My favourite summer salad.

Day 2 #100happydays

I posted about my love of Broccoli Salad as part of the 100 Happy Days Challenge here.

 I discovered the idea of the salad via a friend a few years ago and decided to give it a go.  The recipe I used was this one: Fresh Broccoli Salad.  To say it was a success for the guests I had visiting at the time was an underestimate.  Everyone enjoyed it.  For me, it was the perfect way to eat broccoli during the warmer months without having to steam or stir-fry the vegetable.

So fast forward a couple of years to now and this is a photo of the salad I took to a BBQ yesterday.

I've amended the recipe to reflect that we don't eat red meat, so the bacon has gone.  Instead, I added some sunflower seeds to add a bit more crunch.  I've also tweaked the dressing because our taste buds prefer something that isn't so sweet.  So here is my recipe:

BROCCOLI  SALAD

2 Heads of broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets 

1 onion (red or white), finely chopped

50g/2oz Raisins

50g/2oz Sliced almonds

50g/2oz Sunflower seeds

1 cup Mayonnaise (I used lower fat variety)

3 tbsp White wine vinegar

3-4tsp sugar.

Cut up broccoli into bite sized florets and finely chop the onion then mix in a bowl with the raisins, nuts and seeds.

In a separate bowl or jug, mix together the mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar until smooth.  Then add dressing to the dry ingredients and stir in. Chill in the fridge until needed - it will keep for 4-5 days.

*Before pouring the dressing over the ingredients, taste to see if the dressing is to your taste.  If it isn't sweet enough, just add and taste with each teaspoon of additional sugar until you find what works for you.  

Enjoy!

As a child, I hated all foods that were green in colour apart from cucumber. Now as a mature adult, I can eat this everyday during the summer.  I'm sure as a child I would never have believed I would eat such a thing as broccoli.  There is hope for my son... :-)

Rugelach aka Kade's Mom's Christmas Cookies

 I love baking/cooking, and one thing I like to do is try recipes/dishes that are connected or mentioned in the books that I read.
After reading the latest book in The Kathleen Turner series - Out of Turn, and nursing a major book hangover, it was a perfect time to do a bit of festive baking.
This particular recipe was mentioned as part of a blog hop promotion for Tiffany A.Snow about a year ago.  It was accompanied by this extra scene about Kade.

Extract :  “She used to make these cookies for me, every Christmas.”  Absently, Kade took another drink, lost in memories.  “We never had much money for presents, but she’d scrimp and somehow I’d have a full stocking.  Then we’d have Christmas dinner, and always these cookies afterword.  They were amazing.  Fruit and cranberries with nuts, rolled in cinnamon and sugar.  They used to just melt in your mouth.”

 RECIPE

8oz / 225g Cream Cheese, room temperature

2 stick / 225g Unsalted Butter, room temperature

¼ cup Sugar

1tsp Vanilla Extract

2 cups flour

¼ cup Light Brown Sugar, packed

2tsp Cinnamon

¼ cup Dried Cranberries

1 cup Walnuts, finely chopped*

1 jar Apricot Preserve

1 Egg, beaten for egg wash

Mix cream cheese and butter together. Add sugar, vanilla extract and flour. This makes the dough/pastry. Separate the dough into four equal parts, shape each into a disc, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour. When ready, roll each disk out on a floured surface to about 9″ /23cm circles.

Puree apricot preserve if chunky. Combine the dried cranberries, brown sugar, cinnamon and walnuts. Spread a thin layer of preserve on the dough, then divide the filling equally and sprinkle over each circle, lightly pressing it into the dough. With a pizza cutter, cut each dough circle into 12 equal wedges. Starting from the outside, roll up each wedge into a crescent. Chill for 15 minutes, then brush each cookie with egg wash and sprinkle with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Bake for 15 minutes at 350°F / 180°C / gas mark 4 until lightly browned.

* I used 1 Cup Ground Almonds

My son Oskar loves these and keeps sneaking into the storage box and taking one!  A tasty Christmas treat that is now part of my family's Christmas tradition.  God Jul and Merry Christmas.

Santa Lucia & Lussekatter

Lussekatter

Today is Santa Lucia, which is celebrated throughout Scandinavia.  It is one of the very few saints days observed in this part of Northern Europe.  Celebrations are usually kept to barnehager (kindergarten/Nursery) and schools and rarely observed at home.  Nils and I watched the Santa Lucia procession (tog) when Oskar was at barnehage.  The first time he cried his eyes out and Nils had to carry him around in the train/tog.  One year we managed to get him dressed in the traditional white long gown and he sang his way alone, holding a candle - result!  Today at school, where Oskar is 2nd year pupil, there will be a procession.

As with any good feast, there is a something tasty to accompany it - Lussekatter.  I used this recipe (Norwegian) to make the ones pictured above.  I looked on the internet to find an equivalent recipe in English, but it looks like everyone has their own "best" way to make them.  The ones I made include cardamom.  Recipes I found from USA/Australia didn't include this.  Also, some use Quark/Kesam/Kvarg and egg....my recipe didn't include either ingredient.  Whilst there is absolutely nothing wrong with the ones I made, next year, I think I'll try a different recipe to compare.

Christmas Cake

My tried and tested Christmas cake recipe.
Chocolate fruitcake | BBC Good Food

This is a great alternative to a traditional rich, fruit celebration cake I am used too, but works for us.  As with any recipe I use , I have to substitute a little if I can't find the exact ingredients.
I used extra raisins, dried apricots and dried strawberries instead of currants.  Currants can be found here, but not so common.  I never use them anyway because I don't like finding stray seeds in cakes. Whilst in UK, you have a choice in quality/brand of dried fruit you buy - here, you don't.  So, I wont compromise on quality.  After all, this isn't a cheap cake to make!  I couldn't find dried cherries of any description, so used dates.  My dark chocolate was 70%. and lastly my alcohol of choice is Cherry Brandy:)

I made my cake a week ago, and today it has had its first feed.  The cake will be feed 2-3 times more before been decorated nearer to Christmas.

Comfort food!

I've just told Nils what we're having for dinner this evening and he's really happy with choice! You see, he feels like he's banging his head against a wall! With a deadline looming over his head, and problems hitting him at every turn, a comforting meal will hit the spot! So we are having Corned Beef Hash! Not exactly an exotic or healthy dish, but one that is hearty...leaving you with a full tummy and a contented feeling! The only time I buy corned beef is to make this recipe and I only cook it maximum twice a year. So it is a special pre-Easter treat!