Midsummer potato plate
June 16, 2015
Nordstjernan 2015, Serves 4
Prepare potatoes, eggs and herbs on a large plate while potatoes still hot. No dressing, serve with sour cream or creme fraiche and herring.
- 1 LB potatoes, boiled, cut in half crosswise
- ½ red onion finely chopped
- chives (10 g) chopped
- fresh dill (10g) tear or chop coarsely
- 2 hard boiled eggs cut into eighths
- salt & pepper
Cook potatoes in salted water, drain. Place potatoes on plate, top with quartered eggs, sprinkle onions, chives and dill just before serving.
Spanish potato omelette
April 27, 2015
2002 use large non stick pan if possible. Serve as main dish or cut into squares as a starter.
- 1 LB dutch potatoes, sliced thin
- 1 onion sliced thin
- 4 eggs beaten
- 3 Tb or more of olive oil
- heat oil, add potatoes and onions, reduce heat, stir and cook 15 min.
- Remove onion/ potatoes from pan, mix with beaten eggs.
- add back into pan with 1-2 TBS oil, cook until set.
- turn omelette (use another pan or plate), cook for another minute.
Inma’s carrot chicken
April 27, 2015
Inma, IHS Spainsh exchange teacher 2002. Cook in dutch oven, stove top.
- 2 to 3 lbs chicken thighs, sauté in olive oil to brown
- 2 onions chopped
- 4-6 carrots chopped
- 1 C water
- 1 C Madeira
- 1 tsp beef broth
- Brown chicken, remove from pot.
- Sauté onions,
- Add all ingredients into pot, simmer 30 min, remove meat, puree with hand blender.
Orzo with peas and sesame seed
April 27, 2015
Sunset 2015, serves 4
- 1 C orzo pasta, cooked according to package instructions
- 1 C fresh sugar snap peas, cut into 2 ” pieces
- ¼ C toasted sesame seeds
- 1 TBS each: minced fresh ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar
- 2 TBS toasted sesame seed oil
- ½ C chopped cilantro
- Cook orzo, drain & coola bit.
- Blanch peas 2 min boiling water, drain, cool (don’t over cook so they stay green and a little crunchy).
- Toss & mix all ingredients together.
White Chili
April 21, 2015
From C & Z 2014 Serves 4, great as next day leftovers, so make extra!
- 1 lb boneless chicken breast cubed
- 1 med onion diced small
- 1 TB oil
- 2 cans drained & rinsed cannellini beans
- 14.5 oz chicken broth
- 1 4oz can diced “Hatch”green chilis
- 1 4oz can sliced jalapeño chilis
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- ¼ tsp cayenne
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ½ cup half&half
- 8 oz low fat sour cream
- Heat oil in large pot med-hi heat. Add chicken & onion, sauté 6 mins or until chicken seared & onion translucent. Add garlic, cook 3 min more.
- Add beans, spices, broth & chilies, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer 30 mins.
- Turn off heat. Add sour cream and half&half.
- Serve (and optional: top with sour cream & cheddar cheese).
Creamed Spinach
February 28, 2015
Z and Cam made this December 2014. Serves 4-6 (Peter Luger steakhouse NYC 1890s) Spinach wilts down to nothing – use all 20 oz.
- 2 (10 oz) packages fresh spinach (remove tough stems)
- 3 Tb butter
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 3TB + 1 tsp all purpose flour
- 2 C milk
- ½C grated Parmesan cheese
- salt & pepper
1. Cook spinach:
- Boil 1 inch water,add spinach, cover, steam until wilted 3-5 min.
- Drain, rinse cold water, press out water (squeeze),
- chop on cutting board.
2. Make cream:
- melt butter on medium heat, sauté onion and garlic until softened about 4 min.
- Stir in flour – cook 1 minute.
- Whisk in milk and cook until hot and thickened.
- Stir in cheese.
3. Add spinach and cook until hot about 2 minutes. season salt & pepper.
(Can make ahead – butter a casserole dish, add cooked spinach, sprinkle with bread crumbs, refrigerate until 40 min before serving. Bake at 350°F about 30 min until hot and bubbly.)
Lamb shanks currants chickpeas
February 6, 2015
WSJ Jan 2015 serves 4 cooktime 7 hours in oven 275°
- 4 (~1lb each) lamb shanks
- 1TB kosher salt
- 2 TB olive oil
1. Preheat broiler. Season lamb shanks with oil & salt. Place on baking sheet under broiler until dark brown ~ 15 min.
- 1 Spanish (red) onion, thinly sliced
- 1 carrot thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 TB oil
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 cup dried currants
2. use oven safe sauté pan (or cast iron dutch oven), sauté vegetables until soft & slightly brown 7 min. stir in cinnamon & currants.
3. Preheat oven to 275°. Place lamb shanks on top of vegetables, pour water halfway up lamb shanks, cover with foil (or cook in dutch oven with lid). Roast 6 hours!
- 1 (15oz) can chickpeas, drained
4. Remove lamb shanks, skim fat, add chickpeas to pan, cook on med-hi heat until liquid reduced by half. 6 min.
- 1 TB finely chopped fresh mint
- ½ Cup parsley
- 2 TB fresh lemon juice
Add herbs to chickpeas, spoon onto plates, top with lamb shanks.
Aquavit
December 9, 2014
“Mock Aquavit” by Andreas Viestad 2014
Fylgia #119 Norcal scandi.
try playing with spices to get that OP Anderson taste for a Julbord
- 2 tsp caraway seeds
- 1 TB coriander seeds
- 2 tsp dill seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 2 star anise
- 1 whole clove
- 2 tsp cumin seeds (optional)
- 1 750 ml /liter bottle potato or other good vodka
Open the vodka bottle, add all the remaining ingredients and cover tightly (Note: option to warm all the spices in a dry frying pan until they begin to release their essence)
Let stand in a cool, dark place for 1 to 2 weeks, gently shake every 2 or 3 days. How long you let it sit depends on how strong you want it, so taste it after 7 days to see if you want to let it go longer. Strain the solids through a sieve and discard them, then transfer the aquavit back into the bottle. If it becomes too strong, you can dilute it with a little plain Absolut or other vodka. (optional- add dash Marsala wine)
You can add a little orange or lemon rind. A little goes a long way.
To serve: place your aquavit in the freezer until chilled.
Aquavit Ginger Snap
December 9, 2014
WSJ dec 2014 … NYC Aquavit restaurant makes 1 bottle, serve with spiced hot chocolate
Aquavit
- scrub 1 thumb size piece ginger, slice into coins. Add sliced ginger to a glass mason jar or bottle.
- 5 cinnamon sticks
- 30 cloves
- zest of ½ orange (use vegetable peeler)
- 750 ml good vodka.
- Seal and store in cool place out of direct light 5-7 days. turn bottle every couple days. Strain away all spices. fine sieve or coffee filter.
Spiced Hot Chocolate – serves 2
- Into a med pot add:
- 1¼C milk
- Zest of ¼ orange
- 1 cinnamon stick crushed into large fragments
- 10 cloves
- 1½ TB peeled and coarsely chopped ginger
Simmer gently 15 minutes, do not scald milk. Then add:
- Add 1 TB cocoa powder
- 3 TB light brown sugar
- 1¼ oz dark chocolate
Whisk until chocolate melts and cocoa is completely mixed. Turn off heat. Add 1 to 2 oz of Ginger Snap aquavit to hot chocolate. Strain into 2 cups/glasses.
Whip ½ C heavy cream until soft peaks form.
top cups/glasses with whipped cream, sprinkle with cocoa powder.
Béarnaise Sauce
November 29, 2014
Bon Appétit/epicurious
Use for Steak oscar (Bernie’s elk back star, crab & asparagus spears, top with sauce.) Makes 1 Cup.
- 1 Tb plus 1 C unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- 3 TB minced shallots
- Salt & Pepper
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 TB Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar .
- 1 TB lemon juice (or more)
- 1 TB finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves.
1. Medium heat, melt 1 Tb butter, add shallots, stir in vinegar. Cook over med heat until vinegar evaporated (3-4) minutes. reduce heat to low, continue 5 min longer. Transfer shallots to bowl, cool.
2.fill blender with hot water
3. Melt 1 C butter in small sauce pan until butter is foamy, transfer to measuring cup to pour into blender.
4. Empty water from blender, dry well. Combine egg yolks,lemon juice, & 1 Tb warm water into blender. Purée until smooth. Remove insert lid, with blender running slowly pour in melted butter. – discard milk solids at bottom of cup. Continue blending 2-3 min until creamy.
5. Pour into medium bowl,stir in shallot reduction and child tarragon. Taste, add more lemon juice if desired
Olsson Recipes 