Graham Bread with Acorn Squash

Pumpkins and squash beautifully represent fall and as they are nutritious and cheap I'm all about incorporating them wherever even remotely appropriate. As fall is also baking season I came up with this bread that is an absolute favorite with my boys and stays moist up to four days after baking.

1    cup acorn squash puree
1    tbs honey
5    cups graham flour
1    package dried yeast
1    tsp salt
5    tbs butter
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup warm milk

- Split the squash, scrape out the seeds, and place it cut sides up in a tray with 1 cup water. Bake in a 400 F oven until tender, app. 30 min. Cool 10 min before scooping out the flesh.
- In a large bowl mix the flower, honey, yeast, and salt.
- Mix the butter, squash, water and milk in a small bowl and stir the mixture in the the big bowl with the flour mix.
- Knead the dough thoroughly on a floured surface until elastic, shape it to a ball and place in oiled bowl, cover with film and leave in a warm place to rise for about an hour.
- Pour the dough out onto lightly floured surface and roll out into a 10 inch square. Cut the dough into 10 strips and place 5 of the strips on an oiled baking sheet. Fold first, third and fifth strip halfway back. Take a new strip and place it over the second and fourth strip, then fold the three remaining strips back over and now fold the second and forth back, crisscrossing a new strip and so forth until all strips have been applied.
- Fold the ends under the bread and gently round it. Leave to rise under a clean, damp dishcloth for app. 40 min.
- If you wish, gently brush the bread with a beaten egg, milk or plain yogurt and bake in the over at 350 F 30 - 40 minutes until golden.

Herbs for joy

As a tenant it can be hard to make too many changes to the place you live and being without my green house and vegetable garden has in many ways been challenging. First of all because I have had to do without the freshly picked tomatoes and just dug up potatoes but also because of the lost joy of the actual labor that seems to soothe the mind and give birth to sound thoughts and ideas.
To compensate we built a herb garden and what a treat! The crisp flavors have enriched our meals ever since; yesterday's spaghetti squash salad tossed with chopped onion, tomatoes, olives and feta cheese was topped with freshly picked Thai basil and the Tilapia filets that I baked in the oven with chili pepper, lime rind and garlic was delightfully boosted with a handful of fresh, chopped oregano. Waiting for the sage to grow strong enough to get picked and make boneless chicken breast stuffed with mozzarella and sage, cooked in a creamy lemon sauce...

Toasted marshmallow biscuit with licorice syrup

Something new, something old and something borrowed...

Just back from annual summer month in Denmark and this deliciously evil treat came about one tranquil evening around the barbecue...

The traditional "Mariekiks" (Marie biscuit) is a true reminiscence from my childhood. Sweet and in many ways insignificant, this makes the perfect base for the American favorite, toasted marshmallow. Crisp on the outside while hot and fluid inside the treat was topped off with lightly salted licorice syrup, a great addition to my selection of condiments.

Yum! 

Quinoa and green lentil salad with radicchios

Super colorful, packed with healthy stuff and great on its own or as a side to practically anything this is a delicious and inexpensive salad that I highly treasure. I often cook a big load of quinoa and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge and just add the flavor of the day to it, be that avocado, mango, jicama (yambean), or whatever I find around the kitchen, making a filling lunch or snack.

1    cup quinoa
1    cup sprouted green lentils
3    radicchios
5    sugar plum tomatoes
1/2 ball mozzarella cheese
1/2 avocado
4    tbs roasted pine nuts
juice of 1/2 lemon

- Pour lentils in a bowl and cover with water. Leave to soak app. 5 hours.
- Cook the quinoa according to directions and let cool.
- Chop the radicchios, tomatoes, mozzarella and avocado and mix in a serving bowl with the drained lentils and quinoa.
- Lightly roast the pine nuts and add to the mix.
- Squeeze the lemon juice over the salad and serve!


Last night this salad became a side to Danish Rugbrød (see recipe) with sole filet and curry mayo - yum! We had two soles each as they were on the smaller side...

Sole (for 4):

8 filets
1 egg
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 tbs butter
salt & pepper

- Break the egg and beat it lightly with a fork on a dinner plate.
- Pour the breadcrumbs out on another dinner plate and add a bit of salt and pepper.
- Dip each filet in the egg first, gently squeeze off excess egg and coat in breadcrumbs.
- Heat the butter in a pan until golden, lower to medium heat and cook the filets about three minutes on either side. Cool a minute or two before serving.

Curry Mayo:

2 tbs mayo
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tbs lemon juice

- Stir all ingredients together in small serving bowl until even.

The picture below shows my dinner plate: Rugbrød (rye bread) with lettuce, sole filet, a dash of curry mayo, avocado and a few sprigs of micro cilantro with the quinoa lentil salad on the side...

Tip of the Week: Cottage Cheese all over!

My cottage cheese romance has a long history of full flare or completely dead - and these days it is on!
I have mainly used it as a low calorie spread on Danish Rugbrød - or lately, on Anthony's pot baked loaf, recipe to follow soon - adding finely chopped cucumber, turkey, sweet mustard and salt and pepper, but a couple of days ago discovered it as an excellent substitute for sauce or hummus to go with an otherwise slightly dry plate of meat and salad.
I had left a pork sirloin cut into 1/2 inch slices in a zip lock bag with 2 tbs shredded fresh ginger, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tbs fresh lemon juice and 2 tbs soy sauce for a couple of hours. I washed and boiled about a pound of fingerling potatoes for 3-4 minutes, strained them and mixed them in a bowl with an egg yolk and 2 tbs sesame seed. Placed them close together on a tray and baked them half an hour in the oven at 400 F.
Meanwhile, I made a raw salad consisting of lettuce, thin slices of radicchio and sliced buckets of washed cauliflower.
I cooked the meat, browning it at max heat for a minute then turning down the heat to medium for about 3 minutes on either side, making sure to brown both sides, and left it to rest on a plate while I poured the remains of the marinade into the pan and reduced it for a couple of minutes. This left a very thin but tasty sauce (and not much of it) but when adding a tbs cottage cheese to the plate it all fit perfectly.

Cottage cheese barely has a taste but is really in it for texture in this dish. Because of its neutral appearance I can think of numerous dishes that would benefit from this addition!

Sorry about the lack of pictures...

Leek and Carrot Quiche with Graham Crust

This is a very simple quiche that serves great as a side to Danish Meatballs (see recipe) or on its own with a large side salad.

Crust:
2    oz graham flour
1.5 oz wheat flour
1    tbs olive oil
3    tbs cold water
1/4 tsp salt

-Mix alt the ingredients together and knead it with your hands. The dough should be soft; add a tiny bit more water until the desired consistency is attained. Wrap in film and leave in fridge for about half an hour.
- Heat the oven to 400 F. Grease a pie mould with olive oil and roll out the dough. Fit it in the mould, it does not have to fit perfectly but use your fingers to stretch the dough to come up the sides.
- Use a fork to poke small holes in the crust and bake it in the oven for ten minutes. Take it out.

Filling:
2 carrots (app. 4 oz)
2 medium sized leeks
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper
1 oz grated cheese

-Finely slice the leeks and carrots. Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil, add salt and gently cook the vegetables for a couple of minutes. Drain (if you are making meatballs save the water and use as liquid with the meat) and set aside.
-Whisk the eggs, milk, nutmeg, salt, and pepper together in a bowl and grate the cheese.

-Spread the cooked vegetables over the quiche crust. Pour the egg mix over the vegetables (it should just cover them, if not you can add a bit more milk) and sprinkle the cheese on top.
-Cook in the oven for app. 35 minutes until the crust is crisp and the top lightly browned. Take out and leave to cool at least ten minutes.

This could be devoured either hot, at room temperature or cold out of the fridge - I love it either way!

Danish Chicken Meatballs

Danish meatballs are traditionally made from beef and pork and cooked without vegetables. However, I find this healthier and lighter version just as tasty and makes for a rather interesting variation if you normally do prefer the traditional recipe, so give it a try!

Like all my recipes this is for a family of four with a couple left over for the following day's lunch boxes. You will need:


1    large onion
2    carrots
1/4 celery root
1    egg
3    tbs fine cooking oats
1.5 lbs ground chicken
1/2 cup vegetable stock or milk
salt & pepper
Butter for cooking


- Peel and dice the onion, peel the carrots and cut them each into four pieces, dice the celery and toss it all into a blender adding the egg and vegetable stock/milk. Puree.
- Put the grounded chicken in a large bowl and pour the vegetable mix over along with salt, pepper, and oats. Stir with a wooden spoon until even, cover and leave in the refrigerator about half an hour.
- Heat a large, heavy based skillet and let a couple of tbs butter melt and lightly brown. Lower the heat to medium and using your hands or two tablespoons form balls about the size of an egg. Cook them in the skillet as you form them, making a pattern that you can remember. Making sure they don't burn and that they all cook the same time leave them to cook approximately ten minutes before turning them over to cook another ten minutes on the other side.

Enjoy them hot as they are served hot with any side such as baked potato, pasta marinara, leek and carrot quiche (see recipe), hummus, a green salad or whatever else you might fancy. And the day after they are a traditional delicacy served on Rugbrød (see recipe) with mustard and a beet slice...

Beet top Feta Salad

Make it a beet night!
This could be the light supper for a warm evening or serve as a colorful side to a simple chicken or fish.
I served this along with a slice of Danish Rugbrød (see separate recipe) with a sole filet...

3  red beets with tops
a handful of baby romaine leafs
3 oz Feta cheese
1 avocado
Juice of half orange

Dressing:
3    tbs Olive oil
1/2 tsp sugar
2 finely chopped pearl onions
Juice from half a lemon
salt and pepper

- Separate the top and beets. Wash the beets and cover with water in saucepan. Bring to a boil and let simmer for app. 20 min until tender. Drain and peel and cut each beet into four or five slices. Squeeze the orange juice over the beet slices.
- Wash the tops and cut out the hard stem in the middle of each leaf. Cut into very thin shreds.
- Dice the avocado and the feta cheese.
- Mix all ingredients in a salad bowl and serve the dressing and beets on the side.

Fish Cashew Curry with Coconut Wheat and grilled Zucchinis

This dish came about as a result of my recent Ayurvedic experience in India and is created for a Pitta diet but can of course be enjoyed by anyone. The flavor is very mild but do spice it up if you are into the hotter stuff. I like the wheat berries as an alternative to rice but hey, anything goes...

A family of four:

Zucchini:

2          zucchinis
1-2 tbs olive oil
salt and pepper

- Wash the zucchinis. Chop off the ends and slice into 4 or 5 long strips.
- Cover with oil, salt, and pepper and leave for about half an hour.
- Cook them in a grill pan at maximum heat, app. 5 min on each side.

Wheat:

1      cup soft white wheat berries
31/2 cup water
1/2   cube vegetable bouillon
1/2   cup shredded unsweetened coconut

- Bring wheat, water and bouillon to a boil and leave to simmer about 1 hour 15 minutes.
- Drain well and mix with shredded coconut.

Curry:

1    tbs olive or coconut oil
1/2 tsp turmeric
1    tsp curry
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/3 tsp red thai curry paste
1         thinly sliced leek
5         chopped white pearl onions
2         cloves garlic, chopped
juice from 2 lemons
1   tbs apple cider vinegar
1   lb tilapia filet
1/2 cup cashew nuts
1   can coconut milk

- Heat the oil in a pan and add the turmeric, curry, coriander, ginger, and curry paste while constantly stirring, app. 1 minute.
- Lower the heat and add leek, onion, and garlic. Stir occasionally until the onions are clear. Add the lemon juice and vinegar and let it cook under lid 10 - 15 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk.
- Cut the fish into bite size pieces (If you are doing the zucchinis as well now is the time to get them on the pan!).
- Cook the fish and nuts in the curry about 10 minutes until the fish is tender.

I served the curry with a large chard salad on the side...

Raspberry Nutty Granola

An absolute favorite that colors up a greek yoghurt or adds interest to the quick cornflakes...

1    stick of butter (115 g)
4    tbs honey
1    oz sugar
6.5 oz rolled oats
1    oz dried raspberries
1    oz chopped, pitted dates
1    oz chopped hazelnuts
1    oz chopped almonds

- Heat the oven to 385 F. Line a baking tin (app. 8"x8") with a baking sheet.
- Mix sugar, honey and butter in a large pan over low heat. Add the remaining ingredients and mix    well.
- Pour the mixture into the tin and spread it out evenly. Bake in the oven until golden, app. 25 min.
- Leave to cool in the tin. Transfer to a cutting board and coarsely chop the granola into desired chunks.

Brought this along on sunrise hike with my friend Jill this morning - it went down well on the hilltop!

Indian inspirations

Just got back from India after a two week full Ayurveda experience just south of Trivandrum, Kerala. Eating according to my dosha combined with meditation, yoga, purgation, and massages on a daily basis has left me lighter, revitalized and - happier! With a list of do's and don't's in my bag I can't wait to incorporate these fascinating Indian principles to my cooking - so stay tuned!

Beet and Mung bean salad

I absolutely love beets and in combination with garlic and lots of lemon in my eyes you can't go wrong. This served as last night's dinner for two - a light meal and early to bed to prepare for daylight savings!

2       beets with top
1/2    cup sprouted Mung beans
1 1/2 cup water

2      tbs olive oil
1      tbs lemon juice
1      garlic clove
salt & pepper

- Cut the tops off the beets but leave the skin on while covering with water in medium saucepan. Cook until barely tender, app. 35 min. Peel with a knife and slice into thin sticks.
- Meanwhile bring water to the boil in small saucepan. Add the beans and cook according to instructions. Drain and leave to cool.
- Rinse the green beet leafs and remove the coarse stem. Dry and slice thinly. Arrange on plate with beets and beans on top.
- Mix the ingredients for the dressing and pour over the dish.

Enjoy...!

Baked beet and olive paste with cashews

Kayak snack

This is a tasty and colorful paste that goes well with fish and chicken or as a dip on its own. I prefer a coarser texture but blend it to your liking...

1    large red beet
10  oz black olives, pitted
1    garlic clove
4    tbs olive oil
1    lemon, juice and rind
1/4 cup cashew nuts, toasted

- Peel and dice the beet into 3/4 inch size. Put in baking tray with the olives and bake at 400 F about 30 min.
- Leave to cool for 5 min and blend with the remaining ingredients until desired texture.

I prefer this paste cold if served as a dip and a little below room temperature when served with a meal...

Lunchbox rolls

Picnic in the yard

As an alternative to the Rugbrød (see Danish Rugbrød recipe) I bake these rolls for breakfast or the kids' lunchboxes. They are super easy as you prepare the dough the night before and bake them while in the shower in the morning - and most of the ingredients can be substituted with whatever you happen to have in your fridge or in the cupboard. For this batch I used buttermilk but milk will work just as well...

1/2    cup milk
1/2    ts dried yeast
1/2    water
1       small/medium carrot, shredded
1       ts salt
1/2    cup sprouted pumpkin/sunflower seeds
1/2    cup rolled oats
1       cup buttermilk
3/4    cup graham flour
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

-Heat the milk until hand-warm and gently stir in the yeast. I use wooden spoon for this. Leave to    combine app. 10 min.
-Pour mixture into mixing bowl and add water, carrot, salt, seeds, oats and buttermilk. Mix together.
-Add the graham about half the all purpose flour. Stir well with the (wooden) spoon and slowly stir in the remaining flour until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. Add more flour if needed.
-Cover with film and leave in the fridge until next day.
-Set the oven to 385 F and using two tablespoons scoop up the dough and form the rolls on a baking sheet covered tray. If desired, brush the rolls with buttermilk or egg and sprinkle with oats.
-Place in the not yet completely heated oven until golden, app. 15-20 minutes.

Before hitting the oven

I put red bell pepper hummus, thinly sliced raw pointed cabbage, green bell pepper, tomato, cheese and black forest ham in these...

Enjoyed on the beach

Tortilla a la Maria & Joachim

Our friends are on a road trip and lucky for us they chose to make a stop at our house and fix the evening meal. This happily served five growing boys and two sets of parents...

A colorful table

3 skinless boneless chicken breasts, diced
4 shredded carrots
2 red bell peppers, diced
1/2 cucumber, diced
1 small head broccoli
2 handful mixed green lettuce
3 tomatoes
1/2 red onion
3 avocados

Dressing:
8 oz sour cream or plain nonfat yoghurt
2 cloves of garlic
juice from 1/2 lime
salt & pepper

Marinade:
4 tbs virgin olive oil
1/2 ts paprika
1/2 ts cumin
1 clove of garlic
salt & pepper

1 packet of soft tortillas (24)

And if your palate is anything like mine: Tons of fresh coriander...

- Mix marinade ingredients, add the uncooked chicken cubes and leave for at least 30 min.
- Mix dressing ingredients, cover and place in the fridge.
- Peel and shred the raw carrots, wash and dice the bell peppers, cucumber, and tomatoes. Break or cut                the raw broccoli into very small pieces and wash and dry the lettuce. Chop the onions and dice the   avocado and arrange everything in bowls.
- Heat the oven to 385 F.
- Heat a large pan and cook the chicken until done, app. 10 min. Make sure not to cook it at too high heat as the meat will turn dry and hard.
-Heat the tortillas app 2 min in the oven and serve immediately. Don't forget the dressing!

Ready...

Go!

Anthony's Fingerling Potato Salad

This evening's dinner was whipped up by Anthony and was just what I felt like today. Simple and light yet full and very tasty, served with a whole wheat bread roll. Yum!

Delicious...

This is what he used:

24  oz fingerling potatoes

  4  eggs

  4  tomatoes

  2  green bell peppers

1/2 red onion, generously sliced

3/4 cup green, pitted olives

  2 cans of albacore tuna

  1 sprig of parsley, finely chopped

Vinaigrette:

4 tbs virgin olive oil

1 tbs balsamic vinegar

a pinch of coarse salt

-Bring unpeeled potatoes to the boil in lightly salted water to cover and let simmer for app. 30 min until tender. Drain and peel when cooled enough to handle.

-Place eggs in small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and let simmer for 4 minutes. Rinse under cold water and peel.

- Slice and seed tomatoes, chop the bell peppers and onions and mix in a bowl with olives and parsley.

- Cut potatoes into smaller bites and add them to the mix along with the drained tuna.

- Mix the vinaigrette and pour over salad. Mix well.

- Arrange the salad on a plate and place the eggs in quarts on top. 

This served our family of four...

Danish Rugbrød

Everyone finally recovered from whatever stomach bug we'd contracted and I can start thinking about food again. First thing on the list is to get my basics up and going again - most importantly the Danish rugbrød. As I keep a starter mix in the fridge from last time I baked this bread I can bake it today and enjoy it tomorrow but to start out with this bread you will need a bit of patience as it takes a couple of days for the starter to get ready:

Starter:

1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup rye flour
1/2 ts salt

- Mix well and cover with clingfilm. Leave it out at room temperature for 2 days.

Bread:

10     oz rye berries
  2     cups water
  1     medium sized carrot, shredded
  1/2  ts active dried yeast
  3/4  bottle beer, preferably dark
         starter
1 1/4 cups rye flour
   3/4 cup spelt flour
1 1/2 cup wheat flour
   1/2 tbs coarse salt
   3/4 cup sprouted sunflower seed

- Combine water and rye berries in a large saucepan and bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat and leave it with the lid on for 20 min.
- Pour app. 5 tbs of the still warm water into small bowl and mix in the yeast. Leave it for another 10 min.
- Add the beer, starter, flour and salt to the berries and what water is left and mix it all together.
- Take 3 tbs of mix aside and store in the fridge in container with the lid loosely on.
- Add the yeast, carrot and sunflower seeds and mix well.
- Pour into a butter greased baking tin size 9.25x5.25x2.75 in, cover with a fresh dish towel and leave at room temperature for four hours. Make sure to smooth out the surface to avoid creaks in the crust.
- Bake in the middle of the oven at 385 F for 1 1/2 hours. Leave covered in the baking tin 24-48 hours to settle.
- Enjoy!

Before baking

Done!

Danish Kagemand

Held my son's 5th birthday in the back yard, 40 + guests and amazing weather. This is his birthday cake:

Kagemand

1 1/4 cups water

4 oz butter

1 cup plain flour

4 eggs

pinch of salt.

Gently heat water and butter in medium-large saucepan. Add flour while stirring and leave to cool app. 10 min. Stir in one egg ad the time and add the salt. Spread onto baking sheet 0.2 inches thick and bake at 365 degrees until golden, app. 20-30 minutes.

So I made a triple batch for my kagemand and that left enough for 40 guests. The cake rises a lot while in the oven but collapses when taken out. If you make individual cakes about the size of a regular water glass they will remain more fluffy.

The icing was just powdered sugar and water and the candy random...

Have fun!