Blackcurrant pork chops - Kotletter med svart vinbärssås

BLACKCURRANT PORK CHOPS
Kotletter med svart vinbärssås

Luxurious pork chops with creamy chanterelle cheese and a sauce with a taste of blackcurrants.

4 servings

4 pork chops, “butterfly style”

3½ oz cream cheese with chanterelles
1 tablespoon oil
¼ cup water

Blackcurrant sauce:

1 ¼ cups water
1/3 cup concentrated blackcurrant drink
1½ to 2 tablespoons concentrated game bouillon
½ teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons corn starch

Divide the cream cheese on the pork chops, fold them up and secure with a toothpick if necessary. Fry them in oil, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Flavour to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the water on the side of the chops and fry on low heat, covered, for about 10 minutes.

Sauce: Bring water, blackcurrant drink, bouillon and thyme. Stir the corn starch with some water, beat it into the sauce and simmer for a couple of minutes. Flavour to taste with salt, pepper and some more blackcurrant drink if needed.

Serve with boiled potatoes and broccoli.

Enjoy!

Bella

Fillet of pork with tomato pesto and Parmesan potatoes - Fläskfilé med tomatpesto och parmesanpotatis

FILLET OF PORK WITH TOMATO PESTO AND
PARMESAN POTATOES
Fläskfilé med tomatpesto och parmesanpotatis

Fillet of pork with parmesan potatoes – could it get any better? Of course it can – top with a gorgeous tomato pesto and a creamy sauce, and you have a dinner to beat!

4 servings

1 fillet of pork, approx 1 lb

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Tomato pesto:

3 tablespoons pine nuts
2 garlic cloves
1/3 cup sunflower oil
3 tablespoons tomato purée

Sauce:

1 ¾ cups pan juices + water
2 to 3 tablespoons concentrated veal bouillon
¾ cup crème fraîche or soured cream
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon Chinese soy sauce

Heat the oven to 440F.

Start with the tomato pesto. Roast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan. Peel the garlic, then mix garlic and pine nuts with a hand mixer. Add oil and tomato purée, little by little, stirring continuously. Flavour with salt.

Brown the meat in fat in a frying pan. Flavour with salt and pepper. Put it on an oven-proof dish and spread some of the pesto on top. Put a meat thermometer in the middle of the meat, in the thickest part, and put in the oven for about 20 minutes until the temperature reaches 70°C/160F.

Sauce: Pour water in the frying pan from the meat and whisk around. Strain the pan juices in a saucepan and add bouillon, crème fraîche, flour and soy sauce. Bring to a boil while stirring and simmer for about 5 minutes. Flavour to taste with salt and pepper.

Slice the fillet. Drizzle remaining pesto over the meat and serve with parmesan potatoes (see below), the sauce and a salad.

PARMESAN POTATOES

Parmesanpotatis

4 servings

Peel and cut 2 lbs potatoes in very thin slices and put them like roof tiles in an oven-proof dish with baking paper. Brush with 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, a dash of paprika and 1 dl (good 1/3 cup) finely grated parmesan. Put in the oven at 440F and bake for approx 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Increase the heat to 480F during the last 5 minutes so that the potatoes become nice and golden.

Enjoy!

Bella

Bacon and mustard chicken stew - Kycklinggryta med bacon och senap

BACON AND MUSTARD CHICKEN STEW
Kycklinggryta med bacon och senap

Don’t you love chicken? A hearty stew is never wrong, especially not this one with mustard, bacon and chives. The sauce is so good you can eat it with a spoon …

4 servings

4 chicken fillets, in all approx 1 lb

2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 teaspoon salt
white pepper
¾ cup chicken bouillon
2 tablespoons flour
¾ cup cream, 15% fat
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
5 oz bacon
2 tablespoons chopped chives
fresh thyme if desired

Fry the chicken fillets on all sides in butter or margarine and flavour with salt and pepper. Pour on the bouillon and bring to a boil. Mix flour and cream and beat the thickening into the pan. Add soy sauce and mustard and simmer for 3 minutes or until the chicken is done.

Dice and fry the bacon until crisp in a frying pan, then sprinkle it over the chicken together with the chives. Serve with potato wedges and broccoli and decorate with some fresh thyme if you wish.

Enjoy!

Bella

Chocolate raspberry cake - Chokladtårta med hallon

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY CAKE
Chokladtårta med hallon

Smooth and soft in texture and incredibly good.

1 cake, 8 to 10 pieces

14 oz almond paste

2 eggs
½ lb dark chocolate, 70% cocoa
½ lb nougat
1 cup heavy cream
½ tablespoon powdered coffee
2 tablespoons whisky (optional)

Decoration and serving:
2/3 cup heavy cream

½ lb raspberries

Heat the oven to 440F.

Dress a round springform pan, diameter 22 cm/9 inches, with aluminium foil. Grease the foil with butter. Coarsely grate the almond paste and mix with egg. Pour the batter in the pan and spread it out. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 20 minutes. Allow to get cold.

Coarsley chop the chocolate and the nougat. Heat the cream to boiling point, add coffee and turn off the heat. Stir in the chocolate and nougat and continue stirring until all the chocolate has melted. Flavour to taste with optional whisky and allow to cool.

Pour the chocolate in the pan and put the cake in the fridge. Chill for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

Beat the cream, cut the cake in pieces and serve with berries and cream.

Enjoy!

Bella

Rustic beef casserole - Rustik biffgryta

RUSTIC BEEF STEW
Rustik biffgryta 

This delicious stew with meat and bell peppers is exquisite with pasta and Russian yogurt. If you let it simmer for a long time, the meat gets really tender and flavourful.

4 servings

1 lb diced beef, e.g. prime rib
2 onions
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1½ tablespoons paprika
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 can crushed tomatoes, 14 oz
¾ cup water
1½ beef bouillon cube
3 small bell peppers

For serving:

¾ cup Russian yogurt
zest from 1 lemon

Peel and chop the onions. Brown it with the meat in some fat, remove from heat and add spices. Add crushed tomatoes, water and bouillon cubes. Simmer until the meat is tender, 50 to 60 minutes.

Trim and shred the sweet peppers, add them to the pot and let them boil for about 5 minutes. Decorate with a parsley sprig.

Serve with pasta and yogurt sprinkled with grated lemon zest.

Enjoy!

Bella

Mango pastries - Mangobakelser

MANGO PASTRIES
Mangobakelser

Approx 6 pastries

Layers:

2 egg whites
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon light-coloured treacle/molasses

Mango parfait filling:

1/3 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
2 to 3 mangoes, approx 14 oz
1 ¼ cup  heavy cream

Decoration:

1 mango in wedges
strawberries
chopped toasted Almonds

Draw 12 circles, approx 2 ¼ inches, on a baking paper.

Beat the egg whites until stiff. Add sugar and treacle, little by little, and continue beating until the mixture is firm. Pipe it out in a “spiral” from the middle and out within the drawn circles. Then pipe 6 thick rings with the same diameter as the layers.

Put the meringue layers in the lower part of the oven at 440F. If needed, put a baking plate up in the oven to protect them from being burned or over-baked. Turn off the heat and let the meringue bake for 8 to 10 hours or overnight.

Beat together water, sugar and egg yolks for the filling in a saucepan. Simmer until thick on medium heat while beating vigorously. Allow to cool and beat occasionally.

Peel the mangoes and cut out the pulp (this recipe is from the 80s when we couldn’t buy frozen, diced mango in the supermarket – if you can do that, do it!). Mash or mix it, it should be about 1½ cups. Stir this into the crème. Beat the cream until thick and turn it into the mango crème.

Fill small aluminum cylinder dishes or pour the crème in a dish with high sides. Freeze the mango crème for at least 3 to 5 hours. Unmould the frozen cylinders or use a glass or something to measure out round parfait pieces from the dish. Put the frozen parfait pieces on the whole meringue layers and put the meringue rings on top.

Decorate the pastries with peeled mango wedges and strawberries and serve instantly.

Enjoy!

Bella

Pineapple sorbet with meringue - Ananassorbet med maräng

PINEAPPLE SORBET WITH MERINGUE
Ananassorbet med maräng

For this dessert I use fresh, ripe pineapple, with a scent and a taste that totally outruns the canned fruit.

4 servings

1 ¾ lbs fresh pineapple

1 tablespoon sugar
2 limes
1 tablespoon rum (optional)

Meringue:

2 egg whites
1/3 cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla sugar

Heat the oven to 320F.

Cut the pineapple in 4 slices, cut off the peel and the hard stem. Peel and dice remaining pineapple. Mix half of the diced fruit with 1/3 cup water and 1 tablespoon sugar. Grate the zest and squeeze the juice from one of the fruits. Stir this into the mixed fruit and flavour to taste with rum, if you wish. Freeze for at least 4 hours.

Meringue:

Beat the egg whites until stiff and firm. Add sugar, vanilla sugar and grated zest from the remaining lime.

Thoroughly grease 4 oven-proof serving dishes, drop in the meringue and put the dishes in a roasting pan. Place the pan in the middle of the oven and pour water in it. Bake until the meringue puffs up, approx 12 minutes. Leave to rest for 2 minutes. Up to here you can prepare in advance. If the meringue is made one day in advance, allow them to cool completely before covering them with plastic foil and storing cold.

Take out the sorbet about 20 minutes before serving. Put a slice of pineapple on each plate and a ball of sorbet on top. Sprinkle with remaining diced fruit and top with meringue. If the meringue doesn’t want to part from its dish, use a sharp knife and loosen it from the sides.

Enjoy!

Bella

Creamy risotto with chicken - Krämig risotto med kycklingfilé

CREAMY RISOTTO WITH CHICKEN
Krämig risotto med kycklingfilé

4 servings

4 chicken fillets, in all approx 1 lb

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Risotto:

1 small onion
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 ¼ cups arborio rice
3 ¼ cups vegetable bouillon
½ pot fresh basil
3½ oz chèvre cheese

Mushroom sauce:

7 oz fresh mushrooms
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons flour
1 ¼ cups water
2 tablespoons concentrated veal bouillon
1/3 cup cream or crème fraîche
1 teaspoon Chinese soy sauce

Pickled red onions:

1 red onion
1 tablespoon pickling vinegar, 12%
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons water

Start with the red onion. Peel and thinly slice it. Mix pickling vinegar, sugar and water and put the onion in for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Risotto:

Peel and finely chop the onion. Sauté until glossy in a saucepan, add rice and 2 cups bouillon. Boil on low heat, no lid on, and stir occasionally. When the bouillon has disappeared into the rice after about 15 minutes, add more bouillon (1/3 cup at a time) and wait until all liquid has disappeared before adding more. Stir occasionally. Finally chop the basil and stir it in. Crumble the cheese and add it. Flavour to taste with salt and pepper. The risotto should be creamy.

Split the chicken fillets lengthwise, so you have 4 really thin slices. Fry them in butter or margarine and flavour with salt and pepper.

Sauce:

Trim and slice the mushrooms and fry them. Dust with flour and blend it in. Add water, bouillon and cream and let the sauce simmer for a couple of minutes. Flavour to taste with soy sauce, pepper and maybe some salt.

Serve with boiled potatoes or rice and a tomato salad.

Enjoy!

Bella

Strawberry granité - Jordgubbsgranité

STRAWBERRY GRANITÉ
Jordgubbsgranité

Granité tastes almost like a popsicle. Freeze it in ice cube boxes and it’s easier to mix.

4 servings

1 ¼ cups crème fraîche or soured cream

1 teaspoon vanilla sugar

Strawberry granite:

3 cups strawberries
¼ cup powdered sugar
¼ cup white wine

Decoration:

mint leaves

Granité:
Reserve 8 nice-looking strawberries. Mix the rest to a purée together with powdered sugar and white wine. Flavour to taste – add more powdered sugar if necessary. Freeze in ice cube boxes for at least 2 hours.

Beat crème fraîche and vanilla sugar to a crème with an electric beater. Divide into 4 glasses. Mix the frozen strawberry purée just before serving and top the crème with the granite. Decorate with the reserved strawberries and some mint.

Enjoy!

Bella

Rhubarb strawberry ice cream - Rabarber- och jordgubbsglass

RHUBARB STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM
Rabarber- och jordgubbsglass

Every bit as good as it looks! Freeze in portion-sized cups and serve with fresh strawberries.

4 servings

1 rhubarb stem, 2½ oz

2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon runny honey
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
4 cups strawberries
2 cups vanilla ice cream

Cut the rhubarb in really thin slices. Bring water, honey and ginger to a boil. Remove the saucepan from heat and put in the rhubarb. Leave to draw for 1 hour.

Mix ½ litre (2 cups) strawberries with a hand mixer and blend with 1/3 cup of the rhubarb. Let the ice cream soften slightly, pour on the rhubarb-strawberry mix and turn this into the ice cream so it becomes rippled by the lovely red.

Divide in 4 freezer-proof serving cups and put in the freezer for at least 3 hours. Unmould onto serving plates  and serve with remaining strawberries, cut in wedges, and the rhubarb in its liquid. Top with some fresh  mint.

Enjoy!

Bella

Fresh lemon sorbet - Frisk citronsorbet

FRESH LEMON SORBET
Frisk citronsorbet

How about a little lemon sharpness to round off a good meal?

4 servings

3 eggs

2/3 cup powdered sugar
1½ lemon
¾ cup heavy cream
1 ¼ cups sparkling wine or cider

Decoration:

rhubarbs
lemon
lemon balm

Separate the eggs. Beat egg yolks and powdered sugar until fluffy. Clean the beaters and beat the egg whites until firm and foamy. Put in the freezer.

Wash the lemon in hot water, grate off the zest and squeeze out the juice. Beat the cream and turn it into the egg yolk mixture together with lemon zest and juice. Gently stir down the egg whites. Put the sorbet in the freezer, preferably overnight.

Serve the sorbet in nice glasses and decorate with rhubarb slices, lemon and lemon balm. Gently pour on the sparkling wine when serving.

Enjoy!

Bella

Ravioli with bacon and spinach - Ravioli med bacon och spenat

RAVIOLI WITH BACON AND SPINACH
Ravioli med bacon och spenat

2 servings

1/2 lb fresh ravioli filled with spinach and ricotta

2½ oz of your wonderful bacon (I'll never forget the bacon I had for 
breakfast at a hotel in London …)
2½ oz cherry tomatoes
1 ¾ oz baby spinach
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon basil oil or lemon oil
3 full tablespoons sliced Parmesan cheese

Boil the pasta. Fry the bacon until crisp and drain on a paper towel. Rinse the tomatoes, rinse and remove most of the water from the spinach. Fry the tomatoes in oil until they start to soften up, add the spinach and fry until that does the same. Mix the boiled pasta with spinach, tomatoes and crispy bacon pieces. Drizzle with basil oil and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Enjoy!

Bella

Rhubarb strawberry crumble pie - Smulpaj med jordgubbar och rabarber

RHUBARB STRAWBERRY CRUMBLE PIE
Smulpaj med jordgubbar och rabarber

6 to 8 servings

6 oz butter or margarine

1 ¾ cups flour
salt
¾ cup Demerara sugar

Filling:

2 rhubarb stems
4 cups strawberries
2 tablespoons potato starch
1/3 cup Demerara sugar

Heat the oven to 350F.

Mix fat, flour, salt and Demerara to a crumbly dough. Cut the rhubarbs in pieces, split the strawberries and mix with potato starch and Demerara. Put half of the crumbles in the bottom of a pie pan, on with the filling and finish with remaining crumbles. Bake for about 30 minutes until the crumbles are nicely coloured.

Enjoy!

Bella

Hunter's stew - Jägargryta (retro)

HUNTER'S STEW
Jägargryta

4 servings

3½ oz lightly smoked bacon

1 lb game, e.g. venison, moose, reindeer) from back, shoulder or brisket
flour, salt, pepper
2 onions
1 ¾ oz butter or margarine
¾ cup bouillon
¾ cup red wine
3 carrots
4 potatoes
1/4 lb mushrooms or chanterelles,
fresh or canned
1/3 cup soured cream
chopped parsley (optional)

Dice the bacon and fry until golden brown in some of the fat. Take it up and add remaining fat in the pot or pan. Trim the meat, cut in large cubes and coat them with well-flavoured flour. Brown well on all sides, then add the sliced onions and fry until coloured.

Pour in the bouillon and the red wine and let the meat simmer, covered with a lid, for about 20 minutes. Add sliced carrots and potatoes.

Add the mushrooms or chanterelles to the pot when 5 minutes remain and also stir in the soured cream. Flavour the sauce to taste before serving and also sprinkle some chopped parsley over it all if you wish.

Lingonberries or rowanberry jelly is good with this.

Enjoy!

Bella

Shortbread ring with gooseberry filling - Mördegskrans med krusbärsfyllning (retro)

SHORTBREAD RING WITH GOOSEBERRY FILLING
Mördegskrans med krusbärsfyllning

4 servings

Shortcrust dough:

1 ¾ oz sugar
4 oz butter or margarine
1 ¼ cups flour
1 egg yolk + 1 tablespoon water

Filling:

1 lb fresh gooseberries or other fresh fruit or berries,
e.g. rhubarb, plums, cherries
1/3 to 2/3 cup water
sugar to taste

Stir fat and sugar until fluffy. Add egg yolk, water and flour and work to a smooth dough. Dress a lightly greased, pleated pie pan with the dough and make sure the edge is even. Heat the oven to 390F and bake until done. Let it get completely cold before filling it.

Trim the berries for the compote and simmer until tender in some sugar water. You might want to add a couple of gelatin sheets, then let the compote cool. Put the filling in the cold shortcrust shell and store cold until serving with whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Bella