Tasty Halloween sandwiches

After a fun and long day filled with trick-or-treating, it's time to unwind and relish the evening with a horror classic, preferably The Ring 1. To make the most of the experience, we're preparing deliciously spooky sandwiches. My specialty is grilled tomato and cheese sandwiches, which are quick to make with a sandwich grill and taste eerily delightful. Wishing you a Happy Halloween!

Ingredients:

sandwich bread

butter

tomatoes

dried oregano

slices of cheese

olives

Method:

1. Spread butter on a slice of sandwich bread, layer with cheese and tomato slices, then sprinkle oregano on top. Cook in a sandwich grill or oven until it's golden brown. The result is a gooey and delicious treat. Serve with pitted olives for an insanely good taste. P.S. Arrange the olives to resemble a ghost. : )

Enjoy!

Baba Ganoush, (Mutabal batinjan) Augergine dip - recipe

I adore incorporating sauces and dips into my meals, a common practice in both Swedish and Middle Eastern cuisines. Baba ganoush, an eggplant-based dip, is a family favorite. We frequently prepare it for celebrations as it serves as an excellent side dish or as part of a meza. Typically, a meza includes kebabs, grilled meats, various salads such as fattoush or tabbouleh, and bread. Baba ganoush can also be enjoyed simply with pita bread. My personal recipe always includes Greek yogurt to enhance its creaminess.

Ingredients:

1 aubergine

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp greek yoghurt

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp tahini paste

pinch of salt

Method:

1. Start by piercing the aubergine with a fork in several places. Then, if you have a gas stove, grill it directly on the gas hob, or alternatively, bake it in the oven under the grill setting until it becomes very soft and the skin is charred.

2. Allow it to cool, then peel away the charred skin, which should come off easily. Place the aubergine in a bowl and mash it thoroughly. It should resemble the photo shown below.

3. Incorporate the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth using a handheld mixer.

4. Once prepared, serve it chilled in a small bowl and sprinkle pomegranate seeds on top. The sweetness of the seeds complements the saltiness of the dip beautifully. I adore this sweet and salty combination. Typically, I serve it with pita bread, but feel free to use any vegetables you prefer, simply cut them into sticks for dipping.

Enjoy!

Banana fruit smoothie for toddlers - recipe

My son has been having trouble with teething lately and is getting picky with what I give him to eat. One day he will love banana or grapes, the next day refuse to eat at all. So when I want him to have some fruits, I always go for my foolproof option, the smoothie. Basically I just choose whatever fruit I have at home and blend it with milk and/or yoghurt. He loves it and so far not refused it even once! This one is just made with what I had at hand, hence only 3 strawberries. This was enough for 3 drinks.

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana

1 ripe pear

1/2 leftover apple

1/2 cup blueberries

3 strawberries

1/2 cup milk

2 tbsp greek yoghurt

Method:

1. Mix up all the ingredients in a food blender and served it right away.

Enjoy!

Baba ganoush salad (aubergine dip)

Those days I am home alone, I tend to make me something very easy or most likely a salad for dinner. I had done an aubergine dip and wanted to eat it with greens and vegetable. Since we have not done a big food shopping yet I just chose what we had left in the fridge. The outcome was lovely. The sweetness from the pomegranate and saltiness from the dip and the freshness from the vegetables, was a match made in heaven. I will def to more of this dip and it goes very well to include in a meza. Other lovely things to serve it with is hummus, kubas, grilled chicken and kebabs or a tabbouleh salad.

Ingredients:

Baba ganoush dip (aubergine dip)

carrot sticks

olives

cherry tomatoes

lettuce

pita bread

Method:

1. Serve the aubergine dip with various greens and vegetables of your choice together with pita bread.

Enjoy!

Tuna and egg sandwiches - recipe

My husband and son love tuna, but I can't seem to develop a taste for it. Nevertheless, I don't hesitate to prepare it for them. They're particularly fond of a sandwich filling I make. My husband also enjoys making tuna melt sandwiches in our sandwich maker, which is another great option, though we'll save that for later as my son struggles to bite through the crusty bread.

Ingredients:

1 can of tuna in water

2 boiled eggs

2-3 tbsp mayo

1 tsp aromat Knorr seasoning

Method:

Start by draining the tuna of its liquid and place it in a bowl. Incorporate two hard-boiled eggs and mash them together with the tuna. Stir in the mayonnaise and seasoning, then taste and adjust with salt and pepper if desired. Spread the mixture onto your preferred type of bread to create a tasty sandwich.

Enjoy!

Toddler lunch and snack ideas 2

Here comes another post with different ideas for lunch and snack meals for your toddlers. These are just some different meals that I give to my son. Generally it is pieces from our own food that he eats. I try to minimize the salt in our food or try to pick out pieces for him before salting our own food.

Roast chicken, carrots and potato.

Boiled potato, fried halloumi pieces and cherry tomatoes.

Tuna and egg with mayo sandwiches.

Mash potato with tuna and boiled vegetables. 

Omelette, sausage, cream cheese solders and fruit. A nice breakfast idea.

Cheese straws with sesame seeds. 

Enjoy!

Granula energy bar, snack for toddlers - recipe

When you are out with your little ones you always want to have a healthy snack or energy bar with you that are not filled with sugars or processed. I have experimented a lot until I found the best recipe for a good energy bar that would not be too sticky or crumble up. My toddler loves these and when he starts get hungry and food is not just ready I give him one of these. Even me and hubby loves them

Ingredients:
1 cup oats
1/2 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup rice krispies
2-3 tbsp pumpkin seeds
2-3 tbsp sesame seed
1/2 cup almond flakes

2 cups pitted dates
2 tbsp peanut butter
2 tsp coconut oil
2-3 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla sugar


Method:
1. Put the oats, coconut flakes, almonds, and pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet covered with baking paper. Toast them in the oven for only 10 mins at 180 degrees. They should be somewhat golden ish.

2. While they oats are in the oven prepare the wet ingredients. In a food prossesor add the pited dates, peanut butter, coconut oil, honey and vanilla and mix until you get a smooth sticky filling.

3. Put the toasted ingredients in a bowl and mix in the wet ingredients and add the rice krispies. It will add a nice crunch to the energy bars. Once everything is nicely mixed put the mixture in a oven dish that is covered with baking paper. This will make it easier to take it out. It will be sticky so you can moisten your hands little with water and then press firmly on the mixture so it lays flat and even. Once you think you have pressed a lot, press a little more. this will make sure it does not crumble and stick together.

4. Stick the oven dish in the freezer for 20 mins and then cut it up so that you get nice bars.

5. My toddler loves these energy bars. So do I. I always make sure to have a few with us when we are out and about for those moments when sugar levels are getting low.

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!

Roasted jerk chicken and vegetables - recipe

Chicken and potato. What a lovely and versatile combo. Probably two ingredients that I use the most in the kitchen. I wanted to give this recipe a twist so I used the Flava It Jamaican jerk spice mix. Great taste but somewhat spicy for my taste buds.

Ingredients:

Chicken pieces

3 big potatoes, thick slices

1 bell pepper, sliced

1 zucchini, sliced

3 carrots, sliced lengthwise

1/3 Jamaican jerk spice mix

Method:

1. Wash and slice the vegetables and place them in a enamel lidded roasting tin. This tin will be one of your best buys as it roasts to perfection, so invest in one. Found in Robert Dyas.

2. Wash the chicken pieces, could be breast, wings or drumsticks, maybe a mixture of all three. Place them on top of the vegetables in the roasting tin and add an even coat of the jerk mix on the ingredients. Make sure the chicken has an even coat.

3. Roast in the oven for about 1,5 hours or until brown and has that lovely colour, at 235 degrees.

Serve as is or with rice.

Enjoy!

Swedish sticky chocolate brownie cake (Kladdkaka) - Recipe

The other day we were craving my Swedish brownie cake (kladdkaka). It is a gooey delicious piece of heaven served with a click of lightly whipped cream. It takes no time to quickly mix it and only 25 min in the oven at 175 degrees.

Ingredients:

2 eggs

100 g soft/melted butter

4 tbsp cocoa powder unsweetened

2.5 dl sugar

2 tbsp cold coffee

1.5 dl flour

2 tsp vanilla sugar

Method:

1. Start by mixing the butter and egg well until it is light and airy.

2. Mix all the dried ingredients in a deep dish and then add them to the egg mixture. Add the coffee and taste it. You should get a hint of the coffee, if not add another spoon coffee.

3. Once everything has been mixed, put it in an oven dish ca 25 cm in diameter. Bake it in the oven for 20 mins at 175 degrees. Once done, serve it with lightly whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Sandwich Ideas

Sandwiches is something I eat often and for every meal if I may choose. Bread is my biggest problem. I love it and I love it a lot. But I have come to the conclusion that it is OK as long as we eat them in moderation. For a girlfriend's birthday party I opted to do the sandwiches, as I have done so many different ones and with lots of variations in my life. No one protested :). I used white and brown  square bread as well as brown bread rolls. Tried to use different spreads and fillings, but ended up with classic fillings to make sure there were no surprises for picky eaters.

1. Smoked salmon and cucumber. For the first sandwich I used cream cheese as a spread and added smoked salmon and shavings of cucumber that was made by using the cheese slicer to get them evenly thick.
                           

2. Turkey and vegetable sandwich. The second sandwich has a cream cheese spread, roasted onions, cheddar cheese, turkey slice, cherry tomatoes and lettuce.

3. These two sandwiches where cut in 4 squares and served with some crisps. I have never seen any where else where they add crisps in their sandwiches, but here they do. Have to say that the crunchy sandwiches are delicious.

 4. Egg and potato sandwiches. This filling was little more dense than the other two but they got a high mark too. Boiled eggs and boiled potatoes were mixed in a bowl. I added 2 tbsp of mayo, curry powder, paprika powder and water cress. Salt and pepper to taste and then cut in halves.

5. Scrambled egg sandwiches. The last filling was scrambled eggs on buttered toast with water cress. All sandwiches got thumbs up and the plates were soon empty to my happiness. 

Hope this post will give a few ideas of different sandwich fillings from the normal everyday sandwich.

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!

Polenta-crusted Chicken and Bulgur - recipe

In my family, rice is often eaten several times a week, but I prefer not to indulge in it as frequently. I find it to be too heavy,  and  recent recommendations suggest that it should not be eaten too often. Instead, I like to cook bulgur. It gives a lighter feel and healthier in my opinion. However, my husband finds it rather bland. Fortunately, I enjoy using spices and seasoning to jazz up my cooking, which adds flavor to dishes. Also, using bulgur helps balance out the unhealthy aspects of fried chicken.

Ingredients:

2 Chicken breasts, cut into thin fillets and pounded to 1 cm thickness

1 cup bulgur, cooked according to instructions on the package

1/2 tsp curry powder

1 tsp paprika powder

1/2 dried coriander powder

1/2 cumin powder

1/2 cup polenta

2 eggs beaten

vegetable oil

Salad: tomatoes, paprika, cucumber, lettuce and lemon juice

Yoghurt sprinkled with dried dill

Method:

1. Start by cutting the chicken breast into halves lengthwise and then pound it evenly so that the thickness is 1 cm. Pat the chicken dry with kitchen towel and put aside. Mix half of the spices together with the polenta in a flat bowl. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In another bowl beat 2 eggs together. 

2. Cook the bulgur according to the instructions. Add the other half of the spice mix to the water to add seasoning and taste. Salt and pepper to taste.

3. Dip the chicken in the egg and then polenta and make sure there is an even coat of the polenta on the chicken. Fry it in a frying pan with vegetable oil on medium high heat until golden brown on both sides. Put the fried chicken on a paper covered plate to soak up all excess oil.

4. Wash and cut the salad ingredients and salt and pepper to taste. Add lemon juice. 

5. Once everything is cooked, serve it in a wide plate with a table spoon of yogurt sprinkled with dill.

Enjoy!

Healthy meat patties and couscous with seasoned yogurt - Recipe

One of the more healthier recipes I like to use often is my meat patties with couscous. It is easy to do as I often do many patties in advance and have them in the freezer. I fry them but also bake them in the oven for a healthier option. Serving it with fluffy couscous, big tangy salad and minty yoghurt makes it a fresh and light dinner option for any summer day or any other day of the year really.

Ingredients:

500 g minced beef meat

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp dried parsley

1 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 small onion finally chopped

1/2 cup bread crumbs

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup Bulgur cooked according to instructions on package

1 chicken stock cube

handful vermicelli noddles

2 tbsp vegetable oil 

salt and pepper to taste

Salad: Lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, radishes and paprika

Seasoned with a salad seasoning mix from Knorr, salt and pepper

1 onion chopped, seasoned with  sumac

Yoghurt sauce: 1 cup greek yoghurt, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp dried herbs mix, 1 tsp parsley, salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients for the patties in a bowl and let it rest for 10 mins in a fridge.

2. form the patties round in different sizes if you like and put them in an oven dish. Bake in the oven for 30 min - 1 hour in 200 degrees, time varies depending how well done you like. I like mine well done.

3. While the patties are in the oven, cook the bulgur according to the instructions on the package. I basically heat up 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil in a pan. Lightly brown the vermicelli noddle in the oil and then add the washed bulgur and the chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper and add 1 cup water initially and let it come to a boil. Then turn down to let it simmer and add 1/4 cup water if needed.

4. While that is being cooked do the yoghurt sauce. Mix all ingredients in a bowl and put it in the fridge to let it rest and the flavours get enhanced.

5. Chop the salad in the size you desire. Season with Knorr Dressing mix which is an excellent salad spice mix according to me and one that I use regularly in my salads. The copped onion gets seasoned with sumac, a red tangy spice that adds great flavour to this dish.

6. Once everything is cooked and baked serve it in a wide plate with some salad, onion mix and a dollop of yoghurt sauce.

Enjoy!