Friday, October 14

Mushroom Quiche


Mushroom Quiche

2 cups mushrooms (I used swedish kantarellar)
6 eggs
1 cup cream
1 tsp dried thyme
salt & pepper
1 cup grated västerbotten cheese (strong white cheddar would be a good substitute)
1 tbs butter
defrosted puff pastry (4 small sheets)
juice of half lemon
  • preheat the oven to 200C. Roll the puff pastry fairly thin and line 4 small metal pie dishes with it. It needn't be perfect, puff pastry always looks fine in the end.
  • set a frying pan over medium heat and melt the butter. Sauté the mushrooms in the butter for 3 minutes then add salt and pepper, and lemon juice. Fry 1 more minutes then remove from heat.
  • Divide the mushrooms evenly between the 4 pie dishes.
  • Beat together the eggs, then add in the cream, thyme, salt and pepper, and grated cheese. Mix well.
  • Pour the egg mixture over the mushrooms into the pie dishes, then place the pies in the oven. Bake 20-25 minutes.




Tuesday, October 11

Across the Pond...

I'm going home to Canada tomorrow for a nice long three week visit and a belated Thanksgiving! I'm so excited to see my family, friends and pugs again! I can't wait to eat too much turkey, tromp around the woods with my little pugs and introduce Swedish snaps to my home. Oh, and we're planning a little trip to Banff as well!



I miss this little face so much!

Orla Kiely

I wish I were wearing Orla Kiely this fall. 






Monday, October 10

Pelikan


Pelikan is a traditional Swedish restaurant here in Stockholm, and a favourite of mine. It's comfortably worn wooden interior, flickering candles in brass holders and waistcoated waiters feel satisfyingly old world and rather cozy. It's definitely a place for beer and snaps. Pelikan serves traditional Swedish dishes (meatballs of course!) and is well known for their boiled pork knuckle. Boiled pork knuckle? Yup, it's delicious. If not super attractive. I opted for the roast lamb with red wine/rosemary sauce and apples and root vegetables. And then we continued on with punsch on ice and coffee, perfect ending!

  
Blekingegatan 40, 
116 62 Stockholm

Sunday, October 9

Brunch at Marie Laveau



Brunch at Marie Laveau in Stockholm. Eggs Benedict and fried mushrooms, fish tacos, mimosas and French 75's. I've been there for dinner before but this is the first brunch. They're cocktails and southern food don't disappoint! They've also got a really cool little bar. We're definitely coming back.

Marie Laveau
Hornsgatan 66
118 21 Stockholm
T-Mariatorget
08-668 85 00

Boots

I'm in love with these Acne boots. I bought them just this week and it's going to be a while before I wear any other shoes...

Friday, October 7

I Will Never Love You More


This is such a lovely little film. 

Roast Chicken and Tomatoes


This is a wonderfully healthy, delicious and easy recipe of Jamie Olivers that has evolved and become a regular part of our recipe repertoire. The flavours are so strong and vibrant, I crave this every time I see a tomato. So, like everyday. Another great thing, the leftovers can easily be made into a lovely soup! Just remove the chicken and purée the rest, heat up, add boullion to taste then and throw back in the chicken. I feel very proud of myself after this, more than is warranted I'm sure.




Roast Chicken and Tomatoes (original recipe)

2 handfuls of new potatoes, some halved
8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 big handfuls of sweet little tomatoes, some halved (a variety of colours looks nice)
1 bulb of garlic, separated into cloves
2 yellow onions, 1 quartered and 1 sliced
1 bunch oregano, roughly chopped
olive oil
salt and pepper

  • preheat the oven to 400F (200C) 
  • in a large oven proof dish (with a lid), place the potatoes, then the onions, garlic, oregano and tomatoes. Pour on a couple glugs of olive oil then stir together a bit. Place the chicken thighs in the pot on top of everything and pres in a little. Top with another glug of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. 
  • place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes with the lid on, then 30 with the lid off, stirring slightly before putting on the lid. Make sure the potatoes are nice and soft. This is how long it took with my gas oven, it may be different with an electric oven, keep an eye on it!


Happy Friday!

Wednesday, October 5

Lisas Café & Hembageri


Lisas is a lovely little café in our neighbourhood. Everything is homemade and unpretentious and completely delicious. Friendly service, checked table cloths hot coffee and fresh pastries, what more could you want from a café?


Here's the meatball sandwich I had for lunch (maybe breakfast, maybe I didn't get up til 2). I love meatball sandwiches and they're about a thousand times better with homemade meatballs and beet salad like this.


Lisas Café & Hembageri 
Skånegatan 68 - 116 37 Stockholm



Tuesday, October 4

Grilled Cheese

I love diner food. It's a genuine, life long affection. It feels like home and childhood, it's solid and unfussy and you know exactly what you're getting when you order it. There's not too much skill involved in making it but you're never disappointed. Unless you burn it, which yes I've done. Life is distracting. Anyways, serious question: ketchup or no ketchup? This is a sensitive debate I know, it tears families and marriages apart. I vote ketchup, it sounds gross but sorry I just do.


Mums Mums, go well with a grilled cheese! They're a Swedish treat sort of like Viva Puffs without the jam and, dare I say it, better. Less cookie, more chocolate and marshmallow.  


And finally homemade chai tea. It was chilly out and we love chai! Chai recipe




Saturday, October 1

The Bee's Knees


This is a  gin cocktail from the Prohibition era and it's not for the faint hearted!  The honey was added to mask the smell of liquor (should we thank Prohibition for the evolution of the cocktail?). One of these will have you Charlestoning on the table, but who ever said that was a bad thing? 

Bee's Knees Cocktail
  • 2 oz gin
  • 1/2 oz lemon juice
  • 3/4 oz honey*
Shake vigorously in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a curled lemon rind.
*substitute honey syrup for easier mixing; made by mixing equal parts honey and warm water