Tortellini Salad

A nice hefty salad that makes for a great party dish. Fresh fruit works very well as a dessert afterwards as it complements the salty and savory flavors of the salad.


1 bag of cheese filled tortellini (ca, 250g)
ca, 1dl Italian dressing
2 bell peppers, cut into strips (one red and one yellow looks best)
8-10 cocktail tomatoes, cut in half
ca, 20 olives, mixed and seedless
2-3dl cheese, in small cubes
1/2-1dl fresh basil, finely chopped
ca, 12 salami slices


Cook the tortellini according to its own instructions.

Drain the pasta and mix it with the dressing while still warm in a bowl and set aside a let cool.

Prepare the vegetables and mix them into the cooled off pasta together with the cheese and basil.

Roll the salami slices into cones and push them into the salad so that they stick upwards like tasty flowers.

Serve with some nice bread to soak up the dressing afterwards.


Enjoy!

Prince Bertils Filled Minute Steaks

It took me a while to find a translation for the Swedish "lövbiff" (leaf beef) but I finally found out that it was usually called minute or cube steak.


8-10 slices of minute steak (ca. 500g)
1 red onion, finely chopped
3-4tbl blue cheese, grated
2-3tbl unsweetened mustard
salt
pepper


Fry the onion in a little bit of butter for a few minutes and then let it get cool.

Mix together the onion, cheese and mustard.

Spread the mixture evenly between the steak slices.

Fold the steak slices in half and fasten each one with a toothpick so they don't come apart when you fry them.

Fry the steaks for about 1 1/2 minute on each side. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with boiled or fried potatoes, green peas and blackcurrant jelly.


Enjoy!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

Eggs In Caves

A simple but slightly odd breakfast dish. This recipe makes one, so simply make one for each person.


1 bread roll
1 egg
1 slice of ham
1-2 slices of cheese


Cut off the top of the roll and remove some of the insides of the roll to make a hole large enough for an egg to fit.

Crack the egg into the hole, then puncture the yolk without breaking it. (This is so it doesn't explode when you cook it in the microwave)

Cover the hole with the slice of ham and then the cheese.

Place on a plate and cook in the microwave at full effect for 1-2min. (The cheese should just be beginning to melt)

Serve with any breakfast accessories you prefer.



Enjoy!

Red Pesto

A nice variation of the ordinary green pesto that gets it's red color from the sun dried tomatoes in it. The pine nuts have been replaced with walnuts or hazelnuts.


10 sun dried tomatoes in oil
25g Parmesan cheese in pieces
1 garlic clove
25g walnuts or hazelnuts
1dl basil, roughly chopped
2 pinches of salt
1dl olive oil


Place the tomatoes and pieces of cheese evenly in a food processor.

Add the garlic, nuts, basil and salt and blend until you have an even mixture.

Whilst you are blending add the oil a little bit at a time so that the mixture has time to absorb the oil before you add more.

Serve with grilled or fried beef, with lamb or game, or mix it with spaghetti for a quick pasta dish.

Parisienne Salad

You can most often find this salad in taverns and pubs in and around Paris where they usually serve it  as a starter but it works very well as a light lunch. The clove of garlic is used in what may seem like an odd way, you cut it in half and rub the inside of the salad bowl with it for just a slight hint of garlic.


200-300g mushrooms
200g boiled or smoked ham
200g Swiss cheese
4 tomatoes
1 head of iceberg lettuce
1tbl red wine vinegar
4tbl olive oil
1tsb french mustard
1/2tsb dried tarragon
1 clove of garlic (optional)
chopped parsley


Stir the mustard into the vinegar and add the oil. Then flavor it with the tarragon and some salt and pepper.

Cut the clove of garlic in half and rub the inside of the salad bowl with it.

Clean and cut the mushrooms into rough slices. Put them in the bowl and pour the dressing over them and mix carefully so you don't break the mushrooms to much. Let soak for about 20 minutes.

Slice the ham into strips that aren't too thin.

Cut the cheese into small cubes or into strips similar to the ham.

Quarter the lettuce and cut off the stem, then slice it into thin strips about 1cm thick.

Cut the tomatoes into wedges.

Mix everything except the tomatoes and parsley together in the bowl.

Decorate the finished salad with the tomato wedges and sprinkle the parsley over the top.


Enjoy!

Roquamole

This is a creation of Nigella so all credit goes to her. I am merely posting this here so I can find it easier. It works extremely well with tortilla chips and dippable vegetables. Can also be used in tacos or similar. You can easily skip the jalapenos or onions if you want, they are there for more flavor and texture.
You may also want to add a little bit of lemon/lime juice to keep it from turning brown.

125g Roquefort or St. Agur cheese
60ml sour cream
2 ripe avocados
35g sliced pickled green jalapenos (5-8 slices)
2 finely sliced spring onions (scallions)
1-2 pinches of paprika powder


Crumble or mash the cheese in a bowl and mix it with the sour cream.

Mash in the avocados using a fork.

Roughly chop the jalapenos and stir in them and the sliced onions into the mix.

Pour into a serving bowl and dust with the paprika.

Serve with tortilla chips or vegetables suitable for dipping.


Enjoy!