Ratatouille

Ratatouille.

Ratatouille is a French vegetable stew. Back in the days it was characterized as peasant food, because vegetables were cheap.

In this version the vegetables are thinly sliced, and arranged nicely in the tomato sauce. I looks like it takes forever, but if you slice all the vegetables first, it only takes a few minutes, and looks like a million dollars.

We often have ratatouille as a side dish or served with rice and a slice of some good bread. Sprinkle some fresh shaved parmesan cheese on the ratatouille as you serve it, and it takes it over the top. Another advantage by cooking it like this is, that you get some nice caramelization of the vegetables, which gives added flavor to the dish.
Pick good quality vegetables, because this is a rather simple dish, and the vegetables are the stars, so the better the vegetables the better the dish. I normally use canned tomatoes for the sauce, but you can easily substitute it with crushed fresh tomatoes, it might even be better.

Leftovers will keep a day or two in the refrigerator, and are fantastic as breakfast with a poached egg, kinda like a Shakshuka.

Serves 3-4 as a side

Ingredients:

• 1 can crushed tomatoes

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

• ¼ teaspoon apple cider vinegar

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, about 3-4 large leaves, sliced

• 1 teaspoon herbs de Provence spice mix

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon freshly grounded black pepper

• ¼ teaspoon chili powder

• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

• 1-2 large zucchini, I used both summer squash and zucchini

• 1 Japanese eggplant, or regular eggplant, with quartered slices

• 3-4 large fresh tomatoes, sliced

• 2-3 small bell peppers, sliced
  

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃). Lightly grease a 9" baking dish and set aside. I used a round dish here, but any ovenproof dish will do.

In a mixing bowl, combine the crushed tomatoes, oil and vinegar, and stir in salt and the other spices.

Pour the tomato mixture into the prepared baking dish in an even layer..

Ratatouille ready to serve.

Stack the veggie slices in alternating patters, you don't have to go all OCD on this, it will be pretty no matter how you do this. The most important thing is to spread the onions around, so it spreads its flavor throughout.

Sprinkle a little olive oil on top to encourage the caramelization of the vegetables.

Bake for about an hour, until the tomato sauce is bubbling and the veggies are tender, but not mushy.

Serve the ratatouille hot or warm.

Enjoy!

Shakshuka a la the Danes

Shakshuka a la the Danes

Shakshuka is a spicy sauce of tomatoes and other vegetables with poached eggs originating from North Africa, Tunisia. I first had it at a humus place, and remember it as kinda bland. But I liked the idea of the dish, and my version of the dish is not even close to bland. After serving this to my husband, it went into his top of breakfast dishes. I poach the eggs separately, so I can make a large pot of the sauce, even adding whatever vegetables I have on hand, and freeze it in smaller portions. By doing this Shakshuka becomes a quick breakfast, just heating the sauce, and poaching the eggs.

Serves 2-3.

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, diced

• 1 red bell pepper, diced

• 2 garlic clove, minced

• 1 can diced tomatoes

• 1½ teaspoon cumin

• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or red chili flakes

• 1 teaspoon paprika (½ mild and ½ smoked)

• salt, to taste

Topping

• chili, diced

• parsley, chopped

• 4 poached eggs

Directions:

In a deep frying pan, heat the oil and cook the onion and bell pepper for around 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Stir in the spices and garlic and cook for a couple more minutes. Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Let the sauce simmer gently for 15 minutes, letting the sauce thicken a bit.

(For the traditional shakshuka make up 4 hollows in the sauce, and crack an egg in each one, cover the pan with a lid and cook for another 5-8 minutes until the desired doneness of the eggs.)

I make poached eggs and serve them on top, because I think it’s easier to control.

Now, with a large spoon, make four hollows at the points of the compass in the mixture.

Just before serving place the poached eggs on top, and sprinkle with chopped chili and parsley.

Serve the dish immediately with a slice of good bread, preferably toasted.

Enjoy!

Hasselback Potatoes

Hasselback potatoes is a Swedish dish invented in the 1950’s created at the Hasselbacken restaurant in Stockholm. And they were very popular during the 70’s and 80’s, but do no deserve to be forgotten. Personally i love them for their crispy outer and creamy center.

Normally I won’t add any flavors to the butter, but fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme goes really well with the potatoes, as do garlic. If you like another flavor profile, you can use other types of fat or oil, like olive oil and duck fat.

Serves 3-4 depending on the size of the potatoes.

Ingredients:

8-10 potatoes, the size of a golf ball, I used Yukon Gold potatoes

60 g salted butter (About ½ stick)

salt

Direction:

Preheat the oven to 400℉ (200℃), and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, set a side.
Place a potato up against a handle of a wooden spoon. Slice the potato into thin slices, not cutting all the way through. The handle of the spoon helps you not slicing the whole way through. Repeat with the remaining potatoes.

Place the potatoes on the baking sheet and brush them with the melted butter, making sure to get in between all the slices. Sprinkle with salt. Bake potatoes for about 55 to 60 minutes, brush the potatoes with more butter every 20 minutes. Bake until crisp and tender.

Serve them as a side.

Enjoy!

Spinach and Feta Pie a la Spanakopita

Spinach and Feta Pie a la Spanakopita

This is a simplification of the traditional Greek Spanakopita, a spinach feta pie or hand pie. It’s perfect for a lunch or light dinner. The crispness of the filo dough with the soft creamy filling is a great combination. An absolute favorite in my house.

Serves 4,

Ingredients:

• 100 g pine nuts, dry roasted

• 400 g baby spinach

• olive oil for sautéing the spinach

• 5 eggs

• 275 g feta cheese, crumbled

• 1 lemon, the zest of

• 1 pinch of cayenne pepper

• 9-10 sheets of filo dough (Store bought) defrosted according to instruction on packaging

• ~50 g melted butter for brushing the filo dough

Directions:

Preheat the oven for the 400℉ (200℃).

Take out a 10-inch skillet, and sauté the spinach over medium heat until it is all wilted, take off the heat.

Mix eggs, feta cheese, pine nuts, lemon zest, and cayenne. When the spinach is cooled a bit, add it to the egg mixture. Dry off the pan you used for the spinach, set aside.

Place the filo dough under a damp tea towel, this will help to keep the filo dough soft and workable.

Place a large piece of parchment paper on the kitchen counter. I crumble the parchment paper first, and straighten it out again, this way it’s easier for the parchment paper to fit in the skillet. Brush some melted butter on the parchment paper. Place 4 sheets of the filo dough on top of the parchment paper in a rectangle, you want them to overlap a bit. Gently brush with melted butter, and repeat with 3-4 more layers of filo dough. Carefully transfer the parchment paper with the filo dough into the skillet, so the dough is hanging out over the edges of the skillet. Pour in the egg mixture in an even layer. Gently fold the filo doughs edges in over the filling. Brush the edges with a little more butter, and bake the pie for 18-20 minutes until the dough is golden and crisp, and the filling is set.

Serve the pie warm with a simple salad on the side.

Enjoy!

Cauliflower Salad with Apples & Almonds

Cauliflower Salad with Apples & Almonds.

I found this recipe one one of my favorite Danish food blogs, Valdemarso. It’s a great everyday salat with lots of taste and texture. I lowered the amount of garlic in my version, so it won’t be overpowering, masking the other milder flavors. The salad will keep 2 days in the refrigerator.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cauliflower

• 1 red apple

• ½ handful Italian parsley

Dressing:

• 2 handful Italian parsley,

• ½ -1 garlic clove, chopped

• 15 g pine nuts

• 25 g Parmesan cheese, chopped roughly

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 3 tablespoons creme fraiche (or sour cream)

• 1 teaspoon honey

• salt & pepper to taste

Salted almonds:

• 30 g raw almonds

• 50 ml water

• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Salted almonds:

In a small skillet dissolve the salt in the water and bring the water to a boil. Stir in the almonds, and cook on medium high until the water is evaporated, shake the pan to get an even salt coating on the almonds. Let the almonds cool completely, before giving them a rough chop.

Dressing:

Combine all the ingredients except the creme fraiche in a food processor or mini chopper and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add creme fraiche and process until fully incorporated and you have smooth paste. Season with salt and pepper.

Salad:

Grate or finely chop the cauliflower and chop the parsley. Wash an and core the apple, and dice it. Mix all the ingredients with the salted almonds and dressing, season with salt and pepper. Now the salad is ready to serve.

Enjoy!