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.

HOMEMADE MEATBALLS IN TOMATOSAUCE

Some things look good or very good on pictures.

Like colorful fruit cakes or nice soups.

Meatballs definitely don't belong to this category.

But they taste so wonderful.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 onion / chopped

500g minced meat

1 egg

50g milk

1 toast/bread

3 cloves of garlic/chopped

1 can of tomato

handful of basil and parsley / chopped

1 little chili / chopped

1 dash of tabasco 

salt

oil

Mix the toast/bread with milk.

Add minced meat, onion, egg, 1 clove of garlic, basil, pinch of salt, parsley and chili.

Combine everything well.

Make little meatballs. 

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook half of the meatballs until browned and then add half of the canned tomato. Press 1 clove of garlic into sauce and add pinch of salt and tabasco.

Cook another couple of minutes.

Do the same with other half of the meatballs.

VERY SWEET POTATO SOUP

Such a sweet soup.

A winter soup.

It is soon summer but we might get some snow this week.

Prrrrrrrr.

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

300g sweet potatoes / chopped

1 onion /chopped

1/2 apple / chopped

1/2 can of coconut milk

1 clove of garlic/ chopped

1 chili  chopped

1 l vegetable stock

1 bay leaf

1 can of tomatoes

In heavy bottomed pot saute onion together with garlic and chili in oil.
Add vegetable stoc and all the other ingredients.
Cook 20 minutes or until potatoes are cooked.
Remove the bay leaf.
Puree the soup.

Top the soup with some drops of balsamic vinegar, basil and bread croutons.

OVEN BAKED SALMON WRAP WITH SAFFRON SAUCE

With this weather some warm comfort food is absolutely needed.

Fresh pasta with saffrony salmon is perfect for quick luxury warm up.

Just curl up on the sofa and enjoy.

And you will forget about the weather.

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

2 salmon fillets
seasalt & pepper

2 sheets fresh lasagne

1 spring onion / thinly chopped
0.5g saffron
oil
1 dl / 100ml creme fraiche
Basil

Preheat the oven to 200C / 392F.

Season the salmon with seasalt & pepper and put it in the baking dish.

Saute the spring onion with saffron in olive oil on low heat. Add creme fraiche and cook another minute.

Pour the sauce over the fish. Bake it for 10-15 minutes.

Cook the fresh lasagne according to instructions.

Wrap the salmon into lasagne sheet.
Add some basil on the top.

HONEY ROASTED TROUT ON ASPARAGUS WITH LEMONSAUCE

Tomorrow I will fly to Scotland with the whole family.
We are staying 3 days on the Isle of Mull.
It seems to be a foody paradise (if you love fish and sea fruits).
Yum.

Ingredients for 2 people:

1 trout

ca 10 asparagus

Honey glaze marinade: 

1 tbsp honey

1-2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp lemon juice

pinch of seasalt

Lemon sauce:

bunch of wild garlic or 1-2 garlic cloves / chopped

1 spring onion / chopped

lemon juice and zest of 1 lemon 

1 tsp grated hazelnuts

1 tbsp olive oil. Add some more if needed.

pinch of seasalt 

Heat the oven 150C/ 302F degrees.

In small bowl mix honey with olive oil and seasalt.

Place the trout skin side down in glass baking dish and brush it with the honey mix. Bake for 20-30 minutes. 

Bend the asparagus spear until it snaps and throw the woody end away.

Boil the asparagus 1-2 minutes (I don't like them to be overcooked) in salty water. 

Arrange the asparagus on the plate and add the trout on the top.

Combine the wild garlic/garlic, spring onion, hazelnuts and sea salt with lemon juice and olive oil.

Add the sauce on the top of the asparagus and fish.

LOOKING FOR THE REAL SWEDISH CINNAMON BUNS?

Then no need to look more.

Here they are. Perfect little gooey, cinnamony, soft kanelbullar from Bitter Baker.

Mmmmmmmmm melting in your mouth.

Ingredients:

0.5l milk (17.6 oz or slightly more than 2 cups)

20 g fresh yeast or 2 tsp active dry yeast

1.5 stick butter/ 170 g 

a pinch of salt

1/2 cup sugar / 112 g

1 tsp ground cardamom

1 egg

800-850 g flour / 28.2 - 30 oz

Filling:

1.5 stick butter / 170 g room temperature

1.5 tbsp ground cinnamon

3/4 cup sugar/ 168 g

Topping:

1 egg

pearl sugar or sliced almonds

Heat the milk until fingerwarm. Dissolve the yeast in the milk. Melt the butter and mix with milk. Add a pinch of salt, sugar, cardamom, egg and flour. Mix to a dough.

Cover the bowl with a towel and let rise 1 hour until double size.

Mix the ingredients for filling.

Divide the dough in 3 parts (unless you have a huge table :)). Roll out 1st part to a large thin rectangle. Spread 1/3 of the filling on the dough. Then either roll the dough into a cylinder and cut it in small slices or make the twirly tops from here.

Place the cinnamon buns in muffin forms and put them on the oven tray. Let them rise another 1/2 hour. Preheat the oven 460F or 220C.

Brush the buns with egg and sprinkle some sliced almonds or pearl sugar on the top. Bake them 10-15 minutes until golden brown on the top.

Bake the other 2 dough parts the same way.

Eat with cold milk or coffee.

COLD BEETROOT SOUP FOR HOT SUMMER DAYS

The Bloody Beetroots is an italian electro & dance music producer. 

Had no idea about this group.

Even if I love beets I have always found them a bit boring.

Can't imagine somebody is creating a band and there is some brainstorming about the future name and one of the guys saying:

"Beetroots. Bloody Beetroots".

And everybody else:

Siiiiiiiiii. Finalmente Va bene.

Maybe they don't speak any english?

Ingredients:

400g cooked beetroots chopped

250g buttermilk or kefir

1/2 cucumber peeled and chopped or 3 pickled gherkins chopped

100g creme fraiche

handful of chives, chopped

salt

cooked eggs and cooked potatoes 

Mix (or puree) beetroots with buttermilk, cucumber/gherkins,salt and creme fraiche.

Refridgerate for at least 1 hour.

Before serving add cilantro and eggs.

Serve with cooked potatoes.

NORDIC TIRAMISU

Tiramisu is classic.

Nothing against it but can be a little heavy after all the italian primis and secundos :).

Here is a lighter and northier version with fruity rasberries.

Summer can come.

Ingredients:

250g mascarpone cheese

250g double cream

1 little or 1/2 big lemon

50-100g grated dark chocolate

200g rasberries and 100g blackberries

250 ml strong coffee

14 sponge fingers

3 tbsp sugar

Whip the cream with sugar until stiff peaks hold. Mix mascarpone cheese with lemon zest and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Add mascarpone cheese to whipped cream and mix gently.

Dip half of the sponge fingers in coffee one at the time and lay them on the bottom of a square serving dish.

Add half of the mascarpone mix on the top of sponge fingers. 

Add half of the rasberries and blackbebrries on the top of mascarpone mix. 

Add half of the grated chocolate on the top of berries.

Now dip rest of the sponge fingers in coffee and add on the top of berries and chocolate.

Add rest of the mascarpone cream.

Finally add rest of the berries and grated chocolate.

Let rest in the fridge over night.