Roasted Bell Pepper Pizza with Feta and Olive Tapenade

The Cheeseboard Collective Works by the Cheeseboard Collective

Adam Tenstas Indiska Gryta med Quorn, Cashewnötter & Ingefära (Adam Tenstas Indian dish with quorn, cashews and ginger)

ICA Buffé

Laxburgare (Salmon Burgers)

Mmmmmm. Another hit from Anna Bergenström! I don't think I've ever had a salmon burger, but this sounded so good! The local market had a great price on salmon, so I gave this a try. They didn't have nice bread for buns, so I took Anna's advice and made my own. They were super simple if you have an hour to let then rise, and really good! I'm glad I made them, it was cheaper that way, too. I first boiled the salmon for abou 8min. I was a little afraid of boiling the fish, it didn't sound very good. But decided to stick with the recipe this time. And I think it tasted great, was fast and easy. I then mashed up the fish with a fork, added an egg, bread crumbs and finely chopped onion. Formed those into patties and sauteed for about 6min. The were so juicy and full of flavor! They were awfully small. I didn' mind so much, as I don't eat that much, but if I were serving them for guests, I would probably make fewer larger burgers. I put the patties on the homemade bread with lettuce, cucumber, red onion and a summer sauce from Fårö (?) made with sour cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, a ton of dill, salt and pepper. It called for some other thins (scallions, italian salad spices...) but I called it good with this. It was such a yummy sauce, too. I liked these a lot and will definitely make them again. Unfortunately, Johan's still sick so wasn't able to fully appreciate these or judge them on his scale. So I am, with his permission, acting in his behalf to grade these.

Johan Scale: VG

"Kärlek, Oliver och Timjan: mat för välbefinnande" by Anna Bergenström and Fanny Bergenström

Tofu and Dumplings

My mom used to make Chicken and Dumplings all the time when I was growing up. I always loved the dumplings! So I decided I would try to make Julie's vegetarian versions. The recipe starts with boiling water, onion, marjoram, dried basil, salt and the chicken for 25min. I figured that would be enough time to also flavor tofu, so I substituted tofu for chicken. And I was right, the tofu sucked up a ton of flavor! I then added some sliced carrots, sliced mushrooms and peas and boiled another few minutes. The dumplings are simples- flour, baking powder and oregano mixed with milk, an egg and a little oil. I spooned 6 dumplings on top of the vegetable and simmered that for about 10 min. Now the recipe said to make some gravy, but I remember my mom's being more like soup. I decided to try the gravy, so poured off the broth, added a little more water and flour. Boiled that until it was thickened, then I just poured it back in with the vegetables, so it was kind of soupy. And I think it turned out pretty good! Johan was feeling a little under the weather so couldn't give an accurate score to the dish. It maybe could have used a little more spice, but I don't think using tofu instead of chicken made any real difference- except to the chicken! So I'm happy with my variation and will definitely make it again!

Johan Scale: yet to come

"New Cook Book" by Better Homes and Gardens (Chicken and Dumplings)

Macc and Two Cheeses with Caramelized Shallots

I love maccaroni and cheese, but because it lack a few vitamins and has a bit more cholesterol than I desire, I haven't made it for years. Finally I thought, what the heck, I'll try some. I found this recipe in my Bon Appetit and it sounded tempting- the cheesy, creamy pasta covered with caramelized onions and dotted with goat cheese. Although that was about it. So I added some diced tomatoes and fresh spinach- just to help justify eating the stuff. I began with caramlizing the onions (although the recipe called for shallots), in 3Tbs butter. I then cooked the maccaroni. I made the cheese sauce by boiling some milke and adding shredded cheese (Greve, but I'd try Präst next time) and a little flour. Whisked until smooth, added the pasta and veggies then spread it in a baking dish. I topped it with the caramlized onions then spread the soft goat chees on top. It baked for 15min just to heat through, then was done! It did taste good. And we liked it last night, but for left overs today Johan decided it was maybe a little too cheesey. Maybe not healthy enough to justify. So, we'll see if it comes around again. Maybe if there are kids over or something!

Johan Scale: G

Bon Appetit December 2008