Category: Starters

Homemade pinxtos

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Mother and I made pinxtos for our guests at two separate occasions this summer. I often serve crostini or bruschetta at dinner parties and this is obviously similar. Only difference is that you usually don’t toast the bread for pinxtos (which we did) and the toothpick securing the toppings. In Spain you can serve almost anything on or as pinxtos, but most common are crab and mayonnaise, prawns with mayonnaise, baby eels, morcilla or jamon.

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Ours were pretty simple, like tomato (from my parents’ garden), basil (also from the garden), buffalo mozzarella and olive oil.

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Cold-smoked ham with grilled peppers in olive oil.

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And one with crayfish, dill and rosé pepper. At the second dinner party we varied ourselves with toast Öjeby, which also worked really well.

Crayfish pinxtos with dill and rosé pepper, makes about 8

8 slices baguette

olive oil

1 tub crayfish tails, drained 

100 ml creme fraiche

2 tbsp Hellman’s mayonnaise

1 tsp crushed rosé peppercorns 

chopped dill

salt, white pepper

lemon and dill to decorate

Place the bread slices on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake in 200C for 10-15 minutes or until golden. Leave to cool. Mix creme fraiche and mayo in a bowl. Chop the crayfish tails and add to the mixture. Then add in rosé pepper and dill. Season to taste. Divide between the baguette slices. Decorate with lemon and dill and serve immediately. 

Feta and pistachio dip

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Surprisingly I have actually managed to cook a little this summer, but only little and nothing too advanced. One thing I threw together was this easy feta and pistachio dip that went down a treat. The recipe is from the fabulous cookbook Persiana.

I also made some homemade flatbreads to scoop up the lovely dip with. Super easy and tasty – summer food at its best. 

Feta and pistachio dip, serves 8 

Recipe from Persiana. 

100 g shelled pistachios

75 ml olive oil

300 g feta cheese

1 handful dill, chopped

2 handfuls coriander, chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 röd chilli, chopped

3 tbsp Greek yoghurt

zest from 1 lemon, juice from 1/2 lemon

sea salt to taste

Mix nuts and oil in a food processor for 30 seconds. Add feta, herbs, garlic, chilli, yoghurt and lemon zest and juice and mix for another minute. Season to taste with sea salt and serve.

 

 

My bruschetta

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When I fed the troops (well at least 17 people…) I thought it best to serve platters with nibbles instead of a sit down starter so people could still carry on playing football or swimming in the pool.

Apart from my (new and improved) recipe on bruschetta that I will share with you I also made some salmon rolls with horseradish that went down a treat and puff pastry sticks with blue cheese, walnuts and honey.

When it comes to bruschetta (and pan con tomato) I find it very disappointing when the bread is too wet and soggy. I know some people prefer this but I prefer my bread a bit crispier which is why my bruschetta is like a tomato-topped crostini. I don’t cook the tomato mixture either as I think nothing can beat fresh sweet tomatoes with a hint of garlic, olive oil and salt and fragrant basil.

Hanna’s bruschetta, serves 6-8 as nibbles or a starter

1 baguette

olive oil

1 garlic clove

4-5 vine tomatoes (get the best tomatoes you can find)

1 handful fresh basil

sea salt, black pepper

Slice the baguette thinly a bit on the diagonal. Place on a baking tray covered with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil. Cut the garlic clove in half and rub with the cut side down on all the bread slices infusing them with a mild garlic flavour. Bake on 200C oven until golden and crispy, approx 10 min.

Chop the tomatoes and place in a sieve on top of a bowl. Once all the liquid has disappeared transfer to a clean bowl and add the other half of the garlic clove, pressed. Chop the basil and add that too as well as some olive oil. Add sea salt and a little black pepper. Top the bread slices with the mixture once cool. Serve immediately. 

Two types of crostini to start a dinner party

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Last Friday a few of my girl friends came over for dinner and while waiting for everyone to arrive we had some bubbly, this sparkling wine from Loire, and crisps. When most people had arrived I brought out two types of crostini, still casually sitting on the sofas.

One of the toppings were suppose to be the same as on Toast Öjeby, a mixture of crayfish, sharp cheese, dill, cumin and honey, but as Waitrose and Sainsbury’s both failed to deliver crayfish, I made the same mixture with coldwater prawns instead. And parsley instead of dill as I hadn’t bought enough (yep, it was one of those weeks). Substituting the crayfish with prawns worked well flavour wise but it didn’t look as pretty. As one of my friends is not that keen on shellfish I also served a bunch of crostini topped with homemade gravadlax (cured salmon) and dill cream cheese.

Crostini with gravadlax crostini and dill cream cheese, makes 30

500 g salmon fillet

2 tbsp sea salt

1 tbsp caster sugar

2 tbsp chopped dill

1 large baguette

olive oil

150 g cream cheese

1 handful dill, finely chopped

1 tsp dijon mustard

a dash of honey

salt and pepper

Start 48 hours before serving. Remove the skin from the salmon. Mix sugar, salt and dill and pat it onto the fish. Place in a small dish and cover with cling. Refrigerate for 48 hours. 

Before serving, make the crostini by slicing the baguette thinly, placing the slices on parchment paper on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and bake in 200C oven until crisp and golden, approx 10-15 minutes. Leave to cool.

Pat the salmon dry with kitchen towel and slice thinly. Mix cream cheese with dill, honey and mustard. Season. Divide the salmon slices on the crostini, place a teaspoon sized dollop of dilly cream cheese on top, season and serve. 

Asparagus with chives hollandaise and pancetta

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Asparagus is probably my favourite vegetable, at least during the time it is in season. The rest of the year it is probably in second place behind the aubergine.

One reason I think I love asparagus so much is its compatibility with buttery sauces. If it didn’t work so well with hollandaise it probably wouldn’t be my favourite.

Last time I had asparagus and hollandaise I flavoured the sauce with chives and added some crispy pancetta to the plate. It was really delicious and a dish I will cook again and again. I had it as a starter but I would happily eat it for brunch too with an added poached egg.

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Asparagus with chives hollandaise and pancetta, serves 2

6-8 asparagus stems

6 thin slices pancetta

1 batch chives hollandaise (receipe below)

Break off the wooden part of the asparagus stems and cook in simmering water for 2-3 minutes. Drain. Fry the pancetta until crisp in a frying pan or in the oven. Make the sauce. Plate up and serve.

Chives hollandaise, serves 2-4

3egg yolks

150 g salted butter

1/2 – 1 tbsp lemon juice

salt and white pepper

1 bunch chives, chopped

Mix egg yolks and lemon juice in a non stick sauce pan (start off with only half a tbsp lemon juice if you don’t want the sauce too sharp, you can add more towards the end). Cut the butter into cubes and put one or two into the egg yolks, while whisking. Let all the butter melt before adding more butter cubes and repeat this until all the butter is used. The sauce will slowly thicken and when it is thick enough, remove it from heat, still stirring, season and add the chopped chives. Serve.

 

 

Cooking is my yoga (and a three course dinner)

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Sometimes I forget how much I love to cook. It’s true. When I have a busy work week and come home exhausted in the evenings and haven’t hatched a plan for what to cook for my evening meal I usually surrender to a cheese toastie or just toast with cheese and cucumber slices, which in my world does not constitute cooking.

On Friday I had promised to cook for my flatmate as it was one of those rare occasions when we were both spending a night in. Although I almost regretted my decision as I noticed how very tired I was when I was on the tube home.

But when I got home, put my pinny on and started prepping I got second wind. And it was so much fun! I wasn’t stressed because my flatmate Daisy was happily perched on the sofa in front of the TV with a glass of wine in hand and I let the cooking take its time. Because it’s usually the time aspect that is my downfall. I can be a bit of a time optimist and when I realise that I am running late I get stressed and become clumsy and a not-so-great cook. But when cooking without the time pressure I am truly happy. Cooking is my yoga. It relaxes me and keeps me sane.

What I cooked? My favourite spring time starter; steamed (British) asparagus with wild garlic mayonnaise and Parmesan shavings (and some watercress) followed by caramelised pork fillet, an amazing mushroom crème, roasted new potatoes and steamed purple sprouting broccoli. To finish vanilla icecream, chewy meringues, whipped cream and chocolate sauce.

Eating it would make anyone happy, so lucky me who got to cook it too.

Toast Öjeby

Published on by Hanna4 Comments

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The more famous cousin to this recipe is the classic Toast Skagen (prawns with mayonnaise and dill served on buttery toast) served at many restaurants and dinner parties over the years. I absolutely love it. But this Toast Öjeby is lovely too and very different in flavour.

The key ingredients here are crayfish tails (buy good quality ones), sharp cheese, caraway seeds and honey. Mayonnaise to bind it all together and dill to complement the crayfish. It really is superb and a great example of Scandinavian flavours!

I served mine on thin slices of baguette fried golden in butter and I promise you that’s all you need (bar a nice glass of white wine) to enjoy this.

Öjebytoast, serves 4

Translated from and adapted after Annika’s recipe.

340 gram crayfish tails
125 gram Swedish Västerbotten cheese, which I substituted with sharp cheddar, finely grated
1 tbsp caraway seeds
2  tbsp dill, finely chopped
1 tsp honey

3 heaped tablespoons homemade (omit the chipotle) or Hellman’s mayonnaise

Drain the crayfish tails if needed and finely chop them. Mix with mayonnaise, grated cheese, caraway seeds and dill. Add the honey to taste, but you need at least a teaspoon. Season. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes. Serve on slices of baguette, fried golden in salted butter. And a glass of wine. 

Wild garlic stuffed mushrooms

Published on by Hanna3 Comments

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I love a classic stuffed portobello mushroom for a starter in spring or autumn or as a light lunch or supper for myself any time of year.

It is so easy to make, yet very satisfying to eat. In the regular version I use garlic, of course, as mushrooms and garlic are a match made in heaven, but it works really well with the less pungent flavour of wild garlic too. The flavours are more subtle and it tastes more of spring.

Just make sure you season well so all the flavours come through.

Wild garlic stuffed mushrooms, serves 2 as a starter or light lunch

2 portobello mushrooms

6-8 wild garlic leaves

50 ml bread crumbs, ideally fresh

2-3 tbsp cream

50 ml grated sharp cheddar

salt, black pepper

butter for frying

oil for brushing

To serve:

rocket

balsamic glaze 

extra virgin olive oil

Wash and dry the mushrooms. Yank the stems out of the mushrooms without breaking the hats. Chop the stems and wild garlic. Brush the mushroom hats with oil on both sides and place hollow side up on a baking tray. Add seasoning and bake in a 200C oven for 15 minutes while preparing the stuffing. 

Fry the mushroom and wild garlic in some butter on medium heat until the mushroom pieces are golden brown. Lower the heat and add the breadcrumbs and cheddar. Add the cream and stir so the mixture just comes together. Season well. Divide the mixture on top of the mushrooms. Bake for another 5-10 minutes, until the stuffing is golden brown. 

Serve on rocket with olive oil and balsamic glaze or a more substantial salad. 

Toasted wild garlic bread

Published on by Hanna6 Comments

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It is no secret that Swedes take their seafood seriously. More or less every Friday of my childhood we had prawns (or crayfish when it was in season) for supper. Served as above with boiled eggs (cooked after everyone’s different preference), mayonnaise and a nice salas (preferably with avocado) this is such a relaxing way of eating prawns, peeling as you go.

And the prawns taste so much more when bought unpeeled. I find it so sad that it is near impossible to find unpeeled cold water prawns in the supermarkets here.

This meal wouldn’t be complete without some nice bread though, and sometimes we would just get a fresh loaf from the bakery and eat it untoasted with plenty of butter, or sometimes we’d have toasted bread or homemade garlic bread. With plenty of freshly picked wild garlic though, the choice was easy; I wanted to make toasted wild garlic bread. And it was just as delicious as I expected it to be. Prettier than regular garlic bread too, with its vibrant green colour.

Wild garlic grows all around the Southern parts of the UK at least, but if you struggle to forage some you can buy it from a good greengrocer (in Borough Market for example).

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Toasted wild garlic bread, serves 3-4

100 g softened salted butter

1 handful wild garlic, finely chopped

salt and white pepper after taste

12 pieces of good crusty bread

Mix the wild garlic with the softened butter until well combined. Season with salt and white pepper. Divide between the bread pieces and spread evenly. Place on a baking tray and toast in a 180-200C oven for 10-15 minutes until the bread is crispy and the butter has melted. Serve warm. 

Potato soup with lemon and truffle ricotta

Published on by Hanna1 Comment

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I am definitely a seasonal eater, both in terms of produce and in terms of what type of food I fancy. During spring and summer I can’t get enough of fresh salads, and in the winter it feels like no amount of hot soup can warm me up enough, so I eat it all the time.

This time, in between winter and spring, I crave lighter foods such as salads combined with warm hearty dishes to warm me up. But not too hearty. Instead I try and make those dishes seem lighter by adding lemon or just some fresh parsley. In this soup I used both and some ricotta and truffle oil, and yes, the soup really is like that warmer spring coat you start to wear when you just can’t stand the heavy winter coats anymore; it still keeps you warm but doesn’t feel that heavy.

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Potato soup with lemon and truffle ricotta, serves 4 as a starter or 2-3 as a maincourse

4 large potatoes, Maris Piper or King Edward

1/2 red onion

chicken or vegetable stock

50 ml milk

50 ml single cream

zest from 1/2 lemon

salt, black pepper

To serve:

100 g ricotta

truffle oil

chopped parsley

salt, black pepper

Peel the potatoes and cut into equal sized pieces. Rinse the starch away. Slice or chop the onion roughly and fry without browning in some oil in a large pan. Add the potatoes and fry without browning for a minute or so. Pour in the stock so it just about cover the potatoes. Boil with the lid half on for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are very soft. Mix until you have a smooth puree. Add milk and cream and bring to the boil. Adjust the thickness with more milk or stock. Add the lemon zest, salt and pepper. 

Mix the ricotta with enough truffle oil for the flavour to really come through. Season. 

Pour the soup into bowls. Add a spoonful of ricotta, drizzle with a few drops of truffle oil and dust with some chopped parsley.