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2010-02-06T08:47:00.000-08:00

I am going to stop posting recipes in english on this blog. All the recipes are posted in romanian on the mother-blog Poppy Planet where there is a translator-tool, and if you would like to follow my recipes you can find me there. Thank you!

Vaniljkola - Vanilla Caramels

2010-02-02T07:29:00.000-08:00

Caramels! They don't need any presentation at all! We all loved them as kids, and still love them as adults.

For 40-50 pieces I used:
-2dl double cream
-1dl golden syrup
-300gr granulated sugar
-100gr butter
-halv a vanillabean

Mix all ingredients in a pot on medium fire, stirring with a wooden spatula until they start to boil. Lower the fire and let it reach 120 degrees in temperature.

When the caramel is ready, pour it in a recipient covered with bakingsheet.
Let it rest before you put it in the fridge over night.

Cut the caramels the next day.

And eat as many as you want :)

Ischoklad - Ice chocolate

2010-01-30T07:31:00.000-08:00

This is a Christmas candy that has originated from Germany, but it's very popular in Sweden as well. Because it only has two ingredients and is incredibly simple to make,
kids love to participate in the process.
The ice part of the name relates to the feeling that the chocolate melts very easy in the mouth and a cool feeling is present as the heat energy is absorbed.

I used, for 40-50 pieces:

- 200gr chocolate
- 75gr coconut butter
- aluminium forms

Arange the aluminium forms onto a plate.

Melt the chocolate and the butter on a bain-marie.

Pour carefully into the forms.

Let them set in the fridge for 2-3 hours.

They just melt in your mouth!

Knäck

2010-01-28T09:02:00.000-08:00

This is another traditional sweet Swedish recipe.

For 40-50 pieces I used:
- 2dl sugar
- 2dl double cream
- 2dl golden syrup
- 50gr butter
- 50gr wallnuts
- 50gr almond flakes
- paper cups

Arrange the pepar forms onto a plate.

Crush the nuts and almonds.

Combine the sugar, cream and light syrup in a heavy saucepan and stir constantly.

Boil on low-medium heat until the caramel reaches 120 degrees Celsius.

When it's done, take the pot away from the stove, add the butter and stir until it melts.

Add the crushed nuts and almonds.

Pour into the paper cups and let it cool off in the fridge.

They are delicious!

Weinernougat

2010-01-26T09:35:00.000-08:00

This one is a traditional swedish Christmas candy, very simple to make.
For 40-50 pieces I used:

125gr dark chocolate
250gr nougat
100gr almond flakes

Break the chocolate and the nougat into pieces and melt it on a bain-marie.

Add the almond flakes. If you want a more nutty taste, you can roast the almonds.

I pourred the whole mixture onto a trail with bakingpaper. It would help if you had a 20x20 pan. I hadn't :(

You need to let it rest for at least 3 hours before cutting and serving.

That's all folks!

Christmas Sweets - Julgodis

2010-01-18T10:25:00.000-08:00

In Sweden, before Christmas, they usually use to make the so called Christamas sweets, ie julgodis. They can be bought of course from shops, which in this time of year offer a wide variety, but it is not the same as when they are homemade. Especially because it's a very pleasant and enjoyable activity in which children can take part too.

There are all sorts of julgodis but me, I decided this year to make four sweets: knäck (caramel with nuts), ischoklad (ice chocolate ), vaniljkola (caramels with vanilla) and weinernougat (chocolate and nougat almonds)!

Janssons frestelse (Jansson's Temptation)

2010-01-07T11:03:00.000-08:00

Jansson's Temptation. This is how the Swedish people call this dish, which is representative for Swedish cuisine. It is extremely popular and it's being cooked as traditional food for the Christmas dinner.
This year I decided to make as well. There are a few ways to make this dish. I will present the alternative suitable for my taste. Another recipe can be found on Elena's blog (Swedish).
More info you can find here.

I used:
- potatoes
- 3dl double cream
- 3 dl milk
- 2 anchovies cans
- 2 large onions
- butter (around 150gr)
- bread crumbles
- salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp sugar

Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut them in "sticks" shape like for making french fries, but even thinner.

Peel and cut the onion.

Cut the anchovies in small pieces. Don't toss the juice from the cans, we'll use that too.

Melt 50gr of butter in a pan and saute the onions a little bit.

Add the double cream and the milk and let it boil. When it starts to boil, add the potatoes, the anchovies filé's and the sugar. Let it simmer for around 5 minutes or until the potatoes become softer.

Add the anchovies-can juice, salt (carefully, the anchovies are salty) and pepper.

Pour all the mixture in a prebuttered baking pan, sprinkle the bread crumbs and add small pieces of butter on top.

Put it into the oven for 45 minutes at 175 Celsius degrees.

For those who love salty taste it will be a "temptation", exactly like the name. It's creamy, extra creamy I would say, if you make it following this method.

Enjoy!

Strawberries with cream and meringue

2010-01-04T09:43:00.000-08:00

It's a very delicate and fluffy desert. If you don't find the inspiration to cook some fancy desert for your guests, this one is the perfect choice. Easy to make and very fast. And I can truly say that it never fails, everyone likes it! And everyone will be pleasant surprised to find the little pieces of meringue.

I used:
- strawberries
- whipped cream
- meringues

Whip the cream.

Cut the strawberries, if too big, in smaller pieces and add them to the mixture. I would recommend fresh strawberries, they are the best. I had frozen ones, and it is not the same taste.
Put the whipped and strawberries cream in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

I crushed the meringues into small bites and add them to the mixture, then poured everything into martini glasses.. It is best to do this just before serving. This way you preserve the crunchiness of the meringues.

You can ornate with fresh strawberries. And remember, it never fails!

Happy New Year 2010!!

2009-12-31T02:30:00.001-08:00

French Plum Tart

2009-12-17T13:48:00.000-08:00

It is one of the most easy tarts I ever made. And extremely fast and easy to make, as all you need is 3 ingredients.

I used:
- french dough
- plums
- sugar

I washed the plums, cut them in four pieces and put them in a bowl with sugar to set.

I put the dough in a tart pan. On top I put small butter cubes and sugar. Into the oven, 180 Celsius degrees for a few minutes until it melts.

I took the tart out of the oven and arranged the plums in circles. Sprinkle lots of sugar on top. I put it back into the oven until it's done.

It's a very delicate tart, sweet in the beginning and then sour as we bite into the plums, and crunchy from the dough... For me it is a delicate, easy and delicious desert!

Bacon, potatoes, eggs and broccoli gratin

2009-12-12T05:08:00.000-08:00

I am crazy about any kind of gratin. The golden crust on top makes me wanting to eat one each day. Only if they wouldn't be such caloric bombs... Of course, one can make lighter versions, but it wouldn't taste the same, would it? :)
This recipe I don't think is any news for anybody, but it's something that I make pretty often, and it never goes wrong. You can have guests over, or just eating alone, and every time ittastes incredibly.

I used:
- potatoes
- bacon
- eggs
- broccoli
- cheese
- butter
- milk
- flower
- salt and pepper

Boil the potatoes with a pinch of salt and cut them into slices. Same with the eggs, boil and slice them. Fry the bacon in a pan and put it on absorbent sheets to get rid of the extra fat. My broccoli was frozen, so I put it in the same water the potatoes boiled, for 10 min.

I made a bechamel sauce out of the butter, flower and milk. I melted the butter and added the flower by stirring continuously. Then I added the milk and stirred again. Leave on low firefor 10 more minutes to get rid of the flower taste.

In a buttered baking pan I put layers of potatoes, egg, broccoli and bacon.

I sprinkled on top the cheese and poured half of the sauce.

Repeat the operation, but this time leave aside the cheese layer. This one will come on top of everything, after the bechamel.

Leave it in the hot oven, 25-30 minutes at 200 Celsius degrees, until it becomes golden brown.

It is extremely tasty when you take it out of the oven, but it can be served the next day too, after you microwave it!

Salmon en croute

2009-12-05T04:04:00.000-08:00

I wanted to make a salmon en croute for some while now. And considering that I do love both salmon and pastry, it seemed like a naturally choice for me.

I used:
2 salmon filet's
chopped fresh dill
1 sheet of puff pastry
lemon juice
1 egg
salt and pepper

I marinated the salmon ina mix of lemon juice, salt and pepper, chopped dill. From my pictures you can see that I added a orange spice. It's not curry, even though it looks like that. It's a Swedish spice called Citrus, that has, among other ingredients, lemon zest, onion, garlic, different herbs, and that is perfect for fish and chicken dishes. The marinated salmon I put it in the fridge for 20 minutes.

I cut the pastry in two and layed in the middle one salmon filet.

Fold the sides together and make slits in the top with a knife, to allow steam to escape. I brushed all over with the egg-wash.

I baked it in the oven, 200 Celsius degrees for about 20-25 minutes.

We served it with sauteed veggies and sauce made from yogurt, mayo and fresh chopped dill!

We licked our fingers, that's how tasty it was :)

Kärleksmums

2009-11-30T11:40:00.000-08:00

Some while ago, Salmi made "something sweet for the week-end". I liked it very much and I decided to try it as well. I wasn't disappointed!
In the magazine she found the recipe, the cake was called "MUMS med lyxtopp", but after my Swedish boyfriend saw it, he said: "But this is kärleksmums!" Translated as "Yummy love bites"
Here you can find the original recipe posted by Salmi on her blog.

I used:
- for the dough:
225 gr butter
3 eggs
4dl granulated sugar
6dl all purpose flower
1/2 dl cocoa
1 tbsp vanilla sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
2dl milk
- for the topping:
100gr melted butter
5dl powder sugar
1/2 dl cocoa
1 tbsp vanilla sugar
2 1/2 tbsp strong coffee

For the dough, I mixed together the flower, cocoa, vanilla sugar and the baking powder.

I melted the butter in a saucepan and let it cool off. I beaten the eggs with the granulated sugar, until they became white and fluffy.

Over the mix of dry ingredients I added, alternatively, the melted butter, the eggs and the milk.

Pour the mixture into a pre-buttered pan.

Set the oven on 200 Celsius degrees and bake it for around 20-25 minutes. Feel free to use the toothpick test! Let it cool off.

With the topping it went extremely easy: just mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.

Pour the topping over the dough and cut it into small pieces.

It can be ornated with any kind of small bonbons, coconut flakes, small flakes of white chocolate.

It is a very easy to make delicious cake, and you can find it all around Sweden in different cake-shops!

Scallops with butter sauce on a bed of spinach

2009-11-20T06:04:00.000-08:00

I am a huge fan of "Hell's Kitchen". I think I have seen all the seasons so far. And if they have one thing in common, that's the scallops recipe. I have never tasted scallops before, but I've seen them in the stores, so that is why I decided to buy and cook some!

I used:
- 250gr scallops
- 2 garlic cloves
- baby spinach leaves
- 80gr salted butter
- parsley
- juice from half a lemon

I defrosted the scallops and dried them off with a piece of cloth to absorb the water. I melted the butter in a pan with veeery little oil. I added the scallops and fried them on medium fire, 2-3 minutes on each side.

Add the garlic cut in small flakes, the chopped parsley and the lemon juice, and let them stay there for another 1-2 minutes, but not more.

Take out the scallops from the pan and add the baby spinach leaves. Cook them for 2-3 minutes or until they become soft.

On a plate I put the spinach, added the scallops on top and poured the sauce.

They are extremely tender, with a sweet and sour taste. They're worth a try!

Blueberry Crumble

2009-11-14T07:20:00.000-08:00

I wasn't a huge fan of crumble tarts until I came to Sweden, because in Romania we don't usually do the tarts this way. But I tasted it here and I fell in love with it! I've been given the recipe, and I was absolutely stunned by how little time it takes to make it :)
The original recipe comes from England and for the filling we can use almost any type of fruits: apples, peaches, plums, blackberries, blueberries etc.

I used:
-for the crumble:
2-3 tsp vanilla sugar
3 tbs white sugar
2 tbs brown sugar
150gr butter
75gr almonds
100g oatmeal flakes
350gr flower
-for the filling:
2 tbs flower
2 tbs brown sugar
250-300 gr blueberries

To make the crumble, put in a large bowl and mix together the brown sugar, flower, white sugar, vanilla sugar, oatmeal flakes and almonds.

Add the butter, room temperature and cut in small cubes. Mix it all together and don't worry if chunks of butter still remain, they will melt in the oven.

In another bowl I put the blueberries with the brown sugar and the flower and mixed them.

Put the blueberries in a tart form.

Sprinkle the crumble on top.

Put it in the oven, 200 Celsius degrees for around 25-30 minutes.

Serve with vanilla icecream or vanilla cream mousse. It's wonderfully delicious!

Smörgåstårtor - Cheesecake with Salmon

2009-11-08T10:46:00.000-08:00

Smörgåstårta means in Swedish basically "sandwich cake" and it is a very popular dish in both Sweden and Finland. As Wikipedia very nicely explains, the smörgåstårta is normally made up of several layers of white bread with creamy fillings in between. The fillings and toppings vary, but egg and mayonnaise are often the base, typically accompanied by any combination of liver paté, olives, prawns, ham, caviar and smoked salmon.

For my first smörgåstårta I chose to do a simple one, made out of one layer only.

I used:
- for the bread layer: 300gr rye bread crumbles and 75gr butter
- for the filling: - 400gr Philadelphia cheese
- 200gr creme fraiche
- 250gr smoked salmon
- 2 medium onions
- chopped dill
- for the upper layer: - 150g red caviar
- lemon slices and dill

I didn't have ready made bread crumbles, so I chopped the margins of normal bread and "worked" it in the kitchen robot :)

I melted the butter and added it to the bread crumbles. Then I put a layer of bread into the cake form and pressed it with the fingers so that it forms the bottom of the cheesecake.

Remove the skin from the salmon and cut it in small little cubes. Cut also the onions and chopp the dill.

I mixed the Philadelphia cheese with the creme fraiche and then added to the mixture the salmon, dill and onions. Check for salt and pepper if needed.

I pourred the whole composition over the bread layer.

On top I added a thin layer of red caviar.

It needs to be put in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours before serving. I recommend though to leave it one full day, and it it the next. The difference in taste is significant!

Pea and Pesto Soup

2009-11-05T09:33:00.000-08:00

I don't think there is a soup out there that requires less ingredients and less time than this one. It is a Nigella Express recipe again, that I initially saw on TV. It's that episode when she talks to the peas saying: "my babies, prepare to meet your maker!" :)

I used:

- 600g frozen peas
- 50g pesto
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 2 scallions
- 0.7l water

I brought the water to boil. When it starts boiling, add the peas, scallions, lime juice and salt and let everything bubble for 7 minutes.

Pour everything in the blender, including the water, and add the pesto. Mix all together and it's done!

It is very creamy, sweet-sour and incredibly filling!

Lobster with chili basil pasta

2009-10-30T12:38:00.000-07:00

I've been brought home 2 big beautiful lobsters. The kind of lobsters I do not dare to touch. And I've been asked to do something with them, because they are delicious in any kind of meals, expensive and that he is crazy about the way they taste.
I said "ok darling, if you clean them and cut them", because I was too afraid. Silly fear, I know, but still.. Thank God they weren't fresh.. I could never ever boil them alive.., I'd rather run with them to the zoo crying of pity..
Anyway, he cleaned them, I cooked them and we ate them!
All I can say is that as much as I dreaded the look of them, as tasty and exquisite the dish turned out.

I used:

- 2 lobsters (pre-boiled)
- 1/2 lemon
- fresh basil
- 2 chilli's
- 10-12 cherry tomatos
- balsamic vinaigre
- olive oil
- sea food/fish stock
- tomato puree
- thyme

The lobster needs to be cleaned and cut with care. It wasn't me who "butchered" it, so I cannot explain step by step what my boyfriend did, so I ask you to get inspiration from the picture below!

I do think he cut them in the middle, removed the tail and cut each vertebra separately, leaving the shell as it is. He broke the claw shell and took out the meat.And basically he tried to get the meat from all possibly places. Be careful with the brain, the yellow bit, I don't fancy it so we tossed it away.

After all the above operation we were left with some nice juicy meat and the vertebras.

In a pan, on medium fire, I put oil, balsamic vinaigre, the seafood or fish stock and the juice from half lemon. Then I put in the cherry tomatoes, cut in half, the chopped chili and the tomato puree.

I added chopped basil and thyme. Stir, cover and let it on medium fire for around 10 minutes.In the mean time you can boil the pastas.

I added the lobster meat and the shells in the pan. If they were preboiled, you have to cook it for 10 minutes. If the lobsters were fresh, 20-25 minutes it's enough.

Add the pasta in the pan and mix it all together.

It was a culinary delight!

White chocolate and peppermint mousse

2009-10-26T15:16:00.000-07:00

I bought myself a Nigella Lawson book and this recipe just caught my attention because it's so simple, it sounds completely delicious and it really is!

I used:

- 250g white chocolate
- 250g heavy cream
- 1 white egg
- 1/2 tsp peppermint extract/concentrate
- peppermint leaves

I melted the chocolate over a bain-marie (a bowl over a pan of simmering water). After it's been melted, I sat it aside to cool off.

In another bowl I whisked the heavy cream, the egg white and the peppermint extract together. Be carefull not to beat it into a stiff mixture, but a more fluffy soft one.

Then I blended the 2 mixtures: with a tablespoon I took some of the cream and put it into the chocolate, then I gently incorporated the chocolate into the rest of the cream.

Chill in the fridge before serving.

One thing worth mentioning is that you need to use small glasses, small portions. Don't do like I did (pictures) because the white chocolate's richness, even if it's combined with the fresh mint, may be a little too much! Smaller portions are perfect!

I decorated with peppermint leaves. It's absolutely delicious!

Tochitura moldoveneasca (Moldavian stew)

2009-10-23T06:47:00.000-07:00

This is one of the most traditional Romanian dishes there is. And because it is so popular, all regions of Romania have their own version of it: Moldavian tochitura, transilvanyan tochitura, dobrogean tochitura and so on. They're all the same, but different at the same time. The base recipe has to have pork meat and sausages, polenta, garlic, cheese and egg in it. Some use different types of sausages, different cheeses, some usetomato sauce, some use mushrooms.
I am from the region of Moldavia in Romania, so I made the Moldavian version!

I used:
- 500gr pork meat
- 1 smoked sausage
- 200g feta cheese
- sunflower oil
- thyme
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 egg
- polenta corn flower

If I was in Romania, I would normally have used a traditional Romanian cheese called Branza de burduf or Telemea and home made smoked pork sausages. But being in Sweden, I had to replace those with Feta cheese and smoked chorizo sausage. It's aaaaalmost the same :) And you have to use sunflower oil, not olive oil. It's not the same taste.

You have to heat the oil in a pot. Add the chopped garlic cloves and leave them to saute for 2-3 minutes until the oil gets a bit of their flavour, then take them out and set aside.

I added the meat, piece by piece, on high heat and stirred until they start to get a bit of a crust. After the meat starts to get a somewhat white colour I added the cut sausage, added1-2 tbs of water, covered the pot and let it fry on medium heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring now and then.

In the end I added the chopped thyme, salt and pepper and the garlic I removed in the beginning. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes more.

In the meantime you make the polenta (mamaliga). I used 1/2 liter of water, salt and polenta corn flower. Bring the water with salt to boil, turn the fire low and pour in the flower, stirring with a whisk. Let it boil for 1round 15 minutes, if you don't want stomach ake the next day! :)

Take an egg and fry it "Romanian style", in a pan with oil. Set everything on a plate: some polenta, the cheese, the meat and the fried egg on top. Enjoy!

It is very tasty and when you make it, it smells incredible. Being in Sweden, I like it so much and I like to say that "it smells like home" ! :)

Romanian Chicken Soup

2009-10-17T06:07:00.000-07:00

In the original recipe for chicken soup you need to use all or most parts of a chicken. I only used the chicken breast, and even thought it wasn't as flavoured as it could have been, for sure it's moredietish! :)
The base recipe I took it from Sanda Marin.

I used:
-2 chicken breasts
-carrots
-parsley root
-celery root
-leeks
-parsnip
-potatoes
-onions
-2 Knorr cubes
- parsley leaves (chopped)
-laurel leaves, salt

In a pot, on medium fire, bring to boil water and the chicken breasts. Let it simmer until it gets foamy at the surface. At this point you should remove the foam with a spoon, and put back in, one tablespoon of cold water. Repeat the process one more time, or until there's no more foam forming.

The soup needs to simmer on very low flame (not boil) because this way, all the flavours from the meatwill be transfered into the soup liquid and the soup will be clear. Now it's also the time to add some salt too.

I did not give any quantities for the veggies, because you can use as much as you want and you can use all or leave aside a few. For instance you can skip the potatoes, or the onions (if you use leeks).

The veggies can be cut in small cubes or whatever shape you want.I added them all to the soup, except the potatoes. They have to be put in half an hour before the soup is ready. I added the Knorr cubes as well (mine were chicken and vegetables flavoured).
After you added the veggies, you have to cover the pot (leave a tiny whole open) and let it simmer for 3 hours. Don't forget to add the potatoes 1/2 an hour before finish.

After the soup is done, I filtered it, added the chopped parsley and 1-2 laurel leaves.

It is an excellent soup for this time of year. It is recommended for flus and colds, a natural remedy, because it contains so many vitamins and minerals.

Flygande Jakob (Flying Jakob)

2009-10-08T16:13:00.000-07:00

It's a traditional recipe specific to the Swedish cuisine. First time I tried it, I was in a restaurant, and I became very impressed with the combination of sweet, salty and spicy. It's basically chicken with bananas, nuts and bacon. It sounds strange and Chinese (it is not!) but all these ingredients just complement each other.
The recipe was first published in 1976 and was invented, apparently, by Ove Jacobsson, who used to work in the air freight industry, hence the name.
There are lots of varieties of Flying Jakob in Sweden... lots. I prepared the dish after the original recipe as it was written in Rutiga Kokboken, with a few modifications on the used quantities.

I used:

- 1 chicken
- 140g bacon (1 package)
- 2 bananas
- 100-150g peanuts
- 250-300g cream
- 50-100g chili sauce
- curry

I bought the chicken ready grilled/roasted, it's easier this way. If you don't have the possibility, just cut the chicken in pieces and fry them in a pan with some butter and the bacon.

For the sauce, you have to beat the cream and mix it with the chili sauce and add curry. It will become pinkish. If you don't have chili or you don't like the hotness of it, you can use ketchup.

Now, I gave variable quantities because every person likes it different, but the base recipe indicates minimum 250g cream and 50g chili sauce.

I buttered a baking pan and layed the chicken bits in it.

For the second layer, I peeled the bananas and cut them in small pieces. Then I layed them on top of the chicken.

I put the bacon as well.

Then the peanuts. Again, the quantity depends on everyone's taste.

In the end I poured the sauce.

I baked it in the oven, 225 Celsius degrees for around 15-20 minutes.

Traditionally it's being served with rice and salad. I really recommend this dish, because in some strange way all these ingredients work so well with each other and it's delicious! Some people will not find it that tasty,but I've been told it's not many :)

Smaklig måltid! Enjoy!

Banana chocolate muffins

2009-09-28T14:21:00.000-07:00

I think it already sounds like a cliche. Everybody bakes them, everyone knows them. But I can brag that I found the perfect banana chocolate muffins :) It is extremely easy to make, very fast and you don't even need to be good at it. It's enough to mix all ingredients together and bake! Almost :)

I used:

- 3-4 bananas
- 150g sugar
- 1 egg
- 80g melted butter
- 200g flower
- 1 chocolate bar (70%)
- 1 ts baking soda
- 1 ts baking powder
- 1/2 ts salt

The browner the bananas are, the better. In a way, this one has been some kind of a leftovers recipe for me, because I had a few bananas we forgot to eat..

I peeled the bananas and mashed them with a fork until they turn into a paste-piuree.

The flower, salt, baking soda and baking powder I mixed in a bowl. In a separate bowl I put the mashed bananas, sugar, the melted butter and the egg slightly beaten.

In a bigger bowl I mixed the wet and dry ingredients together.

I chopped the chocolate and added it to the mixture.

I poured into muffin tins and baked in preheated oven, 180 Celsius degrees for about 20 minutes. Normally they should be ready, they'll turn golden brown. But I do recommend the toothpick test, just in case.

They are so great and when you take them out of the oven they smell divine... and the taste... no words!

Spinach and Mushroom Quiche - my way

2009-09-20T05:22:00.000-07:00

Now I do know that the quiche is based on a custard kinda dough, in different varieties. I used instead french dough and let me tell you that the result surprised me and that I recommend this recipe from all my heart.

I used:

- 200-250g fresh mushrooms
- 150g baby spinach leaves
- 1 onion
- 4 eggs
- 100g creme fraiche
- 150g grated cheese
- french dough
- salt and pepper

In a pan I sauteed the chopped onion along with the chopped mushrooms (washed).

After around 5 minutes I added the baby spinach leaves. Leave them on until they become soft and the water evaporates.

I beated the eggs, added the creme fraiche and the grated cheese.

I added the sauteed veggies, salt and pepper.

In a buttered baking pan I put the french pastry.

Then I poured the whole mixture in.

I baked it in the oven, 180 Celsius degrees for around 35 min or until just set.

It was delicious!

Tiramisu - classic

2009-09-12T10:23:00.000-07:00

This desert doesn't need any introduction at all. It's one of the most known italian desert recipes and it's one of the most popular.
I used:

- savoiardi biscuits

- 2 eggs

- 250g mascarpone cheese

- 50g sugar

- espresso coffee

- cocoa for topping

I separated the egg yolks and mixed them with the sugar, until they become thick and foamy.

I whisked in the mascarpone cheese. Then I added to all this the stiffly beaten egg whites.

The biscuits are being dipped into espresso coffee. If you don't have espresso, you can use ness coffee.

On a large plate I layered the biscuits and I spread over half of the mascarpone cream.

I topped with a second layer of dipped savoiardis and cream.

I sifted cocoa powder over the whole dish and put it in the fridge for 2-3 hours.

Zucchini Flan

2009-09-12T10:01:00.000-07:00

I ate this in France, 2 weeks ago at a friend's house. It was sooo good! I'm crazy nowadays for any recipe that involves zucchini (note to self: ask for grandma's romanian zucchini stew recipe already!)
It has to be eaten with a slice of french baguette. It's so more delicate and it bring out the best of the flan!

I used:

150g creme fraiche
3 eggs
1 zucchini
150dl milk
1 garlic clove (optional)
nutmeg (optional)
salt

I washed and grated the zucchini. I sauteed it in a pan with a little bit of oil on high heat until they leave all the water, 5-10 min.

I beated the eggs, added the creme fraiche, milk, garlic and nutmeg. The last two are optional. The original recipe had them, but I had none at home when I made it, except for some garlic powder.

I added the zucchini.

The whole thing I poured it into a buttered baking pan and into the oven, 180 Celsius degrees for 45 minutes.

Light, fluffy, delicious, french!

Chicken-celery salad with pineapple and curry

2009-09-05T15:10:00.000-07:00

This salad is perfect as an aperitif, with bread as a sandwich or even simple, eaten from the bowl with a fork. It's one of my favourites from the "mayo salads" category.

I used:

2 chicken breasts
1 root celery
4-5 pineapple slices
curry
salt
125g mayonnaise
125g creme fraiche

From my little picture is missing the creme-fraiche. I just added it fifty-fifty with the mayo for a lighter version :)

I put the chicken breast to boil in water with salt. You can add a chicken Knorr cube for taste.
The celery I peeled it and grated. I cut the pineapple slices into small cubes.

For the sauce, I blended the creme fraiche with the mayo and added salt and curry. The quantity of curry depends from person to person. If you want a strong curry taste, you should add lots, as it is very goodand perfumed. If you want a more delicate taste, add just a little, because it brings the best out of the chicken and the celery.

Mix all the ingredients together with the sauce and it's done.

It needs to be left in the fridge for a few hours so all the ingredients absorb each other. It is a very refreshing, perfumed and easy to make salad :) Enjoy!

PS: I ate some of it with delicious ciabatta bread and fresh salad leaves!

Romanian eggplant salad

2009-07-18T13:16:00.000-07:00

This salad has always been my favourite. I could eat tones of the stuff. When I was little, and someone used to ask me what was my favourite dish, I would always answer eggplant salad!

This salad is ment to be an appetizer, but I would eat it as maindish and dessert all together!Since I came to Sweden I haven't eaten it, and I really miss it. I once bought from the supermarket a can with eggplant salad, but it was so groce.. I tried to add chopped onion and mayo, but it was no good and I tossed it immediatelly. And I decided I should call my mom and ask her exactly what I need and how was she doing it for me when I was little so I can reproduce it and make my little dream come true!

I used:
- 2 eggplants
- sunflower oil
- 1 onion
- lemon juice
- salt

The eggplants need to be roasted on the stove, on open flame. But as I have an electrical stove, I actually grilled them, until the insides became very soft.

After I removed them from the grill, I skinned them. It's good, and it may help to have a little bowl with cold water in which you can dip the fingers, so you don't burn yourselves :)

I cut the tail and removed part of the seeds (not all), the ones that just fall of, sort to speak. They need to be very well drained before you start working with them. Cut them in half and put them on a plate or a cuttingboard and let the juices drain for about 2 hours.

After they are completly drained (if not, those juices can make them bitter) I mashed them with a wooden knife. If you don't have a wooden knife, use a wooden spatula or a plastic one. It is important not to be inox or iron, because they get bitter as well :)

I put them in a bowl, added about 2 tbs of salt and some lemon juice. From this point on, you have to do it like you do with mayo. Pour the sunfloweroil little by little, stirring continuously, with a wooden spoon, until it becomes like a paste, it changes a bit the colour and it almost doubles the volume. The quantity of oil is entirely up to you.

In the end I added fine chopped onion and salt (if needed).

In the romanian traditional style we serve them with tomatoes, mayonese and/or pepper salad. And bread! It's delicious, I don't know one person that doesn't like this one! :)

Creamy fish and shrimps chowder

2009-07-15T13:50:00.000-07:00

I don't even remember the last time I had fish soup. But I do remember I didn't enjoy it. I remember my grandma was cooking it, but also how the fish head was looking back at me from the bowl with those translucid eyes.. brr.. no wonder I never liked it. Until today, because I cooked it!
Ok, I didn't used the fish head, and it is creamy, but it's still a fish soup! And one of a sudden I decided I really like it!

I used:
- 75g butter
- 3 small carrots
- 1 little onion
- 2 ts all purpose flour
- 500ml fish stock
- 4 small potatoes
- 200g frozen peas
- 500ml milk
- 250g cheddar cheese
- 350g fish : salmon, cod and shrimps
- parslej
- salt and pepper

I washed, peeled and cut the carrots. Same with the potatoes. I chopped the onion.
For the fish stock you can use Knorr cubes.
My fish was already cut in small cubes, bought like that from the supermarket, special for soups.

I heated the butter over medium-low heat, added the carrots and onion and saute, stirring, for about 5-7 minutes. I added the flour and stirred until it was well blended, 1-2 minutes.

I added the fish stock and the potatoes and let it boil. Then put a lid on and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes on low heat, stirring from time to time.
I added the fish, peas, the milk and cheddar cheese. I let it cook, stirring very gently from time to time, for 10 more minutes or until the cheese has melted.

In the end I added salt (if needed) and pepper and the chopped parsley.
This soup was a very pleasant surprise. Velvety creamy texture.. incredible tasty!

The above picture was for presentation purposes.. in reality, this big bowl I ate! :)

Tapas - baby new potatoes with aioli

2009-07-11T08:42:00.000-07:00

I used:
- small new potatoes
- 4-5 ts mayonnaise
- 1 ts mustard
- juice from 1/2 a lemon (I had helas)
- 1 big garlic clove
- parsley
- salt, pepper, sunflower oil

I washed and partially peeled the potatoes. In a pot of salted water I boiled them for about 10-15 minutes. They need to be just thoroughly cooked, but not completely soft. I tested them with a toothpick, which has to oppose some resistance.

My baby potatoes were small, but still not small enough for what I wanted, so I cut them in 2 or even 4 :)

I fried the potatoes in a frying pan, in sunflower oil until they turn golden.

I added salt, pepper and sprinkled parsley. It's good to have fresh parsley, for the flavour. I forgot to buy so I got stuck with dry parsley.

For the aioli, I mixed the mayo with the mustard, added the lemon juice and the minced garlic until it becomes like a paste. Add salt if it is needed.

I served them warm. Some people recommend to combine the aioli with the potatoes, like a little salad. I chose to have them served as a dip. They were delicious, either way!

Roasted stuffed lamb

2009-07-05T17:06:00.000-07:00

In Romania we cook lamb for every Easter, and the roasted lamb is a traditional meal. It is the first time when I cooked this, and frankly speaking, I was a bit afraid I won't get rid of that sheep smell. But everything was ok, nothing smelled anything like sheep, the meat had the exact tender and soft consistence I was looking for!It was delicious and it made me feel a little bit like home :)

I used:
- 1kg lamb meat
- 2 bacon stripes
- 3 garlic cloves
- 75g salted butter
- rosemary
- salt and pepper, different spices

I melted the butter in a saucepan, added the spices, salt and pepper and 2 minced garlic cloves. I let it cool off for a few minutes so I could work with it later.

The meat I cleaned it of the fat portions and made small holes in it with a kitchen knife. I stuffed the holes with little pieces of bacon and the last garlic clove, chopped. My piece of meat was a bit round like a little ball, so I cut it in half, and then I covered the two parts together.

I put the meat in a big bowl and poured over it the mixture of butter and condiments. It needs to marinate, so I put it in the fridge for 2 hours.

Before I put it in the oven, I fried it in a pan, on medium heat. Not too long, but enough so it gets a fine crust. I sat it in a bakingpan, poured over the remaining juices of the marinate sauce and added water (around 2 cups).

I put it in the oven, 70-80 Celsius degrees for 1.5-2 hours. Now don't get me wrong, it depends on everyones oven and the thickness of the meat. My advice is to always check and do the toothpick test in order to see when it's done.

I served it with potatoes grating, salad and garlic butter. It was so nice, it was melting in the mouth!

Shrimp and avocado cocktail

2009-07-05T16:43:00.000-07:00

After many researches, I found this way of making shrimp cocktail to be the one I like the most. It's extremely delicious, creamy, refreshing and perfect as an appetizer.

I used:
- fresh salad leaves
- 1 avocado
- 50g shrimps
- 50g prawns
- 1 lemon
- dill
- for the sauce: ketchup and mayo (50:50) and 1-2 tablespoons of cognac

The sauce is made by mixing the mayo with the ketchup and the cognac.. very simple.

I cut the avocado in half and took out the middle wooden part. I peeled it, cut it in little cubes and put it in lemon juice so it doesn't turn brown.

I mixed all the ingredients together, added the rest of the lemon juice and the dill and let it rest for a while so all the aromas blend.

I served them in martini glasses because I thought it looked more funky :) but it can be served in small bowls or anything you have basically. I teared apart a few salad leaves and put in the glass. Then I added a good amount of the mixture and added more dill and a slice of lemon for the appearance factor:)

Enjoy!

Egg, ham and grilled peppers salad

2009-07-05T16:17:00.000-07:00

Another salad. I cannot have enough of them, especially now that it's so hot outside. And every monday I say to myself "from today on I will be on a diet", and I need to eat lots of salads with vitamins, minerals and fibres!

I used:
- salad leaves (different kinds, romaine, lettuce, iceberg)
- 1 boiled egg
- 100g ham
- 50g feta cheese
- 2 grilled peppers in vinaigre
- olive oil, salt, pepper
- different salad spices

Cheese and mushroom pies

2009-07-05T10:40:00.000-07:00

I always liked and always will like pies. Any kind, shape or form of pies. Any flavour or filling. I can say I have a sweet tooth for pies:)Here is two, very simple to make.

I used:
- 2 eggs
- pastry
- 1 mushroom can
- 1 small onion
- 250g cottage cheese
- 50g feta cheese
- salt, pepper
- 50g cream or 50g natural yougurt
- oil or butter for frying

Cheese filling - I mixed the cottage cheese with feta and the egg and added salt.

Mushroom filling - I cut the onion and saute it in oil (or butter) until it becomes translucid and I added minced mushrooms. I fried the whole thing for about 5-7 minutes, then I added the yogurt/cream and salt and held them on medium heat for 3-4 more minutes.

I cut the pastry in two (you can make any shape and form you want) and put in the fillings. I greased both oh them with beaten egg and poked them with a tooth stick.

I preheated the oven at 200 Celsius degrees and put them in for about 20-30 minutes. You need to verify them from time to time so they don't get too brown or burn.

3 kinds of mushroom pasta with white sauce

2009-07-05T09:06:00.000-07:00

This recipe is very dear to me. In a period of time when BBC Food was still being broadcasted here, I was watching like mad Nigella Lawson. And I fell in love with this recipe. I remember I was almost drooling in front of the TV :) Anyway, I haven't written down the recipe, so I had to make it based on my exquisite memory :) But it still ended up as goos as I expected it to be!

I used:
- one pasta Barilla Penne
- 1kg mushrooms: chanterelle, champignons and porcini or any other mushroom of your choice
- 100g butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 300ml milk
- parsley
- parmesan
- salt and pepper

I washed, peeled and cut the mushrooms in small pieces. In a pan I melted the butter and added the mushrooms and a bit of salt and put it on medium heat. The mushrooms will appear dry at first but will eventually start to give off some liquid. After 5-10 minutes (depending on how much water is left) I added the minced parsley, stirring for about 10 more minutes.

In the meantime I made the white sauce. In a saucepan I melted the butter. I added the flour and stirred until it becomes like a paste. I removed the pan from the heat and whisked in the milk, then turned the heat back on to medium, and stirred until it began to thicken and come to the boil. I let it bubble for about 5 minutes to get rid of the floury taste and then removed it and added salt and pepper.

I boiled the pasta according to the instructions on the box. I turned the pasta in a large roasting pan, added the mushrooms, the sauce and the grated parmesan and mixed it all together.

I Baked for 30 minutes in the oven or until the top begins to turn golden in places,150 Celsius. I grated parmesan on top, after I removed it from the oven and sprinkled parsley. Extremely tasty and perfumed!

Pasta with shrimps and gorgonzola sauce

2009-07-05T09:02:00.000-07:00

I used:
- pasta (linguine)
- 5dl cream
- spring onion
- parsley
- thyme
- 150g gorgonzola cheese
- 150g shrimps
- 150g prawns
- olive oil, salt and pepper

I boiled the pasta al dente, in water with salt. I used fresh pasta, linguine, but any other kind of pasta will do.

The sauce: I put the cream and gorgonzola cheese in a pan and had it on medium fire until it starts to boil and the gorgonzola has melted. I added the spring onion, parsley and thyme, all chopped and minced, salt and pepper and held them on medium fire for 5-6 more minutes until the sauce starts to thicken. You need to stir now and then. You can also add a tablespoon of all purpose flour so it thickens faster.

The shrimps and prawns I tossed in a pan, in olive oil on medium heat for about 2-3 minutes or until they get a pinkish colour.

Then I mixed the pasta with the shrimps and prawns and the sauce and dinner was served!

Caesar's salad

2009-07-05T07:10:00.000-07:00

There are so many variations of this recipe on the internet and even in cookbooks that it makes it practically impossible to say "yes, this is the original Caesar's salad recipe". But there are some key ingredients that are always used: roman salad, croutons, chicken breast, parmesan and of course the dressing. I've been a little bit lazy and bought the sauce and croutons from the supermarket, but it's so easy to make them and soon I'll do them both "home made".

I used (for 2 persons):
- 1 romaine salad
- 1 bag of croutons
- 2 chicken breasts
- 50g parmesan
- Caesar's salad dressing

The chicken breast I marinated in olive oil and spices and had it in the fridge for 20 minutes. Then I grilled it. The croutons, even if I bought them from the store, I spinkled some olive oil on, added some rosemary for flavour and saute in a pan to make them more juicy and crunchy.

I washed the salad, mixed it with the dressing and added the crutons. You need to work fast so that the sauce doesn't impregnates in the croutons and make them mushy... they need to stay crispy :)

Then I arranged everything on a plate. First the salad, then the grilled chicken breast and I sprinkled minced parmesan on top.

I served them with Garlic bread, even though I didn't find it necessary because of the croutons. It was delicious and very refreshing!

Gratin potatoes and smoked salmon with olives

2009-06-29T11:11:00.000-07:00

(recipe adapted from Maya)

When I saw this recipe I was during a brake at school, and I got hungry imediately! I almost skipped classes to go home and try it :) I didn't but.. when I finally cooked it it waspure and simple delicious!

I used:
200g smoked salmon
7 small potatoes
1 onion
100g black olives (without the essence)
crutons
200ml cream
dill
50g grated parmesan or cheese
50g breadcrumbs
lemon juice
salt, pepper

I sprinkled pepper on the salmon files and poured the lemon juice.

I cleaned and peeled the potatoes and cut them in small slices. Put them to boil for no more then 7-8 minutes.

The chopped onion I put it in a pan on medium heat with the sliced olives. I added the crutons and kept them more for 2-3 minutes on medium heat.

I layed the slices of potatoes in a baking pan, the salmon filees and I poured on top the cream. I sprinkled chopped dill.

The onion, olives and crutons made the last layer and on top grated parmesan.

I put it in the oven, preheated at 250 Celsius for 10-15 minutes or until it turns golden and parmesan melts.

Stuffed peppers

2009-06-29T10:20:00.000-07:00

Now and then I remember the dishes I used to eat when I was little, made by my mom or grandma... and especially stuffed peppers with cream! Mines did not end up exactly the same, a bit burned (very very little) and without the cream, but I can say they were pretty close for my first try. I followed the recipe from Sanda Marin.

I used:
6 peppers
500g minced meat (mix of pork and beef)
1 onion
1 cup of rice
1 egg1 slice of bread
dill
1 little cup of water
1 can peeled tomatoes
1 spoon of white flour
salt, pepper

I washed the peppers and sliced off the top with a knife. I hollowed out the inside and the seeds and added a pinch of salt to each.

I heated a little bit of oil in a pan and saute the chopped onions. When they start to get translucid, I added the rice and the water. I let them boil for about 20 minutes.

In a separate bowl I mixed the meat with the egg and dill.

I added the onions and rice, and the bread (which I previously put in water for it to become mushy), salt and pepper and mixed it all together.

I filled the peppers with this mixture.

The sauce: in a bowl i mixed the peeled tomatoes with the flour and some salt.

The peppers I arranged them in a baking pan and filled in the spaces with the sauce.

I baked them in the oven for about 1 hour at 180 Celsius degrees.

Caramelized bananas with vanilla icecream

2009-06-29T09:43:00.000-07:00

This recipe I took it from Gordon Ramsey's Cook along Live, and modified it a little bit. I just love the way the guy cooks and just speaks and act so nonchalant with everyone :)Simple and tasteful dessert!

I used:
2 bananas
1 cup of sugar
rom
cognac
vanilla icecream

I caramelized the sugar in a pan, until it became dark brownish. You need to be careful not to burn it.

I cut the bananas in medium pieces, not too small because they shrink when heated. I added them to the caramel and stirred them on medium heat for around 2-3 minutes.

I poured the cognac and flambe. In the end i added the rom and stirred all ingredients.

I served it in martini glasses with vanilla icecream on top.

We ate veeery fast, so the icecream doesn't melt!

This is all that's left after a few minutes :)

Chorizo tortilla

2009-06-29T09:26:00.000-07:00

I used:
3 potatoes
2 peppers
300g chorizo
7 eggs
1 onion
6-7 cherry tomatoes
olive oil
parmesan
100g warm water

Chorizo is a sausage original from Spain, and can be found in lots of varieties. I personally prefer the smoked version, because it resembles the sausages from Romania :)

I peeled off the potatoes and boiled them with a pinch of salt for 15-20 minutes. Then I cut them in small cubes. The onion, peppers and cherry tomatoes I chopped as well and sauteed in a pan with a little bit of olive oil on medium heat.

I added the potatoes and the sliced chorizo. My sausage was a bit too big so I cut the slices in 2 and sometimes in 4.

I added the beaten eggs, the water, salt and pepper and let it get a little crust 8-10 minutes.

Then I overturned the whole tortilla in a oil greased tray. You need to be careful not to break it...mine of course did break in the middle.. but I put the pieces together anyway :)

I sprinkled parmesan on top and put it in the oven, 180 Celsius degrees, until the omelet is done and the parmesan is melted.

I served it warm. I also made a fast salad, because I thought it can be a bit heavy for the stomach, but surprisingly it was incredible light!

Tuna salad with beans and corn

2009-06-27T16:42:00.000-07:00

I had this tuna can, for some while now, and a been can (from a failed try of mine of making a romanian dish that went wrong :) and I decided to try one of those salads "with everything" or "whith whatever stuff you have in the fridge". The result was a delicious healthy goodlooking nice little salad!

I used:

1 tuna can
1 corn can
1/2 been can
1 boiled egg
1 little onion
olive oil
1/2 lime or lemon
salt, pepper

I put everything all together in a bowl, added the olive oil, salt and pepper and the juice from the lime (or lemon). No rocket science here, just a normal, very tasty and healthy salad! I ate it with Wasa bread.

Youghurt cream with forest fruits

2009-06-27T16:26:00.000-07:00

This recipe is some kind of dessert, which is incredible light and refreshing, and can also be eaten as breakfast or brunch. I did not mention any quantities because everyone can put as much or as many from any ingredient as they want. It's easier and it let's the imagination explore :) I put one layer onto the other in a glass, but you don't need to do as I did.. just.. experiment!

I used:
forest fruits
natral youghurt
minced walnts
minced cereals (I had fitness kellogs )
cream
vanilla sugar
honey (optional)

If yo have the forest fruits frozen, let them defroze and pour away the juice. Mix the minced cereals and walnuts.

I whipped the cream in the kitchen robot with the vanilla sugar and then added it to the youghurt.

I wanted a more pronounced taste of youghurt, so I took 2:1 ratio.

I put the layers one after another in a glass, as mentioned before. My forest fruits were a little bit too sour, so after every layer I added a tiny bit of honey to make it sweeter. It is such a better alternative to sugar and it gives the whole dish that balance that it needs. If some prefer it more sour, you can skip it.

I put them in the fridge for 1 hor, and after tht they were delicious!

Warm bacon and asparagus sallad

2009-06-27T16:05:00.000-07:00

This week-end we decided to not go out and have a candle light dinner instead. It was warm bacon and asparagus sallad (inspired from The Hungry Mouse) with rissoto and white wine :) What an inspired choice! Mmmm..!

I used:
15-16 pieces of asparagus
250g bacon
1 onion
the juice from 1/2 de lamaie
salt

In Sweden we have asparagus everywhere and you can find it in any colour. I don't buy the one in the jar, because I think it's too soft and it can get mushy. Instead I always take the fresh one.

I washed it and cut around 2 cm from the end, because they can be woody.

I cut the bacon in little pieces and fried it in a pan. There's no need to add extra oil because the bacon is fat enough and leaves a decent amount behind. Put the fried bacon on a paper towel to absorbe the exces fat.

In the same pan in the remaining fat from the bacon I sauted the chopped onion, 3-4 minutes. When it became transluced I added the chopped asparagus, stired and cooked for around 8-9 minutes on medium heat. I also added some salt.

I added the bacon and let all the aromas to mix together for 2-3 more minutes.

In the end I poured the lemon juice.

We devoured it with simple rissoto and white wine... plus the romantic candles.. incredible :)

Filled zucchini with feta cheese and walnuts

2009-06-27T15:49:00.000-07:00

I used:
2 medium zucchini
1 onion
1 garlic clove
40g minced nuts
80g feta cheese
50g bread crumbles
1 egg
50g parmezan
dill
salt, pepper, olive oil

I washed the zucchini, chopped off the edges and cut them in half. I salted them, put in a bowl half filled with hot water and into the oven for 5 minutes at 190 Celsius.

I took them out and left them to cool off and the water to rinse off them. With a little spoon I scooped out the pulp.

In a pan I fried for 1-2 minutes the chopped onion and garlic.

Feta cheese, the minced walnuts, the egg, the dill and the minced bread crumbs I mixed them all separatelly and added them in the pan.

Then I added the zucchini pulp too.

Let it on fire for no more than 2 mintes and then fill in the zucchinis with all this stuff.

I covered them with aluminium foil and put in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle the parmesan on top and let it in 10-15 minutes more, or until they turn golden.

They were exquisit and delicious :)

Strawberry Mascarpone Tart

2009-06-27T15:17:00.000-07:00

Extremly easy to make and delicious tart. The secret, I would say, is the dough, crunchy and mild, sweet and a bit salty at the same time. I guarantee that everyone will be very impressed if you serve them a bit of this tart with a nice black coffee aside :)

For the dough I used:
125g butter
75g powder sugar
2 eggyolks
250g flour
2 water spoons (optional)

The eggs and butter needs to be at room temperature. I mixed the butter, cut in small cubes, with the powder sugar.

I added the eggyolks and the flour and worked the dough. If it's hard to work with, you can add the water.

I put the dough into a kitchen foil and into the fridge, for 2 hours.

In the meantime I prepared the filling cream:
- 250g mascarpone cheese
- 35g powder sugar
- 200 ml cream (I took with vanilla aroma by mistake, bt it was good enough)

I mixed together the sgar and the mascarpone cheese.

Separatelly I whipped the cream and added it to the mascarpone mix.

After it's been in the fridge for 2 hors, the dough needs to be taken out and let to rest for around 30 minutes, otherwise it is too hard and impossible to work with. I layed it in a tart pan covered in baking paper. Before I pt it in the oven I stabbed it with a fork, so it doesn't bubble from the heat.

I put it in the oven, preheated at 180 Celsius ntil it turns golden (need to be checked so it doesn't get burned).

I let it to cool off and then poured the filling and added the strawberries on top. I didn't have fresh strawberries, so I used refrigerated one, but it worked fine.

We ate a bit imediatelly after I made it, but if you put it into the fridge and leave it there for a while before serving, it's heavenly! :)

Lemon and lime tart

2009-06-27T14:53:00.000-07:00

Recently I just discovered how to make Mojito cocktails :) And I bought huge amounts of limes.. so I had to do something with them. They have such a delicate and powerfull parfume, at the same time, in cocktails, they ahve to be amazing in tarts. I took the recipe from recepten.se, but I modified it a bit to suit my own style :)

For the dough:
300g white flour
2 spoons sugar
125g butter
1 eggyolk (or 2-3 spoons of water)
1tsp lemon and lime zest

For the filling:
3 eggs
200g sugar
2 spoons white flour
2 tsp vanilla sugar
200g cream
2 limes si 1 lemon

Before doing anything else, you need to peel the lemon and lime zest and let the butter to cool off at room temperature. It's easier to work with.

The dough - I mixed the butter with the sugar and the flour.

I added the lime and lemon zest and the eggyolk (or the water).

I put the dough in the tart pan (which I buttered first). The ingredients are for a 24 cm tart, but I used 2 smaller ones. I put them in the fridge for around half an hour.

The filling - things are easy here. I basically mixed all the ingrediens. The eggs with the sugar, I added the flour, vanilla sugar and the cream. I juiced the limes and lemon and added the juice to it too. Then I added the rest of the zest and mixed it all together. I filled in the little pans.

I put them in the oven, 200 Celsius for around 30 minutes. You need to check them out from time to time because it depends a lot on the oven. Mine for instance, it burns on one side, so I turned them around after 15 min.

They can be served simple, with vanilla icecream or with whipped cream. And a cup of nice and hot coffee :)

Tzatziki

2009-06-27T14:34:00.000-07:00

Tzatziki is a traditional greek recipe. Some call it salad (cucumbers with yoghurt) others call it yoghurt dip, and most people just by its greek name. Whatever you name it, it's very simple to make and incredible delicious!

I used:

- 200g greek yoghurt
-1 cucumber (medium)
-2-3 garlic cloves
-1 spoon olive oil
-1 tsp lemon juice
-chopped dill
-salt, pepper

I grated the cucumber. Because it is so waterish, you can sqeeze it, either in a kitchen towel or by hand .

Then I mixed the yoghurt, the grated cucumber the dill and the garlic in a bowl.

I added oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and put it in the fridge, for around an hour before serving, so all the aromas mix together.

You can serve it cold, on toast, with garlic bread, as a side dish, as an appetizer or in any other way.. it's delicious!