Quick and Easy Garlic Coconut Shrimp!

Tired from work or school? Forgot to defrost meat? No problem. Garlic Coconut Shrimp is the way to go! If your shrimp are still frozen, just place them in a bowl of hot tap water for about 10 minutes, and then follow the rest of the recipe. Serve this dish over white rice.

Here's what you need:

• 1 pound of peeled shrimp (about 25)
• 1 regular can (400 ml) of coconut milk
• 6 medium garlic cloves
• 1 1/2 cups of water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 bottom piece of lemongrass, sliced into halves.
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne powder
• 1 teaspoon of onion powder

Here's how to make it:

1. Pulse water, garlic, and salt in the blender a few times. ensure the garlic is in little chunks and not pureed. 
2. Pour over shrimp and leave to marinate for 10 minutes.
3. Heat olive oil in a pan on medium high heat.
4. Strain the water from the shrimp leaving the garlic in. Add to pan along with lemongrass and fry for about 4 minutes.
5. Pour half the can of coconut milk, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and onion powder to shrimp. Cook for another 10 minutes on medium heat gradually adding little bits of coconut milk to keep the amount.
6. Serve over rice and enjoy! 

With love, 

Donna & Buck

Chicken With Garlic And Tomatoes

Chicken with tomatoes and garlic is perfect dinner for a mid week day. It's simple, delicious, and can be served alone, over pasta, or rice. 

You will need:

• 8 chicken thighs
• 8 cloves of garlic, lightly crushed
• 1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 can (14oz) whole tomatoes
• salt and pepper grinder
• 3 tablespoons butter
• fresh herbs - parsley, rosemary, oregano
• 3 tablespoons of red wine, white wine, or red wine vinegar
• Squeeze of lemon juice

Here's how to cook it

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. In a dutch pot, or a oven safe frying pan melt 2 tbsp butter on stove to a medium high heat
3. Sprinkle salt and pepper over chicken and cook in butter for about 5 minute, continuously flipping
4. Take out chicken and put to side. 
5. Add other tbsp of butter with wine, and cook for another 2 minutes. 
6. Add tomatoes, herbs, lemon juice, garlic, and chicken into pot. Let cook for 15 minutes.  
7. Place pot, with lid, in the oven for an additional 40 minutes
8. While this is cooking, you can make your pasta, rice, or side dish
9. Serve and enjoy!

With Love, 

Donna & Buck

Rainbow Cheesecake

Need a colourful and tasty way to impress your friends coming over on the weekend? No problem. Woo them with Rainbow Cheesecake. It's fairly simple, but mind you, takes up to 8 hours to make.

Here's what you need for the filling

• 4 packages of regular cream cheese - I prefer No Name
• 3/4 cup of sour cream
• 1 1/4 cup of sugar
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• just under 1 cup of whipping or heavy cream
• food colouring (red, yellow, green, blue)
• A 9" pan, springform or silicone 

For the crust

• 2 cups of finely crushed graham crackers
• 1/4 cup of softened butter
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 

Now to make the crust

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease your pan. 
2. In a mixing bowl, mix together crackers, sugar, cinnamon, until mixed completely. 
3. Pour butter in mix bit by bit, and using your hand, mix together
4. When you are able to grab the mix and it stays in shape, your crust is done. You probably won't need all the butter
5. Place crust in your pan and pat down until firm and smooth (I like to use a cup for round pans, and a box for square ones to help pat down crust)
6. Place in oven for no more than 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove and set to side.
7. Open your oven to cool down completely, then reset to 325 degrees. 

Finally the cake

1. With an electric mixer or a super strong hand, mix the cream cheese until smooth
2. Add sugar and mix until smooth again
3. Add vanilla, sour and whipping cream and again, mix until smooth. 
4. Add 1 egg, mix until smooth, and repeat for other 3 eggs. Whip whole mixture for another minute
5. Pour filling into 6 different bowls, evenly
6. Add food colouring (red - 25 drops, orange - 18 yellow, 6 red, yellow - add until yellow (same for green and blue), and purple 16 red, and 12 blue)
7. Starting with red, pour filling directly in the middle of the pan. Let sit for 30 seconds, and do the same to the other 5 colours
8. In a cookie sheet, fill half way with water and place your cheesecake in the middle. 
9. Place in the oven for 1 hour and 40 minutes. 
10. When done, take out cheesecake and place in fridge for 4 hours minimum. I prefer to leave it over night. (I also place it on a kitchen towel so it doesn't damage the fridge)
11. Finally, taste the rainbow, and enjoy :)

With Love, 

Donna & Buck

Deep Fried Ravioli

Deep Fried Ravioli is hands down my favourite weekend snack, and now seeing the Super Bowl is coming up, can be the ultimate snack to serve to your friends. It's incredibly tasty and only takes about 15 minutes to make. 

Here's what you need (for 24 ravioli):

• 1 package of cheese filled ravioli, if frozen, completely thawed
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon whipping cream. 
• 1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs (or Italian seasoning mixed in regular breadcrumbs)
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• a bowl of marinara sauce, as much as you like, and warmed to serve. 
• oil for frying. 

Here's how to make it:

1. Pour oil into a small saucepan until oil is 2 inches deep.  Put on stove to medium heat. 
2. In a small bowl, whip together egg and milk.
3. In a separate bowl, put bread crumbs. 
4. When oil is hot (I throw a little piece of ravioli to see if it's ready), dip ravioli in egg mixture for about 3 seconds. Lift up and allow all excess mixture to drip off.
5. Place wet ravioli in breadcrumbs and shake until completely covered.
6. Put ravioli in oil and fry for about one minute, or until the ravioli gets puffy, flip over and cook again for 30 more seconds
7. Place ravioli on a plate with paper towel
8. When all ravioli is done, sprinkle Parmesan, or sprinkle as you go and eat :) 

Hope you like it! With love!

Donna & Buck