We frequently bake our own bread, but we have always used yeast. This time we are going to try something a bit different, sourdough. During our time in Norway we always bought sourdough based bread from our local bakery, Åpent bakeri, and this is also where I have picked up the recipe.

If everything goes as planned, I’ll be able to share the first results in 2-3 weeks, wish me luck :)

The only ingredient that can take a while to prepare are the almonds, since you first have to remove the shell by blanching them, and then ground it all. Alternatively you can buy them pre-ground if you don’t have a food grinder capable of grinding almonds.

You blanch the almonds by soaking them in boiled hot water, and leaving them for about 15 min. Remove the almonds from the water, and when you are able to touch the hot almonds you squeeze the nut out of it’s shell. When done, dry the almonds in the oven on low temperature till they have dried out, and you are ready to start grinding.

The girls love making these cookies as they are so easy and quick to make, but most of all they enjoy popping the almonds out of their shell, it can be a bit tedious but it pays off at the end with the difference in taste.

Serves: Family and Friends

Cooking time: 30min – 2hours (if you blanch and grind the almonds yourself)
Preparation time: 30 min

Ingredients
250 g sugar
250 g unsalted butter, leave outside of fridge to soften
250 g almonds, ground
250 g white flour

Method

1. Start by mixing the sugar and butter
2. Mix in the flour and almonds, adding small portions at the time makes it easier to mix.
3. You are ready to fill the tins, in Scandinavia you can buy them in sets of 25/30 but I haven’t seen any in UK, but I found these which are similar: tins
4. Fill the tins with as little dough as possible, otherwise you will not get thin and crisp cookies…
5. When you have filled up a tray of tins, bake in oven for 10-12 minutes at 180-190˚C till golden
6. Leave tins to rest on a tray, separate the cakes from the tins when they have cooled down.

Today’s recipe is a Scandinavian twist to a classic Italian dessert, Panna cotta. Fresh cloudberry is a rarity in UK shops, but it is possible to get a jar of cloudberry jam that will do. IKEA stocks it in the food section.


Cooking time: 20 min
Preparation time: 3 hours

Ingredients
3.5 dl Double Cream
1.5 dl Whole Milk

1 Vanilla Bean
3 Gelatin Sheets
35 g Sugar

Cloudberry

Method

1. Start by heating the double cream and the milk ( alternatively, use 5 dl of double cream for an even richer experience ) together with the sugar.
2. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove it from the heat.
3. Split the vanilla bean, and scrape out the seeds. Add both bean and seeds to the mix.
4. Leave it to rest for 30 – 60 min, then remove the bean, and heat the mix
5. Remove it from the heat just before it starts to boil.
6. Soften the gelatin sheets in cold water, when soft stir the sheets into the warm mix.
7. Pour the mix into molds and leave in the fridge for 3 hours, or until firm. I would recommend that you don’t leave them for too long, the panna cotta shouldn’t be too firm either.
8. When firm, take the panna cotta out of the mold, and place it on a serving plate.
9. Serve with warm cloudberries, to give it an extra boost, add some cloudberry liqueur, Lakka

All the best and “God apetitt”

Scandinavian Dad

Serves: 4
Cooking time: 1 hour
Preparation time: 30 min

Ingredients
500 g Lamb, minced
1/2 Onion, finely chopped
1/4 Red Pepper
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
Ground Black Pepper
Gruyère or Cheddar

1 kg Potatoes
Salt & Black Pepper
Olive oil
Garlic

500 g Plain Flour
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Dried Yeast
1 tbsp Olive Oil
Water
Sesame seeds

Method

1. Start with making the buns for the burger. Mix all the dry ingredients together; Flour, salt and yeast
2. Add Olive Oil and then water to the mix.
3. Knead the dough for 10 min.
4. Leave it to rest for 30 min – 1 hour, or double the size
5. Preheat the oven to 200˚C
6. Wash the potatoes. I usually boil the potatoes for 5-10 min, and then cut them into wedges, this makes them softer and quicker to roast later.
7. Mix salt, black pepper, garlic (crushed) and olive oil. Mix together with the potato wedges.
8. Put the potatoes on a baking tray, and leave in in the oven for 30 – 45 min they have to be cooked all the way through.
9. Divide the dough into 4 equal sizes. Knead each of the pieces for 1-2 min, shape them into small buns and flatten, then place on a tray to rise again for 30min.
10. Brush the buns with a beaten egg yolk, and sprinkle the sesame seeds over.
11. Place in the oven, and leave for 12 – 15 min.
12. Finely chop the onion and red pepper.
13. In a bowl; mix onion, red pepper, Dijon mustard, salt, ground black pepper and the minced lamb. Shape the mix into 4 equally sized burgers, try to make them wide and not too tall, they will shrink a bit when they get cooked.
14. Heat a pan (grill pan if you have one), and cook the burgers for 3 min on each side, add the cheese on top when you turn it the first time, then rest for another 2-3 min.
15. You are now ready to serve it, place the bun on a plate, and build up the burger as you prefer it, with for example lettuce leaves, tomatoes, onion rings, gherkin, mayo… There are a lot of options. Serve the burger with the wedges on the side, including ketchup (the one in the picture is homemade :) ), and other dipping.

and soggy pasta :)

When you cooking the bolognese sauce, make sure you make more than one portion, after all it takes a while to make… So make a large batch, today’s recipe serves 10-12, and freeze what is left afterwards.

This isn’t a typical Scandinavian dish, but our cuisine is very much influenced by the rest of Europe and countries like Italy and France in particular. The one thing about this dish is that you can easily swap the beef with either moose, red deer or reindeer using either of them would just add to the great flavor of a classic bolognese.

The bolognese sauce should when finished be a concentrated wealth of different flavors. It both looks and tastes great.

All the best and “God apetitt”

Scandinavian Dad

Pasta Bolognese
Serves: 10 – 12
Cooking time: 2.5 – 6 hours
Preparation time: 30 – 45min

Ingredients

4 Carrots
4 Onions
3 Celery
3-4 Bay leafs
1 Star anise

500 g Beef (Preferably; finely chopped, or minced)
500 g Pork (Preferably; finely chopped, or minced)
250 g Pancetta (or smoked bacon)

Olive oil
White wine (Red wine can also be used)
Tomato pure (home made or canned)
1/3 l Cream (or Milk)
Stock
Salt & Pepper

Pappardelle or Tagliatelle

Method

1. Start with chopping all the vegetables into small cubes (see image above)
2. Finely chop the meats (if you are not using mined meat), slightly larger than the vegetables.
3. You are not ready to start the cooking.
4. Heat a large pan, add the Olive oil and then the chopped onions, cook gently for 6-7 min, and stir often.
5. At the same time as you start cooking the vegetables, fry the meat in another large pan. You might have to fry the meat in multiple batches, depending on the size of your pan. It is important that you fry the meat, you want your meat to be nice and crisp on the outside.
6. Add the carrots into the pan with the onions, cook for another 6-7 min.
7. Then add the celery and leave it for another 5min. All the vegetables should now be soft. It is now time to for the meat.
8. Mix the meat together with the vegetables
9. Fry the pancetta, when done, add together with the rest of the meat and vegetables.
10. Take the pan used for the meat, add a glass of white wine to deglaze the pan, this will free up all the flavors that are left in it. Boil briefly and make sure you get all the meat residue, mix it with the meat and vegetables.
11. Add 3-4 spoons of tomato puree.
12. Add another glass of white wine, and some stock.
13. Add the bay leafs and the star anise (break it up, and put it in a small pouch)
14. Add Salt and Pepper
15. Bring to boil, and add some cream
16. Turn down the heat, leave to simmer gently
17. During the first hour, add some cream every 15 min
18. Simmer for 2 – 6 hours, depending on what kind of meat you use and how much time you have. Stir occasionally.
19. When you feel you are done with the bolognese, boil some water and cook the pasta.
20. Final seasoning of the bolognese, add some salt and pepper if necessary. Remove the star anise and the bay leafs.
21. Serve with grated Parmesan.

Hope you will enjoy this recipe as much as we do, and please do feel free to comment with any questions or feedback you may have.

All the best and “God apetitt”

Scandinavian Dad

Pan-fried fillet of trout with warm beetroot salad

Serves: 4
Cooking time: 10 – 20 min
Preparation time: 30min

Ingredients

1 Lime
1 Red Chili
150 g Butter
1 Parsley bulb, finely chopped

2 Trouts, filleted

4 Beetroots
3 Shallots
Lamb’s lettuce
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar

Method

1. Take the butter out of the fridge, to soften.
2. Start with washing the beetroots, do not break the skin or remove the top/bottom. Roast together with peeled shallot wedges in the oven at 200˚C for 2 – 2.5 hours depending on size. The beetroot is done when the skin peels off easily.
3. Do something else for a while when the beetroot is cooking…
4. Finely chop the parsley and the red chili (preferably a hot one). Mix together with the soft butter and the juice from the lime. Place the butter-mix on a sheet of cling film, or aluminum foil, and roll it up as a “sausage”. Place the mixed butter back in the fridge to harden.
5. Rinse the lamb lettuce and leave it to drain.
6. If the trout is not filleted, cut out the fillets and leave the skin on, lightly season with salt and pepper.
7. When the beetroots are done, peel off the skin and cut it into wedges.
8. Mix the beetroot wedges, lamb lettuce and the roasted shallots with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
9. Fry the trout fillets in a hot pan with butter and oil, fry for 1-2 min on the meat side, then fry for 2-3 min (or until done) on the skin side.
10. Serve the trout fillet with salad on the side, and top the trout with a generous piece of the spicy butter.