Veal Chops with Puréed Green Peas - Kalvkotletter med ärtpuré

VEAL CHOPS WITH PURÉED GREN PEAS
Kalvkotletter med ärtpuré

Once in a while it's nice to make a really festive dish. These veal chops are served with a lovely green pea puré and small boiled carrots. Bon appétit!

Serves 4

4 veal chops
1 oz butter or margarine
salt
0.8 cup cream, 15% fat or the like

Green pea puré:
12½ oz fresh or frozen green peas
water
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream
1 oz butter or margarine


Start with the peas. If needed, trim the fresh peas. Boil in lightly salted water for about 10 minutes. Put peas and cream in a mixer or a food processor, then pour the mixture back in the saucepan.

Make some cuts in the rind of the chops. Brown the fat in a frying pan and fry the chops for 4 to 6 minutes on each side depending on size. The chops should be pink inside. Put them on a warm serving plate and keep warm.

Boil the cream in the frying pan and flavor to taste with salt. Pour the "sauce" in a bowl. Heat up the pea puré without boiling, beat in the fat, flavor to taste and pour in a bowl. 

Serve the veal chops with the sauce, the pea puré and small boiled carrots.

Enjoy!

Bella

Sunday Pork and Wine Stew - Vindoftande söndagsgryta

SUNDAY PORK AND WINE STEW
Vindoftande söndagsgryta

Lovely smells from wine and onions from a lovely stew simmering on the stovetop works like a magnet to get people to the table. Sautéed whole almonds gives it an awesome finish.

Serves 4

14 oz to 1 lb boneless pork, e.g. shoulder
12 small onions
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
salt
1 teaspoon paprika
0.8 cup water
0.8 cup white wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 garlic clove
6 tomatoes
20 whole almonds


Cut the meat in rather thin slices. Peel the onions. Brown meat and onions in fat in a frying pan and then transfer it to a pot. Flavor with salt and other spices. Whisk out the pan with approx 0.8 cup water and pour this in the pot. Add wine, tomato paste and crushed garlic. Cover with a lid and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the meat is tender.

Scald and skin the tomatoes. Put them in the pot and simmer for another 5 minutes or so. Quickly boil the almonds in some water, then skin them and sauté them in some fat. Sprinkle them over the stew and serve with boiled rice or potatoes and a salad, preferably with leek if you like that. 

Enjoy!

Bella

Mushroom Sandwich - Svampmacka

MUSHROOM SANDWICH
Svampmacka

If you've been lucky enough to find some edible mushrooms on your walk through the woods, you can make this delicious sandwich.

Serves 4

14 oz trimmed mushrooms of your choice
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 slices boiled or smoked ham
0.6 cup grated cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons cream
2 tablespoons water
approx ½ teaspoon salt
some white or black pepper
some paprika
4 slices white bread
4 parsley sprigs


Cut the mushrooms in smaller pieces and fry them in the fat in a frying pan. Shred the ham and mix it with the mushrooms. Add cheese and parsley and dilute with cream and water. Stir and simmer for a few minutes. Flavor with salt and other spices.

Divide the mushroom stew on the bread (toast them first if you wish) and decorate with the parsley sprigs. Serve with a salad.

Enjoy!

Bella

Ham and Cabbage Sandwich - Smörgås med skinka och vitkål

HAM AND CABBAGE SANDWICH
Smörgås med skinka och vitkål

This sandwich is both filling and tasty. The white wine mustard gives an extra twang.

Serves 2

1 cup shredded green cabbage
0.2 cup grated carrots
2 tablespoons finely cut spring onions
or leek
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 slices toast
Dijon mustard
mayonnaise
salt, pepper
4 slices mild cheese
4 to 8 slices smoked ham

Decoration:
bell pepper (optional)


Rinse and finely shred the cabbage. Peel and grate the carrots. Rinse, trim and cut the spring onions or leek. Mix cabbage, carrots and leek with mayonnaise and vinegar in a large bowl.

Toast the bread and spread with mustard and mayonnaise. Flavor with salt and pepper. Slice the cheese. Alternate cheese and ham on the sandwiches with cheese as the top layer. Put the sandwiches under the oven grill  for 2 to 3 minutes or heat the oven to 480F. Take them out, top with the cabbage mix, decorate with optional bell pepper and serve.

Enjoy!

Bella

Warm Liver Pâté Sandwich - Varm pastejsmörgås

WARM LIVER PÂTÉ SANDWICH
Varm pastejsmörgås

In front of the TV one night or the other you might feel the need for a little something, even if you've had a sturdy dinner. I know you shouldn't stuff yourself just before going to sleep, but a nice, warm sandwich and a cup of tea should be no problem.

Serves 4

4 slices white bread
3½ oz spreadable liver pâté
2 to 3 tomatoes
1 small can mushrooms, approx 4½ oz
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
3 tablespoons grated cheese


Spread the pâté on the bread. Slice the tomatoes and put them on the sandwiches. Drain the mushrooms and sauté them in the fat. Divide the mushrooms on top of the sandwiches and sprinkle with the grated cheese.

Bake in the oven at 480F for 5 to 7 minutes. Serve with a green salad.

Enjoy!

Bella

Spaghetti from Torino - Spaghetti från Turin

SPAGHETTI FROM TORINO
Spaghetti från Turin

Spaghetti Bolognaise is a classic dish, very popular in Sweden. Especially children and young people like it (and me, I can never get enough). Here's a slightly different version.

Serves 4

10½ oz ground meat, 50/50 beef/pork
1 carrot
1 3/4 oz celeriac (celery root)
1 onion
2 tablespoons oil
0.4 cup water
0.2 cup red wine (optional)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
some grated nutmeg
9 oz spaghetti


Rinse and peel carrot and celery root and finely dice them. Peel and chop the onion. Sauté the roots and onion in a frying pan. Add the ground meat gradually and brown it. Stir continuously with a wooden fork so that it's grainy. Dilute with water and optional red wine. Add tomato paste and boil it all together. Flavor with salt and other spices.

Boil the spaghetti and drain it. Pour the meat sauce over the pasta or serve it separately in a bowl.

Serve with grated cheese and a salad.

Enjoy!

Bella

Creamy Pasta Au Gratin - Krämig pastagratäng

CREAMY PASTA AU GRATIN
Krämig pastagratäng

Serves 4

14 oz pasta of your choice
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 lb ground meat of your choice
(I always use a mix of 50% beef, 50% pork)
½ red chili fruit
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
0.2 cup water
salt, black pepper
10 cherry tomatoes
1 cup ready-made cheese sauce
(or home-made, of course, if you have that)
0.6 cup grated cheese

For serving:
parmesan cheese
bread and/or a salad


Heat the oven to 440F.

Boil the pasta until al dente, pour off the water and rinse it in cold water. Drain.

Peel and finely chop onion and garlic and sauté until glossy without browning in a pot with some fat. Add the ground meat and fry until grainy and slightly colored. Remove all the seeds from the chili fruit, then chop it. Add chili, tomato paste, parsley and water to the pot and flavor to taste with salt and pepper.

Alternate pasta, sauce and split tomatoes in a greased, oven-proof pan. Pour the cheese sauce over it all and sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 15 minutes.

Decorate with basil leaves and serve with grated parmesan cheese, bread and/or a salad.

Enjoy!

Bella

Cheese Spaghetti - Ostspaghetti

CHEESE SPAGHETTI
Ostspaghetti

Cheese and pasta belong together. Here's a classic recipe with raw egg yolks (I know that's an issue in some countries because of the risk of salmonella) that's mixed into the steaming hot dish to make it extra superb. Serve the spaghetti with pork chops or fried sausages, ham or bacon, or just as it is with a salad.

Serves 4

7 oz pasta of your choice (I always use spaghetti for this though)
water, salt
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon water
0.4 to 0.6 cup grated, strong cheese
chopped parsley


Boil the pasta in lightly salted water and quickly rinse it in cold water. Put the pasta back in the saucepan with the fat. Beat the egg yolks with the water and stir them into the hot pasta, then blend in the cheese.

Serve the pasta in a bowl, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve as suggested above.

Enjoy!

Bella

Flavorful Pasta Dish - Kryddat pastafat

FLAVORFUL PASTA DISH
Kryddat pastafat

Could you ever get tired of pasta? Nope, thought so. This lovely pasta dish is sure to be one of the family's new favorites.

Serves 3 to 4

Approx 4½ oz pasta, with spinach if you like
water, salt
1 cup cream cheese
1 cup crème fraîche
1 teaspoon HP Sauce
some dried herbs, e.g. oregano,
tarragon, and basil
tabasco
salt, pepper
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons chopped onion
2 tablespoons chopped bell pepper
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
paprika


Boil the pasta in lightly salted water until al dente. Drain.

Mix Cream cheese, crème fraîche, HP sauce, herbs, tabasco, salt and pepper. Crush the garlic into the mixture. Sauté onions and bell pepper in some fat and stir it into the cheese mixture. Add the pasta and blend well. Put it all in a greased, oven-proof serving bowl and flavor with paprika. Bake on the rack slightly below mid-oven at 350F for 30 to 40 minutes.

Enjoy!

Bella

Hot Turkey Banana Curry Sandwiches - Varma kalkonmackor med curry och banan

HOT TURKEY BANANA CURRY SANDWICHES
Varma kalkonmackor med curry och banan

Serves 4

8 slices white bread
butter
2 bananas
8 slices smoked turkey
approx 16 slices cheese


Heat the oven to 440F.

Spread the bread with butter. Slice the bananas. Put a slice of turkey on each slice of bread and cover with bananas. Dust with curry and top with sliced cheese, enough to cover the bread. Put in the oven for about 10 minutes until the sandwiches are nicely colored.

Enjoy!

Bella

Chantarelle Bruschetta - Kantarellbruschetta

CHANTARELLE BRUSCHETTA
Kantarellbruschetta

Scrumptious with a drink! Crunchy bruschette with chantarelles, capers and home-made dressing.

Serves 4

Approx 8 baguette slices
salt
1 slice aubergine cut lengthwise, very thin
olive oil
1 3/4 oz chantarelles
10 black, pitted olives
3 spring onions
2 tablespoons capers

Dressing:
1 egg yolk
1 small garlic clove
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
0.2 cup olive oil
0.2 cup rapeseed oil
1 teaspon white wine vinegar


Lightly toast the bread.

Sprinkle the aubergine with a little salt and leave for about 30 minutes. Dab off the water. Turn the aubergine over in olive oil and fry until golden on both sides. Cut in small cubes. 

Trim the mushrooms and cut in smaller pieces. Heat up some olive oil in a frying pan and fry the mushrooms until tender. Flavor with salt and pepper. Coarsely chop the olives and cut the spring onions in thin slices. Put all this in a bowl and add aubergine, chantarelles and capers. Blend gently.

Dressing:
Stir the egg yolk together with crushed garlic and mustard. Add the oil dropwise while stirring continuously. Flavor to taste with vinegar, salt and pepper.

Divide the mushroom mix over the sliced bread and drizzle with the dressing just before serving.

Enjoy!

Bella

Pasta with Lemon Butter - Pasta med citronsmör

PASTA WITH LEMON BUTTER
Pasta med citronsmör

Serves 4

1 lb fresh pasta
2 to 3 garlic cloves
5½ oz butter or margarine
0.4 cup capers
grated zest and juice from 2 lemons
0.4 cup finely chopped thyme

For serving:
1 small can of anchovies
sliced parmesan
roasted pine nuts or sunflower seeds
pepper


Boil the pasta. Finely chop the garlic. Melt the fat in a large frying pan and add garlic, capers, lemon zest and juice plus thyme. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Put the boiled pasta in the pan and sauté for another few minutes.

Divide the pasta on 4 serving plates. Drizzle with the lemon butter, put on some anchovies and sprinkle with parmesan and nuts. Flavor with pepper and serve right away.

Enjoy!

Bella

Fried Cod with Herbs - Örtstekt torsk

FRIED COD WITH HERBS
Örtstekt torsk

Serves 2

10½ oz potatoes
0.2 to 0.4 cup warm milk
salt, pepper
1½ oz butter or margarine
1 rosemary sprig
3 thyme sprigs
3 shredded sage leaves
1 finely grated garlic clove
10½ oz cod fillets


Peel and boil the potatoes. Mash them with warm milk, salt and pepper (myself I always add a dab of butter or margarine too).

Melt the fat in a frying pan and put in the rosemary, thyme and sage plus the garlic. Fry the fish in this herb butter on moderate heat and flavor with salt and pepper. Baste the fish with the browned fat.

Serve with the mashed potatoes and a tossed salad.

Enjoy!

Bella

Salmon Patties with Horseradish Sauce - Laxfärsbiffar med pepparrotssås

SALMON PATTIES WITH HORSERADISH SAUCE
Laxfärsbiffar med pepparrotssås

Make your own salmon patties and flavor them with lime, mustard and garlic.

Serves 4

1 1/3 lbs salmon
0.3 cup dried breadcrumbs
1 egg
½ onion
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon Dijon-type mustard
grated zest from 1 lime
0.4 cup cream, 15% fat or the like
salt, pepper
butter or margarine for frying

Sauce:
0.8 cup crème fraîche
0.4 cup grated fresh horseradish
fresh juice from 1 lime
2 inches fresh cucumber


Cut the salmon in pieces and put them in a food processor. Add breadcrumbs and process the salmon to a mince. On lowest speed, add the egg. Finely grate the onion and mix it into the minced fish together with crushed garlic, mustard, lime zest and cream. Flavor with salt and pepper.

Sauce:
Mix crème fraîche with horseradish and lime juice. Peel the cucumber and dice it finely. Mix the cucumber into the crème fraîche.

Shape the fish mince into 8 patties and fry on medium heat in some fat for about 3 minutes per side. Serve the patties with the sauce and any vegetables you like.

Enjoy!

Bella

Salmon Gourmet - Gourmetlax

SALMON GOURMET
Gourmetlax

This is a fantastic dish! Pity I can't eat salmon …

Serves 4

1 lb fresh salmon, cut in leafy thin slices
2 teaspoons butter or margarine
½ teaspoon salt
black pepper

Sauce:
0.4 cup water
½ bouillon cube
0.8 cup crème fraîche
0.2 cup dry white wine


Start with putting 4 oven-proof serving plates in the oven at 300F for at least 15 minutes.

Make the sauce. Bring the water to a boil and dilute the bouillon cube. Beat in the crème fraîche and boil for about 5 minutes. Flavor with the wine and boil for Another 5 minutes.

Take out the plates from the oven, put ½ teaspoon fat on each plate and sizzle it up. Immediately put on the very thin salmon slices - it cooks to perfection on the hot plates.

Divide the sauce on the 4 plates and serve with some boiled new potatoes and broccoli.

Enjoy!

Bella

Almond Fish on the Grill - Mandelfisk på grill

ALMOND FISH ON THE GRILL
Mandelfisk på grill

Perch, trout, whitefish or pike-perch - here's a nice recipe for cooking it on the grill. Boiled new potatoes or baked potatoes with a tasty spicy butter is nice with the fish.

Serves 4

4 whole fish, portion-sized
flaked almonds
1 oz butter or margarine
1 bunch dill or parsley
2 lemons
salt, pepper


Gut the fish but leave the backbones. Rinse in cold water and wipe it off.

Toast the almond lightly in a frying pan. Put each fish on a generous piece of well-greased aluminum foil. In the gut you stuff a dab of butter, chopped dill or parsley plus salt and pepper to taste. Press gently together.

Peel the lemons, slice them and put the slices on the fish. Sprinkle with the almonds. Fold up the packages thoroughly and grill them on the outdoor grill for 5 to 8 minutes on each side or in the oven at 572F (the time depends on the size of the fish).

Enjoy!

Bella

Fish Fillets with Broccoli - Fiskfiléer på broccolibädd

FISH FILLETS WITH BROCCOLI
Fiskfiléer på broccolibädd

Cooking fish in the oven is quick and easy. If you cook it on a bed of vegetables you save both time and work, plus it looks nice when you serve the fish!

Serves 4

1 1/3 lbs fish fillets of plaice, pike-perch, 
haddock or cod
0.2 cup water
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon mustard, preferably unsweetened

Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 tablespoons flour
0.8 cup fish liquid
0.8 cup cream, 15% fat or the like
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon mustard
salt and white pepper if needed


Quickly rinse the fish and drain it well. Lightly thaw the broccoli, enough to part it. Put them in an oven-proof pan, pour on the water and sprinkle with salt. Fold the fish fillets and put them on top of the broccoli. Salt them lightly and cover with aluminum foil. Boil in the oven at 350F for about 10 minutes. Remove the foil. Melt the fat and mix it with paprika and mustard. Pour this mixture evenly over the fish and boil for another 10 minutes at 390F until the fish and broccoli seem tender.

Make the sauce. Sizzle flour and fat in a saucepan. Dilute gradually with the fish liquid from the pan to a smooth sauce. Add cream and let the sauce boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Flavor with lemon, mustard and salt and pepper if needed.

Serve the fish with the sauce and potatoes or whatever you fancy. 

Enjoy!

Bella

Roast Beef with Apple Remoulade - Rostbiff med äppelremoulad

ROAST BEEF WITH APPLE REMOULADE
Rostbiff med äppelremoulad

Try serving the roast beef with a fresh an spicy, Danish apple remoulade made from low-fat mayonnaise and cooking yogurt. Be generous with the cress, that's what gives the sauce the fine taste.

Serves 6 to 8

2 lbs roast beef
1½ teaspoon salt
some coarsely ground black pepper

Sauce:
2 hard-boiled eggs
2 apples
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 pickled gherkin
0.4 cup chopped parsley
1 box cress, not watercress
0.4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
0.8 cup cooking yogurt
salt, pepper


Rub the meat with salt and pepper and put a thermometer into the thickest part of the meat. Put it in an oven-proof pan or a small roasting pan and put it in the oven at 257F until the thermometer shows 140F, about 1½ hour. Take out the meat and leave to rest covered with aluminum foil for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Boil, peel and chop the eggs. Peel, core and dice the apples. Squeeze lemon juice over them to prevent them from darkening. Chop the gherkin and parsley and cut off most of the cress. Mix mayonnaise and yogurt and stir in remaining ingredients. Flavor to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve the roast beef in slices with the apple remoulade and raw-fried potatoes. Decorate the sauce with remaining cress.

Enjoy!

Bella

Pepper Steak - Pepparbiff

PEPPER STEAK
Pepparbiff

Serves 2

2 thick slices fillet of beef
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
salt
2 tablespoons brandy
0.3 cup bouillon 

Decoration:
2 large tomatoes
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
0.4 cup bouillon
1 tablespoon grated cheese
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
salt, pepper


Scald the tomatoes and cut them in wedges. Remove the seeds, if you think that's necessary, and sautée the pulp for a few minutes in the fat. Add bouillon, cheese and parsley and flavor to taste. Keep warm.

Flatten the steaks lightly with your hand and sprinkle the coarsely ground pepper on both sides. Heat up a dry frying pan and heat the steaks for ½ minute on each side. Lower the heat, add the fat and fry for 2 more minutes per side. Flavor with salt and add warmed brandy, ignite and shake the pan until the flames burn out (always have a lid at hand, never water, to stifle the flames should anything happen!).

Put the steaks on a warm serving plate and add the tomato decoration. Whisk out the frying pan with bouillon and pour this over it all.

Serve with French fries or potato chips, a green salad and a good red wine.

Enjoy!

Bella

Minute steaks with Blue Cheese Cream - Biff med ädelostgrädde

MINUTE STEAKS WITH BLUE CHEESE CREAM
Biff med ädelostgrädde

Serves 4

8 thin slices boneless beef, e.g. top side, in all approx 1 lb
1 leek
1 3/4 oz blue cheese
0.8 cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon salt
some black pepper
1 teaspoon potato starch


Heat the oven to 440F.

Cut the meat in shreds. Rinse and shred the leek. Alternate leek and meat in a greased, oven-proof pan.

Mash the blue cheese and mix it with cream, salt and pepper in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir in the potato starch. Pour this over the meat and cook in the oven for about 25 minutes.

Serve with e.g. boiled rice and a mixed salad.

Enjoy!

Bella

Steak Bordelaise - Biff Bordelaise

STEAK BORDELAISE
Biff Bordelaise

Many classic restaurant dishes can very well be made at home. "Bordelaise" is the fine red wine sauce with thin slices of marrow. Choose the steaks carefully and make sure not to cook them for too long.

Serves 4

4 thick slices well-cut beef, in all approx 1 lb
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 teaspoon salt
some white pepper

Sauce:
2 shallots or small onions
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
½ teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
0.8 cup red wine
1.2 cup strong bouillon
1 to 2 teaspoons flour
approx 8 thin slices of marrow from beef


Start with the sauce. Peel and chop the onions and sautée until tender and transparent in some fat in a saucepan. Add thyme and crumble in the bay leaf. Add the wine and boil it all together until reduced to half. Strain the sauce, add bouillon and bring the sauce to simmer. Thicken with the flour stirred with some water and let the sauce boil for 3 to 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, fry the steaks in some fat in a frying pan on high heat. 1½ to 2 minutes per side should be enough, depending on how well done you want them to be. Flavor with salt and pepper.

Let the marrow simmer for a minute or so in the sauce until it's tender. Serve the steaks with the sauce and the marrow, baked potatoes and a salad.

Enjoy!

Bella