Game Night Snack: A Refreshing Dill and Seaweed Caviar Dip

With so much sports action happening on TV lately, it’s the perfect time to enjoy some delicious snacks while you cheer for your favorite team. One of my absolute favorites during these busy game nights is a simple yet flavorful dip that never disappoints. It’s quick to make, refreshing, and pairs perfectly with lightly salted crisps. Trust me, this is a winner whether you’re hosting a game night or just treating yourself!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Light crème fraîche
• One lime
• Fresh dill
• Seaweed caviar (tångkaviar)
• Chopped onions (preferably red for extra flavor)

To whip this up, start by spreading a generous layer of crème fraîche over half of a plate or shallow dish. Next, spoon on the seaweed caviar, scatter the chopped onions, and sprinkle a handful of fresh dill over the top. The final touch? Squeeze the juice from a fresh lime across the dip for that zesty kick. Serve it with lightly salted crisps, and you’re good to go!

The combination of the creamy crème fraîche, briny seaweed caviar, and the sharpness of the onion and lime creates a dip that’s fresh, tangy, and totally irresistible. The lightly salted crisps add the perfect crunch, making it a snack that’s ideal for game night, a quick bite between matches, or even as a starter before dinner.

It’s simple, it’s tasty, and best of all, it’s ready in minutes. 

Enjoy!

 

The Perfect Crispy Potato: A Simple Delight with a Flavorful Twist

There’s something magical about the humble potato. It’s versatile, comforting, and when you do it right, absolutely delicious. My current obsession? Crispy potatoes that are perfectly soft on the inside, golden and crunchy on the outside, and topped with cheesy, herby goodness. And the best part? It’s so easy, especially with the help of my trusty air fryer.

To do:

This dish starts with something simple—boiling the potatoes just until they’re tender. I like to use smaller potatoes for this recipe, but you can use whatever you have on hand. 

Once they’re boiled, here comes the fun part: tossing them into the air fryer. 

But not before sprinkling them generously with some shredded cheese, your favorite spices (paprika, garlic powder, and maybe a little rosemary), and a drizzle of olive oil.

The air fryer works its magic, transforming these already soft potatoes into crispy, golden perfection in just a few minutes. The cheese melts into a bubbly, savory crust, while the spices infuse every bite with flavor. The result? Potatoes that are crispy on the outside with a rich, cheesy coating, and soft, fluffy goodness inside. It's honestly the ultimate potato experience.

The dip:

But no crispy potato dish is complete without a dip, and this one is as easy as it is delicious. I mix Greek yogurt with crème fraîche, creating a creamy base that’s both tangy and rich. Then I add a simple garlic dip seasoning mix (the kind you can find at the store), which turns this combo into a heavenly dip that's both fresh and flavorful. The cool, creamy dip pairs beautifully with the warm, crispy potatoes, creating a perfect balance of textures and tastes.

Whether it’s a snack, a side dish, or even a meal on those nights when you just crave comfort food, these crispy potatoes have quickly become a favorite in my kitchen. The air fryer makes it effortless, and the addition of cheese, spices, and that creamy dip takes it to the next level.

 Enjoy!

Waffled Swedish Potato Pancakes - våfflad potatisbulle

Waffled potato pancake

Many nights have been spent by me scrolling through my phone in search of simple and delicious recipes. Most of the time, I browse Instagram, where I follow many talented individuals who come up with amazing recipes. That's how I came across Helan Shabani's version of a waffled potato pancake, våfflad potatisbulle. 

So, what is a Swedish potato pancake?

Potatisbullar, known as "Swedish Potato Pancakes" in English, are a traditional Swedish dish. These delicious small pancakes are typically made from boiled potatoes (and sometimes onions) mixed with egg and flour, then fried to golden perfection. They are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, often served with lingonberry jam. 

A waffled potato pancake is simply made in the waffle iron. I usually buy my potato pancakes and place one or two in the waffle iron until they become hot and crispy. Then I add a dollop of sour cream, seaweed caviar (tångkaviar, vegan caviar made from seaweed), finely chopped onion, dill, and lemon juice.

When I lived in England, I bought hash browns from the freezer section. That was the closest I came to Swedish potato pancakes. But if you'd like to make your own potato pancakes at home, you can use the recipe below:

Swedish Potato Pancakes (Potatisbullar)

 Ingredients:
4 large potatoes

1 onion

1 egg

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Salt to taste

Butter or oil for frying

Lingonberry jam or sour cream for serving (optional)

 

Method:

Peel and boil the potatoes. Cut the boiled potatoes into smaller pieces and mash them. Small pieces should preferably remain. Finely chop the onion and mix it with the mashed potatoes in a large bowl.

Add the egg, flour and salt  to the potato and onion mixture. Mix well.

Heat a frying pan with butter or oil over medium heat.

Take a small amount of the potato mixture and shape it into a flat, round pancake with your hands. Place it in the frying pan and flatten it slightly with a spatula.

Fry the potato pancakes on each side until golden brown and crispy, about 4-5 minutes per side.

Serve the potato pancakes hot with lingonberry jam or sour cream. Or put them in the waffle iron!

 Enjoy!

Crispy Baked Chicken Drums with Seasoned Potato Wedges

Busy schedules can often make it challenging to put together a home-cooked meal. With this easy recipe for crispy baked chicken drums and potato wedges, my family can enjoy a delicious and satisfying dinner without the fuss. With just a few simple ingredients and minimal prep time, we can have a wholesome meal on the table in no time.

This easy recipe for crispy baked chicken drums and potato wedges is sure to be a hit with your family and friends.

 

Ingredients:

For the Chicken:

6-8 chicken drumsticks

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

Salt and pepper to taste

For the Potato Wedges:

 4 medium-sized potatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon paprika

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

 1. Preheat your oven to 220°.

 2. Pat dry the chicken drumsticks with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Place them in a large bowl.

 3. Drizzle the olive oil over the chicken drumsticks. Sprinkle paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper evenly over the chicken. Toss the chicken until evenly coated with the seasonings.

 4. Wash the potatoes and cut them into wedges. In a separate bowl, toss the potato wedges with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper until evenly coated.

 5. Place the seasoned chicken drumsticks on one side of a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Spread the seasoned potato wedges on the other side of the baking sheet in a single layer, ensuring they are not crowded.

 6. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the potato wedges are crispy and golden brown. Halfway through baking, flip the chicken drumsticks and toss the potato wedges for even cooking.

 7. Once cooked, remove the chicken and potato wedges from the oven. Let them cool for a few minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or your favorite herbs if desired.

  

Enjoy: Serve your crispy baked chicken drumsticks with seasoned potato wedges alongside your favorite dipping sauce or a side of salad for a delicious and satisfying meal!

Enjoy!

Bulgur with chicken and potato stew - recipe

As we've been incorporating less rice into our meals, I've found myself turning to bulgur more often. It's been a hit with the family—tasty and satisfying, and it pairs well with nearly any stew. This time, I opted for a simple chicken and potato stew, using up ingredients from my pantry and freezer before our next big grocery trip.

I always worry about whether the kids will enjoy new dishes, but thankfully, they've been pleasantly surprised each time. Their hearty appetites and willingness to try new foods make me feel like a lucky mom.

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts

3 potatoes

2 onions

1 bell pepper

half a zucchini

fresh parsley

paprika, curry, 7-spice mix powder

1 vegetable stock

salt and pepper

2-3 tbsp tomato pure

Method:

1. Dice the chicken in 1 cm pieces and add to a deep pan with few tbsp of oil. Add rest of the vegetables and add the spices. Mix and let everything fry on high heat for 5 mins. Add 1 cup water and lower the heat. Add the tomato pure and let simmer for a good 30 min. Taste it and season if necessary.

2. Cook the bulgur according to package instructions. Typically, I heat a pot with a few spoons of oil and salt, then add 1 cup of bulgur. After mixing well, I pour in 1 1/4 cups of boiling water along with the vegetable stock cube. Lower the heat to low and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff the bulgur with a fork once done.

Serve the stew and bulgur together, accompanied by a tangy green salad for a complete and satisfying meal.

3. Once the stew and bulgur is done, serve them together with a nice tangy green salad.

Enjoy!

Sweet potato fries and fish fingers

Sweet Potato Fries and Fish Fingers: A Kid-Approved Meal

When my son was a baby, he absolutely loved mashed sweet potato purée. It was one of his favorite meals, often mixed with other veggies and chicken. But as he grew older and started feeding himself, he became much pickier with his food. Sweet potatoes, once a staple, had been rejected a few times. So, I decided to try something new—sweet potato oven-baked fries.

This time, it was a hit! The fries were a big success, especially when paired with his all-time favorite condiment, ketchup.

Ingredients:

1 sweet potato

2 tbsp olive oil

pinch of salt

2 fish fingers

ketchup

Method:

Peel the sweet potato and slice into fries.  Toss the fries in olive oil and pinch of salt until they are evenly coated. Bake in the oven at 220 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until they are golden and crispy. While the fries are baking, cook the fish fingers accoring to the package instructions. 

Plate the crispy sweet potato fries alongside the fish fingers. Don't forget the ketchup for dipping!  

This simple meal not only brought sweet potatoes back into the rotation but also made dinner time a little easier and a lot more enjoyable for both of us!

Enjoy!

Baked potato, beans and sausages

Occasionally, I bake too many potatoes and end up with leftovers for the next day. This time, my husband wanted beans with his dinner, so I added some sausages and shaped them into an animal. Our son was delighted and naturally wanted to join in. I strive to avoid wasting food, and this time, I happened to have these ingredients on hand. It may not be the healthiest option, but it was incredibly satisfying. While this meal might not typically be blog-worthy, part of this blog's purpose is for me to reminisce and track our past meals.

Ingredients:

Baked potato

4 mini sausages

1/2 can of baked beans

shredded cheese

Method:

Heat the baked potato topped with beans and shredded cheese in the microwave. Then, fry the sausages and serve them alongside the potato and beans.

Enjoy!

Fish, baked potato and vegetables, toddler meal - recipe

As we try to make give our son the same food as we eat, I often just give him his meals that have same ingredients as us, but try to make it in a healthier version and add less salt. Luckily he likes fish and I always try to give it to him twice a week.

Ingredients:

1 piece of white fish

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 baked potato

1/2 cup boiled vegetables

Method:

1. Fry the white fish gently in a pan with 2 tbsp of vegetable oil until lightly browned. Bake the potato in the oven until cooked through in 220 degrees for ca 45 min. Boil the frozen vegetables. Serve it together with a click of butter on the potato to make it moister and easier to eat. 

Enjoy!

Battered Fish with Wedge Potatoes and Delicious White Sauce - Recipe

Fish is something we often eat in many different ways. But sometimes I cant be bothered to cook it fresh and to be honest crave the battered fish fillets by Birds Eye. It always reminds me of the fish we used to get in school which used to be served with a white cold sauce. I always took seconds the day 

it was served.

Ingredients:

2 battered fish fillets (home made or store bought)

potato wedges for oven bake

2 dl sour cream

2 dl mayo

3 tbsp pickled cucumber relish

2 tsp dried dill

salt and pepper to taste

lime

Method:

1. Begin by put the potato wedges and the battered fish in the oven according to instructions.

2. While that is being done, prepare the lovely white sauce that goes so well with fish and is to served cold. Also called vit fiskås in Swedish. Mix all the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Put it in the fridge to cool. Once everything is done, serve it one a plate with the sauce and slices of lime.

Enjoy!

Baked Potato, halloumi and salad - recipe

My mum loves to follow latest recommendation by published studies regarding what is healthy and not to eat. She always tries to make me eat accordingly too. So what is the latest thing? Do not eat to much red meat. Ok then, lets go vegetarian. Well at least for few days a week. This vegetarian recipe is yummy and easy to make. Baked potato, halloumi and salad. Cant go wrong with these three.

Ingredients:

1 package of Halloumi cheese

2 Potatoes for baking

3 tbsp butter

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tomatoes

half lettuce head

1 little white onion

1 yellow bell pepper

salad spice mix

olive oil

salt and pepper

sprinkle of herb mix

Method:

1. I cheated when doing the baked potato, as I just made them for 13 mins in the microwave. You choose if you want to bake in the oven or microwave.

2. Wash and chop all veggies for the salad and season with salad spice mix, salt and pepper.

3. Fry the sliced halloumi in a pan with a few tbsp of vegetable oil until brown on each side, on medium high heat.

4. Once the potatoes are cooked through serve the with the halloumi and salad. Add few spoons of butter and sprinkle over little herb mix.

                        

Enjoy!

Toddler Lunch and Snack Ideas

Having a toddler in the house that loves his food has made me thinking of various meals that I can offer without it getting to repetitive . I try to to make new meals almost everyday so that he can enjoy something new and tasty everyday. I feel that by giving him new flavours everyday it has made him less fuzzy and open for new ideas and tastes. So here follows different meal ideas of what I give him.

Lentil and sweet potato mash. Boil them together and season with mustard seed, ground ginger, garlic, coriander and cumin. 

Oven baked french fries and fish fingers 

Orzo pasta mixed with a pasta sauce, topped with grated cheddar cheese.  Pasta sauce is made on a mix of marinara sauce mixed with fried minced meat and vegetable. 

Mini star pasta mixed with a minced meat pasta sauce. Sauce is made by cooking a pasta sauce with carrots, onions, various vegetable and minced meat and then processed to a smooth puree. 

Lentil stew with rice. The stew is cooked by boiling the lentils until soft. Seasoned with mustard seed, paprika powder, mild curry powder, coriander, cumin and dried parsley. Salt and pepper. Process the stew until it is smooth. Add a handful of uncooked rice and a friend medium onion and let it simmer until thick. 

                           

Snack: chopped strawberries and blueberries. Try to give these before they are out of season.

Snack: boiled egg

                            

Toast sandwich with avocado spread and a chopped egg, seasoned with paprika powder

                               

Enjoy!

Baked Potato and Chicken - recipe

I often have few ingredients at home for super busy days that need to be cooked/baked quickly if the day has been long and tiring.  Big potatoes and chicken breasts are always available in our household. So today I let the oven do the work. Today's super easy meal: baked potato and chicken with creamy yoghurt sauce.


Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts , cut lengthwise to make it thinner
3 big potatoes
salt and pepper
grilled chicken bbq seasoning mix
paprika powder
butter

for the yoghurt sauce:
1 cup greek yoghurt
1 tsp dried mint
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder


Method:
1. Bake the potato in the oven for about 1-2 hours in 220 degrees depending on size and oven. Check once in a while with a fork or knife if it is cooked well.

2. Wash the chicken breasts and cut lengthwise to make the breasts thinner. Season with salt, pepper, paprika powder and bbq mix to taste. I add so that all sides have an even coating. Put the breast halves in an oven dish and bake in the oven for ca 1 hour until golden brown. I usually bake them together with the potatoes.

3. Mix all ingredients in bowl for the yoghurt sauce while the food is being baked in the oven. Keep the sauce in the fridge until the fridge until the food is ready to be served.

4. Once everything is done, serve it on a plate, cut up the potatoes and add a click butter, season with some salt, pepper and paprika powder.

Enjoy!

Potato salad served with oven-fried fish - recipe

We have been blessed with a great weather here in the UK, almost to the point that you cant handle the heat. Days like these, it is often hard to find motivation to stand by the cooker and make a hot meal. On the contrary, you want something light, quick and preferably cold, or at least not piping hot. What comes to mind is generally a nice salad. But, salad is not always enough if you are very hungry and want something more hearty and filling. Then what can be better than a cold potato salad? It is a great option to serve with meat, seafood, fish or just keeping it vegetarian. It is a must on every BBQ I would say. So how did I do it? 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayo

2 full tbs of creme fraiche

2 tbs of cucumber relish (I am using Bostongurka from Sweden)

1 tsp paprika, dried dill, granulated onion powder, chive, salt and pepper to taste

1tsp of Jacobsbaii spice mix by u-kuva i-africa (not necessary if you don't have it, but gives a zesty and tangy flavour)

2 stalks of celery

few stalks of spring onion to taste

2 hard boiled eggs

3-6 potatoes depending on how much potatoey you want it to be

Method:

1. Begin with putting the eggs in cold water and bring it to a boil for ca 10-15 minutes until hard boiled.

At the same time boil the potatoes in salted water. I did not boil the potato this time as I needed them to be done quickly. I simply peeled them and chopped them into bite size and put them in the microwave on the potato setting for 10 minutes.

2. While potatoes and eggs are being boiled you can start doing the dressing for the potato salad. In a bowl, mix the mayo and all the seasoning together. Wash and chop the celery and spring onions as well as the eggs once they are done. 

3. Once the potatoes are done as well, mix it with the dressing, celery, spring onions and eggs until everything is coated well.

 4. I served the potato salad with oven-fried breaded cod fish and it was delicious. But of course you can serve it as is, or with grilled meat. Another great idea is to mix it with a few cooked shrimps, which makes it a great salad with seafood, yum yum.

Enjoy!

Vegetarian pasta with tomato sauce and cream - recipe

Pasta is very versatile and can be made in different shapes and forms and be complemented with hundreds of different sauces. For that reason we make it quite often in our household, especially when the outcome is completely dependent on ingredients available at home. 

Husband made a quick pasta sauce yesterday and it was delicious and tomatoey. He made a lot so we had leftovers of sauce. Clever me who loves using leftovers, decided to use the sauce but alter it so it becomes a complete different one for today's taste buds. What ingredients did i use? Creme fraiche and double cream, they were also leftovers!

Ingredients:

Half aubergine, chopped

Half zucchini, chopped

Red paprika, chopped

Big onion, chopped

1 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp paprika powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp herbe de provance

1 jar of Dolmio tomato sauce

Olive oil

1 table spoon creme fraiche

2 table spoons of double cream

Boiled pasta twists

Method:

1. Wash all vegetables and chop them in preferable size. Brown them in a sauce pan with few table spoons of olive oil on medium heat.

2. Add the tomato sauce and add a jar of water to get extra liquid and the remaining sauce stuck in the jar. Let it come to a boil and let it simmer for 30 mins until sauce has reduced and thickened. Served with pasta twists for yesterday.

3. For today's alternation: put the leftover sauce in a pan and the leftover cream fraiche and double cream and mix well until the sauce is fully creamy. Let it simmer on low to medium heat for 15 minutes and serve with boiled pasta twist or any other pasta shape of choice.

It became very creamy and tasty this way and i will definitely try it again.

Enjoy!

Beef Escalope with a Delicious Gravy and Potatoes - Recipe and review

Today we had a such a lovely meal, beef escalope with a delicious gravy and boiled potatoes. This meal is one of my favorite and brings such great memories from my school time. I went to Swedish schools during my whole study period from grade one to uni and up to Gymnasium (high school) you get one hot meal every day at school. Many of my friends did not like the school food, but I loved it. Everything they did appealed to me and I used to eat everything they cooked. I cant really remember anything they served, that I did not like. We would get 3 different things to choose from, so that might be the case why I liked it so much. If not the food, there was always 2 different salads and knäckebröd (Swedish crisp bread), butter and always a glass of milk. At school, we used to get boiled potatoes, meatballs and gravy which is where I got the inspiration from for this meal. To finish it off, we had Lingonsylt (lingonberry jam), yummi.

I get all meat from the butchers. When I want steaks or thin fillets, I generally buy a big chunk and cut it in thin pieces myself. Then I freeze 2-3 pieces, where I layer the meat flat in the freeze bag.  So when I make this meal, all I do is defrost meat, boil potato and make this super easy gravy. 

I always use one brand, when it comes to gravy: Knorr. My favorite gravy with meat is these two, and how do I get it better? I use half half from both. They come in bags in powder form. All you need to do is heat up some butter and milk in a saucepan and then add the powder and mix for a few minutes until it becomes thick and gravy-ish in the consistency. I like it quite thick. It tastes like homemade gravy and is very flavorful. And since it takes no time to make it, it is my go to sauce every time I make meatballs or steak fillet or escalopes with boiled potato. To dip a piece of the potato in the sauce is so tasty and creamy.

Ingredients:

2-3 steak fillet

3-5 potatoes

1 egg

1 cup flour or more if needed

paprika powder

salt and pepper

bbq spice mix

frozen vegetable mix

Knorr gravy mix (gräddsås and brunsås, or one of them, cooked accordign to the package)

Method:

1. Start by hammering the steak fillets thinly and then season with salt, pepper and paprika. Dip it first in egg and then in a mix of flour, bbq spice and paprika and fry it for a few minutes on each side on medium-high heat in a nonstick frying pan.

2. Boil the potatoes and if you want, fry some frozen vegetables in a non stick pan with 1 tbsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

3. Make the gravy according to the package. I start by melting 1-2 tbsp of butter in a saucepan and add the two powders and mix it. As it becomes dry, I add some milk, roughly 1 cup, and mix well until I have the desired consistency. If I want it to become more creamy I add a splash of double cream.

Enjoy!

Potato Dauphinoise with Quorn Fillet and Vegetables - Recipe

Today was a lovely day as I had quality time with myself. Sometimes that is really needed. The whole family was away and I enjoyed a day at home and also had some shopping time all alone. When I am alone, I can get lazy and try to eat something really simple that takes no time make. Usually some sort of baguette filled with cheese and veggies or something from the freezer.

Today after shopping, I went quickly to Sainsbury's (local supermarket) to see if they had anything on sale. Well they had. I bought a package of potato dauphinoise and Quorn roast style sliced fillet. I already had some frozen veggies at home, so I decided to make something simple out of these things. Nothing difficult, just a few steps to put them together and bake. I love when I find different ingredients (raw or cooked) that goes well together.

I was not sure how the quorn fillet would taste but I was pleasantly surprised as it was really tasty. I don't often buy it, but after this dish I might give it more tries.

I can't really say that it tasted like chicken, as it had a distinct taste, but was really tasty and juicy. It worked perfect with the vegetables, potato and the cream sauce. The flavors went really well together and it was very creamy and delicious. 

Ingredients:

1 pack potato dauphinoise

1 pack quorn style sliced fillet

1-2 cups of frozen vegetables such as carrot, broccoli and cauliflower

Season to taste: salt, pepper, garlic, paprika powder

Method:

1- Take one small oven dish for 2  people. I used my enamel oven dish which worked perfect. Layer out the quorn fillet on the bottom.

2- Continue to layer the vegetable over the quorn fillet. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika to taste.

3- Finish of the last layer of the potato dauphinoise. Spread the potato and the cream sauce all over the fillet and vegetables. Bake it in the oven in 200 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.

4- Serve as is or with a green salad.

Enjoy!