Gorgonzola & Pear Salad

Gorgonzola & Pear Salad

Yesterday I went to my local Olive Bar in downtown Campbell, to buy a good olive oil. And of cause it's impossible to only buy one single item in there. I came out with the most fantastic cinnamon and pear balsamic, and this is why we had to have this salad last night.

I love easy and simple salads, and this gorgonzola and pear salad is just that.

Ingredients

Salad

• 1 pear, ripe, but still crisp
• gorgonzola - as much as you like
• a handful mixed baby greens
• a few blackberries
• a sprinkle candied walnuts

Dressing

• half cinnamin pear balsamic
• half canola oil
• salt & pepper

Directions

Mix up the dressing.

Toss the salad with the rest of the dressing.

Crumble the gorgonzola, and slice the pear in thin slices.

Place the salad on a plate, arrange the pear, gorgonzola, blackberries and walnuts around the salad.

Danish Meatloaf - Forloren Hare

Danish Meatloaf

Every nation has their version of meatloaf. The danish one is called "Forloren Hare" or mock hare. The meatloaf most likely was called that, because it's cooked like you would cook game (with bacon and the sweetness of the jelly).

I always loved the danish meatloaf.  The sauce is to die for, if nobody is watching you - you can eat it with a spoon. My mom would always make a big loaf, so we had dinner for two days and a few slices for our open faced sandwich at lunch. 

This is more or less my moms recipe. My mom didn't make the bacon weave, this is my spin on her classic.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound lean ground pork
• 1 pound lean ground beef or veal
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons plain breadcrumbs 
• salt & pepper
• 1 pack of bacon

Sauce:

• Drippings from the pan
• 1 cup milk or whipping cream
• 2-3 teaspoons redcurrant jelly
• a few drops of kulør* or gravy browning
• salt
• milk & all-purpose flour mixed to thicken the sauce

Directions:

Preheat the oven for 400℉ (200℃).

Weave the bacon. Lay slices of bacon side by side on a piece of parchment paper. Lift every other slice, and lay a new slice across. Lay the lifted slices back on top of the one across. Alternate lifting the slices, until you have weaved the whole thing.

Mix the meats with salt, pepper, breadcrumbs and the eggs. Form a loaf in an ovenproof pan. Flip the bacon weave on the meatloaf, and tuck the bacon under the meatloaf.

Cook the meatloaf in the oven fore about 30 minutes. Add about a cup of water to the pan, this will later be used for the sauce. Cook for 20-30 minutes more until the it reach a center temperature about 167℉ (75℃).

Pour the pan drippings into a sauce pan and heat it. Add milk and redcurrant jelly. and thicken the sauce with milk and flour.

Season with redcurrant jelly and salt.

Enjoy. 

* You can get Kulør here.

Soft Liquorice Caramels

Soft Liquorice Caramels

Sweet Liquorice bliss

I think liquorice is a scandinavian thing. Well Germans like it too. Salty, sweet and spicy liquorice is candy in Denmark. A couple years ago liquorice started showing up in chocolate, desserts and food in general. My childhood friend would claim that we teased her when she ate liquorice and chocolate together, but I don't remember that.

Laste year I made some chewy from but soft caramels made from condensed milk from Anne au Chocolat' website. Having a craving for liquorice I tried to make them again but this time adding liquorice and other small changes. For me this combination was close to perfection.

I used Bülow Raw Liquorice Powder, Fine Liquorice Powder and Sweet Liquorice Syrup. Bülow has been one of the most innovative producers of liquorice in years. I think it's thanks to Johan Bülow that we have all these new liquorice products. 

This is my take on the caramels

Ingredients:

• 1 can condensed milk
• 75 g butter
• 175 g sugar
• 2 tablespoons sweet liquorice syrup
• 2 teaspoons raw liquorice powder
• 3 tablespoons fine liquorice powder (coating)

Direction:

Melt butter, sugar syrup and condensed milk over medium heat. Keep stirring until everything is melted. Turn up the heat and simmer the caramel for about 10 minutes till it reaches 257℉ (125℃).

Remove from heat and mix in the liquorice powder.

Pour the caramel into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper, and let the cool in the refrigerator for 4-5 hours. Cut the caramels into cubes, and roll them in the fine liquorice powder, and wrap them in candy wrappers.

Enjoy.

Note:

Next time, I think I will freeze the caramels and cover them with chocolate, because the caramels bled, and got very sticky. 

Waipi'o Stack Breakfast a la me

Waipi'o Stack Breakfast a la me

On my first vacation to Hawaii, I had a Waipi'o Stack Breakfast at Island Lava Java. One of the best breakfasts ever. I crave salt for breakfast, so for sure the Waipi'o Stack is right up my alley. Well, the setting didn't hurt the experience in any way. 

The Waipi'o Stack is two eggs over easy, stacked on wheat toast with applewood smoked bacon, fresh avocado, tomato, arugula and chipotle aioli.  

This is my take on it:

The view from the cafe.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 slices sour dough bread (preferably Tartine Country Bread)

• 4 eggs

• 4-6 slices applewood smoked bacon

• 1 avocado

• 1 tomato

• 1 handful arugula

• chipotle aioli

Directions:

Cook the bacon until crisp using your favorite way, in a skillet, in the oven or in the microwave. Set aside.

Rinse the arugula, and pad it dry in a kitchen towel. Wash and slice the tomato; peel and slice the avocado and toast the bread.

Crack eggs in two bowls, two eggs in each.

Heat a small non-stick skillet over low heat and add butter. As soon as the butter stops foaming, add two eggs to the pan. Cook eggs over low heat until the whites stops being translucent. Now gently flip the eggs with a spatula/turner, be careful not to break the yolks. Count to 10 and flip the eggs back or put at plate upside down on the pan, and flip the whole thing.

 Assemble the stack:

Spread chipotle aioli on bread, add arugula, then tomato slices, bacon and eggs. Place the avocado on top. Serve immediately with a cup a fresh fruit.

Enjoy! 

The Danish version:

Waipi'o Stack

Ingredients:

• 2 skiver godt brød.

• 4 æg

• 4-6 skiver god bacon

• 1 avocado

• 1 tomat

• 1 håndfuld rucola

• chipotle mayonnaise

Rist brødet og steg baconen.  Bland mayonnaise med chipotle. Spejl æggene. 
Smør brødet med mayonnaisen, læg rucolaen på, derefter tomatskiver, den stegte bacon og til sidst læg æggene på. 

Skær avocadoen i skiver og læg dem ovenpå æggene. 

Server straks.

Spicy Peach Soup with Shrimps

Spicy Peach Soup with Shrimps

This sweet and spicy soup is one of my go-to soups in the fall.  You can make as spicy as you like, and use chicken as filling, if you don't care for shrimps.

Serves 3

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon coconut oil

• 2 teaspoons curry

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 420 g canned peaches, drained (save the juice)

• 1 can chopped tomatoes

• 2 teaspoons chicken base

• 3 cups water (750 ml)

• salt & pepper

• 5-10 drops Habanero Tabasco

• 12 large shrimps.

Topping:

• Peach, finely chopped

• 1 red chili, thinly sliced

Direction:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in the curry and cook until fragrant about 30 seconds. Add onion and garlic, and cook until the onions are translucent. Add peaches (save some for topping), tomatoes, chicken base, water, salt, and pepper. Simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes. Blend the soup smooth with a immersion blender or a regular blender. *

Return the soup to the saucepan to heat. Season with habanero tabasco, salt lemon pepper and the juice from the peaches.

Add the shrimps and serve as soon as the shrimps are done. Serve with a slice of good whole wheat bread.

* Be careful when working with hot soup in a blender. You have to work in batches, even though all the soup fits in the container. Because the liquid builds up steam, and can blow the lid off the blender. 

The Danish version:

Rejesuppe med Tigerrejer

Ingredienser:

• 1 tsk kokosolie

• 2 tsk karry

• 1 lille løg, hakket

• 2 fed hvidløg, finthakket

• 420 g ferskner fra dåse, drænet vægt (gem lidt af saften)

• 1 dåse hakkede tomater

• 1 terning hønse bouillon

• 7,5 dl vand

• salt & peber

• 5-10 dråber Habanero Tabasco

• 12 tigerrejer

Topping:

• Fersken fra dåse, tyndtskåret

• 1 rød chili, i tynde skiver

Sautér løgene, hvisløg og karryen i kokosolien indtil løgene er blevet bløde. Tilsæt ferskner (gem lidt til toppings), tomater og bouillon og vandet. Lad suppen koge i ca 45 minutter. Blend suppen med en stavblender eller en almindelig blender. *

Kom den blendede suppe tilbage i gryden, og smag til med saften fra fersknerne, habanero tabasco, citrnpeber og salt.

Tilsæt rejerne og server suppen lige så snart rejerne er nok. Server suppen med en skive god brød.

* Vær forsigtig, når du blender varm suppe. Blendt lidt af gangen, gerne lettere afkølet. Da dampen fra suppen kan få låget til at hoppe af.