yoghurt and lime cheesecake

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things you will need:

for the cream:

• 250 ml heavy cream (very cold)
• a can of sweetened condensed milk (cold, too)
• strained greek yoghurt ('stragisto' full fat)
• juice of 2 limes (and some shavings, if you like)
• 1 tsp of agar agar diluted in 2 tbsp of cold water

for the base:

• 3 cups of plain cookies (i used homemade gluten free, crumbled in the processor)
• 3 tsp of sugar (my homemade cookies were a bit on the unsweetened side, adjust the sugar accordingly)
• 3 tbsp of soft butter (just leave it out of the fridge for some hours)
• some white chocolate shavings and leave some for the decoration

How to:

line a springform pan with cling film .

put cookies in a plastic bag and beat the sh*t out of them with a rolling pin or whatever's closer (a hammer, a heavy pan/pot...).

...of course you can always put them in the processor until sandy.

mix them with the butter until they become crumbly and add the white chocolate shavings.

put them in the springform pan when ready and press them well with your fingers until they form a crust base.

pour the cream in a cold metal bowl and start beating with the mixer until fluffy and soft peaks form.

add the sweetened milk and keep beating.

add the yoghurt and continue beating.

add the juice and the diluted agar-agar.

when all ingredients have come together in a whitish fluffy mix, pour them on the crust base in the pan and level with a silicone spatula.

sprinkle some crashed cookie crumbles from the base and some white chocolate shavings and/or lime shavings.

i have put cookie crumbles and white choc shavings.

refridgerate overnight or for at least 4 hours.

tada!

enjoy!

Gluten-free coconut cake with egg whites

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Well as you might have guessed, due to my recent icecream experiments I was left with a great amount of egg whites. I was looking for a way to cook them when an old experiment with sweet condensed milk and coconut popped in my mind. At a birthday party of mine some years ago, I had come up with an interesting coconut recipe and I thought that this is the time to recreate it at last, because they had turn up quite tasty. And I'm saying 'they' because I had made it in the form of cupcakes.

Here you are:

You will only need 3 ingredients for this amazing gluten free cake:

200 gr of desiccated coconut

a can of sweet condensed milk

6 egg whites

Beat the egg whites until stiff in a clean bowl and fold the coconut and the sweet condensed milk in.

Pour the mixture in a loaf pan and bake in a preheated oven in medium heat until dark golden brown, as shown in the picture.
If you bake it less it may not be done inside.

Enjoy!

Homemade Tahitian Vanilla Ice cream

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I have bought an icecream maker a month or two ago.
I wanted to buy one really badly a while now and when I found it in the supermarket for 25-30€ I thought to myself: "What the heck, maybe it'll worth it".

And it did.

Since then, it would be a lie to say that I haven't tried at least 4-5 recipes for vanilla icecream.

I LOVE vanilla.

In EVERY possible way.

I love it in my perfume, in cigarettes (well, I used to, that is, I have quitted smoking like 4 months ago), as a flavored yoghurt, icecream, custards, fabric softener, candles and the list is endless...

Anyway, to cut a long story short, today I think I might have made the BEST vanilla icecream I have ever tasted.

Yes, I am not overreacting.

You HAVE to try this, trust me. I am sure I haven't discovered that recipe and many people must have made a similar or something very close to it, or even that same recipe, but that doesn't change its greatness.

Needless to say that the condensed milk makes it much creamier than adding milk, cream and sugar in it and  in addition to the yolks the custard becomes more dense and flavorful with the right amount of sweetness.

Well here it is:

400 gr. of heavy cream
400 gr of sweet condensed milk (the can is 397gr so use it all and don't bother opening a new one for that 3 gr off)
use the empty can of sweet condensed milk two times and fill it with
one time with whole fat milk
and second time with water
1 vanilla bean (I had Tahitian)
4 egg yolks

 Pour the cream, the sweet condensed milk, the milk and the water (once you empty the can use it to count the quantity of the milk and the water) in a medium pot over medium heat.

On the cutting board cut the vanilla bean in half and scrape the seeds with the back of a knife
and put them in the pot with the milk, cream and water.

Stir well with the whisk, so these seeds of heaven get incorporated.

Separate the egg yolks and put them in a bowl and whisk them a little.

With a laddle take some of the pot mix of milk and cream and pour slowly in the eggs while whisking constantly. In others words, temper it so the eggs don't get lumpy.

When tempered pour them in the pot, continue to stir
 and watch over it because if the mix gets overheated it will curdle and we certainly don't want that.

The mix with thicken after some minutes.

We are after a light kinda runny custard texture and when achieved, remove from heat and put it aside to cool off so you can put it in the fridge.

When it is cooled down you can put a plastic wrap on the pot with the custard and it is advisable to put it on the custard so it touches its surface and no air gets on it because if it does it will form a skin and as you might have guessed we don't want that either.

After 4-5 hours on the fridge the custerd will get cold and we want it as cold as it can get, we put it in the rotating icecream maker and wait until the goodness is ready and when ready, we put it in a container on the freezer.

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Fried Eggplant

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One large eggplant, cut into round disks, about 1cm in thickness
Two eggs
1/4 cup milk
Salt
Black pepper
Olive oil for frying

Instructions:

Cut the eggplant into disks and arrange on a plate. Salt both sides well. Let it sit for an hour. Rinse well with cold water and pat the disks dry.

Scramble the eggs and milk. Add a fair amount of cracked pepper and a couple of pinches of salt.

Heat about 1/4 inch of olive oil in the pan. Do this on medium high and don't let it smoke.

When the olive oil is hot enough that it will bubble a little around a piece of eggplant, dunk the eggplant pieces in the egg mixture and put them in the olive oil. Don't crowd them. Fry them in turns rather than pack them too tight. Fry for a few minutes until the bottom is golden. Flip. When both sides are golden brown. Remove and put on paper towels. Continue until all the eggplant is done.

 But it is also great room temperature, and even cold the next day. 

παγωτό βανίλια (παγωτομηχανή)

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Υλικά (για 6-8 άτομα)

80 g ζάχαρη 

500 ml γάλα 

1 βανίλια Bourbon 

8 κρόκοι αυγών 

65 g ζάχαρη 

300 ml κρέμα γάλακτος

§             Ζυγίστε την 80 γραμμάρια ζάχαρη. Πάρτε δύο κουταλάκια του γλυκού, και τα ανακατεύουμε με την βανίλια σε ένα ξύλο κοπής. Αυτό γίνεται για να διαχωριστούν οι κόκκοι βανίλιας ο ένας από το άλλο έτσι ώστε να μπορούν να αναμιχθούν καλά στο γάλα.

§             Γάλα, ζάχαρη, βανίλια αναδεύονται μαζί σε ένα κατσαρολάκι το οποίο θερμαίνεται έως το σημείο βρασμού. Στη συνέχεια, αφαιρέστε το κατσαρολάκι από τη φωτιά και αφήστε το να ξεκουραστεί για 15 λεπτά.

§             Εν τω μεταξύ, χτυπήστε τους κρόκους με τη ζάχαρη μέχρι να ασπρίσει το μείγμα.

§      Ρίχνουμε το μείγμα του γάλακτος το οποίο ως τώρα πρέπει να έχει κρυώσει καλά, στο μείγμα των αυγών, ανακατεύοντας καλά.

§             Χτυπάμε την κρέμα γάλακτος μέχρι να αποκτήσουμε μια ελαφρά χτυπημένη κρέμα και διπλώνουμε στο μείγμα αυγών και γάλακτος. Αναδεύεται ήπια μέχρι να μην υπάρχουν εξογκώματα και το μείγμα να είναι ομοιόμορφο.

§             Ενεργοποιήστε την παγωτομηχανή και ρίχνετε το μείγμα μέσα Το μείγμα αναδεύεται σε παγωτομηχανή για 40-60 λεπτά, ανάλογα με τις επιδόσεις της μηχανής και αναλόγως το επιθυμητό αποτέλεσμα.

Enjoy!

Lazy girl's (or boy's) pumpkin pie

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for a medium round pan
yields 8 servings

you will need:
2 cups of pumpkin puree
220 gr greek sheep yoghurt full fat
3 eggs
8 slices of gouda cheese
half cup of flour
1/2 tbs baking powder
1/4 cup sunflower oil
1 cup of breadcrumbs
salt, pepper

pour 1-2 tbsp of oil in the pan and spread it with a brush so the pan gets well greased.
take half the cup of the breadcrumbs and spread on the bottom of the pan so all the surface is well covered.
mix the puree with the yoghurt, eggs, flour and baking powder.
 add salt and pepper to taste.
pou the mixture over the breadcrumbs layer and pour the other half cup of breadcrumbs over it so it gets well covered.
sprinkle some oil on top of it.
bake for about 45 minutes.
let it cool.
cut in pieces.
serve.

enjoy!

Best Mayonnaise EVER!

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you will not need a mixer for this recipe, just a stick blender, and i personally blend the ingredients straight in a large jar.

it is really creamy and full of flavor and by far the greatest recipe from all the mayonnaise recipes i have ever tried.
you dont even have to separate the egg yolks from the whites!

it makes about 2 cups

you can preserve it in the fridge for about 2 weeks or so, but i wouldnt be sure cause it never makes it that long!

lets go

2 eggs
2 teaspoons of dry mustard
2-3 good pinches of salt (depends on your taste)
2 tablespoons balsamico vinegar
2 cups of sunflower oil

put first 4 ingredients in the jar and pulse 2-3 times so they get incorporated
while you are holding the buzz button pressed, slowly drizzle the oil in a thin stream
mix until it drinks up all the oil and all the ingredients have become a moderate stiff cream exactly like the mayonnaise's.
put the lid on and refrigerate.

yields about 32 tablespoons with 126 calories per tablespoon.

Banana bread cupcakes

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for 8 cupcake molds

2 bananas
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup of sugar
1 egg

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoom baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

a pinch of salt

optional: half cup of whole unsalted hazelnuts
and half cup of unsalted skinned almonds

no need for  mixer for this recipe! (one less thing to wash later!!)
preheat the oven at 350 F or 175 C
with a fork mash the bananas and add the butter in them.
mix in the sugar and egg.
sprinkle the baking soda, baking powder and salt and mix .
lastly, add the flour and oats.
pour mixture in 8 medium silicone cupcake molds.
bake for about 40 minutes.
cool.
serve.

ENJOY!!

εύκολη κρέμα στον φούρνο

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υλικά για 3 μικρά ramekins:

1 κουτί ζαχαρούχο γάλα
2 κρόκους αυγού
1 κούπα τσαγιού γάλα (όχι light)
 1 κ.σ. αλατισμένο βούτυρο ή μαργαρίνη
1 πρέζα θαλασσινό χοντρό αλάτι

1. Σε κατσαρολάκι ζεσταίνουμε το ζαχαρούχο μέχρι να πάρει 1-2 βράσεις και αρχίσει να πήζει ανακατεύοντας συνέχεια με ένα σύρμα και ρίχνουμε το αλάτι.
2. Κατεβάζουμε από το μάτι της κουζίνας ανακατεύοντας μέχρι λιγάκι να πέσει η θερμοκρασία και προσθέτουμε τους 2 κρόκους συνεχίζοντας το ανακάτεμα.
3. Προσθέτουμε το βούτυρο και ενσωματώνουμε στο μείγμα.
4. Προσθέτουμε το γάλα και ανακατεύουμε καλά.
5. Ρίχνουμε το μείγμα σε 3 μικρά pyrex μπολάκια.
6. Τοποθετούμε τα μπολάκια σε ένα μεγαλύτερο pyrex στο οποίο έχουμε βάλει ζεστό νερο τόσο ώστε να καλύπτει εξωτερικά μέχρι την μέση των μπολ.
7. Βάζουμε το pyrex με τα μπολάκια σε προθερμασμένο φούρνο και ψήνουμε για περίπου 30-40 λεπτά σε μέτριο φούρνο μέχρι να ροδοκοκκινίσει η επιφάνεια της κρέμας.

my photos

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milk and cookies

homemade strawberry ice-cream

chocolate pop-corn

wholegrain crackers