It’s a hot and humid summer in Toronto. So easy, lazy, tasty dinners are in high demand in our house these days. I came up with the idea for these cauliflower steaks with grilled shrimp skewers and chimichurri last week when I needed a fast, healthy dinner that left me feel less guilty than devouring a beef steak with herb butter and fried potatoes. As some of you may know, I love using cauliflower when I cook. Not only does it taste amazing, it’s also a wonderful substitution for carbs. First time I came across the term ‘cauliflower steaks’, I must admit I thought it was a bit of an…
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Nordic carpaccio
This dish is for everyone who, like me, loves raw meat. Maybe it is the Viking in me that it appeals to. Even as a kid I loved beef tartare. And as soon as sushi appeared in Denmark, I was hooked on raw fish as well. The quality of course has to be outstanding, and perhaps that is part of the reason why I love raw meat and fish so much. Because it is really honest food. What you see is what you get, and you can’t disguise bad quality meat or fish in sushi or dishes like beef tartare or carpaccio. This Nordic carpaccio is my Scandinavian take on…
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Extravagant veal tenderloin
This recipe for veal tenderloin with trimmings is one of the most beautiful dinner dishes in my book, which is why I call it extravagant veal tenderloin. The combination of colors from the roast veal, red currants and thyme make it a feast not only for both your eyes and your palate, yet, it is not a very complicated dish. I usually make the pickled onions the day before or in the morning, and the meat can be done in less than 30 minuttes. The first time Karen-Anne and I made this was for New Year’s eve, and it really is a festive dish. It looks quite decadent and opulent,…
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French meatballs
So why call this recipe French meatballs? Honestly, I can’t really claim this recipe to be authentically French, nor did I ever have anything like this in France. In truth, the recipe actually draws on a very delicious ready made, just pop-in-the-oven, meal I once bought in a little shop in torvehallerne in Copenhagen, an upscale street food market in the middle of the city. Pricy and quite hipster, it is honestly a great place to visit if you get the chance to visit the capital of Denmark. I’m not sure the shop still exists and I forget the name of it, otherwise I would surely have given a referral.…
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Coleslaw with a twist
This Indian coleslaw salad is inspired by my never ending attempts to lose weight. If I summed up all the weight I have lost and gained again it would be more than I weigh today, so I can’t say that I have been successful. My recent diet is all about not eating carbs, which is why some of our recipes are titled “low-carb”. My family loves butter chicken and we eat it at least once a month, but butter chicken goes with basmati rice and that is a no-no on my diet, so I had to substitute it with something. Here is where this Indian coleslaw salad comes into the…
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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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Cool carrots
The first spring carrots are starting to appear in the grocery stores, and why not take advantage of that and celebrate these tasty little spring beauties with this wonderful cool carrots salad? I find that carrots are extremely versatile. With their elegantly sweet nature, they offer such and abundance of great taste pairings. And they are a great match for fish, meat and veggie dishes alike, all the while without losing their own distinct character. Here, we’ve matched them up with some deliciously salty feta and black olives, and the fresh and fragrant mint simply just underscores that these are really cool carrots! I first came up with this recipe…
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Cauliflower feel good salad
I like to start my week with a good salad. After a weekend of giving in to my less healthy food cravings, it gives me such a nice good conscience. It has to be tasty though, as there is nothing more uninspiring and tiresome than a bland salad. This cauliflower feel good salad is packed with taste as well as healthy stuff. It has crispiness, softness, sweetness, bite and crunch all in one. Exactly what a good salad should have if you ask me. I probably make this salad once or twice a month. Not only because of its great taste, but because it is so easy to make, and…
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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)…
