Do you ever get a craving for Italian food and that particular taste of sun, salt and tasty ripe tomatoes? I do, especially on warm summer days, but when the weather is nice, I like dinner meals to be easy and convenient so I get to spend time outside rather than hours chopping away in the kitchen. This easy chicken puttanesca almost takes care of itself in the oven, while you get to relax in a deckchair on the patio, yet, it still has lots of those wonderful Italian flavors I love. So it really is a win win dish. Literally, the name of the dish translates into ‘chicken, prostitute…
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Summer veggie curry
In our house we use a lot of curry in our cooking. Of course we do so because we really like curry, but also because it’s very easy to adjust the level of spiciness when using curry so it appeals to younger palates as well. One of our boys’ favorite dishes is chicken curry, which was something that was introduced to our eldest son back in kindergarten by one of his more progressive teachers. He was suspicious at first, like all 4-year-olds tend to be, but he soon grew to love it. It just goes to show that kids should not be shielded from trying new, and to them very…
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Hot chicken the Scandinavian way
Horseradish is a very old and classic ingredient in Scandinavian cooking, and some say that it is the garlic of the North. But maybe it would be more fitting to compare it to chili as it provides a very distinct and aromatic hotness when added to a dish. This chicken in creamy horseradish sauce is one of the top classics of traditional Danish cooking, though here we’ve updated and modernized it a bit, bringing in some greens that compliment horseradish really well. I was introduced to the classic version of this dish (no greens added) by my grandparents when I was about 12 years old. At first sight, I was…
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Take your time little lamb
What to make for Easter? Need some inspiration? This slow-roasted leg of lamb is the most succulent and flavorful option if you want to make your Easter dinner a guaranteed success. In Denmark roasted leg of lamb is a must during the Easter days. Traditionally it is garnished with rosemary and garlic, and maybe a bit of mint for those who want to be adventurous. In this recipe we’ve turned up the volume on these traditional flavors and added some aromatic herbs and spices that work perfectly with lamb. Often, the biggest challenge when cooking a whole leg of lamb is that it might go dry. This is because the…
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Seared trout with caper dill sauce
Really good, crispy skin, pan-seared fish is something everyone deserves to learn how to make. Pan-frying is simply the preparation method that does most justice to fish and also brings out all the nuances of how fish should taste. This recipe for pan-seared trout with caper dill sauce gives you an easy step-by-step instruction for how to sear a piece of fish fillet without messing it up. For years the thought of pan-searing a piece of fish left me with nervous tics and sweaty hands. I simply had not had much luck with it. Every time I attempted it, it ended up looking like something the cat had already had…
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Moroccan (low-carb) lasagna
This Moroccan style low-carb lasagna recipe is a twist on ordinary lasagna. With three kids still living at home, we tend to make a lot of lasagna in my household. Therefore it’s nice to mix it up a bit and bring in new flavors to the Italian classic. So here, we’ve fired up the aromatic spices typically found in the kitchens of the northern part of Africa. Furthermore, we’ve experimented with substituting pasta sheets with zucchini, making this a healthier, more low-carb and less heavy lasagna. Add a good green salad, and you’ve got an amazingly tasty, good for you dinner that’s entirely pasta guilt free. Making this Moroccan (low-carb)…
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Low-carb fajita beef salad
Feel like having Mexican food tonight, but would like to avoid carbs? Here’s an amazingly tasty and succulent fajita beef salad that will fulfill your craving without leaving you with a carb guilty conscience. With its beautiful mix of colors this fajita beef salad truly reminds me of Mexico, and it brightens up any dinner or buffet table. Actually, Cinco de Mayo is coming up soon, so why not start planning your own fiesta? This fajita beef salad does really well as party food. Not only does it look and taste great, it is very fast to make, leaving you time to join the fiesta. You can even make variations…
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The ultimate winter soup
In my book no soup beats a well-made classic French onion soup as the ultimate comforter on a cold winter’s day. It’s packed with taste, easy to make, not expensive and healthy too. The first time I had onion soup, though, I have to say I was a little suspicious. And it’s true that with its muddy brown color this dish will probably never win any beauty contests. But its understated appearance completely fooled me, and I was taken aback by this rich and flavorful soup. Though I try a lot of new dishes all the time, I very rarely get a really powerful tasting experience that immediately wins me…
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Creamy chicken tarragon
Béarnaise sauce is one of my family’s absolute favorite sauces, and if I was prepared to make it every day, I’ve no doubt they’d eat it. Though the sauce for this creamy chicken tarragon is not butter, egg yolk and vinegar based like real béarnaise, it does have a very similar taste. But with this recipe you don’t have to frantically whisk the sauce right up to the moment before serving. In fact, you can easily keep this creamy chicken tarragon in the fridge or the freezer without the sauce splitting. Instead of including vinegar this sauce gets its acidity from mustard and white wine. The balance of the sour,…
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Gnocchi and greens
Gnocchi is but one of many magnificent wonders to have come out of Italian cooking. For some reason, though, it seems these gems always come in second after pasta, which is a pity because if cooked right, these delicately soft silky-smooth Italian potato dumplings can send you straight to heaven. Believe me, I’ve been there! And this warm gnocchi and greens salad is definitely a good way to gnocchi self-indulgence. Truly, I could easily eat Italian food every day. I really love pasta, and Italian cooking is very honest. It’s filled with fresh ingredients and what you see is what you get. The only downside is that if I…
