Tag: recipe

Sweet potato muffins with feta

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Savoury muffins are great as a snack in between meals or for breakfast on the go, and these lovely ones with sweet potato (the best vegetable there is according to Jamie Oliver!), spring onions, chilli and feta are absolutely delicious!

The recipe is courtesy of Jamie’s latest cookbook, but I have substituted feta for parmesan and white flour for wholemeal. Obviously, the picture above is before they went into the oven; I was so mesmerised by the smell when they were done I just dove straight in and forgot all about photographs. Sorry, but if you make them you’ll understand.

Sweet potato muffins with feta, serves 12

Adapted from Jamie Oliver’s recipe.

olive oil

600 g sweet potatoes

4 spring onions

1-2 red chillies

6 eggs

3 tbsp cottage cheese

250 g self-raising flour

1/2 packet of feta 

Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases. Lightly wipe each one with oiled kitchen paper. Peel the sweet potatoes and coarsely grate into a large bowl. Trim the spring onions, then finely slice with the chilli and add to the bowl, reserving half the chilli to one side. Crack in the eggs, add the cottage cheese and flour, then finely grate in most of the Parmesan and season with sea salt and black pepper. Mix until nicely combined.

Divide the muffin mixture between the cases. Add a slice of chilli to each one. Bake at the bottom of the oven for 45 to 50 minutes. They freeze well. 

 

 

Fried gnocchi with wild garlic pesto and cherry tomatoes

Published on by Hanna1 Comment

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I received evidence from my mother last week that the wild garlic season has started in Sweden, and therefore probably in the UK as well. Hurrah!

I love these oniony garlicky green leaves so much, I keep a bundle of blanched ones in the freezer at all times. It feels comforting that I can make wild garlic mayo all year round. Or wild garlic pesto. It’s fab with fried gnocchi (it gives them a bit more texture), fresh cherry tomatoes and plenty of grated parmesan.

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Fried gnocchi with wild garlic pesto and cherry tomatoes, serves 2

1 batch gnocchi 

1 batch wild garlic pesto

150 g cherry tomatoes

finely grated parmesan

Make the pesto and put it aside. Make the gnocchi and cook them. Then fry in butter until golden. Mix with plenty of the pesto. Cut the cherry the tomatoes in half and mix with the gnocchi. Season to taste. Add olive oil if you want a looser consistency. Top with plenty of grated parmesan.

Chicken burger

Published on by Hanna2 Comments

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Whenever I have the choice of a regular beef burger or a chicken burger I always, always choose the beef version. Because most chicken burgers are either something covered in breadcrumbs and deep-fried or a whole (often dry) grilled chicken breast. No thanks.

But this homemade chicken burger, made of minced chicken thighs is a real treat. It has a similar texture to a regular beef burger, but feels so much lighter. I melted cheddar on top, served it with lettuce, sliced tomato, pickles, nice buns (I used Heston for Waitrose burger brioche buns and they were very good!), and a good helping of my favourite burger sauce; the fake shack sauce ,and it was pure happiness. Will definitely make this again!

Chicken burgers, makes 2

3-4 chicken thigh fillets

1/2 egg

50-100 ml breadcrumbs

1 tsp onion powder 

salt, white pepper

Mince the chicken thigh fillets in a food processor. Mix egg, spices and breadcrumbs in a mixing bowl and leave to swell for a few minutes. Add the chicken mince. If the mixture is too loose, add more bread crumbs until you can shape the mixture into two big burgers. Fry in butter until cooked through and serve. 

Caramel tart

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I made this lovely caramel tart ages ago for the office and although the pastry case looks a bit dark (I was so worried it would taste burnt, but it didn’t) everybody loved it. Phew! it’s very easy to make, just keep an eye on the pastry in the oven.

The original recipe calls for two chocolate truffles (one white, one brown) to be piped on top, but I just decorated it with whipped cream and it worked well too.

Caramel tart, serves 8

Adapted from Erik Lallerstedt’s recipe.

Pastry::

300 ml plain flour (180 g)

100 g butter

1-2 tbsp caster sugar

1 egg yolk

Filling:

100 ml double cream 

45 g caster sugar

50 ml golden syrup

1/2 vanilla pod

3 tbsp dark brown sugar

1 tbsp orange blossom honey

100 g unsalted butter

Garnish:

whipped cream

Dark chocolate truffle:

100 g dark chocolate

150 g unsalted butter

White chocolate truffle:

100 g white chocolate

150 g unsalted butter

Make the pastry and cover a pie dish with it. Bake in 200C for 20 minutes until golden brown. Leave to cool. Place all the ingredients for the caramel, apart from the butter, in a saucepan and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes. Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla pod, add the pod as well and remove it later. Add the butter. Leave to cool and pour into the pastry case. Place somewhere cold. 

Truffle: Break up the chocolate and melt in a bain marie with knobs of softened butter. Stir continuously until smooth. Leave to cool until good piping consistency, then pipe onto the set caramel.  

Crunchy apple cake

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Some people, like my wonderful mother, love apple pies and cakes. I actually think she could live on it alone. I, on the other hand, am a little harder to please. Raw apples – delicious. Mushy cooked ones – not so much. I want set cakes, that provide a nice contrast to the soft apples.

This cake has the Hanna seal of approval; it’s cake-y, has a nice crunchy top but is still apple-y enough for the likes of my mother. Happy days!

Crunchy apple cake, serves 8-10

3-6 apples, peeled and slices

1 tbsp caster sugar

a little (1/2 – 1 tsp) cinnamon

3 eggs

190 g caster sugar

70 g plain flour

Place the apple slices in a lined springform. Scatter with sugar and cinnamon. Beat eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy and mix in the flour. Pour into the tin. Bake for 60 minutes in 175C. Serve with lightly whipped cream. 

Tuna tartare with avocado

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I prefer most my fish raw, marinated or cold smoked. Maybe it’s in my Scandinavian genes or maybe it’s because I love sushi so much. Regardless, I like to try new fresh recipes with raw or marinated fish.

This version of tuna tartare is very easy to make, and feels really fresh on your palate, which is just what I like. No need to over-complicate matters when you’re using good ingredients.

Do remember to choose a sustainable tuna, like pole-caught yellow fin tuna.

Tuna tartare with avocado, 2 starter size portions

Most important when eating raw fish is to make sure it’s super fresh. And that you freeze it before you eat it if it’s a wild fish, to kill of any bad bacteria. Farmed fish usually doesn’t have the same bacteria, but if you’re unsure do freeze it first – better to be safe than sorry. Most fish is transported frozen, if that’s the case you don’t need to refreeze it.

120 g sustainable tuna

1 avocado

1 lime, the juice

4 spring onions

small bunch oriander

a few drops Tabasco

1-2 tsp olive oil

a few splashes Worchestershire sauce

salt and pepper

Trim the fish and cut into small cubes. Place in a bowl. Chop the spring onions and coriander. 

Spoon the avocado into a bowl and mash with a fork. Season to taste with lime juice, Worchestershire sauce, salt and pepper. 

Season the tuna with Tabasco and lime juice. Add some olive oil to coat it. Add salt and pepper. 

Divide the avocado mash between two plates and shape into circles. Top with the tuna tartare and decorate with spring onions and coriander. 

Chicken noodles

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Most people probably already have a go-to chicken noodle or stir fry recipe, but not me. So I looked at one of Jamie’s and then amended it a little (that’s usually how I roll). The result was a nice mixture of soft noodles and chicken, crunchy carrots and peanuts and freshness from lime and coriander. And like most stir-fries, it takes mere minutes to make.

Chicken noodles, serves 2

Adapted from Jamie Oliver’s recipe.

oil for frying

1 garlic clove, chopped

a few spring onions, chopped

1/2 red chilli, finely chopped

1 lime, cut into wedges

2-3 chicken thigh fillets

1 carrot, cut into matchsticks

1/2  broccoli crown, cut into small florets 

2 egg noodle nests

1 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tbsp fish sauce

a handful peanuts

1/2 bunch coriander, finely chopped

salt & pepper

Cook the noodles according to the packet. Rinse and put aside.

Heat up the oil in a wok or large frying pan. Trim the chicken and cut into bite size pieces. Fry them until golden. Add salt and pepper. Then add garlic and chilli to the pan and thereafter spring onions, carrot pieces and broccoli. After a minute or so, add the noodles and heat up.  Add soy and fish sauce, squeeze some lime and season to taste. Top with peanuts and coriander. Serve with lime wedges. 

Pecan pie

Published on by Hanna1 Comment

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I made this Thanksgiving pie the year before last and lots of times before then, but haven’t found the time (in the busy period between Thanksgiving and Christmas) to blog about it. So here it is, in January, but it’s still worth making it – apart from being a Thanksgiving staple dessert it’s also a wonderful winter pie.

The recipe is courtesy of The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook (the bakery’s first, and in my opinion also the best, cookbook).

Pecan pie, serves 10-12

Adapted from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook.

Pie crust:

260 g plain flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

110g (unsalted) butter

Grease a 23cm pie dish. Put the flour, salt and butter in an electric mixer with a paddle attachment and beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined. )

Add 1 tbsp water and beat until well-mixed. Add a second tbsp water and beat until you have a smooth dough. Wrap in clingfilm and leave to rest for an hour.

Roll out on a floured surface and line the pie dish, trimming the edges. No need to blind bake. 

Filling:

200 g caster sugar

250 ml dark corn syrup (golden syrup works well)

1/2 tsp salt

3 eggs

60 unsalted butter, cubed

1/4 tsp vanilla 

100 g shelled pecans + extra for decoration

Save the 10-12 nicest pecans for decoration. Chop the rest.

Preheat the oven to 170C. 

Add sugar, syrup and salt in a large saucepan and place on medium heat. Bring to the boil, then remove from heat and let cool slightly. 

Beat the eggs in a bowl. Add the warm (not hot) sugar mixture and stir it in swiftly (to avoid scrambling the eggs). Add butter and vanilla and stir until the butter has melted and been incorporated. 

Place the chopped pecans in the pie case and pour in the sugar mixture. Arrange the saved pecans carefully on top. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a dark golden colour and slightly crunchy on top. Leave to cool and serve while it’s slightly warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

 

Dulce de leche ice cream (with a little salt)

Published on by Hanna3 Comments

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Since I was a little girl growing up in Sweden I have had a love affair with ice cream. Growing up my favourite scoop flavour was daim and daddy and I would see who could finish their ice cream first, every time. To be honest we sometimes compete now as well.

You may think Sweden is too cold for ice cream, but to that I say a) the summers are really nice and warm and b) it is never too cold for ice cream.

I still entertain this love affair although I am a bit pickier as an adult. I don’t like artificial pear ice cream for example or ice cream with lots of strange ingredients. When it is so easy to make delicious ice cream at home, I don’t understand the need for stabilizers and odd ingredients. I want natural proper ice cream made with full fat cream and milk.

This recipe certainly is of that variety and the dulce de leche flavour definitely comes through (shame if it didn’t since I used a whole can) and I’ve added a little salt to cut through the sweetness, which I think makes this work –  dulce de leche is very sweet!

I like ice cream on its own but you can of course make a sundae with whipped cream, chocolate chip cookie and dark chocolate sauce or maybe serve with alongside a dark chocolate fondant, the possibilities are endless.

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 Dulche de leche ice cream (with a little salt), makes about 1 litre

4 egg yolks

2 tbsp caster sugar

400 ml double cream

200 ml whole milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 pinch (about 1/2 tsp) Maldon sea salt

400 g (1 can) dulce de leche

Beat yolks and sugar until fluffy. Meanwhile heat up the milk and cream in a saucepan until almost boiling. Incorporate the cream into the egg mixture little by little while continuously stirring. Add vanilla and dulce de leche and combine. Pour into a large bowl, place over a pan of boiling water (like a bain marie) and whisk slowly over while the mixture thickens. Leave to cool. Place in the fridge over night to thicken further. Place a plastic container in the freezer and pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and let it stir it for approximately 40 minutes. Pour into the plastic container and freeze for two hours before serving.

Butterscotch biscuits with sea salt

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Before I start bombarding you with more restaurant reviews from Palma, I thought I’d intercept with a recipe.

In Sweden this type of biscuit is very common among grannies, home bakers and most people. So for me they’re nice but nothing special (although very scrummy), but every time I make biscuits for my friends or colleague they rave about them. And devour them in seconds (well minutes, but they disappear quickly) and then I’m bombarded with questions for the recipe, if they’re easy to make (yes!!) and personal orders.

So, on the recommendation of all my colleagues (who were the lucky ones to try this particular biscuit) – do make some!

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Butterscotch biscuits with sea salt, makes about 25

Translated and adapted from Anna’s recipe.

100 g softened unsalted butter

1 tbsp golden syrup

80 g caster sugar (or 100 ml)

2 tsp vanilla extract

150 g plain flour (or 250 ml)

1 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 175C.

Beat butter, syrup and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add vanilla, flour and baking powder. Stir to combine with a wooden spoon. Shape to a dough and divide into four. Shape each quarter into a roll and place two and two (far apart) on parchment paper covered baking trays. Flatten with your hand and/or a fork (not too much as they will flatten while cooking too). Scatter with sea salt.

Place the trays in the middle of the oven for approx.13 minutes or until golden (they will still be soft at this stage). Leave to cool slightly on the trays. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into slices on the diagonal. Leave to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.