About 8 weeks ago Barbara@ justasmidgen posted this fantastic recipe – on Remembrance Day, 11-11, “Vegan Lebanese Couscous with Roasted Tomatoes and Olives” Once again a recipe talked to me directly- “make me soon”. I didn’t have time to try it out until … Continue reading
This is something I eat both as a starter and as side dish to a nice piece of meat – it goes with anything. So quick to make and full of Mediterranean flavors, which we all like and it’s a … Continue reading
This is one of my favorite summer lunch dishes … especially when girlfriends are around – never eat lunch when I’m on my own – just take a bowl of natural yoghurt with some muesli on. This is a such a quick … Continue reading
Yesterday evening – 3rd evening of eating out on the balcony – been busy with getting everything up to scratch with my itinerary … so I didn’t bother go shopping for dinner. So I looked through larder and freezer, and … Continue reading
One of my food loving sisters here – are vegetarian - so even if she cheer me on and give praise, she are not able to eat most of what I have posted so fare – this is first of all to … Continue reading
This is something with that I with pleasure will served with game or any nicely roasted meat – but have also served as a brunch dish with assorted cold meats. Love the color it brings to the plate – I’m one of … Continue reading
Checked my product list and costing sheet – 23.03.02 was the day I came up with this dish – but it didn’t reach fleet wide until the summer of 2004, as a starter.
My photo is terrible when transferring it – so I use “corbis” instead.
Now on the net – looking for a good picture there is loads of stacks – and I found one with red onion and watercress with corbis – thank you!. A starter that I have quite often done at home when having guests or main course (all depend on the size of tomatoes) – and everybody loves it and impressed by its look. Have to have a steady hand while carrying the plates.Where always told I was ahead of my time – served chocolate mousse in coffee cups years before every one else started. Where I got my ideas from ????? Keeping my eyes and month open while travelling.
Tomato Mozzarell Stack with Marinaded Red Onion and Watercress
4 person
4 beef tomatoes
40g/1.4oz water cress
240gr/0.5 pound good quality mozzarella cheese.
12 black olives, sliced
2 red onions, sliced and marinade covered in balsamic vinegar for about 30 min
(you can use the balsamic for dressing afterwards) – make sure the rings are not too wet when start stacking. Let them soak on absorbing paper in the fridge.
Dressing:
2 shallot onions, very finely chopped
180ml/6oz olive oil
60ml (4tbsp) balsamic vinegar
30ml (2tbsp) water
5ml (1tsp) caster sugar
salt & freshly ground black pepper
Just mix everything together – dissolve the sugar in the water first before adding to the dressing.
A little tip how to get even onion rings – you slice the onions with the peel on – and remove that afterwards – because that means the onion doesn’t move on the cutting board and the knife don’t slip.
1. First slice the bottom of the tomatoes straight – so they stand stabile– then sliced them into 4-5 slices. Wouldn’t cut the tomatoes in advance because they go all mushy but the cheese – no problems and same with the olives.
2. So when time for serving just start stacking – tomato, onion rings, cheese, black olives and very little watercress – drizzle with a very tiny amount of dressing between every “floor”/tomato slice – and you do so until it’s only the top left – done!
Photos provided by; corbis.com / ecovf.com / cbsnews.com / tradgardenifokus.blogspot.com / greeksunnyday.bmp.sk/ cookwithtom.com
There is always a story behind my food.
During the Athen-time did I have dinner at least twice per week at newly opened Hilton Hotel – in their restaurant “Alexander”, I think today it’s called “Milos” – it was in the basement of the hotel with a beautiful stair case down from the bar. Before every dinner I stopped in bar and had a White Russian – haven’t drank it again after leaving Athens– what happen in Athens, stays in Athens.
There I met Alexander … a beautiful salad that was made in front me at the table. This was before I met “Caesar”. Don’t remember when or where I was introduced to “Caesar” – he didn’t make the same impact on me as “Alexander” did.
Where so fascinated when they prepared the salad, starting of with the garlic and egg yolks, then the anchovy’s and the oil. First the waiter took the garlic glove and dressed the inside of the wooden bowl with it. Then the egg yolk and anchovy’s. Must have eaten that salad nearly 100 times.
So what is the original Caesar Salad. – don’t ask me. Have eaten so many different versions through the years, still “Alexander” must have been close to perfect. Only one time after Athens – the salad have been prepared in front of me and that was at The Yacht Club in Victoria, BC.
It’s without any doubts the world most famous salad and most sold salad too.
We had it on and off the menu – mostly on – because so soon we took it off – the guests start asking for it. We served with chicken, grilled cured ham, salmon or king prawns through the years. Still the plain is the most popular.
So hear comes my/our version – even if we used a ready made dressing – we made a fantastic salad. Think they are still serving it – StenaPlus (business class).
Caesar Salad, 4 person
Dressing:
2 garlic cloves
4 anchovy fillets
5ml (1tsp) salt
5ml (1tsp) freshly ground black pepper
15ml (1tbsp) freshly squeezed lemon juice
5ml (1tsp) Worcestershire sauce
2.5 ml (1/5 tsp) Dijon mustard
1 large egg yolk
100ml extra virgin olive oil
1 head of romaine lettuces
2 head of baby gem lettuces
300ml grated parmesan cheese – 100ml to be mixed with the lettuces.
200ml shaved parmesan as garnish.
4 slices of old white toast bread. – frozen Italian mixed herbs and olive oil
Dressing: -
Place the garlic, anchovy fillets and salt in a wooden bowl. Use 2 dinner forks to mash everything to a paste. Use one fork for whisk in the pepper, lemon juice. Worcestershire sauce, mustard and egg yolk – whisk everything together – add parmesan.
Bread croutons; – we use just old white and brown toast bread – cut the edges of – then turned them in olive oil mixed with frozen Italian herb. Then into the oven (180C) until turned golden – stir around once in a while. We stored them in airtight container. 2 days life span.
The salad – we use two kinds of lettuces to get a some texture to the salad and the baby gem lettuce will lift the salad and it looks much bigger then it’s.
Make sure the lettuces are properly washed – preferable the night before – shaken free of all excess water – stored in air tight container, that will makes the leaves so much crispier.
We mixed a small amount of grated parmesan in with the lettuces – arrange the lettuces on indv. deep large plates or bowls. Scatter the croutons on top and – Drizzle the dressing over and finish off with shaved parmesan on top and freshly ground black pepper.
To get the best shavings of Parmesan cheese – we used a Swedish domestic kitchen tool – called “osthyvel” – we eat a lot of hard cheese in Sweden and we need to slice them, that’s when we use the “osthyvel”. I use it for thinly shavings of cucumber & carrots for other salads (shave them length-ways) – to be find abroad – at IKEA (of course).
Here you have a fantastic – Caesar Salad … καλή σας όρεξη !
Photos provided by; panoramio.com / katiekieffer.com / exploracation.blogspot.com /me / redskapsboden.se /nb-otc.com
3.09.1976 – I landed at Athens’s airport – for a 3 months adventure in one of Europe’s most exciting cities …. Coming out that plane was like walking into a hot wall.. Even if the airport is just by the ocean – it was so hot – never felt anything like it – even the wind was hot.
My “boyfriend” from Monte-Carlo had moved back to Greece after the fall of the Junta in 1974 – and we kept contact through years – so he invited me to stay in his apartment in Athens while he was going away in business for 3 months to Bordeaux.
His apartment was in the fashionable “Kolonaki Sq” (at least in those days) – only 5 min walk to the Syntagma. We had a couple of days together and off he went to France leaving me to the wolfs *smile
During my whole stay – my breakfast every day was – coffee with milk, fresh squeezed 50/ 50 orange and grapefruit juice (tip from one of the waiters) plus a club sandwich and a platter with fresh fruit – at a café just of the Syntagma Square along Vassilissis Sofias Avenue – never knew the name of the café. Just went there every morning. Never had a Club Sandwich (probably the best sandwich in the world) before and never gave it a thought until – I came to America a year late. Same with my lunch, nearly every day – I had a Greek Salad for lunch – where ever I was I ordered a Greek salad. Horiatiki Salad, I think is what the natives call it. It’s very hard to beat a good Greek Salad. Have never returned to Athens …. but it’s on my “bucket list”.
A couple of years ago I came across a recipe from a Swedish TV chef, Fredrik Eriksson – we have them too – he made the salad warm. Just had to try it and it’s really – REALLY good. A lettuce free salad – so now I share it with you.
Warm Greek Salad, 4 portions
1 cucumber
200 gr Feta cheese
4 ripe tomatoes
1 red onion
1 bunch fresh basil
olive oil
100 ml Calamata olives
fresh ground black pepper & salt
1. Halve the cucumber lengthways and scrape out the pips. Cut the cucumber and the feta cheese in thick sticks.
2. Cut the tomatoes into rough pieces and roughly chop the basil
3. Put some olive oil into a sauté pan – and fry the cucumber on very low heat, 4-5 min
4. Add tomatoes, red onion and feta cheese – fry for 2-3 min more.
5. Turn down the chopped basil and olives – and serve. Seasoning with salt and fresh ground black pepper on top.
Απολαύστε !!!!
Photos provided by: Pepe Nilsson / greeceathensaegeaninfo.com / photocarsonline.com / panoramio.com
Goat’s cheese; we are going back about 30 years and I can’t say we had a great realationship. First time I ever tasted goat’s cheese was in 1972 up in the hills above Menton , Cote d’Azur (South of France). A very romantic dinner, at a converted farm (trying to find the name of the place) – really lovely place . The starter was severed in wheelbarrow that was rolled up to the table filled with most delicious pates, cold meats, vegetables (raw and pickled), salads and cheeses, we helped our self to what we wanted and I took a piece of the goats cheese - didn’t have a clue what it was. So when putting a piece of the cheese in my mouth – it just grown on me and it was with big difficulties I manage to get it down. After that indecent I have stayed away from goat’s cheese since about 10 years ago and now I love it – eat so soon as I see it on a menu. My favourite starter after fresh foie gras.
This a hearty cracking dish – that can be done to 80% in advance.
Goat’s cheese baked in a spicy tomato sauce with garlic crostini, 8 portions
1 kg ripe plum tomatoes, halved – bought at least 4 days before usage
60ml (4tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
30ml (2tbsp) balsamic vinegar
45ml (3tbsp) runny honey
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
10ml (2rtsp) dried crushed chillies
5-6 fresh thyme springs
45ml (3tbsp) tomato pure
salt & pepper
Crostini:
1 large French stick, baguette – cut into 16 thick sliced
50ml extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and whole
250gr fresh goat’s cheese log, rind on
1. Preheat the oven 200C/400F/Gas 6. Place the tomatoes halves in a shallow baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey – then scatter over: garlic, chillies, half the thyme and seasoning – bake for about 30 min.
2. Place the roasted tomatoes in a food processor and blend. Add the tomato puree, then taste and add more honey if needed – seasoning off.
Up to here – can be done well ahead. Can be frozen for a rainy day too.
3. Preheat the grill – to make the crostini, brush bread slices with olive oil – then grill until golden and crispy. Rube the garlic clove over each slice. Crostini’s can be made 2 days in advanced and be keep in an airtight container.
To serve;
4. Place the tomato sauce in 8 indv. ramekins – oven proofed. Slice the goat’s chees into rounds and place on top of the sauce. Drizzle with a little olive oil over, strip the leaves from the remaining thyme springs and sprinkle over.
5. Bake at 200C/400/Gas 6 for 10-15 min until the cheese turns golden brown on top and the sauce is warm. Serve with the crostini’s.
Photos provided by: Georgia Glynn Smith / furrytalk.com
… when we started up our ferry route between Victoria, Vancouver Island and Seattle – we wanted to serve Swedish “Smörgåsbord” – a buffet with cold and warm Swedish dishes.
It’s easy to do Swedish meatballs – doesn’t matter where you live – maybe not in the Muslim countries, because of the minced pork. So that was the easy part, but to the second most Swedish dish: Janssons frestelse (“Jansson’s temptation”) so much worst – because we needed a special sweet pickled herring, called “Anjovis” for that. So our savior became the newly open IKEA in Vancouver. We bought up their stock so soon they got some in – the same with our Swedish mineral water “Ramlösa”. Every 2nd week somebody from the office had to go over to Vancouver to buy and bring back. A full day trip.
It became the most popular hot dishes – and IKEA had problems to keep up with our demand. It happen sometimes that we didn’t have any herrings and did the dish without – and nobody noticed the difference. A fantastic dish to serve without the herrings together with any meat. Can be served in indv. ramekins. Recommend that you try it with the herrings – because IKEA have 56 stores around the world. They are in more countries than I have visit *smile – 10 behind them.
M/S “Crown Princess Victoria”, Victoria Harbor – 1990
And who was Janson ????? There is two versions to that:
1. According to some sources has the right to written opera singer Per Adolf “Bob” Janzon, (1844-1889). He made himself known to be offering a late supper with beer, schnapps and anchovy gratin, which would give rise to the name Janzons temptation of this kind of gratin. However, it became commercial names are not widely accepted until 40 years after Janzon’s death.
2. Swedish gastronomic Academy has’ Gastronomic Calendar 1989 “indicated by a name Stockholm house wife, Elvira Stigmark (1886-1953),at a party had the cook Madame Sophie Pauline Brogråde name the “ansjovis gratin” to Jansson’s temptation for a film of the same name “Jansson’s Temptation” from 1928.
And now to the bit that involves cooking.
Janson’s Tempation – (Janson’s Frestelse) – 6-8 portions.
4-6 large potatoes
2 yellow onions
butter
200 g fillet of “anjovis” – don’t mix this up with what is called anchovy
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
300ml whipping cream
15ml (2 tbsp) bread crumbs
30 gr butter.
1. Preheat the oven to 180C degrees.
2. Peel and slice potatoes into fairly thick strips. – don’t prepare the potatoes in advance – just peel and keep in cold water.
3. Slice the onion and fry golden brown in butter.
4. 3.Layer the potatoes, onions and anchovies in a buttered ovenproof dish. Salt, pepper and pour in the cream . Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and put butter blobs on top.
5. Bake in oven for 35-40 minutes or until the potatoes feel ready.
That’s it !!!
You serve it with ice cold schnapps and cold beer.
We, Swedes – always want a good excuse for a ice cold schnapps (snaps) !!!!
SKÅL!!!!!
Ramlösa - probably the best mineral water in the world – I will come back to this.
Photos provided by; tofufortwo.net / simplonpc.co.uk / ikea.com / abba.se / superstudio.se
My favourite of all chicken salads and I have eaten loads. Not ever been on any menu – it’s something I treat myself and my friends with.
Refreshing with a modern take on the classic Vietnamese’s pork ”larbe” salad, has the classic flavours of the sweet, salty and sour that is so characteristic for the south east Asian food. Chicken makes the dish more juicer and attractive. If you want can you mix in fresh boiled – chilled rice.
Be always careful with boiled rice – never keep it more then 24hrs and never reheat if dropped in temperature under +65C. Like with pasta bacterial’s multiply incredibly fast.
Can be served as canapés too – using the iceberg lettuce’s heart leaves and you will get about 32-40 then – the small indv. bowls has to be filled a la minute.
Don’t do the chicken mixture more than 2 hours in advance, because the onion flavour will go dominate then.
Vietnamese minced chicken salad, 8 portions
8 chicken breast, without skin and roughly chopped
45ml (3tbsp) groundnut oil
1 large red onion, chopped
45 ml (3tbsp) grated fresh ginger
40gr fresh coriander, chopped
1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped (use gloves)
2 iceberg – washed and separated into leaves
Garnish: fresh coriander leaves.
Dressing:
50ml fresh lime juice
120ml fresh lemon juice
30ml (2tbsp) cold water
60ml (4tbsp) ma pla (thai fish sauce) or chicken stock
30ml (2 tbsp) caster sugar
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.
1. Dressing: Mix all the ingredients well together and make sure the sugar has properly dissolved.
2. Place the chicken breast in a food processor and pulse until minced – not too fine.
Heat up a wok or large frying pan with the oil until almost smoking. Cook the chicken for about 5 min until it turns white, breaking it up thoroughly with a large fork, wood if possible.
3. Drain away the excess juice, that come out of the chicken.
4. Transfer to a bowl and add the all the other ingredients and toss well using wooden cooking fork or spatula.
5. Toss the chicken mixture with the dressing just before serving – using a wooden too.
6. Place the icebergs leave, couple on top of each other, making indv. bowls. Just before serving spoon the chicken salad into the lettuce “bowels” and sprinkle a few coriander leaves on top.
Photo provided by: Georgia Glynn Smith
Even if living on the green island for 10 year – I never had a need for doing it myself and it never came cross my mind that it could be something we could put on the menu’s – sure it would have gone down as a treat, because you can eat with every kind of meat there is. Mark & Spencer’s do a really good one. This morning I got a request from one of my faithful followers of my blog – if I had a authentic Irish recipe for Colcannon.
It’s like with all recipes – there will be changes made more or less for every time somebody makes it and putting their twist to it. Got a fantastic Irish cookery book as a farewell present when I moved back to Sweden, so this is taken from it.
Calcannon, what I understand is a dish that was mostly eaten for Halloween. Did you know that Halloween is Scottish and Irish tradition going back to the 15th-century – it was to chase out the evil spirits from the homes before Christmas. Some un-useful information again and with St Patrick coming up – here it’s and no spring onions.
Calcannon, 6-8 portions
• 1kg potatoes, peeled, roosters work well
• 250g curly kale, well washed and finely sliced, discard any thick stalks
• 100mls milk
• 100g butter
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Cook the potatoes in a covered pan of boiling salted water for 15-20 minutes until tender.
2. Meanwhile, cook the kale. Heat a knob of butter and two tablespoons of water in a heavy-based pan with a lid. When the butter has melted and formed an emulsion, add the kale with a pinch of salt. Cover, shake well and cook over a high heat for 1 minute. Shake the pan again and cook for another minute. Drain off any liquid and then season the kale with pepper.
3. Drain the potatoes, add in the milk and mash until smooth, then beat in the kale and the remaining butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Me, personal would add 15ml (1tbsp) sugar to it – but that’s only me !!!
Photos provided by; simplyrecipes.com / layoutsparks.com
1968 – 20 years old – I decided that I want to try my wings, but didn’t at that time dare to fly too high or too fare away from home. Off I went to Denmark and it was there I found my way into the kitchen, more or less by an accident and an accident I never regret. Frist I worked as a room maid at a luxury hotel in Helsingör – with and in the whole French set up; black dress and, small white apron and hairband. Did it, but it wasn’t my thing. Had to start somewhere. After 6 months I read that newly opened SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen where looking for staff, so off I went and so there in Copenhagen it all started for me. What I didn’t know as 20 years old … Copenhagen taught me. Had a fantastic year there. This potato recipe I nicked and took with me home from Hotel Royal.
Danish Caramelized New Potatoes , 6 person
24 small new potatoes, make sure they are all in the same size
125gr caster sugar
125gr butter, melted
fresh rosemary
salt & pepper
1. Brush/scrub the potatoes very well so nearly all peel comes off. Boil the potatoes for about 15-20 min until tender in salted water, let cool down
2. Put a havey based skillet over low heat. Add the sugar and let it melt until it turns light caramel brown – be careful so it doesn’t go to dark – witch can happen very quickly.
3. Stir in the melted butter
4. Put in so many potatoes as possible, without overcrowding the pan, Stir or shake the skillet all the time until the potatoes are nicely coated. Repeat until all potatoes are done. Seasoning with salt & pepper, pick rosemary springs and scatter over just before serving.
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Most of the time I buy bags of mixed baby leaves, but it has to be a mixture that contains baby spinach. The problem with those bags is that product is gassed – and so soon the bag is open the product goes limp and “life time” shorten with more then half. So I rise the leaves quickly in very cold running water (even if pre-washed) – shake off excess water and transfer the leaves into compactly airtight container and in the fridge over night before using.
If I need lettuce for a main salad I use mainly Romaine Lettuce – same thing there. Open the lettuce head carefully from the top and let cold water run through. Let is stand on it’s head until so excess water inside will run out. Storage it in airtight plastic bag and most of the time it will stay crisp for up to 10 days.
Always use a Romaine leave on my breakfast sandwich under my ham and cheese. Also put loads of red onion rings on my breakfast sandwich – because it’s medical proven that raw onion prevent thrombus. The Mediterranean countries has very low fatality from thrombus because they eat raw onion. Some useful information that you pobarbly can live without. Now to the salad.
Baby Green Salad with Sesame, 6 person
3 raw beetroot, peeled and cut in very fine julienne
500 gr mixed baby salad leaves
1 bunch of spring onion, trimmed and sliced
12 radishes, thinly sliced
30 ml (2tbsp) sesame seeds, toasted
Dressing:
30 ml (2tbsp) rice-wine vinegar
10 ml (2tsp) light soy sauce
5 ml (1tsp) sesame oil
5 ml (1tsp) caster sugar
30 ml (2tsp) sesame seed, toasted
1. Slice the beetroots into thin slices then cut into fine julienned. Toss together with the salad leaves, spring onion and radishes
2. Whisk together all the dressings ingredients, make sure the sugar dissolves properly. Pour carefully over the salad just before serving, don’t soak it. Toss together. Sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds over.
Dressing can be made in advance kept chilled and the ingredients can be prepared hours before, but keep separate – chilled and well covered to keep the crispness.
Photos provided by; trevorpearson.com / cz.123rf .om
My friend Barbara – been on my case for a couple of years now – because of my recipes … she has always been on about the dressing to my tuna salad … so here it’s. Have picture on my recipes, but I haven’t figured out yet how to transfer them from Excel, so I have to turn to Google in the meantime.
So here we go …
3 x 150 gr tuna steaks – pan seared
12 plum cherry tomatoes, halved lengthways
4 boilded, 9 min – perfect egg should be like a daffodil
200 gr green beans; whole and blanched
300 gr mixed lettuce – washed; gem, baby spinach, water cress & romaine
200 gr red onion; finely sliced lengthways
12 radishes, sliced
24 good quality black olives
Dressing; can be served warm or cold
150 ml olive oil
2 limes, juice
50 ml water
30 ml (2tblsp) sugar
10 ml (1dsp) frozen mixed Italian herbs
30 ml (2 tblsp) chopped fresh parsley – added just before serving
Preperation: Start with the dressing – just mix everything together and mix well …. except the chopped parsley
….. Enjoy! with a chilled Pinot Gris
photo provided by; solidrecpies.com
