The Amateur Cook

Tirarmisu

2009-05-07T12:27:00.000-07:00

Runny, too much cocoa powder, but good anyway!

Half dried tomato and adzuki bean pasta

2009-05-07T12:26:00.001-07:00

Butternut Squash and Blue Cheese Pizza

2009-05-07T12:24:00.000-07:00

Eggplant and Veggie ground beef with orange and rosemary

2009-05-07T12:20:00.000-07:00

Fancy Chocolate Cake (real name to come)

2009-05-07T12:19:00.000-07:00

Seared Tuna with orange scented couscous and roasted vegetables

2009-05-07T12:17:00.000-07:00

Mozzarella Pizzas

2009-05-07T12:15:00.000-07:00

Mozzarella, grilled eggplant and basil with homemade roasted tomato sauce

Buffalo Mozzarella and Basil with homemade roasted tomato sauce

Blueberry Pie

2009-05-07T12:14:00.000-07:00

Malaysian Shrimp Soup

2009-05-07T12:13:00.000-07:00

Lemon Merengue Pie

2009-05-07T12:09:00.000-07:00

Ghandi Bowl

2009-03-19T00:56:00.001-07:00

This was really good! A little spicy. I tried to blacken tofu, but was unsuccesful. So I just cut it in cubes and sauteed it in a little olive oil. That tasted really good. I used blugur instead of the rices, I like that. Made it healthier. And it made tons of sauce.

Native Foods Cookbook

Indian Granbanzo beans with Tomatoes

2009-03-19T00:55:00.000-07:00

Under Valnötsträdet

Spring Fettucini

2009-03-19T00:54:00.001-07:00

ReBar: Modern Food Cookbook

Lemon Custard Cakes

2009-02-28T12:08:00.000-08:00

Morröt Soppa (Carrot Soup)

2009-02-28T12:07:00.001-08:00

Dil- och purjolökssoppa med rökt makrill

2009-02-28T12:01:00.002-08:00

"Skit gott!!"

Johan Scale: MVG
"Niklas Smaker" by Niklas Ekstedt

Semlor

2009-02-28T12:01:00.001-08:00

"Underbara!!"

Johan Scale: MVG

Semlor, stora och små, www.recept.nu

Crazy Salad (Real name to come)

2009-02-28T11:55:00.000-08:00

Tuscan White Bean Soup with Rosemary and Kale

2009-01-16T00:06:00.000-08:00

rebar: modern food cookbook by Audrey Alsterberg and Wanda Urbanowicz

Fun Mung Curry

2009-01-16T00:05:00.000-08:00

The Native Foods Restaurant Cookbook by Tanya Petrovna

Roasted Bell Pepper Pizza with Feta and Olive Tapenade

2008-12-16T08:23:00.000-08:00

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)

2008-12-16T08:22:00.000-08:00

ICA Buffé

Laxburgare (Salmon Burgers)

2008-12-10T09:29:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-09T01:52:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-05T11:56:00.000-08:00

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

Gingerbread Cookies (Pepparkakor)

2008-11-29T00:16:00.000-08:00

Here it is, the kick-off to Christmas season! I decided to try my hand at making these delicious cookies. I got a recipe from an expert- Johan's mom! And I needed them for the weekend. The reipe says to let the dough sit in the fridge for 2 days (I think I'm seeing a trend) so I made the dough a couple days ago. I began by boiling some light syrup, sugar and water together. I added that to the butter, cinnamon, cloved and kardemum. One the butter melted and the mixture came close to room temp, I added the flour and baking soda. Then it looked like this:

I had so much fun rolling these out! Unfortunately, it was by myself, but I still have 1/2 the dough left, so Johan can help me next time. Does anyone have a good technique to keep the pastry cloth in one place while trying to roll stuff out?

Johan' mamma was so kind to lend me some cookie cutters! These are traditional shapes for the pepparkakor. I have no idea why they use a pig, but they taste the same whatever shape! The trees are the perfect size- bite size.

This is my stack of cookies after one cooking session. Okay, there were a few more. I can't expalin what happened to those.

And here they are ready to head off to the First Advent celebration! I know, I know. Way more pictures than necessary of cookies. But I just had fun making them and it really got it feeling like Christmas! And got my house smelling so good!

Indian Vegetables like in Kerala (Indisk Grönsaksgryta som i Kerala)

2008-11-27T12:07:00.000-08:00

I know, another indian dish! But I love indian food, and have almost done without it since my move to Sweden. I've heard a lot about this cookbook author Anna Bergenström. I had one of her books on my Christmas Wish List, but then decided I wasn't so sure I wanted it- they're kind of expensive. Then, I found out that the local library has a great selection of her books! I stopped by and picked up a book called "Love, Olives and Thyme" and it's wonderful! The book is beautiful with such nice photos! It also contains a lot of information about nutrition. It talks of eating healthy, which rices are better than other, what's good to eat for breakfast, why protein is important and which foods contain a high amount of protein, which fats are good for us and so on. And yes, that is all in Swedish and I understood it (hooray for Swedish class!).

I agree, it seems a little random to find an indian dish in a swedish cookbook, but whatever. So this is the first one I tried. It is also simplified from what a true indian dish would be. There was quite a bit of prep work, but the entire meal didn't take too long to cook. I boiled some potatoes, then sauteed them in some oil. I then sauteed the cauliflower in the same pan, put that all aside. I then sauteed some curry and cummin. I added to that garlic, wedges of yellow onion and diced ginger. I then added a can chopped tomatoes and let that simmer for about 10min. Meanwhile, I cooked some basmati rice- cheaper than the naan I bought before, but still really tasty! I added the potatoes and cauliflower along with some hericots verts to the veggies and simmered another 8min or so. I added a little garam marsala, threw in a little fresh cilantro and dinner is served! Johan liked it a lot, as did I. It did, however, make our house REEK of indian food, the stench is still lingering! I like my food to smell like it, but not my clothes and hair so much. Nevertheless, I will make it again. That is, if it's legal to copy the book from the library...

Johan Scale: VG

"Kärlek, Oliver och Timjan" by Anna Bergenström

Best/Worst Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever

2008-11-24T04:13:00.000-08:00

I have always been an enormous fan of chocolate chip cookies. They were a weekly occurance at my house growing up. I have to stock up with bags and bags of chocolate chip when I visit the US so I can make the little angels- they don't sell chocolate chips here. So, a while ago I read a blog post from orangette which referred to this article in the NY Times. I suggest you read it for yourself. There was an extensive search for the world's best chocolate chip cookie recipe. They spoke to famous bakers around new york and accumulated the best tips to make this recipe. So of course, I had to try it. I was lukcy enough to aquire some of these chocolate disks (which the recipe recommends to get layers of chocolate) from my mom (thanks, mom!) so last week was the week.

The recipe doesn't call for much that is unusal. It calls for bread flour and cake flour, but those don't exactly exist here, so I used regular flour. And it said to cream the butter and sugar for 5 min in a stand mixer. I don't have a stand mixer, so I used my good ol' electric hand mixer for 5 min. And, I didn't have quite enough butter on hand, so I was a little short. So, I creamed the butter and sugar, added eggs one at a time, added vanlila, then the sifted flour, baking soda and salt, 'til just combined. The dough was really thick. Then it called for 20oz chocolate discs, next time I'd put just a little less. It sounded like a lot, and it was a lot. But it didn't make them taste bad. This was stage 1:

So the first trick/thing that makes these different, is that one should refrigerate the dough for at least 24hrs, 3 days is prefered. Apearantly because the moisture in them (butter) is not very liquid, it takes a long time for the flour to properly absorb the moisture. Well, I'm not asking questions, I just obeyed. So this sat in my fridge for 3 days. The second trick is to make the cookies big- dough ball about the size of a large golf ball. This gives the cookie dimension. The outer rim is crispy, the next inch is normal, and the inside is nice and soft and gooey. So, I put these huge balls of dough on my sheet, followed by the third trick, a little sea salt. I sprinkled just a touch of sea salt on top of the cookies, before they were baked. They baked for about 18min and looked like this:

So, why does the title of this post include "worst?" This made so much dough, I was constantly picking at the delicious dough for the 3 days it sat in the fidge. The yield said 6 cookies. Not quite. I made about 12 cookies, with a little dough left over to continue snacking on the dough. Keeping in mind that Johan isn't too big on sweets, one can conclude that I at so much cookie dough/so many cookies in the last week! I probably gained 5lbs. Don't get me wrong, these cookies were fabulous. I was so happy with them. I could have bought the anywhere and would be satisfied. The salt was an interesting contrast to the sweetness, I totally agree with the layers of chocolate the discs provide, and the 3 consistencies where delicious! Theses were amazing, and obviously worth the 5lbs I gained. But next time, I'll need to share a few more of them.

krämig (creamy) Daal

2008-11-24T04:11:00.000-08:00

Mmmmm. I loved this one! For so many reasons! I found this winner in my ICA Buffé, distributed by the local market. It's and indian dish. I've never made any indian food, but love the taste! I think this is probably a very simplified version of anything traditional from India, but who knows. So I made this by sauteing an onion and a little garlic in oil, with some ground koriander and cummin. I then added some red lentils, water, a buljong cube and a can of coconut milk (the star of the dish!). That simmered for 10min, I then added some diced tomatoes and fresh spinach and let that simmer another 5 min, and done. I sprinkled some fresh cilantro on top and served it with some yogurt and store bought naan. Although the yogurt was good, I don't think it was necessary, next time I'll skip it. And I like the naan, but maybe cheaper with some rice. That I'll try next time. It was so delicious and pretty healthy, I used light coconut milk. Best of all, it was super fast. It probably took about 20min from start to finish. Wonderful on those days I just don't want to be cooped up in the kitchen. It made plenty for Johan and me, en riktig succé!

Johan Scale: VG

ICA Buffé 11, 2008

note: I noticed the Buffé recipes are online through www.ICA.se as well, so I will like to the online recipes.

Böngryta med Tomat och Spenat (Beans with Tomatoes and Spinach)

2008-11-21T03:22:00.000-08:00

I found this under the "30 minutes" section of my Swedish Elle Mat & Vin magazine. It sounded pretty good, so I made it last night. I began by sauteing an onion and garlic. Added 1 Tbs ground cummin, then some water and canned tomatoes. I added a can kidney beans, a can cannellini beans and some hericots verts. Boiled all that for 5 min, added some fresh spinach and boiled for 5 more, then it was complete. I went to my Swedish class, and 2 1/2 hours later we ate it with some fresh bread I bought. It was surprisingly good! For how healthy and quick it was, we were really pleased (as evident by the grade). I added more water than it called for to make it a little more like soup. But it was hearty, warm and full of flavor. A success.

Johan Scale: VG-

Elle Mat & Vin, Nov-Jan 2009

Broccoli and Red Pepper Soup with Sunflower Bread

2008-11-19T13:32:00.000-08:00

I found this soup recipe kind of randomly. I was just looking on the vegetarian times website, it caught my eye, so decided to make it last monday. I began by boiling the broccoli and some rice in veggie stock for 40min. I roasted 4 red peppers and pureed them. Then I sauteed some onion with garlic, thyme, tarragon and cayenne pepper. I added that to the broccoli and pureed that. Then, I mixed in the pepper pure, juice from a lemon, white pepper, apple cider vinegar and salt to taste. Then it was finished! It was delicious. The rice made it a little thicker and it had so many dimensions of flavor! It was a little acidic, but sweet with the peppers. And pretty healthy, too. I used brown rice and olive oil. I also wanted some bread to make it a more filling meal, so I made this sunflower bread out of my Swedish Elle Mat & Vin. And I have to say, this turned out the best of any bread I've ever tried to make! It was moist and soft. It needed much more flour than the recipe called for and I would have added some salt. It called for herb salt (whatever that is), honey and oats along with the flour, yeast and water. It was a success, I'll definitely make it again!

Johan Scale: VG-

Soup: Vegetarian Times

Bread: Elle Mat & Vin, Nov-Jan 2009

Mammas fiskgratäng (Mom's Fish Gratin)

2008-11-17T03:44:00.000-08:00

This was a fun one! Another recipe from my Hela Sveriges Husman (All of Sweden's Husman). Husman is a type of traditional Swedish food. The local market has compiled recipes from folks all over Sweden into this book, which cost me a $3 coupon- not bad! The recipe used a really inexpensive white fish called Sej, I don't know what it is in English. The frozen fish cost almost as much as fresh and since it's crappy fish anyway, we went and bought some nice, fresh crappy fish. I baked it in the bottom of a casserole dish for about 10min. Then I piled (with the help of Johan!) some mashed potatoes around the fish and filled the dish with a mushroom sauce I made- milk, butter, sauteed mushrooms and a little flour. Lastly, I layered some sliced tomatoes on top and back in the oven for 15min or so, mostly to lightly brown the top of the potatoes. And this turned out great! It made a lot of food and the sej was surprisingly good! Well, how could it not be with all that milk and butter added! But it was a great combination with the mushroom sauce, mashed potatoes and the mildly flavored fish. And fun to add another type of fish to our diet!

Johan Scale: VG-

"Hela Sveriges Husman" by ICA

Red Cabbage Pizza with Gorgonzola and Walnuts

2008-11-17T03:43:00.000-08:00

Another pizza from the Cheeseboard book! This one was great, as are all the rest. But it was pretty unique, I thought. I was surprised to find red cabbage at the market so thought it must be a sign, I must make this pizza! I made my usual dough (Mario Batali's pizza crust) then layered it with cheese- recipe says Mozzarella, i used Herrgård cheese. Then some caramelized onions, sliced cabbage mixed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a little salt and pepper, more mozzarella then some blue cheese crumbles. My half had chopped walnuts- Johan's allergic. I thought it would be a good idea to try to make calzones for lunch the next day- I was wrong! They tasted just as good, but where such a mess! I didn't have enough dough to stretch over the insides. But the pizza looked and tastes fabulous! On the health scale this might not rank so high, but my belly was more than satisfied!

Johan Scale: VG

"The Cheese Board Collective Works" by the Cheese Board Collective

Hearty Lentil Soup

2008-11-11T13:29:00.000-08:00

This was a new one, I found it on a blog that was recommended by my friend Jessie. And it was really good! A fairly basic lentil soup, but it was different than what we usually eat and with the rice, made a 'hearty' meal! I started with a chopped onion and 2 chopped carrots. I let them soften in some oil. I then added garlic, canned tomatoes, the lentils, some herbs and a little red wine. That boiled for some minutes, I then added a little balsamic vinegar, and viola! Pour that on some rice for a delicious dinner! I have half of it saved in the fridge, can't wait to finish it off! It's extremely healthy, which contributes to it's high grade on the Johan Scale. The only fat is just a little olive oil. And filling with the rice and lentils. It had many dimensions of taste, a perfect fall (okay, I'll finally realize it's winter!) dinner!

Johan Scale: VG-

Super Spark

Blåbärsgrött (Blueberry Oatmeal)

2008-11-06T07:14:00.000-08:00

This was really fun. I found this recipe in a swedish cookbook I have- although you don't really need a recipe. All it is is regular oatmeal, but adding as many blueberries as oats (I used frozen blueberries) and adding a bit of honey to sweeten it. You see mine with milk on the left, Johan's on the right. It was really tastey! It was fun to mix up our usual breakfast a bit. It was quite sweet, I wouldn't make it every morning (and 'cause blueberries aren't cheap!) but it was a fun treat. I added flax seed to mine, because it's healthy, but also because I thought it was a little to gummy. It had the consistency of pudding to me. But with that, it was perfect, and what a fun color!

Hela Sveriges Husman by ICA

Clam Chowder in Pumpkin Breadbowl

2008-11-01T00:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Halloween. For a while growing up we had this tradition- every halloween my mom would go to the Provo Bakery and pick up some pumpkin breadbowl and we'd have them with clam chowder. I've made the chowder before, so there's nothing really to report on it. But I don't have a Provo Bakery in Uppsala, so I had to make my own. The first problem I had was that once the dough was kneaded, it was near impossible to distribute the food coloring through it. But, that's okay. Then they didn't rise so well, and when they were risen they were super flat. A bunch of people had this problem in the reviews of the recipe, so why I thought it wouldn't happen? I don't know. But the bread was really good anyway and the soup, as always was deliciou! It was really fun to have them for Halloween, seeing as how that's the only Halloween celebration we had. Unfortunately we left the soup out on the counter all night and spoiled a huge pot of left-overs. I even have more pumpkin bowls! I'll have to find some way to blame this one on Johan.

Johan Scale: VG

Bread Bowls: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Italian-Bread-Bowls/Detail.aspx?src=etaf

Quinoa with Grilled Zucchini, Garbnzo Beans and Cumin

2008-10-30T09:29:00.000-07:00

Bon Appetit, August 2008

White Chocolate Pistachio Brownies

2008-10-30T09:25:00.000-07:00

I hesitate posting this one, because I wasn't wowed by this recipe. But at the same time I wasn't disappointed, i ate the whole pan! In fact, it's an extremely rare occasion that I find a brownie I don't care for. But I was just a little excited about these- White chocolate and pistachio brownies. I love pistachios in chocolate bars so thought this was a great idea! But The pistachios had almost no flavor and became quite soft when the brownies were baked. The brownie batter called for butter and olive oil, an odd addition I thought, but I like adding oil because it always makes whatever I'm baking SUPER moist. These were no exception. Super gooey, moist brownies. I will take some of the blame for these, I don't usually use the finest possible chocolate when baking. In fact, I just buy whatever's at the nearest supermarket- I bake too often to be able to afford fancy chocolate! And I (knowingly) used the wrong kind of chocolate. It was not baking chocolate, but regular sweetened chocolate. I reduced the sugar, but the chocolate had such a strong flavor it defintiley would've been better with nice chocolate. The same goes for the white chocolate- I couldn't taste it at all. I may as well have left it out, but maybe if it were nicer quality it would have made a difference. I just wanted to post because the recipe came from my Swedish food magazine, the same one my friend Jessie got!

Elle Mat & Vin, Sept-Nov 2008

Risotto

2008-10-27T13:12:00.000-07:00

This is one of the first recipes I've tried from my Swedish food magazine. And, it's just plane ol' risottos, but I really liked it! I began by sauteeing a yellow onion in olive oil, then added arborio rice. Added a vegetable buljong and then slowly added water and white wine over 5 min. Then it simmered for 25 min, then sat for another 15min. Meanwhile, I roasted a zucchini, red pepper and onion in the oven. I added some parmesan cheese to the rice and a little butter and extra wine. I then served the rice, vegetables on top, some toasted sesame seeds and a little extra parmesan. It was pretty simple, but good! The risotto had just a little hint of a crunch but was also very sticky. The wine added a great scent! It was quite simple, didn't take too long and tasted good, I'd say a success! I think Johan liked it a little less, but he did like it. It was fun to try a recipe from the Swedish magazine! Next time I would probably use more vegetables and maybe shrimp- if I can ever find frozen raw shrimp again! It just could have used a little more flavor.

Johan Scale: G+

Elle Mat & Vin 5/08

Pomodori al forno

2008-10-22T05:33:00.000-07:00

I read an article in my sep Bon Appetit about these tomatoes. Then I read about them on a blog (by the same writer). Then I read about them on another blog, stolen from the first blog. So I thought, I have to try this, I'd be a fool not too. And my intuition was right! One recipe was for the tomatoes to be put on baguette with goat cheese, the other to be put on pasta with parmesan, so I put them on pasta with goat chesse! A good compromise, I thought. I began by buying 1 kilo plum tomatoes and de-seeding them. I put them in a swimming pool of olive oil and sprinkled on a little sugar, salt and dried oregano. I roasted them slowly at 250F for a total of 2 1/2 hrs! Then the pasta recipe said to peel the guys. But as soon as I peeled one, I thought, these peels can't go to waste. So, I just ate them. It was at that point I knew I had something magical. I then put the tomatoes in a bowl with the olive oil and added garlic and parsley. I let all that sit for another 2 hrs. When Johan finally came home, I took 1/2 the tomatoes and gently chopped them in a bowl, then threw them together with some cooked whole wheat penne pasta. We put a little goat cheese on top and smaklig måltid (bon appetit?)! It was so, so good. I was blown away at how much flavor came out of these little tomatoes. They were juicy and soft and delicious. We licked the bowl clean. And it really didn't take long at all, if you subtract the 5hrs of waiting time! So, if you know you'll be home for a day, please do yourself a favor and try these. And don't forget that once you've eaten the tomatoes, you still have a deliciously infused olive oil you can save for dipping bread! Hmmmm, I wonder if I can can this...

Johan Scale: VG+

The Wednesday Chef

Orangette

Cravin' Corn Chowder

2008-10-19T23:56:00.000-07:00

I've made this one a few times before, it is probably the most inexpensive dinner I make! It contains and onion, 3C corn and 1 medium potato. That's roughly it, maybe a little thyme and vegetable broth. But it's really inexpensive, really simple and has a surprisingly big flavor! Johan and I both really like this one, it's great when I'm not in the mood to put a lot of thought into dinner.

Johan Scale: G+

"The Native Foods Cookbook" by Tanya Petrovna

Pumpkin Scones

2008-10-19T23:55:00.001-07:00

The first use of the rest of the pumpkin pureed I have stacked in the freezer. I found this recipe in my Cheese Board cookbook and they sounded great! I began by mixing the puree with buttermilk (well, some kind of buttermilk substitute) and cream (how could things possibly go wrong from here, you're thinking?). I sifted flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ground ginger and nutmeg. Added some salt and pepper then cut in a bunch of butter. Gently mixed everything together. I was supposed to form balls with the batter, but mine was way too sticky, so I just plopped a spoonful on a baking sheet, sprinkled a little cinnamon sugar on top and baked. They were really good! The pumpkin flavor wasn't too strong and they were prefectly moist for a scone. I think they're a little flatter than supposed to be, but that was obvious when the dough was too sticky to form a ball. It was a perfect fall treat! I wouldn't call them amazing, I've made other scones I've liked better, but I was not disappointed in these. And Johan loved them.

Johan Scale: VG

"The Cheese Board Collective Works" by The Cheese Board Collective

Oopa Moussaka

2008-10-19T23:51:00.000-07:00

"The Native Foods Cookbook" by Tanya Petrovna

Quinoa with Mango and Curried Yogurt

2008-10-15T09:30:00.000-07:00

I have no idea how I came across this recipe, I can't remember why I found it. But it's off of epicurious.com and it's been in the back of my mind for some time. The recipe kind of suggests it's supposed to be served as a side dish, so I decided to just make it for lunch one day. I boiled some quinoa, mixed yogurt, curry, lime juice, fresh ginger, salt, pepper, and a little oil. This was the sauce, I mixed the quinoa into it. I roasted the red pepper (the recipe calls for a raw one) and topped the quinoa with that, some roasted peanuts, mango and cilantro (the recipe called for mint). The recipe also called for a jalepeño. I chopped it up and it was so super hot I ended up sauteeing it for a while to loose the heat. I intended to serve it with some arugula, but kind of forgot. But it was really good! It had great flavors and a combination of textrures and colors. It didn't made a whole lot, I would probably make 1 1/2 recipe next time. But I was really happy with it and will definitely be making it again.

Johan Scale: G+

epicurious

Pumpkin Lasagna

2008-10-15T09:28:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Jessie for recommending this one! It was so fun to make something so different than what I we usually eat. I can think of only one other time that my maing dish had pumpkin as a main ingredient (pumpkin ravioli, also amazing!). I've never made my own pumpkin puree, so that was fun and I am happy to have some left-overs. The lasagna was quite simple. I baked and pureed the pumpkin and mixed in a little salt and dried sage. I mixed some ricotta and parmesan cheeses with some salt and pepper (was there one more thing?). Then I layered the noodles, puree, cheese, over and over then baked the thing for quite some time. It not the most beautiful dinner I've made, but it sure tasted good! It was really soft and creamy and the pasta added a nice balance to that. Overall, a really fun recipe to try!

Johan Scale: VG

http://www.vegetariantimes.com/:

http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/9771?section=

Greek Bean Casserole

2008-10-13T12:41:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe a long time ago and really like it. It came from an ICA Buffé. I begin by mixing some cherry tomatoes (which I smash a little), onion, garlic and some oil in a bowl. I add "big white beans" to a casserole dish, then olives and sliced mushrooms, topped with the tomato mixture. I bake it for a while, then add feta cheese. I love this served with whole grain bulgur. And it has so much nutrition! The recipe calls for okra, I used it once but am not so used to the taste, so jut kind of thought it was odd. I skip it now. And the recipe calls for canned tomatoes. Fresh are much, much better. Johan doesn't like it as much as I do, but hey? I do the cooking, right? So I keep making it on occasion.

Johan Scale: G+

ICA Buffé 4, 2008

Rocket Burgers

2008-10-13T12:40:00.000-07:00

I love these burgers! Well, they're more like sandwiches. The recipe is from my never failing Native Foods book. Instead of patties, the recipe calls for portabello mushrooms, sauteed in some olive oil. I love portabellos! I use these buns usually. I'm not a huge fan of the bread hamburger buns are usually made of, these buns are much better. But, i don't know what they are. In swedish- småfranska which literally translated means little french. So whatever, they're good! Then I add some arugula (or spinach depending on who gets their way between Johan and me) and some Yugoslavian Ivar (Ayvar?). This is the secret. I begin with 2 red peppers and 1 yellow, and one eggplant. I roast all, take away the skins and seeds from the pepper. Then dice them really small and mix with some vinegar and other stuff. Then I usually puree 1/2 of it to make a smoother consistency. It has such an amazing flavor! I will make it just to dip a baguette in, too. The recipe calls for mayonnaise, but I think it's unnecessary, so never add it. Once the Ivar is made, the recipe is super simple and quick. One of my favorites from the book!

Johan Scale: G+

"The Native Foods Restaurant Cookbook" by Tanya Petrovna

Apple Sauce

2008-10-13T12:38:00.000-07:00

In another attempt to fully live out fall this year, I thought I would try to preserve some swedish apples by making apple sauce! I found a recipe in my most recent issue of Bon Appetit, bought some apples and finally gave it a go! I began by peeling and coring the apples, this took up the most time. I then boiled them in a little lemon water with cinnamon and allspice (called kryddpeppar in swedish) and a lot of sugar. They boiled, or simmered for about 20min which seemed to be plenty of time. I tasted it and added more cinnamon and allspice. And that was it! Not to tricky. And I'm pretty happy with it! I considered leaving out the sugar because I usually buy unsweetened applesauce anyway, but thought the first time I'd stick to the recipe. And, I think it's too sweet. Next time I'd leave out the sugar and add even more spices! I love cinnamon and apple together! The consistency was a little gummy, but I attribute that to that I didn't use the apples the recipe suggested (Granny Smith, Fuji and Johnathon), I used an assortment of swedish apples (called Ingrid-Marie, Red Summer Apples, Katja or Discovery). But it turned out good. Nothing super exciting, but not disappointing! I really need to get some real canning equimpment, it would make this process much easier!

"Three-Apple Applesauce" from Bon Appetit, Oct 2008

The Johan Scale

2008-10-08T03:48:00.000-07:00

Johan and I were talking and both decided that there is a little problem with the Johan scale. When it began, a 4 was a very high score. But, in order not to offend, Johan began giving mediocre dishes 4's thus causing an inflation in the Johan Scale. Although I do think that overall, the dishes I've made lately have really been successful, it seems most dishes are getting a score of 4.5. To make the scale more useful, we came to the conclusion that we need to re-scale the scale. And to avoid confusion, we decided to not use numbers, but letters just as the Swedish school grades are given. It will be as follows:

Johan Scale
U: (underkänd) fail
G(+): (godkänd) pass
VG(+/-): (väl godkänd) pass with honor
MVG(-): (mycket väl godkänd) Pass with high honor

Anything that recieves above a G will be worthy of being made again. Hope it's not to confusing for all my many, many readers!

Butternutsquash Bisque

2008-10-07T23:15:00.000-07:00

Here it is, the use of my second butternut squash. This recipe I got from my friend Erin. It started with sauteing an onion, leek and carrot, then adding the baked squash. Adding vegetable stock, an apple, bay leaf and a touch of sugar, as opposed to the last recipe which was pretty much onion and squash. I was hesitant to use this one because of all the ingredients, I didn't want them to be overpowering. But, that they weren't! This did take a while to make, but the time was worth it! It was so full of flavor and nice and think, as I think a bisque to be. To serve, we poured the soup over bits of soft brie and sprinkled a few chives on top. The brie melted in the soft soup (as shown in photo) and was such a smart combination of flavors! I really liked the cheese in there. This soup was wonderful, a definite regular in my book, as long as I can find the squash!

Johan Scale: VG-

Recipe from Erin

Caramel-Pear Butter

2008-10-07T07:22:00.000-07:00

The Swedish pears and apples are amazing. I regularly eat both throughout the year, so when the Swedish varieties popped up, I was quick to try them. And have been eating them by the plenty. But now it's getting cold and I'm afraid to loose these. So I've been thinking of ways to preserve the apples and pears. This month in my Bon Appetit, they offered a recipe for Caramel Pear Butter, which sounded perfect. My mom used to buy a delicious apple butter, so I thought I must give it a try. I went to a local market and bought a kilo pears for less than $2 (10SEK) and I was set. I boiled the pears in a little lemon juice and apple juice for 20 min or so. The recipe then said to "Press the pear mixture through a fine plate of food mill..." well I certainly don't have a food mill, so I just puréed the stuff in a blender, that worked perfectly. I returned it to the pot, added some brown sugar and nutmeg, then simmered for an hour to let thicken. And it was done- and amazing. I was truly shocked at how good this was! Sweet, with such a strong pear flavor! I couldn't wait to put some on some toast. I considered just serving myself up a bowl of it, it was so good. But I managed to seal a jar for later use and then enjoyed the bit I'd allowed myself for now. I am so tempted to go buy more pears and make more.

Julie Scale: 5.5

Bon Appetit, October 2008 or http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Caramel-Pear-Butter-350119

The Hollywood Bowl

2008-10-06T05:33:00.000-07:00

Wow. I can't believe I waited so long to try this one! Due to a confusion about allergies, this recipe was never made, but once that was cleard up, I had to give it a try. And I've just noticed this is my first post about a dish which contains tofu. I do use tofu, much more than it seems, I promise! This recipe comes from my Native Foods cookbook. It consists of brown rice topped with steamed vegetables and marinated tofu topped off with a peanut coconut sauce, extra toasted peanuts and red bell pepper. This was so good! And quite simple. The tofu marinated for about 30 min in soy sauce, rice vinegar and garlic, but once that was done the dish was quite quick (especially with a little help from Johan!) I hesitated on the cauliflower because it wasn't the best price, but really glad I didn't! It added great flavor! I followed my friend, Jessie's suggestion to cut back on the vinegar in the sauce a bit, that worked out great. And thankfully, I'm an idiot and accidentally made 3 times as much sauce as it needs! So the rest is in the freezer for next time I make this dish, which will likely be sooner than later. Although it said it was enough for 2 servings, it made 4 for us. Another hit!

Johan Scale: Strong 4.5

"The Native Foods Restaurant Cookbook" by Tanya Petrovna

Mushroom Soup with Hazelnut Gremolata

2008-10-03T03:15:00.000-07:00

I this recipe caught my eye on epicurious.com. It just sounded so good! I was quite shocked to find some dried porcini mushrooms and so decided this soup was meant to be! Overall it wouldn't have taken to long to make. But I didn't have a carrot, so off to the store I went. I came home, chopped the carrot and onion, roasted the hazelnuts, soaked the dried porcinis then opened the 0.5Kilo bag of mushrooms I bought Tuesday to find a big bag of mold! I need to learn how to keep mushrooms, they're never good for me after a day! So BACK to the store I went to buy another 0.5Kilo mushrooms- this time without a scale to know how much I was buying. But I apparently have a good eye, I got exactly what I needed! Then back home, sliced up the mushrooms and sautéed it all for a bit. I then added some veggie broth and simmered for about 20min before puréing. I started on the gremolata- parsley, garlic, chopped toasted hazelnuts, olive oil and a bit of orange zest. It was really good! But strong. I ended up with much too much gremolata! But the soup was superb with the gremolata and some reserved sautéed mushrooms. It was thick and creamy, without any cream. The porcinis added a wonderful flavor and the spicy gremolata added crunch and pleasant aroma from the orange. My complaint (of course there'd be one, right?)- it didn't make much. I like to have enough left over for lunch for both Johan and I, but now I'm left with no lunch. Well, next time I'll just make more!

Johan Scale: 4.5

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Mushroom-Soup-with-Hazelnut-Gremolata-350094

Tomatoes Stuffed with Rice

2008-10-02T05:32:00.000-07:00

I have been following the blog www.orangette.blogspot.com for a little while. The author, Molly, writes an article for Bon Appetit magazine every months and that's where I heard about her. But I haven't yet tried any of her recipes. She referred her readers to the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe, which I have plans to try (as soon as the fancy chocolate chips arrive from my mom!) but these stuffed tomatoes were the first thing I tried. I definitely could have made them better. I just used regular old tomatoes, whatever was at the grocer. I'm sure heirloom would have been much tastier! And I was lazy and used boxed bread crumbs instead of fresh. But the dish was still quite good! It baked for a while, but the prep time was pretty short. I liked the rice and tomato mixture which was just the insides of the tomatoes, arborio rice, onion and basil. I would maybe put in a little more basil next time, but I don't think you could ever have too much basil! I love potatoes too, so I really liked the sliced potatoes on the side. It was nothing too fancy, but good and I will definitely make it again.

Johan Scale: Strong 4

http://orangette.blogspot.com/2008/09/on-cue.html

Butternut Squash and Lemongrass Bisque

2008-10-01T01:13:00.000-07:00

This soup has been long awaited. I have been craving some butternut squah bisque for a while, but butternut squash is hard to come by here. Finally, I found some squash in Stockholm last weekend. I'd like to thanks Johan for carrying the 2 1/2 kilos of squash around Stockholm for me! So I was really worried about making the bisque, I have never made it before and for how much trouble went into finding the squash, I wanted it to turn out. So I decided to rely on my never failing Native Foods cookbook. I think that was a good call! This turned out great! I just peeled the butternut squash and chopped it up, carmelized two onions then boiled it all for 25min. puréed the soup, then steeped a lemon grass stalk in it for 10min. I served it with dried cranberries, chives and yummy fresh bread. I would have preferred it a little thicker, next time I would reduce the water. Otherwise, pretty good! And I was really glad Johan liked it so much. I wanted him to think all this searching for the squash was worth it! Luckily I have another squash left, so another bisque is soon to come!

Johan Scale: Strong 4.5

"The Native Foods Restaurant Cookbook" by Tanya Petrovna

Sushi!

2008-09-26T11:40:00.000-07:00

For some time now, Johan has been wanting to make sushi at home. I have never done this, and I really wasn't feeling making it. But today was the day. I went to the best fish source I have here and bought some salmon and a little tuna. Went and bought the sticky rice, cucumber and avacado and even some miso soup! And what a success! I had no idea how easy it was! we just cut up the fish- I guess it is cut a little nicer at the sushi restaurants, and slapped it one a hunk of sticky rice. I was nervous not using a recipe for the roll, but avocado cucumber and salmon was so good! We added a little too much wasabi to the sashimi, but that was fixable. This was delicious and so much cheaper than going out. So far, neither of us are sick from the raw fish. We'll see how it is tomorrow!

Johan Scale: Strong 5

Tuna Noodle Bowl

2008-09-26T11:31:00.000-07:00

I've had a couple of cans of tuna in the cupboard for a long time, so Johan suggested that we use them this evening. All I usually use canned tuna for is tuna sandwiches, so I wasn't so sure what to make. I found this recipe on realsimple.com and to be honest, wasn't feeling so good about it. It calls for bowtie pasta, carrots, peppers, capers, tuna, paremsan cheese with a dressing. It just sounded a little boring, but for some reason I decided to try it and what a success! It was so good! It probably took about 15min max to make and I had all the ingredients except carrots and peppers, so was super inexpensive! This is the second recipe I've made off this site and have loved them both. Things are looking good for this site in my book! Johan loved it, too.

Johan Scale: Super Strong 4.5

Real Simple, April 2000

http://food.realsimple.com/realsimple/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=633290

Vegetable Lasagna

2008-09-21T11:46:00.000-07:00

I was feeling like making lasagna tonight. And after my recent discovery that Italian lasagna does not contain ricotta cheese, I wasn't sure which kind to make. But I decided I don't care, and made American lasagna. I found this recipe in my "Better Homes and Gardens" cookbook, which I clearly don't use often enough. This turned out excellent! I am so glad that I tried it, it was delicious! I began buy roasting some red peppers, I fried some onion, garlic and mushrooms, then mixed the vegetables. Then I mixed some spinach, parmesan, ricotta and mozzarella cheeses with dried basil and oregano and a couple eggs. Then the layering accured with a tomato sauce. It baked for 30 min and that was it. It had a lot of health value as it had a fair amount of vegetables. The recipe said it made 8-10 servings, but that must be for small children, as it made about 4 for us, not big eaters. But Johan loved it, probably even more than I. He cut the ricotta a break, as he's a strong believer in the Italian lasagna. This will become a regular on my dinner menu!

Johan Scale: Strong 4.5

"Better Homes and Gardens: New Cook Book"

Smördegspaj (Butter dough pie? Lets just say Apple Pie)

2008-09-20T13:46:00.000-07:00

Johan, the founder of the Johan scale listed at the bottom of every post, is in charge of bringing a treat to his department on Friday. Which implies that I am making a treat for him to bring. So I am (more than happily) trying a few treats for him to try, and decide what to bring. I thought because it's fall, and the Swedish apples are so good! We should try something with apples. This is a recipe from a book called "Our Cook Book" and is on every shelf, and even in every college corridor room that I've seen! I guess it's a bit like the "Better Homes and Garden" Cookbook for Sweden. It was super simple, the crust was just flour and butter. Then I peeled and sliced the apples, sprinkled on some suger and cinnamon, baked it for a few, and viola, a delicious dessert! It was really, surprisingly good! But, apparently, Johan didn't quite feel the same way- as reflected in his rating on this one. Well, I guess we'll just have to keep on trying!

Johan Scale: 3.5

"Vår Kok Bok"

Linguine with spinach, snow peas, zucchini, and gremolata

2008-09-20T13:37:00.000-07:00

This is the second time I made this dish. The first time i thought it was "Excellent," this time I thought is was "so-so." I'm not sure what the difference was. The pasta was overcooked, and there was too much of it (in relation to the amount of veggies) but the first time I accidently used cucumber instead of zucchini! Ooops, I wasn't going to tell anyone that embarassing detail. I have so many recipes that do this- it says to fry the zucchini until soft, about 2 min. And I end up frying it for AT LEAST 10 min before just calling it good. It happen with carrots, cabbage, onions, so many vegetables. Do the test-chefs just have some kind of super stove i don't? But, I began with frying the onion and garlic, then adding zucchini and snow peas. I added the overcooked pasta, whole basil leaves, spinach and paremsan cheese. Mix it all together, then serve with the parsley gremolata which consists of lemon zest, capers, parsley and olive oil. I think that's what makes the dish! It is a little plane otherwise. I will make it again, but for some reason, it just didn't wow me tonight.

Johan Scale: 4

Bon Appetit, May 2008

Quinoapanna med Torskfisk (Quinoa with Cod fish)

2008-09-18T04:05:00.000-07:00

This is an oldy, but I don't have a photo up here yet. I got this recipe from http://www.ica.se/. I was looking for something with quinoa (because it's so good for you!) and this caught my eye. It calls for fennel, which I don't think I've ever used before. It has a strong anise (or black licorice) flavor which I'm not a fan of. So this time I fried the red pepper and fennel before adding it to the quinoa, instead of boiling it. I think that was a good idea. I bought frozen cod, it's much cheaper. But still tastes great! this recipe is super simple and super healthy! It's just quinoa (cooked in vegetable broth), fish and vegetables. Add a little parsley for color and a touch of flavor and dinner is served! In the photo I have it with bread (didn't add much) and matyogurt or food yogurt? I don't really know what this would be in the US, it's just a super thick yoghurt. That, however, I really liked with it! As Johan says "Great everyday meal!"

Johan Scale: Strong 4

www. ICA.se

Tortellini with porcini mushroom sauce

2008-09-16T10:11:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd throw in before and after photos to show how good this was! I got this recipe from a recent issue of Bon Appetit. An address mix-up caused me to recieve 2 issues the other day. This recipe was quite simple with not many ingredients, and probaly so good due to the cheese, cream and butter! Not my usual diet, but for whatever reason, this turned out great! I should probably call it 'Tortellini with white mushroom sauce,' because I substituted the dried porcini mushrooms for fresh white mushrooms (they weren't available at the market). I just fried them for a bit to get out the moisture (parboiled?). I used yellow onion instead of shallot. Can anyone (I guess that means you, Jessie!) tell me the benefit of using shallots? To me, they're just more expensive, with no real gain in flavor. And I guess that's about all the substitutions I made. The parmesan Johan brought back from Italy was a wonderful addition. I would use a little more fresh thyme next time, I just didn't have as much on hand as I thought. I'm sure it would have been even better with fresh tortellini, or homemade! But the cheese filled bagged tortellini was still great! Luckily I only used 1/2 the bag, so I can make this again soon with what I already have!

Johan Scale: Strong 4.5

Bon Appetit, September 2008

Lax och Couscous i Paket (Salmon and couscous in a packet)

2008-09-15T13:12:00.000-07:00

This recipe came from the Buffé magazine distributed by ICA and sounded so good! I love cooked tomatoes, and couscous cooked in lemon and salmon juice sounded great! But, what a disappointment. Johan like it better than me, probably just because it was salmon. But I wouldn't make it again. One puts uncooked couscous on the foil, then cherry tomatoes and scallions, lemon juice, then the fish are the rest of the veggies. Only the couscous directly under the fish was cooked, the rest was left uncooked. It was suggested to add capers which were totally overpowering. And never mind that 4 peices of fish with 2 pieces of foil each was a huge waste! The fish was cooked well and the foil make it super juicy and moist. That I liked, but the rest was boring. Well, I'm glad Johan liked it!

Johan Scale: 3.5

Buffé 4, 2008

Manilow's Minestrone

2008-09-12T12:10:00.000-07:00

Delicious! Growing up I always thought it was called "Minestone" and never really like it because it was too meaty. But this vegan version from "The Native Foods Restaurant Cookbook" was so good! It made a huge pot, and was chock full of so many vegetables! Peppers, cabbage, zucchini, carrots, tomato and onion plus chickpeas and kidney beans made a very hearty soup. It was super simple and quick. I loved the addition of pasta (I used maccaroni) which really made it a meal. In the soup category, Johan loved it! "Perfect fall dinner" he said. Once again, another success from Native Foods! The best birthday gift I ever asked for!

Johan Scale: 4.5

"The Native Foods Restaurant Cookbook" by

Calypsoroti

2008-09-11T13:40:00.000-07:00

Well I'm not quite sure what label to give this dish, but it is one of my favorites, nonetheless! I have made it before, but not posted on it. From the book "Rebar" given to me by my Swedish/Canadian friend Erin. This is another restaurant cookbook from a (mostly) vegetarian restaurant in Victoria, Canada. I am yet to be disappointed by a recipe from this book, as well. This recipe is quite simple and (if the peppers are cheaper than $2.00 each as they were today) inexpensive. I love that it has a black bean hummus, I need to be careful to cook enough protein. The cabbage gives it a nice crunch and the mango salsa is incredible! I used some "thin bread" for the wrap, but tortillas would have worked just as well. I used frozen mango instead of fresh, and had to add a little water to the black bean hummus to get it to blend. As toasted pumpkin seeds are always a favorite here, they made a great topping before rolling up the burrito/tortilla/who-knows-what and enjoying!

Johan Scale: Weak 4.5

"Rebar: modern food cookbook" by Audrey Alsterberg and Wanda Urbanowicz (page 101)

Asparagus Soup

2008-09-11T04:34:00.000-07:00

Alas! The long awaited Asparagus Soup! I have been planning on making this soup for a while. But the asparagus in the supermarket always looks like crap, so I've been waiting 'til it was available at the stands on the sidewalks- always nicer quality! So yesterday was the day. And although I did a pathetic job at buying the asparagus in Swedish, I left with the correct ingredients. This was a recipe from "The Native Foods Restaurant Cookbook," need I say more? It was a fun idea to save the tops of the asparagus, and then after blended, throw them back in. It was nice to get a bite of fresh asparagus every once in a while. The crutons were delicious! The garlic and parsley added a nice flavor, and the crutons became half way soggy in the soup for a unique soggy crunch! So maybe I'm not the best at describing it, but trust me, it was good. It didn't take to long to make, but wasn't quite enough for left overs- probably 3 total meals. A success, will make it again!

Johan Scale: 4

"The Native Foods Restaurant Cookbook" by Tanya Petrovna

Roasted Eggplant Pizza with Red Peppers and Feta Cheese

2008-09-10T05:26:00.000-07:00

I don't think I could ever be disappointed by a pizza from this book "The Cheese Board Collective Works" (well, I couldn't imagine being disappointed by ANY recipe from this book)! I would roast the eggplant differently next time, and I would roast the peppers and onion as well. The recipe pretty much tells you to bake the vegetables. I think the flavor would have been nicer. I actually used gouda cheese, instead of the recommended Mozzarella because I already had it in the fridge. I was a little worried about mixing it with the feta cheese which goes on top, but it was delicious! I don't know what else to say, a great pizza!

Johan Scale: 4

"The Cheese Board Collective Works" by The Cheese Board Collectiv

Rocky Recchuiti Brownies

2008-09-06T23:36:00.000-07:00

I have always been a sucker for desserts- especailly brownies! It's been a little while since I splurged on a dessert, so I decided it was time to try this one. From one of my favorite books- "Chocolate Obsession." I have yet to be disappointed by any recipe in this book. Maybe that's a little unfair to say since they recipes are all for sweets? I don't know. But these were quite simple. I was shocked to see that my local grocer doesn't carry unsweetened baking chocolate. What?! Super strange. So I really just used cocoa at 55% (all they had available) and then put in less sugar. I know what you're wondering- why didn't I use nicer chocolats. Well, I would have but I'm a cheapskate and wasn't at a store that sold fine chocolate to get any. Next time though, it would have made a world of difference. The recipe suggests home made marshmallows (that's what's on top of these brownies) but there's no way I was going to whip up some marshmallows just for this recipe, so I used the store-bought ones I already had. Roasted walnuts are mixed into this batter along with extra chunks of the chocolate. They baked for 45min, so one must be patient. But they turned out to be super gooey, chocolatey and delicious!

Johan Scale: 4.5

"Chocolate Obsession" by Michael Recchuiuti and Fran Gage

Lingonsylt (Lingonberry Jam)

2008-09-04T13:09:00.000-07:00

Well I've been thinking about making jam. My mom used to make a strawberry-rhubarb jam that was so good! But, I always thought one needed to use pectin and therefore make a huge amount of jam at any time. So, I was super excited to read an article by the blogger, Orangette in Bon Appetit on how to make jam- no pectin needed! The recipe just called for berries, lemon and (lots of) sugar. So, I went to the nearest stand and bought a kilo of lingonberries. And it was a snap! Except that I didn't have the right jars, the jam was so simple and tastes so good! I've had it a little everyday since I made it, last sunday. I might have to break into one that I sealed...

Johan doesn't like lingonberry jam, so his scale does not apply

Bon Appetit June 2008 (Orangette.blogspot.com)

Southwestern Mixed Vegetable Soup

2008-09-04T13:01:00.000-07:00

Another one from "How to Cook Everything." I did mention this book is a little hit or miss, right? Well this one was little miss. It wasn't bad, it was inexpensive and quick. There exists the possibility that I might make it again. But nothing to rave over. There just wasn't any flavor. It was quite bland. I only add it to the blog to help give credibility to the Johan Scale- to show that not everything gets high ratings! But I finished the meal by pouring some fine olive oil and vinegar on a plate and soaking the baguette (meant to accompany the soup) in it. Not a great sign. Well, better luck tomorrow!

Johan Scale: Strong 3

"How to Cook Everything: Vegetarian" by Mark Bittman page 125

Roasted Quinoa with Potatoes and Cheese

2008-09-04T06:22:00.000-07:00

This book "How to Cook Everything " is a great resource. I definitely think it lives up to it's name! From buying and storing fruits and vegetables, to making tofu, cutting techniques, tips on storing leftovers, you name it! The recipes always offer lots of substitutions and variations. I've made a few from this book, which to be honest, are just a little hit or miss. Most of the recipes don't make very much food, so we are still hungry after dinner- or at least no leftovers for lunch. That was the case with this recipe, but now that I know that, I will just double the recipe next time! Problem solved. This recipe was quite good! Roasting the quinoa was a little twist on the usually way of preperation and I love potatoes, in any form! It was quite inexpensive. I ended up using salladlök instead of vårlök- the correct substitution for scallions, but I thought it was fine! I used a regular gouda cheese, red peppers, parsley, potatoes and garlic. In fact, the garlic was so good, I wouldn't probably double it next time! It's boiled whole, then roasted whole with the poatoes and quinoa. Not a super exciting dish, but a good one! I think Johan liked it more than I did, but I will still make it again!

Johan Scale: Weak 4

"How to Cook Everything: Vegetarian" by Mark Bittman, page 561

Laxpudding i Panna (Salmon Omlette in a Pan)

2008-08-31T10:05:00.000-07:00

Really good one! And so typically swedish! It would score a little higher, but it's not a huge improvement from just having the gravadlax, boiled potatoes and dill on a plate. But nevertheless, tastes great. The egg took a while to cook, so have patience. Didn't cost too much, the lax 45SEK and the dill, eggs, milk and potatoes aren't much. Quite quick, too! And filling. A definitely keeper!

Johan Scale: Strong 4

ICA Buffé

Curried Rice with Shrimp

2008-08-30T11:28:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Jessie's Grandma! This recipe was off the "Real Simple" website, and that's just what it was. It was quick, inexpensive and tasted great! I used brown rice instead of long grain white, so adjusted the cooking time accordingly. Next time, I will adjust the water accordingly, also! I used frozen, uncooked shrimp which tasted great! I used about 400g shrimp, instead of the suggested 700g, but it was still, plenty. Very filling, also. Definitely will do again!

Johan Scale: Strong 4

http://food.realsimple.com/realsimple/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1834383

Varm Bulgur med Kantareller och Granatäpple (Warm bulgur with chanterlles and pomegranate)

2008-08-30T11:21:00.000-07:00

Not the best photo, but I really liked this one! Bulgur, kantareller, pomegranate, goat chees, parsley and thyme. All go so good together! Maybe a better lunch dish, or light for dinner, I will definitely make this one again. 2 pomegranates was way to much, I would just use 1 next time. I used 2 dl parsley before being chopped, and that was perfect.

Johan Scale: 3.5

http://www.ellematochvin.se/?id=19417

Devil's Food Cupcakes with White Chocolate-Espresso Topping

2008-08-10T05:01:00.000-07:00

Wow. These were so good! This recipe came from a cookbook called Chocolate Obsession, but Michael Recchiuti and Fran Gage. Michael Recchiuti ownes this wonderful chocolate shop in the Fairy Market Building in San Francisco, which is where I was introduced to him and his chocolate. This is stupidly only the second recipe I've tried from this book. That will change. The cakes are extrememly moist using vegetable oil instead of butter, and the zest from an orange adds an extra layer of taste. I did have some trouble with the ganache topping, which I blame on the poor quality white chocolate I used (thanks for the hint, mom!) But in the end, the frosting set up fine and was unbelievable! Such a great combination of dark and white chocolates, orange and coffee. These I will make time and again, next time I will try to distribute the ganache more evenly!

Johan Scale: 5

Apple Caves (äppelgrottor)

2008-08-10T04:54:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from my Elle: Mat & Vin, Aug-Sep 2008 issue, a Swedish food magazine. They were quite good! My favorite part was how simple they were. They were quite quick as well. It's not quite the height of apple season (in fact, it's not apple season at all) but I didn't care. One begins by frying the apples in butter, then adding some cinnamon and sugar. The "cave" is a little more like a cookie, but really good and simple. I served them with vanilla ice cream which I think finished it off.

Johan Scale: 3.5

Bye Bye Barnum Black Bean Salad

2008-07-30T01:56:00.001-07:00

This salad recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks. It's the Native Foods Restaurant Cookbook. Native Foods is a restaurant in southern california which offers only vegan food. But there dishes are amazing! I have converted many a meat eater to Native Foods, one never feels like they're missing something with their dishes. The name "Bye Bye Barnum" is a reference to getting rid of Barnum and Bailey's circus for animal rights issues. In particular, the elephants. Probably my most favorite dish is a salad from this book, so I thought I would try another salad on a super hot summer day. This one sounded a bit boring, but trusted the folks at Native Foods. What a good call! This was delicious! I think it was the balsamic vineagerette which made it. With black beans, brown rice, tomatoes, cilantro, lettuce and onion this was also a rather healthy salad. I will definitely make it again!

Johan Scale: 4

Spaghetti with Shrimp, Tomatoes and Feta Sabraw

2008-07-22T11:46:00.000-07:00

Another winner from epicurious.com! My boyfriend loves shrimp and pasta, so I decided to try this recipe. It sounded a little boring, but good reviews made me give it a try! I was super excited to find normal sized, uncooked shrimp in Sweden so tonight was the night. This was another super simple and quick dish. I first sauteed the shrimp in olive oil and garlic, then added the tomato, scallions and basil to heat through. Plus, I love cooked tomatoes! Once the pasta was cooked, I just mixed it all together to make a delicious dinner! Will definitely make this one again.

Johan Scale: Solid 4

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/LINGUINE-WITH-SHRIMP-TOMATOES-AND-FETA-SABRAW-14179

Rhubarb Streusel Cakes

2008-07-22T05:41:00.000-07:00

These may not look like something really specail, but do not be fooled! My boyfriend loves rhubarb, so I thought I'd try to make a great rhubarb treat for him. This recipe I got off of epicurious.com. One of my favorite sites because one can read reviews from others who have tried the recipe. I have never been disappointed following the advice from the reviews. I followed the advice from a review on this one (teacherhansens) and these muffin cakes were fabulous! They were quite easy and quick to make. Which often makes or breaks a recipe for me. Although I would call these muffins, they are actually cake. I made the cake batter and folded in the rhubarb. Then dropped this into the muffin forms and covered with some struesel.

While I'm at it, I may as well comment on the silicone muffin forms i used. I have had these for a couple of years, but not used them much. I now have no choice if I want to make muffins as I don't have a muffin pan. But these were a breeze! A little difficult to clean if you (as i don't) don't have a dishwasher. But they are reusable and the muffins don't stick to them. But make sure you have enough. If you need to take the muffin out, it will dry out (or get soggy, depending where you live). Overall, a great summer treat!
Johan Scale: 4.5

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/RHUBARB-STREUSEL-CAKES-108008