Dutch Hatchee

Axel is so sweet. Every time he picks a country he asks if it says Sweden on the note. I have told him that I can  make Swedish food any time. However, turns out he wants Swedish waffles with ice cream and Euroshoppers chicken nuggets. :) Oh well, this week he picked the Netherlands. I found a great recipe of something called Hatchee. It is a beef stew served over mashed potatoes. 

It called for quite a few ingredients and it also said that you could add either beer or red wine to it to enhance the flavor. I decided to go for a beer. Mostly because I happened to have it at home. I didn't take a lot of pictures this time but I started out by browning the meat in a dutch oven ;) with some salt and pepper. I did this in batches to give the meat a nice even color. I then took out the meat and started cooking the chopped onion. Once it is a little brown and translucent, add the meat back in the pot and sprinkle 3 Tbsp of flour over everything. Cook a few minutes. Add 3oz of tomato paste. Then you add the liquid. Since I used beer i added a bottle of that first and then i added enough water to just cover the meat. It ended up being about 3 cups of water. Add in the chopped apples, thyme, peppercorns, cloves (i skipped them), beef bouillon cubes, molasses, bay leaves and rosemary sprig. Bring to a boil and let it cook for about 2.5 hours (or until the meat is tender). Once tender, mash everything with a potato masher and cook until the consistency you like. I ended up taking the lid off and cooked it about 30 min to reduce it down a little. 

I served it over mashed potatoes with some red cabbage salad on the side (that I bought already made). 

It was absolutely delicious. Definitely the best dish I have made from any of the countries we have picked so far. 

Hachee

2 pounds stewing steak

4 big onions

3 tbsp flour

water (about 4 to 5 cups)

2 beef bouillon cubes

2 tbsp molasses (of appelstroop)

2 slightly sweet and sour apples

1 small can tomato paste (3 oz)

1 tsp Thyme

1 rosemary sprig

2 bay leaves

4 cloves

10 peppercorns

salt and pepper

butter

Optional: adding beer or red wine intensifies the flavor of the stew

Enjoy! 

Canadian Tourtiѐre

A few months ago I wrote down every country in the world on small pieces of paper and then I had Axel pick one or two countries every week and we would cook food from that country. I also got him a map so I could show him where the country was. We put a little pin in each country wee cooked food from.

I wanted to teach him about different cultures and expose him to new flavors and foods. We cooked food from many different countries from all corners of the world. After a few weeks I felt like it made him an even more picky eater. He would love to help me cook the meals but barely ate at all. He would taste it but rarely finished a meal so I decided to stop. He recently asked me about it and said he wanted to start doing it again. Figured it would be a good thing for the blog as well so we'll start with one country a week. This week's pick, Canada :) I found a recipe for Tourtiѐre, which is a meat pie, and figured I'd try it out.

The crust was really simple. I just mixed the dry ingredients, cut in the butter, added the water and chilled it while I made the filling. 

(Axel insisted on being in the pic so there he is :)) The filling was not bad either. I peeled the potatoes and cut them into smaller pieces. Cooked until soft and then mashed them, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. I browned the meat along with the chopped onion and garlic until cooked through. I then added the spices and some of the cooking liquid from the potatoes. I let it simmer for about 10 minutes. I took it off the heat and combined the meat with the potatoes. 

I realized I did not have a pie dish so I used a regular, square dish. The recipes I saw had a completely covered pie, however, not my strong suit so I created my own pattern. Might not be the prettiest pie in the world but I was pretty happy with it anyway :)

I created the pattern, brushed it with egg and baked for about 30 min. I served it with some spinach and red pepper. 

Final verdict? I might make it again but I would use different spices. I should know by now that I don't like the clove/cinnamon/nutmeg blend in savory food. The recipe can also be found here: http://growagoodlife.com/tourtiere/

Canadian Tourtiѐre

Pastry

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup butter or lard

6-7 Tablespoons cold water

Filling

1 pound ground pork

1 pound ground beef

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely minced

2 large potatoes

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

1 egg, scrambled for glazing

Prepare the Pastry

1. In a large bowl, combine flour with the salt. Cut in butter or lard until mixture is a roughly even crumbly texture. Add water and blend just until dough comes together.

2. Shape into a rough disc, wrap and chill in the refrigerator. While pastry is chilling, prepare filling.

Prepare the Filling

1. Cook potatoes in a pot of water until tender, about 12 minutes. Reserve 1/2-cup of potato water and drain the rest. Mash potatoes and set aside.

2. In a large skillet, cook the onion, garlic beef and pork over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain off excess fat. Add seasonings and reserved potato water. Mix in well and simmer for about 10 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. Remove the pan from heat, stir in mashed potatoes, and set aside to cool slightly.

3. Preheat oven to 400°F/205°C

4. On a lightly floured surface, divide dough in half and flatten one ball of dough with your hands. Roll dough to about 12-inches in diameter to fit a 9-inch pie pan. Place the pastry into the pie plate and add the meat filling. Brush around the outer edge of the pastry with the beaten egg. Roll out the top pastry and place on top of the filling. Fold the top crust under the bottom crust and pinch or flute the edges. Brush with egg wash and cut vent holes.

5. Bake in a preheated over for 30 to 35 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Remove the tourtière from oven and let it cool at least 10 minutes before serving. Yield: Makes 1 pie, about 8 servings.

Marcus Samuelsson

I have had this cookbook for 11 years now and I have to admit, I don't think I have ever tried any of the recipes. Marcus Samuelsson is an amazing chef but his recipes seems very long and have a ton of ingredients. There are also often recipes within a recipe. Very intimidating!

The one I decided to make had two recipes within the actual recipe :) Oh well, I decided to go for it. I made the lamb sausage wrap. I actually read the entire recipe this time :) so I decided to start with the garlic mashed potatoes since I figured that would take the longest. 

The recipe called for heavy cream. However, I left a bag at Walmart and of course it was the one with the cream so I decided to just substitute with milk. Save some calories ;) I ended up using just 1% milk. It was really easy. You peel the potatoes, cut them into quarters, add 3 cups of milk, 4 garlic cloves (it called for 8 but I didn't want to overdo it), and a couple of sprigs of thyme.

I cooked them for about 20 min and then I added them to my kitchen aid (reserving the cooking liquid). Add olive oil, butter, Parmesan, salt and pepper. Then add as much of the liquid as you like. Done!

I decided not to roast my own red peppers. I have never done it before and I know I would probably burn them to a crisp. I had a jar in the cabinet so I just used those. I cooked the red peppers, shallot and garlic in some olive oil until softened. In a bowl, mix lamb and pork, the red pepper mix, thyme, salt and pepper. Shape the mixture into eight small sausages and cook in olive oil until cooked through. Set aside. 

I really cheated with the spicy sauerkraut. At this point I was not happy to see that there was a recipe for kimchi within the sauerkraut recipe. Nope. So I made my own version. I took the sauerkraut, rinsed it and put in a bowl. Chopped the apple, half of the onion and a jalapeno (not in pic) and sauteed until softened. I then added that to the sauerkraut and just mixed it up. Easy peasy. 

To serve, put some mashed potatoes on a tortilla, two sausages and cover with the sauerkraut. It sounds so strange but it was delicious! 

Lamb Sausage Wrap

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 roasted red bell pepper, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped (I used jarred)

1 shallot, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped (I used jarred)

1/2 lb ground lamb

1/4 lb ground pork

1 tsp fresh marjoram, oregano or thyme leaves (I used thyme)

1 tsp kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

1 1/2 lbs fingerling or Yukon Gold potatoes

2 cups milk

1 cup heavy cream

8 elephant garlic cloves

2 fresh thyme sprigs

Freshly grated nutmeg

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbs unsalted butter

1 Tbsp Parmesan

Salt and pepper

Spicy Sauerkraut

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced

1 3-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely diced (i used dry)

2 cups sauerkraut, rinsed, squeezed dry, and coarsely chopped. 

Anna's Swedish Pancakes :)

I have been dealing with a nasty bug for the past week and I am finally feeling a bit better. Growing up my mom always told me that after the stomach flu you have to eat something that is "nice" to the stomach. That may not be a great translation but you know what I mean, something gentle, not a huge burger with bacon for example. Anyway, so today I decided to make Swedish pancakes for dinner. Axel's favorite. 

Last time we went to Sweden my sister made a ton of pancakes and they were so delicious so I wanted to share that recipe with you. It is a very simple recipe and you probably have all the ingredients in your pantry already.

Start out by mixing 5 eggs with 5 dl (2 cups) of milk. I used 2% but you can use whatever you prefer. I have made it with 1% before and that's fine, not sure about non-fat though. Add 5 dl flour (2 cups) and whisk until combined. some lumps are fine. Add another 5 dl  (2 cups) of milk, about 2 tbsp of sugar and 1/2 tsp of salt. Put a dab of butter in a pan and start frying. I actually use a wok-like pan but a completely flat one would obviously be better :) 

 

Just keep frying and flipping until done. So easy and tasty. I like to eat it with some kind of jam; strawberry, raspberry, cloudberry, whatever I have in the fridge at the moment. It's also really good with maple syrup, Axels favorite :) If you make them as more of a dessert, add a dab of whipped cream or ice cream. Yum!

Anna's Swedish Pancakes 

5 eggs

5 dl flour (2 cups)

1 L milk (4 cups)

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

butter (for frying)

Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese

My son and I have been sick for the past couple of days so I figured I'd try a nice soup recipe. Since I am obsessed with my newest cookbook addition I decided to make Fabio Viviani's Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese.

It sounded simple enough. This is what I used for the soup. 

It might be a big cooking no-no but I absolutely love the pre-chopped garlic. So much easier and it last so much longer than regular garlic. I can also highly recommend GFS's chicken stock. Obviously homemade is the way to go but as far as store bought brands go, this is by far the best one I have ever tried. 

The soup itself was super easy to make. Melt the butter, add the chopped onion and garlic, sautee until tender. Add tomatoes and chicken stock. Cook down for about 45 minutes. Of course I couldn't find all the parts for the immersion blender so I ended up pureeing it in batches in a food processor. I then returned it to the pot and added some cream, salt and pepper. Done! I had a lil helper in the kitchen today too which made it even more fun to cook. 

The grilled cheese was delicious. I used a panini maker but I am sure it'll be just as easy in a regular pan. 

I decided to use Havarti instead of cheddar. It is so creamy and delicious and works great for a grilled cheese. I also used Swedish mustard instead of dijon. It is less tart and just has more flavor. No bias here ;) 

Soup

2 Tablespoons butter

1 red onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

Three 28oz cans crushed tomatoes

5 cups of chicken stock

1/2 cup of heavy cream

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fresh basil leaves (optional)

Sandwiches

Eight 1/2-inch thick slices white sandwich bread

4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 pound cheddar or American cheese

Butter, softened

Enjoy!

Go big or go home :)

I wanted to create a blog where I can share my love of food and cooking. I am a complete cookbook junky. I don't always succeed in my cooking venture, I may have been known to burn boxed mac and cheese and I have set off the fire alarm more times than I care to admit. However, every once in a while I actually make some pretty tasty stuff. My first post will feature a recipe from Fabio Viviani's cookbook "Fabios American Home Kitchen". My sister-in-law and I were lucky enough to meet him at a wine signing event at whole foods this weekend and I was so inspired. He is such a warm and nice person. 

I decided to try his roasted pork shoulder with Tuscan salmoriglio sauce. Looks absolutely delicious and I just so happened to have a pork shoulder in the freezer.

As always, I didn't read the entire recipe before I started so a few hours before my guests were coming over to enjoy this masterpiece, I realize that I was supposed to let it sit in the fridge overnight covered in salt and sugar. Oh well, I decided to cover it in salt and sugar while I was preparing all the ingredients and I must say, the end result was great so if you miss this step I don't think it matters too much.

Here are the ingredients used for the meat. I decided to skip the anchovies and it still came out great. I just added a touch more salt to the paste. 

I mixed up all the ingredients in a food processor and rubbed it all over the meat. I then browned it in a dutch oven on all sides, added the broth and put it in the oven, covered. I used a thermometer instead of relying on the time it says in the recipe. I had an 8lb piece of meat and it also had a bone so I figured that may make the time change a lil. It ended up taken about an hour less so I'm glad I did that. 

When it was done I started preparing the sauce. 

Again I just mixed everything in a food processor. It sounded like a lot of lemon but the sauce actually needed it. I actually forgot to take an after picture when it was all done. We all started eating and but I snapped some pics of the half eaten deliciousness :)

Here is the full recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients for the pork:

• One 4-pound boneless pork shoulder
• ½ cup kosher salt
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons fresh oregano
• 3 tablespoons fresh thyme
• 10 anchovy fillets, chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup beef or vegetable stock

Ingredients for the Salmoriglio Sauce:

• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• 2 shallots, finely minced
• 10 fresh mint leaves, minced
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder

Directions for the pork:

1. Rub the pork with salt and sugar, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it rest overnight in the refrigerator.

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.

1. With a wet cloth, wipe the remaining sugar and salt from the pork. Put the oregano, thyme, anchovies, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a food processor and blend into a fine paste. Rub the paste all over the meat.

1. Pour the olive oil in a pot or casserole large enough to hold the pork and turn the heat to medium. Add the meat and brown it on all sides. Add the stock, cover the pot, and transfer it to the oven. Roast the pork until it is fork-tender, about 3 ½ hours.

Directions for the sauce:

1. Combine the garlic, pine nuts, shallots, mint, thyme, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and onion powder either in a food processor or in a bowl with a whisk.

To serve:
Slice the meat in thick slices (a serrated knife works well) and drizzle with the salmoriglio.