Pasta with sausage and vegetables - recipe

Sometimes we go through the day so quickly and in such rush I don't have time to pick up toddler from nursery and have food ready when come home. That means I have to cook after while he play a little more. I tried one day to make this fast recipe and it turned out actually really nice.

Ingredients:

Half cup double cream

2-3 tbsp tomato pure

Toscana mix blend

2 pieces sun-dried tomato

1 cup frozen vegetables

2 chicken sausages 

Pasta of choose, 1 cup

Oil 

Method:

1. Cut the sasauge and as to a pain together with the vegetables with few tbsp oil.

2. Brown a little and add spices and salt. Add the pure and cream and let it come to a boil. Then let it simmer for 20 minutes.

3. Serve with green salad. Toddler approved by eating two bowls. Happy mummy ;)

Enjoy!

Milk stewed macaroni and chicken meatballs - recipe

Eating pasta every week inevitably leads to requests from both my toddler and hubby for dishes that stray from the usual red sauce fare. I must admit, after a few weeks, even I start to crave something different.

So today, I decided to revisit a childhood favorite from my school days: milk-stewed macaroni (stuvade makaroner och köttbullar) and meatballs. It was a dish I adored back then, and seeing how well it was received by both my toddler and baby, I'm resolved to include it more often in our meal rotation. 

Back in school, we often enjoyed husmanskost, a term that encompasses traditional Swedish home-cooked fare. Fond memories of those meals inspire me to explore more recipes from Swedish cuisine, building a collection that I hope will be cherished by my children in the future.

Husmanskost refers to traditional Swedish home-cooked food, characterized by simple, hearty dishes made from locally sourced ingredients. These meals often include staples like potatoes, meat, fish, and root vegetables. Husmanskost dishes are typically comforting and satisfying, reflecting the rustic and wholesome nature of Swedish cuisine. Common examples include meatballs, herring, pea soup, and various potato-based dishes like hash or mashed potatoes.

Ingredients:

4-5 dl macaroni 

6-7 dl milk

1 cup water

1 dl double cream

Salt, pepper nutmeg to taste

Method:

1. In a non-stick pan, bring the milk, water, and double cream to a gentle boil. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the macaroni to the mixture, then reduce the heat and simmer slowly until the sauce has thickened and the macaroni is tender. Stir frequently to prevent sticking.

2. Serve the milk-stewed macaroni with your choice of meat. Personally, I find meatballs and ketchup to be the perfect accompaniment to this comforting dish. It's a combination that never fails to satisfy.

Enjoy this nostalgic and comforting meal, and here's to creating more culinary memories inspired by the flavors of Swedish cuisine! 

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!

Fried tortilla bread with chicken stuffing (quesadilla) - recipe

Taco and Mexican cuisine are a delight to savor, and I find them quite easy to make. However, we often end up with leftover tortilla bread that tends to go stale since we rarely use them again. Being committed to a no-waste policy, I always try to repurpose them into a new dish on another day. This time, I opted to transform them into crispy fried tortillas filled with flavourful chicken and potato stuffing. The result? A dish we enjoyed immensely, prompting me to plan on making them as tasty snacks for picnics once the weather warms up. 

Ingredients:

Several tortilla breads

2 chicken breasts, cut in bite-sized pieces

2 potatoes

1 onion

1 dl sweet corn

1 yellow bell pepper

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp smoked paprika powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp ginger powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp oregano

1 dl grated cheese

oil for frying

Method:

1. Begin by cutting the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces. In a deep pan over high heat, fry the chicken pieces with a sprinkle of the spices. Add the sliced potatoes, diced onion, and bell pepper, along with the remaining spices. Stir in the sweet corn and mix everything well. Cover the pan with a lid and reduce the heat, allowing the stuffing to simmer until the potatoes are tender and the flavors meld together.

2. Once the stuffing is cooked through, place one tortilla bread in the pan and spoon half of the prepared stuffing onto one side of the bread. Fold the other half over the filling, creating a half-moon shape. Fry the filled tortilla until golden brown on one side, then flip and fry the other side until crispy and golden. Add a little more oil to the pan if needed.

Serve the fried tortilla bread with chicken stuffing hot, alongside a refreshing green salad for a lovely meal bursting with flavors.

Enjoy these crispy and flavorful quesadillas as a satisfying snack or meal, perfect for any occasion!

Enjoy!

Teriyaki salmon with vegetables and noodles - recipe

Lately, hubby has been suggesting we diversify our meals and try new options beyond rice. So, I decided to explore some exciting new recipes! Today, I whipped up a dish featuring salmon with homemade teriyaki sauce, paired with wok vegetables and egg noodles. 

I was a bit apprehensive about how the sauce would turn out, fearing it might taste too different from what we're used to since Asian cuisine isn't something I often cook. But I felt compelled to give it a shot, and to my surprise, it turned out wonderfully. What's even better is that my toddler enjoyed it just as much, which was a pleasant surprise!

With this success, I'm feeling inspired to explore more dishes from Asian cuisine. While we typically enjoy Asian food when dining out, I'm excited to bring those flavours into our home-cooked meals as well. 

Ingredients:

3-4 pieces of salmon
Egg noodles cooked according to package instructions 
500 grams pack of frozen wok vegetables 
sesame seeds
1/2 dl soy sauce
1 tsp sweet chilli sauce
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp curry powder
 A few tbsp oil
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp sesame oil


Method:
1. Begin by sautéing the frozen wok vegetables in a deep pan with a few tablespoons of oil over high heat. Add 1 tsp sweet chili sauce and curry powder. Once golden brown, set aside.

2. Prepare the teriyaki sauce by combining soy sauce, 1 tsp sweet chili sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic powder in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir well and add cornstarch to thicken. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Finally, add sesame oil and sesame seeds.

3. Brush half of the teriyaki sauce onto the salmon pieces. Bake them in the oven at 200 degrees Celsius until golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.

4. Once the salmon is cooked, assemble the dish. Start with a bed of noodles, followed by the wok vegetables, and top with a piece of salmon. Brush more teriyaki sauce over the salmon before serving. 

Enjoy!