Scandelights

Simple asparagus salad with Dijon vinaigrette and Parmesan

Published on June 19, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

This incredibly simple, yet very tasty, asparagus salad went down really well with the book club on Monday. I invaded Charlotte’s kitchen (sorry and thanks!) and made this at her house while chatting and making tea. We always have a potluck supper at our book club gatherings and the spread this time consisted of salad with feta and tomatoes, crusty bread and baked camembert, pizza and olives. And choccies for pudding.

Asparagus salad with dijon vinaigrette and parmesan, serves 4

3 bunches green asparagus

80 g rocket

1 lemon

1 tsp Dijon mustard

4 tbsp olive oil

salt, black pepper

oil for frying

Break off the wooden ends of the asparagus and wash them. Sauté in batches in oil on medium heat, it takes about 5-10 minutes. Season.

Mix the mustard with the juice from half the lemon and add the oil while whisking. Season.

Spread the rocket onto a serving plate, add the asparagus, drizzle with the vinaigrette and scatter with parmesan shavings. Cut the rest of the lemon into wedges and serve with the asparagus.

Pappa al pomodoro with burrata

Published on June 18, 2013June 18, 2013 by Hanna1 Comment

Although I utterly adore this simple Italian bread and tomato soup, I haven’t made it myself until recently. I saw no point cooking this with flavourless winter tomatoes, but now when the tomatoes (at least the forced ones) are in season again I just couldn’t wait any longer to make it.

But I will admit it might work even better in the autumn when there are sunwarm tomatoes aplenty but the outside temperatures have dropped slightly. However, serving the pappa al pomodoro with a cold, creamy and mild burrata makes the dish a whole lot more summery. (I have the wonderful restaurant Zucca to thank for that idea.) And you don’t have to serve the soup piping hot either, it is nice when just warm too.

Pappa al pomodoro, serves 2-3

2 medium tomatoes

4 small garlic cloves

1 bunch basil

3-5 tbsp of good quality olive oil

salt and black pepper

400 g tinned tomatoes (whole or chopped)

200 ml water

200 g stale white bread, sourdough or farmhouse style bread

To serve: burrata

Cube the tomatoes and chop half the garlic and add to an ovenproof tray. Also add a third of the basil and drizzle with olive oil. Season. Roast in 200C oven for 20 minutes.

Chop the rest of the basil and garlic. Add to a saucepan and fry in olive oil for a minute or so. Add the tinned tomatoes and water. Bring to the boil and let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Break the bread into chunks and add to the soup. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the roasted tomatoes (oil, garlic and all) and mix well. Remove from heat, add olive oil and season to taste. Garnish with some more chopped basil and the burrata.

Dinner at Great Queen Street

Published on June 13, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

One great thing with having a blog is all the people you get in contact with. Sometimes you get freebies or invitations (yes, please!), sometimes a really nice comment, a recommendation for a restaurant or a very nice follower.

That’s the reason why I had dinner with one of my readers the other day. She is Swedish too, has lived in London for longer than I have and loves food. We have discussed restaurants in the comments’ section and on email for quite some time so it was about time to actually meet up!

The chosen venue was Great Queen Street, a restaurant both of us have been meaning to try for ages.

To be honest, I wasn’t bawled over when entering the restaurant, as the first thing I saw were the pine chairs and tables. Hello 80’s. But then you look around and notice the homely pictures and light fixtures on the walls, and as the restaurant fills up you decide you like it. Despite the pine.

The food here is simple and rustic, and although it is food I could easily cook at home, it still has that little extra you want in a restaurant experience. The seasoning is spot on, and although simply prepared the ingredients are of great quality and the pairings are great.

Sandra’s first dish of smoked mackerel with soft rhubarb and strong horseradish is a great example of their cooking. It looks simple, almost plain, but the flavours are there and they stay with you.

My first dish of snails, bacon and nettles was just right. Enough smokiness from the crispy bacon, soft melt-in-the-mouth snails and earthiness from the nettles. All the flavours came through and the crusty bread made a nice contrast.

Both of us decided baked eggs with tomatoes and peppers were a good idea in the grey quite cool evening, and it really hit the spot. Although I have made a similar thing myself, you could just tell that the best ingredients were used in this, and a lot of time allowed to further sweeten the vegetables.

It is a busy place though, so we only had our table for an hour and a half, but we could move to the bar and finish our wine and conversation there, so we were very happy. And a plus to the very attentive yet super-friendly staff.

32 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AA Tel: 020 7242 0622

Amazing chocolate chip cookies

Published on June 11, 2013June 11, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

These cookies will be the most annoying you’ll ever make. The dough is just so incredibly crumbly. You might swear a little and think there is something missing in the recipe. But then you cut them up and pinch them together on the baking sheet and place them in the oven and suddenly your kitchen smells like heaven. Chocolate heaven.

And then you bite into one, still warm from the oven. And bliss.

Despite the annoying texture pre-bake these cookies are some of the best I’ve ever tried. And according to the blog Smitten Kitchen, where I found the recipe, they could in fact contribute to world peace.

Amazing chocolate cookies, makes about 25-35

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s recipe. Original recipe by Dorie Greenspan’s Paris Sweets.

180 gplain flour

5 tbsp + 1 tsp cocoa

1/2 tsp baking powder

160 g softened butter

120 g soft light brown sugar

4 tbsp caster sugar

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp vanilla

140 g chopped dark chocolate

Mix flour, cocoa and baking powder in a bowl. In a separate bowl beat butter until fluffy. Add both sugars, salt and vanilla and beat until creamy.

Add the flour mixture and place a tea towel over the bowl (to avoid flour dusting all over your kitchen) and beat on low speed until the flour has been incorporated. Beat as little as possible. It needs to be mixed but the dough will have a very crumbly texture. Add the chocolate and pour the crumbs out onto a baking table and divide into two heaps. Press each heao into a roll, 2.5 inches thick and cover with clingfilm. Refridgerate for at least three hours.

Pre-heat oven to 160C. Cover two baking trays with parchment paper. Cut 1 cm thick slices of the cookie dough rolls and place on the trays, about an inch apart. The dough will crumble but just press the crumbs into a rough cookie shape.

Bake for 12 minutes in the middle of the oven. They won’t look done, but they will be. Leave to cool on a wire rack or tray and serve.

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.

Dinner at La Bodega Negra, Soho

Published on June 5, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

After some work drinks on Friday, Caroline, her friend Kristen and I decided we needed some food and we went to a place I’ve been longing to try since Caroline first mentioned it to me a few months ago; La Bodega Negra. This Mexican restaurant and bar/café in the middle of the Soho bustle is just as great as I expected it to be and the atmosphere was amazing.

It was still warm outside when we arrived around 10pm and a large glass partition in the outside wall was removed so you sat half outside half inside and could watch the life on the street pass by. That and the great music (Motown and David Bowie on high volume) just added to the ambiance and it almost felt like we were in New York.

We all decided margaritas were the way to go; Kristen and I tried the frozen orange and passion fruit margarita while Caroline had a regular plain one.

Food wise we opted for some nibbles, starting with guacemole (mandatory if you ask me), chicken tacos and two types of quesadillas.

The tortilla chips were the crispiest I’ve ever had, so so good. The guacemole and roasted tomato salsa were also very good.

We had both shrimp and mushroom quesadillas and although both were good, I prefer the mushroom one – it was just brilliant.

The chicken tacos were delicious too and spicier than one might think, so no need for all that extra hot sauce. Caroline learnt that the hard way. 🙂

This might not look like enough to feed three people but it really did. I was too full to even finish my share of the mushroom quesadilla which I still regret as that was my favourite.

La Bodega Negra,16 Moor St, London W1D 5NH

Blueberry cake with crispy coconut topping

Published on June 4, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

This summery cake was another favourite with the colleagues last week. A vanilla sponge with plenty of blueberries adding moisture and a crispy coconut topping. It is even delicious for non-coconut fans like myself.

The original recipe suggests serving this cake in more shallow squares but I prefer a whole cake, it looks more impressive that way.

Blueberry cake with crispy coconut topping, serves 10

240 g caster sugar

100 g butter, softened

3 egg

100 ml water

240 g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

250 g blueberries

Coconut topping:

125 g butter

80 g caster sugar

50 ml/50 g golden syrup

2 1/2 tbsp plain flour

2 tbsp milk

300 ml desiccated coconut

Preheat oven to 175C. Cream butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at the time and beat in between. Add the water dry ingredients. Pour the batter into a buttered round cake tin, 20-23 cm diameter. Scatter the berries on top. Bake until the cake has set a little, about 30 minutes.

Melt the butter for the topping in a saucepan. Add the other ingredients, apart from the coconut, and bring to the boil. Let it thicken. Add the coconut last. Spread onto the cake and bake for another 10-15 minutes until golden and crisp on top. Leave to cool. Dust with icing sugar before serving.

The best Pavlova!

Published on June 1, 2013May 31, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

I know that it is promising a lot saying that this is the best Pavlova, but it is. Just ask my colleagues who demolished this earlier in the week. And praised it. A lot.

The recipe is my mother’s and it always goes down a treat. It requires quite a lot of beating so use an electric whisk or a standing mixer. It only needs baking for 16 minutes and then to cool leaving a crispy outside and gooey middle that you then fill with whipped cream and berries just before serving.

It is a real showstopper and looks impressive because of its size. But don’t let this fool you, it disappears quickly. Even though the recipe says serves twelve, it doesn’t. More like six or seven.

Pavlova roll, serves 12 although count about 6-7

7 egg whites

500 ml caster sugar

plain flour for dusting

Filling:

500 ml whipping cream (or double cream)

500 g fresh berries, I used strawberries, washed and hulled

Pre-heat oven to 175C. Beat the whites until stiff foam. Add the sugar (all at once) and beat for another 10 minutes until very firm peaks. Line the largest baking tray you can find (that fits your oven) with parchment paper. Dust with flour and spread out the meringue evenly onto it with a spatula. Bake in the middle of the oven for exactly 16 minutes. Remove from oven and leave to cool in a dry place.

To assemle, cover the meringue with a parmchment paper and flip it over. Beat the cream and spread it onto the meringue in an even layer. Add the fruit. Carefully roll the meringue from the longer side into a roll, using the parchment paper to steady it. Place on a serving tray and serve immediately.

Weekday wonders: pasta with pesto and fried broccoli

Published on May 29, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

As much as I like finickety recipes sometime nothing but simple food will do. Simple without being boring that is. It’s a fine line, but I definitely think that this simple concoction of pasta, fresh pesto (may it be store-bought) and fried purple sprouting broccoli with lemon zest is simple, fresh and far from boring.

Penne with pesto and fried purple sprouting, serves 2

2 portions penne

50 ml fresh pesto

200 g purple sprouting broccoli

1/2 lemon, zest only

grated parmesan

olive oil

Cook the pasta according to the packet. Cut the broccoli into chunky pieces. Fry on medium heat in olive oil. Once browned add lemon zest and season. Drain the pasta and mix with the pesto and some olive oil. Divide between bowls, top with broccoli and grated parmesan.

Eggs in tomato sauce – uovo in purgatorio

Published on May 23, 2013 by Hanna1 Comment

I find it interesting how much our food preferences change with age. As a child I didn’t particularly like eggs, but if I had to eat it I preferred the whites, fried hard or a scrambled version of a fried egg with Swedish hash.

Nowadays, I love eggs. Especially the yolk. I want it very runny, and if I make oeufs en cocotte I don’t mind if the white is runny too.

So it is easy to understand why I fell for this simple Italian dish of eggs kind of half poached, half fried in tomato sauce. I had this for supper with some nice bread to mop up the sauce and it was, in its simple way, utterly delicious.

You can make a bolognese version of this, but with the creamy egg I need nothing more than some vegetables in my tomato sauce.

Eggs in tomato sauce – uovo in purgatorio, serves 4

150 g chestnut mushrooms, cut in half

1/2 -1 red onion, coarsely chopped

2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 batch tomato sauce

2 tbsp red wine (if at hand)

4 eggs

Fry the mushrooms in oil on medium heat in frying pan. Season and remove from pan. Add more oil and fry the onions until soft. Add the tomatoes and fry for a few minutes. Add the tomato sauce and wine and bring to the boil. Let the mixture thicken if needed. Adjust seasoning and add the mushrooms. Make sure you keep the heat on medium and crack the eggs into the pan. Cook until the whites are set then remove from heat. Serve straight away with some nice bread.