Shredded Chicken With Bacon

A dish with nice textures and flavors. Since the chicken is raw it's not actually shredding since that would turn it to mush, but "stripped chicken" doesn't sounds nearly as good.


4 chicken fillets
1 packet of bacon (ca 140g)
1 leek
1tsp salt
1 pinch of pepper
2 1/2dl cream
15 green olives


Cut the chicken and bacon into strips.

Clean and slice the leek.

Fry the bacon without adding extra oil or grease to the pan.

Remove and let the bacon drain any extra grease on a piece paper, leaving as much bacon fat in the pan as you can.

Fry the chicken and leek in the leftover bacon fat.

Flavor with salt and pepper.

Pour in the cream and let simmer without a lid for about 5min.

Slice the olives, then mix in them and the bacon into the pan.

Serve with pasta and some sliced tomatoes.


Enjoy!

Red Bean Salad

All types of beans and lentils are nice to use in salads because they absorb oil and vinegar dressings until they are bursting with flavor.


1 can of red beans
1 red onion
1tbl balsamic vinegar
3tbl olive oil
salt
pepper
a few sprigs if fresh thyme


Mix together the oil and vinegar and flavor with some salt and pepper to make the dressing.

Cut the red onion in half and then into fine slices.

Drain the liquid from the beans, then rinse them with water and then drain them again.

Mix the beans and onions together.

Pour over the dressing let the salad sit for a while, preferably a few hours. Mix the salad a few times while it sits so that the dressing doesn't just settle at the bottom of the bowl.

Garnish with the thyme.

Serve with any grilled meat or chicken.


Enjoy!

Parmesan Leaves

Thin, delicate crackers that go well with a drink or a glass of wine. The only tool you'll need is a food processor.


1dl flour
1dl graham flour
2 pinches of salt
1/2tsp baking powder
1 pinch cayenne pepper
4dl finely grated Parmesan cheese
100g cold butter
2tbl water


Place all the dry ingredients in the processor together with 3dl of the cheese and the butter cut into small pieces.

Mix until the butter is evenly spread and then add the water and blend until it is a dough.

Shape the dough into a roll that's 4-5cm in diameter, then place in the freezer for 30min.

Set the oven to 200ºC.

Cut the cold roll into very thin slices and place them on a baking paper covered baking sheet.

Sprinkle over the rest of the Parmesan.

Bake in the middle of the oven for about 10min.



Enjoy!

Chocolate Mousse

A simple mousse recipe with a bit of coffee to enhance the chocolate flavor. You can of course skip the coffee if you wish.


100g dark chocolate
1tbl freshly brewed strong coffee
2 egg yolks
3dl whipping cream


Melt the chocolate.

Stir in the coffee and egg yolks into the chocolate and then let the mix cool.

Beat the cream thick and creamy but not too stiff because that can make the mousse grainy.

Fold half of the cream in to the chocolate and stir together well.

Fold in the rest of the cream this time much more carefully so as to keep as much air in the mousse as you possibly can.

Pour the mousse into a bowl or in single portion dishes like tea cups or wine glasses.

Let harden in the fridge for about 3 hours, it can sit over night if you want to prepare it nice and early.



Enjoy!

Calabrian Mushroom Soup

A delicious soup with nice big pieces of mushrooms from the southern part of mainland Italy. Use a variety of mushrooms to get a mix of flavors and colors. The use of bread might seem odd but it's an old Italian tradition to use up stale bread and make soups more filling at the same time.


2tbl olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
500g mixed mushrooms (porcini, oyster and ordinary white mushrooms all work very well)
3dl milk
9dl hot vegetable stock
8 baguette slices, toasted
3tbl melted butter
2 garlic cloves, pressed
ca. 2dl grated cheese (Gruyère and Cheddar both work)


Heat up the oil and fry the onion for 3-4min or until it's soft and golden.

Clean the mushrooms and cut any too large ones into nice morsels.

Put the mushrooms in the frying pan and turn them over quickly in the oil.

Pour in the milk and bring to the boil, then lower the heat and let simmer under cover for 5 minutes.

Stir in the warm stock a little at a time and add salt and pepper to taste.

Mix together the melted butter and garlic and spread it thick over the toasted bread.

Place the bread at the bottom of a large soup terrine or spread evenly in 4 deep dishes/bowls.

Pour the hot soup over the bread, sprinkle over the grated cheese and serve immediately.


Enjoy!

Herb Garden Sauce

A french sauce that is loaded with flavor.


1dl mayonnaise
1dl cream
2tbl chives, finely chopped
2tbl dill, finely chopped
2tsb tarragon, dried
2tsb chervil, dried
salt and pepper to taste


Mix the mayonnaise with the fresh and dried herbs.

Whip the cream nice and thick.

Fold the cream into the mayonnaise.

Flavor with the salt and pepper.

Let the sauce sit in the fridge for 1-2 hours so that the sauce can absorb all the flavor of the herbs.

Serve with boiled or smoked salmon, any white fish or shellfish.


Enjoy!

Iced Tea

A refreshing summer drink that I tend to enjoy all year round. This recipe makes about four glasses worth of iced tea.


1 liter cold strong tea
6-8tbl sugar (depending on how sweet you want it)
juice from 1 lemon
ice cubes
thin lemon slices

Mix together the tea, sugar and lemon juice.

Pour into 4 tall glasses.

Put in ice cubes and lemon slices.


Enjoy!

Almond Eggs

A nice little side dish that is made in the microwave to make it easier and keep the nice pale colors. You will need a cup or portion dish for each one.


1 small shallot
1 egg
1tbl grated Parmesan cheese
1tbl cream
1tbl almond flakes


Peel and chop the shallot.

Place in the bottom of the dish/cup, cover and heat at full power in the microwave for 1-2min.

Mix in the Parmesan with the onion.

Break the egg into the cup/dish.

Carefully poke a hole in the yolk with a toothpick. (you want the yolk as whole as possible but you don't want it to explode)

Pour over the cream and the almond flakes.

Cover and cook at half effect for 4-5min.

Let sit for a few minutes to let the heat even out.

Serve with spinach or smoked salmon.


Enjoy!

Oven Baked Bananas

A flavorful dessert that reminds you of summer when it's wet or cold outside.


4-6 bananas
1/2tbl ginger, freshly grated
2tbl brown sugar
1/2dl chopped nuts (whatever type you like)
25g butter
juice from half a lemon


Peel the bananas and place them in a slightly greased oven safe dish.

Mix the ginger, sugar and nuts and sprinkle over the bananas.

Put small dollops of the butter evenly on the bananas and drip the lemon juice over them.

Set in an oven at 250ºC until they have gained some color.

Ladle some of the liquids over the bananas once or twice.

Serve with ice-cream or whipped cream.


Enjoy!

Lemon Pasta

An extremely simple recipe that works well with fish and shellfish dishes.


300-400g pasta (whatever type you want/have)
juice and zest from 1 lemon
1/2dl chopped parsley
2-3tbl olive oil

Cook the pasta according to its own instructions.

Mix together the lemon juice, zest, parsley and olive oil.

Stir the lemon sauce into the pasta.

Serve with any fish dish.



Enjoy!

French Mushrooms

This recipe is a simplified version of mushrooms à la grecque. You do not cook the mushrooms in this version and you use vinegar instead of white whine.


200g mushrooms
1tbl vinegar
1/2tsb salt
1 pinch of ground pepper
3-4tbl oil
1 clove of garlic, pressed
finely chopped parsley


Mix the vinegar, salt and pepper.

Then add the oil and pressed garlic and let the dressing sit for a while.

Clean the mushrooms and rinse them if need be.

Cut them into slices.

Place them in a bowl or deep dish and pour the dressing over them.

Let the mushrooms sit in the fridge for about an hour.

Decorate by sprinkling some parsley over the top.

Serve as a side dish with meat or fish.


Enjoy!

Chocolate Sauce

The perfect accompaniment to vanilla ice-cream and way to get nuts and sprinkles to stick to said ice-cream.



3 1/2tbl cocoa powder
1 1/2dl sugar
2 1/2dl water
1 1/2tbl butter or margarine (optional)

Mix water, cocoa and sugar in a saucepan.

Cook at an even medium heat until the texture is almost creamy.

Add the margarine or butter if you want to use it, it makes the sauce richer and glossier.

Serve with ice-cream or any type of fruit

Enjoy!

Sausage And Bean Stew

A simple dish that works well when you are stressed and it's cold out.


400g sausage (whatever type you like or have)
2 bell peppers (any colors)
4dl crushed tomatoes
1-2tsp sambal oelek
2 pinches of salt
1 can white beans in tomato sauce (add more if you feel like it)
3-4tbl of any green herb (cilantro, oregano, parsley anything you like)


Rinse, deseed and dice the peppers.

Cut the sausages into pieces of whatever size you like.

Boil the crushed tomatoes together with the sambal oelek and salt.

Add the pepper and sausages and simmer under a lid for about 5 min.

Pour in the beans and let them get warm.

Sprinkle over your chosen herb.

Serve with nice white bread.


Enjoy!

Curry Pork Taco

This strange mix makes a quite tasty variation to the normal taco flavors and is quite refreshing.


300-400g fillet of pork
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1-2tsb curry powder (depending on strength and flavor)
1 red pepper, diced
1 banana, sliced
1-2dl crème fraîche
cayenne pepper


Slice the pork into small strips.

Fry the pork and onion together until the pork has gained some color.

Sprinkle over the curry powder.

Stir in the red pepper, banana and crème fraîche.

Cook together at medium heat for about 10-15min or until it's nice and thick.

Flavor with a little cayenne pepper and salt and black pepper.

Serve in hard taco shells or tortillas and maybe some mango chutney and a salad.

Italian Lamb Shanks

This is a recipe that I found in an old Betty Crocker cook book that my mom had and it's been a favorite of my dads ever since. The recipe uses lamb shanks but I used pieces of lamb cut to the size of pork chops the first time I cooked this with great success.


2 1/2dl Italian dressing
4 lamb shanks (1kg - 1 1/2kg)
1 1/2dl grated Parmesan cheese
4tbl flour
1tbl dried parsley flakes
1/2tsb salt
1/2tsb onion powder
5tbl shortening (margarine or similar)


Marinade the meat in the dressing for at least 5 hours.

Remove the meat and save any excess marinade.

Mix the Parmesan cheese, flour, parsley, salt and onion.

Coat the meat with the mixture and save any mix leftover.

Melt the shortening in a pan with a lid and cook the meat until it's nice and brown on all sides.

Reduce the heat and pour in the extra marinade and sprinkle over the leftover mixture.

Cover and let simmer for about 2 1/2 hours or until tender. Reduce the time if using smaller pieces of meat.

Serve with boiled or mashed potatoes, pasta or rice and a nice green salad.



Enjoy!

Honey And Mustard Sauce

A quick sauce that goes well with sausages or grilled meat. Keeps for about 2 weeks in the fridge.

3tbl Dijon mustard
4tbl clear honey
2tsp soy
4tbl balsamic vinegar
1dl water


Pour all the ingredients in a sauce pan.

Cook at a low temperature for about 5min, stirring it a few times.

Pour into a bowl and serve.


Enjoy!

Shopka Salad

A Bulgarian national dish at its simplest. Simple cut the vegetables into pieces of whatever size you prefer.


4 tomatoes, cut into pieces
1/3-1/2 cucumber, cut into pieces
1 bell pepper of any color, cut into strips
1 yellow onion, chopped
200g white sheep's milk cheese

Distribute the vegetables on to four bowls or small plates.

Grate the cheese and pile it on top of the vegetables so that it looks vaguely like a snow drift.

Serve as a started to almost any dish.


Enjoy!

Savoys Dijon Sandwich

This sandwich was invented at the hotel Savoy in Malmö in southern Sweden where it was called the Dijon sandwich because of the mustard it contains. The placement of the egg depends on whether you want to eat it with your hands or use a fork and knife.


8 thin slices of bread, toasted
100g ham, sliced into thin strips
100g fried bacon, sliced into thin strips
2tbs Dijon mustard
4 eggs


Mix together the ham, bacon and mustard.

Spread the mixture between two pieces of bread.

Fry the eggs and place either in the sandwich or on the sandwich.


Enjoy!

Deviled Eggs

A side dish that's perfect for dinner parties and very easy to make. I chose not to write any specific amount of mayonnaise since it will depend on how big your eggs are and how thick you want the deviled mixture to be.


6 eggs, hard boiled and cold
mayonnaise
1tbl mustard
paprika powder


Cut the eggs in half lengthwise and remove the yolks.

Mash the yolks together with mayonnaise until you get the texture you want. (I prefer it quite thick so I don't use a lot of mayonnaise)

Flavor the mixture with the mustard and a little bit of paprika.

Dollop the mixture back into the holes in the egg halves.

Sprinkle a little paprika powder over each deviled egg for decoration.


Enjoy!

Chicken And Rice Casserole

This recipe is something my mother received from a friend of hers. It is quite vague but make enough rice for the amount of people you are cooking for and enough chicken/ham, mushrooms and leek to be evenly spread over the top of it. The reason I wrote chicken/ham is that we often substitute the grilled chicken with smoked ham. Depending on how much you make you may have to increase the amount of sauce.



rice (cooked)
leek (sliced and fried, 1 leek is usually enough)
mushrooms (sliced and fried)
grilled chicken/smoked ham (diced into 1cm cubes)
3dl cream
2dl crème fraîche
1tbl mustard
cheese (sliced or grated)

Fill the bottom casserole dish with the rice.

Spread the fried leek and mushrooms evenly over the rice.

Next evenly distribute the cubes of chicken/ham over the top.

Mix the cream, crème fraîche and mustard together to make the sauce.

Pour the sauce over everything making sure nothing is too dry.

Grate or slice cheese over everything.

Bake in the oven at 225ºC for 20min.

Serve with Thai sweet chili sauce and a salad.


Enjoy!

Lamb In Cabbage

Another Swedish classic of the best kind, just a few ingredients and hardly any preparations.



1-1 1/2kg lamb (cut into pieces suitable for a stew)
1 small head of cabbage
6 yellow onions, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
10 white peppercorns
1tbl salt
3 sprigs of thyme
1 bay leaf



Put the meat in a large pot and pour in enough water to cover it.

Then bring to the boil and skim off the fat thoroughly.

Chop up the cabbage and fry it lightly.

Put the cabbage in the pot together with the onions, carrot, herbs and spices.

Cover with a lid and boil slowly for 1 - 1 1/2 hours.

Taste and check if the meat is tender, add more herbs and spices if needed.

Serve with boiled potatoes.


Enjoy!