Lemon Pistachio Israeli Couscous

Lemon Pistachio Israeli Couscous

After getting to know the flavor of preserved lemons in Chicken with Preserved Lemons and Green Olives, I wanted to try more recipes with preserved lemons. I bought David Lebovitz's "My Paris Kitchen" and I had to try this yummy recipe. I mad a couple of changes, making it to my linking.

Israeli couscous is a toasted pasta shaped like rice or small balls, If you cant find them in your grocery store, you can substitute it with orzo.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (200 g) Israeli couscous, cooked according to package instructions
• ½ preserved lemon
• ½ cup (1 dl) Italian parsley, chopped
• 1 tablespoon salted butter
• ½ cup (1 dl) dried fruit, chopped (I used apricot, cherry and prunes)
• 2 tablespoons pistachios, unsalted, coarsely chopped
• pepper to taste

Directions

Scoop out the pulp from the preserved lemons into a strainer over a bowl. Press the pulp to get all the juices out, this will be the dressing to the couscous. Discard the pulp. Dice up the rind, and add it to the bowl with the juice.

Chop fruit, parsley and pistachios, and add it to the bowl.

When the couscous has absorbed all the liquid and is cooked al dente, add the butter and stir until melted.

Mix all the ingredients and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Broccoli Salad

Broccoli Salad

Dansk Udgave

This is a classic both here in US and in Denmark. I think most people know this salad. But even though it's very old school, it shouldn't deter you from putting it on the table. The sweet, salty, crunchy salad will be a hit at the dinner table.

Ingredients:

• 2 broccoli crowns, in small florets

• 1 medium red onion, in small dices

• 100 g sunflower seeds

• 100 g raisins

• 250 g bacon

Dressing:

• 95 g Miracle Whip

• 45 g sour cream

• 3 tablespoons honey

• 2-3 teaspoons red wine vinegar

• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl, set aside.

Place bacon in a deep skillet and cook over medium high heat until crisp and brown. Cool and cut into small pieces.

Cut the broccoli into bite-size pieces, and chop up the onion finely. Combine ¾ of the bacon, raisins, broccoli and sunflower seeds, and toss it with the dressing. 

Serve the salad chilled, and with sprinkles of bacon-bits and sunflower seeds on top.

Enjoy!

The Danish version: 

Broccolisalat

Ingredienser:

• 2 broccolitoppe, i små mundrette buketter

• 1 medium rød løg, i små tern

• 100 g solsikkefrø

• 100 g rosiner

• 250 g bacon

Dressing:

• 95 g Miracle Whip

• 45 g creme fraiche

• 3 spsk honning

• 2-3 tsk rødvinseddike

• salt and peber efter smag

Fremgangsmåde:

Rist baconen sprød, køl den af og skær den i mindre stykker.

Bland dressingen, og sæt den til side.

Bland ¾ af baconen med broccoli, løg, solsikkefrø og rosiner, og vend det i dressingen.

Server salaten kølig med et drys bacon og solsikkekerner på toppen.

Velbekomme!

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!

Danish Potato Salad

Danish Potato Salad

Potato salad is a classic at danish BBQ's. Most families have their own recipes, and sometimes you just take the easy way out and use a store bought. But homemade is best. I like to have different textures in my potato salad, and the asparagus, peppers and radishes gives me just that. 

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds (ca. 1 kg) potatoes, use small firm potatoes like Fingerlings or Yukon Gold

• 2 teaspoons salt for the boiling

• 6 radishes, finely sliced

• 1 bunch scallions

• ½ cup fresh peas

• 5 asparagus, chopped

• ½ red bell pepper, diced

• ½ green bell pepper, diced

• chives

Dressing:

• 16 oz (475 ml) sour cream or creme fraiche

• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

• ⅛ teaspoon curry powder

• 1 clove garlic

• salt & pepper

Directions:

Place the potatoes in a large pot of water. Bring the water to a boil and add the salt, then lower the heat and simmer for 15-18 minutes, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife. It's important to start with the potatoes in cold water, this will prevent overcooking the outside of the potatoes before they are done.

Drain the potatoes and rinse in cold water. Peel the potatoes, and set aside in the refrigerator to cool completely.

Mix all the ingredients for the dressing, and set aside. 

Wash and slice/dice the vegetables. Slice the cold potatoes, and mix it all in the dressing.

Store the potatoes salad in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it.

Enjoy!

The Danish version:

Kartoffelsalat

Ingredienser:

• ca. 1 kg kartofler, brug en fast kartoffel såsom asparges- eller samsøkartofler

• 2 tsk salt til kogevandet

• 6 radiser, skåret tyndt

• 1 bundt forårsløg

• 1 dl nybælgede ærter

• 5 asparges, skåret i stykker

• ½ rød peber, skåret i tern

• ½ grøn peber, skåret i tern

• purløg

Dressing:

• ca. 5 dl creme fraiche

• 2 spsk mayonnaise

• ⅛ tsk karry

• 1 fed hvidløg

• salt & peber

Directions:

Kog kartoflerne i en stor gryde i 15-18 minutter, indtil de er møre. Start med koldt vand og tilsæt først saltet når vandet koger. Dette bevirker at kartoflerne ikke koger ud. Hæld vandet fra kartoflerne og skyl dem med koldt vand, for at stoppe kogningen. Pil kartoflerne og sæt dem til afkøling i køleskabet.

Bland dressingen, smag til med mere ekstra salt og karry.

Vask, og skær grøntsagerne, skær kartoflerne i skiver og bland det hele i dressingen. Opbevar kartoffelsalaten i køleskabet indtil den skal serveres.

Velbekomme!

Quinoa fruit salad

Quinoa fruit salad

I have a thing about colorful foods, I really like my meals to have a least 3 colors to be a healthy meal. Well, it might not hold up scientifically, but I think it's a good guideline.

When we start with the BBQ season, I like to make a good salad to eat with the meat or fish going on the grill. Today I craved fruit, and I had some cooked quinoa in the fridge, so I mixed up this fruit salad, that would go perfectly with a piece of grilled lamb.

Ingredients:

Quinoa:

• 100 g quinoa
• 2,25 dl water
• salt (to taste)

Fruit:

• strawberries
• raspberries
• blueberries 
• mango
• pineapple

Dressing:

• 1 lime, juice of
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

Directions:

Quinoa:

Rinse the quinoa. Bring quinoa and water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add salt to taste. Let the quinoa stand, covered, for 5 minutes. If any more water remains, drain it. Let the quinoa cool.

Dressing:

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.

Fruit:

Rinse, peel and slice the fruit and put them in a bowl. Add quinoa and dressing, and serve the fruit salad.