Category: Lighter bites/lunch dishes

Squid sandwiches

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I went out for drinks with work on Thursday, even though we only get together when it is someone’s leaving do, it was still nice. The wine just keep on coming, so after three glasses and not much to eat since lunch I made my excuses and came home to make dinner. Christopher was working late, and I was out, so we (I) had planned to have pasta with mussels and squid, because it is so quick to make pasta and because we had some squid in the freezer. But Christopher wasn’t in the mood for pasta, so we had to come up with something else. It might have been because I had read this NQN post the same day, that I came up with squid sandwiches, and I am forever grateful for the inspiration, because this was really good. And perfect after a few glasses of wine, I may add… 🙂

It would have been even nicer with homemade aioli but at half nine in the evening when you’re sooo hungry, it is just not an alternative to whip up aioli. Instead I took the next best thing; Hellman’s mayonnaise mixed with pressed garlic. That worked too.

Squid sandwiches, serves 2

2 squid tubes

olive oil

1 clove of garlic, pressed

2 tsp chilli flakes

1/2 lemon, juice from

4 slices of nice bread, toasted

butter

baby spinach

aioli (or Hellman’s + pressed garlic)

Cut the squid into 1 cm thick rings. Heat up some olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Throw in the squid, press in some garlic, sprinkle over the chilli flakes and when they’re cooked through (after 3 mins or so) squeeze over some lemon. In the meantime, toast the bread and spread with butter. Put some spinach on two slices, add some garlic mayo, then the squid, then some more mayo, and maybe squeeze over some more lemon, put the remanining bread slices on top and cut the sandwiches in half. Dig in and enjoy!

Jacket potatoes with easy peasy topping

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Christopher was out playing cricket yesterday, which meant that he wasn’t hungry when he came home. I’m still amazed that they have tea and sandwiches during the game (that’s just so British!) and because it was the last game for the season they had dinner afterwards as well, so absolutely no hope that he was hungry after the game, so I had to come up with something to eat for myself.

I don’t particular like to cook for one, I just don’t see the point in it. For me, having a meal is a sociable thing – you eat together. Although my family isn’t a big and loud one, the three of us still had all meals together, apart from breakfasts, as I’m tired in the mornings and my parents are not. So when I cook for one I don’t enjoy it as much as when cooking for two or more, so I try to keep it simple and quick. Like these jacket potatoes, with a really simple yet very tasty topping. Try it when you’re home alone, and you won’t be disappointed.

I was hungry and made two potatoes but it was a bit too much. Sometimes the eye is hungrier than the tummy...

Jacket potatoes with easy peasy topping

Grab one or two large potatoes/baking potatoes and cut a cross on the top pf each potato. Bake in 200C for a little more than an hour. Take out the potatoes and press the sides towards the middle so the cut comes open. Put a knob of butter, either persillade or berbecue seasoning, some grated cheddar, creme fraiche, crispy bacon and some more seasoning on top. Enjoy!

Oeufs en cocotte

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The perfect weekend breakfast is here! I made Oeufs en cocotte (eggs in ramekins) this morning and it was absolutely fantastic. This is great to serve for breakfast when you have people staying over or just at a treat at the weekend. It is really easy to make and only takes 15 minutes in the oven. Perfect! Promise me you will try this.

I do like Nigella and add a little bit of truffle oil, but that is optional. I added some chopped smoked ham too, but you can add anything you like (chopped spinach, cooked mushrooms, chives) or keep it plain.


Oeufs en cocotte, serves 2

Butter two ramekins, and add the chopped ham for example. Crack an egg into each ramekin, sprinkle over some sea salt and, pour in 1 tbsp cream and a little (1/4 – 1/2 tsp) truffle oil. Put the ramekins in an oven-proof dish and pour boiling water into the dish to come halfway up each ramekin. Bake in 190 C for 15 minutes. Serve with some nice bread.

Another crayfish party!

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Yesterday I had my girls (Jenny, Jenny and Laura) around for some Swedish crayfish. It was so much fun and they really seemed to enjoyed it! They were also excellent students in how to peel the little animals, to drink snaps and how to place the shell on the plate afterwards.

This is what we had:

  • Rocket with cherry tomatoes, spring onions and vinegrette
  • Västerbotten cheese quiche, with my dough recipe
  • Omelette rolls with goat’s cheese and bacon
  • Crayfish of course
  • Baguettes and cheese
  • Pear cake for dessert

I also made omelette rolls with goat’s cheese and bacon, served bread and two cheeses and of course crayfish! It is soooo good, I could eat it every week!

Västerbotten quiche – the GOOD one

Dough:

120 g softened butter

300 ml plain flour

1/2 whipped up egg

Filling:

250 g grated Västerbotten cheese

200 ml cream

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

Combine the ingredients for the dough and knead it a little, press out with your thumbs onto a quiche dish, pick wholes with a fork and pre-bake for 10 minutes in 180-200 C oven. Mix the ingredients for the filling together in a bowl, throw in some salt and pepper. When the shell is pre-baked, just fill it up with the cheese mixture and bake for another 20 minutes or so, until the filling has set and the quiche looks nice and golden. Serve hot, lukewarm or cold. If cold it’s great to decorate it with some creme fraiche and caviar, lemon slices, dill, chopped red onions etc.

Omelette rolls

2 eggs

4 tbsp soy cream or cream

salt and white pepper

soft goat’s cheese with herbs (or a normal cream cheese with herbs)

6 slices bacon

Fry the bacon in small pieces, drain from excess fat on kitchen towel and leave to cool. Mix one egg and half the cream together in a bowl, season and fry in some butter in an omelette pan (small frying pan), on low heat until it is done, flip it over for a minute so both sides are cooked. Leave on a plate with the darker side down. Repeat the procedure with another omelette and place on a seperate plate. Once they have cooled, spread some cheese on both omelettes, sprinkle with bacon and roll them up. Cut into 2 cm wide pieces and serve on a buffet or as a light snack.

Yummy sandwiches

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What do to with leftover aioli? Make some nice sandwiches and spread them with beautiful yellow aioli, add parma ham, salami and cheddar. Soo tasty.

Yummy sandwiches

Simply bake some homebake ciabattas in the oven, leave to cool, cut in half and spread both halves generously with aioli. Place some parma ham and salami on the bottom half, slice some cheddar and put on top. Eat! Sooo good!

Watermelon salad

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This fresh salad goes with everything! For the barbecue, buffet or as I served it last – at a Swedish crayfish party!

The recipe is from Nigella’s Forever Summer, but I haven’t looked in the book for a while and therefore have no measurements. But it is a salad so you don’t really need them! Take as much as you like of the ingredients and the result will be great. Enjoy!

Watermelon salad

Seedless watermelon (or regular)

Red onions

Lime, juice from

Feta

Parsley

Black olives

Olive oil

Start by peeling the onion, cut it in half and slice it. Put the slices in a bowl and sqeeze the lime juice over them and leave it for a while. Cut the melon in big chunks, place in a bowl, crumble the feta into the bowl, throw in some olives, the onion and limejuice and chopped parsley. Stir it around and drizzle some olive oil on top. Yum!

Summer galette

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I found this recipe in the Sunday Telegraph’s magazine a couple of weeks ago and have been dying to try it. Since Christopher had the day off yesterday and all the ingredients were in the fridge, he made it instead of me. I don’t mind, it’s lovely to come home and find the supper in the oven! And it was really yummy too.

Summer galette, 4-6 portions

500 g shortcrust pastry (we bought it, but feel free to make it yourself)

6 eggs

1 tbsp each of chopped chives, basil, tarragon and parsley

30 g butter

300 g thinly sliced ham (I prefer smoked)

350 g grated Gruyère cheese

1 egg, beaten for glaze

Cut the pastry in half and roll out two rounds, about 30 cm in diameter, 3-5 mm thick. Beat the eggs and add the herbs. Melt a third of the butter in a frying pan and pour in a third of the egg mixture to make an omelette. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then slide over to a plate to cool white making the other two.

Lay one round of the pastry on a baking sheet. Place one of the omelettes on top, then a third of the ham and then a third of the cheese, repeat until you have three layers of omelette, ham and cheese. Brush the edges of the pastry with the beaten egg. Place the other round of pastry on top and press the edges together. Brush the top with glaze and roll the edges and pinch them to seal. Make a chimney in the middle if you have some pastry left over, or just make a whole in the middle without a chimney around it. Bake until crisp and golden, 20-30 mins, 200C. Serve with a nice salad!

Comments: I really enjoyed this pie or omelette in disguise. But it needs a little bit of salt in the omelettes and I think it would be nicer with slightly less tarragon. Served for lunch with salad it will easily make 6 portions, it is very filling.

Baked potatoes – Swedish style

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I still haven’t learned to like jacket potatoes with baked beans or cheese or tuna, which seems to be how potatoes are eaten here in England. Instead I hold on to my Swedish way of eating baked potatoes. With prawns of course. Try it!

As you can see I eat my potato with a tea spoon, that is another Swedish thing I think... 🙂

Baked potatoes with prawns and caviar, 2 portions

1-2 baking potatoes per person

100 grams peeled prawns (Waitrose’s Maine prawns are ideal, make sure it’s icelandic type prawns and not tiger prawns)

100 ml creme fraiche

3 tbsp mayonnaise

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

1/2 lemon, juice from

2 tsp caviar

salt

ground white pepper

Start off with baking the potatoes for 1-1,5 hours on 200 degrees. Before putting them in the oven slice a cross on the top of each potato, it makes it easier to ‘open’ later. While the potatoes are baking, make the prawn filling. Roughly chop the prawns and mix with the other ingredients, pour in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper, store in fridge until the potatoes are ready. When they are, take them out and push them open with oven gloves. Basically press both sides of the potato towards the middle and the cross you made earlier will come open, and you can spoon in the filling there. Garnish with lemon slices or some more caviar if you like. Enjoy!

Potato salad

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Potato salad is great to serve at barbeques, and this is a lighter version without mayonnaise.

Potato salad with vinaigrette, 6 portions

1000 grams baby new potatoes

a handful of fresh spinach

1 red onion

1,5 tsp dijon mustard

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

4 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

Wash and boil the potatoes, leave to cool. Dice them into equal size, quite big chunks. Chop the spinach, cut the onion in half and slice it finely. Whisk together the vinaigrette, season with salt and pepper, mix it all together with two spoons.

Enjoy!

Asparagus quiche

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I served this summery quiche at a picnic at the weekend, and it was very appreciated. It is nice both hot or cold.

Asparagus quiche, 1 large or 3 smaller ones

Pastry:

120 grams softened butter

300ml flour

a pinch of salt

half a whipped up egg

Filling:

2 bunches of asparagus

5 eggs (and the half left over from the pastry)

400 ml single cream

100-200 ml grated medium cheese

salt and pepper

Start by rinsing the asparagus and pinch off the coarse base, boil for 2 minutes in salted water, drain and leave to cool.

Pinch together the pastry with your fingers, and coat the dish/dishes with the pastry. Use a fork to make small wholes in the pastry, bake for 8-10 minutes in 175 centigrade oven. Then fill the shells with the asparagus, cut them in half if they are too long. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Whisk together eggs and cream, season with salt and pepper. Pour over the quiches, and make sure the cheese is covered bu the eggmixture.

Bake in 175 centigrade oven for 20-25 minutes.