Sweet • Sour • Savory

Sweet • Sour • Savory

Food blog on scandinavian style food done right.

dinner

Heirloom Tomato Tart

Brunch, Dinner, Vegetables2 Comments
Heirloom Tomato Tart

Heirloom Tomato Tart

I have always had a love love relationship with tomatoes. Tomatoes are one of my favorite healthy snacks. The sweetness and tanginess pairs perfect with most foods. Here late summer the colorful heirloom tomatoes are everywhere, and they are begging us to join them at our dinner table.

I mixed different colors and sizes for my Heirloom tomato tart, and I wished I had taken a photo before I baked it. The tart was so pretty with all the vibrant colors.

Makes 1 large tart.

Ingredients:

Dough:

  • 150 g all-purpose flour

  • 30 g whole wheat flour

  • 30 g dark rye flour

  • 160 g butter, cold, salted and in small cubes

  • 1 egg

  • 2-3 tablespoons cold water

  • ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leave

Filling:

  • 3 eggs

  • ⅓ cup (80 ml) cream or milk

  • 5-8 scallions, sliced

  • ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • 3-7 heirloom tomatoes, depending on size

  • 4 oz (113 g) goat cheese, crumbled

  • fresh ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400℉ (200 ℃).

Dough:

Mix the flours and thyme with the butter until the mixture has a crumbly wet sand-like texture. Add the eggs and 2 tablespoons cold water, and mix the dough until it just comes together. If the dough wont come together easily, add the additional tablespoon of ice water. 

Roll the dough out, or press the dough into the tart pan, all the way up the sides. I used a 10-inch pan. Place pan with dough in the refrigerator until ready for filling.

Filling:

Whisk eggs, cream, scallions, thyme and salt together and set aside.

Slice the tomatoes, and crumble the cheese. Pour the egg mixture in the tart, place the tomatoes on top, and sprinkle the cheese and fresh ground pepper on top. 

Bake the tart for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and baked through.

Serve the tart with a mixed salad. The tart is also good at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Grilled Sesame Chicken

BBQ, Dinner, Meats, PoultryComment
Grilled Sesame Chicken

Grilled Sesame Chicken

Chicken is one of my favorite things to throw on the grill. For the longest time I have been making beer can chicken, but for an easy weeknight dinner for two persons, I'll always end up with leftovers. Not that leftovers is a bad thing, It makes for an easy dinner the next day. 

I think I have had a chicken leg overload during the time I was single and studying. The chicken legs was a cheap meal and easy meal to make. One thing is sure, I haven't been roasting or grilling for years. This was not fair to my husband, he loves the dark meat from chicken.

This recipe for grilled sesame chicken, taught me to love chicken leg dinners again. The spice mixture and the crispy chicken skin is so so good. 

Serves 2.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 lime, the zest 
  • 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
  • 3 medium cloves garlic, minced 
  • 2 whole chicken legs 

Directions:

Combine oregano, thyme, rosemary, sesame seeds, lime zest and salt in a small bowl. In a Mortar and pestle combine  the spices with olive oil and garlic until it forms a paste.

Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Using your hands, rub the herb paste evenly all over the surface of chicken, working it into every nook and cranny.

Preheat the grill for about 10 minutes. Grill the chicken skin-side up at indirect heat for about 25-30 minutes. Then turn up the heat or move over direct heat and grill for another 5-10 minutes, until well done. Chicken should be cooked well done to 165-170℉ or 75℃.
Transfer chicken to a cutting board and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

When grilling:

You need 2 of everything

  • 2 tongs, one for raw meats, another for cooked meat
  • 2 plates, one for raw meats, another for cooked meat
  • 2 marinades, one bowl for marinading and another for basting
  • use separate cutting boards for raw vegetables, raw meat and cooked meat and vegetables
  • don't leave food out, keep your food cold.

Salmon en Croûte - Indbagt Laks

Dinner, Fish & seafood, Holiday, LunchComment
Salmon en Croûte - Indbagt Laks

Salmon en Croûte - Indbagt Laks

This is one of my favorite dishes to make for an spring or summer buffet. I'll just use more puff pastry and a large piece of salmon fillet.

The creamed spinach is to die for. The sweet, creamy and a bit tangy taste pairs well with any fish or smoked sausage. This recipe makes too much for this dish, but I always serve it as a side for the fish.

Ingredients:

  • 300 g salmon filet, deboned and without skin

  • 1 package puff pastry, defrosted

  • 1 egg for egg wash

Creamed Spinach:

  • 450 g baby spinach (you can use frozen leaf spinach)

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 250 ml heavy whipping cream

  • 1 lime, zest and juice

  • 3 tablespoons sugar

  • salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Defrost the puff pastry in the refrigerator according to instructions on the package. 

Creamed spinach:

Melt the butter in a sauté-pan, steam the spinach in the butter a few minutes until it is wilted down, and you have cooked most of the water from the spinach down. Sprinkle the flour on the spinach, and stir until incorporated. Stir in the cream and cook the spinach until the sauce thickens, about a few minutes. Finally add sugar, lime juice and zest and season with salt, pepper and additional sugar. Cool the creamed spinach to room temperature, before adding it to the puff pastry.

Roll the puff pastry to two 16x8-inch (40x20 cm) rectangle. Place the on a baking pan lined with parchment paper.

Place a dollop of spinach in one end of the pastry, make sure to leave a ½-inch border to seal the pastry. Place the salmon on the spinach, and add more spinach on top. Fold the pastry over the filling, and close the pastry package by pinching it shut. Repeat with the next, and brush the packages with egg wash. Score the top with a sharp knife.

Bake the salmon for 25-30 minutes.

Serve the salmon with a nice salad.

Enjoy! 

 

 

 

 

 

Chicken with Mustard a la David Lebovitz

Dinner, Meats, PoultryComment

We eat a lot of chicken in my family. Chicken is very easy to change up with different flavorings, and different cooking methods. So when I got David Lebovitz's cookbook, My Paris Kitchen, the first dish I had to try was "chicken with mustard." 

The flavors of this dish blew me away. I thought the Dijon mustard would give the dish a strong flavor, but oddly enough the flavors was very mellow. I think we have another family favorite here. It is actually perfect for a weeknight dinner. We served it with pasta and quick butter-roasted carrot coins.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

  • 140 g Dijon mustard

  • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • ½ teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt (optional)

  • 4 chicken thighs and 4 drumsticks (8 pieces total), bone-in, skin-on

  • 100 g (2-3 slices) smoked thick-cut bacon, diced

  • 1 small onion, finely diced

  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves + some for garnish

  • a little olive oil, for the pan

  • 240 ml (1 cup) white wine, non-oaky

  • 1 tablespoon grainy mustard (I used Maille Old style whole grain dijon mustard)

  • 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

  • 3 tablespoons crème fraîche

Directions:

Mix the 140 g Dijon mustard with paprika, salt and black pepper in a bowl. Toss the chicken pieces in the mustard mixture, making sure you get mustard in between chicken and chicken skin. Set aside, while you tend to the bacon and onion.

Chop onion and dice bacon. Heat sauté-pan or Dutch oven and add the bacon. Cook the bacon until it just starts to get brown. You are not looking for crispy bacon bites, you need them to stay soft. Remove the bacon from the skillet and let it drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Remove all bacon fat but 1 tablespoon. Add onion to the pan and cook until soft and translucent. Add the thyme and cook for another few minutes. Put the onions on a large plate, with the drained bacon.

Add a little olive oil to the skillet, if necessary, brown the chicken pieces in a single layer. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan, because this will cause the chicken to steam and not brown, it's better to work in batches. Get a good color all over the chicken. This will help develop the flavor in the dish.  Place the chicken pieces on the plate with onions and bacon. Add the wine to the pot to deglaze it. Scrape of the dark bits of the bottom. Return the chicken, onion and bacon to the pan, and cook it covered for about 15-25 minutes, Check the doneness of the chicken by inserting a knife into the meat next to the bone. You want the juice to come out clear, if red, keep cooking for a few more minutes.

Remove pan from the heat and transfer the chicken to a platter and stir the remaining 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard, the grainy mustard, and the crème fraîche into the sauce. If the sauce has reduced and is quite thick, you can thin it with a little warm water, adding a teaspoon or so at a time. Pour the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle chopped parsley over the top, and serve.

Enjoy!

The Danish version:



Kylling i Sennep a la David Lebovitz



Ingredienser:

  • 140 g Dijon sennep

  • ¼ tsk røget paprika

  • friskkværnet sort peber, efter smag

  • ½ tsk salt

  • 8 stykker kylling med ben og skind, jeg bruger overlår, men underlår duer også

  • 100 g bacon I tern

  • 1 løg, hakket

  • 1 tsk frisk timian blade + lidt til pynt, Jeg bruger 4-6 hele kviste

  • lidt oliven olie til stegning

  • 2½ dl hvidvin

  • 1 spsk grov sennep med tydelige sennepskorn så som Maille grov mild sennep

  • 3 spsk Dijon sennep

  • 3 spsk crème fraîche

Fremgangsmåde:

 

Bland sennep, paprika, salt og peber i en skål. Kom kyllingestykkerne ned i blandingen. Masser senneppen over hele kyllingen, også ind underskindet. Lad kyllingen stå og marinere imens du forbereder det næste.

Hak løg og bacon i tern. Start med at stege bacon i en tykbundet gryde. Baconen skal kun lige tabe fedtet, og lige have taget lidt farve, det er ikke meningen at det skal blive alt for sprødt. Lad baconen dryppe af på et stykke køkkenrulle. Brug bacon fedtet til at stege løgene bløde i, kom timianen i sammen med løgene. Tag løgene op af gryden.

Kom evt. lidt olivenolie i gryden og brun kyllingestykkerne godt af. Gør det gerne af flere gange for ikke at koge kyllingen. Bruningen er med til at skabe en god dybde til retten. 

Tag kyllingen op af gryden, og deglace den med vinen. Kom alle ingredienserne tilbage i gryden, og lad retten simre i 15-25 minutter, indtil kyllingen er nok.

For at færdiggøre retten tilsættes den grove og dijon sennep og creme fraichen. Hvis sovsen er for tyk, tilsæt lidt vand. Hvis sovsen er for tynd, så jævn den med en lille melbolle.
Server kyllingen med kartofler og lidt gulerødder.

Velbekomme!

Salmon Corn Chowder

Appetizer, Soup, Dinner, Fish & seafoodComment
Salmon Corn Chowder

Salmon Corn Chowder

Dansk udgave

I had my first chowder in San Francisco, it was one of the things you eat as a tourist, and it was so so. I know you can get good clam chowders, but the one I had on Fisherman's Warf, was not one of them. 

Salmon is my go-to fish, and making it to a chowder seemed to be a great idea, the first day the temperature was dropping below the 80's.  

This Chowder is pretty straight forward, a one pot soup, but is packed with great flavors. 

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

  • 3 medium leeks

  • 2 stalks celery

  • 1 tablespoon butter

  • 6 medium potatoes (Yukon Gold)

  • 3 ears corn kernels

  • 1 pound (450 g) salmon filet, skin and bones removed, cut into 2-inch (5 cm) cubes

  • 3 thin slices smoked salmon, chopped

  • 1 cup (2½ dl) cream, optional, leave out to get a healthier soup

  • ½ cup (1¼ dl) white wine

  • 4 cups (1 liter) water

  • 2 Knorr fish stock cubes

  • 1 bay leave

  • 1½ teaspoons white pepper, freshly ground

  • 1 lemon, zest and juice

  • fresh dill for garnish

Directions:

Thinly slice the leeks.  Peel potatoes and cut them into large dices. 

Melt the butter in a thick bottomed pan over medium heat. Sauté the leeks and celery for about 8-10 minutes, until soft, stirring occasionally.  Add the wine to prevent browning. 

Add potatoes, white pepper, bay leave, water, and/or stock. Bring the soup to a boil, and reduce the heat, and let the soup simmer for about 10-14 minutes until the potatoes is almost tender. Discard the bay leave.

Blend about ⅔ of the soup including (⅔) potatoes and leeks until smooth*. This makes the soup nice and creamy. Mix the blended soup with the unblended part, with the cream, lemon zest and the corn kernels. Bring the soup to a simmer and add  both types of salmon, and let it simmer for about 3-5 minutes until the fish is cooked. The big chunks will separate somewhat, but thats perfectly fine.

Season the soup with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Garnish with a few spring of fresh dill.

Enjoy!

 

*Be careful when blending hot liquids, it can make the lid pop off, and you may risk getting serious burns on you skin. You can remove the small cap on you blender lid and cover the lid with a clean kitchen towel. You need to hold on to the lid and towel. This will let the steam from the hot soup escape and avoid the lid from popping off. You can also get blenders like the Vitamix, where you can blend hot liquids, without any hassle.

 

The Danish version:

Lakse- og majschowder

4-6 portioner

Ingredienser:

  • 3 medium porrer

  • 2 stilke bladselleri

  • 1 spsk smør

  • 6 medium kartofler (ikke nogle der er melede)

  • 3 majkolber, kun kernerne

  • 450 g laks uden skin og ben, skåret i 5x5 cm tern

  • 3 skiver røget laks

  • 2½ dl fløde, kan udelades hvis du vil have en sundere suppe

  • 1¼ dl hvidvin

  • 1 liter vand

  • 2 terninger knorr fiske boullion

  • 1 laurbærblad

  • 1½ tsk hvid peber, friskkværnet

  • 1 citron, saft og skal

  • frisk dild til pynt

Fremgangsmåde:

Skyl og skær porrerne tyndt. Skræl kartoflerne og skær dem i ca 2x2 cm tern.

Smelt smørret i en tykbundet gryde, og sauter porre og selleri i omkring 8-10 minutter, uden at brune dem. Tilsæt vinen efter de første par minutter, for at undgå bruningen.

Kom kartofler, hvid peber, laurbærblad, vand og boullionterningen i, og lad suppen komme til kogepunktet. Kog suppen i 10-14 minutter indtil kartoflerne er næsten møre. Fjern laurbærbladet.

Blend ca. ⅔ af suppen incl. kartofler og porre*. Det gør suppen bliver dejlig cremet. Bland den blendede suppe med resterne af suppen og kartoflerne. Tilsæt fløde, revet citronskal og majsen, og kog suppen op. Tilsæt begge typer laks  til suppen. Lad suppen simre 3-5 minutter, indtil fisken er færdig. Laksestykkerne vil gå lidt i stykker, men det er helt fint. 

Smag suppen til med salt, peber og citronsaft.

Kom lidt dild oven på suppen, når den serveres.

Velbekomme!

*Pas på med at blende den varme suppe, da det kan give skoldninger, hvis låget hopper af. Man kan evt. tage det lille låg af blenderen og dække hullet til med et viskestykke, men der blendes.