Lasagne Soup

Lasagne Soup

Lasagne is the ultimate comfort food for me, so why not make the dish into a yummy hearty soup?

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 pound (450 g) ground beef
• 1 large onions, chopped 
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 cup red wine (optional)
• 2 bay leaves
• 5-6 cups (1½ l) Beef stock (I used leftovers from my beef soup)
• 1 handful pasta (I used  XX)
• ½ cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Topping: 

• 1 cup (240 ml) sour cream or creme fraiche
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch of freshly ground pepper
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
• shredded mozzarella cheese 

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the beef, breaking it up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. 

Add onions and cook until softened, then add garlic, and spices. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and heat it through, until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves and beef stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let it simmer for about 30 minutes. The longer you let it cook, the deeper the flavors become. 

Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Right before serving stir in the basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the topping. In a small bowl combine all but the mozzarella, and season with salt and pepper.

Serve the soup in bowls with a dollop of the topping and som sheredded mozzarella on top.

Enjoy!

The Danish version:

Lasagnesuppe

Ingredienser:

• 2 tsk olivenolie
• 450 g hakket oksekød
• 1 stort løg, groft hakket 
• 4 fed hvidløg, presset
• 2 tsk oregano
• 1 tsk timian
• 1 tsk basilikum
• 1 tsk rosmarin
• ½ tsk chiliflager
• 2 spsk konc. tomatpuré
• 1 dåse hakkede tomater 
• 2½ dl rødvin (behøves ikke, men giver mere dybde i smagen)
• 2 laurbærblade
• 1½ l okseboullion (jeg brugte resterne af min oksekødssuppe)
• 1 håndfuld pasta 
• 1 dl hakket frisk basilikum
• salt og friskkværnet peber, smag retten til

Topping: 

• 240 ml creme fraiche
• 1 dl friskrevet parmesan 
• ¼ tsk salt
• 1 knsp friskkværnet peber
• ½ dl hakket frisk basilikum
• revet mozzarella

Directions:

Varm olien i en tykbundet gryde, og brun det hakkede oksekød heri. Sørg for at kødet bliver findelt, mens det brunes. Tilsæt løg, hvidløg og krydderierne, og steg i et par minutter indtil løgene er blevet bløde. Tilsæt tomatpureen og varm den igennem, til den får en rødbrun farve, Dette tage lidt af syren i tomatpureen.

Tilsæt de hakkede tomater, rødvin, laurbærblade og oksebouillonen. Lad suppen simre i omkring 30 minutter. Jo længre tid den koger, jo dybere bliver smagen.

Kom den ukogte pasta i suppen og kog indtil den er al dente.  Kom den friske basilikum i suppen lige før serveringen. Smag suppen til med salt og peber. 

Mens pastaen koger i suppen, mix toppingen. Bland alt undtagen mozzarellaen  og smag det til med salt og peber.

Server suppen i skåle med en klat topping og revet mozzarella på toppen

Velbekomme!

Chicken Nuggets - homemade

Chicken Nuggets

I would rater die,  than eat chicken McNuggets or other store bought nuggets. There is nothing good about a salty fattening fried piece of "chicken." But homemade nuggets made from chicken breast, is a meal worth eating. They are easy to make and is a good and healthy dinner on a week-night. You just have to plan ahead, and marinate the chicken. You can even substitute the cracker with rye flour for a healthier option.

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts
• 250 g buttermilk
• 25-50 g saltine crackers or another salty buttery cracker
• 1-2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 pinch pepper
• salt

Directions:

Cut each chicken breast in 8-10 pieces, and put them in a plastic bag or container. Add the buttermilk, and let the chicken marinade in 24-48 hours in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 400℉ (200℃).

Drain of the buttermilk, and wipe the excess buttermilk off in a paper towel. 

Put cracker and spices in a zipplock bag, and break the cracker into small crumbs. Put the chicken pieces into the bag, to coat. 

Spread the chicken onto a baking sheet, and bake 15-20 minutes. Turn pieces over midway.

Enjoy!

The Danish version:

Kyllingenuggets

Ingredienser:

• 200 g kyllingebryst
• 250 g kærnemælk
• 25-50 g tuc kiks
• 1-2 tsk chilipulver
• 1 tsk paprika
• 1 tsk hvidløgspulver
• 1 knsp peber
• salt

Fremgangsmåde:

Kyllingen skæres i passende bidder, ca. 6-8 stykker pr kyllingebryst.  Kom kyllingestykkerne i en plastikpose. Hæld kærnemælken ned i posen, og lad kyllingestykkerne marinere i køleskabet i 24-48 timer.

Opvarm ovnen til 200℃.

Kom kiksene ned i en frysepose og bank dem til rasp, tilsæt krydderierne. Tag Kyllingestykkerne op, og tør den overskydende kærnemælk af. Kom kyllingestykkerne ned til kiksraspen, og ryst posen til de alle er dækket af et lag. Læg kyllingestykker på en bageplade og bag dem i 10-15 minutter. Vend evt stykkerne halvvejs.

Velbekomme!

Beer Can Chicken

Beer Can Chicken

Beer Can Chicken is one of the best ways to cook a chicken on the grill/BBQ. The chicken stays juicy, and you get the best crispy skin.

I use a poultry roaster instead of the beer can, since you do not know what’s in the color on the beer can, and if it will migrate into the roasting chicken.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken
• 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature 
• 2-4 tablespoons salt
• ½ teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1 lemon
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 2 cloves garlic

Directions:

Preheat your grill/BBQ to medium high heat, the chicken need to be cooked at indirect heat, meaning no flames or coal directly under the bird. 

Zest the lemon, and add it to the butter together with the thyme.

Remove neck and giblets from chicken and discard them. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Rub chicken lightly with salt inside and put the chopped up lemon inside too. Put the spiced butter in between the skin and chicken breast and drumsticks. Set aside.

Pour the wine into the poultry roaster  and put the garlic in there too. place the chicken on the stand. Rub a good amount salt all over the chicken. Transfer the chicken to the grill/BBQ.

Cook the bird for 50-65 minutes or until the thigh juice runs clear, when poked with a sharp knife. Remove the bird from grill/BBQ and let rest for 10 minutes before carving. (The center temperature should be 165℉ (75℃).

Enjoy!

Koldskål - Cold Sweet Buttermilk Soup

Strawberry Koldskål - Cold Sweet Strawberry Buttermilk Soup

Koldskål, or kærnemælkskoldskål, is a sweet cold soup made from buttermilk. Koldskål is mostly eaten in the summer months. It's normally a dessert, but is also served as a light and fast dinner on a hot day.

My mom made koldskål with eggs, sugar, vanilla and buttermilk, but I make mine without eggs, and I think it's just as good. Sometimes I add some whipping cream to make it more creamy. Serve the koldskål the traditional way with lemon juice, kammerjunker and an iceberg (raw meringue), or with a sprinkle of granola. Koldskål is easy to change up by adding your favorite fruit, I used Strawberries here.

This is my first time making koldskål in my vitamix, and I think I got way to much air incorporated this time, Next time, I'll mix the koldskål at a lower speed, to avoid all the bubbles. 

Ingredients:

• 1 quart buttermilk

• 170 ml (6 fl oz) yogurt with vanilla

• 1 dl whipping cream (optional)

• 1 lemon, the juice of, (I used the juice of 2 meyer lemons)

• 85 g sugar (start with a little less, and add more if needed)

• 1 vanilla pod, the seeds from, or 1 teaspoon vanilla paste

For Strawberry koldskål, add 6-12 strawberries.

Directions:

Put all the ingredients into a blender, and blend until you have a homogenous mixture. Add more sugar and/or lemon juice if needed.

Serve the koldskål cold and with the topping of your liking.

Enjoy!

Koldskål - Cold Sweet Buttermilk Soup

Sunchoke Soup with seared Scallops

Sunchoke Soup with seared Scallops

Last weekend I went to the local farmers marked, the perfect place to find farm-fresh produce in season. It was here I found sunchokes, aka Jerusalem Artichokes, sunroots or earth apples. 

You can eat the sunchokes raw in salads or cooked in soups and gratins. The raw sunchokes has a nutty taste, while the cooked are sweet with a slightly bitter aftertaste. Sunchokes has a high content of vitamin C and K.

I decided to make sunchoke soup, a  creamy soup perfect for an appetizer, but filling enough to use as a main course. 

Serves 4 as an appetizer or serves 2 for a main course.

Ingredients:

• 400 g sunchokes, peeled and chopped
• 300 g potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 3 dl (1¼ cup) whole milk
• 1 dl (little over ⅓ cup) cream
• 2 teaspoons chicken base
• 6 dl (2½ cup) water
• salt and white pepper, to taste

Topping:

• 6-8 scallops
• 2 tablespoons dry chorizo or paprika sausage, chopped and fried
• 3 teaspoon chives, finely chopped
• a few drops truffle oil
• sunchoke chips (1-2 sunchokes)

Directions:

Soup:

Cook the sunchokes and potatoes in milk, cream, chicken paste and water until tender. Blend the soup mixture in batches. If using a traditional blender remove the middle-nob so the steam can escape and cover with a kitchen towel so you will not burn yourself on soup splatters. Puree until smooth. Season the soup with salt and white pepper. Keep the soup hot while you sear the scallops.

Sunchoke chips:

While the sunchokes and potatoes are cooking. Brush 1-2 sunchokes clean. Slice the sunchokes very thinly into a bowl of ice water. Heat grape seed oil in a saucepan. Pad dry 3-5 slices  and fry them in the hot oil until they turn golden. Let the excess oil drip off on some paper towel. Sprinkle with salt.

Scallops:

Heat some grape seed oil in a skillet and fry the scallops on high heat until golden on both sides. Just before removing scallops from the skillet, season them with salt and white pepper.

Pour the soup into a serving size bowl. Top the soup with 1-2 scallops  and the rest of the topping. 

Enjoy.