Stuffed pork chops

Stuffed pork chops

I love pork chop, but sometimes I need to change it up. Stuffing the chops gives them so much flavor and keeps them juicy.

This time I stuffed the chops with roasted garlic, olives, semi dried tomatoes, scallions and feta cheese. And it worked so well, I am defintely going to make this one again.

serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 pork chops, center cut, no bones
• 1 garlic roasted
• 3 scallions
• 5 olives
• 2 semi dried tomato
• 2 tablespoons feta cheese
• salt and pepper

Directions:

Chop up the ingredients for the stuffing. Cut a slit/pocket in the pork chop. Fill the pork chop, press it a bit. Use a skewer to lock the stuffing in. 

Roast the chops on a skillet or on a BBQ on indirect heat, for about 20 minutes until done. Be careful not to roast the meat to hard, them it will be hard and dry, by the time it's done.

I serve the pork chops with jalapeño poppers and small boiled potatoes.

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.

Fragilite Roulade with Liquorice and Berries

Fragilite Roulade with Liquorice and Berries

This recipe came about due to a mini competition launched by Lakrids by Johan Bülow on their Facebook page. So off course I had to try to make a cake with the yummy marzipan with licorice.

This is my contribution to the competition.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 75 g marzipan with liquorice

• 25 g marzipan (I used ren rå from Odense)

• 3 egg whites

• 150 g sugar

Sprinkles:

• almond slivers

• raw liquorice powder

Filling and topping:

• heavy whipping cream (whipped to medium soft peaks)

• strawberries, cut into small pieces

• blackberries

Directions:

Preheat the oven for 360℉ (180℃)

Mix the marzipans with one of the egg whites using your hand, it’s a bit messy, but it's the easiest way to get a homogenous mass.

Whip the other two egg whites until you have soft peaks. Add the sugar and keep whipping until you have a shiny meringue with stiff peaks. You should be able to turn the bowl upside down.

Fold the marzipan mixture in.

Line a baking pan with parchment paper and spray it.  

Spread the meringue evenly in the pan, sprinkle with slivered almonds and raw liquorice powder on top.

Bake the meringue for about 15 minutes. The top should be lightly brown.

When the cake is room temperature turn it upside down on a sheet of parchment paper. Cut of the edges of the cake, and it will roll easier.

Filling:

Whip the cream, and spread it onto the cake, except for the last inch in the top. The filling will be pressed out when you roll it.

Cut the strawberries in pieces and drizzle them over the whipped cream.

Use the parchment paper to roll the cake tightly. 

Enjoy

The Danish version:

Fragiliteroulade med Lakrids og bær

Ingredienser:

• 75 g lakridsmarcipan

• 25 g marcipan (Jeg brugte ren rå from Odense)

• 3 æggehvider

• 150 g sukker

Sprinkles:

• mandelflager

• raw liquorice powder

Fyld og topping:

• Flødeskum

• jordbær, i små stykker

• brombær

Vejledning:

Fragilite:

Ælt de to marcipaner med den ene æggehvide.

Pisk resten af æggehviderne sukkeret til de er helt stive. Vend forsigtigt de stive hvider i marcipanmassen. Smør dejen ud på en bradepande beklædt med bagepapir. Jeg smør altid bagepapiret for at sikre mig, at kagen slipper. Drys med mandelflager og lakridspulveret. Bag bunden ved 180 grader i cirka 15 minutter. 

Når bunden er helt afkølet, vendes den om på et nyt stykke bagepapir, så nødderne vender nedad.

Fyld: Pisk fløden stiv. Fordel flødeskummet på fragilitébunden, men undlad at komme noget på de sidste 2-3 cm i den ene ende, da fyldet presses ud, når kagen rulles. Skær jordbærene i grove stykker og drys dem over flødeskummet. Brug bagepapiret til at rulle rouladen så stramt som muligt. Skær rouladen i skiver på sned, server med friske bær.

Danish Morning Buns - brusebadsboller

Danish Morning buns  with cheese and jam. Brusebadsboller med ost og marmelade.

Most danes love to eat fresh baked buns with butter and cheese in the morning.  In my home we would have bread or oats with milk as breakfast during the weekdays. In the weekends we would have homemade bread or freshly made bread or morning buns (rundstykker) from the local bakery. I loved my moms homemade bread, but I could never have it straight from the oven, because it had to rise twice and it had to be baked. But these morning buns, are perfect. You mix them up at night, set to rise overnight in the refrigerator  and baked in the morning. The easy way to warm fresh made morning buns for breakfast. In danish the morning rolls are called brusebadsboller, or shower buns, because you can bake them, while you take your morning shower.

Makes 18

Ingredients:

• 615 g all-purpose flour
• 85 g flax seeds
• 150 g quick oats
• 700 g water
• 7 g (1 pack fleischmann's) dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 3 tablespoons canola oil

topping:

• poppy seeds or
• sesame seeds

Directions:

At night:

Mix cold water, salt, honey, oats flax seeds and oil in a bowl. Add the dry yeast and add the flour a little at a time until you have a soft paste-like dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set to rise in the refrigerator overnight.

Next morning:

Take the dough out of the refrigerator. Using a ice cream scoop or two spoons shape 9 buns onto two parchment lined baking sheet. Let the dough rest while you preheat the oven to 430℉ (220℃).

Sprinkle with poppy seeds before baking.  

Bake the buns for about 18- 20 minutes or until they are golden brown. You can check whether your bread or buns are done, by gently tapping the bottom of them. If  they sound hollow - they are done.

Cookies with habanero chili liquorice and chocolate

Cookies with habanero chili liquorice and chocolate

I do think that liquorice is black gold, especial liquorice from Johan Bülow. After my first try on making cookies with liquorice, I've been contemplating making another cookie with the spicier habanero chili liquorice (no. 4). Today was the the day. And by all means - the cookies turned out great - no, they turned fantastic! The liquorice taste is prominent and the taste of chili is subtle. I think the cookies could be even better by adding a small amount of minced chili.

Makes 64 small cookies.

Ingredients:

• 200 g butter, salted
• 200 g sugar
• 75 g brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 3 teaspoon fine liquorice powder (Bülow Fine Liquorice Powder)
• 200 g all-purpose flour
• 50 g milk chocolate (a good one like Valrhona), chopped
• 50 g habanero chili liquorice (Bülow no. 4), finely chopped
• 75 g almonds, blanched and ground to a course flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

Heat oven to 365℉.

Blanch the almonds, and ground them. 

Mix together the flour, liquorice powder and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Combine the egg and milk and bring to to room temperature in another bowl.

Cream the butter in a stand mixer, starting on low speed to soften the butter. Add the sugars. Increase the speed, and cream the mixture until light and fluffy. Add the egg mixture and mix until well combined.

Slowly add the flour mixture, scraping the sides of the bowl until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate and liquorice. Scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 16 small cookies per sheet. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, checking the cookies after 5 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet for more even browning.

Remove the cookies from the pans immediately. Once cooled, store in an airtight container.