Citrus risotto with garlic shrimp

Don’t you just love shrimp? I know I do! So when I saw this recipe I wanted to make it right away because not only does it have shrimp in it, the shrimp is paired with risotto. I happen to like risotto, a lot. This is a bit different from the one I usually have (the one my mom makes that is to die for, really). This citrus risotto is bursting with flavor and the shrimp go so very well with the creamy, lemony risotto!

Citrus risotto with garlic shrimp

Adapted from: Bills Food by Bill Granger (page 88 Dutch edition) 

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1,5 litre chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 50 gram butter
• 330 gram Arborio rice
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Black pepper
• 2 small red, Spanish chili’s
• 2 cloves garlic
• 20 shrimp (peeled, with the tail still attached to the shrimp. Make sure to remove the intestine)

Directions

1. In a large pan with a thick bottom, heat one tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onion, salt and half the butter and heat until the onion turns glassy. Add the rice and stir for about 1 to 2 minutes, until the rice is completely mixed with the onion mixture.
2. Gradually add the chicken stock to the rice (I use a small ladle and add one spoonful every time). Stir constantly and don’t add a new spoonful of stock before the previous spoon is soaked up by the rice completely. The recipe says it takes you about 20 minutes but I’d count on at least half an hour before the rice is creamy and al dente.
3. Take the pan off the stove. Stir the remaining butter, lemon zest and lemon juice through the rice and add black pepper to taste. Put a lid over the pan and let it stand for a few minutes so the rice absorbs the flavours.
4. Meanwhile, grind the red peppers and garlic. In a frying pan, heat the remaining olive oil over high heat.
5. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and put them in the pan. Fry them for about 2 minutes while shaking the pan. Add the chilli and garlic mixture and fry for another minute. Put the pan aside.
6. Stir the risotto before dividing it over 4 bowls and put the shrimp on top before serving.

~ Enjoy!

Spinach and coconut soup with shrimp

Since I live with my parents I (almost) never have to worry about what to eat in weekends. True, I cook two to three times a week on working days but on Sundays I generally don’t cook because mom doesn’t have to work. But there’s some Sundays when mom and dad aren’t at home and I’m left to my own devices. With an empty ‘fridge.

Today was such a day and I felt like making a nice soup for myself. But, since it’s Sunday and the shops are closed (unless you want to actually travel for it) I had make-do with our storage-closet and freezer. I found a recipe for a spinach and coconut soup in one of my mom’s cookbooks (500 soups). Of course, I never follow a recipe as I find it in a book so I decided to add the shrimp I found and leave out some of the other ingredients.

What came out was a rich soup that’s both creamy and spicy and let’s all the flavors come to their right, or so I think. I hope you enjoy it!

This recipe serves 4.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 ½ teaspoon chili flakes
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon ginger powder
• 2 ½ cup vegetable stock
• 2 ½ cup coconut milk
• 500 gram frozen spinach
• 175 gram shrimp (either fresh or frozen)

Recipe


• Heat the oil in a large sauce pan and add the onion, garlic and chili flakes. Cook on a low heat for about 4 minutes.

• Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric and ginger and stir.

• Add the vegetable stock and coconut milk and on a medium heat bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

• Meanwhile, defrost the spinach (I use the microwave for that) and after 10 minutes of simmering add the spinach to the soup. Stir and then let the soup simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes.

• Add the shrimp (defrost the shrimp first if you use frozen ones) and stir.

• Season with salt and pepper if needed.

~ Enjoy!

Spicy chili-shrimp with noodles

Asian food, what’s not to love? Although after my trip to China last summer Chinese take-out will never be the same again. But that doesn’t mean I love the food any less. Besides, making your own take-out rather than… well, getting it delivered is always better. Not only do you know what you eat and thus eat healthier, you also know it’s fresh. Making your own Chinese food is relatively simple. For the dishes that I’ve cooked, at least.

I do hope that you’ll love this recipe as much as I did! I got it from China Modern by Ching-He Huang. It’s a quick and simple to make dish that I found absolutely delicious. Spicy but not too much, perfect. The recipe may be a bit different than what’s said in the book since mine is translated from Dutch. Nonetheless, enjoy!’

This recipe serves 2.

Ingredients for the dish
• 150 gram noodles (I used udon noodles)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
• 3 medium sized red chili peppers, deseeded and chopped
• 300 gram fresh, raw tiger prawns (peeled, you can leave the tail on, with intestines removed)
• 0,4 cup boiling water
• 1 tablespoon limejuice
• 2 spring onions, chopped
• 4 tablespoons fresh coriander

Ingredients for the sauce
• 0,8 cup boiling water
• 5 tablespoons tomato ketchup
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Recipe 
• Prepare the noodles according to the package, drain the noodles and immediately rinse them under the  cold tap (this will remove the starch). Put aside.
• Mix the ingredients for the sauce and put aside.
• Heat a wok on high heat and add the olive oil. Stir fry the garlic, ginger and chili for a few seconds. Add the shrimp and stir until the turn pink.
• Add the already prepared sauce and stir for another minute. Then add the boiling water, limejuice, spring onions and coriander.
• Rinse the noodles under a hot tap, drizzle some olive oil onto them and put them into two bowls. Add the shrimp mixture and serve.

~ Enjoy!

Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup with Rice Noodles

This is a very nice and tasty noodle soup. It tastes amazing! Above the picture I took but here you can find the recipe as I found it on the internet with even prettier photo's to boot.

Ingredients

4  cups Chicken Broth
1 - 15-ounce can Coconut Milk
1  tablespoon Fish sauce (optional)
1 - 2-inch piece fresh Ginger, peeled and chopped
1  to 2 Serrano or Jalapeño chiles, diced
2 Corn Cobs, Kernels removed (1 + 1/2 cup)
1  stalk Lemon Grass, cut into 1-inch pieces*
2  to 3 Kaffir Lime leaves*
12 ounces Rice Noodles or Fettucine Pasta
2  tablespoons Lime Juice
1/2  pound Shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 ounces Cremini or Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced ( I omitted)
2  tablespoons Cilantro leaves, fresh, chopped
1/2 cup Green Onion, 1/2 - 1 inch pieces

Recipe

1. Combine first 6 ingredients and, if desired, lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile cook noodles according to package directions.

3. Stir lime juice into soup. Add shrimp, and simmer 10 more minutes. Discard lemon grass.

4. To serve add rice noodles to bowl and ladle soup over top. Add mushrooms, cilantro and green onion. Serve with lime wedges.

* Substitute 2 additional teaspoons of  Lime juice for Lemon Grass and 1 teaspoon Lime Zest for  Kaffir leaves.

~ Enjoy!