you are ready to grill! Grill for about 3-4 minutes per side on a medium-high heat.

Mmm… the smoky flavor of the bbq… the delicious smells are so enticing! I could hardly wait to get them off the grill and dig in!

After about 6-8 minutes of grilling, it’s ready to be served! I prefer to serve it hot, but you can serve it as a cold appetizer as well.

You may also serve this as a main dish, with some steamed rice, or baked potatoes on the side. =)

Shrimp & Zucchini Ribbons
Makes: 4 servings
Prep Time: 20 min, 6-8 min grill

Ingredients:

32 Individual Shrimp
3 whole Green Zucchini
1 whole lemon
1 tbsp dried Oregano leaves
3/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Serve it at your next gathering, and you are sure to get a “wow, that’s so pretty” type of response. And your guests will be even more impressed once they taste it! It’s zesty & delicious!

Bon Appétit!