Sweet • Sour • Savory

Food blog on scandinavian style food done right.

Appetizer

Jalapeño poppers my way

Appetizer, Sides, VegetablesTove Balle-Pedersen2 Comments
Jalapeño poppers my way

Jalapeño poppers my way

Jalapeño poppers are so yummy, they are spicy, creamy and salty, all in one. It's the perfect snack for Super Bowl or just for a spicy side for your weekday dinner. If you don't like spicy food, you can make poppers with small sweet peppers like the ones I use in my oven-roasted potatoes.

My version calls for bacon, natures best spice.

Makes 8 poppers

Ingredients:

  • 4 jalapeños 
  • 3 tablespoons cream cheese
  • 4 small mozzarella balls
  • 2 scallions 
  • 4-8 slices of bacon (you only need one slice on each - but I went a little overboard) 

Directions:

preheat the oven to 375℉.

Mix the cream cheese with the chopped scallions.

Cut jalapenos in half, length-wise. Remove the seeds with a spoon. If you like spicy foods, leave some of the white membrane which is where the spiciness comes from.

Fill each jalapeno half with cream cheese, top of with some mozzarella and wrap jalapeno with bacon (½ slice). Secure the bacon by sticking a wooden toothpick through the jalapeño.

Bake poppers on a rack with a pan underneath for 25-30 minutes. If, after the 25 minutes, the bacon doesn’t look brown enough, just turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes to finish it off. Serve immediately.

 

Guacamole

Appetizer, Sides, Spread & DipsTove Balle-PedersenComment
Guacamole - The perfect snack.

Guacamole - The perfect snack.

I have a love for avocados, and guacamole especially. The green velvety dips is to die for.

I have tried many different recipes, but this one from Curtis Stone is the best I've tried yet. I will keep looking for perfection, but this is really really close.

Ingredients

  • 3 firm but ripe hass avocados, halved, pitted, peeled, and cut into ½ inch pieces
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • ½ jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
  • salt

Directions

In a large bowl, gently fold the avocados, cilantro, lime juice, jalapenos, garlic, and cumin together. Season to taste with salt.

Roasted Tomato Soup

Appetizer, Dinner, SoupTove Balle-PedersenComment
Roasted Tomato Soup

Roasted Tomato Soup

Soups are perfect for when you're having a cold or when it starts to get cold outside. I grew up with having soups for dinner and one of my favorites has always been tomato soup. Maybe because it was easy to make or just because me and my mom loved tomatoes.

I have several different tomato soups to choose from in my recipes, but I wanted to add another flavor profile to the soup by roasting the tomatoes first. And by all means it payed off.

Serves 3

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds (1 kg) ripe tomatoes
  • 1 serrano pepper (I roasted two, and used one for the topping)
  • 1 onion
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 2 cups (500 ml) water
  • 2 teaspoons chicken base
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • Salt, pepper
  • Some olive oil

Topping:

  • 5 thin slices prosciutto roasted to crisp in the oven 
  • a dollop sour cream
  • roasted serrano pepper

Direction:

Preheat the oven to 400℉ (200℃)

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Wash tomatoes and cut into eight pieces. Peel onions, cut in pieces and peel the garlic cloves. Cut the chilies in half and put it all on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast the vegetables in the oven for 35-40 minutes.

Transfer roasted vegetables together with the roasting juices into a pot and add water, chicken base and thyme. Bring to boil and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Remove the thyme sprigs and puree soup. Seasoning with salt and pepper to taste..

Serve the soup immediately with the toppings. 

 

 

Citrus Salad with Liquorice Vinaigrette

Christmas, Dinner, Salad, Sides, Appetizer, LiquoriceTove Balle-PedersenComment
Citrus Salad with Liquorice Vinaigrette

Citrus Salad with Liquorice Vinaigrette

I decided to make a new dish for the christmas dinner. I know that the Danes are really set the their ways, especially when it comes to their christmas dinner. But I love trying new things, so I hope my husband's family will love this citrus salad inspired from "Lakrids i Maden".

When I read that the salad called for a liquorice vinaigrette, my first thought was "how would the salty liquorice syrup taste with the dark espresso balsamic from The Olive bar?" I can only say "faaaantastic" - and on a slice of orange it tastes even better.

Here is my take on the citrus salad.

Ingredients:

Dressing:

  • 1 tablespoon salty liquorice syrup
  • 2 tablespoons dark espresso balsamic

Salad:

 

Directions:

Whisk the the liquorice syrup with the balsamic, set aside.

Peel oranges, lemons and grapefruits and slice them thinly. Arrange the slices in a platter and sprinkle with olive oil and salt.

Drizzle the dressing un top, and sprinkle with onion and parsley.

 

 

 

Scallops with Forbidden Rice

Appetizer, Fish & seafoodTove Balle-Pedersen1 Comment
Scallops with Forbidden Rice

Scallops with Forbidden Rice

Sometimes I just crave certain foods. One of these is scallops. I love these small slices of heaven. Normally we wrap the scallops in bacon and put them on the BBQ, The crispy bacon is so good with the scallops. But one night dining at our local steakhouse I had their scallops with forbidden rice. OMG - it was so yummy. It was sweet, spicy, crunchy and soft at the same time. So today I tried to copy the dish from memory. And to be honest, I think this is a pretty good replica. I hope you like it.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

  • 4-6 scallops

  • butter and extra virgin olive oil for searing

Sauce:

  • ½ can coconut milk

  • 3-4 teaspoons green curry paste

  • 1 jalapeño

  • ½ cup frozen petit peas

  • ½ teaspoon lemongrass paste

Forbidden rice:

  • ½ cup forbidden rice

  • ¾ cup water

  • salt

Topping:

  • tomato chutney

  • frisée salad

Directions: 

Start cooking the rice according to instructions on your rice. I cooked mine for about 35 minutes.

Prepare the sauce. Mix all the ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth. The Vitamix blender heats the sauce, but if using another blender heat the sauce. This is way to much sauce for the dish, but You need some volume to use the blender. 

Heat your skillet over high heat, add oil and butter. When the fat begins to brown and smoke sear the scallops for 1½ minutes on each side. The scallops should have a ¼-inch golden crust on each side, while being translucent in the center. 

Serve immediately. 

 

The Danish version:

Kammuslinger med Sorte Ris

 

Ingredienser:

  • 4-6 kammuslinger

  • Smør og olivenolie til stegning

Sauce:

  • ½ dåse kokosmælk

  • 3-4 tsk grøn karrypasta

  • 1 jalapeño

  • 1½ dl frosne ærter

  • ½ tsk citrongræspasta

Ris:

  • 1½ dl sorte ris

  • 3 dl vand

  • salt

Pynt:

  • tomatchutney

  • frisée salat

 

Start med at koge risene efter instruktionerne på pakken. Jeg kogte mine i ca 35 minutter. Herefter lod jeg risene trække i gryden i ca. 10 minutter.

Tilbered saucen. Bland alle ingredienserne i en blender indtil du har en jævn sauce. Jeg bruger en Vitamix blender, som kan varme samtidig med den blender. Så hvis du ikke bruger en Vitamix, så opvarm saucen lidt inden serveringen. Der er for meget sauce i forhold til ris og kammuslinger, men dette skyldes, at der skal en vis volumen til, når man blender.

Sæt en stegepande over på høj varme, tilsæt olie og smør. Når smørret er blevet brunt kom kammuslingerne på panden og steg dem ca. 1½ minut på hver side. Du skal helst ende op med en gylden overflade på hver side og en lidt gennemsigtig midte. 

Server med det samme.