Baked Lake Trout Recipe

On the menu today:











INGREDIENTS:
* 1 trout, ab. 1 kg
* 2 teaspoons salt
* lemon juice
* oven-proof foil
* 1 stick of butter

STUFFING:
* 4 tablespoons fresh herbs (dill, parsley, chives...)
* a pinch of pepper
* 1 clove of garlic
* 2 tablespoons butter, room temperatured

METHOD:
1. Clean the trouts removing the intestines and wash.
2. Season with salt and sprinkle with lemon juice.
3, Rub a large square piece of foil with butter.
4. Place the trout onto the foil.
5. Finely chop herbs, garlic and butter to make a herb butter.
6. Stuff it into the cavity of the fish.
7. Close the foil tightly and place the package in a baking pan.
8. Bake at 180° until done, ab. 30 minutes.
9. When cooked, remove the fish from the foil and save the herb butter.

Boiled potatoes (no sauce, only the herb butter) and a simple green leaf salad.

The so called ‘Right of Common Access’ in Sweden involves the right for everybody to trespass and temporarily stay on land belonging to others, but fishing is not included. In private fresh waters only the land owner is allowed to fish, but there are certain exceptions. You may buy special fishing licenses to get access to the private waters.

My husband´s parents, both deceased, owned a property with private waters. This property is still owned by several members of the family, which means that we have free access to fine fishing waters in the high mountain area close to the Norwegian border.

Once a year, in late October, my husband sets off to the mountain area to lay nets for arctic char and lake trout.

Right now I have a lot of fish in my freezer. Maybe too much. There is a time-limit of 3 months for fish with high fat contents.

Asian Pickled Cucumber & Sesame

A small cucumber salad to serve as a regular vegetable dish, as a simple salad with any meal, or as a side dish with a Chinese meal.










INGREDIENTS:
* 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 teaspoons sugar
* 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
* 5 teaspoons sesame oil
* a pinch of ground sichuan pepper
* ½ red chilli, seeds removed and finely chopped

METHOD:
1. Put slices of cucumber in a bowl.
2. Sprinkle with sugar and salt.
3. Cover and refrigerate for about 12 hours.
4. Drain off the liquid.
5. Whisk together, vinegar and sesame oil.
6. Season with pepper and chilli to taste.

Open Sesame!
Sesame is a herb cultivated in Asia and other warm regions. It has violet flowers. Its seeds yields sesame oil. Sesame seeds contain a lot of fat, mostly unsaturated fat. Weight watchers should perhaps exercise moderation.

Sesame seeds contain calcium. The seeds are also rich in Vitamin A and E. Therefore, I believe that sesame oil is a powerful antioxidant with potential antioxidant effects.

Sesame oil is used for nail health in the Chinese and Ayurvedic traditions of health and beauty too. (An easy treatment for cracked and brittle nails: Heat some sesame oil on low until it is warm, and soak your nails for 15 to 20 minutes.)

I have got two very different kinds of sesame oil in my refrigerator. The first one is toasted sesame oil. It has a rich golden brown color and a very intense sesame flavor. It burns easily, so I do not use that as a cooking oil. However, a few drops added at the end of cooking a stir fry, or drizzled on a salad, will give the dish a unique and delightful nutty flavor.

The other kind of sesame oil is pale yellow in colour, thinner than toasted sesame oil. It has only a slight nutty taste. Especially good for wok cooking and dressings.

Warning!
People, who are allergic to sesame, poppy seeds, kiwi fruit, hazelnuts and rye, should avoid sesame oil. It may contain small amounts of proteins, which can cause severe allergy reactions.

Quick Gorgonzola Pasta Sauce Recipe

Rule of thumb: The thinner the pasta, the thinner the sauce - The thicker the sauce, the thicker the pasta!

Macaroni & cheese. Is that the favorite of American comfort foods? Well, Swedish kids like sausage with macaronies and ketchup better.









INGREDIENTS:
Serves 4
* 4 dl crème fraiche
* 280 grams Gorgonzola
* 300 grams bacon
* freshly ground black pepper

METHOD:
1. Bring crème fraiche to the boil.
2. Stir in crumbled Gorgonzola.
3. Mash with the back of a spoon (small lumps doesn´t matter)
5. Using a pair of scissors, cut the bacon into small strips.
6. Heat a large frying pan.
7. Cook the bacon crispy and golden brown over high heat for 4-5 minutes.
8. Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper.
9. Sprinkle the bacon and freshly ground pepper over the sauce.

Practically all cheeses, whether they are hard or creamy, yellow or blue molded, sliced or grated, add a special flavor to most dishes. The Italian Gorgonzola cheese is something to bear in mind when you want to add a special cheesy flavor to a dish. For instance, a small piece of Gorgonzola cheese on top of a grilled steak may be a substitute for herb or garlic butter.

The blue mold Gorgonzola cheese is made from cow´s milk. It has a a semi-hard, crumbly texture and a piquant flavor; somewhat similar to the French Roquefort cheese, and the English Stilton cheese, but Gorgonzola cheese is milder.

Roquefort cheese has a more pungent taste, though I don´t like it. Stilton cheese on the other hand is saltier than both the Roquefort and Gorgonzola cheese. Other gourmet cheeses in this category are Bleu des causses, Bleu de bresse, Cabrales, Maytag, Danablu and Blue dorset.

"Ädelost" is a blue mold cheese from Sweden. It is made from pasteurized cow's milk (literally translated: "Noble-cheese"). Used as a table cheese as it is, in creamy sauces, salads or desserts with crackers, fruits and wine.

Mold is usually considered an unwelcome intruder in our food.
Blue mold cheeses are exceptions. They are permeated with penicillin. Penicillin roqueforti is the blue mold most commonly used in today’s blue cheeses. However, they contain relatively small levels of antibiotic mold. My husband has a penicillin allergy. He has never had any reaction to blue cheese mold.

Saturday Night's Seafood Salad

A Saturday night seafood salad where marinated rice is added to make the salad go further. The remaining ingredients are mixed with the rice right before the salad is going to be served.

I usually variate this seafood salad recipe depending on what I have on hand, but the rice and the shrimps are always there.

On the side: Garlic bread and extra sauce. Video Jug explains on film 4 How To Make Garlic Bread.












INGREDIENTS:
Serves 4
* 3 - 4 dl boiled cold rice
* 5 tablespoons oil
* 1 1/2 tablespoon white wine vinegar, or lemon juice
* 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
* 1 garlic clove, crushed
* 1 pinch cayenne pepper
* 1 pinch salt
* 1/4 head of iceberg lettuce
* 500 g shrimps
* ab. 400 grams mussels, canned in water
* ab. 200 g asparagus, canned
* ab. 125 g green peas, frozen and thawed
* dill

METHOD:
1. Mix oil, vinegar, yellow onion, garlic, salt and cayenne pepper.
2. Taste and adjust seasonings.
3. Pour the salad dressing over the rice.
4. Leave for at least 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile peel the shrimps.
6. Finely shred the iceberg lettuce,
7. Drain mussels and asparagus.
7. Place layers of vegetables, rice and seafood in large bowl.
8. Garnish with fresh dill.

Extra sauce: 150 g mayonnaise, 2 - 3 tablespoons chili sauce, some lemon juice and finely chopped dill.

Seafood is one of my all time favorite food. My last meal request on earth would definitely involve a fresh and good seafood buffé.

I happened to find a site on Internet with some last meal request from executions. Reading this list one may wonder what kind of people they were. Very few seem to have lost their appetite. What do you say about "2 dozen scrambled eggs, flour tortillas, french fries and catsup"? Nobody requested a well done steak, cooked for 90 years on each side.

A Swedish Herring Sandwich Recipe

Last Sunday I bought plenty of fish from a fishmonger who usually comes to my village once every two months to sell fresh shellfish and saltwater fish.

I purchased fillets of 'strömming'. (The Latin name is Clupea harengus membras).

'Strömming' is the Swedish name for a small, iridescent glossy food fish of the herring family. Sometimes it is also called Silver of the Sea. They swim in vast shoals, filtering plankton out of the water with their gill rakers as they move. They also form the staple food of cod and haddock, for instance.

The concentration of dioxin in this fish is higher than the prescribed EU maximum, which has led to dietary restrictions. However, it is very high in healthy long-chain Omega 3 fatty acids. So, it is a balance between the harm and health benefits of this fish.

Eating fried 'strömming', potato mash and grated carrots now and then does not harm me. I do not belong to any of the risk groups.

It is a good idea to fry more than needed for one dinner and then marinate the leftovers.

Very often I am sitting up late at nights. Too often, as a matter of fact. I get hungry towards the small hours of the morning, and I make sandwiches in order to appease the worst of my hunger. A plain herring sandwich is also a solution for a snack any time of the day.

INGREDIENTS:
* 1 kg (1000 g) fish fillets
* 1 dl (100 ml) bread crumbs mixed with ½ dl (50 ml) flour
* 1 - 1 ½ teaspoon salt
* butter
* 1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
* 5 allspice corns, cracked

MARINADE:
* 1 dl (100 ml) white distilled vinegar (24 percent)
* 3 dl (300 ml) water
* 3 ½ dl (350 ml) sugar

METHOD:
1. With a pair of scissors, cut away the dorsal fins.
2. Roll the fillets in a mixture of flour, bread crumbs and salt.
3. Fry them in butter on both sides until golden brown, 2-3 minutes.
4. Mix the marinade ingredients, boil for a few minutes and cool.
5. Layer the fried fish fillets, onion slices and allspice in a deep bowl.
6. Pour the marinade over the fish fillets.
7. Put the bowl into the refridgerator for at least 30 minutes.

THE SANDWICH:
Wasa crispbread
marinated herring fillets
butter, margarine or cream cheese
fresh cucumber, thinly sliced
pickled cucumber mixed with some mayonnaise and mustard

Rowanberry Apple Jam

'Sour, said the fox about the rowan-berries'. This quote is from a fable of Aesop. A Greek author in the sixth century.

The English interpretation is: 'The grapes are sour anyway'. In Sweden the grapes have been replaced with rowan-berries because grapes don´t grow far north.

It is easy to despise what you cannot get.

The rowan-berries are sour, bitter and tart, and I'm not going to make any rowan-berry jam this year. My rowan tree (Sorbus aucuparia) had dense clusters of showy white flowers in June, but there are not one, single berry up in the trees.

No rowans seem to produce any berries this fall. This European specie of mountain ash grows all over Sweden. Now, we ask ourselves, why are there no berries? Those who believe in signs of nature say, that if there are many rowan-berries, the winter will be harsh. Well, he who lives will see. I wouldn´t say no to a mild winter.

So, if you have been able to collect rowan-berries, this is a recipe for you.

INGREDIENTS:
* 2 l (2000 ml) rowan-berries, frost-tempered, rinsed and cleaned
* 4-5 apples, peeled and cored
* 6 dl (600 ml) water
* 1 ½ l (1500 ml) sugar
* juice of 1 lemon
* 4-5 cloves
* 1-2 tablespoons cognac
* a pinch of salt

METHOD:
1. Cut the apples into small chunks.
2. Put rowan-berries, apple chunks and cloves into a saucepan.
3. Add water, bring to a boil and cover.
4. Simmer until rowan-berries are soft (15-20 minutes).
5. Add sugar, stirring, until it is dissolved.
6. Simmer for 15-20 minutes more, or until the jam is firm.
7. Add lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
8. Furthermore, be luxurious, add a small amount of cognac. This jam is worthy of a good cognac.
9. Finally pour the hot jam into hot jars sterilized with boiling water. Close the jars with sterilized lids and let cool. Store the jam in the refrigerator.

Rowan-berry jam is a condiment that goes very well with with game, steaks and roast. The berries are nutritious. They contain apple acid, pectin, sugars, beta-carotene, Vitamin C and flavonoids that help to maintain the Vitamin C.

Thrushes and Bohemian Waxwings are very fond of rowan-berries. Sometimes bad berries ferment due to weather conditions. Birds that eat them get really wasted. Not a little tipsy, no. They get so sloshed, they can´t fly.

The best thing to do is to collect the berries when they ripen, and before the birds get them. Then throw cleaned berries into the freezer for 2 - 3 days. That also sweeten them up a bit because they are very, very tart.

If you are looking for some other rowan-berry recipes, please feel free to email me privately at kireneATspray.se. There are many other ways in which these berries can be used. In Sweden they are also used in making wine and liqueur.

Easiest Oven Roasted Chicken

A couple of years ago, I found this recipe somewhere - probably a Food Magazine, but I'm not sure. I liked it. Earlier it had always been a challenge to ovenroast chicken that was not too burnt or too dark on the outside, but still cooked on the inside. The secret is painting the chicken skin with soy and honey at the very end.

Crispy, roast chicken skin is delicious. My husband finds it the best part. So, don´t remove the skin. (Of course, you can always remove the skin from you portion, if you are on a diet. Chicken skin contains a great deal of fat, but there is no considerable difference in calories between removing the skin before or after roasting).

This isn´t a complicated recipe. With just a few ingredients you can make a tasty chicken dinner with things you most likely already have on hand. A chicken that is roasted with nothing but butter, salt and pepper.











INGREDIENTS:
Serves 4 - 5

1 kg (1000 grams) chicken drumsticks

PAINTING I:
ab. 50 - 100 grams butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

PAINTING II:
1 dl (100 ml) honey
½ dl (50 ml) chinese soy sauce
2 cloves of garlic, minced


METHOD:
1. Preheat oven to 175 - 200 degrees C. (ab. 400 F).
2. Place the chicken in a shallow baking pan.
3. Brush the chicken with half the melted butter.
4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Brush with remaining butter while roasting.
6. Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until juices run clear.
7. Meanwhile mix honey, soy and minced garlic.
8. Remove the chicken from the oven, paint them with the honey mixture.
9. Put the pan back into the oven again, raise the temperature to 225 degrees C (ab. 425 F), and roast for ab. 5-10 minutes more, or until you find the chicken nicely browned.

Serve with boiled rice or potato wedges, and a fresh salsa salad.

Asian Fish Stew Recipe

INGREDIENTS:
Serves 6
300 g fillets of plaice
500 g fillets of salmon
200 g shrimps, peeled
1-2 tablespoons rapeseed oil
400 g stir fry wok vegetables, frozen
salt, pepper

SAUCE:
1-2 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
3 tablespoons Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
400 ml canned coconut milk
juice and zest of 1 lime

fresh coriander

METHOD:
* Cut plaice fillets into strips (ab. 2 cm).
* Cut salmon fillets into dices (ab. 2 cm)
* Heat oil in a wok or a large frying pan.
* Stir fry the vegetables for ab. 3 minutes,
* Set them aside on a platter.
* Heat oil in the wok once again, stir fry the fish pieces in batches.
* Salt and pepper to taste.
* Set the fish pieces aside on the platter.
* Mix pressed garlic with sauce ingredients, pour it into the wok.
* Bring the mixture to the boil, simmer for a couple of minutes.
* Add the fish- and vegetable mixture, simmer for 2-3 minutes.
* Salt and pepper to taste.
* Fold in the shrimps at the end, warm through.
* Garnish with coriander and serve with rice.

Perhaps the members of the younger Swedish generation believe that Asian food always has been available everywhere in Sweden. Well, it has not. It was not until 1970's that the first Chinese restaurant opened in my nearest town.

"Spring rolls" was the name of one of the dishes. A funny name, we thought. Bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, water chestnuts and shark´s fin soup were new acquaintances. The prices were reasonable. I would say inexpensive. The food had taste and flavor, however humble and simple the ingredients. We had never had anything like that before.

As time went on, new Asian restaurants opened. Now there are a handful of good Asian restaurants in a rather small town of 60000 people. All the Asian ingredients can be found in any supermarket. Eastern food has "married" Swedish food.

Super Easy & Delicious Chocolate Raspberry Cake

After a heavy holiday meal, you would not serve meringues, chocolate sauce and whipped cream, would you?

How about a Chocolate Raspberry Cake for dessert? Even if you are a first-time cake maker, and even if you are part of a busy urban life, this recipe does not require much in preparation time.

By using store bought cake layers this Chocolate Raspberry Cake takes ab. 15 minutes to make.

INGREDIENTS:
* store-bought cake layers
* 3 ½ dl (350 ml) KESELLA ® (10% fat)
* 2 tablespoons cacao powder
* 0.75 dl (75 ml) icing sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
* 1 tablespoon brandy
* 1 dl (100 ml) raspberry jam
* ab. 5 dl (500 ml) ( raspberries, fresh or frozen
* 1 teaspoon icing sugar, to dust

METHOD:
1. Mix KESELLA ®, cacao, icing sugar, vanilla, and brandy in a bowl.
2. Spread half of the chocolate mixture evenly over one layer.
3. Place second layer on top of the first layer.
4. Spread raspberry jam over the second layer.
5. Place the third layer on top of the second.
6. Spread the remaining chocolate mixture over the top and sides.
7. Garnish with raspberries and dust with icing sugar.

The one, two or three Swedish readers here know that KESELLA ® is the Swedish brand name for a cheese type similar to ricotta. It's a soft, fresh cheese made from sour milk with rich taste, which makes it perfect for desserts and baking.

If you can’t get KESELLA ®, use ricotta cheese, mascarpone, or use cottage cheese as a substitute. Pour cottage cheese into a strainer overnight, and let most of the moisture drain away. Then mash the drained cheese with a little whipped cream to round it off.

Easy & Quick To Make Mushroom Soup

INGREDIENTS:
serves 3 - 4

* ab. 3 dl dried Cantharellus tubaeformis, chopped
* butter
* 3 - 4 tablespoons plain flour
* 1 liter vegetable stock cubes mixed with mushroom liquid
* ½ - 1 tablespoon tomato puree
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1 - 1 ½ dl cream
* 1 teaspoon lemon juice
* chopped parsley (optional)

METHOD:
1. Soak mushroom in lukewarm water for 60 minutes or more.
2. Drain and save the liquid
3. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
4, Saute for about 5 minutes, or until soft and released juices have evaporated.
5. Mix in the flour until smooth.
6. Gradually stir in the stock.
7. Cook, stirring, 3 - 4 minutes.
8. Salt, pepper and tomato puree to taste.
9. Stir in cream and lemon juice, heat through.

Mushroom is a good source of several vitamins. However, I esteem them not for their food value but for their flavor. They can be enjoyed in so many ways - from sides to main dishes. This mushroom soup can be served as a starter or served as a main course followed by a number of cheeses along with slices of baguette or bread. At the end a coffee cake will be fine.

One of my sisters in law sends me various species of dried mushrooms every fall. She is a real collector of wild mushrooms. I would call her an expert. I am not. I am acquainted with the characteristics of only a few safe species and avoid the others. There are many rules and tests for distinguishing between edible and poisonous kinds, and recipes for removing the poisons. None is reliable.

Two of my favorite mushrooms are 4 white mushroom (boletus edilus) and 4 false saffron milkcap (lactarius deterrimus). You may be able to tell me if I have found the correct English names, if you look at the pictures. I am not sure. Correct me if I am wrong, please!

In Europe the harvest of wild fungi for food is a large industry.

White Cabbage Salad & Baked Salmon Trout

INGREDIENTS:
* 1/4 white cabbage head (ab. 500 grams), finely shredded
* 2 oranges, peeled, diced and coarsely chopped
* 25 grams hazelnuts or walnuts, chopped

SALAD DRESSING:
* 3 tablespoons lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon water
* 1 teaspoon sugar

METHOD:
1. Mix white cabbage, orange and nuts in a bowl.
2. Put the salad dressing ingredients in a small jar and shake.
3. Pour it over the salad.

The Fish









The cabbage salad is excellent with various roasts. I served it yesterday with oven baked, rather small wild salmon trouts and boiled potatoes. The salmon trouts were seasoned with salt - inside and outside, and sprinkled with lemon juice. Then filled with finely chopped chives, garlic and dill and placed in a well greased baking dish. Grease generously with butter!

I sprinkled some slightly salted bread crumbs over the salmon trouts and baked them in the oven at 180° C for 15-20 minutes. When they were almost cooked through, I poured cream into the dish and cooked for 5-10 minutes more.

A really quick and easy fish recipe with delicate flavour. There was no smell of roasted fish in my kitchen afterwards. I don´t mind the smell of garlic.

How do I know when fish is cooked through?
I dig in with a fork into the thickest part of the fish and look inside. If I can separate the flakes, the fish is ready.

Old Fashioned Swedish Cinnamon Buns

A glass of milk and a cinnamon bun. Mmm ... childhood memories!



In 1999 the Cinnamon Bun (kanelbulle) found its way into the Swedish Calendar. The 4th of October became Cinnamon Bun Day. It is the so called "Home baking Council" that backs up the campaign.

INGREDIENTS:
ab. 40

* 100 - 150 g margarine
* 5 dl milk
* 50 g yeast
* 1 - 1 ½ dl sugar
* ½ teaspoon salt
* 2 teaspoons cardamom
* 780 g plain flour (ab. 13 dl)

FILLING:
* 50 - 100 g margarine, softened
* 2 tablespoons cinnamon
* 1 dl sugar or icing sugar

GLAZE:
1 beaten egg + 2 teaspoons water
pearl sugar or chopped almonds

METHOD:
1. Melt margarine over low heat in a saucepan.
2. Add milk and heat it up until it is a little more than lukewarm (37C°)
3. Crumble yeast in a large mixing bowl.
4. Pour in the milk and margarine mixture, stirring until yeast is dissolved.
5. Add sugar, salt, cardamom and nearly all the flour, save some (don´t over do the flour).
6. Work the dough ab. 4 minutes, or until smooth and glossy.
7. Cover with a towel and let it rise in the bowl ab. 40 minutes.
8. Then knead the dough on a floured board until the dough is elastic and non-sticky.
9. Divide dough into two balls and roll them out into large, thin rectangles (½ -1 cm thick).

FILLING AND BAKING:
1. Butter the dough rectangles.
2. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
3. Roll up tightly, beginning at wide side.
4. Seal well by pinching edges of roll together.
5. Cut each roll into 20 slices.
6. Place cut side down in paper cups placed on baking sheets.
7. Rise, covered with a towel, for ab. 40 minutes.
8. Beat egg and water, brush over the top of each bun and sprinkle with pearl sugar.
9. Bake the buns in the middle of the oven at 250C° for 6 to 8 minutes.

Allow the buns to cool on a rack. Cover them with a clean towel. They freeze well and can be warmed up in the microwave.

Don´t use too cold baking ingredients. For best results, bring all the ingredients to room temperature before baking.

The American sticky cinnamon roll is another version of the Swedish cinnamon bun 4 How to make cinnamon rolls. Recipe explained on film at Videojug.

Melon, Ham & Cheese Appetizer

An exquisite and elegant side dish and appetizer, in all its simplicity. A wedge of melon, smoked ham, almost transparent thinly sliced, and a delicious French cream cheese.

The fresh French cheese Cantadou goes perfectly with this dish. This cream cheese offers various possibilities. It can be used as garnish or spread on biscuits or crackers. Cantadou can be used hot or cold, and holds its consistency when frozen, according to Bel Foodservice.

It is only available in its natural flavour, horseradish, garlic and herbs at my food store. I know there are many other flavours at larger supermarkets.











INGREDIENTS:
1 serving

* 1 melon slice/person
* 2 slices of smoked ham
* Cantadou cream cheese
* crackers
* black pepper

METHOD:
1. Deseed the melon wedges and place them like boats on a platter.
2. Spread a couple of teaspoons of cream cheese evenly over slices of ham.
3. Roll up the slices, place ham rolls on the platter, OR simply put slices of ham on the melon wedges, and place the cream cheese container on the table.
4. Place the pepper mill on the table too.