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Books & Spoons Recipe for SWEET POTATO & BLACK BEAN CASSEROLE

27/4/2018

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SWEET POTATO & BLACK BEAN CASSEROLE

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  • 600 g of sweet potatoes (1,3 lb)
  • 1 TBSP butter to coat the pan with
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 150 g of grated cheese

The Bean Mix
  • 1 tetra/can of preserved black beans (400 g)
  • 1 TBSP of olive oil
  • 1 tsp of salt
  • 0.5 tsp of thyme
  • 0.5 tsp of basil
  • 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper
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  1. Heat the oven to 225C/435F degrees. 
  2. Prepare the Bean Mix
  3. Pour the preserved black beans into the sieve. 
  4. Rinse the beans with cold water and drip-dry them 
  5. Put the beans in a bowl and season with oil and spices. Set it aside.
  6. Peel the sweet potatoes and split them in half lengthwise. 
  7. Put the cutting surface on the cutting board and slice the sweet potatoes as thinly as possible with a sharp knife.
  8. Grease the casserole pan with the butter
  9. Lay the sweet potato pieces into the casserole pan.
  10. Pour the bean mixture over and in between the sweet potato slices 
  11. Sprinkle the casserole with olive oil and salt.
  12. Bake at the bottom of the oven for 20 - 30 minutes 
  13. Add the grated cheese and bake for another 10 - 15 minutes until cheese has melted and obtained a beautiful color.
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This dish is not only delicious but it also looked so nice. It is a side dish, but I used it as the main course and with some steamed vegetables and a green salad on the side it was a filling and lovely meal.
Couple of notes to go with it:
- I would use half a sweet potato per serving for a side dish and a whole if used as a main course if that gives you a better visual how much you need
- If you have a mandoline, it is a perfect tool to cut the sweet potatoes with.
- The time in the oven is depended on the thickness of your sweet potato slices. Make sure the potatoes are done before serving.
- Interlocking the pieces of sweet potatoes makes the casserole not only look nice, it also makes the sweet potatoes cook faster.
- If the cheese you use is very salty, be careful with the amount of salt you use on top of the casserole before the first baking.
I really liked the subtle flavors of the herbs with the beans and sweet potatoes. I saw a picture of a dish like this on the internet, and I had to try to re-create it, and I admit, I was happy with the results. I hope you are as well.
'Till next time
~ Cheers!
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Books & Spoons Recipe for ORANGE CHICKEN

23/4/2018

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ORANGE CHICKEN WITH BALSAMIC VINEGAR 

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  • 2 Large chicken breasts, thinly sliced or divided into two lengthwise
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 TBSP of olive oil
  • 3 TBSP white or black balsamic vinegar 
  • 2 TBSP orange zest
  • 1 1/2 dl (1 cup) freshly squeezed orange juice 
  • 1 1/2 dl (1 cup) vegetable stock
  • 1 TBSP Rosemary, chopped fine
  • 1 TBSP honey
  • 2 TBSP butter 
  1. Season the chicken well on all sides with salt and pepper.
  2. Fry the chicken in a pan with the olive oil until it has a nice color on all sides
  3. Add the vinegar, vegetable stock, and orange juice to the pan and bring to a low boil
  4. Add chopped rosemary and orange zest
  5. Allow the mixture to come to a boil again, then reduce heat and continue cooking on a low heat for about 5 minutes.
  6. Spoon the liquid from the pan over the chicken while it is cooking
  7. Add honey and butter to the pan
  8. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes more on a low heat.
  9. Serve the chicken sauce with rice, vegetables, and a green salad.
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I saw the funniest thing on Instagram the other day about people wanting just the recipes from a food blog, not the life story of a blogger. "Get to the recipe first"  - well, that's just fine with me, so from now on, I will be posting the recipes at the top of the post, and comment only if there are some notes I wanted to pass on.
If you want to make this tasty dish meat-free, use white, hydrated beans instead of chicken. That will add to the cooking time considerably if the beans are not ready cooked. You can also do this in a slow cooker with the beans, but then leave the honey and butter to be added just minutes before serving. With the chicken, it takes less than 30 minutes to make this dish, so I don't think a slow cooker option is necessary, but if you decide to do that, remember that honey and butter right before getting ready to serve. 
Hope you'll enjoy this quick yet flavor rich dish! 
'Till next time
~ Cheers! 
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Books & Spoons Recipe for SPICY CABBAGE STEW

17/4/2018

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There seems to be some kind of problem with downloading spring this year. Every time I think now the warmer weather will come, the sun is out, I don't have to have four layers of clothing anymore, and there is snow... But, we deal, and we move on, there's always tomorrow, right?! 
This cabbage stew with pork is a perfect dish to make on those unexpected cold days. It is easy to set going, and then it simmers by itself for a couple of hours at the low heat, letting all the ingredients and flavors to immerse and deepen so you get that deep burning taste of this delightfully delish dish with lots of fiber. 
It is a great meal as it is, or you can serve it with noodles or rice if you so choose to. The vegetables you use on it is up to you, the more colorful, the better, always. I didn't add any liquid to it, what liquid it does have come from the vegetable themselves. I used pork in the stew, but of course, you can make it without it as well. Or use poultry instead. Just check the taste as you let it cook, to make sure it has enough flavor in it. 
As the eternal optimist, I have faith the spring will come, and the sun will shine, and the new, fresh veggies will come to the markets soon... 
'Till next time
~ Cheers! 

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CABBAGE STEW WITH PORK & VEGGIES

  • 300 g/10 oz Pork loin, sliced small
  • 0.5 Cabbage, chopped
  • 1 Yellow Bell pepper, julienned
  • 1 red Bell pepper, julienned
  • 10 ea Mini corn, 
  • 20 ea Green beans
  • 4 Carrots (orange and/or yellow), peeled and julienned
  • 1 Onion, peeled and chopped fine
  • 2 gloves Garlic, chopped fine
  • Olive oil to the pan
  • Spices to taste: salt, pepper, smoked paprika, ground ginger, ground cayenne pepper, turmeric, cinnamon 
  1. Chop the cabbage, onion, and garlic
  2. Slice the pork loin into a thin slices
  3. Brown the pork in olive oil in a big, hot dutch oven, 
  4. Add the chopped onion and garlic
  5. Season with salt and pepper
  6. Add half of the chopped cabbage and let them simmer
  7. Prepare the rest of the vegetable ready to be cooked as directed
  8. Add the rest of the vegetables, a little bit at the time, until all the ingredients are in the dutch oven simmering
  9. Add the seasoning, smoked paprika, ground ginger, ground cayenne pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, salt, pepper, to taste. Be careful with ginger, turmeric, and cinnamon. It is better to add spices several times than put too much at once. 
  10. Let the stew simmer on low heat for an hour or two (great also on a crockpot) if needed, use vegetable bullion as added liquid
  11. Serve as it is with Naan bread or with noodles or rice
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BOOKS & SPOONS RECIPE FOR CREAMY SALMON CASSEROLE WITH ROOT VEGETABLES

9/4/2018

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To survive a hectic week ahead, I often start my meal planning the previous week by preparing a casserole type of dish that gives me meals for a couple of days if so needed. It takes off the stress of meal planning and prep from the everyday fumble and can be a make or break a deal how the week starts to roll off. To fix the casserole on Sunday while making the Sunday dinner, might be a brilliant idea to save time and stress, but making it on Monday and knowing Tuesday and maybe even Wednesday are already taken care of, you are off to a great week. And, while at it, if it is doable, make two casseroles, and put the other one into the freezer for that really bad, busy, I got no time or desire to cook days that might come ahead of you. 
I have shared many casserole recipes with you over the years so you can just go to the 'search' bar and write casserole in it and it will give you links to the recipes. 

This recipe is an old classic, that I grew up with. It has developed and come more healthy, or colorful, over the years. If you translate the name directly to English 'Temptation' describe it well, as it is a true form of tempting comfort food in a casserole dish that has that creamy, delicious texture and flavor. 
It is easy to make, it does take an hour in the oven, but it is worth that time to wait. You can make it with fish, like here is used salmon. You can use marinated fish, smoked fish, sardines from the can, or pickled fish like gravlax. Or you can use ham, turkey, or chicken if you happen to have leftovers and want to utilize them well. 
For the recipe itself, you can go with just sliced, diced, or julienned potatoes and onions. Or you can get a bit more flavor to it and add a variety of root vegetables. 
Also, you can use just cream like I did this time, or you can add a bit cheese, like Gruyère, that has a creamy and nutty flavor if the cheese is young but more complex flavor if the cheese ages over five months. 
Layering the ingredients you ensure that each bite is filled with the flavors, textures, and the comforting goodness of the tempting casserole.
I hope you are having a fabulous week, that you are enjoying April, and that there is no more snow in your yard... The spring will come! 
'Till next time
~ Cheers

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CREAMY SALMON CASSEROLE WITH ROOT VEGGIES

  • 2 Baked potatoes
  • 4 Carrots
  • 1 Parsnip
  • 1/2 Leek
  • 1 stalk of Celery
  • 1 Yellow onion
  • 2 -3 dl cream
  • Dask of powdered ginger
  • To taste salt + Pepper 


*If using a salty cheese on the top of the casserole you might not need as much salt in the vegetables.
  1. Wash, peel, and chopped the vegetables into desired shape (sliced, diced, julienned)
  2. Toss the vegetables with the salt, pepper, and the dash of ginger
  3. Set half into the casserole pan
  4. Put a layer of protein (fish, baked ham, cooked turkey, etc) on top of the vegetables. *Omit if making a vegeterian or a sidedish version
  5. Top the dish of with the rest of the vegetables
  6. Pour cream on top of the casserole so that the ingredients are just covered. 
  7. Set in the oven to bake (350F/175C) for about an hour in the middle of the oven.
  8. Half way through, add the optional cheese on top if so desired
  9. Serve with a fresh green salad on the side
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Books & Spoons Recipe for BAKED ROOT VEGETABLES WITH CHILI SAUCE

2/4/2018

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For a while now I have been playing with an oven dish with root vegetable recipe. I just got back home from visiting my parents and while there, my mom started to tell me about this new root vegetable dish she does... Too funny! 
There are a lot of similarities to the one I had been playing with, so for now, I just share my mom's amazing baked root vegetable dish with sweet and sour chili sauce, that will melt in your mouth but leaves a sweet kind of gentle burn in the aftertaste, like a reminder that you just consumed something delicious. 
This dish was served on the side of some spicy chicken tenders, baked in the oven next to the vegetables. I had some turmeric, smoked paprika, a dash of ginger powdered, another dash of cinnamon, and salt and pepper, mixed with oil and rubbed on the chicken before setting it on the pan and baking it. The pieces of chicken were so large, and the pieces of vegetable small, so that they were done at the same time, in about 45 - 50 minutes in the 350F/175C oven.  
I hope you enjoy this dish, it has all the colors of the spring! Hopefully, the snowing and root veggies will soon change into sunny days and fresh vegetables from the garden... 
'Till next time
~ Cheers!

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BAKED ROOT VEGETABLES WITH CHILI SAUCE  

  • 8 ea Potatoes, medium sized
  • 8 ea Carrot, medium sized
  • 1 ea Swede
  • 1 ea Parsnip
  • 1 ea Red onion
  • 1 cup of Sweet Chili Sauce
  • Salt + Pepper
  1. Wash and peel the vegetables dicing them into small pieces
  2. Toss the vegetables in the Sweet Chili Sauce, add salt and pepper
  3. Set into an oven pan and let them bake until done, for about 45-50 minutes in 350F/175C oven
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