CHRISTMAS IN DENMARK

Last night my new Danish friends invited us to experience a typical
Danish Christmas dinner at their house.
As I am not cooking Danish dishes yet I share with you what they
prepared: the traditional pork roast with the crunchy skin,
"Flækesteg", served with a brown sauce....delicious!

On the table there were two typical side dishes: nice caramelized potatoes,
"Brunkartofler" and dark cabbage, "Krystkål"

For dessert they served a rice and almond pudding, "Riz a l'amande", with a spoon of sweet cherry sauce, "Kirsebæsauce".

We really enjoyed the evening with great food and fantastic company!!!


As I didn't have time to ask my friends for recipes I took them from other blogs. Enjoy it!

Flæskesteg

Ingredients:

- 2kg loin of pork with the skin on, and scored all the way down to just before the flesh in lines 1cm apart (ask the butcher to do this if necessary)

- 1 carrot

- 1 onion

- 1 or 2 bay leaves

- 400-500ml boiling water

- few strigs of thyme

Method:

- Preheat your oven to 250°C.

- Place the pork joint skin side down (yes, ‘upside-down’) into a roasting tray. Add just enough boiling water to the tray so that the skin is submerged.

- Put the pork in the oven for 20 minutes.

- Use a clean tea towel to hold the pork in the roasting tray so you don’t burn yourself while you carefully pour away the water.

- Turn the oven down to 160°C, then flip the pork over so it’s the right way up (skin up), and coat the skin with a generous amount of salt and pepper, making sure you get into the crevices created by the scoring. Be careful of your hands at this point, the pork will be hot! Stick the bay leaves into the crevices as well, then add the carrot, onion and thyme to the roasting tin, and pour 400-500ml fresh, cold water in.

- Put the pork back in the oven for about an hour or until it is done. Check about halfway through to see if you need to top up the water if it’s starting to evaporate too much.

- Using a meat thermometer, check the temperature of the pork after the hour. It should be somewhere between 68-70°C. Pour out the fatty residue into a bowl to use as stock for the gravy.

- Increase the oven temperature back up to 250°C and put the roast pork back in to make the crackling. This can take a good 15 minutes, so use the grill if you want to kickstart the process (but keep a close eye on it, or else you could end up with a burnt crackling).

- Remove the roast from the oven and check the temperature again. It should be between 70-75°C. This should mean it isn’t overcooked - pork can be terribly boring if you have to gnaw your way through it.

- Let the roast rest uncovered for about 10 minutes. While that’s happening, make the gravy from the fat and stock - use gravy browning if required.


Rice pudding

Ingredients:

3 dl water

180 g pudding rice (ca. 2½ dl)

1 liter milk

100 g blanched almonds

2 vanilla pods - the grains

4 tablespoonful sugar

1/4 litre whipped cream 38%

Accompaniments:

1 portion warm red berry sauce or cherry sauce

Boil water and rice in a pot. Cook the rice at even heat and while stirring in about 2 min. Add milk and cook the pudding at even heating, still stirring for about 10 min. Put on the lid and cook for about ½ hour - stir once in a while. Put the pudding in the refrigerator until cold - until next day.

Put one whole almond aside and chop the rest. Mix together the rice pudding, vanilla grains, sugar and the chopped almonds. Whip the cream and turn gently in the pudding with the whole almond. Put the dessert in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

RICE ARANCINI

My brand new friend Morgane, who I met at the school I attend to learn
Danish, asked me if I knew how to make Arancini.
It is an Italian dish that she likes a lot, and she would love to prepare
it at home for her friends.
Arancini, which means little oranges in Italian, originated in Sicily.
Name and appearance aside, arancini are not at all related to the orange fruit;
they're fried balls of risotto.
I usually don't prepare this dish because the rice balls are fried, but as today
I had some left over risotto, and I remembered about my friend's request,
I decided to surprise my family with a treat.

This is the way I made them, but I will also attach at the bottom the original
Sicilian recipe.


I used a bowl of left-over risotto (it was a butternut and provolone cheese one)

Then I prepared the ingredients for the dipping and the frying: 2 beaten eggs, one small bowl of flour, one small bowl of bread crumbs, vegetable oil

To the risotto I added 1TBS beaten eggs and 1TBS parmesan and mixed it well.
I gently formed small balls (1TBS rice) with my hands and I rolled them into the flour.
Afterwards, I dipped them into the eggs and I rolled them into the bread crumbs

The rice balls were ready to be deep fried in hot vegetable oil

When the balls were golden on both sides I removed them from the pan and put them on a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil.

I served them warm as an appetizer with a nice glass of white wine !

Mozzarella filled risotto arancini (from Epicurious)

ingredients
3 cups leftover cooked risotto
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2 Tbsp heavy cream
2 Tbsp minced fresh flat-leaf parsley, chives, oregano, or basil
1 large egg yolk
Salt and freshly ground pepper
5 oz mozzarella or Fontina cheese
All-purpose flour for dredging
Egg wash: 1 large egg whisked with 2 Tbsp cold milk or water
1 cup fresh white bread crumbs
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
2 cups tomato sauce
preparation

In a large bowl, combine the risotto with the Parmesan, cream, herbs, and egg yolk. Season with salt and pepper.

Cut the cheese into 16 cubes. Scoop up about 3 Tbsp of the risotto mixture and pack it around a cube of cheese to make a croquette, a ball the size of a Ping-Pong ball. Repeat to form 16 croquettes.

Put the flour, egg wash, and bread crumbs in 3 separate bowls. Dredge the croquettes in the flour, dip in the egg wash, and roll in the bread crumbs. Chill thoroughly, 2-24 hours.

Pour oil into a tall pot to a depth of 5 inches. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it registers 375°F on a deep-frying thermometer. Deep-fry the croquettes in batches, without crowding, until they are evenly browned, 4-5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer to paper towels to drain briefly. Serve on a pool of warmed tomato sauce.

From Cooking at Home by The Culinary Institute of America, © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

TALKING ABOUT BROTHS

Did you know that broths used to be a dietary staple, as were fermented
foods, and now the elimination of these foods from our modern diet is
largely to blame for our increasingly poor health?
Chicken broth and the vegetables one are very healing,
they are nutritious and an excellent source of minerals.
I personally prefer the vegetable broth and I want to share my recipe
with you.
You can put it in a glass jar and store it in the fridge for few days
or you can freeze it.
You can just drink it nice and warm or you can cook some tortellini
or small pasta in it.

VEGETABLE BROTH


Ingredients:
2 carrots, peeled and cut in halves
1 sweet potato or half butternut, peeled and diced
1 potato, unpeeled and cut in half
1 onion, coarseley chopped
1 cm piece of ginger, peeled
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 tsp origanum
1 piece of kombu
1 or 2 celery stalks
2 TBS chopped parsley
1 TBS miso paste
salt to taste
4 lt of filtered water....
and other veggies of your choice if you have them in the fridge

In a big pot put all the ingredients except the miso paste and bring water
to boil.
Simmer for at least 1 hour.
Add the miso paste and adjust salt.
You can then strain the broth and serve it as tea or you can use it for dinner,
cooking in it tortellini (filled pasta).

BREAKFAST THAT BOOSTS YOUR ENERGY

I found that oat is the basic ingredient for a healthy, long lasting energy breakfast.
I usually make a simple porridge but sometimes I like to be more creative and add in it
super foods like dates, gojyberries, raw honey and powerful spices like turmeric and cinnamon.
This experiment came out very tasty.

YELLOW OATMEAL

Ingredients for 1 bowl:

1/3 cup oat flakes
2/3 cup of water
1 lemon peel
1 pinch of curry powder
1/3 tsp of turmeric
1 pinch of cinnamon
2 chopped dry dates
1 tsp of gojyberries
4 chopped almonds
1 tsp of raw honey

Put oats, water and lemon peel in a small pot and let it cook untill water evaporates.
Just before it is completely dry add all the other ingredients except honey and stir well.
Take off the stove and transfer in a small bowl, add honey and eat it with a smile!

Easy and enjoyful!

Lentils daal, good for detox

On "The elephant journal" the other day I found a nice recipe that can be used in time of detox.
Fall as Spring is a good time to cleanse our liver, so a light meal would be ideal.
This is one of the recipes that serves this purpose.


LENTILS DAAL:

Ingredients for two portions:

1/3 cup basmati rice

1/3 cup mung daal (split small yellow lentils).

1 TBS of extravirgin olive oil or ghee

1 tsp curry powder

half tsp turmeric

1 tsp Himalayan or sea Salt

2 cups filtered or spring water

1 carrot, diced

1 cup of fresh baby spinach

Bring all ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan and then reduce to low.
Cover the pan and let simmer for 30 or until daal and rice have broken down and cooked.
If you need to add a bit of water, do it.
Just before daal is ready, add carrot and spinach.
Let the veggies cook for 5 minutes and or until tender.
Serve it warm.

Sweet dates and....chocolate creamy brownies

Today I went to a health shop in town to buy some flax seeds and at the counter there were some good looking brownies,
gluten free and healthy ones. The basic ingredient was dates and guess what????...Once at the supermarket there was an
offer for fresh dates coming from Iran....Is this a coincidence?
I had to make up my recipe. And here you are with a
super healthy chocolate brownies.
By the way for your information:
"The benefits of dates include relief from constipation, intestinal disorders, heart problems,
anemia, sexual dysfunction, diarrhea, abdominal cancer, and many other conditions.
Dates are good for gaining weight also.
Dates are rich in several vitamins, minerals and fiber too. These delicious fruits contain oil,
calcium, sulfur,iron, potassium, phosphorous, manganese, copper and magnesium which are all beneficial
for health.
Some health specialists have said that eating one date per day is necessary for a balanced and healthy diet."

HEALTHY CHOCOLATE CREAMY BROWNIES


Ingredients for 4 espresso coffee cups:

8 fresh dates
1 tsp raw cacao powder
1 tsp coconut oil
1 pinch of cinnamon
1 TBS pecan nuts

Put all ingredients in a food processor and grind them to a fine paste.
Transfer creamy paste in four espresso coffee cups and top them with coconut flakes.
Serve at room temperature.

Tomatoes spread and friendship

My first friend in Denmark is Beth, and guess what?
She is an American from New York!!!
She is the one who gave me the recipe for this Tomatoes spread.
I had lots of tomatoes in my fridge coming directly from my aunt's
vegetable garden in Italy (don't ask me how this is possible!) and
I needed to use them before it would have been too late.
Tomatoes are a good source of Vitamins A, C, K, folate and potassium.
They are naturally low in sodium, saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories.
Tomatoes also provide thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, magnesium, phosphorus and copper,
what do we want more?!
Of course if eaten raw and ripe it is much better, but also cooked they keep some
of their special powers.

Find here the tomatoes spread recipe that can be tasted on toasted bread (I use a multigrains one).
You can also use it as a condiment for pasta, just add some parmesan at the end.

TOMATOES SPREAD

Ingredients:
1 kg of ripe tomatoes (cherry or Roma are the best)
2 cloves of garlic
1 red pepper
1 cm of fresh chilly or a pinch of cayenne pepper
1 sprinkle of origanum
1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper

1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp capers
few basil leaves

Rinse tomatoes and cut them in halves.

Slice pepper.
Peel garlic.
Transfer tomatoes, pepper and garlic in a baking tray and mix them with salt, pepper, origanum
and olive oil.
Cover baking tray with tinfoil and bake at 200 C (400 F) for 1 hour.
After one hour remove tinfoil and bake for another 45 minutes or till tomatoes are dry.

Let them cool down, then put them in a food processor together with capers,
sugar and basil and reduce them to a fine paste.

Transfer the spread in a glass container, top it with olive oil and store it in the fridge.
You can keep it for a week.

Enjoy it!

Welcome to my "Danish" kitchen!

I have moved again! This time from New York I have landed in the Viking Land of Denmark.
A new exciting adventure is starting, especially in my kitchen.
I am sure I am going to try new recipes full of fresh, organic ingredients.
I am looking forward to find foods that I haven't used yet in my kitchen,
different varieties of vegetables, tubers and fishes. I am going to have fun!
I am in full exploration-mode and I have already found a nice Farmer Market,
a real Fish shop and a good Butcher.
"Velkommen" to my Danish adventure!

SWEET, TASTY CABBAGE

Did you know that cabbage is a super-food?
It is not only very tasty, but it is also full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Cabbage has very few calories, is inexpensive and it is rich in fibre.
Another PLUS is that it is very easy to prepare and it can be used in different ways.

BASIC CABBAGE RECIPE


Ingredients:

1 cabbage
3 TBS olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
1 pinch chilly flakes
1 tsp paprika
half tsp salt
2 TBS water

Get rid of the external leaves of cabbage and cut it in half and then in quarters.
Remove the hard core and cut in thin slices.

In a big frying pan add olive oil, garlic and chilly flakes.
When oil is warm add sliced cabbage, salt, paprika and water and cover with a lid.

Check on cabbage every 5 minutes and stir well.
Cook until leaves are mushy and all water has evaporated.
Adjust salt if necessary.

Now cabbage is ready to be used as a side dish for eggs, in a sandwich with
melting cheese (Gouda, Emmental, etc) or in a pasta dish.

ENJOY the sweet taste!

RUSKS

When I was living in South Africa I discovered the Rusks, hard, dry biscuits
very similar to our Italian biscotti.
They are a very healthy choice for tea time or for breakfast because
they are packed with fibre.
Try them!

BRAN RUSKS


Ingredients for around 30 pieces:

1 cup and a half of whole wheat cereals
half cup bran
half cup oat flakes
2 TBS shredded dry coconut
500g flour
half cup sunflower seeds
1 tsp salt
1tsp and a half baking powder
half cup dry cranberries

250 ml buttermilk
150 g melted butter
150 g brown sugar
1 TBS oil
1 egg

Mix dry ingredients together then add all wet ingredients and stir well.

Transfer mixture in an oiled baking tin (30 cm)and level it with a spatula.
Bake at 350F or 150C for one hour.
Take the big biscuit out of tin and cut it in rectangular pieces
(8/10cm long and 4cm wide).
Place pieces on a large baking tray and let them dry in the oven at 300F
or 100C for 30/45 minutes until golden.

Once cold, you can store them in a tin box for weeks.

GNOCCHI RICOTTA AND SPINACH

My dear friend Marielouise prepares the best gnocchi with ricotta and spinach.
Today, in a moment of nostalgia of the past and of missing an old friend,
I have decided to prepare this dish.
These gnocchi bring me back to happy culinary moments in Rome, Madrid and Cape Town.
As Marielouise says, in order to make them delicious you have to choose the
freshest ingredients.
Buy fresh spinach leaves, rinse them carefully, blanch them in salty
boiling water, drain them and cool them down.
Once they are cool, squeeze all the water out with your hands
and place them on a wooden board.
With a loving attitude chop them finely and put them aside.
In Italy it is easy to find a very good ricotta, overseas it is a little bit
more difficult and could become a mission.
Here in New York it has been a mission for me to find a fresh, good quality
ricotta, but I have accomplished it after a whole day of wandering
from one shop to the other.
Place ricotta cheese in a bowl and mix it well with eggs, parmesan, flour, salt and pepper.
Then add the spinach. At this point you have to taste it, Marielouise style,
to check that all the flavors come alive in your mouth. Adjust salt, pepper or parmesan.
Form ping-pong size balls and let them settle in a plate while you bring water to boil.
You can also use the same water you used to blanch the spinach.
Cook the gnocchi for few minutes, till they come up to the surface of water.
These gnocchi are delicious either served with a simple tomatoes sauce or
with melted butter and parmesan...your choice!!!



GNOCCHI RICOTTA AND SPINACH

Ingredients for 4/5 people:

2 pounds (900g) spinach
1 pound (450 g) ricotta
2 TBS parmesan
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of pepper
2 eggs
3 or 4 TBS flour

To prepare them follow the instructions above and enjoy them!!!

Pear and almond tart

I love pears!!!
They are the easiest fruit to digest. They are antiallergenic,
contain Vit C,E, B2, copper, potassium,and are rich in fiber.
In winter is definetly my favourite fruit.
Among all the different types of pears, I prefere the Bartlett with its creamy,
sweet and aromatic flesh.
I use them in salads and desserts.
Today I share with you a easy-to-make tart that is delicious!

TART WITH PEARS

Ingredients for 4 people:
200 g ready-made puff pastry (I usually keep one always in the freezer)

Filling:
2TS melted butter
3/4 cup castor sugar
100 g ground almond (almond flour or almond meal)
1tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup cake flour
2 eggs
2/3 pears

Preheat oven at 400F (or 200 C).
Peel and slice pears. Sprinkle them with lemon juice and set them aside.
Unroll the pastry onto a greased baking tray and prick the base with a fork.
Mark a 1+half inch (or 4 cm) border around the edges so that it can raise and
form a border.

In a bowl mix together, eggs, sugar, butter vanilla, flour and almond.
Process untill smooth and spred it over the tart base.
Press the pear slices onto the mixture and bake for 30 minutes or untill pastry is puffy and golden.

Serve it with melted dark chocolate and enjoy it!!

A relaxed Sunday!

I'm back after a looooong time!
I needed to take some time out! Doesn't it happen to you too???

Today I decided to prepare a meal that takes me straight back in the
arms of my mom!!!

TAGLIATELLE AL SUGO DI POMODORO


I woke up and I started preparing a simple, slow cooked tomato sauce,
so to fill the air with the delicious smell I would wake up with
every Sunday when I was young.
After that I prepared some fresh tagliatelle.


Here are the recepes for you!

SIMPLE TOMATOE SAUCE

Ingredients:

1 big can of peeled tomatoes (750g)(smash tomatoes in blender)
1 can of tomatoe sauce (250 g)
1 peeled whole onion
3 whole celery sticks
2 peeled whole carrots
1 peeled clove of garlic
1 tsp origanum
4 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

Put all ingredients in a pot and cook slowly for 1 hour.
Adjust salt and remove vegetables.

If in season, add basil to give extra flavour!!

You can use it to dress pasta, tagliatelle, gnocchi, polenta.
You can also use it to cook eggs topped with a fine slice of mozzarella!



TAGLIATELLE


Ingredients:
400 g/3cups FLOUR
4 EGGS
1tsp salt

Place a wide wooden board on the kitchen counter.

Mound the flour on the wooden surface and make a deep well in the center with your hands.

Crack the eggs into the well and add salt.
Mix the eggs with a fork and then start incorporating the flour from the side of the well.

When the egg mixture is no longer liquid start using your hands to incorporate the rest of the flour and to start kneading the dough.

Scrap up any dough that sticks to the wooden surface with a knife and keep kneading
for about 5 minutes, till the dough becomes smooth and elastic.

Cover dough with a ceramic bowl and let it rest.

Meanwhile prepare the pasta machine.

Knead dough again and cut it in small pieces.

Roll each piece in the machine starting with the widest setting, ending with the finest one.

Sprinkle the pasta stripes with flour and cut them in the tagliatelle side of the machine.

Toss the tagliatelle on a floured wooden board to dry.