Soy salmon & lime tacos

For ➍
4 salmon fillets
3 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs sunflower oil
2 tbs sesame seeds
juice ½ lime
salt & pepper
pinch of garlic salt
easy guacamole:
2 avocados
½ lime
½ lemon
salt & pepper
fresh chilli (optional)
mango & watermelon salsa:
1 mango
¼ small watermelon
¼ red onion
few sprigs of parsley leaves
1 ts honey
garnish:
3 tbs pomegranate seeds
5 tbs sour cream & chives dip
2 radishes
3 tbs dried crispy onions

Place the salmon on a baking tray lined with foil or baking paper and pour over a few glugs of sunflower oil, 2 tbs of soy sauce, a handful of sesame seeds, garlic salt, pepper and a squeeze of half a lime. Making sure both sides are coated with the sauce, bake skin-side down for 20 m until the flakes come away with a fork easily.
Whilst the salmon cooks in the oven, prepare your accompanying ingredients.
-(Guacamole) Halve and stone 2 avocados and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Mash with a pinch of salt, pepper, a squeeze of lemon and lime and some chilli, if desired.
-(Salsa) Finely dice parsley, mango, watermelon and red onion for the salsa. Squeeze some lime and a tiny drizzle of honey and mix well.
Place small soft flour tortillas on a dry hot pan for 30 s to warm through.
Assemble salmon taco with guacamole and pomegranate seeds: spread guacamole over the base of the taco spoon over some of the salsa and add some salmon flakes on top. To garnish sprinkle some pomegranate seeds and some chopped parsley.
Assemble salmon taco with sour cream and chives: start with sour cream and chives spread over the taco base, spoon over the salsa and layer salmon flakes. Add thinly sliced radishes and garnish with some chopped parsley.
Serve with corn on the cob cut up into pieces, and quartered fresh limes.

Naked** lemon & olive oil layer cake

For ➊➏ cm cake
350 g all-purpose flour*
1½ ts baking powder*
1 ts baking soda*
1 ts salt*
3 large eggs*
300 g granulated sugar*
37 cl extra-virgin olive oil*
37 cl buttermilk*
2 tbs lemon zest*
¼ ts lemon extract (optional)*
2 ts vanilla extract*
frosting:
250 g unsalted butter, at room temperature*
900 g sugar*
zest of 1 lemon*
1 ts pure vanilla extract*
12 cl whole milk*
lemon zest, as needed for garnish
blueberries, as needed for garnish

Preheat the oven to 175°C. Grease and flour two 16 cmh cake pans.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt to combine.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the eggs and sugar until pale yellow and thick, 2 to 3 m.
Add the olive oil, buttermilk, lemon zest, lemon extract (if using) and vanilla extract to the egg mixture and mix well to combine, 1 m more.
Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined, 45 s to 1 m.
Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 m.
Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 15 minutes and then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.
-
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter while gradually adding the confectioners’ sugar gradually. Mix until light and fluffy.
Beat in the lemon zest, vanilla extract and milk. Mix well to combine.
-
When the cakes are cool, use a serrated knife to cut the domed top off of each cake and then cut each cake into two layers. (You’ll have four layers total.)
Place one cake layer on a platter or cake stand and scoop 1 heaping of frosting on top of it. Using the spatula, spread the frosting into an even layer, all the way to the edge. Place another cake layer on top. Repeat until you’ve used all four cake layers.
Spread the remaining frosting in a thin coat on the top ( and side of the cake*). Run your spatula around the edge of the cake to scrape away any excess frosting. (You should be able to clearly see the cake through the thin layer of frosting.)
Sprinkle with lemon zest and garnish with berries. Slice and serve the cake at room temperature.

*Use half the quantities to bake a 2 layer cake for 4-6 people.
**Naked as in not overfrosted layers. You can eliminatie all outer frosting except the top.

Fried egg avocado toast

For ➍
2 medium ripe avocados, pitted & diced
juice from ½ lime
salt & pepper to taste
4 slices bread, toasted
1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
1 sweet pepper, thinly sliced
1-2 tbs vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 tbs minced fresh parsley

Place diced avocado in a medium bowl. Mash thoroughly with lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Divide smashed avocado between toast slices. Top toast with tomato and pepper slices. Set aside for a moment.
Make the fried eggs. Working in batches, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmery. Crack 2 eggs into pan and sprinkle eggs with salt and pepper. Allow eggs to cook, without flipping until whites of eggs are set. Carefully remove from pan with a spatula and transfer to a plate. Repeat step 2 with remaining 2 eggs.
Carefully arrange fried eggs on top of each toast.
Sprinkle minced parsley over top. Serve.

Pesto pasta with avocado

For ➍
1 avocado, diced into bite-sized cubes
250 g pasta, any kind
extra sea salt or kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper, to taste
green pesto*

Prepare the green pesto*.
Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, or however you like to cook your pasta. Drain well.
Combine it all. Toss the prepared pasta with your prepared pesto until well combined, then gently toss together with the diced avocado, being careful not to break up the avocado.
Give it another little sprinkle of sea salt or kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to serve.

*Use a red pesto instead.

Zombie cocktail

For ➊
1 measure* dark rum
1 measure* white rum
1 measure* old rum (optional)
½ measure* apricot brandy**
2 measures* pineapple juice
½ measure* lime juice
2 ts powdered sugar***
cocktail cherry & pineapple wedge

Add all the ingredients into a cocktail mixer with ice and shake, then pour into a hurricane glass. Spear the pineapple and cherry onto a cocktail stick and place on the edge of the glass.
Finally add a straw.

*1 measure would be 3 cl.
**Use orange curaçao instead.
***Use a (grenadine or cinnamon) syrup instead.

The Zombie, also known as skull-puncher, is a cocktail with an extremely high alcohol content (1 Zombie equals 3-4 average cocktails, hence the Zombie name). It is made of fruit juices, liqueurs, and various rums. The first recipe seemed to have had 3 different kinds of rum, lime juice, falernum, Angostura bitters, Pernod, grenadine, and a combination of cinnamon syrup and grapefruit juice. It was invented by Donn Beach of Hollywood's Don the Beachcomber restaurant in late 1934. It became popular at the 1939 New York World's Fair. It survived as a trendy cocktail at tiki Hawaiian style parties of the 40's and 50's.