Spinach Strawberry Salad

Spinach / Strawberry Salad

This salad is so easy and simple, but the taste is to die for. I love this salad with any kind of grilled meat.

Ingredients:

• ½ pound baby spinach

• 1 cup strawberries, thinly sliced

• ⅓ cup sliced almonds, chopped

• ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese (optional)

Dressing:

• ¼ cup blood orange extra virgin olive oil

• ¼ cup dark espresso balsamic vinegar

• salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix spinach, strawberries and chopped almonds in a large bowl. Whisk the dressing together, and add it to the salad just before serving. Sprinkle with cheese (optional).

Enjoy!

Passion fruit Ceviche

Passion fruit Ceviche

Ceviche is one of my favorite appetizers. I love the texture, the tanginess and in this version, the sweetness from the passionfruit. It all comes together in a perfect combination.

This time I served the ceviche with wonton chips, but even potato chips or crisp pita bread will work.

Eating Raw Seafood - What You Need To Know:

It's always best to cook seafood thoroughly to minimize the risk of food-borne illness. However, if you choose to eat raw fish anyway, one rule of thumb is to eat fish that has been previously frozen for 24 hours. FDA

Serves 4 as an appetizer.

Ingredients:

• 400 g halibut, salmon or a mix of both, cut into small cubes
• 2 passion fruits, the juice of
• 2 limes, the juice of
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 Serrano chili finely sliced
• ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 avocado chopped

Directions:

Combine the lime, sieved passion fruit, and chili in a bowl. Add to the fish and make sure that it gets thoroughly coated. Cover the bowl  and let the fish marinate in the refrigerator  for 20-30 minutes.

When ready to serve, add the rest of the ingredients and mix it gently.

Serve the ceviche with crispy wontons or chips. 
Enjoy!

The Danish version:

Forret til 4 personer.

Passionsfrugts ceviche

Ingredienser:

• 400 g frisk hellefisk, laks eller en kombination
• 2 passionfrugter, saften fra
• 2 limes, saften fra
• 1 spsk friske koriander blade
• 1 Serrano chili, i tynde skiver
• ¼ rødløg. i tynde skiver
• 1 avocado i tern

Fremgangsmåde:

Bland limesaften, passionsfrugtssaften med chili i en skål. Tilsæt fisken  og sørg for at den bliver blandet godt med saften. Det er saften der tilbereder fisken, så det er vigtigt at al fisken er vendt i saften. Dæk skålen til og sæt den i køleskabet i 20-30 minutter. 

Lige før serveringen, blandes resten af ingredienterne i. Det hele hældes i en serveringsskål og serveres med chips.

Velbekomme!

Danish Rye Bread revisited

Danish Rye Bread revisited

I really like my other recipe for the rye bread, I think It is close to perfect to my taste. But I needed to make the process easier. I love using a scale for baking, but just adding the flour in deciliters makes it so much easier, when baking 2 breads at the time. 

Makes 2 big loafs

Ingredients:

Sourdough Leaven: (You are not using it all in the recipe, you need to save some for next bake)

• 200 g sourdough/starter (the starter you keep in the refrigerator and feed every other week)

• 400 g water

• 2 dl (110 g) rye flour

• 2 dl (120 g) all-purpose flour

Berries and seeds:

• 2 dl (135 g) flaxseeds

• 2 dl (135 g) sunflower seeds

• 2 dl (140 g) cracked rye

• 2 dl (180 g) rye berries

• 2 dl (160 g) bulgur (100% whole grain quick cooking bulgur wheat)

• 2 dl (190 g) wheat berries (hard red spring wheat berries)

Dough:

• 1500 g water (use this to soak the berries and seeds)

• 600 g sourdough leaven

• 3 tablespoons salt

• 1 splash food coloring (kulør) - optional

• 2 teaspoons malted barley flour

• 8 dl (440 g) rye flour (dark rye flour)

• 4 dl (240 g) all-purpose flour

Sprinkles:

• sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds or poppy seeds.

Directions:

Day 1, morning: 

Feed the starter to make the leaven. The leaven will be ready to use when the leaven is bubbling and smells like beer, after about 8 hours at room temperature. Cover the leaven with a clean towel. 

Soak the berries and seeds in water in a large bow (I use to bowl because of the big amount). Cover the bowls with large plates. Let them soak at room temperature until the leaven is ready.

Day 1, night: 

Add the leaven to the soaked berries and seed. Cover the bowls with large plates. Let the mixture ferment overnight at room temperature . 

Save the leftover leaven and put it in the refrigerator in a sealed container. This will be your sourdough starter for the next batch of bread. It will keep without feeding for about 14 days in the refrigerator. *

Day 2, morning: 

Add the salt, coloring and the flours to the dough and mix thoroughly, to make sure all the flour is fully incorporated, let rise for about two hours.

Add the dough to two rye bread baking forms. (I use Eva Professionel Rye Bread Tin which holds 3,3 liters).

Let the bread rise for about an hour, covered with a clean towel. The longer you let it rise, the more sour the bread becomes.

Poke a few holes with a cake tester or a knitting needle, to prevent the crust to rise and crack.

Brush the bread with water and sprinkle with your favorite seeds.

Place the baking form in a preheated oven for 1 hour 15 minutes at 350°F (175℃). 

Turn off the heat, remove the breads from the baking forms, spray with water on all sides and place them back in the oven directly on the rack for about an hour, while the oven cools.

Take the breads out and wrap them in an clean kitchen towel. This will help softening the crust. Let breads cool completely.

Rye bread

It's best to wait cutting the bread until the next day. 

Enjoy the bread with your favorite deli meat or cheese. 

* Feeding: Discard half of the sourdough/starter and add ½ cup rye flour, ½ cup all-purpose flour and 1 cup water. Mix well, and let ferment for about 8 hours at room temperature.

The Danish version:

Rugbrød

Ingredienser:

Surdej: 

• 200 g surdej/starter (Den surdej du har i køleskabet og fodre hver 14. dag)

• 400 g vand

• 2 dl (110 g) rugmel

• 2 dl (120 g) hvedemel

Korn og frø:

• 2 dl (135 g) hørfrø

• 2 dl (135 g) solsikkefrø

• 2 dl (140 g) knækkede rugkerner

• 2 dl (180 g) hele rugkerner

• 2 dl (160 g) bulgur (grov bulgur)

• 2 dl (190 g) hele hvedekorn

Dej:

• 1500 g vand

• 600 g nyfodret surdej

• 3 spsk salt

• 1 slat kulør - valgfrit

• 2 tsk maltmel

• 8 dl (440 g) rugmel

• 4 dl (240 g) hvedemel

Drys:

• solsikkefrø, græskarkerner, sesamfrø eller birkes.

Directions:

Dag 1, morgen: 

Fodr surdejen for at gøre den klar til bagningen. Lad surdejen stå tildækket på køkkenbordet i ca 8 timer, indtil den bobler lystigt og lugter af øl. 

Udblød frø og kerner i vandet i et par store skåle ved stuetemperatur. Dæk skålene med store tallerkener. Lad kernerne stå indtil surdejen også er klar til brug.

Dag 1, aften: 

Kom de 600 g surdej over i de udblødte kerner. Dæk skålene med store tallernener igen og lad blandingen fermentere/gære natten over ved stuetemperatur.

Gem resterne af surdejen i en lufttæt beholder. Dette er surdejen du skal fodre inden næste bagning. Surdejen kan holde sig i ca. 14 dage i køleskabet imellem fodringer.*

Dag 2, morgen: 

Tilsæt salt og kulør til kernerne. Tilsæt melet, bland det godt sammen, indtil der ikke er mellommer i dejen. Lad dejen hæve i ca 2. timer på køkkenbordet. 

Fordel dejen i 2 rugbrødsforme. (Jeg bruger Eva Professionel Rye Bread Tin).

Lad brødene hæve tildækket på køkkenbordet i endnu 1 time. Jo længere brødene hæver jo mere surt bliver brødet.

Prik små huller med en nål eller strikkepind, for at undgå at skorpen hæver og knækker under bagningen.

Pensl brødene med vand og drys med frø på toppen.

Bag brødene 1 time og 15 minuttewr ved 180℃. 

Sluk for ovnen, og tag brødene ud af formene. Dryp vand på brødene og sæt dem tilbage i ovnen på eftervarmen i omkring 1 time.

Tag brødene ud og pak dem ind i et rent viskestykke, og lad dem køle helt af.

Brødene er letteste at skære dagen efter de er bagt.

Nyd brødet med dit yndlings pålæg.

Velbekomme!

* en fodring er: smid halvdelen af surdejen ud og tilsæt 1 dl hvedemel, 1 dl rugmel og 2 dl vand. Rør det sammen og lad det fermentere/gære på køkkenbordet i ca 8 timer.

This post has been submitted to the Yeast Spotting Site.

Rum Raisin Ice Cream

Rum Raisin Ice Cream

Rum raisin ice cream was my dads favorite ice cream, well he loved most ice creams. I have fond memories of my dad, whenever I'm having rum raisin ice cream. Growing up, my dad rarely had any alcohol. He worked as an upholsterer working with harsh glues, some were organic solvents. So my dad didn't want to put alcohol, like beer and wine, into the mixture. 

But he loved ice cream, and one day my mom bought some rum raisin ice cream, and he had a few large scoops. My poor dad got impaired/drunk from the ice cream, and soon after having the ice cream, he was sleeping on the sofa. Little did he know, that his wife and children was laughing on his behalf. My dad was a cheap drunk!

In loving memory of my dad, here is my version of rum raisin ice cream.

Makes 1 liter.

Ingredients:

• 100 g raisins

• ½ cup (1¼ dl) dark rum

• ½ lemon, the zest of

• ¾ cup (1.8 dl) whole milk

• 125 g sugar

• 1½ cup (3¾ dl) heavy whipping cream

• 1 pinch salt

• 4 egg yolks

Directions:

Macerate the raisins in rum over night. Heat rum, raisins a lemon zest in a small saucepan and let it simmer for about 2 minutes. Cover and let stand for a few hours until it's cooled completely. 

Warm milk sugar and ⅓ of the cream in a saucepan. Pour the rest of the cream into a bowl over an ice bath. 

Whisk the egg yolks pale and add the hot milk in a little at a time, while whisking. Pour the mixture back in the saucepan. Slowly heat the mixture over medium heat while constantly stirring. You want the mixture to thicken slightly, but you don't want the mixture to come to a boil, this will coagulate the egg yolks. 

Pour the hot mixture through a strainer into the cool cream. Stir until the custard is cooled completely.

When ready to freeze, drain the raisins, but save the rum. Measure 3 tablespoons of the rum and stir it into the custard. (Add more new rum, if you don't have 3 tablespoons rum from the drained raisins.)

Freeze the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Stir in raisins as you remove the ice cream from the ice cream maker.

Let the ice cream freeze for a few hours before serving, if you can wait that long. 

Enjoy!

White Chocolate Brownie

White Chocolate Brownie

Normally a brownie is brown, but here is my take on a white brownie with white chocolate, dried cherries and almonds. The brownie is still moist and chocolaty, but the cherries gives a tangy taste, so the sweetness is not overpowering.

You can eat the brownie when it is just made, but it only gets better the next day.

Makes 12 small pieces

Ingredients:

Batter:

• 125 g butter
• 200 g white chocolate
• 3 eggs
• 300 g sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla pate or the seeds from ½ vanilla pod
• 150 g all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Filling:

• 100 g white chocolate, chopped
• 75 g sun-dried cherries, chopped
• 50 g almonds, chopped

Topping:

• 150 g white chocolate
• 15 g butter 
• 40 g almonds slivers
• 50 g dried cherries, chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 360℉ (180℃). Line a  8” by 8” baking pan with parchment paper, and set aside.

Melt butter and chocolate in a saucepan over very low heat, let cool for a few minutes.

Whisk eggs, sugar and vanilla till it is pale and foamy. Add the melted chocolate and mix until fully incorporated. Stir in the sifted flour and baking powder in the batter. Fold in chocolate, almonds and cherries.

Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake it for 35-45 minutes until the top is lightly golden.

Let the cake cool completely before decorating.

Topping:

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler while stirring, take the chocolate off the heat just before it's all melted, and stir until it all is melted. Stir in the butter, spread it on top of the cake, sprinkle almonds and cherries on top.

Cut the cake in small pieces and serve it with a nice cup of coffee. 

Enjoy!

The Danish version:

Hvide Chokoladebrownies

Giver 12 små stykker

Ingredienser:

Dej:

• 125 g smør
• 200 g hvid chokolade
• 3 æg
• 300 g sukker
• kornene fra ½ stang vanille
• 150 g mel
• 1 tsk. bagepulver

Fyld:

• 100 g hvid chokolade, groft hakket
• 75 g soltørrede kirsebær, groft hakkede
• 50 g hele mandler

Topping:

• 150 g hvid chokolade
• 15 g blødt smør
• 40 g mandelsplitter
• 50 g oltørrede kirsebær, groft hakkede

Fremgangsmåde:

Forvarm ovnen til 180℃. Kom bagepapir i en ca 20 cm x 20 cm bageform.

Smelt smør og chokolade i en tykbundet gryde over meget lav varme eller over vandbad.Lad massen køle lidt af i et par minutter. Pisk æg, sukker og vaniljekorn til en meget lys gul luftig masse. Bland chokoladen i æggemassen. Bland sigtet mel og bagepulver i og bland det forsigtigt sammen. Tilsidst tilsættes mandler, kirsebær og chokolade og de vendes forsigtigt i dejen.

Hæld dejen i kageformen og bag kagen i ca. 35-45 minutter. Køl kagen helt af før den dekoreres. 

Topping:

Smelt chokoladen over vandbad, indtil den er næsten helt smeltet. Tag chokoladen af varmen og bliv ved med at røre indtil den sidste chokolade er smeltet. Tilsæt smør og rør det i. Spred chokoladen ud over toppen på kagen, og drys med de tørrede kirkebær og mandelsplitter. Lad chokoladen sætte sig, og skær kagen ud i små stykker. 

Server kagen med en god kop kaffe.

Velbekomme!