Jerusalem Artichoke Cream Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1. 500g Jerusalem artichokes washed, peeled and chopped
2. 2 potatoes chopped bit size
3. 2 large onions, 1 quartered and 1 diced
4. 4 garlic cloves, 2 minced
5. A handful of oyster mushrooms sliced (optional)
6. Thyme for garnish
7. Water 1 l.5 litres
8. 100ml cream (Kaffefløde 9%) (optional)
9. Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Place half of the Jerusalem artichokes, 2 garlic cloves, 1 onion into the Philips soupmaker and add water to the minimum line and start cooking and puree.

2. On a pan/pot, fry the garlic, onions, the remaining of the Jerusalem artichokes and potatoes. Add salt to taste. Transfer to pot, add water just enough to cover and let it simmer.

3. Add the puree from the soup cooker when done.

4. Add salt to taste.

5. Add cream as desired (optional)

6. Serve in bowls and garnish with thyme or other herbs.

Additional Information:
I love the Jerusalem artichokes soup that my work canteen serve. Today, there was an offer from IMRA supermarket and I bought 2 packets of Jerusalem artichokes to try to make soup and also to make a roast Jerusalem artichokes dish. Both Daddy FECS and I loved it, also Baby FECS, but our Little FECS didn't like it. He is apparently not fond of the smell and taste of Jerusalem artichokes. He refused to eat it :-(

Here is a simpler recipe from the package from the supermarket in Danish:

 

This is the packet of Jerusalem artichokes I bought

Since I have the Phillps soup cooker, I use it to puree half of it. I love the consistency that the soup cooker does.

While waiting for the soup cooker to do its job, I fried the garlic, onions, mushrooms, potatoes and the other half of the Jerusalem artichokes.

The artichokes pureed by the soup cooker.

Now it's done and ready to serve :-)

Viking's Bread - Birkakiks

Ingredients:
1. 400ml wheat flour
2. 20ml oats
3. 1/2 tsk salt
4. 50g butter
5. 50ml honey
6. 200ml water

Directions:
1. Mix wheat flour, oats and salt in a mixing bowl.
2. Distribute the butter with your fingers to mix well into the dough.
3. Add honey and water and mix well into a dough.
4. Set aside for 30 mins (while waiting, your child and you can use the time to read the history about vikings :-)
5. Take a portion of the dough the size of a walnut and roll it out flat approx. 5mm thick.
6. Fry on a dry pan (no. 5 or 6 on my stove) until the biscuit is done.

Additional Information:
You can also make it over a fire like just the vikings the "snobrød" way. It will be even more fun that way :-)

Our Little FECS saw this viking's bread in his Donald Duck magazine, and he had been bugging me to make with him. But I was too tied down with Baby FECS for the past few months. Finally, we rememebred to do it today, and I managed to squeeze out some time, while Daddy FECS took over Baby FECS.

Our Little FECS (8y1m15d) was very excited, to taste the finished product, as he was very curious how the viking's bread in those days tasted like. We used a mixture of honey and syrup for the bread. We actually also added quite a lot more flour than called for in the recipe, as the mixture was too wet - perhaps our Little FECS had measured the water wrongly.

Surprisingly, it tasted very good. It actually tasted more like biscuits than bread. Both Daddy FECS, Little FECS and I liked it. It must be the butter and the honey/syrup and the pure white flour. We did not let Baby FECS try it. To make it more nutritious, we added brewer's yeast and wheat germ for the second batch, and they tasted equally good. Next time, I am going to substitute some of the flour with Graham's flour instead.

Below is the recipe in Danish. According to the story, the leftovers of viking's bread was charred and therefore it was preserved until today. Apparently, most of them was found at the big marketplace at Birka in Sweden. So as we ate the bread, we learned a bit of the Scandinavian's viking history with our Little FECS.

Here is a little video clip of our Little FECS demonstrating how to make the Viking's bread.
(to be loaded)

 

 1. Mix wheat flour, oats and salt in a mixing bowl.

2. Distribute the butter with your fingers to mix well into the dough.

3. Add honey and water and mix well into a dough.

4. Set aside for 30 mins.

 5. Take a portion of the dough the size of a walnut and roll it out flat approx. 5mm thick.

 6. Fry on a dry pan until the biscuit is done.

Quick Oven-Roasted Beef with Jerusalem artichokes

Quick Recipe

Beef, Jerusalem artichokes, stalk cheery tomatoes, oyster mushrooms, onion, cashew nuts, black & white sesame seeds and fresh thyme drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in pre-warmed oven at 220 degree celsius for 15 mins.

Detailed Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1. 4 pieces of beef steaks approx. 180g each cut into halves each

2. 3 Jerusalem artichokes washed, peeled and sliced

3. 10 stalk cherry tomatoes

4. A desired handful of oyster mushrooms sliced (I took a big handful because I love oyster mushrooms)

5. 1 onion quartered

6. 2 cloves garlic pressed

7. A handful of cashew nuts (Mr. FECS' favorite ingredient)

8. 1 tsp black or white sesame seeds (optional)

9. A few stigs of fresh thyme

10. 1-2 TBS olive oil

11. Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in an oven-proof dish.

2. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.

3. Roast in a 220 degree celsius pre-warmed oven for 15 mins and serve with roasted potatoes :-)

Additional Information:

I usually prepare the ingredients the night before and leave them in the fridge, as in the chaos of day means that I usually don't get dinner out in time.

Prepare main ingredients

Wash, chop and place ingredients in oven-proof dish

The ribeye beef I bought from IRMA supermarket

Jerusalem artichokes

 Now it's done :-)

Serve with roasted potatoes and roasted Jerusalem artichokes

Quick Oven-Roasted Chicken Drumsticks with Red Pepper Bells

Inspired from homemate.dk

Serves 3

Ingredients:

1. 6 chicken drumsticks

2. 1 parsnip sliced

3. 1/2 red pepper bell sliced

4. 1 onion quartered

5. A handful of unsalted cashew nuts

6. A handful stigs of fresh rosemary

7. A bit of cream (piskefløde)

8. 1-2 TBS olive oil

9. Salt & pepper to taste

10. 1 tsp cayenne (optional, if you wish it spicy)

11. A handful of parsley for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Drizzle olive oil, salt, pepper and cayenne if you wish it to be a little spicy

2. Roast in a pre-warmed oven for 15 mins at 220 degree celsius.

3. Serve :-)

Jamaican-inspired Roasted Jerk Chicken with Pepper Bells

Recipe adapted and simplified from http://www.inner-gourmet.com/2016/12/whole-roasted-jerk-chicken.html

Ingredients:

1. 1 whole chicken
2. 1 red pepper bell sliced
3. 1 yellow pepper bell sliced
4. 1 yellow pepper bell sliced
5. 1 orange for stuffing cavity
6. 1/2 orange sliced
7. 1 onion quartered
8. 1 stalk of spring onions chopped long
9. 4 TBS green seasoning
10. 1 tsp black seasoning
11. 1 tsp jerk seasoning
12. 1 tsp paprika
13. 2 TBS olive oil
14. Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Season chicken all over (including the cavity) with green seasoning, black seasoning, jerk seasoning, paprika, 1 TBS olive oil and salt. Store chicken in a zip-lock bag and refrigerate overnight.

2. Pre-heat oven to 180  degree celsius.

3. Place orange inside the chicken cavity and place chicken in an oven-proof dish.

4. Arrange spring onions, onions, orange slices and half of the pepper bells around the chicken.

5. Sprinkle the vegetables with 1 TBS olive oil and some salt to taste.

6. Roast for 45 mins or until the thermometer reads 75 degree celsius.

7. Arrange the rest of the raw pepper bells around the chicken for color and it is ready to serve :-)

* You can also roast the chicken at 150 degree celsius for 1.5 hour in the oven. If you have an errand to do, you can dump the chicken into the oven, set the temperature to 130 degree celsius for 2.5 hrs. When you return, the chicken is done and dinner is ready to be served :-)

Additional Information:

I stumbled across this interesting recipe: hhttps://www.alicaspepperpot.com/whole-roasted-jerk-chicken/. Today with a bit more time and for a change, I decided to dress the chicken with more seasoning then the usual garlic and salt. I have also thrown in a parsnip.

Orange is used instead of honey to sweeten this dish.

Fancy serving a dish that look like burned chicken to your guests, but doesn't taste like it, to your guests - a good seasoning to use on April's fool day :-)

This is how my "burned chicken" looked like after using the blackened seasoning. Don't be fooled by its burned appearance, it actually tasted good :-)

But what a name! If you ever have a boss that bullies you, you could consider serving this to him :-)

Oops, I served it to Mr. FECS for dinner tonight through the roasted jerk chicken dish, but no pun intended here.

References:
https://www.alicaspepperpot.com/whole-roasted-jerk-chicken/

Jerk Seasoning

Ingredients:
1. 1 tsp garlic powder
2. 1 tsp dried thyme
3. 1 tsp ground pepper
4. 1 tsp paprika
5. 1 tsp hot chili pepper
6. 1 tsp cayenne
7. 1 tsp cinnamon powder
8. 1 tsp nutmeg spice

Directions:
Mix them together and store in air-tight container.

Additional Information: 
This is a Caribbean concoction. What a name - Jerk seasoning! An attest to Caribbeans' sense of humor and fun-loving nature :-)

I used this to make the roasted Jerk Chicken.

I made this batch last night, after Baby FECS retired for the night.

You can use it to season or marinade your meat for roasting in the oven.

References:
http://www.africanbites.com/jamaican-jerk-seasoning-recipe/

Blackened Seasoning

Ingredients:
1. 1 TBS paprika
2. 1 tsp garlic powder
3. 1 tsp cayenne
4. 1 tsp black pepper
5. 1 tsp white pepper
6. 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
7. 1 tsp dried oregano leaves

Directions:
Mix them together and store in air-tight container.

Additional Information:
This is apparently a Caribbean concoction - just love their humor, isn't it? I discovered this blackened seasoning when I discovered the jerk chicken recipe. Basically it means that it will make your chicken look black, when cooked - interesting, isn't it?

I made this batch last night, after Baby FECS retired for the night.

You can use it to season or marinade your meat for roasting in the oven.

References:
http://www.food.com/recipe/blackening-seasoning-mix-paul-prudhomme-297404

Green Seasoning

Ingredients:
1. 1 head garlic (approx. 12 garlic cloves)
2. 1 large onion or a few shallots
3. A few stalks of spring onions
4. Any green herbs such as cilantro, culantro, parsley, fresh thyme, etc.
5. 1 pimento pepper (optional if you wish it spicy)
6. A bit of water for blending
7. 3 TBS olive oil (optional)
8. Salt & pepper (optional)

Directions:
1. Peel, wash, drain, chop and blend all ingredients in a blender.
2. Store leftovers in ice-cube tray and keep in freezer for later use.

Additional Information:
I wanted to find more varied ways to dress up the roast chicken, beef or lamb and stumbled into the green seasoning, while making the Jamaican Jerk Chicken.

How timely! Since I have a large bump of fresh parsley that if I don't use would soon get old, I made my first green seasoning with parsley :-)

According to a Caribbean blog Cooking with Ria, the green seasoning is basically "a blend of herbs to make into seasoning used as marinade for meats, seafood, stews, curries and "pot-spoonfuls" into soups or one-pot rice dishes to enhance the flavor in the Caribbean" - what a brillant idea the Caribbeans have! And it is called green seasoning because of the herbs.

Actually it reminds me quite of the Chinese dressing and even Italian pesto - the difference is with the herbs used - soya sauce is added for many of the Chinese seasoning and parmesan cheese is added for many of the western ones. The Caribbean one seems to use less oil and a large volume of herbs, while the Chinese don't freeze their seasoning. So to embrace the good ideas I am learning from each culture, I am going to start making my Chinese seasoning in large batch and freeze them :-)

Btw, just for my own archive, the best place to get herbs such as parsley and dild is Irma - they have the strongest scent.

References:
http://www.cookingwithria.com/2013/03/trinidad-green-seasoning.html
http://caribbeanpot.com/how-to-make-the-green-seasoning-paste-thats-so-unique-to-caribbean-cuisine/
http://www.saveur.com/green-seasoning-recipe

Crispy Split Peas

Makes 1 tray

Ingredients:

1. 250g split peas

2. 2 TBS olive oil

3. Salt to taste

4. 2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional, if you wish it spicy)

Directions:

1. Soak split peas in water overnight.

2. Drain and pat dry.

3. Add olive oil, salt and cayenne pepper and mix well.

4. Bake for 10-12 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 200 degree celsius (take out and stir and put it back to the oven for the last 2 mins).

5. Cool and serve, or store in air-tight container.

Additional Information:

I added 2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, which is rather spicy, but we like it that way. If you wish just a little spicy, but not too much, 1 teaspoon would be sufficient. I used 2 tablespoons of olive oil, but 1 tablespoon may be sufficient.

References:

http://www.inner-gourmet.com/2012/05/split-channa-not-so-fried-way.html

Cooking Classes for Kids in Copenhagen

J is very interested in cooking. Here are the links I have found on cooking classes for kids in Copenhagen:

http://www.meyersmad.dk/book/madkurser-og-events/for-born/cook-camp-8-11-ar-uge-32/

http://karolinetrier.dk/
http://karolinetrier.dk/small-chefs/sommermadskole/

https://www.madskoler.dk/

https://www.b.dk/mad/kokkeskole-for-boern

https://timmvladimirskoekken.dk/

Quick Oven-Roasted Lamb with Asparagus

Inspired from homemate.dk

Serves 3

Ingredients:

1. 2 medium pieces of lamb

2. 1/2 red pepper bell sliced

3. 1 onion quartered

4. 1 leek sliced

5. A few cloves of garlic unpeeled

6. A few stigs of fresh rosemary

7. 1 TBS olive oil 

8. Salt & pepper to taste

9. A handful of parsley for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Drizzle olive oil, salt and pepper.

2. Roast in a pre-warmed oven for 15 mins at 220 degree celsius or when termometer reads 58 degree celsius, if you want your beef perfectly medium rare

3. Garnish with parsley and serve :-)

Additional Information:

I served with roasted whole potatoes with skin and cut vegetables on the side.

All done, cut and garnished :-)