HOMEMADE FISH CAKES

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Ingredients

300g cooked white fish
1 beaten egg
50g heavy cream
1 little onion, chopped and fried/caramelized
3-4 dill sprigs, chopped
salt
pepper
oil or butter for frying

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Mix fish with egg, cream, caramelized onions, dill, salt and pepper.

Take a small amount of the mixture and form into little cakes.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the fish patties.

Fry until golden brown on both side.

TUNA & EGG SLICES

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500 g ready rolled Puff Pastry

1 can Tuna in water, drained

175 g Philadelphia Cheese

1 little Onion, grated

300 g Mozzarella Cheese, small chunks

1/2 Lemon

2 boiled Eggs, chopped

handfull chives, chopped

Season with Pepper

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Heat oven to 200 C/. Put the pastry on baking sheet.

Mix tuna with Philadelphia cheese and chives and spread the filling onto the puff pastry slices.

Place onion and eggs on the tuna filling. Season with black pepper and squeeze fresh lemon juice onto the filling.

Finally add the mozzarella chunks on the top.

Bake for 25-30 minutes in oven.

OVEN ROASTED BEETS

Roasted beetroots are just fab and one of our family summer favourites.

Roasting gives them amazing sweet caramel taste.

And it is so easy to do.

Ingredients:

3 beetroots/ washed and sliced

olive oil

kosher/sea salt

balsamic vinegar

pine nuts

Preheat the oven in 200C/400F
Toss beets with oilive oil and season with salt.
Roast in oven for 50-60 minutes.
Take out from the oven and add some balsamic vinegar.
Toast pine nuts on the dry pan. Mix with beetroots.

GOD SAVE THE LEMON CURD

Makes one little jar of luscious delicious English cream

3 lemons
120g sugar
50g butter
2 tbls corn starch
2 eggs
2 egg yolks

Mix the zest from 3 lemons with the juice from 2 lemons. In a saucepan over medium heat combine the lemon zest/juice with sugar and butter. Bring just to a boil.

Mix corn starch with the juice from the third lemon and add to the warm liquid.

Stir in eggs and egg yolks.

Cook again over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens.

Pour into glass jar and store in fridge. 

WINTER BANANA BREAD

This banana bread is full of Nordic winter flavours - 

cinnamon, cardamom and ginger. 

Ingredients:

150g unsalted butter

200g sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp ground cardamom

2 tsp ground cinnamom

1 tsp ground cloves

300g flour

5 ripe mashed bananas

Preheat the oven at 180C.

Mix butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix well.

Mix baking powder with flour, salt, spices and add it to egg mix.

Add the mashed bananas.

Pour the batter into cake tin and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes.

If you like banana bread please check also my Totally Nuts Banana Bread here http://mumsfilibaba-mumsfilibaba.blogspot.ch/2013/03/banana-nut-bread_4.html

Idea from Nordic Bakery

LUXURY AUTUMN APPLE PIE

So here we go. 

Summer is gone and apples are here.

10-12 pieces

Pie:

120g softened butter

180g plain flour (3 cups)

60g icing sugar (1 cup)

1 egg yolk 

Mazarin Filling:

190 g almond paste 

2 g of cardamom (1 tsp)

80g softened butter

1 egg

3 egg yolks

Apple filling

4 apples

2 g of cardamom (1 tsp)

8 g of ground cinnamon (1 tbsp)

50g almond flakes (4.3 cups) 

50g runny honey (2 tablespoons)

40g raw sugar (1/2 cup)

Oat crumble

50g caster sugar (1/2 cup)

90 g of wheat flour (2.11 cups)

20g rolled oats (1/2 cup)

2 g baking soda (1/2 tsp)

60g softened butter

Pie: Preheat the oven to 180 C. Mix all ingredients in a bowl and work into a smooth dough. Roll out the dough into an approximately 3 mm thick circle and place the crust into pie plate.

Mazarin Filling: Grate the almond paste and place in a bowl. Add the cardamom and stir in the butter a little at a time. Mix in egg and egg yolks until it becomes a smooth paste.

Apple Filling: Peel, share, core and dice the apples. Mix with the remaining ingredients.

Havrecrumble:   Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips. 

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.   Distribute Mazarin filling and then the apple filling evenly into pie plate. Sprinkle the crumble over the pie and bake in the middle of oven for 30-35 minutes. 

Recipe: Roy Fares

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH RASPBERRY GANACHE

Ahhhhoooooiiiii all the chocoholics.

This one is for you.

Can't get more choco than that.

Ingredients

Cake:

3 eggs

150g sugar

140g butter

150g dark chocolate

140g flour

1 1/2 dl raspberries

pinch of salt

Raspberry Ganache:

400g raspberries

300g dark chocolate

2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven at 175C / 350F.

Separate egg yolks from the egg whites.

Add sugar to the egg yolks and whisk until pale and thick.

Whisk egg whites until stiff.

Mix the egg yolks with the egg whites.

Melt the butter.

Add chocolate to the butter and let it melt.

Mix chocolate butter together with egg mix and add flour.

Add pinch of salt and raspberries.

Mix everything together and bake in oven for 20-30 minutes.

The cake should still be creamy inside.

Add the raspberries to the saute pan and cook over medium heat until berries are soft. Pass the raspberries through a sieve to remove the seeds. Warm up the raspberry sauce and mix in chocolate and butter.

Spread raspberry ganache over the chocolate cake.

Top with berries and white chocolate.

POTATO SALAD WITH BEURRE NOISETTE

You can call it also Welcome Spring Salad.

Ingredients:

500g baby new potatoes with skin on

500g asparagus, woody ends removed

4-5 radishes, halved

100g butter

salt and pepper

Boil the potatoes until tender and set aside.
Boil the asparagus 1-2 minutes and set aside.
Boil the radishes 2-3 minutes and set aside.

Melt the butter in a medium pan until it is light brown, beurre noisette.
Add all the vegetables and toss to coat.
Season with salt and pepper.
Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

IRRESISTIBLE CRANBERRY CREAM SCONES

Who can resist afternoon tea with homemade cranberry scones, whipped cream and jam? 

Not me.

Ingredients:

150g butter

600g plain flour

150g sugar

40g baking powder

200g dried cranberries 

190g heavy cream

190g milk

Preheat the oven to 220C.

In a large mixing bowl combine flour with baking powder and 

cut in butter. Mix in sugar and cranberries.

Add milk and cream and stir until just combined. 

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead few times. Let the dough rest, covered, in fridge for 15 minutes 

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and roll out to 2-3cm thick. Cut the dough into 6*6 cm rectangles.

Reduce the temperature to 200C and bake scones 15-20 minutes until golden brown and well risen.

Eat with clotted cream (whipped cream) and jam. 

SPICY PICKLED PUMPKIN

Welcome winter and snow.Yeahhh. 

Spicy pickled pumpkin is a typical delicious winter dish.

That sweet-spicy scent of cinnamon stick, sugar, cloves and ginger makes your tastebuds to explode.

1,5 l water

ca 1 kg peeled, seeded and diced pumpkin

ca 3 cm fresh ginger, finely peeled and chopped

1 vanilla bean, halved

some small chillies

1 cinnamon stick

5-6 cloves

5-6 black peppercornes

150 g sugar 

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

Heat water in a large pot and add ginger, vanilla bean, chillies, cinnamon stick, peppercorns and cloves. 

Bring to a boil and add sugar

Cook another 5 minutes.

Add pumpkin and simmer on medium heat, stirring occasionally until pumpkin is soft. Then add vinegar and cook another minute. 

Place the pumpkin in sterile jar(s). Leave it in fridge one week before eating.

DARK SYRUP SMøRREBRøD WITH SALMON

Yeah I know.

My last blog post was in August.
I have a 100% job now and
a 1 year old toddler at home.
(and a husband :)
So I wish I was a superwoman.
(like my neighbour lady who has 3 kids and a perfect garden and wakes up 5am every morning to prepare breakfast for the family including the husband who makes his jogging tour 5.30 am every morning.)
I actually think she is not human but I have no proof yet.

So here it is:

Very nordic

very yum

traditional danish Smørrebrød.

Enjoy.

Ingredients:

Bread:

25g butter

2.5 dl buttermilk

1 dl dark syrup

25 g fresh yeast

1 tsp salt

3.5 dl rye flour

3-3.5 dl plain flour

Smørrebrød:

butter

smoked salmon

salad

boiled egg

Melt the butter and mix it with buttermilk and syrup.

Mix yeast with salt and add to buttermilk mix.

Add both flours and knead 5 minutes or use kitchen aid until the dough is nice and elastic.

Let rise for 45 minutes.

Knead another 5 minutes and let rise another 40 minutes under kitchen towel.

Preheat the owen into 200C/350F.

 Shape the dough how you want and bake in oven for 35-45 minutes.

Take a piece of bread, butter it and top it with a salad leaf, smoked salmon and boiled egg.

 

LATE SUMMER BLACKBERRY ICE SCREAM

I scream

You scream

We all scream for

Ice Cream

Ingredients:

250 ml (1 cup) milk

250 ml (1 cup) cream

6 egg yolks

110 g sugar ( 1/2 cup)

100 g blackberries / mashed

some pistachio nuts (optional)

Combine milk with cream in a pan and bring it to boil.

Remove from heat and let cool down.

With wire whisk beat 6 egg yoolks with sugar until thick.

Add the warm milk mixture into egg mixture. Pour the mixture on the pan and stir constantly on low heat about 10 minutes until the mixture is thick. 

Pour the cream into ice cream machine and and add blackberries.

Topp the ready ice cream with pistachios.

COLD VINEGAR SALMON

Midsummer, Xmas, Easter.

This salmon is perfect for every occacion.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

300g salmon

1 white and 1 red onion / chopped

70 ml white vinegar

3 dl water

1 tbsp salt

1/2 dl sugar

some black and white peppercorns

1 bay leaf

handful of dill

Preheat the oven to 150 C.

Put onions, vinegar, water, salt, sugar, peppercorns, bay leaf and dill into a saucepan and cook for 5-10 minutes. 

Place the fish in the baking pan and add the vinegar sauce. Bake for 10-15 minutes.

Let cool down and let stay in fridge over night,

Next day remove the liquid, dill, bay leaf and peppercorns.

Eat vinegar salmon with the onions from the sauce and cooked potatoes.

DUTCH OVEN MIXED SEEDS BREAD

Smell of freshly baked bread.

Why we love it so much?

Ingredients:

20g fresh yeast

300g water

500g plain flour

9g salt

pinch of sugar

handful of different seeds

oil

Mix yeast with water. Add salt, sugar and flour. 

Knead with hands or food processor.

Cover and let rise 1 hour.

Knead the dough 1 -2 minutes and put it into oiled dutch oven. Let rise second time.

Preheat oven at 230C/450F.

Garnish the bread with seeds and rub some oil over the surface of the dough.

Bake the bread 30 minutes in the middle of the oven with lid on.

After 30 minutes remove the lid and bake another 10 minutes.

MUSTIKKAPIIRAKKA - FINNISH BLUEBERRY BREAD

I am berryholic.

Grrrr

Ingredients:

Bread:

125ml milk

10g fresh yeast

30g sugar

1 egg

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp cinnamon

250g plain flour

35g butter in smaller cubes

Berry mix:

300g blueberries

50g quark/ricotta

2 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 lemon juice

First make the sweet bread.

Combine yeast with milk and sugar. Beat the egg and put 1/2 in a fridge. Add rest of the egg, salt, cinnamon and flour to the milk and pulse on low speed for 3-5 minutes.

On the low speed add butter cubes one after other and pulse another 5 minutes.

Cover the dough and let rise 1 hour in a warm place.

Knead 2-3 minutes and let rise another hour.

Roll the dough in to a round base for the pie and carefully place the dough into pie plate. Spread quark over the middle of the pie. Put blueberries over the quark and add lemon juice and sugar. Brush the dough edges with rest of the beaten egg.

Bake first 15 minutes at 200C, turn the heat down to 180C and cook further 15 minutes.

SOUTH NEW-ZEALAND CHEESE ROLLS

Couple of weeks ago we had visitors from New-Zealand. One evening they prepared dinner for us - cheese rolls from the South Island. 

The original rolls are made with onion soup that is not available here so I decided to make them with caramelized onions and pesto.

4 rolls

Ingredients:

4 big toast bread

50g (or more if you like)grated cheese

2 onions / chopped

2 cloves garlic /chopped

50g pine nuts 

50g basil

pinch of sugar and salt

pepper

olive oil

cherry vinegar (optional)

Toast the pine nuts until colored.

Combine pine nuts, olive oil  and basil in a food processor and pulse until smooth.

Add salt.

Saute onions with garlic. Add pinch of salt, pepper and sugar(and cherry vinegar).

Roll the bread flat with a rolling pin. Spread pesto over the bread, then cheese, onions and roll up. 

Bake in oven at 180C for 10 minutes.

GOOEY BURRATA APPETIZER WITH PESTO

Discovered this luscious italian cheese called Burrata. It tastes AMAZINGLY gooey and soft.

Try it with some olive oil, pesto and tomatoes.

Mmmmmm.

Serves 2 

Ingredients:

1 Burrata cheese / halved

1 big tomato / peeled/seeded/ chopped

olive oil

black pepper

fresh basil

kosher / sea salt

1 tbsp green pesto

Put half of the burrata on a plate. Add half of the tomato chunks seasoned with salt and pepper. Put some green pesto and fresh basil on the top.

Drizzle with olive oil.

Do the same with the second plate.

Inspired by Lamparts, Hägendorf

RAW ZUCCHINI SALAD

What do you think of this picture?

Would you like to eat this food?

Why or why not?

Ingredients:

2 zucchini / cut into slices

2 tsp Kosher/sea salt

1 garlic clove / minced

1 tbs lemon juice

2 tbs olive oil

Black Pepper

1/4 cup / 40g walnuts

1/4 cup/ 30g fresh herbs / chopped

Put the Zucchini in a colander and sprinkle evenly with 1 tsp salt. Toss and sprinkle evenly with another 1 tsp salt. Let stand for 10 minutes .

In a small bowl combine the garlic and lemon juice.

Shake the moisture off the vegetables. Taste them. If too much salt remains, rinse briefly under cold water and pat dry. 

In a medium bowl, toss the zucchini with the olive oil. Spoon the lemon mix over and toss some more.

Season with pepper and more salt and lemon if needed.

Garnish with walnuts and herbs.

Original recipe: Michael Ruhlman

FOODIE PEN PALS NR 3 ALL THE WAY FROM SUNNY GREECE

This time my Foodie Pen pal parcel came all the way from sunny Greece :).

Look at those amazing food products from Greece. 

Olives from south Greece - Kalamata

Chamomile tea 

Sesam snack

My favorite - Fig confiture with seeds. Yum Yum Yum

And  something I have never ever tasted - Gum Mastiha. 

It is sap from lentisk trees and was the original chewing gum.

VIKINGS RYE FOCACCIA

Already vikings were growing rye believing it gave them more strengths.
94% of rye is produced in Europe and
rye bread is very popular in Nordic countries.

Ingredients:

30g yeast

320g water

25g olive oil

100g rye flour

385g plain flour

9g salt

handful herbs / chopped

20g olive oil 

Mix yeast with water.

Add olive oil.

Mix flours with salt and add it to the liquid.

Knead the dough for about 5 minutes.

Add the herbs.

Knead another 5 minutes.

Form the dough into ball and put it into deep bowl.

Cover with a towel and let rise 1 hour.

Punch the dough back after first rise.

Rise it another hour.

Preheat oven to 250C or 480F.

Transfer dough to baking sheet and dimple with your fingertips.

Brush with oil.

Let rise another 1/2 hour.

Bake the bread for 10 minutes in 250C/480F and then 30-40minutes in 180-200C/390F.

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL SUMMER CHICKEN SALAD WITH CRANBERRIES

This is a perfect salad.

Let me tell you why.

It looks good and colorful. How the food looks is one of the first sensory criterias. The sight of this chicken salad makes your brain decide to eat it or not.

I guess it tells you to eat it :).

It is full of good protein, vegetables and herbs.

It makes your body happy and gives you right energy.

It makes you jump in a hot summer evening and scream :

"Life is beautiful"

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 smaller chicken breast 

2 tbsp harissa or other chili sauce

2 cloves garlic/ pressed

pinch of salt

olive oil

2 avocados / chopped

1 spring onion / chopped

2 baby tomatoes

1/2 pomegranate

8 dryed cranberries

handful of chopped chives and basil leaves

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar

1/2 tbsp cherry vinegar

pinch of salt

Marinate chicken with harissa, garlic and salt.

In a large pan over medium heat cook the chicken in olive oil until golden brown on both sides.

Cool the chicken and cut in cubes.

In a bowl toss together chicken, avocado, spring onion, tomatoes, pomegranate, cranberries, chives and basil. Season with salt and add olive oil, balsamic and cherry vinegar. 

DARK CHOCOLATE LOLLIPOPS

Dark chocolate with high cocoa level is good for you. The more cocoa beans the higher is the nutritional quality of the chocolate.

Cocoa is a great source of flavonoids, that have anti-allergies, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory activities.

Ingredients:

Dark chocolate

Dried fruits mix

Pistachios

Lollipop sticks

Melt the chocolate. 

Put a lollipop stick on the baking sheet. Spoon a round thick circle of chocolate around the edge of the lollipop. Add dried fruits and nuts.

Chill or wait until firm.

VEGETABLE STIR FRY WITH HOMEMADE PLUMSAUCE

It is not complicated to prepare homemade healthy food for you and your family.

Buy whatever vegetables you want and mix them all together with some good olive oil, soy sauce and homemade plum sauce.

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

1 onion /chopped

2 cloves garlic /crushed

2 cm fresh ginger /crushed

1 broccoli /chopped

2 carrots / chopped

5 baby tomatoes / halved

1 cauliflower / chopped
handful of chopped walnuts

2-3 tbsp soy sauce

salt/pepper

olive oil or sesam oil

Plum sauce:

3 ripe plums / chopped

2 tbsp sugar

pinch of salt

1 cup / 200 ml water

In a large saucepan boil plums over medium heat with sugar and salt. Boil 15 minutes or until plums are very tender. 

Press the plums through sieve and put aside.

Heat large sauce pan on medium heat and add some oil. Saute onions with garlic and ginger. Add carrots. Mix well and add some more oil if needed. 

After 1 minute add all the other vegetables.

Add soy sauce

Mix well and season with salt and pepper.

Stir fry 4-5 minutes.

Add plum sauce and stir well for 1 minute.

DAD'S PICKLED SUMMER GHERKINS

Ooooooh

Pickled Gherkins

Gherkin - what a funny name isn't it?

:)

Ingredients: 

As many small gherkins as you want

For 1 l water:

1.5 tbsp corser/sea salt

0.5 tbsp sugar

handful dill

handful black currant leaves

2-3 garlic cloves / halved

Add cold water in a big bowl and leave the gherkins there for 1 hour.

Cook the water with salt and sugar. Let it cool down.

In a large jar place some black currant leaves, some dill and garlic. Put 1 layer of gherkins on the top. Then add again black currant leaves, dill and garlic and put another layer of gherkins on the top. Do it as long as the jar is full. Add some black currant leaves on the top.
Add salt/sugar water.

Leave it overnight in fridge.

You can already enjoy them the next day.

This recipe is linked to Foodie Friends Friday 

CARROT BUNS

Visited farmers market yesterday.

Bought some strawberries and dill and beetroots.

Went by some tourists just when they took a photo.

So now I am on their photo.

How many other photos are there all over the world with me on the background?

Interesting to know but I will never find answer to this question.

7-9 buns

Ingredients:

250 ml plain yoghurt

20 g fresh yeast

20 g sugar

1 egg

2 carrots/grated

1.5 tbsp sea salt

100 g rye flour

400 g plain flour

75 g  butter/ cold cubes

some rolled oats for garnish

In a mixing bowl mix yeast with yoghurt and sugar.

Beat the egg and put 2 tbsp in fridge.

Add the rest of the egg, salt, carrots and flour to the yoghurt mix and beat on low speed for 3-5  minutes.

Add butter cubes one after another to the dough. 

Cover and let rise 2 hours.

Make small dough buns. Put some rolled oats on the top.

Let rise another 40 minutes.

Bake at 200C /400F for 10-15 minutes until buns are golden brown.

Take the buns out of the owen.

Brush quickly with beated cold egg.

CORNFLAKES CHICKEN NUGGETS

Looking for healthy and yummy food for your family - here it is 

Cornflakes Chicken Nuggets

It is so easy to do and 

you will be loooooooved.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

450g Chicken Breast /cut into Nugget size bites

1 egg / beaten with pinch of salt

60g cornflakes / crashed in plastic bag

50g Grated Cheese (Parmesan)

1 Garlic Clove / crushed

juice of 1 Lemon

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.

Mix cheese and garlic in plastic bag with cornflakes.

Dipp the chicken bits in beaten egg and then put them all into plastic bag.

Shake the bag so all the chicken bits are coated with cornflakes mix.

Grease the baking sheet.

Arrange chicken on the baking sheet and bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

Pour lemon juice over.

Eat with yummy dips.

CREAMY SALMON POTATO SALAD

For me this salad represents summer.

New potatoes with sour cream and fresh dill from the garden.

You can add whatever fish or meat you like.

My favorite is with hot smoked salmon.

Typical Nordic food

Serves 4

Ingredients:

400g / 3 cups cooked new small potatoes 

2 hard boiled eggs / halved

150-200g / 1 cup sour cream/creme fraiche

100-150g / 2/3 cup salmon (or roast beef, ham)

If you use salmon then juice from 1/2 lemon

1 tbsp mustard (I prefer dijon or english)

handful of chopped dill

pinch of salt/pepper

Mix sour cream with mustard, chopped dill and salt/pepper.

Pour lemon juice over salmon. 

In a large bowl toss together potatoes with salmon chunks and sour cream mix.

Top with halved eggs.

FISH A LA WALLENBERG

Wallenbergare is a luxury swedish meat patty named after a swedish famous family. It is usually made with ground veal, eggs, cream and breadcrumbs. 

Here is my version with fish.

( My little son loves it :)

Ingredients:

Burger:

200g boneless Salmon fillets

200g boneless Zander fillets /or some other white fish

80-100 dl double cream

1 egg

2 toasts without crusts/ crumbled in food processor or ready breadcrumbs

white pepper

handful of basil / chopped

pinch of salt/pepper

oil

Place the fish in a food processor. Process until smooth.

Add double cream, egg and chopped basil, salt, pepper.

Mix well. Shape into patties.

Mix pinch of white pepper with breadcrumbs.

Make little fishpatties and sprinkle breadcrumbs on the top. Fry the patties with some butter or oil . 

If you want to make burgers with bread, here is my easy Burger Bread recipe:

Burger Bread:

250ml Milk
20g fresh yeast
20g sugar
1 Egg
1,5 tsp Sea Salt
250g Plain Flour
250g Rye Flour
75g Butter
Sesam Seeds and Rolled Oats

In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in (finger) warm milk and sugar. Beat the egg and put 3 tbsp in the fridge. Add the rest of the egg, salt and flour to the milk and beat on low speed for 3 minutes. Then on high speed for 5 minutes. On the low speed add butter cubes one after another to the dough.

Cover and let rise 1 hour in a warm place.

Knead for 5 minutes and divide the dough in small dough balls. Let rise another 40 minutes.

Top with sesam and rolled oats.

Brush with beated cold egg. Bake at 200 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Burger "Sauce":
2 avocados / mashed
1 little onion / finely chopped
2 tbsp sour cream/creme fraiche
dash of lemon juice

BUCKWHEAT CRACKERS

Midsommer is soon here.

This is perfect little snack for summer solstice party.

Or however you call it in your country:

Adonia

St. John's Feast Day

Ligo

Lida

Midsommar

Ivan Kupala Day

Juhannus

Alban Hefin

Gwyl Ganol yr Haf

Sankthans

Jaanipäev

Keskikesä

Rasos

Ingredients:

1 cup/ 150g plain flour

1 cup/ 100g buckwheat flour 

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground pepper

1 tbsp sesam seeds

1 tbsp linseeds

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 cup/ 115 g heavy cream (a bit more if needed)

Combine the flour, sugar, salt and pepper. Add butter (I am doing it with a food processor but you can make the dough by hand if you wish so). Mix well.

Pour in the cream and pulse until rough mass forms.

Scrape the dough out onto a clean work surface and gently squeeze it together. Add a few more drops of cream if the dough will not hold a soft shape. Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for at least 20 minutes for up to1 hour.

Preheat an oven to 350F / 177C.

Unwrap the dough, cut it half and place one half on lightly floured baking paper. Roll out the dough into a rectangular sheet as thin as possible. Add the seeds evenly on the top of the dough. Roll over the sheet once more. Cut the sheet of dough into shapes now if you wish.

Place the sheet with the baking paper on the oven pan and bake until they are crisp and light brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

Do the same with the second half of the dough.

Eat with cream cheese&avocado spread.

The Crackers recipe is modified after Williams-Sonoma recipe.

This is Bake Along event organized by Zoe from Bake For Happy Kids.

ASPARAGUS&MELON&DATE SALAD IN PARMESANO BASKET

 Just a salad.

Easy, or?

Only when you master the art of combining a salad with the right balance between the 4 basic tastes -sweetness, saltiness, sourness and bitterness - 

a whole new world opens up to you.

It's time for Revolution...

Serves 1 (just double the amount for 1 more)

Ingredients:

40g or 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Handful of mixed baby salad 

2 asparagus 

2 dates/ chopped

1 tbsp good olive oil

1/2 tbsp cherry vinegar

2 slices of melon /peeled and chopped

pinch of sea salt

Preheat oven to 200C /400F.

(You can do the parmesan basket also on the pan)

Spread thin circle of grated parmesan evenly on the baking paper. Bake 4-6 minutes in oven until golden brown. Let parmesan cool 1/2 minute and then carefully remove it from the paper. Drape it over a bowl or water glass. Shape it into a cup form.and let it cool. Then remove it from the bowl and voila, you have a parmesan basket.

Snap of the woody ends of asparagus. Cook them 1-2 minutes in salty water. Cut asparagus into smaller pieces.

Fill the basket with salad, asparagus, melon and dates.

Add olive oil and cherry vinegar and pinch of salt.

This recipe is linked to Foodie Friends Friday

2. FOODIE PEN PALS MAIL - GREETINGS FROM REBECCA IN BARNSLEY

My second Foodie Pen Pal package came all the way from England, Barnsley( I had to actually check it out on the Google maps).

This is what Rebecca sent to me:

Chai Tea - I am big tea lover and always happy to receive some more for my collection. It is also perfect with this rainy and cold weather we are having here in Switzerland.

Little gingerbread man - sooooo cute.

Scotish shortbread - love this. So british and yum. Tried to do my own shortbread last weekend. Turned out pretty good but it was a scotish recipe and put way too much whisky in the dough :D. 

And last - english mustard. Wooo hooo. Have not tried it yet but will be perfect for the soon coming grilling season.

Thank you again Rebecca.

ASPARAGUS TOAST WITH POACHED EGG

I know I have been talking about weather a lot. 

Been able to do something in my garden 5 days this spring. It is raining all the time and my garden looks like a big jungle. Fun for the kids but soon it so overgrown it is not possible to walk there anymore :).

Serves 1 person

Ingredients:

2 asparagus

1 toast

1 egg

handful of chopped chives or basil or wild garlic

pinch of sea salt

Snap off the woody end of asparagus. Cook them couple of minutes in salty water.

How to make poached eggs?

Crack an egg carefully in a small cup. 

Bring water in a saucepan to almost boil. Gently drop the egg into water. Wait 3-5 minutes until the white is set.

Place asapragus on the toast and poached egg on the top. Season with seasalt and garnish with chives/basil/wild garlic.