1ST. FOODIE PEN PALS MAIL : FOOD GREETINGS FROM GABIJA IN LITHUANIA

I am part of the european Foodie Penpals club. It is an awesome idea, really. It is a way for food bloggers to get to know each other via a lovely parcel in the mail every month.

This was my first time and I received a lovely food package from a young lithuanian girl called Gabija.

So exciting.

She sent me a package with traditional lithuanian products. 

The most interesting part of the package was a hard yummy cake called Sakotis. I have it on the picture above. Sakotis means branched tree.

 I have been to Lithuania but never tried this one. It is a lithuanian-polish cake that came popular during Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth. It is popular celebration food. I was curious to do it myself but reading the recipes on internet I realized that you need to have special equipment and skills in order to bake it.

She also sent me 2 different chocolate bars, Vilnius and Karuna candies, herbal tea and honey.

Thank you again, Gabija.
You can check out her website here: http://myeternityisnow.wordpress.com/

This time I sent a package to Katy on Isle of Wight. You can read about it and check out her page here: http://birdwrites.wordpress.com/2013/05/02/foodie-penpals-2/
She has some really great photos on her website. 

SANDWICH CAKE - Smörgåstårta

Smör means butter in swedish. 

Gås is a goose and tårta means cake.

So it is Buttergoosecake????

No no no :D.

Smörgås is sandwich and tårta is cake.

So sandwichcake.

Ahaaaa.

Ingredients:

12 slices white bread

12 slices dark bread

Gherkin mixture:

3dl pickled gherkins, diced

2dl creme fraiche

Salmon mixture:

500g smoked salmon, chopped

400g philadelphia cheese

2dl dill, chopped

2dl plain yoghurt

1/2 lemon, juice and zest

Cheese mixture:

200g philadelphia cheese

1dl plain yoghurt

Toppings:

wild garlic

4 hard boiled eggs

5-6 radish

Chives, chopped

Remove bread crusts.

Mix the salmon mixture.

Mix the gherkin mixture.

Mix the philadelphia cheese mixture.

Place 3 and 3 slices white bread on the bottom of a plate. Add half of the salmon mixture on the top of bread. Put another layer of dark bread on the top of salmon mixture. Add the whole gherkin mixture. Add another layer of white bread. Top it with the rest of the salmon mix. Add the last layer of dark bread.

Frost it with philadelphia/yoghurt mix.

Wrap the cake in cling film. Let it rest in the fridge overnight. 

Top the cake next day with eggs, wild garlic, radishes and chives.

DR. BIRCHER MÜESLI

 

There are mornings and there are Mornings.

Sun is shining.

Birds are singing.

Spring is finally here.

And I am having amazing breakfast with Dr.Bircher.

 

 

2-3 Servings

Ingredients:

100g (1 cup) rolled oates
2 unpeeled apples, coarsely grated
180g natural yoghurt
30g (1/4 cup) walnuts
handful of berries like blueberries and strawberries, 1/3 mashed
Honey

Mix everything in a bowl. Leave it for 1 hour or more.

Top with some berries.

Add honey if you like it sweeter

 











NORDIC BAKERY RHUBARB MERINGUE PIE

Rheum Rhabarbarum.

Funny word.

But the pie is addictive.

Ingredients:

100g butter

65g caster sugar

2 eggs, yolks and whites separated

90g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

50ml milk

Filling:

2-3 sticks rhubarb, chopped

1 tsp cinnamon

65g + 2 tsp caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla sugar

50g flaked almonds

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Cream the butter and sugar until pale. Add the egg yolks one by one.

Mix the flour and baking powder and add half from it to the butter mixture.

Add half of the milk and mix well.

Add rest of the flour and mix well.

Finally add the other half of the milk and mix well.

Transfer the dough to the tart tin and press it until base and sides are evenly covered.

For the filling mix the rhubarb, cinnamon and 2 tsp sugar together. Spread it roughly over the pie dough. Whisk the egg whites until they hold soft peaks, then gradually add the remaining sugar, whisking until firm. Fold in the vanilla sugar. Spoon on the top of the pie and scatter the almonds over the top.

Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes.

This recipe is from the "Nordic Bakery Cookbook".





SPELT PANCAKES WITH WILD GARLIC AND SALMON

 

 

It is Easter. Again. And snowing. Again.

At least we have some springy wild garlic in garden.

 

 



Ingredients:

Pancakes:

3 dl Buttermilk

2 eggs

1 dl spelt flour

1 dl plain flour

1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp sugar

oil/butter 

 

Dress up with:

Salmon & Wild Garlic & Cream Cheese

Fruits

Nuts

 

 

Beat eggs with salt and sugar. Add buttermilk. Mix it well.



Mix baking powder with spelt and plain flour. Add flour into buttermilk mix and mix well. Let the batter rest for 20 minutes.

Heat a frying pan on medium heat and add some oil or butter. Pour some mixture into the pan and swirl gently. Turn when bubbles form on pancake. Cook the other side until golden brown.

Serve with smoked salmon/wild garlic/cream cheese or fruits and nuts.