I’ve been a very lazy blogger those past weeks. Maybe I got a little discouraged …anyway here I am back again, and in the spirit of Christmas I’m going to share some yummy easy recipes that I’ve tried last week…

It is a very calm Christmas for me this year, no bells no kids no loud family member, just a very silent Christmas tree and a half funny looking bottle of red wine with a deer cork staring at me.

One good thing about the first year of marriage is that it turns everything into a special memorable occasion “our first Christmas, our first turkey, our first set of wine glasses our first ….” Well I hope we’ll never run out of fresh new experiences to share. The thing I’m looking forward tonight is those freshly home made ravioli that my friend prepared fro us… and of course my Christmas gift.

Now back to the promised recipes,

I got this lovely Gordon Ramsay book as a gift from my friend Marianna from which I’m sharing the “Prawns with orange and tequila” and “Salmon Ceviche” recipes with you.

Salmon ceviche

300g very fresh salmon fillet, skinned

1 red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced

1 spring onion, trimmed and thinly sliced on the diagonal

1 fat garlic clove, peeled and thinly sliced

small handful of coriander leaves, shredded

Dressing

juice of 1 lemon

2 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp sesame oil

drizzle of olive oil

sea salt and black pepper

pinck of caster sugar

for the dressing, whisk the lemon juice, soy, sesame and olive oils together in a bowl. Season with salt and paper, and add a little sugar

slice the salmon and arrange on serving plates, overlapping the slices very slightly. Scatter over the red chilli, spring onion and garlic. Spoon over the dressing and leave to marinate for 5-10 minutes

Scatter coriander over the ceviche when you are ready to serve and garnish with mix cress, if you like.

Prawns with orange and tequila

3 tbsp olive oil

400g fresh tiger prawns

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced

sea salt and black pepper

generous splash of tequila

juice of 1 orange, or 2 clementines

Heat a large frying pan, then add the olive oil, when hot, add the prawns with the garlic and some seasoning. Fry for 2 minutes on each side until the prawns turn bright red and opaque.

Add a splash of tequila, carefully and standing well back as it may flambé. Pour in the orange juice and let bubble for a few minutes until the liquid has reduced. Transfer to a warm plate and serve immediately.

A good morning cup!

I’m crazy about coffee. My morning cup can make or break my day. A velvety texture on the surface to smoothly wake me, a strong taste within to shake those dreamy thoughts away. One of my best buys ever was my espresso coffee machine. Being able to prepare my own cappuccino makes life seems very generous … and my days brighter.

It is Sunday, and for once in the UAE it is a lazy one thanks to national day. Since I moved to the UAE the thing I miss most is that long lazy coffee morning gathering, we call “soubhiye” in Lebanon. With my mother, sister and friends from the neighborhood. We sit and talk about everything. Fashion, food, politics, the other neighbors… over a pot of Turkish coffee. In Abu Dhabi I hardly ever get visitors everyone is busy making it or living it … morning coffee gatherings are a luxury some can’t afford but occasionally.

I still enjoy those “soubhiye” when I visit Beirut. Meanwhile in Abu Dhabi I’m making my cappuccino and enjoying a selfish morning moment…

Here’s some tips I nicked on how to make a satisfying cappuccino …

Start by Making your espresso,

for it to be good it should be pulled in 17-23 seconds.

How to froth the milk?

a good cup of cappuccino The bubbles will be so small that you can barely see them! This is the way it's supposed to be, because this way, it will blend with the espresso, creating a harmony of the flavors instead of a dry, tasteless cap floating on top.

you'll need is a steam wand. Pour chilled milk into your steamer pitcher preferably a stainless steel one, a good idea would be to chill the pitcher before. Make sure to keep enough room for the milk to expand 2-3 times in volume Place the thermometer inside the pitcher making sure it is not touching the bottom. The milk temperature should reach 145 degrees.

Before you insert your wand directly into the milk get all of the water out not to get it in your milk.

Insert the wand into the milk and turn the steam on full power, position the wand slightly off centre to provoke a circular motion. Slowly move the pitcher to position the want slightly below the surface of the milk, (while keeping the circular movement going), until u hear a hissing noise. This is the perfect way to get the air into the milk. As the milk gain volume keep moving the pitcher to keep the wand tip just under the surface. Stop when the milk reaches 145 degree, over heating will ruin the milk taste.

Serve over your espresso immediately and enjoy