Baked Bell Peppers

These work well as a little heavier starter or as part of a buffet. The filling can be infinitely varied with what you have or like. This a very simple variation of it.


4 bell peppers
600g minced meat (any type)
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 red chili, chopped
2dl grated cheese


Cut the top of the peppers so you get a lid and clean them out so you don't have any seeds left.

Fry the meat together with the onion and chili.

Fill the peppers with the meat mixture and sprinkle the cheese on top.

Bake in the oven at 175ºC for about 20min until the cheese is nice and golden brown.

Serve on their own or with a little bit of rice or pasta.


Enjoy!

Real Chocolate Milk

For when you are feeling more extravagant than usual, this classic drink is sure to warm you on a cold evening.


40g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
3dl milk


Place the chocolate in a large heat resistant jug or pitcher.

Bring the milk to the boil in a thick bottomed pan.

Pour about a fourth of the milk over the chocolate and let the chocolate get soft.

Stir until the milk and chocolate mix is smooth.

Put the rest of the milk back on the heat and bring to the boil again.

Pour it over the chocolate mix and stir continuously until it has all blended together.

Pour into cups and decorate with grated chocolate or a dollop of whipped cream.

Serve immediately.


Enjoy!

Creamy Chicken Soup

A soup with classic flavors that works well for parties and for everyday use.


8tbl butter
1 leek, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 carrots, cut into small pieces
6dl chicken stock
600g chicken fillets, cut into strips
6dl cream
4tsp chives, chopped
8tsp basil, chopped


Heat the butter in a pan and fry the leek, garlic and carrots for a few minutes.

Pour in the chicken stock and chicken strips and let simmer for 15 minutes.

Add cream, chives and basil.

Stir constantly until the soup has gotten on a nice creamy texture.

Serve with some nice bread.


Enjoy!

Bacon And Cheese Muffins

These are not true muffins, they are more like pancakes in muffin form. They are quite filling so you won't eat to many of them at a time but they are perfect picnic food. This recipe uses a lot of eggs but it is basically one egg for each muffin.


200g bacon
200g cheese , of whatever type you prefer
10 eggs
2dl cream
white pepper


Chop the bacon into small pieces and fry until crispy.

Grate the cheese.

Beat together the eggs and cream.

Mix everything together and flavor with ground white pepper.

Pour into large muffin cups or tin.

Bake in the oven at 200ºC for 15-20 minutes.



Enjoy!

Green Omelet

Simple, beautiful and with a lot of flavor.


3 eggs
3tbl water
1tbl parsley, chopped
1tbl dill, chopped
1tsp tarragon, chopped
1tsp oregano, chopped


Mix all the herbs together in a bowl.

Break the eggs into the bowl,  add the water and quickly whisk together into a green batter.

Lightly brown some butter in a frying pan then pour in the batter.

Fry as lightly as you can, you don't want it to gain much color, just to get somewhat stiff.

Serve immediately with some nice bread and tea.


Enjoy!

Italian Double Decker Sandwich

A combination of the sandwich pizza and french toast that becomes so wonderfully gooey with the mozzarella.


8 slices of white bread
4 thick slices of mozzarella
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1dl milk
salt and pepper


Cut the crusts from the bread slices.

Cover 4 bread slices with the mozzarella and add some salt and pepper.

Place the other pieces of bread on top and press together very firmly.

Mix the eggs and milk together and turn the sandwiches in it.

Fry the sandwiches until golden brown.

Serve immediately.


Enjoy!

Salmon Skewers With Saffron Sauce

Easy, simple skewers with a very tasty and simple dipping sauce.


ca. 500g salmon fillets, bone free
ca. 500g shrimps with shells left on
3tbl lemon juice
2tbl oil
1tbl soy
1tsp salt
2 pinches of lemon pepper
3dl sour cream
1 packet of saffron, powdered (ca. 1/2g)
2tbl mango chutney


Cut the salmon into cubes that are about 2cm thick and place in a bowl suitable for marinading in.

Mix together the lemon juice, oil, soy, salt and lemon pepper to make the marinade and pour over the salmon.

Clean and peel the shrimp but leave the heads on, this will ensure that they won't fall apart so easily on the skewers.

Flavor the sour cream with the saffron and mango chutney to make the dip, if the chutney has very large chunks you might want to chop them into smaller pieces for ease of dipping.

Let the salmon drain a bit on some paper towels, saving the marinade left in the bowl, before threading them and the shrimp on to skewers.

Grill for about 5 min brushing on more of the remaining marinade as you go along.

Serve with the saffron sauce and any potato or rice dish along with a green salad.


Enjoy!

Simple Applesauce

Applesauce is sometimes forgotten by a lot of people but when remembered is almost always recalled with fondness. It's quite a versatile condiment, it works well with roast pork or fowl and it is often eaten for dessert, either own its own or warmed up with ice-cream.This version does not have a lot of sugar in it so if you want to preserve it for longer than a week in the fridge you will need to freeze it.


450g apples, peeled and diced
2tbl water
1tbl sugar


Put the apple cubes and water in a microwave safe container and cover with a lid or plastic wrap. (When using plastic wrap in the microwave make sure it doesn't come in direct contact with the food and try to use a type marked microwave safe)

Heat at full effect for 8 minutes.

Mash the apples until you get it as smooth or chunky as you want and stir in the sugar.

Serve with roast pork or turkey, or have it with ice-cream


Enjoy!

Filled Dates

This is an old roman recipe from about 400 AD so it is a little vague about the amount of things.


1 package of dried dates (as non-sticky as you can get)
crushed or chopped walnuts, pine nuts or black pepper
salt
honey


Make a cut lengthwise in each date and remove the seed.

Fill each one with either the walnuts, pine nuts or a little black pepper.

Roll the filled dates in salt.

Fry them in honey in a frying pan. (The honey  flavor can be quite dominant so you only need a small layer)

Let them cool off on baking paper so that they don't stick together.

Skewer them with a toothpick while they are still warm so they are easier to eat.



Enjoy!

Spinach Salad With Bacon And Blue Cheese

People sometimes forget how tasty fresh spinach can be and if you haven't tried it why not grab a bag next time you're out shopping. I'm using pine nuts in this recipe because they contrast nicely with the rest of the flavors but you can exchange them for chopped walnuts or skip them entirely.


4 fistfuls of fresh spinach
1 packet of bacon (ca, 140g)
100g blue cheese (a mild and creamy one works well)
ca. 1tbl roasted pine nuts (optional)
olive oil
balsamic vinegar


Rinse the spinach and place in a salad bowl.

Cut the bacon into strips and fry until crispy. Let it drain in a paper towel and spread it over the spinach.

Crumble over the blue cheese and sprinkle the pine nuts over the top.

Drizzle some nice olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar over the salad.

Serve with some nice bread.


Enjoy!

Crimson Blush

This is a very refreshing fruity drink that children love. You will need a liquidizer for this recipe and it makes four servings, but simply repeat the recipe as many times as is needed.


1/4 watermelon (ca. 600g)
125g raspberries
juice from 1 orange


Scoop out the black seeds from the melon and cut away the rind.

Chop it into smaller pieces and put in the liquidizer together with the raspberries and orange juice.

Whiz until smooth.

Serve nice and cold.


Enjoy!

Pasta Au Gratin

 A dish that is nice to make fresh or to use leftover meat and pasta.


4dl macaroni or other short pasta
1 yellow onion
150-200g smoked ham or sausage
2 eggs
3dl milk
1/2tsp salt
1 pinch of pepper
1dl grated cheese


Boil the pasta according to its own instructions and then drain them and pour them in a greased casserole dish.

Peel the onion and then chop the onion and meat.

Fry the onion and meat together and spread evenly over the pasta.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper and pour into the dish.

Sprinkle the cheese over everything.

Bake in the middle of the oven at 200ºC for 40min or until the gratin has solidified and gained some nice color on top.

Serve with salad and tomato sauce.


Enjoy!

Crabfish Suprise

A nice starter or as hors d'oeuvres. The only thing that can be tricky to get are ready made croustades or similar small savory pastries that are hard shelled and will not absorb anything.


1 package frozen crab sticks/surimi sticks (ca. 250g)
1 small yellow onion
1dl crème fraiche or sour cream
1 1/2tbl chili sauce
1tsp Worcester sauce
1/2tsp soy
1tsp crushed pink pepper (rosépeppar to the swedes)
ca. 6 small hard pastries that are easily filled and easily holdable


Thaw and cut the crab sticks into smaller pieces, a little thinner than cubes works well.

Peel the onion and finely chop it.

Fry the onion in a little butter until it has gone mostly transparent but not brown.

Mix the crab sticks with the rest of the ingredients so that everything is evenly coated.

Fill the pastry shells/croustades and then heat them at full power in the microwave for 1-2min.

Let them rest for a about a min then serve.


Enjoy!

Fruity Meat Filling

A nice mix of savory and natural sweet flavors.


400g minced meat (of whatever type you prefer)
1 large yellow onion
1 large apple
3tbl raisins
1tsp curry powder
1tsp salt
1 pinch of pepper


Peel and chop the onion finely.

Fry the onions together with the meat until the meat is done.

Cut the apple into small cubes.

Mix in the apple, raisins, curry powder, salt and pepper into the meat.

Fry the mixture a little bit more so that everything gets heated through.

Serve warm in pita bread, tortilla or similar. You might want to add some shredded lettuce and a dab of yoghurt to add more texture and flavor.


Enjoy!

Beekeepers Cod

An interesting dish that is quick to prepare and quick to cook, the only part that takes time is letting the fish soak in the marinade. The use of lemon balm ,besides being delicious, is quite symbolic because the Greek name for the plant is Melissa which means 'honey bee'.


400g frozen or fresh cod fillets
1dl honey
1tbl white wine vinegar
1/2tsp salt
1tbl oil
1 pinch of lemon pepper
lemon balm for garnish (citron mellis for the swedes reading)


Cut the cod into smaller pieces and place them in a dish that you can use in the microwave.

Mix together the rest of the ingredients in a bowl, excluding the lemon balm.

Pour the marinade over the fish and cover the dish.

Let sit in a cold place for a couple of hours.

Cook in the microwave at full power for 4-5min.

Garnish with the lemon balm.

Serve with boiled or pressed potatoes and green peas or a salad.



Enjoy!

Hot Dog Salad

A hot dog is always a welcome snack but sometimes you get a few left over and this salad is a good way to use them.


4 grilled/boiled hot dogs
5 boiled potatoes
1/3 cucumber
3-5 pickle slices
4 tomatoes
1 red onion
a small bunch of chives
1 1/2dl mayonnaise
1tbl mustard
1/2dl crème fraiche or sour cream
salt
pepper


Slice the hot dogs thinly.

Cut the potatoes, cucumber and pickle slices into triangles of similar size to the hot dog slices.

Chop the red onion and chives into small pieces.

Flavor the mayonnaise with the mustard, crème fraiche, salt and pepper.

Mix everything, except the tomatoes, together and place in a bowl.

Cut the tomatoes into nice wedges or slices and decorate along the edge of the bowl.


Enjoy!

Salami Chicken

An interesting way to spruce up chicken fillets.


4 chicken fillets
100g salami, thinly sliced
1/2tsp salt
1/2tsp pepper
1tbl soy
1tbl oil
2tsp honey


Make a deep cut along the side of the fillets and fill the cuts with salami slices.

Place the fillets in an oven safe dish and salt and pepper them.

Mix the oil, soy and honey together and brush the fillets with the mixture.

Place the dish in the oven and cook at 200ºC for 15-20min depending on the size of the fillets.

See if the fillets are done by checking if the juices from the chicken are clear without any pink in it or cut one open to make absolutely sure.

Serve with the liquids that have collected at the bottom of the dish and pasta mixed with green beans, red onion and/or black olives.


Enjoy!

Potato And Tomato Casserole

A nice vegetable dish with a nice mix of sweet and savory flavors.

2tbl butter
2 large yellow onions, finely sliced
1 crushed garlic clove
450g potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
3dl vegetable stock, warm
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
50g grated cheese
1tsb chives, chopped
salt and pepper


Melt the butter in a pan and fry the onion and garlic lightly.

Make alternating layers of the sliced potatoes and onion mixture in a casserole dish. Salt and pepper thoroughly between each layer.

Pour over the warm stock and place a lid on the dish.

Place in the oven at 160ºC until the potatoes feel soft and the stock is absorbed, should be around 1 hour and 15min.

Lay the sliced tomatoes on top and sprinkle the cheese over them.

Place the dish back in the oven without a lid until the cheese has gained some color.

Sprinkle the chives over the top just before serving.

Serve with pork chops, beef steak or hamburgers.



Enjoy!

Warm Chocolate Pudding

Beneath a layer of nuts, caramel and chocolate lies a wonderfully smooth and warm chocolate pudding.
All the ingredients are mixed together and then the pudding separates into layers when you bake it.


50g walnuts
50g butter, room temperature
1dl light/golden syrup
2 eggs
3 1/2dl milk
3/4dl flour
2tbl cocoa powder
2tbl cognac, rum or orange juice for flavor (optional)


Lightly grease a oven safe dish that can hold at least 1 liter.

Chop the walnuts.

Stir together the butter and syrup until smooth.

Mix in the eggs.

Whisk in the milk and then add the walnuts and eventual flavoring.

Sift in the flour and cocoa.

Beat together until you have a thin, even batter.

Pour the batter into the dish.

Bake for 35-40min at 175ºC.

Serve warm.



Enjoy!

Blue Cheese Pasta

A simple recipe with rich flavors.


300-400g long pasta (spaghetti, tagliatelle or fettuccine work well)
50g blue cheese (whatever type you prefer)
2tbl chopped walnuts
2-3tbl olive oil


Cook the pasta according to its own instructions.

Mash the cheese into paste and mix with the chopped nuts and olive oil.

Stir into the freshly cooked pasta.

Serve with steamed broccoli and/or grilled chicken


Enjoy!

Boomerang Cookies

Very delicate and tender cookies full of nutty flavor. The name comes from the shape you give them when you bend them.


3/4dl hazelnuts
3/4dl walnuts
1 1/2dl sugar
200g butter
4dl flour
powdered sugar for decoration


Set the oven to 175ºC.

Roast the nuts in a dry pan and then rub the skin of of them with a towel.

Chop the nuts finely.

Beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy.

Work in the flour and chopped nuts using your fingertips.

Let the dough rest in a cool place for about 30min.

Split the dough into 4 parts and then each part into 12 pieces.

Roll each piece until it's around 8cm long.

Bend them in the middle so they look like boomerangs.

Place them on a baking sheet covered with baking paper.

Bake them for about 15min until they start to gain some color.

Let them cool off on the baking sheet.

Dust them lightly with the powdered sugar before serving.

Serve with a nice cup of coffee or tea.


Enjoy!

Hamburger Pizza

A nice accompaniment to soups and salads for a simple lunch. It also works as a midnight snack to go along with tea or beer. It is a perfect way to make use of the hamburger buns that you always have leftover after grilling.


1 hamburger bun
1tsb butter
2 slices of cheese
1 slice of ham or enough salami to cover a bun
1-2tsp chili sauce
 oregano


Butter the bread.

Spread the chili sauce over them and sprinkle on as much oregano as you like.

Place the meat and cheese in the middle and put the bun together.

Heat at full effect for 1/2 - 1min in a microwave.

Serve with a soup or salad or on its own.


Enjoy!

Fish With Tomato Blanket

A refreshing dish that is surprisingly light.



600g fish fillets, fresh or frozen (cod, haddock, pollock)
2tbl butter
1tsp salt
1/2 pinch white pepper
2tbl Dijon mustard
2tbl dill, finely chopped
2 tomatoes
1/4 leek
2tbl fine breadcrumbs



Set the oven to 225ºC

Use half the butter to grease an oven safe dish.

Cut the fish, half thawed, into 2cm thick pieces and place in the dish. (if fresh, fillets are usually thin enough so they shouldn't need to be sliced)

Salt and pepper the fillets then spread the mustard over them.

Sprinkle over the dill.

Slice the tomatoes and chop the leek and spread over the fish.

Place the rest of the butter in small pieces evenly over it and then sprinkle over the breadcrumbs.

Put the dish in the middle of the oven for 15-20min if the fish was fresh or about 30min if it was frozen.

Test the fish with a fork to see of it's done,it should be white and nontransparent.

Serve with pressed or mashed potatoes or rice.



Enjoy!