Serving Tapas always remind me of my many trips to Barcelona. One of my favorite tapas are Gambas al Ajillo or Shrimp in Garlic Sauce. I love them with lots of crusty bread for dipping in that butter garlic sauce.
Tapas are small servings of Spanish foods. They’re usually eaten with wine or cocktails in the evenings before dinner. We enjoy them with a nice pitcher of Sangria. They’re a great way to sample a variety of Spanish dishes. I like to order a variety of Tapas and make a whole meal out of them.
Gambas al Ajillo are exactly like Shrimp Scampi. They are delicious and best of all very easy to make! I serve them hot off the stove on a mini cast iron skillet or a ceramic ramekin with lots of crusty baguette slices. Here’s my recipe!
Gambas al Ajillo
Ingredients:
20 Medium shrimp (41/50 count) – peeled and de-veined with tail on
1 Tbs. Olive Oil
1/4 Stick Butter
1 Tbs. Finely Minced Garlic
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
Directions:
Heat Olive Oil in small skillet.
Melt butter in hot oil.
Add garlic and cook until garlic starts to turn brown. Stir constantly to keep garlic from burning.
Ukoy or Shrimp Fritters is a popular Filipino street food. There are different types of fillers for this deep fried fritter but the common ingredient is shrimp; unless you want to make it vegan and just have veggies.
Ukoy can be made using grated squash, sweet potatoes, yucca, green papaya, carrots or just bean sprouts, my personal favorite.
Ukoy as I mentioned is a popular street food which can be eaten on the run, but it can be served as a side dish or as I do the main course with rice and a vinegar dipping sauce.
I’ve been trying to make Ukoy the way my Lola, grandma, used to make. Hers always had the perfect texture and the right crunch. She made it with fresh tofu, bean sprouts, and medium sized shrimp. Talk about yummy!
After many fails, I mean trials, I finally figured out where I’ve been going wrong. It was my batter! For reasons I can’t explain I’ve been using egg in my batter, possibly because egg is something that I put in all my batters. But that batter is always thicker and heavier. And the end result was more like a fluffy pancake, not crunchy at all.
Well the simplest solution was no egg batter! Don’t know why I didn’t think of this sooner! Once I omitted the egg my Ukoy turned out perfect. Literally just like Lola’s Ukoy was!
In a large mixing bowl whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, garlic powder, salt, and water. Mix until well blended and all powders have dissolved.
Add shrimp, bean sprouts, tofu, green onions, and garlic to the batter. Coat well.
Heat about 1 1/2” of oil in frying pan.
Drop 2 tbs of batter mixture into hot oil. Flatten with back of spoon to form patties.
Fry about 4-5 minutes then flip to fry other side.
Fry another 4-5 minutes or until both sides are golden brown and crisp.
Drain on paper towels.
Mix dipping sauce to taste.
Serve hot with white rice and dipping sauce. Or serve as a snack.
Are you looking for something delicious for dinner? Something easy to make and good enough to serve company? Then this One Skillet Creamy Tuscan Chicken is just the thing!
This dish is not only delicious it’s pretty too! The spinach and sun dried tomatoes give this dish a festive look. I serve it with steamed long grain rice or pasta. Oh, and by the way it’s keto friendly, just serve it with zucchini spaghetti!
But the best part about this Creamy Tuscan Chicken is that it’s so easy to make. You really just need one skillet. I use a pretty skillet that can double as the serving dish so clean up’s a breeze!
What is Tofu and is it good for you? Tofu is coagulated soy milk in short soy bean curd. The curd is then pressed into a block and is used in many different Asian and Vegan dishes.
I use it in my stirfrys and egg rolls. I feel that tofu with its soft cheese like texture makes a great protein substitute or addition. I think the verdict is still out on whether or not Tofu or bean curd is healthy or not.
I’ve read arguments for pros and cons. I don’t pay too much attention to them as I did grow up eating Tofu, it’s an Asian thing I guess. Regardless of the debate I see it this way, tofu like anything can be good or bad for you depending on how much you consume regularly. I mean babies allergic to lactose, like my grandson Jett, pretty much live off soy milk for the first year of their lives, so I’m guessing tofu made from soy milk isn’t a bad thing. But like I always say too much of anything is bad for you so I’m thinking Tofu falls into this category.
Having said that here is a tofu side dish I make that the whole family enjoys. It’s super easy to make and can actually be eaten as a main dish when paired with steamed rice. By the way you can serve it hot or cold. On hot summer days I chill it in the fridge and serve very cold. It’s a great side dish that goes well with my Spicy Kalbi Kabobs! The some what bland creamy tofu taste tempers the spiciness of the beef kabobs and kimchee!
Sesame Tofu
Ingredients:
1 Block Firm Tofu – sliced into 1/2″ cubes
1 Tbs. Sesame Oil
1 Tsp. Finely Minced Garlic
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
1/4 Cup Sesame Oil
1 Tsp. White Sesame Seeds
1 Tbs. Chopped Green Onions optional
Directions:
Heat oil
Sautee garlic until they start to brown
Gently add tofu cubes
Cook until all sides turn slightly brown – gently turning cubes with a spatula – about 5 -10 minutes.
Remove cooked Tofu cubes from heat and transfer into serving bowl
In a small bowl stir together soy sauce, sesame oil, and sesame seeds until well mixed
Pour over tofu
Gently toss tofu cubes until well coated with soy sauce mixture
Sprinkle with chopped green onions before serving
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New Year’s Eve is just days away! Whether you’re throwing a big bash or just ringing in the New Year with your significant other finger foods are a must have. After all you shouldn’t start the New Year on an empty stomach!
This year I’m making these yummy Spinach Puffs as well as a few other tidbits to go with our bubbly! Here are some of my favorite appetizer recipes, maybe you’ll find one or two that tickles your fancy!
These Spinach Puffs are light and delish, your friends and family will love them. Best of all Spinach Puffs are very easy to make, you can make them ahead of time or whip them up in about a half hour.
You’ll just need 4 main ingredients to whip up a batch of these Spinach Puffs.
You can make them ahead of time and freeze them in ziplock freezer bags until you’re ready to use them. Just thaw them out to room temperature then pop them in a 400º oven to heat up.
By the way, you can use them for any occasion, you’re not limited to New Year’s Eve!
Spinach Puffs
Makes 24 Spinach Puffs
3 sheets frozen puff pastry – thawed to room temperature
5 oz. bag fresh baby spinach leaves
1 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp. finely minced garlic
1 tsp. olive oil
Pinch of crushed red pepper (optional)
salt & pepper to taste
cooking spray
Procedure
Heat oil in a medium skillet
Add garlic and sauté about 1 minute or until golden brown
Add spinach leaves and cook until soft and dark green in color – use the spatula to cut spinach leaves into small pieces
Add salt, pepper & crushed red pepper
Cook one more minute
Turn off heat and let cool slightly
Add mozzarella cheese and stir well – cheese may melt
Lightly spray mini muffin pan with cooking spray
Unfold pastry sheets and cut out 3″ circles with a cookie cutter
Place a pastry circle in each muffin cup and gently press in
Divide spinach cheese mixture into each muffin cup
Pinch 2 opposite sides of circle together, then do it to the other 2 sides to form a pocket with the spinach mixture inside
Pre-heat oven to 400º
Bake for 18 minutes or until pastry is golden brown
Remove from oven and serve warm or freeze for later.
If you liked these Spinach Puffs you might want to try these other recipes by Savvy Nana!
What is Tofu and is it good for you? Tofu is coagulated soy milk in short soy bean curd. The curd is then pressed into a block and is used in many different Asian and Vegan dishes.
These Spinach Puffs are light and delish, your friends and family will love them. Best of all Spinach Puffs are very easy to make, you can make them ahead of time or whip them up in about a half hour.
