My Recipes

Sweet Dreams Are Made Of....

kirene@spray.se (Karin) — 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

kirene@spray.se (Karin) — 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

kirene@spray.se (Karin) — 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

kirene@spray.se (Karin) — 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

kirene@spray.se (Karin) — 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.

Tartare Sandwich Recipe

kirene@spray.se (Karin) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:52:00 +0000

The most expensive sandwich in the world can be found on the Cliveden House hotel menu (located in Taplow, Berkshire, UK) . Priced at £100. It's more than $150. What do you get? Iberico ham, Poulet de Bresse, white truffles, Italian quail eggs, semi-dried Italian tomatoes, organic mayonnaise and 24 hour fermented sour dough bread.

But is it worth what it costs? Well, only the sandwich buyers can decide that. And they are probably people with more money than they know what to do with, or food fanatics.

However, there are other ways to make interesting and delicious sandwiches without using all sorts of fancy ingredients.

The Swedish National Team of Chefs inspired me to make this amazing and healthy sandwich that can serve as an appetizer or a meal. I have included my modified recipe below, but the original Swedish recipe can be found here: Kockens

While the original recipe calls for 500 grams of "gravad" salmon, I opted for a smaller amount of gravad rainbow trout.

INGREDIENTS:
serves 4-6

Tartare
* 250 grams "gravad" salmon trout, chopped
* 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
* 2 tablespoons pickled beetroots, chopped
* 2 tablespoons pickled cucumber, chopped
* 2 tablespoons red onion, finely chopped
* 2 tablespoons dill, finely chopped
* 2 tablespoons sweet grainy mustard
* salt and pepper

rocket salad
slices of rye bread

METHOD:
1. Place the chopped ingredients and mustard in a bowl.
2. Mix together carefully but well.
2. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste.
3. Cut off the edges of the rye bread.
4. Top each slice of bread with about 3-4 tablespoons of "tartare"
5. Garnish with rocket salad.

Enjoy!

"Jitter-buggers" with Chocolate Meringue

kirene@spray.se (Karin) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:11:00 +0000

I made Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Pudding the other day and had 2 egg whites left over, so I baked these cookies. I remember my mother baking them in the 1950s.

They are called "jitterbuggare" in Swedish, which literally means "jitter-buggers" in English; named after the swing dance (jitterbug) that was popular in the 1930s and 1940s.

Irregular swirls of meringue can be found in these cookies. I find them a bit messy to make as the meringue batter has a tendency to stick to the knife while slicing. I am very impatient when it comes to cookie baking so I ended up with several misshaped cookies.

If you don't like chocolate, you can leave it out. Or add 25 grams of finely chopped walnuts to the meringue batter.

INGREDIENTS:
Yield: Makes about 40-50

Dough:
200 grams butter
100 ml caster sugar
500 ml plain flour

Filling:
2 egg whites
150 ml caster sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa powder

METHOD:
* Mix the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a wooden spoon.
* Work in the flour to get a smooth dough.
* Divide dough into 2 parts and chill for 60 minutes or so.
* Combine egg whites and sugar in a clean metal bowl.
* Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water.
* Whisk constantly with an electric hand held whisk until stiff peaks form.
* Gently fold in cocoa powder.
* Roll out each part of the dough to make a rectangle - ½ cm or 0.2 inch thick.
* Spread a rather thin layer of meringue batter over the dough rectangles.
* Roll up into a long tight roll.
* Let the two rolls rest in the fridge for 15 minutes.
* Set your oven to preheat at 175°C or 350°F.
* Cut each roll into slices - 1½ cm or 0.6 inch thick.
* Place each cookie slice on baking sheets lined with baking paper.
* Bake for 15-20 minutes and remove from oven.
* Let cookies cool on baking sheet.
* Remove cookies from baking sheets and finish cooling on wire rack.

There will be meringue batter left over for small chocolate meringues:
* Lower the oven temperature to 125°C (=257°F).
* Spoon dollops of the leftover batter on to a baking paper lined tray.
* Bake for about 30-45 minutes.

Use them up for a couple of portions of Eton Mess:
* Break meringues into bite size pieces.
* Fold strawberries and meringue pieces into whipped cream.
* Place in dessert bowls and serve immediately.

Potato Soup Provençale

kirene@spray.se (Karin) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:41:00 +0000

The only reason why I named this soup 'Provençale' is because of the fact that it contains quite a lot of garlic. The Provence region in France uses garlic with just about everything. Either you like garlic or you don't. There seems to be no in between.

In Sweden, it increased in popularity after the Second World War and is now commonly used in many dishes.It wasn't until the 1960s that I discovered this amazing herb. My father couldn't stand the smell of it so my mother never used garlic in her cooking.

It is said that my ancestors, the Vikings, took healthy supplies of garlic with them on their voyages. They did not write any cookbooks, so I don't know if it's true or not. The Viking women might have used garlic in their cooking, but they did not have potatoes, that's for sure.

This is a good potato soup recipe. Few ingredients, but good flavor, thanks to the roasted garlic.

INGREDIENTS:
3-4 servings

1 head garlic
olive oil
4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into smaller chunks
1 onion, peeled and cut into smaller chunks
1 liter of chicken broth (4.2 cups)
100 ml milk
2-3 tablespoons concentrated chicken stock
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

METHOD:
* Preheat oven to 175°C (=347°F)
* Slice off the upper part of the garlic head to expose the cloves.
* Place the unpeeled garlic on a piece of aluminium foil.
* Drizzle with olive oil.
* Fold the packet up, and place it in a small ovenproof dish.
* Bake in the middle of the oven until garlic is soft, approx. 50 minutes.
* Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and onion and cut into chunks.
* Bring chicken stock to boil, add potato- and onion chunks.
* Simmer until the potatoes are soft.
* Allow the garlic to cool so you can handle it without burning yourself.
* Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins and add to soup.
* Use a stick blender to purée the soup.
* Stir in milk, cook over low heat until thoroughly heated.
* Season to taste with black pepper and concentrated chicken stock.
* Remove from heat, and stir in finely chopped parsley.

If you don't like the consistency of pureed soups, serve this soup with small bouquets of cooked broccoli.

The 4 Ingredients Flourless Chocolate Cake

kirene@spray.se (Karin) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:18:00 +0000

It has been some really tough days the last week. My husband has to undergo some medical tests and has been on a low fiber diet for 7 days. Now he is on a liquid diet for 48 hours. It sucks when you live with someone who cannot eat whatever he wants. And for better and for worse, I have been trying to support him by eating diet food too.

It was not such a good idea. After a couple of days, I had to satisfy my hunger and baked this flourless chocolate cake.

This is the most disastrous looking cake I have ever baked. It fluffs up in the oven but collapses rather quickly after it is baked, which of course is normal for flourless (gluten free) cakes like this one.

No matter how bad it looked, it was delicious. Very dense and chocolaty!

INGREDIENTS:
200 grams dark chocolate with a cocoa solids content of 70%
200 grams butter
200 grams caster sugar
4 eggs

METHOD:
* Preheat oven to 175°.
* Brush a 23 cm (9 inches) spring form cake pan with some butter.
* Line the inside base plate with non stick paper.
* Break the chocolate into pieces and melt it with butter over hot water.
* Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites.
* Put the egg whites into a grease free, dry metal bowl.
* Beat the egg yolks with half of the sugar.
* Fold in the melted butter/chocolate mixture.
* Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks.
* Gradually add the remaining sugar, beating until stiff.
* Fold in the beaten egg whites.
* Bake approximately 40 - 45 minutes.

I had to use a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake. It might have been easier to remove if I had let it cool completely in the pan.

Sometimes springform cake pans leak a bit. If you bake this cake, take precaution and line the outside bottom of the pan with aluminium foil to help keep the batter from leaking out in the oven.

Cantadou® Chicken

kirene@spray.se (Karin) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:51:00 +0000

Cantadou® is a creamy French cheese. In Sweden we can choose from 9 varieties to enjoy as a spread on crackers and toast or as a seasoning in cooking.

Cantadou® with the four peppers - rose, green, black and white – gives this chicken dish a mild flavor but with a pleasant and distinctive aftertaste of pepper. Boiled rice is the best accompaniment to this simple chicken dish. It is tasty enough to serve to guests and yet not too complicated to make for a quick dinner for my husband and me.

INGREDIENTS:
serves 4
* 600 grams (or 1.3 pounds) chicken breast meat
* vegetable oil and butter for frying ( more oil than butter)
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1-2 cloves of garlic
* 250 ml cream
* 200 ml chicken stock
* 125 grams Cantadou® 4 pepper
* 1 large bunch of roughly chopped flat leaf parsley
* 10 black deseeded olives
* 1 tablespoon lightly crushed rose pepper corns

METHOD:
1. Cut the chicken breasts lengthwise to make 3 or 4 pieces total.
2. Peel and chop the garlic roughly.
3. Heat oil in a skillet and add butter to oil.
4. Brown the chicken pieces on all sides.
5. Season carefully with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Pour cream and chicken stock over the chicken.
7. Add and mix in Cantadou®.
8. Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
9. Add black olives and sprinkle with parsley and rose pepper.

Why do I mix oil with butter for frying?
If you want the flavor of butter, but need to cook something at a high temperature, you can replace some of the butter with a neutral flavored, high smoke point cooking oil. Butter burns easily. The presence of oil will not burn the butter.

The Cloudberry Trifle Recipe

kirene@spray.se (Karin) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 05:25:00 +0000

I have found some corny cooking instructional videos on YouTube. They are called "Swedish cooking with Jørn". The foodstuffs "Chef Jørn" is using are Swedish. They can be found in all IKEA Stores outside of Sweden which have a Swedish Food Market. NB: "Chef Jørn" is not Swedish. He is Danish. I have nothing against Danish people but couldn't IKEA find a Swedish man or woman to advertise their Swedish products?

This cooking video clip shows how to prepare Cloudberry Trifle and "Chef Jørn" takes odd combinations to a new level. Does he add lingonberry jam to enhance the flavor of the delicate cloudberry? If you mix lingonberry jam with cloudberry jam, the distinct lingonberry flavor will overtake the mild cloudberry flavor. It does not sound like a great idea. To me it is a big no-no.

My mother used to make a dessert back in the 1950s that combined hard whipped cream and lingonberry jam. This pinkly mixture was filled in home baked wafer cones. It was a treat that looked just like an ice cream cone but it was not frozen. She called the cream and lingonberry mixture "Giftas". Doesn't it resemble English berry fools?

I made two classic Scandinavian desserts this weekend. The name of desserts like these are better known as "Änglamat" in Sweden (can literally be translated into "Angel-food").

In Norway they call it Tilslørte bondepiker and in Denmark Tilslørede bondepiger. Both meaning "Veiled peasant girls". Both desserts usually made from apple sauce, browned bread crumbs and whipped cream.

In Finland they say Pappilan hätävara which means "The hasty dessert of the vicarage". I can't speak or understand Finnish so I googled it.

Anyway, whatever they are called, they can easily be assembled using simple and tasty ingredients. There is always simplicity in old fashioned recipes.

INGREDIENTS:
2 dessert cups

* 150 ml cloudberries
* 50 ml caster sugar
* 4 oat cookies
* 150 ml whipping cream
* ½ teaspoon vanilla sugar

METHOD:
1. Crush the cloudberries with a fork to make them softer.
2. Add sugar and keep stirring until you have a nice consistency.
3. Crush the oat cookies until they are crumbly.
4. Whip the cream with vanilla sugar.
5. Fill the bottom of each dessert cup with cookie crumbs, next whipped cream, then cloudberry puree and repeat layers.
6. Cover top with whipped cream and garnish with whatever you would like (I used grated dark chocolate).

Make sure you taste the sweetened cloudberry puree and adjust the sugar as needed.

Lingonberry Trifle

What traditional "trifles" are eaten around the rest of the world?

Homemade Lingonberry Jam

kirene@spray.se (Karin) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:15:00 +0000

After picking fresh lingonberries on Sunday, I made this jam. Traditional Swedish food like meatballs, stuffed cabbage rolls, potato cakes, potato dumplings, potato girdle cakes, barley flour porridge and blood pudding (black pudding) require lingonberry jam.

Lingonberries can be cooked in so many different ways. They contain significant amounts of natural benzoic acid and other fruit acids that make them stay well all winter long, whether cooked for a long time or not, whether sugar is added or not.

Follow this recipe if you want a ruby red, sweet tart and jellied lingonberry jam.

INGREDIENTS:
5 liters/21 cups lingonberries
1 liter/4 cups water
2 kg/4 pounds caster sugar

METHOD:
1. Rinse and clean the lingonberries.
2. Place them in a very large pot with the water and bring to a boil.
3. Boil for 10 minutes and remove from heat.
4. Stir in sugar, stir until it has melted and completely dissolved.
5. Pour the jam into hot clean jars and cover immediately.
6. Leave to cool and store in a dark cool place.

Lingonberry is a specie of evergreen shrubs of the heath family. Botanical name: Vaccinium vitis-idaea. Also called fox-berry, cowberry, mountain cranberry, low bush cranberry, mountain bilberry, csejka berry, red whortleberry, partridge berry, squaw vine, red berry, and many, many other names depending on country of origin.

There is an old tale about the lingonberry: When God created all the plants, God also asked the devil to create a plant. The devil created the lingonberry but tied a cross to it, so that everyone who ate the berry, should belong to him. But God wasn’t dumb. God found out the plan of the Devil, so he put a small cross on top of the strawberry too. Thus, the curse was broken. The lingonberry became not only a beautiful berry to look at but also a healthy berry to eat.

Since fresh lingonberries not only contain plenty of benzoic acid but significant amounts of salicylic acid too, the berries have been used as a cure for fevers and urinary tract infections.

New researches have also shown that lingonberries contain plenty of plant antioxidants which may protect against cell damage, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and other age related diseases.

My mother used to store lingonberries in bottles with water. The tart and sourish berries were then served as a dessert with sugar and whipped cream in winter time. As a child, I loved to eat them plain. I don't know why. Today, I can't eat anything that cause my mouth to pucker. Kids like sour things, don't they?

Homemade Mushroom Pizza for Dinner

kirene@spray.se (Karin) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 22:22:00 +0000

Happiness can be to spend a day in the woods and arrive home again in the afternoon with baskets filled with wild mushrooms. I am a mushroom hunter and never ever have I seen so many different varieties in colors, shapes and sizes. Now I have more porcinis (penny buns), yellow chanterelles and shrimp mushrooms than I can possibly eat in a year.

So, what type of food did we have for dinner yesterday?

The answer is, of course, inevitable - it had to be mushroom pizza. Make and bake a large pizza with lots of sliced mushrooms on it is a pleasant thing.

PIZZA DOUGH RECIPE:
* 2 teaspoons dry yeast
* 2 pinches salt
* 280 ml warm water (40-45°C/104-113°F)
* 360 grams high-gluten flour
* 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

FOR THE PIZZA TOPPING:
* 1500 ml fresh wild mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
* 2 onions
* 1 green or red bell pepper
* 150 grams smoked ham
* 100 - 200 ml chopped parsley
* butter
* 1 teaspoon salt
* ½ teaspoon black pepper
* 100 ml Heinz chili sauce
* 2-3 teaspoons oregano
* 300 grams grated cheese

METHOD:
1. Sieve the flour into a large bowl
2. Add yeast, salt, olive oil and water.
3. Mix well with a wooden spoon to blend everything together.
5. Knead for about 5 minutes, until smooth.
6. Shape into a ball and cover with a towel.
7. Leave bowl in a warm place to rise for at least 30 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size.

WHILE THE DOUGH IS RISING:
1. Slowly boil the fresh mushrooms (without fat) to make them release their juices.
2. Cook until all liquid evaporates, about 10-15 minutes.
3. Peel and chop the onions.
4. Cut the bell pepper into small cubes.
5. In a sauce pan, fry onion and bell pepper in butter for a minute.
6. Add the mushrooms and fry for 3-4 minutes more.
7. Cut the ham into small cubes and add together with parsley.
8. Salt and pepper to taste.

PIZZA:
1. Heat oven to 225°C/425°F.
2. Brush a large baking tray with olive oil.
3. Place the dough on the baking tray.
4. Roll and stretch out the pizza dough, about 5 mm/0.2 inches thick.
5. Spread chili sauce over the dough to within 1½ cm/0.6" from the edge.
6. Cover with the mushroom mixture.
7. Sprinkle with oregano and grated cheese. (I used both goat cheese and Feta cheese).
8. Drizzle with olive oil and bake in the middle of the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the pizza base is cooked through.

It does not matter what kind of mushrooms you can get your hands on for this pizza. Wild or "tame" will fit as long as they are edible. Most mushrooms are wine-friendly. Not common ink cap, of course. Although edible, it is poisonous when consumed with alcohol.

We were happy to be able to accompany this pizza with an inexpensive fruity Italian white wine called Mauro Chardonnay.

A piece of leftover pizza

The Homemade Cloudberry Liqueur

kirene@spray.se (Karin) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 22:06:00 +0000

With a few exceptions, I am not very fond of syrupy sweet liqueurs. Laponian Liqueurs AB in Gällivare, Sweden, makes three not overwhelmingly sweet tasting liqueurs. Cloudberry Liqueur is one of them. (The other two are Arctic bramble liqueur and Cranberry liqueur).

The berries are purchased from berry pickers and placed in a stainless steel tank together with an alcohol base (sorry, I don't know what kind of alcohol they put in the tank).

They let the mixture sit for a month. Next, the mixture is pumped into a press. From the press, the must is pumped into another tank. Then comes filtering, sweetening and the alcohol content test. This is followed by bottling and finally the product is ready for the consumers.

Making liqueurs at home is easier and hardly an exact science. I had a small bottle of a Finnish cut brandy (Jaloviina) in the fridge and lots of cloudberries in the freezer. Jaloviina (3 stars) is made of three fourth of brandy (French cognac), neutral grain spirit and water. No added sugar whatsoever.

So, I decided to make a small amount of a simple homemade cloudberry liqueur. Mostly for the fun of it.

INGREDIENTS:
* 300 grams cloudberries (or bakeapple, whatever you call it)
* 350 ml brandy
* 3-4 tablespoons icing sugar, or more

METHOD :
1. Place the cloudberries in a wide mouthed glass jar.
2. Add brandy and put the lid on.
3. Store in a warm, sunny window for a week.
4. Shake the jar once a day.
5. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve, or a filter.
6. Add icing sugar.
7. Transfer the liquid to a glass bottle with a tight cap.
8. Let the liqueur mellow for at least 3 months, preferably longer.

To suit your own preferences, add more icing sugar if you like. If it ends up tasting too sweet or too strong, you can always dilute it with water or liquor.

You can either drink the liqueur as it is, or use it as an ingredient in desserts or cocktails. Finlandia Coffee for instance: Pour 2 centiliters vodka, 2 centiliters cloudberry liqueur into a coffee mug and fill with strong hot coffee. Garnish with whipped cream on top. (2 centiliters are 4 - 5 teaspoons approx). Finlandia coffee can be considered to be a variation on Irish coffee.

The unused thawed cloudberries in the freezer bag were used for jam.

Nigella Lawson's incredibly simple recipe for jam was used (originally the recipe of Hands-free Raspberry Jam from How to be a Domestic Goddess). Ripe cloudberries are as juicy as ripe raspberries. The jam came out perfect. The flavor was fresh like the flavor of raw stirred berries. I didn't add as much sugar as Nigella's recipe calls for (much too sweet for me). I also added half a teaspoon of citric acid for some extra acidity.

Click here to view Nigella's online recipe: Raspberry Jam.

Rowan Berry, Rhubarb & Apple Beverage

kirene@spray.se (Karin) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 22:20:00 +0000

A three-in-one, not so sweet, mealtime beverage. Its sour taste improves appetite and helps food digestion.

INGREDIENTS:
* 1000 ml cleaned pre-frozen rowan berries
* 1000 ml rhubarb chunks
* 1000 ml juicy apple chunks, with the core and peel (pears work well too)
* 1 tablespoon citric acid
* 2000 ml boiling water
* 250 - 300 ml sugar per litre of finished juice

METHOD:
1. Crush the rowan berries slightly.
2. Place the rowan berries, rhubarb chunks and apple chunks in a bowl.
3. Sprinkle the citric acid over the mixture.
4. Pour over boiling water and stir.
5. Cover and leave in a cool place for 48 hours, stirring it at frequent intervals.
6. Strain off the juice, add the sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved.
7. Pour into clean bottles.
8. To serve, mix the juice with 2 or 3 parts water and drink chilled.

This beverage will keep, refrigerated, for only two weeks.

Some people say the rowan berries are poisonous. Others state the opposite. When you are looking for facts, you will find they are both right. The seeds of raw (European) rowan berries contain about 0.4 % - 0.7 % parasorbic acid which may cause indigestion and upset the stomach. Luckily, they are too astringent to be eaten raw directly from the tree. They taste really bad.

Frozen berries can be used for jam, juice or wine making without fear, since the seeds are strained out when the berries are juiced. Cooking, heat-drying, and to a lesser extent freezing, neutralise the parasorbic acid by changing it to the harmless sorbic acid.

If you feel doubt about using rowan berries, leave them out on the trees for the birds to feed on. They are valuable food for them because they contain both minerals and vitamins (A, K, E, B1, lots of vitamin C, carotene (the peel)...

Back in the old days, "Bondepraktikan" (the Farmer's Almanac) was a book that could be found in the homes of most Swedish farmers. It had to do with the farmer's work but it also predicted the weather based on certain signs in nature. Lots of rowan berries were said to be the sign of a very cold winter with lots of snow to come.

If that was true, it would mean that my closest neighbor would get a mild winter with little snow because there are no berries on the branches of his rowan tree. There are lots of them over at my yard. He who lives will see what will happen when winter comes in due time.

E-number Free Hams

kirene@spray.se (Karin) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 23:30:00 +0000

Mats-Eric Nilsson, the author of the book "Den hemlige kocken" (The secret chef) started in 2007 a heated Swedish debate about E-numbers and artificial food additives. Public interest in what food contains is now growing. Many people are afraid of preservatives, thickeners, stabilizers, emulsifiers, flavour enhancers, anti-caking agents and so on. However, all permitted food additives in the EU are under continuous observation. So I don't think they are dangerous in small quantities.

To meet consumers' demands for fewer additives in food, the Swedish company Ridderheims Delikatesser is now manufacturing a ham totally free of E-numbers. The new hams contain salt, water, chicory root (inulin), acerola cherry and spices. Nothing else. This Swedish company exports products to Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, Greece, Poland and France. But I don't think the new hams are available yet outside Sweden.

Commercially available cured meat products, such as hams, need sodium nitrite (E250). It is a common preservative which inhibits growth of countless harmful bacterias. In the manufacturing process, Ridderheims has converted the "natural" nitrate (found in the ham from the beginning) to nitrite which prevents the formation of bacterias. The term "preservative" can be avoided on the label by adding nitrite "indirectly".

I have received two free samples to try - 'Fjällskinka kokt' (literally Mountain Ham cooked) and 'Fjällskinka rökt' (literally Mountain Ham smoked). They are manufactured in Jokkmokk, Lapland (Northern Sweden). That's why their name is associated with 'mountain".

I need to use them up rather quickly because they won't last as long as usual hams. The flavor and texture of the cooked (boiled) ham remind me of pastrami. Although it is not smoked, it is full of flavor. The texture is firm but tender. Very easy to cut into thin slices.

The smoked ham was a perfect substitute for kassler. A Swedish kassler is warm smoked and cured. It is filled with additives but it tastes good. One of my family's favorite casseroles is 'Kasslergryta'. Click here for the recipe: Smoke-cured loin of pork in creamy sauce.

Now, I have changed the recipe slightly.

Additive-Free Ham Casserole Recipe
Serves 6

* 600 grams 'Fjällskinka rökt', shredded
* butter
* 1 - 2 tablespoons of curry powder
* 1 dl leek, sliced
* 1 green bell pepper, shredded
* 1 red bell pepper, shredded
* 2 tablespoons of tomato purée, free from additives
* 1 stock cube, vegetable, free from additives
* 2 dl crème fraiche.
* 2 dl cream.

METHOD:
1. Cut ham into shreds .
2. Fry curry powder in butter in a deep pan.
3. Add ham shreds and brown.
4. Add bell pepper shreds, leek, tomato purée, cream and stock cube.
5. Cover and let simmer for a couple of minutes.
6. Add crème fraiche just before serving and heat.

Goes well with potatoes as well as rice or pasta.

Autumn Beef Stew Recipe

kirene@spray.se (Karin) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 23:17:00 +0000

Most Swedish kids return to schools today after their 10-week-long summer vacation. It's their first day of the autumn term. The summer season is definitely over and autumn is knocking at our door. The sun does no longer brighten the nights and lengthen our sightseeing days. It’s getting colder and darker. And we get an appetite for warm meals such as soups or stews.

Making this beef stew is not time consuming and it does not require hours standing over a hot stove.

INGREDIENTS:
serves 2

* 300 grams tender beef stew meat (preferably young elk)
* 5 shallots
* 250 ml (1 cup) yellow chanterelles (prepared by using the "dry saute" method ).
* 300 ml cream
* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce®
* 1 tablespoon beef fond (or beef broth concentrate, or 1 beef stock cube)
* 1 tablespoon mustard
* 1 tablespoon tomato purée
* butter for frying
* salt and pepper to taste
* fresh parsley, for garnish

METHOD:
1. Cut the beef stew meat into small bite size pieces.
2. Brown the meat in butter in a heavy frying pan over high heat.
3. Lower the heat and simmer until tender.
4. Cut shallots in half lengthwise, then cut each half into 4 wedges.
5. Fry the chanterelles in butter over medium heat and allow them to absorb the butter.
6. Then add the shallotes and stir fry over medium heat for a minute.
7. Bring cream to boil in a rather small pot, add Worcestershire Sauce, beef fond, mustard and tomato purée.
8. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes and season to taste with salt and pepper.
9. Pour the cream sauce over the meat, chanterelles and shallotes. Heat through and serve hot.

Since fresh chanterelles hold water, I always prepare them by using the "dry saute" method: After cleaning, the chanterelles are sliced and put in a covered pan over heat. The chanterelles then release their water. I add ½ teaspoon of salt and continue to let them cook. I lower the heat and continue to cook until they are softened, which will take about 10 minutes.

The Worcestershire Sauce® (The Original & Genuine Lea & Perrins) adds a nice zest to the flavor of the stew.

I served this stew with new potatoes,

red currant jelly...

...and small sweet and sour pickled yellow chanterelles.

Raspberry & Red Currant Cordial

kirene@spray.se (Karin) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 22:21:00 +0000

Many years ago, I bought an electric juice machine which squeezed fresh juice from fruits, berries and vegetables. But there were too many parts to remove and clean so the days of juice making were not many. The machine was put away in the cupboard where the waffle iron, sandwich grill, blender and ice cream maker are living and collecting dust most of the time.

Once a year, I take the juice machine out, dust it off and plug it in. There is nothing more delicious or thirst quenching on a hot summer day than a home made soft drink.

Raspberries are an excellent source of antioxidants and phytochemical ellagic acid which acts as an antioxidant. This plant chemical is thought to have some anti-cancer properties (not proven though). Red currants are not quite as nutritious as raspberries, but red berries always contain high quantities of antioxidants and the most important is vitamin C, which our human body can't produce, so it must be obtained through our diet.

This is an easy way to make a refreshing beverage with vitamins and lovely flavor. And no messy straining through a muslin lined sieve!

Raspberry and red currant, how I love the combination. (Of course, other berries may be used).

INGREDIENTS:
Sugar syrup:
* 450 grams/16 oz caster sugar
* 6 dl/600 ml/2.5 cups water

Juice:
* 1/2 liter/500 ml/2 cups raspberries
* 1 liter/1000 ml/4 cups red currants

METHOD:
1. Dissolve sugar in water over a gentle heat.
2. Slowly bring to a boil.
3. Cook until clear, then simmer gently for a minute or two.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool completely.
5. Meanwhile, take out your juice machine, plug it in and turn on the machine.
6. Begin feeding the berries through the juicer.
7. Mix berry juice and sugar syrup together.
8. Pour berry cordial into small plastic bottles and freeze.
9. Take a bottle out of the freezer when needed and dilute with fizzy water or tap water and serve with ice.

This cordial is also ideal for teenage parties when you do not wish to serve alcohol. It can also be made into punch by using sparkling white wine (alcohol free or not) instead of water.

Pesto alla Svedese/Swedish Pesto

kirene@spray.se (Karin) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 23:02:00 +0000

"Pesto alla svedese" is made with flat leafed parsley, salt, garlic, olive oil, almonds (blanched and toasted), and grated Präst® (priest cheese) which has a strong and aromatic flavor. It's a Swedish cheese with historical roots. It has been made since the 16th century in the region of Småland.

Originally, taxes were levied only on farm owners, They had to pay one tenth of their produce to the Church. It could be animals, milk, butter or something else from the personal industry of the farm owners. This was paid directly to the parish minister in their area.

Tithing was abolished in 1862, but in Småland, housewives continued to bring home made cheeses as gifts to their care of souls - hence the name Präst®ost ("Priest cheese").

INGREDIENTS:
10 servings
* 100 grams Präst® cheese
* 75 grams blanched almonds
* 200 grams flat leaf parsley, no stalks
* ½ - 1 clove of garlic
* 200 ml cold pressed mild olive oil
* salt

METHOD:
1. Grate the cheese finely with a grater.
2. Toast blanched almonds in a dry non stick pan.
3. Combine almonds, parsley and garlic in the food processor.
4. Whiz for a couple of seconds.
5. Slowly add olive oil in a constant stream while processor is running.
6. Remove pesto from food processor and incorporate the cheese by hand.
7. Now, you have to add salt and taste test the pesto to make sure it's okay.
8. Let the flavors meld together in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Enjoy with bread, seafood, vegetables or potatoes. I myself am going to make foil baked lake trout stuffed with parsley pesto mash now.

I say thanks to The Swedish Dairy Association for this great recipe. It was sent to me by email. I have only made basil pesto before. Click here for a recipe: How to make pesto

The health benefits of parsley are many. Click here to read more: Health Benefits of Parsley

I am not going to write any posts for a week or two. My husband and I are going up to the mountains tomorrow. July has been very stressful and busy, so I am looking forward to having some relaxing downtime with my husband. We'll make room for silence and stillness. It's time to recharge our batteries and simply be.

Quick and Easy Chicken Recipe

kirene@spray.se (Karin) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 22:14:00 +0000

I must confess, there exist more exciting ways to serve chicken but this is a wonderful mild dish that the whole family will love. It is not easy finding meals that is going to please the entire family, especially if you have both picky small children and even more picky elderly people at the table.

This chicken dish is also extremely quick and easy to make.

INGREDIENTS:
4 servings

* 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts (ab. 500 grams)
* 2 cloves of garlic
* butter
* 250-300 ml cream
* 1 chicken stock cube
* 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
* 50 ml chives, chopped
* 1/4 cucumber
* 4 radishes
* ab. 70 grams bacon

METHOD:
1. Cut each chicken breast lengthwise to make flat fillets.
2. Peel and chop the garlic cloves
3. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat and brown the chicken fillets on all sides.
4. In a pot saucepan, combine cream, crumbled stock cube, mustard, garlic and chives.
5. Add the browned chicken, cover with a lid and simmer for about 8-10 minutes.
6. Slice the cucumber in half and then slice into half moons.
7. Finely slice the radishes.
8. Shred the bacon, heat the skillet, saute the bacon until crisped and drain on kitchen paper.
9. Stir cucumber and radish slices into the cream sauce and sprinkle bacon bits over the top.

Serve over rice (brown or white), pasta, or with boiled potatoes.

For those who find this too bland, I have a similar recipe on my blog. It uses whole chicken. Chicken Stew with Radishes

Chocolate brownies for the teenage boys

kirene@spray.se (Karin) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 05:00:00 +0000

I have two hungry teenage boys staying with me this summer. A well stocked refrigerator and cupboard is a must because they are eating machines. I cook and I bake but they have bottomless bellies. They eat three huge meals a day - breakfast, lunch and dinner.

But of course, a portion of their calories also comes from sweet treats . We have tried five different brownie recipes lately. Here's their favorite so far because this recipe is so easy that they can quickly bake brownies themselves.

INGREDIENTS:
* 100 grams butter
* 180 grams sugar
* 2 eggs
* 60 grams flour
* ½ teaspoon baking powder
* 2 teaspoons vanilla sugar
* 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
* 100 grams almonds

METHOD:
1. Preheat oven to 200°C (ab. 375°F ),
2. Line a 20 x 30 cm pan (ab. 8 x 12 inch) with parchment paper, lightly butter the paper.
3. Melt the butter and stir in the sugar.
4. Incorporate the eggs - one at a time.
5. Combine flour, baking powder, vanilla sugar and cacao powder.
6. Add this to the batter, stirring lightly.
7. Chop the almonds and add to the batter.
8. Pour the batter into baking pan.
9. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes in the preheated oven until the top is dry and let cool completely before cutting into squares.

My Favorite Sandwich

kirene@spray.se (Karin) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 23:49:00 +0000

This is my favorite sandwich - an open faced shrimp sandwich. In various sizes and styles, these expensive sandwiches are served at almost every café establishment. The best part about this shrimp sandwich is that it is so much cheaper to make at home than it is to buy at the cafeterias.

INGREDIENTS
1 sandwich

* bread
* 1 lettuce leaf
* 1-2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
* mayonnaise
* cooked and peeled shrimps, as much as possible
* 1 slice of lemon
* 1-4 slices of cucumber
* 1 wedge of tomato
* fresh dill

METHOD:
1. Butter the bread.
2. Place a lettuce leaf on the butter.
3. Arrange slices of egg on the lettuce leaf.
4. Pipe mayonnaise onto the egg slices.
5. Place shrimps on top of the mayonnaise.
6. Decorate with a slice of lemon, cucumber slices, a tomato wedge and a dill sprig.

Twenty five years ago, I had my appendix removed. After surgery, my diet consisted of only liquids for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I wasn't allowed to eat real food for five days. So, when I was allowed to eat solid food again, my husband bought me a large shrimp sandwich from the hospital's cafeteria. I can honestly say this was the best sandwich I have ever had.

The Strawberry-Blackcurrant-Rhubarb Jam

kirene@spray.se (Karin) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:51:00 +0000

There are few things in life as wonderful as a red, fresh strawberry! Still warm from the sun. Up here in the north of Sweden, the sun never sets in summer so the strawberries get a lot of sun and daylight which is good for them.

I stopped growing strawberries many years ago because the birds ate them. They took a bite out of one berry and left it, then they took a bite out of another and left it ... What a waste! Finally, I got fed up with that and put a net over my plants. What happened? Well, every day, small birds got trapped. Trapped birds were easy targets for our neighbors' cats.

I willingly shared my currants with the birds. I'm not greedy. But who wants currants when there are strawberries to be had. Not the birds anyway. So, now I buy strawberries at the supermarket. How much would you pay for a small box (500 grams) of strawberries? They sell them here for 30 SEK (around 4 USD). They are not expensive but not cheap either. But it is a good thing that you can combine them with rhubarbs and other berries.

Both rhubarb and strawberry are low in pectin. Slightly under ripe black currants are naturally very high in pectin. So, high pectin currants mixed and matched with low pectin berries will make a thicker jam. I am often asked how to tell when black currants are ripe. Take a look at these pictures. The ones to the left are hard, not fully colored and with trace of green on the skins. They are unripe. The ones to the right are soft and uniformly black. They are ripe.

Mixed Berry Jam with Rhubarb
INGREDIENTS:
* 500 grams strawberries, cleaned and hulled
* 250 grams slightly under ripe black currants
* 250 grams rhubarb stalks
* 750 grams granulated sugar
* 1 1/4 dl water (more or less)
* 1/4 dl lemon juice

METHOD:
1. Cut off the stalk ends of the rhubarb, then wash in cold water.
2. Cube or dice the rhubarb stalks.
3. Mix rhubarb, berries and lemon juice with sugar,
4. Let it stand refrigerated overnight.
5. When sugar is dissolved, pour everything into a large stainless steel pot.
6. Add a small amount of water and bring slowly to the boil .
7. Use a large slotted spoon to skim off foam as best as you can.
8. Continue cooking and shaking the pot for another 15 minutes. Now the jam should be thick enough but not as thick as marmalade.

Don't forget to skim off foam from the top. The skimming is more than just an aesthetic thing. The foam that rises to the surface may also be a safety issue. Microorganisms such as mold spores thrive in berry foam. They think it's yummy. But you don't have to be afraid of botulism. It is only a risk with low acid foods such as canned vegetables. For high acid foods, such as jams, Clostridium Botulinum spores will not germinate.

My grandmother used to think molds on jams were harmless. She simply spooned the "fur coat" off the surface. She even said a layer of mold had the power to preserve. We know better now. Mold forms spores that grow deep into the jam.

If the sugar content is not high enough, you have to use a preservative to keep mold spores from growing. Sugar is not just a sweetener, it's a great preservative too when used in large quantities. Sooner or later, a low sugar content means moldy jam. I try to follow the recommendation of the National Food Administration in Sweden: Reduced sugar jams must be prepared with at least 500 grams of sugar per 1000 grams fruit.

I don't enjoy the canning process very much because there is no room for mistakes. So most often I skip that part and ladle everything into small freezer safe containers. Stored in the freezer, the jam will keep for more than 12 months. Once thawed, I keep the jam refrigerated, use it within a few days but it will keep up to two to three weeks in the fridge without any problems.

Here are an assortment of pretty labels for canning jars: Print Labels From Your Printer. Dansukker is offering a free download for these labels. The page is in Swedish, but it doesn't take much to figure out how it works.

Feta Potato Patties & Salad

kirene@spray.se (Karin) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 22:04:00 +0000

Sweden is not a very big potato producer. Nevertheless, potatoes are an important part of our diet and I always cook extras for different purposes. Day old boiled potatoes seem to become firmer and easier to handle than newly boiled ones. Besides, cold boiled potatoes can be used in so many ways. In Greece, they eat a lot of cheese. This country holds a top place for cheese consumption per person in all of Europe (together with France).

A Greek recipe of Patatokeftedes (potato balls) in the cookbook 'The Original Greek Cooking', inspired me to add Feta cheese into potato patty batter. A non-melting cheese like Feta seemed to be the right thing. I have been to Greece but I have never had Patatokeftedes, so I don't know how these feta potato patties compares to Greek potato balls.

The ingredient which really made them taste different was real genuine feta cheese. It was produced by Kourellas S.A. company (located in Grevena, Greece).

This cheese tastes so much better than mass produced cow milk "feta". I put the name inside quotation marks because Greece has the exclusive right to call its salty white cheese Feta. No other countries in Europe are allowed to use this name. It is a guarantee that the consumer will get a sheep's milk cheese. Varying amounts of goats’ milk may be added, as long as the sheep's milk make up at least 70 % of the total mixture. Outside of the European Union, cheeses sold as "feta" may be composed exclusively of cow's milk. Can you find a Feta that tastes just as good as the real thing? I can't.

Depending on how watery your potatoes are, you might need to add only one egg. I also had to set up two plates with flour as the potato patties were rather sticky in the beginning. This step is only necessary if the potato mixture is a little on the soft side. A firm potato dough is easier to work with and less messy.

Choose a cooking oil with high "smoke points". Canola oil is a good choice. Feta cheese is salt. These patties were salty enough without any additional salt.

INGREDIENTS:
serves 4
* 500 grams boiled, peeled and mashed potatoes
* 1 beaten egg
* 1 tablespoon soft butter
* plenty of finely chopped parsley
* 75 grams grated semi hard Feta cheese
* several twists of the pepper mill
* flour
* frying oil

METHOD:
1. Start mixing the mashed potatoes with one beaten egg.
2. If necessary, add more than one beaten eggs.
3. Then add butter, parsley, Feta cheese and pepper.
4. Work the mixture well.
5. Shape the mixture into balls, gently flatten each potato ball a little.
6. Coat the patties in the flour.
7. Deep fry in hot oil on both sides until golden brown (do not burn the oil).
8. Drain and serve hot or warm.

Potato patties can be eaten alone as a simple vegetarian meal. If preferred, they may very well be accompanied by this fresh, light and flavorful salad on the side:

INGREDIENTS:
* 500 grams tomatoes, cut into mouthful pieces
* 2 cucumbers, peeled and cut into mouthful pieces
* 1 red onion, thinly sliced
* 200 grams semi hard Feta cheese, grated

METHOD:
1. Combine tomatoes, cucumbers and red onion in a bowl.
2. Portion on plates.
3. Sprinkle a thick generous layer of grated Feta cheese over the salad.

I left sunflower oil, salt and pepper on the table. This way, everyone can spice up their serving to their tastes. Too much oil makes the salad a bit soggy.

The nutrition label on my Feta cheese package tells me that there are 1143/kJ/276 of Calories, 16,5 g of Protein, 0,7 g of Carbohydrates and 22 g of Fat per 100 grams.

Greek goats and sheep graze freely. They eat the vegetation found on rocks, mountains, hills and plains. They move from place to place in order to find food. The unique flavors of Greek herbs and bushes are transmitted to the cheese made from their milk. Happy animals produce better milk. Better milk produces better cheese. It's that simple.

Matjes Herring Baked in Parchment Paper

kirene@spray.se (Karin) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 22:53:00 +0000

We have celebrated Midsummer this weekend. The National Day of Sweden (the 6th of June), in all its honor, is the least celebrated holiday in Sweden. For us, the most relaxed holiday of the year is Midsummer.

The celebrations are so joyously undemanding when it comes to food. Herring from the sea, soured cream with newly cut chives, potatoes from the earth, washed down with spiced schnapps from ... well ... the Swedish Alcohol Retail Monopoly. For dessert, the first strawberries of summer served with cream.

However, the weather might not always be summer-like. Bad weather really limits outdoor eating.

When it is rainy, windy and cold (12°C), you don't want to eat any cold food, do you? Well, there are other things to do with matjes herring. Do you enjoy tin foil dinners when you are camping? Easy to make and easy to clean up. Here is the belly warming herring we had on this cold Midsummer Eve. Warmed in the oven adds a new dimension to matjes herring. Believe me.

Serve with your choice of bread and cheese.

Matjes Herring in Parchment Paper
serves 4

INGREDIENTS:
* 4 sheets of parchment paper
* 2 tins Matjes Herring (2x200 grams/2x7 oz), cut diagonally into pieces
* 400 - 500 grams cold boiled potatoes, sliced
* 4 hard boiled eggs, cut in wedges
* 2 tablespoons finely chopped dill
* 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
* 2 small very finely sliced red onions
* 50 grams butter
* black pepper

METHOD
For each serving portion:
1. Place sliced potatoes on parchment paper
2. Top with pieces of matjes herring.
3. Arrange wedges of egg, dill, chives and red onion on top of herring.
4. Top with butter and add freshly ground black pepper.
5. Bring the edges of parchment paper together and scrunch to seal.
6. Place the parcels on a baking sheet.
7. Bake in preheated oven, 200°C (=392°F), for 15 minutes.

Note: You need to use heavy duty aluminum foil if you want to put the food parcels on the grill, or alongside your campfire.

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