Category Archives: Favourite recipes

My most flavourful recipes

Favourite recipes, Miscellaneous

Chestnut-potato soup

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NOTE: The recipe that inspired me did not mention neither thyme, rosemary, ginger or garlic, but I think those flavours are required, and go well here. Alternatively at least a couple of bayleaves. There is no reason to make northern European food more bland and boring than it has to be. Perhaps I’ll add garam masala and chili next time.

It did list a dl of cream, but I have never been able to see the point in adding cream to savoury dishes, so I threw in 100 g oats instead (since I am trying to incorporate oats into everything these days).

  • 1 tblsp butter (I used ghee)
  • 200 g chestnut, cooked and vacuum packed
  • 400 g potatoes
  • 100 g oats
  • 2 red onions (the original recipe says 1)
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
  • Sprigs of thyme and rosemary
  • 1 l vegetable stock
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut the chestnuts, potatoes, onions and garlic in large pieces and add, together with the ginger to a pan and sizzle in the butter.

Add the stock, thyme and rosemary, salt and pepper and bring to the boil and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Fish out the herbs, and blend the rest. Season and serve garnished with chopped parsley or roasted oats.

Favourite recipes, Main courses

Baked Butternut Squash “Hasselback-Style”

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Here served with leftover Masala Oats, converted into a salad with the help of walnut oil, lemon juice, feta, and rucola and herbs from the balcony.

1 butternut squash

2 cloves garlic

2 red onions

1 tin tomatoes

1 tblsp harissa

1 knob fresh ginger

1 tsp turmeric

2 tblsp olive oil

1 tsp sugar

Salt and pepper

Bayleaves

1 tblsp honey

1 tsp smoked paprika

100 g feta

Herbs to garnish

Preheat the oven to 200 C

Halve the squash and remove the seeds with a spoon or an ice scooper, depending on the size of the cavity.

Place the squash peel up and cut almost through at about 4 mm intervals. Place a pencil on either side to make sure you do not cut it all the way through.

Slice garlic and onions and mix with the tinned tomato and 1 tblsp olive oil, season with turmeric, chili, salt and pepper, and spread this mixture in a small baking tray.

Place the squash peel up on top of this layer. Place a couple of bayleaves in the slits. Drizzle the rest of the olive oil on the squash halves and bake in oven for 20 minutes.

Paint the squash halves with honey, dust with smoked paprika and bake, uncovered, for another 20 minutes.

Scatter feta cheese over the halves before serving.

Favourite recipes, Miscellaneous

Eat more oats: A quick breakfast to-go or just a snack

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160 g dried dates

60 g peanut or almond butter (I used almond butter, and next time, I might replace some of it with tahin

50 g honey

4 tblsp pumpkin seeds

4 tblsp chia seeds

100 g oats

50 g chopped almonds

Optional: for extra nutrition, add 1 tblsp baobab powder, and for extra flavour, 1 tblsp of the best and darkest cocoa powder you can find.

Coarsely chop the dates and purée them with hot water. Start with 1 tblsp water and gradually add just enough to make a thick, fairly smooth purée.

Slowly heat up and mix the nut butter and honey.

Mix all ingredients well – best done by hand.

Line a small, square plate, 15×15 cm or similar, with baking paper, and PRESS the mixture into it. You want to be able to cut it into compact bars once it has set.

Leave cold for at least an hour.

Favourite recipes, Main courses

Masala oats

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Again recently, a lot has been written about the health benefits of oats, so my current obsession is to try to incorporate oats into as many meals as possible.

In this case served with one of my favourite aubergine dishes – an old faithful.

2,5 dl oats

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic and a small knob of fresh ginger, finely chopped

5 dl vegetables, in this case red pepper and zucchini, chopped

1 dl cooked green lentils

1 small tsp turmeric

Salt

Chili to taste, in whichever form you have available

1 tsp garam masala

Dry-roast the oats till they smell good.

Heat the oil and sizzle the cumin seeds. Add onion, garlic and ginger and sauté.

Add the vegetables and the rest of the ingredients except the oats, and sauté till the vegetables soften. If it starts to dry up, add water rather than oil.

Add the oats, stir well, and cook through.

Garnish with (preferably) fresh coriander, or any other herb you have available.

Favourite recipes, Miscellaneous

Chili sauce made with red and orange chilis from the freezer

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(Home grown, on my south-east facing balcony, the summers 2018 and 2019).

Chilis really do freeze well. Strength and flavour remain unchanged but, as can be seen in the photo, they turn a bit soggy when thawed, so they cannot be used for anything that requires the crunch of fresh chilies.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO WASH YOUR HANDS EXTREMELY THOROUGHLY AFTER HANDLING THE FRESH CHILIS AND BEFORE TOUCHING YOUR EYES – OR ANY OTHER ORIFICE FOR THAT MATTER – BE IT YOUR OWN OR THAT OF SOMEONE NEAR AND DEAR TO YOU. ‘Nuff said,

About 300 g assorted red and orange chilis (after removal of stems and – most – seeds

2 large red onions

8 cloves garlic

1 red pepper

1 large knob of fresh ginger

4 tblsp rice vinegar

Run in food processor till it has the texture you want.

Heat a generous amount of olive oil and add the mixture. Then add

1 tblsp sugar

2 tsp salt

2 tblsp tomato paste

2 tso shrimp paste.

Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes.

Favourite recipes, Miscellaneous, Starters

Gazpacho

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There are many recipes on-line. This time, I did this (note that whatever I do, I never add bread, nor water):

  • 2 cucumbers, peeled and chopped
  • 2 red peppers, deseeded and chopped
  • 1 kg ripe plum tomatoes, cored and chopped
  • 5 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
  • 2 onions, trimmed and finely chopped
  • Large glug of the best olive oil you can find
  • Small glug of the best sherry or red wine vinegar you can find
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper.

Bonus tip if you are the lucky owner of both a food processor and a blender: Save yourself a lot of fine-chopping for the blender and run the vegetables in chunks in the food processor first, and then blend with the rest of the ingredients. Time-wise, that is worth the extra washing up.

Pour some of the gazpacho into an ice-cube tray and freeze. That way, you have ice cubes to add when serving that will not dilute the soup.

Desserts, Favourite recipes

Rhubarb ice cream

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(That is a little bit too much sugar for my taste, so I reduced it a bit, especially since I will be serving it with a crema catalana, which is already quite sickly-sweet). And yes, my next course should be food photography :-).

For the base

  • 0,5 l milk
  • 4 tsp cornstarch
  • 3 dl whipping cream
  • 100 g sugar
  • 1 nip salt
  • 3 tbsp cream cheese

Rhubarb Jam

  • 500 g rhubarb, washed, topped and tailed, and sliced
  • 100 g sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean, slit lengthwise and cut into two or three pieces to let the contents escape into the jam
  1. Bring rhubarb, sugar, vanilla bean to a boil. Let simmer, covered, for five minutes. Puree with an immersion blender and let simmer again till a jam-like texture. Let cool completely in the fridge.
  1. Bring milk, 1 dl whipping cream, sugar and salt to a boil and cook, whisking, for a couple of minutes. Thicken with the cornstarch and continue to cook for another couple of minutes.
  2. Combine cream cheese and about a quarter of the milk mixture, whisking until smooth, then whisk in remaining milk mixture. Chill completely in the fridge.
  3. Combine rhubarb and milk mixture when both are completely chilled. Whip the remaining cream and fold in the rhubarb mixture. Freeze, stirring every half hour till the right texture (unless of course you have an ice cream machine.
Favourite recipes, Miscellaneous

White chocolate, cardamom and cashew nut squares

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Loosely based on this recipe (altered to fit the size of plate and the ingredients I had available and some that needed to be used up): https://originalbeans.com/recipe/edel-weiss-cardamom-macadamia-squares/.

3 large or 4 small eggs

325 g butter or oil (I used half butter, half olive oil and a splash of sesame oil)

300 g sugar (I used brown sugar)

1 tsp cardamom seeds, finely ground

2 tsp ground ginger

Finely grated zest of 2 unwaxed oranges

30 g plain flour

50 g unsweetened cocoa powder and 25 g cacao nibs

200 g white chocolate

115 g cashew nuts, coarsely ground

Beat the eggs till fluffy, then add butter/oil and sugar and keep beating. Then mix in the spices and the orange zest, and then the flour, cocoa powder and cacao nibs (if using). Finally fold in the cashew nuts.

Bake at 200 C for 30 minutes.

Favourite recipes

Kadhi Pakora

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The Kadhi

  • 50 g chickpea flour, aka besan, aka gram flour
  • 3,5 dl plain yoghurt, brought to room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 12 dl water
  • 2 tablespoons mustard oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon methi aka fenugreek seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon hing aka asafoetida
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 green chili, chopped
  • 1 generous tablespoon  chopped ginger
  • 1 generous tablespoon chopped garlic
  • 1 teaspoon salt, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  1. Mix chickpea flour and yoghurt in a large bowl, and whisk till well combined.
  2. Add 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder and 1 teaspoon coriander powder and whisk well, making sure there are no lumps.
  3. Add water and mix well. Set aside.
  4. Heat 2 tblsp mustard oil on medium-high heat. Add fenugreek and cumin seeds till they splutter and then add the hing.
  5. Add the sliced onion and green chili and cook for 2 minutes.
  6. Then add the chopped ginger and garlic and cook for another 1 minute or so until the ginger and garlic start changing color.
  7. With the heat still on medium-high, add the chickpea flour-yogurt mixture into the pan, stirring continuously till it starts to boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for about half an hour, stirring occasionally. Add salt half-way through.
  8. When considerably thickened and completely cooked, and just before adding the pakora, add the cilantro.
  9. Take into account that the tadka thickens as it cools down, so you may need to add a little more water.

Pakora

  • 100 g chickpea flour
  • 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
  • 250 g peas
  • 1 green chili, chopped
  • 1 large bunch cilantro, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1/2 teaspon red chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon ajwain
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
  • 0,5 dl water and possibly a bit more, as needed
  • 1/2 teaspon baking soda
  • Enough oil to fry the pakora half-way submerged, then flipped over
  1. Mix chickpea flour, onion, chili, cilantro, turmeric, red chili powder, coriander seeds, ajwain and salt with 2 tblsp yoghurt. Mix well.
  2. Add water till the mixture can be grabbed between thumb and fingers and dropped in the oil. Add 2 pinch baking soda and mix for a minute or two using your hands.
  3. Heat the oil on medium-low heat and drop the pakoras straight into it. Use a spoon if that feels easier and safer than using your fingers.
  4. Let cook and turn golden brown from one side and then flip and cook the other side. Make sure there is time for the pakoras to cook from the inside as well.
  5. Drain on paper towels.

Tadka

  • 1.5 tablespoons ghee or oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 generous pinch ajwain
  • Red chili to taste – dried, fresh, flakes, whatever is available
  1. Heat ghee in a small pan on medium heat. Once ghee is hot, add 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds and a generous pinch of ajwain. Add 2-3 dried red chilies (you can break them for extra heat).
  2. Pour tadka over kadhi, garnish with more cilantro and serve with rice or quinoa.

Favourite recipes

Fish curry

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  • 500 g fish, cubed
  • 2 medium red onions
  • 5 large garlic cloves
  • 1 small knob ginger, scrubbed
  • 1 generous tsp ground coriander
  • 1 generous tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • Chili in whichever shape or form you have available, and to taste
  • Broccoli in florets
  • 1 tin coconut milk
  • Water
  • Salt
  • 2 tblsp oil or ghee
  1. Blend the onion, garlic and ginger to a paste using a little water, then heat the paste in the oil, stirring for a couple of minutes, without browning.
  2. Stir in the spices and sizzle at low heat for about five minutes.
  3. Mix the fish pieces and broccoli in, stirring carefully and add the coconut milk, salt, and water.
  4. Mix well and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook for another five to eight minutes, depending on the size of the fish pieces.
  5. Serve hot with rice or quinoa.