Shrimp sandwich

If you happen to visit Nacka - just outside Stockholm, where I live - you have to go to Melanders. It's a fish store and restaurant, and they have several locations - however, I'm not sure the other ones serve this same shrimp sandwich. We bought one each for dinner the other day. Well, what you can't see in the photo is the size. The avocado will give some indication - but let me say, this sandwich is about the size of a dinner plate. It was HUGE. And wonderful! A mountain of fresh shrimp, sliced hard-boiled eggs, a little bit of mayo... oh, and some bread underneath it all, too.

And no, we couldn't finish them. Next time, we'll get one to share.

Fourth of July

As always, I like to have a little party on 4th of July - after all, it's much more fun to celebrate the American national day than our own. So, a few of our friends came over for a nice potluck picnic.



We had tons of delicious food, including chicken wings, barbecued ribs, fried chicken, caesar salad, cole slaw, macaroni and cheese, potato wedges with cheese and bacon and tons of dipping sauces. And as you can see in the first photo, a flag cake! It was great fun to make - I'll post the recipe soon.



And of course, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.



Titus wore some stars, and enjoyed his very first Independence Day.

Blueberry Squares

Something tasty for the weekend!

Blueberry Squares
makes 16

150 g unsalted butter
140 g sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
150 g flour
200 g blueberries (frozen are fine)

Beat sugar and butter until fluffy. It's easier if the butter is softened, but it will work even if it's cold. (I rarely remember to soften my butter.)

Add the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla. Stir in the flour.

Grease a square pan (mine is about 20 cm) and spread the batter in it. Top with the blueberries.

Bake at 175°C for about 30 minutes. The cake should look golden and shrink away slightly from the sides.

Recipe in Swedish:
Blåbärsrutor

Chicken Ragu with New Potatoes

Quick, easy, fairly light and summery. What else could you want? This is perfect for when you want something more substantial than a salad. Serve it with a good bread, and you're all set. Add onions and garlic for more zing - I'm staying away from those two at the moment, because it seems they are a bit upsetting for my baby's tummy.

Chicken Ragu with New Potatoes
serves 2

2 chicken breasts
olive oil
500 g tomato passata (crushed tomatoes will do)
300 g new potatoes
1 large bulb of fennel
2-300 ml water
2-3 pieces of grilled peppers (jarred)
salt, pepper

Dice the chicken breasts and brown in a little bit of olive oil. Set aside. Cut the new potatoes in smaller pieces. Quarter the fennel lengthwise and slice thinly. Finely chop the grilled peppers.

Fry the fennel in a little bit of olive oil in a pot, then add chicken, tomatoes, potatoes and a little water. Cover with a lid and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are soft. Add more water if it seems too thick. Stir in the grilled peppers and season with salt and pepper.

Recipe in Swedish:
Kycklingragu med färskpotatis

Asparagus Strawberry Salad with Halloumi

It's so very warm here. Well, for Sweden. And for me. Compared to the rest of the world, maybe 28-30°C isn't that much, but for me, it's just awful. I'm not very good with the heat, and I have to cool down any way I can. I grew up with a swimming pool, and oh how I miss it these days!

Asparagus are getting harder to find, but strawberries are everywhere. Make this brilliant salad while you can.

Asparagus Strawberry Salad with Halloumi
Serves 2

300 g strawberries, halved
200 g asparagus, in bite-sized pieces
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp olive oil
salt, pepper
50 g arugula (rocket), coarsely chopped
1 handful alfalfa sprouts
250 g halloumi cheese, sliced

Boil the asparagus in salted water for 3-4 minutes. Drain and place in a bowl of ice water - this helps the asparagus retain its bite and color.

Place strawberries and asparagus in a bowl with lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add arugula and alfalfa sprouts, and divide on two plates.

Fry the halloumi in some hot oil, and place on top of the salad.

Recipe in Swedish:
Sparris och jordgubbssallad med halloumi

Hot

We are having a very warm day. Perfect for watermelon.

Daring Bakers June 2009: Bakewell Tart

The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England.

I admit, I had a lot of fun with this. I hated doing the shortcrust pastry, as always. I just can't seem to roll out pastry, no matter what. It doesn't matter though, because I don't much like eating it, either. I make pies sometimes, but they're really not my favorite thing to eat. However, I really, really liked the filling on this one, so I was quite happy to make it anyway!



I used a homemade strawberry-rhubarb jam that I dug up from a dark corner of my freezer - I can't really tell you a recipe for it, but I don't think it was very complicated... (Mostly strawberries, a little rhubarb and vanilla, and a bit of jam sugar, I bet.)

I will most definitely post the recipe for this tart eventually, as it's something I'll be doing again, but since my tiny chef wants my attention now, that will have to wait for another day!



You can find the recipe here, the blogroll here, and the discussion forums - open to everyone! - here.