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Books & Spoons recipe for BRIE AND HERB FILLED PORK LOIN

26/5/2017

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​One of my favorite treats during the summer and grill season are the Brie and herbs filled pork file slices or chicken breasts. 
It does not take much, but the taste is so so good. 
You can either grill them carefully on a low burning heat so the bacon doesn't catch on fire, or you can bake them in the oven if you feel more comfortable with it or simply don't have the possibility to grill.

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I took the medium thick pork loin slice, it was about 2 cm thick or nearly an inch, and with a sharp-ended knife carefully opened it up like a pita bread. Not cutting all the way through, but creating a pocket. 
Into that pocket, I put a slice of Brie and thyme. Then closed the pocket and wrapped the whole thing neatly with bacon. I used two slices of bacon per one slice of pork loin. 
When either baking them or grilling them, make sure the meat is done all the way. To avoid burning the bacon in the process, lower temperatures are recommended. 
I served the deliciousness with baked ginger sweet potatoes and asparagus marinated in Balsamico and quickly sautéd on the pan. The asparagus could have hit the grill as well if that was available. 
The sweet potatoes were cut into small pieces and seasoned with grind ginger powder, a dash of cinnamon, salt, and black pepper. 
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Altogether, a fantastic meal time, sure to please the most. And when you cut open the pork, and the melted Brie and the herbs come visible, it is sure to whet the appetite even more. 
I hope you enjoy it. Till next time
~ Cheers!
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Books & Spoons THIS THE SEASON FOR ASPARAGUS

18/5/2017

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Oh, it is the season, and I love it! If you follow Books & Spoons on Instagram you might have gotten that idea already. 
I'm a big fan of asparagus, to the point that my morning routine these days includes a smoothie that is made with asparagus, kale, and pineapple juice. I know, what, right?! But it is actually really good, and really good for you as well. 
Water makes up 93% of asparagus's composition. Asparagus is low in calories and is very low in sodium. It is a good source of vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium, and zinc, and a very good source of dietary fibre, protein, beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, rutin, niacin, folic acid, iron, phosphorus, potassium, copper, manganese, and selenium, as well as chromium, a trace mineral that enhances the ability of insulin to transport glucose from the bloodstream into cells. The amino acid asparagine gets its name from asparagus, as the asparagus plant is relatively rich in this compound.
*Wikipedia

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The thickness of the stem tells you the sex of the plant, with the thicker stems coming from the female plants. Asparagus is the only vegetable that has distinct male and female version.  The thicker stalks can be woody, but it is really easy to snap the woody part away. Just take the stem in your hands and gently bend it, and the woody part will break off. If you peel the asparagus it will poach much faster, but the very thin male stems don't usually require peeling. 
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A classic way to serve asparagus is to wrap it in Parma ham and bake/grill them so that the ham is crispy, yet the asparagus still has a little crunch to it. In my oven, it was just about 20 minutes, but that old faithful is not the most efficient in the markets.
It can be served as an appetizer as it is, with the Parma ham around it. Or you can build a full meal out of it with a green salad and fruit served with it, like I did. It was a perfect meal on one of those rare, hot spring days up here north. With a smaller portion size, you can make that into a starter, too.
The ham is salty, so I didn't add any more salt to the asparagus. Little freshly ground pepper on top of the salad and it should be just lovely. 
I hope you are enjoying the season. Till next time
~ Cheers!

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Books & Spoons MANGO SALSA SALMON WITH ROSEMARY POTATOES

12/5/2017

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I am a big fan of mango as well as salmon, and to put them together with some kick in the sauce, generated a meal that I called dangerously delicious because one (read: me) ended up eating more than was planned. 
But if you are lucky enough to have leftovers from this meal, you can put them together, cold, for the next day's lunch, and have a delicious and tasty meal ready to eat as it is. 


I put the cut potatoes in a bowl with a dash of rosemary, thyme, and sage with salt and pepper and olive oil. Tossed them well so the seasoning was evenly distributed, and set in an aluminum foil on an oven dish. 
The mini peppers and mini cucumbers we have had on the local market are full of taste and flavor, more so than full grown products ever. I have become a fan of them and use them where ever I can, now on the side of the fish and potatoes. 
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After putting salt and pepper on the salmon slices, I smother them with the hot mango salsa, tossed few red peppers on top of the salsa, and set in the oven with the potatoes. 
The goal with the size of the potatoes is that they are done at the same time as the fish, that took in my oven about 30 minutes. 
If you don't want to prepare the mango salsa yourself, most well-stocked grocery stores sell a ready made salsa. Just make sure it is not milk product based (sour cream), and the ingredients in it tolerate baking (no cucumbers in it, for example). If using a ready made salsa, this meal is easy to prepare in just minutes time before setting it in the oven for about 30 minutes.
Like said, it was a delightful meal, with lots of flavors and appetizing colors. A great idea to prepare for your mom - if your country is celebrating Mother's Day this weekend!
I hope you enjoy it. Till next time
~ Cheers!
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HOT MAONGO SALSA

  • 1/2 cup        jalapeño jelly
  • 3 TBLS       fresh lime juice
  • 2 1/2 cups  chopped peeled pitted mango
  • 1 1/4 cups  chopped red bell pepper
  • 3/4 cup       chopped red onion
  • 1/3 cup       chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1                 minced jalapeño chili




  1. Whisk jelly and lime juice in large bowl.
  2. Mix in all remaining ingredients.
  3. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  4. Can be made two hours ahead of time
  5. Store covered and chilled
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Books & Spoons Recipe for BEETROOT COLESLAW

5/5/2017

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The sun is out, it is May, official spring is here and the grilling season has kicked on - Life is good today. 

I love a good BBQ, and with a little coleslaw on the side - on top of it - and nothing's better! 
To mix things up, to try something new, different, and colorful I have added beetroot into my coleslaw. Yes, the coleslaw will be a bit different color than you might be used to, red, pink, depending on how juicy your beetroot is. But the taste and texture make a pink coleslaw worth it. Try it, you might be surprised!

I am not a big fan of mayonnaise, it just not for me. So I use very little of it in my recipe, sometimes just sour cream. You can add to this recipe twice as much mayo as I have listed if you are a fan. 

The picture is taken with turkey BBQ, I am loving the availability of turkey meat around the year in my area. It is a lean protein that I enjoy the taste of,  and it is reasonably priced. Also, the slaw in the pictures doesn't have the mayo-sourcream mixed into it yet, for visual effects. Haha, maybe I should make a blog post about food photography
and the challenges of it
! 
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I hope you are enjoying the spring sun and getting the grills out and cleaned, or stacking on disposable one-use grills if living in the city! 
Till next time
~ Cheers!

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COLESLAW WITH BEETROOT

  • 1/2 head green cabbage, finely shredded
  • 1 large carrot, finely shredded
  • 1 large beetroot, finely shredded
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons grated onion
  • 2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon dry mustard
  • 2 teaspoons celery salt
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

  1. Combine the shredded cabbage, carrot, and beetroot in a large bowl. 
  2. Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, onion, sugar, vinegar, mustard, celery salt, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl
  3. Add the mayo mix to the cabbage mixture. 
  4. Mix well to combine and taste for seasoning; add more salt, pepper, or sugar if desired.
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