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...