My Recipes

Goodbye Food Bloggers

noreply@blogger.com (Karin W.) — Mon, 17 May 2010 00:38:00 +0000

Like sands through the hour glass, so are the days of our blogs.... I have finally decided to stop posting to My Recipes.

There are several reasons for this decision. Once I thought blogging was the funniest thing in the world, but now it is a source of bad conscience for not updating as often as I should. I have "lots of hits" on this blog, but the amount of time most visitors spend on reading is less than 5 seconds. So I have a feeling of "writing to myself". If nobody cares about what I am publishing, I might as well let this blog fade away. I have lost inspiration. My ideas have dropped considerably and I spend less and less time in front of the computer.

Tuesday morning I am flying to Spain for holiday. I look forward to having Spanish food such as paella, gazpacho and tapas.

It is not a total goodbye from my blogging activity. You are always welcome to visit my four years-old Swedish food blog where I'll try continue posting when I get back to Sweden again.

Here it is: Favoritrecept.

This blog is written in Swedish, but it is possible to translate with the help of the translation tool. You can find it in the sidebar. Translation tools are not perfect but good enough if you just want to get a summary of what the content is about. I speak German and understand French pretty well so you may e-mail me with questions if you want to.

A big thank you to those of you who has read My Recipes during the past three years.

Baked Potato Slices

noreply@blogger.com (Karin W.) — Sun, 09 May 2010 23:55:00 +0000

The calendar is telling me it is May, but it is April weather. Here in northern part of Sweden, April weather means rain, snow, hail, and chill mixed with a moderate amount of sunshine which warms up our frozen winter bodies. We have lost spring as a season and are left with three. A short summer, a short fall and a very long winter. Anyway, summer will be here in June. I have to be optimistic.

Summer means grill time and eating outdoor. These oven baked potato slices go well with grilled foods. Wash but leave skins on because the potato peel is the most nutritious part of the potato. It is rich in minerals and dietary fiber.

Baked potato slices with thyme and garlic

INGREDIENTS:
· 4 large potatoes, unpeeled
· olive oil
· 1-2 teaspoons dried thyme, or fresh thyme leaves
· garlic, finely chopped or pressed
· coarse salt
· freshly ground pepper

METHOD:
1. Preheat oven to 175°C/350°F.
2. Slice the potatoes into approximately 2 cm/0,8 inch slices.
3. Grease a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil.
4. Place the potato slices in a single layer in the baking sheet.
5. Brush the slices with olive oil.
6. Sprinkle on top with some coarse salt, pepper, thyme and garlic.
7. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 30 minutes. The baking time will vary depending on the kind of potato you use.

Serves 2-4 (it depends on how hungry your family is)

Recipe for homemade blueberry muffins with white chocolate

noreply@blogger.com (Karin W.) — Sun, 02 May 2010 23:48:00 +0000

At this time of the year, there aren't many blueberries left in my freezer. What a better way of using up the last ones than by baking blueberry muffins.

This recipe only uses 2 eggs ( if you have an extra large egg, make the recipe as is and use only one egg).

Oven temperature: 200ºC/390ºF

INGREDIENTS:
Makes 12 muffins

· 2 small room-temperated eggs
· 50 grams butter, melted
· 1 dl milk
· 150 grams plain flour
· 50 grams brown sugar
· ½ teaspoon baking powder
· 75 grams frozen blueberries (do not thaw)
· 75 grams white chocolate, chopped

METHOD:
1. Butter a 12-muffin tin meticulously to prevent sticking - or use paper cases.
2. Melt butter and add milk.
3. In a bowl, beat the eggs and gradually whisk in the butter/milk mixture.
4. In another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and brown sugar.
5. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients (do not over mix the batter)
6. Fold in the blueberries and chopped white chocolate.
7. Evenly fill the pockets of the muffin tin with batter (almost full).
8. Place in the middle of the oven and bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

If you use a muffin tin, cool muffins in muffin tin before removing them.

Will keep for several days refrigerated.

Garlic on crispbread

noreply@blogger.com (Karin W.) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 08:35:00 +0000

Depending on personal taste, garlic is both loved and hated. Sometimes our surroundings may have very strong opinions about the matter of garlic smell. If you do not mind garlic breath, just chop garlic cloves and place on top of buttered crispbread slices. It's an easy way of getting the healthy substances of raw garlic into your body.

The power of garlic is widely known.
Whether scientifically proven or not, garlic is approved as naturopathic medicine in Sweden. It cannot cure everything but is believed to be a remedy for colds and some other infections. The allicin amino acid in fresh garlic is the principle biological active compound. Because it is so strong, eating too much raw garlic can irritate the digestive tract. So, don't overdo it. One half to a whole clove on one buttered bread slice is enough.

Warning! Garlic on crispbread is highly addictive, so when you start eating it you may not be able to stop with just one slice of bread:)

Well, there are worse things to be addictive to...

Something sweet with a cup of coffee

noreply@blogger.com (Karin W.) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 04:30:00 +0000

"Coffee should be black as hell, strong as death and sweet as love". I somewhat agree with this old Turkish(?) proverb. But I gave up taking sugar in my coffee many years ago. A cup of coffee along with something sweet, I don't say no to.
Most Turkish and Greek desserts are very sweet and can be paired with a cup of strong coffee. For example "Baklava". Popular and well-known pastries but too complicated for me to bake.

This less known Turkish and Greek sweet treat is much easier to make than baklava. In southern Greece, it is called "Mosaiko", while in the north, "Kormos" (tree log). What the Turkish people call it, I have no idea.

INGREDIENTS:
175 grams Digestive Biscuits
125 grams butter, diced
125 ml caster sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
5 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons brandy

METHOD:
1. Melt butter just until soft and not yet hot.
2. Add sugar, beaten egg, cocoa powder, cognac, stir to combine.
3. Cut by hand the Digestive Biscuits biscuits in crumbs
4. Add the biscuits crumbs and stir until mixed.
5. Get a baking paper and form the chocolate mixture into a roll in the middle of the paper.
6. Wrap it up and put the roll in the freezer over night.
7. When the roll is still frozen, slice it and serve frozen as "ice cream".

With some variations, there are similar recipes in other countries. In Italy, for example, this chocolate roll is called "Salame di cioccolato (chocolate salami). Although the ingredients may vary, the basic preparation is often the same.

Radio cake, or Radiokaka, as we call it in Swedish, is a similar treat. Something I remember eating when I was little. The name comes from the pattern, resembling of the front of the old radios from the 1950s. Radio cake is made of copha, chocolate, eggs, icing sugar, vanilla sugar and Marie-type square or round biscuits. Biscuits and chocolate mixture are layered and placed in the fridge until the cake hardens completely.
Email me if you want a recipe. But remember that copha is one of the worst fats for you. However, butter can be used too.

Classic Frozen Cheesecake Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Karin W.) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 03:04:00 +0000

I can't remember my husband's mobile phone number but I can with clarity remember the first time I had frozen cheesecake. It was 35 years ago. I remember where I was and whom I was with. The details are so sharp they could have happened yesterday.

I was in Norway, so this frozen dessert was not named "cheesecake" but "iskake" (literally "ice cream cake" in English).

"Iskake" involves a lot of whipping, so it is best to use an electric whisk. You'll also need to have three bowls for this recipe - a medium bowl for the whipping cream, a large one for the egg yolks, sugar and cream cheese, and a deep very clean bowl with a rounded bottom for the egg whites.

Servings: 6 - 8
INGREDIENTS:
300 ml whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar

3 egg yolks
200 ml caster sugar
100 grams Philadelphia Cream Cheese (or Mascarpone Cheese)

3 egg whites
8 Digestive biscuits

METHOD:
1. Crumble 4 of the digestive biscuits onto the bottom of a spring form.
2. In a medium bowl, beat the cream and vanilla sugar until stiff peaks form.
3. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, egg yolks and caster sugar until fluffy.
4. In a third bowl, beat the egg whites very stiff.
5. Mix the whipped cream with the cheese batter.
6. Delicately fold in the egg whites.
7. Pour batter into the spring form.
8. Crumble the remaining 4 digestive biscuits on top of batter.
9. Cover, and place in the freezer for at least 2 hours before serving.

Variations:Mash 100 ml raspberries and mix into the batter. Or add in a splash of liqueur. Replace the digestive biscuits with gingerbread cookies.

Serving: Remove the cheese ice cream from the freezer 15 minutes before serving to soften it a little.

Garnish: Fresh fruit or fresh berries, depending on season and availability.

Delicious, whatever you choose to mix in and however you choose to serve this dessert. The perfect ending to a dinner or simply with a cup of coffee.

Peking Hot and Sour Soup Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Karin W.) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:16:00 +0000

For many of us in northern climates, it's been a long, hard winter. Now we have welcomed Easter as a first sign of spring. My husband and I had a great time this weekend together with friends and family, eating traditional Easter foods, such as eggs, herring, candies, and chocolates, of course. But now my body wants to eat something that is quite different.

INGREDIENTS:

* 12 dl/5 cups water
* 3 chicken flavored bouillon cubes
* 1 chicken fillet, cut into small dices
* 125-200 grams fresh mushrooms, prepared & sliced
* ½ leek, finely shredded
* ½-1 red bell pepper, cores and seeds removed, finely chopped
* 1 can water chestnuts, sliced (227-grams/1 cup/250 ml)
* 2 tablespoons tomato pure
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* ½-1 teaspoon sambal oelek chili paste
* 2 teaspoons white distilled vinegar (12%)
* 1-1½ msk potato starch

METHOD:
1. Bring water, chicken bouillon cubes and sambal oelek to boil.
2. Add chicken and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add mushroom, leek, bell pepper, water chestnuts, tomato pure and sugar.
4. Simmer about 10 minutes.
5. Season to taste with distilled white vinegar, sugar and sambal oelek.
6. Mix the potato starch with the same amount of cold water.
7. Slowly pour the potato starch mixture into the soup, stirring.
8. Bring the soup just to the boil and remove immediately from heat.

Yield: 4 (if a main course)

Sparkling Strawberries

noreply@blogger.com (Karin W.) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 06:15:00 +0000

Look what I received last Friday! One bottle of Fresita Sparkling Wine arrived at my door step. Thank you so much Philipson Söderberg.

In Sweden, this blend of Chilean sparkling wine and strawberries was released at Systembolaget on March 24th 2010. However, Fresita has been available in other countries earlier. Now it's Sweden's turn. This wine will be ideal for summer picnics, pool- and beach parties, summer wedding receptions, and other festive gatherings.

I believe I can use this sparkling wine to make a delicious looking sorbet. Slightly unusual. Makes the wine go further. Sorbets are something I've never done, nor tasted before, so I don't quite know how to make it.

What's your opinion about sorbets?

I haven't opened the bottle yet because it's still winter in the northern hemisphere and still too cold for cold food and drinks.

Potato Au Gratin with Thyme, Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Olives

noreply@blogger.com (Karin W.) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:58:00 +0000

I subscribe to the weekly chicken recipes from Kronfågel, the largest producer of chickens in Scandinavia. Every Friday I get tasty recipes delivered to my email inbox. Sometimes it's not the chicken recipe itself that is the most interesting part, but rather what is served as an accompaniment. That's how I found this irresistible potato au gratin recipe. It's a bit lighter than the usual potato au gratin. It will fit just about any grilled chicken you can think of.

The original recipe calls for potatoes with a floury texture, such as King Edward. Instead, I use a waxy potato variety called Princess (just a personal preference). Great for boiling but Princess potatoes are also good all rounders.

INGREDIENTS:
serves 4

* 1 kg/2.2 pounds potatoes
* 40-50 grams sun-dried tomatoes in oil, shredded
* leaves from 1 bunch of fresh thyme
* 12-15 black olives, deseeded
* salt
* black pepper
* 150 ml milk
* 150 ml cream
* 1-2 cloves of garlic, pressed

METHOD:
1. Grease an oven safe baking pan.
2. Peel and cut the potatoes into wedges.
3. Arrange layers of potato wedges with tomatoes, thyme, olives, salt and pepper in the baking pan.
4. The last layer should be potato wedges.
5. Combine milk and cream, add pressed garlic and some salt and pepper.
7. Pour the cream/milk mixture over the gratin.
8. Bake at 225°C [=437°F] for 45-60 minutes or until the potato wedges are fork tender.
9. Allow the gratin to rest 5-10 minutes before serving.

Panna cotta on a round of chocolate sponge cake

noreply@blogger.com (Karin W.) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:07:00 +0000

Panna cotta/cooked cream doesn't sound great in my ears. But in reality it is Italian luxury at its best. A dessert typical of the mountainous northern Italian cuisine, where history and tradition always have been more generous with cream than the southern part of Italy.

Panna cotta is eaten all over the world. It is prepared and served in every conceivable (and inconceivable) way. It is so ridiculously easy to prepare. Just made by simmering together cream and sugar, mixing this with gelatin and letting it sit for a night in the fridge... and tada! - You've got a delightful dessert that will impress. Fruit, berries, compotes or chocolate complement silky smooth panna cotta. And everything can be done in advance. Therein lies the greatness of this wonderful dessert.

Finally, some good news for all of you who find gelatin the most disgusting thing in history. There is a 100% vegetable based product for easy preparation of jelly type desserts such as panna cotta. It consists of white sugar, carrageenan and locus bean gum. The two latter mentioned provide the gelling effect, which means that this sugar product can be used for a vast range of desserts where you would otherwise have to add animal based gelatin. Here it is: Dansukker's Jelly Sugar Multi.

Jelly Sugar Multi is very convenient to use instead of gelatin leaves! Read on to see how quick and easy it can be to prepare panna cotta.

INGREDIENTS:
* 100 ml Dansukker Jelly Sugar Multi
* 400 ml cream
* ½ teaspoon organic, ground vanilla powder

METHOD:
1. In a saucepan, combine the cream, Jelly Sugar Multi and vanilla powder.
2. Bring to the boil.
3. Simmer for 30 seconds and allow to cool slightly.
4. Pour into 4 individual glasses.
5. Place in the refrigerator to set.

*One 1/2 teaspoon of organic, ground vanilla powder is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of standard vanilla extract or one vanilla bean.

Panna cotta is awesome on its own, but here I have chosen to let the dessert rest on a thin, round base of chocolate sponge cake. A nice idea for an Easter dessert, isn't it?

Panna cotta on a round of chocolate sponge cake

Chocolate sponge cake
INGREDIENTS:
* 2 eggs
* 150 ml caster sugar
* 150 ml plain flour
* 1/2 tablespoon cacao powder
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 2 tablespoons boiling water

METHOD:
1. Heat oven to 250°C [=482°F].
2. Line a baking pan with cooking parchment paper.
3. Generously grease the parchment paper.
4. Beat eggs and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until thick, approx. 5 min.
5. Gradually add sifted flour, cacao powder and baking powder together with the water.
6. Pour into baking pan and bake for 5 minutes.
7. Immediately loosen chocolate cake from pan, turn it upside down onto a towel generously sprinkled with caster sugar, and peel off the parchment paper.
8. When cool, use a glass to cut out matching rounds of the chocolate sponge cake.
9. With a sharp knife, carefully loosen panna cotta out of their glasses onto the chocolate sponge cake rounds. Garnish with mango dices, or anything else of your choice.

I used a 25 x 35 centimeters (10 x 14 inches) baking pan and was able to make 10 chocolate rounds. Another good size for this purpose is a 20 x 30 centimeters baking pan (8 x 12 inches). Store in the freezer what you don't need to use immediately.

Banana Citrus Marmalade

noreply@blogger.com (Karin W.) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:13:00 +0000

I reckon I could live on bananas if I had to. But who would have thought that bananas also were suitable for marmalade/jam cooking? Well, at least not me anyway. When I got the recipe, it sounded so exotic, I had to try it. Then I tasted it, and it was good.

A superb combination is nutty tangy cheddar cheese with banana citrus marmalade and toasted bread. But there are plenty of other ways to enjoy this marmalade. Use it in a Jam Roly Poly, spread it over waffles or use it as ice cream topping.

INGREDIENTS:
approx. 700 ml

* 3 bananas (500 grams)
* 1 lime, juice and zest
* 1 lemon. juice and zest
* 2 cinnamon sticks
* 300 ml Dansukker Jam Sugar
* 2 tablespoons almonds, chopped

METHOD:
1. Peel and mash the bananas.
2. Put the mash in a stainless saucepan.
3. Add lime, lemon, cinnamon sticks and jam sugar.
4. Bring it slowly to a boil, stirring regularly.
5. As it begins to boil remove scum which is formed on top.
6. Boil for 5 minutes and remove the saucepan from the heat.
7. Remove the cinnamon sticks and add the chopped almonds.
8. Pour the marmalade into scalded jars, seal tightly and refrigerate.

I do not make marmalade very often, but with jam sugar I can make marmalades in just a few minutes. As well as sugar, Dansukker's jam sugar contains pectin - a natural gelling agent obtained from citrus fruits, and a preservative, potassium sorbate (occurring naturally in rowanberries).

When you attend a dinner party, you can show your appreciation, and bring the hostess, or the host, a gift of homemade banana citrus marmalade and a delicious cheese such as an aged cheddar.

Milk Chocolate Sticky Cake With Lingonberries

noreply@blogger.com (Karin W.) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:22:00 +0000

Swedish confectioner Cloetta is the Nordic region’s oldest chocolate manufacturer. Cloetta has now launched new chocolate bars made from certified Fair-trade chocolate. There are four taste varieties: Milk chocolate, mint crisp, hazelnut and cashew with cranberries. Good flavour – for a good cause, is the new slogan. Last week I received samples of them all.

My husband has a sweet tooth but doesn't like to eat milk chocolate bars. So I had to work hard to keep myself from indulging in the chocolate bars, all by myself. Instead, I baked a milk chocolate sticky cake with lingonberries.

Five hours later we were tucking into the stickiest, gooiest, yummiest chocolate cake that I have made in years. The cake had an almost runny center but the edges were hard. It tasted yummy with whipped cream and sweet-sour lingonberries. Since they are very much like cranberries in taste and size, lingonberries can be substituted with the same amount of fresh or dried cranberries. Unfortunately, I can't find cranberries here.

Oven temperature no higher than 200°C/392°F

INGREDIENTS:
* 150 grams butter
* 90 grams Cloetta good milk chocolate
* 60 grams Cloetta good cashew & cranberries
* 250 ml caster sugar
* 3 eggs
* 250 ml plain flour
* 60 -100 grams lingonberries (approx)

METHOD:
1. Put a sheet of parchment paper over the bottom of the spring-form pan, snap it into place when you tighten the sides.
2. Break chocolate into small pieces.
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan and take it off the stove.
4. Add the chocolate pieces and stir until all chocolate is melted.
5. Whisk together eggs and sugar until blended and then add it to the butter/chocolate mixture.
6. Add sieved flour, then lingonberries and mix until combined.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared spring-form pan and bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes.
8. Remove pan from oven and let cool in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
9. Serve with slightly whipped cream and lingonberries dipped in sugar.

3-Layer Sandwich Cake Filled With Matjes Herring Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Karin W.) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:40:00 +0000

Sandwich cake (smörgåstårta) is a typical Swedish party dish. Elegant and appreciated. Excellent, since it can be made ahead of time. It can be made round, rectangular, square, or any other shapes.

Look at this beautiful butterfly shaped sandwich cake! The picture is from one of my cookbooks. The preparation is rather complicated and the list of ingredients is very long, so I will not include the recipe here. This cake is not cheap to make, because it contains a whole lot of more or less expensive ingredients.

Butterfly Sandwich Cake

My herring sandwich cake is much easier to make. It's less expensive too. It can be served at buffets and parties, or any other type of event you may plan. We had it simply as a late Friday night dinner in front of the TV. There was leftovers for lunch the next day.

Matjes Herring Sandwich Cake

1 round loaf of rustic dark bread, 22 centimeters (8-9 inches), was used. The bread was cut horizontally into 3 layers. Yield: Makes 10-12 servings.

FILLING:
* 100 ml crème fraiche
* 150 ml mayonnaise
* 4 tablespoons Swedish fish roe spread (Kalle's Kaviar)
* 4 tablespoons vodka
* 1 lime, zest and juice
* 3-4 tablespoons dill, finely chopped
* freshly ground black pepper
* 2 matjes herring fillets, cut into very small pieces
* 1 red onion, very finely chopped
* 3 hard boiled eggs, finely chopped
* 3 boiled, cold potatoes, cut into very small dices

DECORATION:
* soft butter
* 35 grams frozen chives, or 200 ml fresh, finely chopped
* 4 hard boiled egg, finely chopped
* 1 small jar of Arctic Sea Caviar
* sliced radishes
@ < Caviar is roe from capelin, an Arctic Sea fish. This roe has light yellow color, a crispy texture and natural sweetness.
Substitutes: Golden caviar, red or black lump fish roe.

METHOD:
1. Rinse matjes herring under cold water and drain.
2. Cut matjes herring into tiny pieces and chop the red onion and eggs.
3. Cut the potatoes into very small dices.
4. In a bowl, blend mayonnaise with crème fraiche, fish roe spread, dill, vodka, zest of lime and juice.
5. Stir in matjes herring, red onions, eggs and potatoes.
6. Layer bread and filling. End up with a layer of filling on top of the bread too (this is done to make decorating the cake easier later on).
7. Cover with foil and keep it in the refrigerator over night.
8. Spread a thin layer of soft butter around the edges and cover the butter with finely chopped chives.
9. Decorate with eggs, radishes and caviar.

All-in-one Sausage Pot With Root Vegetables

noreply@blogger.com (Karin W.) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:04:00 +0000

I do all the planning of our meals and all the shopping. I pay for our food. I do all the preparations. Then my husband eats whatever is available. I don't complain. Most of the time I enjoy it because I'm always free to cook what I want. I can do what I am best at and he can do what he is best at.

But sometimes I just don't know what to cook. My imagination fails me and I feel stuck. Sometimes I don't want to decide what to make for dinner. Preparing very simple and low-cost everyday meals is not my most favorite thing to do.

So, the other day, I asked my husband what kind of food he would like for dinner. His answer: Sausage pot with root vegetables. Not bad at all. I was pleased with his answer.

So, here it is:

INGREDIENTS:
serves 4

* 500 - 750 mL vegetable stock (about 2-3 cups)
* 350 - 400 grams Swedish turnip (swede), peeled and cut into chunks
* 2 - 3 carrots, peeled and cut into slices
* 8 potatoes, peeled and cut into slices
* 1/4 cabbage head, shredded
* a small piece of celery root, peeled and cut into very small dices
* butter or vegetable oil
* 2 - 3 tablespoons tomato pure
* 400 grams Falukorv sausage , or similar sausage products, cut into pieces
* ½ teaspoon salt
* freshly ground black pepper
* parsley, chopped
(cornflour mixture, optional)

METHOD:
1. Melt butter or heat oil in a large pot.
2. Add the vegetables and fry over medium heat for a couple of minutes.
3. Add the vegetable stock.
4. Add tomato pure, stir and bring to boil.
5. Cover and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes, or until the root vegetables are just soft.
6. Add the sausage and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes.
7. Taste with salt and pepper and sprinkle with parsley.
(If you want to thicken the dish, you can stir in some cornflour mixture).

A saucy dish like this one, with a mix of sausage and vegetables, tastes much better reheated the next day when all the flavors have had a chance to mingle and marry each other. In other words, perfect leftover food.

No Knead Pear Yogurt Bread With Spelt

noreply@blogger.com (Karin W.) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 03:40:00 +0000

The first time I had soda bread was some time around 1980 or so. A friend of mine baked it and I got the recipe. It was loaded with sugar and syrup. My father, who was still alive then, loved the bread. Now, thirty years later, better variations on this basic soda bread recipe have began to develop. For example, it can be made with healthy dinkel flour.

Dinkel flour, also known as spelt flour, is now available at a reasonable price at every Swedish supermarket. Some people who are allergic to wheat can tolerate dinkel flour without adverse effects. It does contain gluten, but the gluten in dinkel flour has its own form. It is more easy to digest because it is water soluble. But, be sure to check with your doctor before trying it, if you are allergic to wheat.

A healthy soft bread with a coarse texture and dark brown color.

INGREDIENTS:
* 2 dl porridge oats
* 5 dl dinkel flour (spelt flour)
* 1 dl flax seeds
* 1 dl sesame seeds
* 1 dl dried apricots, cut into strips
* 1 dl hazelnuts, roughly chopped
* 2 teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda
* ½ - 1 teaspoon Himalaya Pink Salt
* 5 dl plain, natural yogurt
* 1 pear, grated
* 3 tablespoons runny Acacia honey

METHOD:
1. Preheat your oven to 175°C/350°F.

2. Line a rectangular oven pan with baking paper. Grease the bottom of the pan, before applying the baking paper, to prevent it from sliding around. The size of the baking do not have to be precise. Mine is 25 x 35 cm (approx. 10 x 14 inch).

3. In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients. In another, smaller bowl, mix yoghurt, grated pear and honey.

4. Mix everything just until all the ingredients come together. Scrape the sticky mixture into the baking paper lined oven pan. Lightly sprinkle the top with spelt flour.

5. Bake in the lower part of the oven for approx. 60 minutes, or bake until the center is done when tested. How long depends both on the size of your pan and your oven peculiarities.

6. Serve cut into squares. If the squares are too thick, cut them in halves. Freeze what you don't plan to use in the next couple of days.

This is a very flexible recipe that allows you to experiment:

You can substitute pear with apple as well.
You can use raisins instead of dried apricots.
You can use fibre rich oats instead of porridge oats.
You can substitute hazelnuts with almonds, or leave nuts out altogether....

Deciliter (dl) to Gram (g)
2 dl porridge oats = 80-90 grams (3 oz)
5 dl spelt flour = 250-300 grams (8 oz)
1 dl flax seeds = 60 grams (2 oz)
5 dl yogurt = 500 grams (17.6 oz)
1 dl sesame seeds = 50 grams (1.76 oz)
1 dl hazelnuts = 65 grams
1 dl dried apricots = 50-70 grams

So, good luck!

Swedish Farmer Cookies & Paraguayan Cane Sugar

noreply@blogger.com (Karin W.) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 22:58:00 +0000

Some weeks ago, I received a brand new package of Dansukker's cane sugar which is produced in Paraguay. This sugar is ecological and carries the international Fair-trade mark symbol (an independent consumer guarantee for the product. It helps producers of Paraguayan cane sugar to get a better deal from International Trade).

Whenever I get my hand on a new product, I like to put it to a test. So, I decided to use cane sugar instead of common white raffined caster sugar in cookies. Cane sugar is good not only for fruits and berries but also for baking. What better way to test the baking properties of this product than to bake good old fashioned cookies.

Dansukker's cane sugar has rather large, crunchy crystals. It is light yellow in colour and has a caramel sweetness. It suits crisp, sweet, Swedish Farmer cookies' "need". They are typical Swedish cookies. Quick to make, small, sweet to eat. My grandmother used to make them. My mother too. They are a Christmas favorite, but can be served at any occasion.

Farmer Cookies/Bondkakor

INGREDIENTS:
approx. 65-70 cookies

INGREDIENTS:
* 200 grams softened butter, margarine, or half margarine/half butter
* 2 dl cane sugar
* 2 tablespoons golden syrup
* 1 dl roughly chopped almonds
* 5 dl plain wheat flour
* 1½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

METDOD:
1. Whisk the butter, golden syrup and cane sugar using an electric whisk.
2. Mix in chopped almonds.
3. Sift flour and bicarbonate of soda, add it to the butter mixture, and work into a smooth dough.
4. Shape the dough into two logs, about 3-4 centimeters in diameter (1½ inches)
5. Put dough logs into the refrigerator, covered in plastic wrap (the dough, properly wrapped, will keep well for up to 7 days in the refrigerator).
6. After the dough logs are chilled, unwrap and slice them.
7. With a sharp knife, cut the logs into slices, ½ cm/0.2" thick. If the slices lose their roundness when you hit an almond, fix the shape with your hands.
8. Place slices apart on baking trays lined with baking paper.
9. Bake in the middle of the oven, 175°C/350°F, for 12-15 minuter. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Here's a trick to measuring the syrup. It's rather difficult to get all of it out of a spoon, isn't it? Use the back of a tablespoon to make indentations in the soft butter. Pour syrup into the indentations.

Using online conversion calculators to convert metric measurements such as deciliter (dl) and grams (g) to US cups is pretty simple. Unfortunately, not very reliable. There are other problems. The ingredients themselves differ. For instance, different countries do not produce equivalent flours. Butter made in different countries may differ because the cow's milk is different and so on ...

I'm sure this causes problems for people outside Sweden who wish to cook and bake recipes from this blog. Anyway, the Farmer cookie recipe is pretty forgiving, so feel free to experiment with it until you get the desired result.

1 stick of butter = 113 grams = approx. 1/2 cup
1 deciliter (dl) plain wheat flour = 60 grams = approx. 1/2 cup
1 deciliter (dl) cane sugar = 70 grams = approx. 1/3 cup
1 deciliter (dl) almonds = 65 grams = approx. 3/4 cup

The Second Meatless Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Karin W.) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 08:31:00 +0000

Following on from last week’s White Fiber Lasagna With Broccoli and Tomatoes, here’s another meatless pasta dish. A classic Italian pasta recipe with a tasty mushroom sauce.

Tagliatelle With Mushrooms, Garlic, Cream and Parsley

INGREDIENTS:
serves 2

* 250 grams dried tagliatelle egg pasta (1/2 lb)
* olive oil
* 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
* 1 bay leaf
* 250 grams mushrooms*, cleaned and thinly sliced (1/2 lb)
* butter
* 150 ml cream
* salt and freshly ground pepper
* finely chopped parsley
* (optional: shaved slices of parmesan cheese)

* I used 50 grams/0.11 lb dried Porcini mushrooms, soaked in water and drained.

METHOD:

Put your largest saucepan of salted water on to boil to cook the tagliatelle.

While tagliatelle is cooking, heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and bay leaf and fry gently – about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove the fried garlic and bay leaf from heat and set aside.

Heat a knob of butter in the frying pan over medium heat; add mushrooms and fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper.

Add cream and garlic, discard the bay leaf, and bring back to a boil. Simmer the mushroom sauce until the tagliatelle is cooked al dente. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Drain the tagliatelle. Place the tagliatelle on a plate. Pour the mushroom sauce over. Garnish with plenty of chopped parsley and serve immediately. Optional: Lay thin slices of parmesan cheese over the top of the dish.

Could a pasta dish be any easier?

White Fiber Lasagna With Broccoli & Tomatoes

noreply@blogger.com (Karin W.) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:41:00 +0000

White fiber pasta is the choice for us, who prefer white pasta over whole wheat pasta, but still want to eat healthier. It looks like regular white pasta and have the same flavor but higher fiber content.

My husband doesn't like classic Lasagna alla Bolognese at all. He finds it too mushy and saucy for his liking. But this vegetarian lasagna pleases all palates. Even my picky husband's taste buds find it pretty yummy.

INGREDIENTS:
serves 4

* ≈ 200 grams white fiber lasagna sheets, (8-10)
* ≈ 400 grams broccoli

TOMATO SAUCE:
* 1-2 cloves of garlic
* 1 onion
* 1 carrot
* butter
* 1 jar (≈ 400 grams) canned whole tomatoes
* 2 tablespoons Bong Touch of Taste Vegetable Fond
* black pepper
* fresh basil

CHEESE SAUCE:
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 3 tablespoons plain flour
* 6 dl milk
* ½-1 teaspoon salt
* white pepper
* 2 dl grated cheddar cheese (or whatever cheese you like)

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 200°. Thaw frozen broccoli and squeeze dry. Clean and cook fresh broccoli for a few minutes. Break into smaller bouquets.

TOMATO SAUCE:
Peel and chop garlic and onion. Peel and roughly grate the carrot. Saute onion and carrot in butter 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes and vegetable fond. Simmer uncovered for approx. 15 minutes. Season to taste with black pepper and basil.

CHEESE SAUCE:
In a sauce pan, melt butter over low heat. Add flour all at once, mixing well with a wooden spoon. Add milk gradually, whisking constantly, until mixture is smooth and lump free. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 5-10 minutes until sauce thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in grated cheese. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.

Spoon a thin layer of the cheese sauce evenly over the base of a deep ovenproof dish. Place a layer of lasagna sheets to cover the cheese sauce. Continue to add tomato sauce, broccoli, lasagna sheets and cheese sauce in layers until all ingredients are used. End with cheese sauce. Sprinkle on top with a small amount of grated cheese.

Bake in the lower part of the oven for 30-45 minutes. Switch the oven off and leave the lasagna in for 10 more minutes to settle. Serve with a fresh salad.

This is my first contribution to Meatless Monday. More recipes will come soon. Although we are not vegetarians, it's nice to have a meatless meal now and then.

My last cake for the year 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Karin W.) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 01:39:00 +0000

Now, I'm so glad that Christmas, the longest holiday of the year, is over. (Officially, it concludes on January 13, when the Christmas tree is supposed to be thrown out).

If global warming does exist, then the green house effect seems to have paused here. Arctic temperatures make this winter the coldest in many years. Temperatures in December have been as cold as minus 40° Celsius. The next electric bill will be huge due to the cold weather!

My husband and I have celebrated our 45th year wedding anniversary. December is also my birthday month. Eating is of course an important part of all the celebrations. Now I weigh more than in November, so I have to do some exercise. I take a brisk walk for an hour every day, although I don't enjoy the cold winter air at all.

So, this will be my last cake for probably many months. I found the recipe in a Swedish home magazine a long time ago and had to try it. I don't remember which magazine I took it from.

We did really enjoy this cake!

INGREDIENTS:
* 6 store-bought cake layers (or home-baked)
* 8 bananas
* 4-5 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
* 2-3 teaspoons vanilla sugar
* 6 dl cold thick vanilla custard
* 3 small jars crushed pineapples, drained
* 2 dl raspberry jam or raspberry preserve
* 4 dl whipped cream
* raspberries, frozen (fresh, if available)

METHOD:
First, mash the bananas until they become almost pureed.
Then, blend vanilla sugar and cacao powder, and mix it with banana mash.

Cake layer 1: Spread half the vanilla custard evenly over the layer. Put 1½ jar drained, crushed pineapples on the vanilla custard.

Cake layer 2: Spread half of the banana mash over the layer.

Cake layer 3: Spread raspberry jam (or raspberry preserve) over the layer.

Cake layer 4: Spread the remaining vanilla custard and crushed pineapples over the layer.

Cake layer 5: Spread the remaining banana mash over the layer.

Cake layer 6: Spread the whipped cream over the top and sides cake. Decorate with as many raspberries as you like.

I made the cake a day ahead. Just before serving, I whipped the cream and placed raspberries on top. The cake improves in both texture and flavor if made a day ahead. Everyone loved it. It's very moist and delicious.

Yesterday's Dinner

noreply@blogger.com (Karin W.) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 06:24:00 +0000

For dinner yesterday we had assorted smoked meats from the Swedish company Ridderheims, together with fruits like papaya, pineapple, melon, passion fruit, grapes, cherry tomatoes, and potato gratin. It may seem like odd combinations, but we like it. Both finger food and fork/knife food.

For dessert, we had a no-bake Baileys' Irish Cream cheesecake adapted from this website: Sweet Decadenze. It's perfect if you want your cheesecake to be dense and firm.

I hereby wish you all A Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year! See you some time in January 2010.

Sweet Dreams Are Made Of....

noreply@blogger.com (Karin W.) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:37:00 +0000

"Drömmar" (dreams in English) is the name of one of Sweden's most traditional and beloved cookies. They have a delicious, porous, melt-in-your-mouth taste. In the oven, they will rise and crack on the surface. Isn't that the hallmark of dreams in real life too? Those visionary ideas, anticipations, or fancy illusions we have in life, they often crack too.

INGREDIENTS:
Yield: about 35 cookies

* 1 dl (100 ml) vegetable oil (olive oil is not suitable)
* 100 grams softened margarine
* 2 dl (190 grams) caster sugar
* 4 ½ dl (350 grams) plain wheat flour
* 1 teaspoon harts-horn (Baker's Ammonia)
* 3 teaspoons vanilla sugar

METHOD:
1. In a bowl, put margarine, oil, and caster sugar.
2. Whisk it all together white, fluffy and creamy (best done with an electric whisk)
3. Mix the flour with vanilla sugar and harts-horn (Baker's Ammonia).
4. Stir in the flour mixture by hand and form a smooth dough.
5. Roll dough into small balls (about the size of a walnut).
6. Place them apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
7. With your thumb, press down in the middle of the cookie to form a slight indent.
8. Bake, one sheet at a time, in the centre of the oven, at 150°C (300°F) for 15-20 minutes.

They need to cool before you try to lift them from the cookie sheet, otherwise they crumble easily. A low oven temperature is important when baking these dream cookies. When baked at high temperature, they will spread and become flat. If you are uncertain of the temperature of your oven, make a test cookie first.

Wild Christmas Meatballs

noreply@blogger.com (Karin W.) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:10:00 +0000

I have regular access to moose meat. I never hunt myself, but I am surrounded by lots of moose hunters who sometimes give me free range organic meat.

Recently, I received about 1.2 kilograms (2.2 pounds) of boneless moose meat that I ground up in the food processor. It went into 150 small meatballs (about the size of large cherries). No, I'm not cooking for a crowd. Meatballs are part of the Swedish Smörgåsbord table at Christmas Eve Dinner. They are served, without sauce, together with other traditional dishes.

Making meatballs with moose meat is not as easy as it sounds. If you don’t add enough bread crumbs and eggs, they tend to fall apart. You have to add extra fat too to make them moist. I also decided to give the moose some booze and added a splash of cognac to the meatball mixture. Whisky would have worked, but I didn't have any on hand.

Before rolling all of them, roll one, and test fry it, so that changes in texture and taste can be corrected before rolling the whole batch.

INGREDIENTS:
* 1.2 kilograms ground moose meat
* 300 ml cream
* 4 slices of crumbled white bread
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 1 onion, peeled and very finely chopped
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1 teaspoon ground allspice
* 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
* 1 tablespoon cognac (optional)
* butter for frying

METHOD:
1. In a small bowl, combine crumbled bread, cream and eggs.
2. Set aside for 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, fry the finely chopped onion in butter until soft.
4. Set aside to cool a little.
5. In a large bowl, combine moose meat and bread mixture.
6. Add salt, allspice, white pepper, and onion.
7. Mix everything gently to a batter, and form very small, round meatballs.
8. Put them in your largest roasting pan, bake for 12-15 minutes at 180°C.
9. Gently shake the pan a couple of times to ensure an even browning.

If you prefer to grate the onion, don't fry it.
Reducing all the ingredients by half works for this recipe.
You can choose pan-frying in butter, but oven-frying is easier and quicker.
To freeze: Spread them on a cool, clean baking sheet in a single layer and freeze. When they are frozen, place the amounts you will use at one time in freezer food storage bags.
To prepare: Thaw in refrigerator, reheat in butter in a frying pan, or microwave 2-3 minutes on high. Only reheat once.

Gluten-Free Coconut Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Karin W.) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:16:00 +0000

Fifty years ago, gluten intolerance (or celiac disease) was thought to be a rare condition. It was long considered to be a disease of childhood. Nowadays, it is a worldwide public health problem and it is one of the most common food intolerance disorders in Sweden.

My sister-in-law's daughter has CD. For her, following a gluten-free diet is a necessity. That is why I have collected some gluten free recipes which make it easier for me to invite her. It is nice to have something to offer her when she comes visiting for a coffee break.

Coconut is 100% free from gluten. In Sweden, there is (mainly) only one kind of coconut to be found: Finely grated, dried, unsweetened coconut flakes, which come in packages of usually 200 or 250 grams.

Light, soft, moist, and flour-less coconut muffins

INGREDIENTS:
* 150 grams butter (2/3 cup)
* a little less than 2 dl caster sugar (3/4 cup)
* 1 ½ tablespoon vanilla sugar
* 3 eggs
* 200 grams unsweetened dried, grated coconut flakes (1 cup or 7 ounces)
* approx. 25 muffin cups (base size not wider than 5 centimeters/2 inches)

METHOD:
1. Melt butter.
2. In a bowl, combine caster sugar and vanilla sugar.
3. Add the melted butter and stir until well blended.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating vigorously after each addition.
5. Add the coconut flakes and stir till the mixture is even.
6. Heat oven to 180°C or 350°F.
7. Spoon batter into small muffin cups, filling each cup almost full.
8. Bake until light golden brown, about 12-15 minutes.

They will seem a bit gooey inside when you remove them from the oven. Be patient and let them cool all the way. Chill them in the fridge, if necessary.

Two more gluten-free sweet recipes:

Thin, soft potato bread baked in cast iron pan

noreply@blogger.com (Karin W.) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:14:00 +0000

If you have trouble with limited space in your kitchen, then you’ll probably need to cut down this recipe. It's from the old days when bread always was baked in a separate bakehouse with wood fired oven. If you are lucky enough to have access to such an oven, this bread recipe is for you.

I don't always have access to a bakehouse. Yesterday, I baked this soft potato bread in a cast iron pan on top of the stove instead. Baking it took time, but I was rewarded with a bunch of nicely browned baked bread.

INGREDIENTS:
yields at least 25

150 grams fresh yeast
100 ml caster sugar
250 grams margarine
1½ liter milk
1½ tablespoon salt
1½ tablespoon bread spices (mix of ground fennel, caraway and anise seeds)
900 grams newly boiled potatoes
2 tablespoons golden syrup (light molasses)
approx. 1½ kg Swedish "rågsikt" (60% wheat flour and 40% sifted rye flour)
approx. 1 kg wheat flour

METHOD:
* In a large bowl, mix the sugar and yeast together.
* Melt the margarine and add milk, a little at a time.
* Heat to finger warm.
* Pour the milk mixture over the yeast.
* Add salt, bread spices, luke warm pressed potatoes and golden syrup.
* Then work in "rågsikt" and wheat flour to make a pliable dough.
* Cover the bowl and put it in a warm place to rise until double in size.
* Sprinkle flour over the baking board and place the dough there.
* Make 25 round buns, allow them to rise covered for an additional 30 minutes.
* Roll out the buns as thin as you can, first with a regular rolling pin, then finished off with a knobbly rolling pin.
* Allow to rise for a third time for 20-30 minutes.
* Put the cast iron pan on heat and bake each bread for approx. 1 minute or so, turn and bake on the other side too.

If you want to, you can easily double the recipe.

Old Fashioned Ground Meat Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Karin W.) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:07:00 +0000

Ground meat roulades are an old-fashioned Swedish dish. Roulades can be filled with any content - cheese, ham, vegetables, herbs, mushrooms or whatever you have on hand.

Here is a recipe filled with Felix Bostongurka® - a type of sweet cucumber relish with onion, mustard seeds and paprika. It is possible to make at home, but if you can't grow your own cucumbers, it's not worth the trouble. Contact me if you want a recipe.

The Swedish name of this relish has nothing to do with Boston, USA. It is, however, meant to accompany fast food such as hamburgers and hot dogs, which we believe had its origins in the United States. Well, foods commonly accepted as "American" have, in fact, their origins elsewhere. (Many Americans have European roots if you go back a couple of generations).

INGREDIENTS:
serves 4

* 400-500 grams ground meat (90% beef+10% pork)
* 200 ml cream
* 2-3 slices of day old white bread, crusts removed
* 1 egg
* 1½ teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon pepper

FILLING:
* approx. 100 ml Bostongurka

METHOD:
1. Crumble the bread and soak in cream.
2. Leave this to soak for at least 10 minutes.
3. Mix all ingredients just long enough to combine.
4. Shape into a flat rectangle on a sheet of wet baking paper.
5. Divide into 8 or 10 equal rectangles.
6. Place about 1 heaping teaspoonful of "Bostongurka" on every rectangle.
7. Roll up each rectangle tightly and press ends to seal.
8. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook each roulade until they are browned and cooked through.

SAUCE:
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 2½ tablespoons plain flour
* 300 ml milk
* 150 ml cream
* 1 tablespoon Chinese soy
* ½ teaspoon salt
* pinch of pepper

METHOD:
1. Place the butter into a saucepan and melt over medium heat.
2. Whisk in the flour and stir until the mixture becomes paste like.
3. Gradually whisk the milk and cream into the flour mixture,
4. Simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes.
5. Add Chinese soy, salt and pepper to taste.
6. Pour sauce over the roulades or serve the sauce in a sauce can on the side.

Boiled or pressed potatoes, lingonberry jam and broccoli go great with ground meat roulades.