Summer food – Page 6 – Scandelights

Frittata with asparagus, spinach and cheddar, topped with creme fraiche and lumpfish caviar

Published on May 15, 2014 by HannaLeave a comment

This frittata bursting of spring greens and new potatoes is a new favourite of mine. I added some sharp grated cheddar to reduce the sulphur-y taste fried eggs, which I’m not a fan of, but you can omit the cheese if you prefer although it does make the frittata a little creamier. Topping the frittata with crème fraiche and lumpfish caviar is very Scandinavian but it works really well and makes the dish feel a little lush.

Frittata, serves 4 as a starter/light bite, serves 2 as a main course

200 g cooked new potatoes, sliced

6 asparagus stems, cut into 2-3 cm large pieces

100 g spinach

a knob of butter for frying

3 eggs

a splash of milk or cream if desired

50 ml grated sharp cheddar

salt & pepper

To serve:

crème fraiche

lumpfish caviar

Pre-heat the oven to 180-200C. Bring water to the boil in a saucepan and cook the asparagus fir 2 minutes. Drain. Beat the eggs in a bowl (and add a plash of milk or cream if desired), season. Heat up some butter in a oven-proof frying pan (no plastic handle) and wilt the spinach. Drain the excess water and add a little more butter. Add the potato slices and asparagus pieces and fry for a minute on high heat. Add the beaten eggs and lower the heat to medium. Let the eggs set at the bottom, scatter with grated cheddar and place in the oven for 5-10 minutes until the just set.

Leave to cool for a few minutes, cut into pieces and serve with crème fraiche and caviar.

Tandoori chicken drumsticks and more

Published on September 18, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

About a month and a half have passed since my summer party back in Sweden and you can really tell that summer’s over. It’s windy, grey and it has started raining again. But I think all Londoners are happy about the fact that we actually had a decent summer this year, so we are mentally prepared to embrace autumn and winter.

Luckily the recipes for the food I cooked for my friends that summer’s day in August works just as well at this time of year – just choose less summery sides.

So, finally, I give you the recipes!

We started off with a simple yet very tasty pre-dinner cocktail made from vodka, mummy’s homemade elderflower cordial, lemonade, lime and mint together with some amazing Parmesan biscuits I have posted on here before. Do try them if you like cheese at all, they are simply divine!

As I mentioned before, this was a pretty relaxed party, so the starter was served on platters. On a bed of rocket, cucumber and radishes I had piled squares of Ottolenghi’s caramelized garlic tarte high which looked pretty rustic. I simply adore this tarte and all my friends loved it too – such a crowd pleaser! I also made some rustic baguettes after my blog friend Helena’s recipe. She calls them faux sourdough baguettes and that’s a very fitting description; they’re chewy and nice but far easier to make than real sourdough baguettes.

For the maincourse I served two types of meat; rare roast beef with a homemade aromatic butter and tandoori chicken drumsticks with a minty yoghurt dip. Not all my friends like red meat so I always try to serve chicken as well and although Indian food is far less common in Sweden this went down really well with everyone. I had also made two substantial salads which went with both meats; one with roasted new potatoes, spinach, spring onions and cucumber and one with roasted peppers, courgettes and aubergines with rocket and feta. Both dressed with a nice olive oil and a touch of balsamic.

For dessert I let everybody serve themselves a sundae with vanilla and mango icecream, whipped cream, blueberries, raspberries and homemade oat crisps. Super easy to prepare in advance and very popular with my friends!

Tandoori chicken drumsticks, serves 4

Adapted from Simon Hopkinson’s recipe.

The only labour intensive part of this recipe is skinning the drumsticks, which is especially tedious if you make five batches at once like I did. But I assure you, it is worth it.

1,75 g chicken drumsticks

a pinch of salt

2 lemons, juice only

500 g plain yoghurt

3-4 tbsp tandoori spice mix

Remove the skin from the drumsticks, then cut deep incisions in the flesh with a knife. Place the chicken into a bowl and sprinkle over the salt and the juice of two lemons, massaging into the chicken until well coated.

Mix the yoghurt and tandoori spice mix together in a bowl. Pour the marinade onto the chicken and massage into the flesh. Cover with clingfilm and chill in the fridge overnight.

Preheat the grill to high. Lift the drumsticks from the tandoori mixture and gently shake off any excess. Place a wire rack over a roasting tin and lay the drumsticks upon it. Grill for 20 minutes, turning regularly, or until richly burnished and the chicken is cooked through. Add more lemon juice to taste.

Yoghurt dip

3-4 tbsp plain yoghurt

a pinch salt

a pinch sugar

5 sprigs of mint

1 green chilli, deseeded and sliced

Place all of the ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. Serve alongside the chicken drumsticks.

Faux sourdough baguettes, makes 3

Translated and adapted from Helena’s receipe.

3 pea sized pieces of fresh yeast (or the equivalent of dry yeast)

300 ml lukewarm water

1.5 tsp salt

25 ml wheat bran

about 380 g strong white flour

Dissolve the yeast in the water and add the remaining ingredients. Stir until all combined and you have a loose dough. Cover with cling and let it rise overnight or at least for five hours.

Turn out the dough on a floured surface and fold the dough in on itself once so both sides of the dough are floured. Pull the dough into a rectangle shape, about 15 x 25 cm. Divide into three equally sized portions and flour all around. Twist the dough pieces into baguettes and place them on a baking tray covered with parchment paper. Let rest while preheating the oven to 275C. Before placing the baking tray in the oven spray the inside of the oven with water both up and down, which will contribute to a nice crust. Bake the breads for 13-15 minutes, the leave to cool on a wire rack uncovered.

Aromatic butter for meat

250 g softened butter

2-3 tsp paprika

1 garlic clove, pressed or grated

1 handful parsley, finely chopped

salt

white pepper

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, season to taste. Using clingfilm shape into a roll and cover it with cling. Leave to set in the fridge. Slice before serving.

Picnic and opera at Jordberga Manor, Sweden

Published on August 20, 2013August 15, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

Mother and I enjoy more or less the same things; cooking, interior and antiques shopping, museums and exhibitions and theatre and opera. Father not as much. So when my visit home to Skåne coincided with an opera performance (in Swedish – a first for me) at Jordberga Manor a short drive from our summer house we made sure to book tickets. When booking said tickets the company suggested you could have a picnic in the park beforehand which we happily did.

In Swedish, Jordberga is called a slott, a castle, but it isn’t really a castle as it doesn’t have a moat (or towers) so in English it translates more to a manor house. Anyway, the grounds are really pretty with an English-inspired garden, a small lake and a large farm on the grounds. The place for the opera was an refurbished old stable mainly used for parties or Christmas markets nowadays.

When we arrived we walked down to the lake and put our blanket and picnic out. We had olives, cheeses, biscuits and hawthorn jam, prosciutto, ciabatta with a creamy salad of chicken, bacon and girolles and homemade ambrosia cake. All washed down with a decent bottle of rosé. We also brought along proper chinaware and glasses, although not as practical as plastic plates but a lot prettier.

I made the chicken salad from left over chicken and what I found in the fridge that would work well together. I find it very satisfying to use things up and this creamy salad with chicken, bacon and fried girolles was a great example or a successful fridge forage. I utterly loved this mixture and it will most certain become a picnic staple of mine.

Nice grounds to have picnic on, don’t you think?!

The opera, performed by Skånska Operan, a touring opera society and it was my first opera sung completely in Swedish. The ensamble was very skilled and we had a great time enjoying the Barber of Seville set in the 1940s.

Creamy salad with chicken, bacon and girolles – a sketch

Fry bacon in smaller pieces until crispy and let it drain on some kitchen towel. Leave to cool. Fry the girolles in butter and add some pressed garlic. Add salt and pepper and leave to cool. Dice the chicken and mix with the mushrooms and bacon. Mix 2/3 mayo with 1/3 creme fraiche, add dijon mustard, salt and pepper and add to the chicken mixture. Add some chopped parsley and serve with baguette or ciabatta.

Barbecued spatchcock chicken with lemon, honey and fresh herbs

Published on August 14, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

I’ve been wanting to try to barbecue a whole chicken spatchcocked (butterflied) as it cooks quicker than keeping the bird whole. This way the bird is still in once piece but flattened out, so it still holds the moisture but almost cuts the cooking time in half.

To insure a juicy bird I marinated it in rapeseed oil, honey, fresh rosemary, thyme and lemon zest and I grilled it with the lid on for most of the time, keeping an eye on the temperature. Afterwards I let it rest before serving and the meat was indeed moist and full of lovely flavours both from the marinade and the charcoal.

Served with barbecued corn on the cob and a potato salad with tomatoes, green beans and Dijon vinaigrette this was a lovely summer meal!

Barbecued spatchcock chicken with lemon, honey and fresh herbs, serves 4

1 large free range chicken

50 ml rapeseed oil

2 tsp honey

zest from 1 lemon, I used a potato peeler – no need to finely grated zest

10 stalks of rosemary and thyme

salt, black pepper

Mix the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl. Cut away the back bone on the chicken and butterfly it. Season with salt and pepper, put the bird in a large ziplok bag and pour the marinade into it. Massage the marinade onto the chicken and let it marinate for an hour in room temperature or up to 24 hours in the fridge, just make sure to take it out of the fridge an hour before cooking it.

Barbecue both sides of the chicken on high heat without the lid until brown all around, about 5 mins per side. Put the lid on and barbecue in 150C for about 30 minutes (or until clear liquid from the thigh joint). Leave to rest 5-10 minutes before serving, adding a little butter while resting.

Simple summer fair: halloumi, tzatsiki, fried courgette and pitta

Published on July 24, 2013 by Hanna5 Comments

London, 32 degrees, muggy. Monday evening, having worked past 7pm and a hot tube journey home.

Then it’s bliss to come home, wash hands and face and start preparing a quick supper from whatever is available in the fridge.

Fry some courgettes with chilli, fry some halloumi until crisp and golden, whip up a batch of tzatsiki and put a pitta in the toaster. Easy peasy. And so very nice.

This is my kind of summer food. No effort – full enjoyment.

Fried courgettes with chilli, serves 1-2

1 medium, firm courgette

1 tbsp olive oil for frying

1 tsp aleppo pepper

salt, black pepper

Wash the courgette and slice as thinly as you possibly can. Heat up the oil in a frying pan on medium-low heat. Add the courgettes to the pan and fry slowly on low heat. Be careful as not to brown, but make sure they soften. Add the chilli and fry for about 10 minutes in total. Season.

Tzatsiki, serves 2-3

300 ml thick Greek yoghurt

5-6 cm cucumber

1 large garlic clove

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

salt, black pepper

Grate the cucumber and squeeze the liquid out of it. Add the cucumber to a bowl and stir in the toghurt. Add pressed garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Leave to develop its flavours for about 20 minutes before serving.

Slice the halloumi and fry on high heat in some oil until golden on both sides. Serve with toasted pitta.

Squid with samphire and lime herb butter

Published on July 18, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

The past weekend was a complete write-off with a terrible flu, hay fever and the badly, for me, timed heat wave. In general I love heat and am always cold, but not when I am poorly. So apart from staying in bed and trying to keep cool I did little else than alternate between reading Gone Girl and watching series.

Luckily I had a well-stocked fridge so at least I could treat myself to some nice suppers. This ridiculously simple and summery dish was such a treat. I love that samphire taste like the sea and frying squid only takes a minute or two.

Squid with samphire and herb butter, per portion

80 g samphire

120-150 g squid, either just the tubes or baby squid with tentacles

salt, pepper

Lime herb butter:

50 g softened salted butter

3 tbsp chopped fresh herbs; I used mint and parsley

1/2 tsp lime zest

some ground black pepper

Mix together the herbs, zest and butter and put aside. Clean the squid and slice the tubes. Quickly fry the squid in some neutral oil. Season using only a pinch of salt and some black pepper.

Steam the samphire for 2-3 minutes. (No need to season as salty in itself).

Serve with a wedge of lime and some nice bread.

Girolles on toast, meat scewers and new potato salad with pears and blue cheese

Published on July 11, 2013 by Hanna1 Comment

My aunt Pavla picked the first girolles of the season the same week I came home to visit, so my sweet parents saved them for me. Girolles are in my opinion a pure delicacy, and especially witht the first ones I think a simple approach is the best. So we the same toast we usually make. Fry some nice bread in butter. Then fry the girolles in butter and garlic. Add seasoning and chopped parsley and top the bread with the ‘shrooms. Simple and absolutely delicious!

Mother also made some wonderful meat scewers with chicken, pork tenderloin and bacon in a tasty marinade with soy and ginger.

And with the barbecued scewers we had this lovely salad a friend of my mother’s found in a magazine this spring. It has the slightly strange combination of lettuce, tomatoes, new potatoes, grilled pears, crumbled blue cheese and walnuts and it really works. So yummy!

Our pudding was simple as can be; just vanilla icecream with freshly picked strawberries and wild strawberries from the garden. What a treat! I just love the luxury of having so much produce in the garden (and woods). I loved growing up here, snacking on all sorts of berries, plums and pears as the summer went on.

Meat scewers with soy and ginger marinade, serves 4

From the April edition 2013 of Lantliv Magazine.

about 600 g meat (we had a mixture of chicken pieces, pork tenderloin in pieces and bacon, on scewers).

50 ml soy sauce

2 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger

1/2 lime, zest and juice

salt och pepper

Mix all the ingredients until the honey has dissolved. Brush the marinade on to the meat and let it sit for an hour in room temperature before barbecuing.

Salad with new potatoes, pears and blue cheese, serves 4

Adapted from the April edition 2013 of Lantliv Magazine.

50 ml dijon mustard

50 ml honey

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

100 ml olive oil

salt, black pepper

300 g boiled new potatoes

10 cherry tomatoes (or 10 wedges or regular sized tomatoes)

100 g mixed lettuce leaves

60 g blue cheese, crumbled

100 ml walnuts

1/2 red onion, sliced thinly

2 pears

Beat together mustard, honey and vinegar, add the oil drop by drop while whisking. Season.

Cube the potatoes and cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Plate the lettuce, potatoes and tomatoes, scatter with blue cheese, walnuts and red onions.

Remove the seeds from the pears and cut into wedges. Grill on medium heat for a minute on each side (using a frying pan works too). Add the pears to the salad and drizzle with dressing.

Mexican corn salad

Published on July 4, 2013 by Hanna3 Comments

We had gorgeous weather here last weekend. I made the most of it and sat outside bronzing up and reading, changing between that week’s Stylist, Jo Nesbo’s latest crime novel (read it!) and the latest issues of Bon Appetit and Delicious Magazine.

At the same time I was contemplating the best way to jazz up some leftovers and then suddenly I literally saw the answer in front of me; this Mexican corn salad in Bon Appetit’s grilling issue. I had everything at home (not that it requires that many ingredients) and made it the same evening, warming up some left over pork to go with it. And OMG, the salad was amazing! The sweet and slightly smoky corn from the barbecue paired with salty cheese, fresh tangy lime juice, a hint of heat from cayenne and a little bit of mayonnaise for creaminess, this is the ultimate companion to any barbecued meats.

Do try this at home!

Mexican corn salad, serves 4

Adapted from Bon Appetit.

4 ears of corn

3 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tbsp fresh lime juice

1/8 tsp ground paprika

a pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

about 55 g grated parmesan

2 tbsp chopped coriander + more for serving

salt and black pepper

Preparation

Prepare grill for medium heat. Grill corn, turning occasionally, until tender and charred, 8–10 minutes; let cool slightly. Cut kernels from cobs and transfer to a medium bowl.

Whisk mayonnaise, lime juice, paprika, cayenne, cheese and coriander in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Add corn and toss to combine. Top with more cheese and coriander.

Summer supper

Published on June 7, 2013 by Hanna1 Comment

On Wednesday I had some friends over for dinner and because of the gorgeous weather of late I decided to keep a summery and fuss-free approach to the food.

We started with a pre-dinner drink from Germany, called Hugo, that my bestie Emma introduced to me. It is so refreshing with elderflower, bubbly and mint.

I kept the starter simple and served it on a large plate. Scattered on a bed of rocket, these little Parma ham parcels are filled with sundried tomatoes and cream cheese and drizzled with a good olive oil and crema di balsamico.

For the maincourse we had caramelised pork tenderloin slices with an amazing all-in-one potato salad with new potatoes, asparagus, cherry tomatoes and water cress and a lovely (yet incredibly simple) parmesan and lemon crème.

As I was short of time prepping that evening, I had the pudding already sitting in the fridge as I made this stunning dulce de leche cheesecake the night before.

We had such a fun evening with the wine flowing, lots of laughter and fun conversation. Thanks guys!

Hugo, per drink

1 part elderflower cordial

3 parts sparkling wine

1 part sparkling water

fresh mint

lime wedge

ice

Mix and serve.

Parma ham parcels with sundried tomato crème and rocket, serves 4

200 g rocket

12 slices Parma ham or similar

100-150 g Philadelphia

4-5 sundried tomatoes in oil, chopped

olive oil

crema di balsamic

fresh basil

Spread out the rocket on a large plate. Mix the chopped tomatoes with the cream cheese. Season to taste. Place a dollop of the mixture onto each ham slice and fold into a parcel. Place the parcels on the bed of rocket and drizzle with olive oil and crema di balsamico. Add basil leaves. Serve with bread and butter.

Potato salad with asparagus, serves 4

about 800 g new potatoes

8-10 asparagus stalks

150-200 g cherry tomatoes

100 g watercress

2 tsp dijon mustard

2 tsp honey

50 ml good quality olive oil

1-2 tsp lemon juice

salt, black pepper

1 handful chopped chives

1 handful chopped parsley

Wash and cut the potatoes into large chunks. Cook, drain and leave to cool. Cut the asparagus into inch-long pieces, steam/boil for 2-3 minutes, drain and place in ice water. Drain.

Cut the tomatoes in half and add to the potatoes and asparagus. Add the watercress. Mix mustard and honey in a bowl and add the oil while whisking season to taste with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Dress the salad and mix well.

Chop the herbs and scatter on top. Serve.

Parmesan and lemon crème, serves 4

300 mlcreme fraiche (at least)

3 tbsp finely grated Parmesan

1/2 lemon, grated zest

salt, black pepper

Mix all the ingredients and serve.

Grilled aubergine with garlic, parsley and feta

Published on March 9, 2013March 8, 2013 by Hanna1 Comment

I made these in the week when it was my turn to host the book club, and they went down a treat. I just love soft aubergines in anything but pairing them with another favourite – feta – is just heaven!

You hardly need a recipe, but since Simon Hopkinson has already provided one, I have adapted it below.

This dish works both for lunch and dinner and would look great on a buffet too. It suits more casual gatherings, picnics or a more upscale dinner party. Meet the equivalent of your favourite LBD. Just dress it up or down to suit the occasion.

Grilled aubergine with garlic, parsley and feta, serves 4

Adapted from Simon Hopkinson’s recipe.

4 aubergines

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

handful parsley, finely chopped

5-6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or coldpressed rapeseed oil)

a little salt, more black pepper

150 g feta

1 lemon, for serving

Turn the grill on high or the oven on 225-250C.

Run a small, sharp knife round the top of the aubergine, 1cm/½in or so below the stalk and only just cutting through the skin; then make four evenly spaced, similarly shallow cuts, along the length of the aubergine right down to the end.

Grill the aubergines in the oven for 20 minutes. Turn them every 5-7 minutes if you use the grill. They’re done when they’re soft all the way through.

Let them rest for 2 minutes.

Peel the skin off the aubergines. Without cutting right through the stalk end, cut the aubergines in half lengthways and gently prise apart until you have two horizontal halves remaining attached at the top end.

Mix garlic and parsley with olive oil and spoon over the aubergines. Add a little salt and plenty of black pepper. Crumble the feta on top and add some more oil if you like. Serve with lemon wedges.