Coconut Prawn Curry

It just started snowing everywhere in Croatia, even though it's April and even though it did not snow in Rijeka for Christmas or at all during the winter. So it's a good day to make a warming recipe that will hug you with its warmth and lull you to sleep on this weird-weather day. It is super easy and quick to make, and uses store-bought frozen prawns which don't even need prior defrosting. Add some coconut milk, curry paste and rice and you've got yourself a delicious and healthy meal!

Ingredients:

250 gr prawns

2 cloves garlic

1 cm fresh ginger

2 bay leaves

2-3 kaffir lime leaves

1 tsp curry paste

1 tsp curry powder or ras el hanout

200 ml coconut milk

1 can (400 gr) chopped tomatoes

rice

limes

fresh parsley or cilantro

Instructions:

1. In a pan, heat olive oil and fry the finely chopped ginger and garlic and spices: curry paste, curry powder or ras el hanout powder, bay leaves, and kaffir lime leaves. If you're using dried kaffir lime leaves like me, you can rehydrate them for five minutes before starting to cook in warm water.

2. Add the prawns and fry them in the spiced oil for a minute while stirring.

3. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for a few minutes. Then take your coconut milk can and add only the fatty condensed part (if you've shaken your can so both the fatty and watery part of the coconut milk have combined, just use 200 ml of the milk).

4. Cook until the mixture reduces to a thick sauce.

5. Serve immediately with cooked rice. Add fresh lime juice and chopped parsley or cilantro while serving. Bon appetit!

Black Sesame Swirl Banana Bread

After many different banana bread variations that I've baked, I was absolutely mind-blown by this tasty combination and I think this version might be my favorite (at least it's in my top three banana breads!). The deliciousness that the black sesame paste brings to this banana bread is two-fold: it makes it look oh so pretty with the contrasting swirl and it brings a whole new dimension of flavor that is unexpected in a banana bread. It's sweet and nutty, but without overpowering the flavor of the banana bread itself!

I've devoured this bread as it is, there was no need to cover it with any additional nut butters or chocolate spreads. However, if you find a spread that works so beautifully with this bread that you just gotta eat them together, do let me know so I can try it! :)

Ingredients:

2 eggs

55 gr sugar

pinch of salt

3 ripe bananas (around 400gr peeled)

150 ml milk

160 gr gluten free flour mix

85 gr buckwheat flour

12 gr baking powder

Filling:

70 gr toasted black sesame seeds

80 gr sugar

1 vanilla sugar (or 1 tsp vanilla essence)

65 gr butter

50 gr milk

Instructions:

1. Prepare the banana bread dough: in a bowl, mix the eggs, salt, sugar and milk. Add the bananas and use a fork to mash them. Mix in the gluten free flour mix and buckwheat flour and the baking powder.

2. Toast the sesame seeds in a pan, and then transfer them to a blender. Add the sugar and vanilla sugar or essence, and grind them. Then add the melted butter and milk and continue blending until a slightly runny paste forms.

3. Cover your baking tin with baking paper and add one third of the dough. Add one half of the sesame filling on top and use a skewer to gently mix in the sesame paste into the dough forming beautiful swirls. Add the second third of the dough and the rest of the sesame seed paste and repeat the artistic process with the skewer. Lastly, pour the rest of the banana bread dough on top.

4. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the bread cool down before cutting and serving.

Chinese Inspired Braised Eggplant

A super delicious and easy side dish recipe, this eggplant dish is super aromatic thanks to a combination of warm and fragrant spices. I decided to add the radicchio to the eggplant to add another depth of flavor and texture to the dish. If you can get them, I highly recommend topping the dish with fresh broccoli and radish sprouts since they add a nice crunch and a tiny bit of heat that cuts through the warmth of the spices and creaminess of the braised eggplant.

Ingredients:

250 gr eggplant

100 gr radicchio

50 gr spring onions

2 cm fresh ginger

3 cloves garlic

1/4 tsp cinnamon, anise, cumin, cloves

3 allspice berries, peppercorns

2 tbsp tamari sauce

1 tbsp black sesame

fresh broccoli and radish sprouts

Instructions:

1. Chop the eggplant and salt it. Leave aside while you prepare the rest of the vegetables.

2. Wash the radicchio and chop into smaller pieces. Cut the spring onions, and finely chop the ginger and garlic.

3. Mix your spices in a small bowl, if using allspice berries and peppercorns (instead of pre-ground spices) use a mortar and pestle to grind them.

4. Heat your pan with some oil on medium high heat. Add the spices and fry them for around 30 seconds while stirring, then add the ginger, spring onion and garlic. Make sure your garlic doesn't burn.

5. Add the eggplant to the pan and raise the heat. After the eggplant has fried a little bit and its skin started turning glossy, add the radicchio and the sesame seeds. Keep stirring the vegetables.

6. Once the vegetables have started sticking to the pan, add two tablespoons of tamari sauce and cook for a minute longer.

7. Serve immediately, and add some fresh broccoli and radish sprouts on top. Bon appetit!