The salami lover's minced meat roll - Salamiälskarens färsrulle

THE SALAMI LOVER’S MINCED MEAT ROLL
Salamiälskarens färsrulle

Filling the minced meat with something good and different makes an ordinary everyday dish an exciting surprise. The minced meat roll is also good to put on sandwiches.

4 servings

1 lb minced meat

(50% beef, 50% pork)
¼ cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon salt
white pepper
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 ¾ oz diced salami
1 cup grated cheese 
2 tablespoons mild chili sauce

Mix the ground meat with onion, parsley, salt, pepper and oregano. Put the ground meat on a carving board rinsed with water and shape it to a plate, approx 12 x 10 inches. Sprinkle with diced salami and cheese and roll it up from the long side.

Put the roll in an oven-proof dish, seamside down, and spread with chili sauce. Put it in the middle of the oven at 350F for about 40 minutes. Cut the roll in slices and serve.

You can sprinkle some grated cheese on top of the ground meat roll when about 10 minutes remain.

Enjoy!

Bella

Fairy-tale cookies - Sagokakor

FAIRY-TALE COOKIES
Sagokakor

Cornflakes make these cookies really crisp and a dab of melted chocolate on top makes them decorative.

Approx 40 cookies

7 oz butter or margarine

2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
5 ¼ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
salt
2 cups cornflakes

Decoration:

5 oz white chocolate

Stir fat, brown sugar and sugar until fluffy. Blend in the eggs. Mix flour, baking powder, vanilla sugar and salt. Stir flour mixture and cornflakes into the batter. Drop out tablespoon-sized dabs of the batter onto greased baking plates (or use baking paper) with an inch in between. Bake in the middle of the oven at 390F for 10 to 12 minutes or until done.

Break the white chocolate in pieces and melt over a waterbath on low heat. Put a dab of the melted chocolate on top of each cake and let set.

Serve and enjoy!

Bella

Moist and juicy chocolate cake - Saftig chokladkaka

MOIST AND JUICY CHOCOLATE CAKE
Saftig chokladkaka

A delicious, juicy cake with a clean, pure taste of chocolate. It’s beautiful as it is, but you can also decorate it with grapes. Enjoy it with a cup of strong coffee!

1 cake, approx 16 slices

3½ oz baking chocolate

5 oz cream cheese
3½ oz butter or margarine
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla sugar
2 eggs
1 ¼ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup milk

Decoration:

powdered sugar
blue grapes
(you can substitute the grapes
with strawberries, raspberries
or other berries)

Break the chocolate in pieces and melt over a waterbath. Stir cream cheese and fat until soft and smooth. Blend in sugar, brown sugar and vanilla sugar and stir until fluffy. Add eggs and melted chocolate.

Mix flour and baking powder in a bowl and then stir it into the batter alternating with the milk. Pour in a greased, floured cake pan (Bundt pan), holding 6 cups. Bake in the lower part of the oven at 350F for about 50 minutes.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes. Unmould on a rack and cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar and decorate with split grapes or berries if you wish.

Enjoy!

Bella

Juicy fibre bread - Saftigt fiberbröd

JUICY FIBRE BREAD
Saftigt fiberbröd

This bread is delicious and full of fibre, baked with oatmeal and wheat bran. Eat it while still warm, with just a dab of butter …

2 loaves

3½ oz butter or margarine

1 ¾ cups milk
1/3 cup water
3½ oz fresh yeast
2 eggs
¼ cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup oatmeal
4 tablespoons wheat bran
approx 5 ¾ cups flour
beaten egg for brushing

Melt the fat in a saucepan. Add milk and water and heat to 37°C, body heat. Crumble the yeast in a mixing bowl and stir it with some of the liquid. Add remaining liquid, eggs, brown sugar and salt. Blend in oatmeal, wheat bran and flour, little by little. Work the dough until it releases the bowl and sprinkle with some flour. Cover and leave to prove for about 20 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead until smooth and pliable. Divide it in two and shape into loaves. Put them in greased bread pans, 8 cups, or on greased baking plates – or use baking paper. Cover and leave to rise for about 20 minutes.

Brush with beaten egg and bake in the lower part of the oven at 350F for 35 to 40 minutes.

Enjoy!

Bella

Clay pot saffron chicken - Saffranskyckling i lergryta

CLAY POT SAFFRON CHICKEN
Saffranskyckling i lergryta

Enjoy a chicken with saffron gravy and lovely vegetables. Cooking in the clay pot is practical and good for you because of the smaller amount of calories. If you put the pot in a cold oven, you will have to add as much time to the cooking time as it takes for the oven to warm up.

4 servings

1 chicken, approx 2 lbs

or corresponding amount of chicken parts
salt, pepper
1 teaspoon soy sauce
4 small fennels or 2 large
3 middle-sized carrots
1 cup water
1 chicken bouillon cube
saffron
3½ oz frozen green asparagus

Decoration:

chopped parsley
dill

Soak the pot in water for about 15 minutes. Heat the oven to 390F.

Cut the chicken in pieces and rub them with salt and pepper. Brush with soy sauce. Split the fennels or cut them in wedges. Peel the carrots and cut them lengthwise in 4 pieces.

Put the chicken in the soaked clay pot and pour on ¼ cup water. Put the lid on and put the pot in the oven for about 20 minutes. Add fennel, carrots, remaining water, bouillon cube and saffron. Continue cooking for about 15 minutes, then add the asparagus and cook for another 15 minutes.

Flavour the juice to taste and adjust if necessary. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

Enjoy!

Bella

Red onion beef stew - Rödlöksbiff i gryta

RED ONION BEEF STEW
Rödlöksbiff i gryta

Red onion is a little stronger in taste than the ordinary onion. Soured cream makes this dish really creamy and also a little leaner than with heavy cream.

4 servings

1 1/3 lbs boneless beef, e.g.

thick flank or rump steak
1 large red onion
3 tablespoons flour
1½ teaspoons salt
white pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon mustard powder
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1½ cups meat bouillon
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 crushed garlic cloves
1/3 cup soured cream

Decoration:

chopped red onion
chives or parsley

Shred the meat. Peel and chop the onion. Mix flour, salt, pepper, paprika and mustard powder and coat the meat with the mixture. Melt 1 tablespoon fat in a large frying pan and sizzle the onion until tender. Melt another tablespoon fat in the pan and brown the shredded meat until coloured.

Pour on the bouillon, cover and simmer slowly for about 30 minutes or until the meat is tender. Stir occasionally. Blend in tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and soured cream. Heat it all up but do not let it boil again.

Flavour to taste and adjust if necessary. Sprinkle with chopped red onions and chives and serve.

Enjoy!

Bella

Very long shrimp sandwich - Räklängd

VERY LONG SHRIMP SANDWICH
Räklängd

Take a break in the evening and make some warm shrimp sandwiches. Make them really long and let everyone cut a suitable piece for themselves. There will probably be leftover bread, so make a larger batch of what you have on it or put remaining bread in the freezer. :-D

2 long sandwiches, approx 4 servings

1 lb un-peeled shrimp

or 7 oz peeled
2 avocados
1/3 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons chili sauce
3 tablespoons chopped dill
2 white loaf breads, cut in slices
lengthwise so that each slice is
as long as the bread
(in Sweden we can buy them
already cut and there are normally
4 or 5 slices in each package)
butter or margarine
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
salt, pepper
1 ¼ to 1 ¾ cups grated cheese

Peel the shrimps. Peel the avocados and cut them in thin slices. Mix mayonnaise, chili sauce and dill. Spread the sliced bread with a thin layer of butter or margarine. Put on the sliced avocado, drizzle with fresh lemon juice and sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Put on the shrimps, add mayonnaise in dabs and sprinkle with cheese.

Bake in the upper part of the oven at 440 to 480F for about 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted and is coloured.

Serve with a salad and a glass of beer or white wine.

Enjoy!

Bella

Rye bread - Rågsiktskakor

RYE BREAD
Rågsiktskakor

It’s sheer joy to bake these soft, delicious and very traditionally Swedish sifted rye flour bread cakes, flavoured with aniseed. Of course, bread like this is best fresh from the oven.

3 bread cakes

1 ¾ oz butter or margarine

1 ¼ cups water
1 ¾ oz fresh yeast
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground aniseed
2 tablespoons treacle/molasses
approx 3 ¼ cups sifted rye flour

Melt the fat in a saucepan, add water and heat to 37°, body heat. Crumble the yeast in a mixing bowl and stir it with some of the liquid. Add remaining liquid, salt, aniseed, treacle and sifted rye flour, little by little. Work the dough until it releases the bowl. Sprinkle with some flour, cover and leave to prove for about 20 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead until smooth and pliable. Divide in three and roll out each part to a round cake, approx ½ inch thick. Take out a hole in the middle with a cake measure or a small glass.

Put the breads on greased baking plates – or use baking paper – and prick them with a fork. Cover and leave to prove for 20 to 30 minutes. Bake in the middle of the oven at 390F for 10 to 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Bella

Rye croissant breads - Råggifflar

RYE CROISSANT BREADS
Råggifflar

What’s better than freshly baked bread with a cup of tea or coffee? It doesn’t always have to be sweet. Some Kesella or thick Greek or Turkish yogurt in the dough make these goodies even more excellent.

24 “croissants”

2 cups milk

1 ¾ oz fresh yeast
8 oz Kesella or Greek or
Turkish yogurt
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups fine rye flour
2 ¾ to 3 ¼ cups wheat flour

Heat the milk to 37°C, body heat. Crumble the yeast in a mixing bowl and stir it with some of the milk. Add remaining milk, Kesella or substitution, salt, rye flour plus wheat flour, little by little. Work the dough until it releases the bowl, sprinkle with some flour, cover and leave to prove for about 40 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead until smooth and pliable. Divide in two and roll out each part to a round cake, approx 16 inches in diameter. Cut out each cake to 12 triangles, roll them up and shape them to croissants. Cover and leave to prove on greased baking plates (or use baking paper) for about 30 minutes.

Bake in the middle of the oven at 440F for 10 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool on a rack and serve.

Enjoy!

Bella

Rice with ham and fruit - Ris med skinka och frukt

RICE WITH HAM AND FRUIT
Ris med skinka och frukt

A delicious ham rice that you can serve warm as supper and then serve the leftovers for lunch the next day – that is, if there are any leftovers!

4 servings

Good ¾ cup long-grained rice

chicken bouillon
5 oz boiled or smoked ham
1 can tangerine wedges, 6 oz
good ¾ cup green peas
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Dressing:

4 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoonwater
1 tablespoon chopped capers
salt
black pepper

Boil the rice according to package instructions, but use chicken bouillon instead of water. Finely dice the ham. Pour off the juice from the tangerines.

Blend together oil, lemon juice, water, capers, salt and black pepper. Add ham, tangerines and peas to the rice. Blend in the parsley, pour the dressing over the rice and stir.

Serve and enjoy!

Bella

Delicious leek dish - Purjolök med piff

DELICIOUS LEEK DISH
Purjolök med piff

The leek is an excellent vegetable to use in your cooking. You can boil it and make a cheese sauce, you can bake it in the oven, you can shred it finely and sprinkle on your breakfast sandwich, you can use it in salads … or you can make this delicious leek dish, where you cut it in pieces, boil it as tender as you like and serve with an egg sauce and crispy bacon!

4 servings

3 to 4 leeks

water, salt
4 eggs
2/3 cup whipping cream
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1 tablespoon mustard
1 to 2 teaspoons French mustard
salt
black pepper
4 slices bacon

Rinse the leeks well and cut it in 6 inch pieces. Boil in salted water until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain well and keep warm.

Hard-boil the eggs and chop them. Mix eggs, cream, parsley and mustard in a saucepan and heat it up. Flavour to taste with salt and pepper. Fry the bacon until crisp in a hot frying pan and cut it in pieces.

Put the leek in a serving dish, pour the warm egg sauce on top and sprinkle with the bacon.

Serve and enjoy! I always have a tomato salad with this.

Bella

Potato and radish soup - Potatis- och rädissoppa

POTATO AND RADISH SOUP
Potatis- och rädissoppa

Make a cheap, delicious soup where you also use the green leaves of the radish for colour and taste. Decorate with chopped watercress and serve with bread.

4 servings

4 potatoes

good 2 ¾ cups chicken or vegetable bouillon
½ bunch radishes with leaves
good ¾ cup crème fraîche or soured cream
salt, pepper

Decoration:

chopped watercress

Peel and dice the potatoes. Boil it in the bouillon until tender. Slice the radishes and finely chop the green leaves. Blend the leaves into the potatoes and finely purée it in a food processor or mixer.

Pour the soup back in the saucepan, add crème fraîche and boil on medium heat for a few minutes. Flavour to taste with salt and pepper. Add the sliced radishes, decorate with watercress and serve the soup.

If you want extra crisp and fresh radishes, soak them for a while in icy water.

Enjoy!

Bella

Poker sandwich - Pokermacka

”POKER SANDWICH”
Pokermacka

A generously large and rich sandwich for a late evening meal, perhaps after a poker game? A crisp salad and a glass (or five) of cold beer are lovely accompaniments.

4 sandwiches

5 oz Emmenthaler cheese or some

other flavourful cheese
5 oz boiled or smoked ham
4 oz Kesella or Greek or Turkish yogurt
1/3 cup cream, 15% fat
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
½ teaspoon Italian salad spice
salt
white pepper
paprika
4 bread rolls of the flatter kind (if I’m 
not making any sense, you can see in the picture)
butter or margarine

Decoration:

parsley
tomatoes

Finely dice cheese and ham. Stir the Kesella or yogurt with the cream until really smooth and blend in parsley, salad spice (a mixture of dried herbs really), salt, pepper and paprika. Add cheese and ham and flavour to taste.

Split the breads and spread a thin layer of butter or margarine on each half. Divide the ham mixture on the bottom parts and top with the upper halves. Put the breads on a baking plate dressed with baking paper and bake in the upper part of the oven at 390 to 440F for 10 to 15 minutes.

Decorate with tomato wedges and parsley and serve your delicious little supper. You can also use white loaf bread for this.

Enjoy!

Bella

Plum meringue - Plommonmaräng

PLUM MERINGUE
Plommonmaräng

Plums are baked until tender in the oven and then covered with a not too sweet meringue – easy to make and delicious.

4 servings

1 1/3 lbs plums

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ cup sugar
½ tablespoon Maizena
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 egg whites
a few drops vinegar or lemon juice
(for helping the egg whites rise)
3 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla sugar
2 tablespoons flaked almonds

Split, core and slice the plums. Put them in a shallow oven-proof dish and pour on the lemon juice. Mix sugar, Maizena and nutmeg in a bowl and blend it with the plums. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the middle of the oven at 350F for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Beat egg whites fluffy with vinegar or lemon juice. Add the sugar tablespoonwise while beating and continue until the egg whites are perfectly stiff. Beat in the vanilla sugar. Spread the vanilla meringue over the plums and sprinkle with flaked almonds. Put back in the oven to colour the meringue at 390F for 5 to 10 minutes.

Serve the dessert warm. Enjoy!

Bella

Lemon-covered peaches - Persikor under citrontäcke

LEMON-COVERED PEACHES
Persikor under citrontäcke

Peaches under a fluffy lemon cover – an all-year-round dessert which is also easy to make.

4 to 6 servings

1 can peaches, approx 1 ¾ lbs

3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup milk
grated zest from 1 lemon
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup sugar
3 eggs

Drain the peaches and slice them. Put them in an oven-proof dish. Melt the fat in a saucepan and blend in the flour. Beat in the milk and boil for a few minutes while beating.

Blend in lemon zest and juice, sugar and egg yolks. Beat the egg whites until stiff and turn them into the batter. Spread the mixture over the peaches and bake in a waterbath at 350F for 30 to 35 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

Bella

Peach clafoutis - Persikoclafoutis

PEACH CLAFOUTIS
Persikoclafoutis

A true classic with peaches from the French kitchen. Not only does it look really appetizing, but it’s also wonderful in taste.

4 servings

4 large peaches

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
2½ oz butter or margarine
1/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
2/3 cup cream, 15% fat
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
1/3 cup flour

Decoration:

strawberries

Make a cut in the skin of the peaches. Dip them into boiling water and then pull off the skin. Split the peaches, remove the stone and slice them. Put the sliced fruit in a greased, oven-proof dish, pour on lemon juice and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Stir fat and sugar until fluffy. Blend in the eggs, one by one. Add cream, vanilla sugar and flour and pour the batter over the peaches. Bake in the middle of the oven at 350F for about 35 minutes or until the batter has set and the peaches are tender.

Allow the dessert to cool slightly, decorate with strawberries and serve.

Enjoy!

Bella