BATTERED SHRIMP

Some shrimp for today. Battered Shrimp, something delicious. A good tapa or appetizer. Very typical of Spain, where I come from, but something that you can find in many countries. Maybe with a different batter. But it is always good. Let’s cook.

Ingredients:

Some peeled shrimp
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
Some flour
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon chili powder
Salt to taste
Some extra virgin olive oil

First of all we will have to prepare the batter. To do this, we will take a container and we will beat an egg in it. Once the egg is ready, we will add the baking powder. And then we will add the turmeric and the chili powder. If it is necessary, we can add some salt to taste. We will mix well and then we will add the flour. We have to do this little by little. The batter has to be smooth but sticky at the same time. We have to avoid lumps.
When we have the batter, we will add the peeled shrimp to the container with the batter. The batter must cling to the shrimp in a perfect way.
Then we will heat some extra virgin olive oil in a pan. We only have to fry our Battered Shrimp and make sure we do not overcook the shrimp. A couple of minutes will be more than enough. When the shrimp are ready, leave them on kitchen paper towel to get rid of some oil.
And your Battered Shrimp are ready. Really good as an appetizer or a tapa. Enjoy!

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MINESTRONE SOUP

A delicious soup for today. Easy to make and full of ingredients: pasta, beans and lots of vegetables. I cannot wait to make it. Let’s cook.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ small squash
1 green onion
½ green pepper
½ carrot
1 clove of garlic
3 cups beef broth or water
½ cup cooked red beans
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon rosemary
½ teaspoon parsley
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 small tomato
1 oz conch shells pasta

First we will start preparing the vegetables. We will chop them finely. After that, heat some extra virgin olive oil in a pan and when this is hot enough, sauté the pepper and the carrot. Then we will add the other vegetables. We should do this two minutes later. Three minutes later we will cover the vegetables with the broth or the water.
If we want a vegetarian Minestrone, something healthier, we can use water instead of the beef broth. On the contrary, if we want a more authentic Minestrone, though less healthy, we can use the broth and we can sauté some little pieces of bacon along with the vegetables.
Now we will add the cooked beans. Make sure they are well washed if they are from a can. This is the moment of adding the spices and the Worcestershire sauce. A bit later we will add the tomato, previously finely chopped. Then we will add the pasta and we will have our Minestrone Soup when the pasta is ready. We will add some salt and pepper to taste and we will serve.
Enjoy!

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TZATZIKI SAUCE

We will make a delicious sauce today. A sauce from the Mediterranean. Something delicious and easy to make. Perfect for gyros, kebabs, falafels…
Let’s cook.

Ingredients:

1 cucumber
2 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 Greek yogurt
½ teaspoon mint leaves
½ teaspoon dill herb
1 teaspoon lemon juice

First we will prepare the cucumber. After peeling it, we will grate have of it, and we will cube the other half. Make the cubes very small. Then we will chop the garlic.
Now we will put the oil in a bowl. Then we will add the yogurt and we will mix. We will add the cucumber and the garlic. Then we will add the mint and the herb. We will mix well. Finally we will add the lemon juice.
We can add some drops of extra virgin olive oil. And it will be ready to be served or to be used with your choice of gyros, falafels, etc. Enjoy!

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