Shrimp Salad

Creamy, tasty and delicious salad to serve on your sandwich, green salad or baked potato.

4-6 portions (depending on how you serve it)

2 Cup Bay Shrimp cooked, drained and peeled
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp Chopped Red Onion
2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Dill or 1 Tbsp Dry Dill Weed
2 tsp Lemon Zest
1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp Paprika
1 Pinch Cayenne
Salt and White Pepper to taste

1. Mix shrimp, sour cream, mayo, onion, dill, zest, juice.
2. Taste off with spices and salt. Be careful with salt, because some the shrimp can be salty.

Serve as a topping or protein source for your meal.
Enjoy with a Corona, a half dry white wine or a lemonade.

Chewy Mocha Cake - My Swedish Brownie Version

Moist, chewy and simply delicious!

8-10 portions

4 Egg
3 Cups Sugar
2 Sticks of Melted Unsalted Butter
1 1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
8 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
1/4 Cup Espresso Coffee or Strong Coffee
1 Dash Salt

1. Turn oven to 375º F
2. Whisk egg and sugar fluffy
3. Add melted butter and coffee
4. Sift in flour, salt and cocoa powder
5. Fold mix with spatula until even but still fluffy
6. Pour into a greased cake pan with releasable sides
7. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the cake lets go of the sides but still is sticky inside.

Serve with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, topped with whipped cream.

Enjoy with a glass of late harvest zinfandel or a light fruity port.

Fitness and Diet

One of my passions in the culinary art is to find ways to indulge food and beverage in a healthier way. I will happily share my knowledge and advise with you to help you get on track for the result you are looking for.

About 10 years ago I did long term diets for the purpose of competing in fitness, which meant exercising daily, 6 healthy meals a day and to resist "forbidden" food and beverage desires. This was not just a competition, it was 3 years of dedicated life style with a lot of sacrifices for the purpose of reaching my goals.

The fitness diet and exercise is quite extreme and is probably not what you are looking for, but it gave me a knowledge and interest that can be transpired into anyone's life that wants to better their physical condition. Feel welcome to contact me with questions and thoughts about this topic.

Seafood Bouillabaisse with Aioli

Festive, yummy and simple although it has many ingredients

4 - 6 portions Easy to adjust portions with adding a little bit more fish and water

Aioli:

1-2 Cloves Garlic
1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
1/2 Lime
Dash of Cayenne
Salt & White Pepper to taste

1. Chop garlic fine.
2. Zest and juice the lime
3. Mix all ingredients and taste off with salt & pepper


Bouillabaisse:

Part 1
1 Medium Yellow Onion
1/2 Medium Fennel Bulb
1 Carrot
1 Celery Stick
3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

4 Tomatoes
1 Orange
2 Garlic Cloves
1/4 Bunch Parsley Stems Keep leafs for decorating soup

1 Bay Leaf
1 Tbsp Thyme
1 Pinch Saffron (4-5 treads)

2 Cups White Wine Recommended Riesling
4 Cups Water More water will be needed to add later on when liquid evaporates
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Part 2

5-6 Red Baby Potatoes

2 lbs Fish fillets - anything type with white and firm flesh, like Cod, Talapia, Sea Bass, John Dory, Red Snapper - at least 2 different types of fish for variation of flavor and texture is recommend
1 Cup Blue Mussels
8-10 Raw Shrimp

Salt & White Pepper to taste

1. Cut onion, fennel, carrot and celery into bite size pieces. Saute in oil until golden.
2. Cut tomatoes into bite size pieces, cut potatoes in half, zest and juice orange, chop garlic and parsley stems.
3. Pour all ingredients from part one into a big pot and let simmer for at least an hour. The longer you cook the more concentration in flavor. You always want to have enough water in the pot to cover all ingredients, so add when needed.
4. Add a little salt and pepper to balance flavor.
5. Cut fish into bite size pieces, wash and scrub mussels, clean off shell and vein from shrimp.
Good to know: If mussels are broken or if an open mussel won't close its shell when tapping on it, don't use them. Be aware though that if the mussels have been iced, they might be paralyzed and will need to "warm up" before they "show any action."
6. Add potatoes into pot and cook until 1/2 way done.
7. Add fish into pot and cook until 1/2 way done.
8. Add mussels and shrimp and cook until mussels shells are open and shrimp have turned to red color.
Good to know: Do not force open any mussel shells; do not eat the ones that stay closed after being cooked.
9. Serve in deep bowls with a spoon of aioli and chopped parsley leafs on top.

Enjoy with a glass of Riesling and a good baguette!

Chocolate Mousse with Liqueur Float

4-6 portions

4 Egg Whites
2 Cup Granulated Sugar
10 oz Bittersweet Chocolate (maximum 75% cacao)
4 Egg Yolks
1 Cup Strong Coffee

For Serving:
1-2 Tbsp Liquor of your choice Suggestions: Grand Marnier, Amaretto or Frangelico

1. Whisk egg whites in a mixer until firm. Add sugar and continue whisking until the mix is white, shiny and stiff.
Good to know: See so your bowl and whisk is completely clean and dry, the egg whites might otherwise not get firm.
2. Melt chocolate in a water bath.
3. Whisk egg yolks and coffee in a water bath until it thickens up.
Good to know: To get a water bath; fill a pot 1/3 with water and heat up on the stove until boiling point, take down heat to simmer, put ingredients in a stain less steel bowl on top of the pot. Try to avoid letting the ingredients come up on the side of the bowl, you want to keep it thick in the bottom. When melting chocolate, stir now and then. If the ingredients contain egg, whisk constantly to avoid turning the eggs into scrabled egg in your mix.
4. Stir in the melted chocolate into egg mix.
5. Fold egg whites into egg mix, do not stir because you want to keep it as fluffy as possible.
6. Spoon mousse into serving cups or glasses and cover with plastic wrap.
Good to know: If you use 2 spoons to fill glasses with mousse, it will be easier to center the drop and keep the rim clean.
7. Leave refrigerated at least 6 hours or over night.
8. Before serving the mousse, pour liquor over.
Good to know: A non-alcoholic option can be sweetened whipped cream, flavored syrup, or a berry sauce.

Enjoy!