Bubbles, strawberries and goat’s cheese

the summer I just had turned 20 many summer nights were spent drinking bubbles in the kitchen of my friend anna. she introduced me to the world of golden sparkly and i got stuck. dry and with strawberries is a favorite.

i also have a love for fruits in salads. not fruit salad. but adding a fruit to your cooking. it gives a great contrast. the sweet with the savory. and why not pick strawberries? late lunch = light dinner.

 

this serves one one not so hungry person.
handfull red chard, washed and dried
3-4 leaves roman salad, washed, dried and ripped
handfull small strawberries, washed and sliced
60 g chèvre (or other goat’s cheese)
1/2 hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
a couple of leaves thai basil (i had som left from yesterday and it gives the salad a nice twist!)
honey
crema di balsamico
olive oil
pinch of sea salt
black pepper

on a plate (serving plate if making for many) combine greens and strawberries. add cheese, nuts and basil on top. drizzle some honey and plenty of olive oil and balsamico over the salad and finish of with salt and pepper. this is delicious on it’s own as a vegetarian, light meal. but if you are in need of proteins and don’t back off red meat i would suggest glazed and barbecued lamb racks to go with the salad. i’ll try that next time.

Summer rolls.

yesterday was so warm. i had a vietnam flash back from the trips there last year and this year.  a culture so far away. and the wonderful kitchen. we visited a place where they made rice paper wrappers and i managed to get som nice shoots of this skillful form of art. as such, i decided to use the inspiration collected when in vietnam. with loads of thanks to this couple that helped me remember the ingredients.

   

summer rolls for four (or rolls for dinner and salad for lunch)

rolls/salad

one block (ca 200 g) firm tofu

oil for frying

1 kohl rabi, cut into thin strips

1 carrot, cut into thin strips

1/3 of an iceberg lettuce, shredded

1/2 handfull coriander (cilantro) leaves

1/2 handfull thai basil leaves

deep fried shalotts (the original recipe says fried rice flour – but I couldn’t find any at the asian store close to home so this had to do to get the crispy texture)

cellophane  noodles

ca 24 sheets of vietnamese rice paper wrappers (thinner are better in my opinion)

pinch of sugar (coconut or other)

some salt

black pepper from mill

cut the tofu in 0,5 cm slices, dry with paper and pan fry on both sides at high heat. when cool cut in thinner strips. cook noodles in boiling water for 2 minutes. drain, refresh in cold water and drain again before setting aside. the next part is optional (mostly because i forgot to do this step in the heat of the moment). you either pan fry the kohl rabi and carrots, seasoning them with a little sugar, salt and pepper until wilted – or leave them all fresh. when/if cool toss with tofu lettuce and noodles.

for rolls: dip a rice paper in warm water for a second (once! if you soak it will most probably tear..) place the paper on a flat surface and put a coriander leaf and a basil leaf face down on the bottom 3rd of the paper, wait for 20 sec. then add some of the vegetable mixture (approx 1 tbsp), a bit of shalotts/roasted rice flour and fold; bottom over the filling, the sides and then roll.

for salad: toss in a bunch of herb leaves with the vegetable mixture, pour on the dipping sauce and top with the shalotts/roasted rice flour.

dipping sauce

3 tbsp fish sauce

juice from two limes

1 tsp rice vinegar

50-100 ml coconut sugar (or caster if you like)

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1/2-1 red chili, finely chopped

combine in a small bowl and stir until sugar is completely dissolved. serve in small individual bowls with to dip the rolls in.

i made half into rolls and served half as a cold salad for lunch the day after. (you can only eat so many rolls at once, and leaving them in the fridge overnight is not to recommend). light but filling .

Those carrots.

Daucus carota. when i grew up there was a bunch of carrot sticks on the table for every dinner. i have come to learn that, with difference in truthfulness, they: improve your night sight, gives you hick-ups if eaten on an empty stomach and are good for your teeth. and they’re rich in minerals and anti-oxidants.

i prefer them on a tray in the oven. roasted. simple but fantastic.

 

     

roasted carrots with garlic and lemon dressing

4-5 small fresh carrots (with leafs)

1/2 avocado

1/3 can (ca 130 g) pre-boiled cannellini beans (or boli them yourself)

2 garlic cloves

half a small lemon

1 1/2 tsp honey/agave syrup

olive oil

pinch of sea salt

pepper

 

pre-heat the oven to 225°c. wash the carrots and take away the leafs. cut them length-wise in four (if they’re not already very thin). put on a oven tray, drizzle with some olive oil and throw in two garlic cloves with the peel still on. bake for ca 15-20 minutes. cut the avocado in cubes and mix with the beans. when the carrots and garlic are done release the garlic meat from the shell and mix thoroughly with sea salt. ad honey/syrup, lemon juice and olive oil.  mix the dressing with the avocado and beans, then serve on top of the carrots. great for a quick lunch.

Greens and a parcel of saffron salmon

back home again. from a very green island to a very green plate. this makes a wonderful solo dinner.

    

in the oven

150 g fresh salmon

pinch of sea salt

saffron*

chili flakes*

fennel seeds*

dash of lemon juice

dash of olive oil

honey/agave syrup

pepper

one small red onion cut in wedges

4-5 asparagus cut in half

rinse and cut of the hard ends of the asparagus, then cut in half. put the salmon on a quite large piece of oven foil. put a little bit of saffron, fennel seeds, chili flakes and a pinch of sea salt in a mortar and pound. spread on top of the salmon together with a few turns with the pepper grinder. drizzle some olive oli and honey/syrup on top. add the onion wedges and roll up the foil to make a small, closed package. put the package on a tray together with the asparagus and som olive oil. bake in the oven (225°c, 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of the salmon). you might have to take out the asparagus a bit earlier than the fish, so keep an eye on it.

* a tip is to use this spice mix instead – it’s lovely.

fresh

a bunch of green leafs of choice (I used pot salad)

one avocado

a few toasted walnuts

lemon olive oil

white balsamico vinegar

rinse the salad, half the avocado and then peel and cut it in slices. spread out the vegetables on a plate and add the salmon and asparagus. finish off with walnuts, lemon olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Midsummer calls for pickled herring.

From past years.

i’m off to Åland to celebrate midsummer. to eat pickeled herring, potatoes, strawberries and drink schnapps. this is my absolute favorit pickled herring. my grand mother introduced it to me a couple of years ago and we fell in love. the recipe originates from the southern parts of Sweden, Skåne. apart from being delicious it’s also incredibly easy to make.

Brantevikssill 

250 g pre-pickled herring

2,5 dl sugar

1 tsp salt

20 pounded white pepper kernels

20 pounded jamaica pepper kernels (“kryddpeppar”)

1 onion, chopped

1  red onion, chopped

1 tbsp lemon pepper (“citron peppar)

1 bay leaf

1 bunch dill, chopped

1 dl vinegar essence 12% (“ättikssprit”)

take out the herrings from the pickle, cut in desired pieces and let dry for a bit. prepare the remaining ingredients and mix the spices with salt and sugar. in a clean glass jar layer the herring, onion, dill and spice mixture until finished. put in the fridge and let sit for a day (or preferably two!). there is no need to add any liquid since this will be taken care of by itself. put it on the buffé table for midsummer. or serve up with some fresh potatoes, good hard bread with butter and salty cheese.

Semi-warm salad with apple, cabbage and lentils.

Today’s kitchen tune.

So this is a perfect dish when your fridge is half empty and you’re craving for something light but filling. the combo tangy mustard, sweet apple and salty parmesan is highly satisfying.

For the salad

1/2 dl beluga lentils (I always boil them in  chicken/vegetable broth)

3 handfuls of sliced cabbage

1 apple sliced in thin, long pieces (I prefer small, swedish red ones)

toasted pumpkin seeds

shaved parmesan cheese

for the dressing

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1/2 tbsp agave syrup/honey

a dash of white wine vinegar

handfull of chopped parsley

a pinch of sea salt

2 tbsp olive oil

boil the lentils. whilst doing this; mix mustard and syrup/honey, then steer in the vinegar. add the rest of the ingredients to the dressing and sample the flavor. slice the vegetables and mix with the dressing. when lentils are done place them on top if the salad and mix lightly (you want both warmth and cold when eating). finish of with some pumpkin seeds and parmesan on top.

Green pea omelett.

So I thought I’d give this a proper go once and for all. proper food that’s good for you.  loads of vegetables. and a good pinch of appetite.

Starting with a good lunch for one.

omelett. (whisk together the following)

2 eggs

dash of cream (optional)

1 tsp dijon mustard

some fresh thyme

pinch of sea salt

pepper

filling. (mash the following)

1,5 dl of green peas (fresh/frozen heated

pinch of sea salt

0,25 dl grated parmesan cheese (and some for serving)

Heat a frying pan with olive oil.

pour in the omelett mixture and fry at medium heat. when the mixture is creamy on top, spread out the pea mash on half of the omelett and fold the other half over. fry until the inside is creamy and serve with parmesan and whole peas on top. i added some cherry tomatoes for colour. takes about 10 minutes to prepare.

Nektarin, halloumi och sparris på grillen. Med mandel och persilja.

Den perfekta sommarmiddagen.

på grillen:

100g halloumi i tärningar

1 nektarin i klyftor

5 sparrisar

trä nektarin och halloumi på spett. grilla tillsammans med sparrisen.

till peston:

ca 10-15 mandlar

en handfull persiljeblad

(vitlök)

en nypa (eller två) havssalt

peppar

honung (cirka 1/2 tesked)

vitvinsvinäger (cirka 1/2 tesked)

olivolja (cirka 3 msk)

mixa först mandel i en matberedare (mixer) tillsätt persilja och ev. vitlök, mixa igen.

lägg det grillade på en tallrik och häll peston uppepå. (jag garnerade med inlagd rödlök)

inspired by Sarah.

New turns.

Back in Sweden again. itching to do something new, and i’m not on my way back to asia again. so i’d thought i’d start a new project on this site. pictures and recipes  from a tiny kitchen. my tiny kitchen. fantastic food is what i’m aiming at. food that appeals to you visually, tastes fantastic and is good for you and our beloved earth. to enjoy the small pleasurable moments that nurtures us.