December 23

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Well I heard there was a secret chord
that David played and it pleased the Lord
But you don’t really care for music, do you?
Well it goes like this:
The fourth, the fifth,
The minor fall and the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah…

Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you to her kitchen chair
She broke your throne and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah…

Baby I’ve been here before
I’ve seen this room and I’ve walked this floor (you know)
I used to live alone before I knew you
And I’ve seen your flag on the marble arch
and love is not a victory march
It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah…

there was a time when you let me know
What’s really going on below
But now you never show that to me, do you?
But remember when I moved in you
And the holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah…

Maybe there’s a God above
all I’ve ever learned from love
Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you
And it’s not a cry that you hear at night
It’s not somebody who’s seen the light
It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah…
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah…
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah

Category: Lovesick, Music | LEAVE A COMMENT
December 18

Oreo Cheescake Cupcakes

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Oreo Cheescake Cupcakes
Author: 
Type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cooking time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 24
 
Is there a better combination than Oreos and Cheescake?
Ingredients
  • 24 Oreos, and some extras to crush
  • 2 packets cream cheese; room temperature
  • 2 dl sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 4 large eggs; room temperature and lightly beaten
  • 500 grams Crème fraîche
  • Pinch of salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 150°C.
  2. Line standard muffin tins with paper or a cookie sheet with silicone liners.
  3. Place one whole cookie in the bottom of each cup.
  4. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
  5. Gradually beat in sugar until well-combined.
  6. Beat in vanilla.
  7. Drizzle eggs in slowly; beating to combine and scraping sides of bowl.
  8. Beat in Crème fraîche and salt.
  9. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.
  10. Divide batter evenly among cookie-lined cups; filling each almost to the top.
  11. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until set; about 22 minutes.
  12. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
  13. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (up to overnight) before serving.
  14. Remove from tins right before serving.

 

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December 15

Ålands Pannkaka

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Ålands Pannkaka
Author: 
Type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cooking time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 12
 
This is my Mother's original recipe. She served it cold, but my Mormor served it warm...
Ingredients
  • 1 cup farina
  • 1 quart milk
  • 3 cups milk
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 12 cardamom seeds, peeled and crushed in mortar and pestle
  • 1 pinch Spanish saffron
  • 3 tablespoons butter
Instructions
  1. Put farina and 1 quart of milk into a pot.
  2. Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes while stirring constantly until it thickens.
  3. Remove from heat.
  4. (it can cool off for a bit now if you have something else to do)
  5. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  6. Add the 3 cups of milk and beaten eggs and mix.
  7. (electric mixer is OK)
  8. Add the sugar and cardamom and mix until smooth.
  9. There should not be any lumps.
  10. Pour batter into a well buttered and floured cast iron frying pan.
  11. Sprinkle / crumble the saffron threads over.
  12. Dot with lumps of butter.
  13. Carefully place in the middle of the preheated oven.
  14. Bake at 350°F for about an hour until nicely browned on top.
  15. Let it cool.
  16. Then loosen around the edges and slide a soft pliable spatula under the bottom to loosen it from the pan.
  17. Invert the frying pan onto a large plate that you have placed over it.
  18. Remove frying pan.
  19. Now place another plate where the frying pan had been.
  20. Flip again.
  21. Remove the plate which is now on top so that the pankaka is right side up.
  22. Serve with whipped cream and lingonberry jam. (lingonsylt)
Notes
Some people prefer it slightly warm (Mormor liked it that way) I usually serve it chilled. If there are leftovers, keep in the refrigerator.

 

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December 15

Ålands Pannkaka

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Ålandspannkaka
Author: 
Type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cooking time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6
 
Back in the old days, nothing was wasted. When visitors were spied approaching in the distance, the leftover breakfast porridge was quickly transformed into a dessert to serve the guests, along with coffee naturally. Creative cookery!
Ingredients
  • 1 liter of milk
  • 1 dl round rice (or 1 ½ cups semolina*)
  • 1 dl flour
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 dl sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tsp ground cardamom
  • 50 g butter (or margarine)
Instructions
  1. Cook the milk and rice / semolina to a smooth porridge then allow it to cool slightly.
  2. Whisk the eggs together.
  3. Mix the eggs into the porridge.
  4. Then add the flour, salt and cardamom.
  5. Add more milk if batter is too thick.
  6. Grease a baking dish or round pan and pour in the batter.
  7. Dot with butter.
  8. Bake at 200°C (350°F) for about 40 - 60 minutes.
  9. Serve with sviskonkräm (plum jam) and snömos (Åland slang for whipped cream).
  10. Enjoy!
Notes
*Semolina is farina.

 

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December 14

Iranian Soup

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Iranian Soup
Author: 
Type: Soup
Prep time: 
Cooking time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
Aka Imperial Soup, adapted from a recipe in Ita Jones' wonderful cookbook "The Grub Bag". This is a luscious golden soup, feels like eating sunshine!
Ingredients
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric*
  • 2 large carrots
  • 2 large potatoes
  • 1 big onion
  • tomato paste
  • 1 cup vermicelli
  • 1 lemon
  • fresh parsley
Instructions
  1. Peel and coarsely grate the carrots, potatoes and onion.
  2. Sauté the turmeric in the butter for about a minute until bubbly.
  3. Add 1 liter of vegetable bouillon and bring to a boil.
  4. Add the grated vegetables to the pot.
  5. Add 1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste, mixed with a bit of water to smooth it out.
  6. Simmer the soup for 10 minutes.
  7. Add a cup of vermicelli and the juice from 1 lemon.
  8. Cover & simmer approx 5 minutes (until vermicelli is done).
  9. Stir it so that the bottom does not scorch.
  10. Salt & pepper to taste.
  11. Sprinkle ¼ cup minced fresh parsley over the soup.
  12. Serve with salad, bread & butter.
Notes
Turmeric is nature's gift to humans. Read about it at : http://www.bewellbuzz.com/general/benefits-of-turmeric-for-skin-and-more/

 

Category: Recipes, Vegetarian | LEAVE A COMMENT
December 8

Spaghetti Sauce from Heaven

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Spaghetti Sauce from Heaven
Author: 
Type: main
Prep time: 
Cooking time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 1 can (400 grams) of San Marzano whole tomatoes
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 medium-sized yellow onion, peeled and halved
  • Salt to taste
  • Parmigiano Reggiano
  • fresh basil
  • 500 grams dry pasta of your choice
Instructions
  1. Put the tomatoes, onion and butter in a heavy pot.
  2. Bring the sauce to a simmer then reduce the heat to keep the sauce at a gentle simmer for about 45 minutes, (until droplets of fat are released from the tomatoes).
  3. Stir occasionally, crush the tomatoes and onion against the side of the pot with a wooden fork.
  4. Remove from heat, add salt if needed.
  5. Prepare the pasta of your choice.
  6. Put a generous serving of sauce on each bowl of pasta.
  7. Serve with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano and chiffonade of basil.
  8. A glass of wine would be lovely.
Notes
Solania Pomodoro dell'Agro Sarnese - Nocerino D.O.P. is what is on the San Marzano tomatoes in Sweden near Stockholm. I found them at ICA Kvantum in Skärholmen. Kungens Kurva...

 

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December 8

Rafet Abi Soup

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Rafet Abi Soup
Author: 
Type: Yemek
Prep time: 
Cooking time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6
 
A friend from istanbul made this for us... many years ago. Yemek is Turkish for meal. This isn't actually soup, it's a sort of potato stew with poached eggs.
Ingredients
  • 6 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 stalks* of celery, trimmed and chopped
  • 1 liter bouillon
  • 1 can chopped tomatoes
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 6 eggs
Instructions
  1. Saute the onions and celery in the oil.
  2. Add the bouillon, tomatoes and potatoes.
  3. Bring to a boil, simmer 15 minutes or until potatoes are done.
  4. Turn heat to low, then crack the eggs in carefully, spacing so that they do not run together.
  5. Poach eggs until are done, a couple minutes. Do not stir!
  6. Place potato soup and 1 egg into each bowl.
  7. Some nice fresh bread and salad would be perfect with this!
  8. Afiyet olsun!
  9. That means bon appetit!
Notes
* 1 piece of celery is 1 stalk = 1 rib of celery broken off the head of celery. OK?

 

Category: Recipes, Vegetarian | LEAVE A COMMENT
December 8

Garlic Onion Soup

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Garlic Onion Soup
Author: 
Type: soup
Prep time: 
Cooking time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6
 
French Onion Soup
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 big yellow onions, sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 0,5 teaspoon thyme
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1-2 dl dry white wine
  • 2 l bouillon
  • 1 baguette (French bread) cut in thick slices
  • 1 clove garlic, halved
  • 350 grams grated cheese
Instructions
  1. Put butter and olive oil in a cast iron frying pan or heavy pot. Heat until butter melts.
  2. Add onions and saute on medium heat for 10-12 minutes until the onions have softened and become golden.
  3. Add the chopped garlic, sugar and thyme and continue cooking 20 to 30 minutes, until the onions have turned brown (caramelized).
  4. Remember to stir it often, don't burn the onions! They should get brown, not black!
  5. Sprinkle in the flour and mix well.
  6. Add the wine and bouillon and bring to a boil.
  7. Simmer for 45 minutes.
  8. Turn oven on and heat to 275°.
  9. Rub the bread slices with garlic.
  10. Place them on a baking sheet, then spread the grated cheese on top and toast until bubbly.
  11. Put the soup into soup bowls.
  12. Place 1 slice toasted bread on top of each serving. If there is extra bread, put on a serving plate.
  13. Serve immediately.

 

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December 7

Thunder Soup

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Thunder Soup
Author: 
Type: soup
Prep time: 
Cooking time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
Dundersoppa på svenska. Perfect when you feel a cold coming on.
Ingredients
  • 1 whole head garlic
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 eggs
  • ½ dl flour
  • 1 liter bouillon
  • herbal salt
  • fresh parsley
Instructions
  1. Peel and slice the garlic.
  2. Saute in the oil until softened.
  3. Stir in the flour.
  4. Add bouillon.
  5. Simmer 15 minutes, stir once in a while.
  6. Beat the eggs in a bowl, then add a ladle full of hot soup while mixing.
  7. Stir the egg mixture slowly into the hot soup, stirring all the while.
  8. Turn off the heat, since we don't want the eggs to curdle.
  9. Do not allow it to boil!
  10. Add herbal salt to taste.
  11. Chop the parsley and sprinkle over the soup.
  12. Serve with fresh bread.
Notes
If you have a sore throat, tear up the bread and put it in the soup bowl. Some people might like vinegar or red pepper / cayenne in their soup!

 

Category: Recipes, Uncategorized, Vegetarian | LEAVE A COMMENT