Shrimp in Garlic Sauce - Scampi alla Busara

Hello there. It's been a while, I know. But I'm back for good. Today's recipe is for all you seafood lovers.
Shrimp is the number one seafood when it comes to deliciousness. 

Many people fear cooking shrimp or any other seafood for some reason, but it is really easy. It is important that you buy the most fresh seafood you can get. I bought those bad boys at the local fish market, but frozen will work too. Shrimp is high in calcium and protein, so you should prepare them as often as possible (if you're not among those who have an allergy, sadly). 

Scampi alla Busara is an old recipe for shrimp in sauce. It is really easy and quick, so I challenge you to make it for dinner soon! And please don't be afraid of sticky fingers, shrimp is finger food at its finest.

You need:

1 kilo shrimp (fresh or frozen)

2 tomatoes, pealed and roughly chopped

1 cup white wine of choice

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped

3 table spoons olive oil

Put the olive oil in a bigger saucepan and heat until hot. Fry the shrimp for a minute or two, then add the garlic, tomatoes and breadcrumbs and mix well. When the garlic starts to smell deliciously, add the white vine and cover the pan. Leave to cook for ten minutes. Once cooked, sprinkle with parsley and enjoy.

Merry Christmas!

As I am writing this, the peanut (aka my dog) snoozes her way on the couch and feels happy and satisfied. Can we all just stop for a minute and appreciate the life we live? Our pets teach us that every single day; to be happy with little things in life. We don't need money to feel rich, nor a lot of friends to feel loved. All that matters are the small things we have.

I wish you all think of something that you really love and appreciate tonight. Have a wonderful Christmas eve and be marry! 

Need some cookie inspiration?

You have probably realized that we are thiiiiis close to Christmas, right? If you are like me, you are freaking out a bit because there is so much to do with so little time. My plan for this week is to prepare the Christmas eve menu.

If you are deciding what to bake, let me help you with some suggestions. Click on the image to see the recipe.

Frosted Gingerbread Bites

Finding a perfect gift for me is always easy peasy. Just buy me an Essie polish or one or two a pair of shoes and that's it. I would also be happy with a cookbook since I love to try out new recipes and treat myself. I came across the Thug Kitchen Cookbook the other day and I love it. It is one of the best cookbooks I have ever read. So witty and fun with lots of good recipes that will make you hungry instantly. Those Frosted Gingerbread Bites are the first thing I had to do when I read the recipe. Besides, who can resist gingerbread in December?? What I absolutely love about those Gingerbread Bites is the fact that they are made in no time. I love Gingerbread Men, but hate to stand in the kitchen for two hours to finish one batch of pastry.

Since the recipe is written purely humorously, I present it to you just as it is. You can find it here.

1 ½ cups flour
2 tea spoons ground ginger
1 tea spoon ground cinnamon
¼ tea spoon ground allspice
1 tea spoon baking powder
½ tea spoon baking soda
½ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup canned coconut milk
½ cup blackstrap molasses

For the frosting:
1 table spoon coconut milk
¾ tea spoon lemon juice
1/3 cup powder sugar, sifted 

Warm the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8 x 8 baking pan and put a square of parchment paper at the bottom so this motherfucker won’t stick. Grab a medium bowl and dump in the flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt. Whisk all that shit around to get out any brown sugar clumps.

In a small saucepan mix together the coconut milk and the molasses. Put it over a medium low heat until the mixture just starts to bubble on the edges. Slowly whisk the coconut milk mixture into the dry ingredients until there aren’t any more dry spots. The batter is going to be thick like a brownie batter but a little spongy. Calm the fuck down before you email me and just trust that shit is correct. Pour the batter into the baking pan and gently move it around so that it is mostly even. Bake for 25-30 minutes. An easy way to check if it’s done is to poke the middle of that motherfucker with a toothpick and if it comes out clean, it’s done.

Once you see that shit is done, pull it out of the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Be sure to turn the oven off. Go check that shit right now, since we’re talking about it. Now you should be able to gently slide the cake out of the pan and let it finish cooling on a wire rack or plate or whateverthefuck you got. When it’s cool enough, cut it up into two-inch squares. If you want to frost that shit, I recommend doing it the day you serve the bites. 

FROSTING:

Grab a small saucepan and gently warm the coconut milk at a low-medium heat for just about 15-30 seconds. You don’t want that shit boiling, just hot. Turn off the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar and lemon juice. If the frosting looks too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. Before it starts to harden, take a spoon and drizzle it over the cake. Crisscross the drizzle and make it look all fancy or just pour that shit on if you don’t give a fuck.

It is Monday.

And you clearly need a good laugh.

Have a nice day!

Carob Cake Bars

One of my dearest friends gave me a package of Carob Powder for my birthday. At first I was overwhelmed because the only childhood memory of carob is somehow a blur, but also horrible. I just couldn't stand carob when I was a kid; the smell and the looks were awful. 

My birthday is in August and until this day I just couldn't find any good-looking recipe on the internet with carob powder as the main ingredient. Crazy, right? Do people resent carob powder as much as I did? Anyway, I called my grandma for advice and she gave me the following recipe. It included chocolate so I decided to give it a try. Guess what, I am hooked! The carob powder is not dominant in these bars, and I love that it has some fruity flavor because of the apple. Carob powder for the win.

You need:

2 cups milk

2 cups carob powder

2 cups sugar

2 cups self-raising flour

1 cup sunflower oil (or any other neutral oil)

4 eggs

1 apple, peeled and grated

For the chocolate ganache:

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup sunflower oil

Put all of the ingredients in your stand mixer and mix it up. You can also use a hand-mixer, if you wish. Pour the batter into a greased baking tin of your choice (the bigger the tin, the flatter your bars will be) and bake for 25 minutes on 190°C. Once baked, let cool and prepare the chocolate ganache meanwhile. 

For the world's easiest chocolate ganache just put the chocolate chips and oil in a small oven-proof dish and put it in the still hot oven. Leave it there for five minutes, then stir until smooth. Now pour the ganache over the bars. Leave to cool completely. 

Enjoy!

Pecan Date Bars

Hello dear TCB readers! Long time no see, right? I was literally shocked when I saw that there was no entry in September. Not even a Pinteresting post. Wow! A lot has happened since I last posted a recipe. As you know I tend not to reveal much of my personal outside-the-blog life, but I sure can tell now that life happens when you're busy making other plans. 

I am delighted to share a great recipe with you today. It is another vegan, no bake recipe which I love so much these days. Pecans are my number one snack - they are so nutritious and rich in taste you should definitely buy some. I carry a small zip-lock of pecans in my bag as an emergency when I get hungry or need a snack right away. 

These bars are totally addictive. I love them as an afternoon snack or pre run fuel. You can even enjoy them for breakfast if you wish.

You need:

1 cup pecans

1 cup dates, pitted

1 cup shredded coconut

a pinch of salt

1/2 cup unsweetened dark chocolate (I used 80% cocoa)

Gather your ingredients and put them in your food processor. Mix until everything holds together and it is a sticky mess. 

Put the mixture in a brownie pan or any other pan you have on hand (just make sure it is not too big). Press down with your hands firmly. Put the pan in the fridge for one hour to set. Meanwhile melt the chocolate - my trick is to put it in the microwave for one minute and there you have it. 

After one hour, remove the pan from the fridge and drizzle the chocolate over the bars. Let cool in the fridge for another hour. Slice into bars and dig in.