Ilse's Kitchen - culinary adventures of a girl who loves to eat

Before I first made shrimp, it always scared me a little. For some reason - at the time, I had next to no experience to base my fears on - I had gotten it into my head that seafood was difficult to make. Difficult to make, and difficult to get right. Irrational as it was, that fear stopped me from making shrimp dishes for years - until one day, I realised there was hardly anything to it. That it is probably harder to get it wrong, than it is to get it right. Try this simple coconut shrimp dish, and see for yourself. :) Ingredients (serves 2): Coconut Shrimp 250g shrimp, peeled and deveined (if you’re buying them fresh, get them with the tail left on. If you’re using frozen shrimp they may not have tails - that’s ok. Make sure they’re thawed.) 1/2 cup shredded coconut 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs (these are lighter and crunchier than regular bread crumbs) 1/2 cup flour (tapioca flour or all purpose flour - both will do) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1-2 eggs (start with 1, you ...

I have a secret love for ready made frozen puff pastry. I love how versatile it is, and how much you can do with it. I love how little time it takes to prepare, making for effortlessly easy breakfasts that impress nonetheless. Sweet, savoury, or sweet and savoury combined - when it comes to puff pastry, anything goes. In these peach tarts, the sweetness of the peach is a wonderful balance to savoury goat cheese. The honey and black pepper finish it off.  Ingredients: 2 squares frozen puff pastry (the kind I use is about 14 x14cm, or 5.5 x 5.5 inches), thawed 60g goat cheese 1 ripe peach, cut into slices 2 teaspoons honey freshly ground black pepper Instructions: Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius.  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the puff pastry (thawed) on top. If still frozen, let it thaw for 15-20 minutes.  2. Using a fork, prick tiny holes into the puff pastry all over the surface. Then, spread with goat cheese ...

Ingredients (serves 2): 8 ripe peaches 1 cup Greek yoghurt 30g blanched (= white) almonds, halved 2 tablespoons maple syrup Honey and cinnamon to taste few drops of lemon juice Instructions: 1. Wash the peaches and quarter them. Brush each cut side with maple syrup. 2. Pre-heat a grill pan. Place the peaches in the pan until they’re ready but not falling apart. This only takes a few minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. 3. Take the almonds and toast them in a skillet. (You can also do it in the oven, but on top of the stove is faster and less hassle - no pre-heating needed, etc etc). 4. Take the Greek yoghurt and add honey and cinnamon to taste. Add a few drops of lemon juice and stir.  5. Divide the yoghurt over two bowls, top with grilled peaches and almonds and serve.