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Books & Spoons Recipe for COD CAKES WITH ROASTED POTATOES

24/2/2017

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I love to eat fish and chips, and to get a little healthier form of the tasty treat, I made some cod cakes this week, with roasted potatoes that were tossed in olive oil and herbs, and shredded carrot salad on the side to give color to the plate - and vitamins and minerals to me, all the goodies in the carrots, that we especially now need as we head towards the spring season and sun is out more even up here in the north. 

The meal was rather easy to prepare. I had the potatoes in the oven while I prepared the cod cakes. I cut the large red potatoes into eights in lengthwise with one potato per person. I had a dash of rosemary, thyme, sage, sea salt and freshly ground pepper on them, little olive oil, tossed them until all were well coated and I set them into the oven. I shredded the carrots ready while the fish was cooking. You can add orange slices, pomegranates, lingonberries, raisins to the salad if so desired to add new flavors and more color to it. 

This is a really tasty meal. I have put some of the cakes into a freezer if I ever need in a pinch a quick meal. By making the cakes a little smaller in size they could be a great appetizer as well if served with a mayonnaise-based sauce with little dill, mustard, and spices. I hope you enjoy them and have a great weekend. Till next time
~ Cheers!

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COD CAKES
  • 2 cups   Milk
  • 1 lb / 0,5 kg Cod fillets, cut into small pieces
  • 1/2 cup Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), divided
  • 2 tablespoons Minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 tablespoon grated Onion
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons grated Lemon rind
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided


  1. Bring milk to a simmer over medium heat in a medium, heavy saucepan. 
  2. Add the fish; cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. 
  3. Drain well. 
  4. Combine fish, 1/4 cup panko, minced fresh flat-leaf parsley, grated onion, grated lemon rind, salt, freshly ground black pepper, the lightly beaten egg and egg white, and the minced garlic clove
  5. Stir in 1 tablespoon juice. 
  6. Divide fish mixture into 8 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. 
  7. Dredge patties in remaining 1/4 cup panko, pressing to coat.
  8. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. 
  9. Add 4 patties to pan, and cook for 4 minutes on each side or until golden. 
  10. Remove from pan, and drain on paper towels. 
  11. Repeat procedure with remaining olive oil and patties. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon juice. 
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Books & Spoons Recipe for HONEY GLAZED CHICKEN & ROASTED PEPPERS WITH CINNAMON COUSCOUS

17/2/2017

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Folks, the spring is in the air, the sun is out, the temperatures nearly above freezing, I can feel the energy bursting out after the long, dark, polar nights and five weeks of influenza... Yet again, life wins up here in Nordic! I am getting nearly poetic here, but hopefully, you don't hold it against me. 
You might have noticed that I don't prepare many dishes with chicken. When I go for the poultry, I tend to buy a turkey breast instead, but for a couple of weeks I have been craving for the honey glazed chicken breasts, and what better time to do it than now. 


For the veggies, I prepared some bell peppers with red onions and Chinese garlic with a good dash of rosemary, and a hint of sage and thyme. I tossed them all in olive oil, salt, and pepper, and set them in an oven next to the chicken dish. 
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​For the starch, I had couscous with cinnamon in it. That cinnamon, with the honey from the chicken and the rosemary from the vegetables, all balanced each other in a lovely, harmonious way, and I have to say, this meal is a winner! 


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I purposely prepared twice as much as I would have needed so that the next day I had a meal ready to assemble with fajitas. The wraps that I made with the leftovers were so tasty I wish I could have shared them with you. 
So that's what has been for a dinner here, I hope you enjoy it and have a great weekend. Till next time
~ Cheers! 
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HONEY GLAZED CHICKEN
  • 4 Chicken breasts
  • Lemon juice from a half a lemon
  • 2 tbsp Honey
  • 2 tbsp Dark soy sauce
  • Salt and Pepper to the taste

  1. Season the chicken breasts and set in the baking dish with the skin side up
  2. Squeeze the lemon into a bowl and stir in the honey and soy sauce. I use low salted soy sauce myself. 
  3. Spoon the mixture over the chicken
  4. Tuck the squeezed-out half of lemon between the pieces (this will moisten and add flavor to the chicken).
  5. Roast the chicken breasts in a baking dish, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes in a preheated oven (190C/375F). Cook until done (75C/165F inside the chicken breast) and richly glazed, basting with the juices at least twice. 
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Books & Spoons Recipe for CARROT & GINGER SOUPĀ 

10/2/2017

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​Ginger is among the healthiest spices on the planet. It is loaded with nutrients and bioactive compounds that have powerful benefits for your body and brain. I use it a lot in tea and cooking and just building up my immune system during the flu season. When you mix ginger with carrots, also considered as one of the healthiest foods in the world, and make harmony - or soup if you want - the taste is deeply layered and it is good for you! I tend to have at least one vegetarian day a week, by no means of planning, but by just loving the taste and abundance of veggies our markets are pushing out these days. This week I made the Carrot & Ginger Soup since after being sick for the whole month of January, I really need to boost my energy. But mainly because this soup is really delicious and simple to make. I added some sour cream to it, after finishing it off with butter and drops of fresh lemon juice. If you want the taste of ginger in your soup, but not the hot burn it has, remove it from the kettle before you purè the rest of the ingredients. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Stay warm, folks, or cool if you are on the other side and have summer time. Till next time
~ Cheers!

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CARROT & GINGER SOUP
  • 1 kg / 2 lb Carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 1 Leeks washed and sliced thinly
  • 50g / 1 oz Ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 7 dl / 3 cups Vegetable stock
  • 50 g / 1 oz Butter
  • 1/2 Lemon for fresh juice

  1. Set carrots, ginger, and leeks into a kettle and pour vegetable stock in so that the vegetables are well covered. 
  2. Boil the ingredients until cooked through
  3. If you want, remove the ginger from the kettle
  4. Purè the ingredients until a smooth soup consistency
  5. Check the flavors and add salt and pepper if needed
  6. Flavor with butter and lemon juice if desired
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Books & Spoons Recipe for SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

3/2/2017

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We made it through January! Oh, it wasn't easy by any means, and I know I have been a bit absent here on the Spoons lately, but y'all that flu took me down for weeks and there wasn't much 'food talk' around here, I tell you! But, February is here, and it arrived with a bit of snow and gloomy days, and when it gets so outside, I want to compensate that with sunny and colorful plates, food that will cheer me up, is tasty, and all kinds of good. 
This particular side dish might not be the healthiest, with cream and cheese and potatoes in it. But I served it on the side of a herb crusted roasted turkey breast, so that gave it some balance, or so I told myself since I really had been craving carbs the whole time I was sick and I finally had the energy to do something about it.

The recipe is really simple, and if you have a mandoline to cut the veggies with, the preparation of the dish could take even less time. Just remember, safety first! 
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To make a one medium size casserole that feeds about two adults and two children I used 
- one large sweet potato 
- one large baking potato 
- leeks 
- one cup of cream
- one cup of shredded cheese mix of mozzarella and sharp cheddar
- a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper and sea salt
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I cut the veggies into a large cut julienne, or we can call it super sized fresh fries. 
The leeks of course into thin strips, and mixed them all well in a casserole dish.
I ground a lot of black pepper on top, added sea salt. Remember that potatoes do soak a lot of salt into them. 
I poured the cream evenly on top of the veggies in the casserole dish and added the cheese mix on top of everything.
I set it into a pre-heated oven (225C / 430F) for an hour, next to the turkey breast in an oven bag. 
While baking the veggies soaked cream into them, and the consistency of the dish is like any other casserole when done.

After the casserole and the turkey were done, I let them sit while I steamed some peas, and the meal was ready to be served. Oh, it was tasty! 
I hope you enjoy it as well. Until next time
~ Cheers!
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