For fancy breakfasts...

I have no idea where this one comes from... although I'm pretty sure it is a known receipe, with a fancy story of its own. For my part, I know it from my grandmother who used to make it for me when I visited. A nice change from my morning cereal!

To have:

• 1 yoghurt
• 1/2 lemon
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
• 2 tablespoons ground (or not) oak flakes
• 2-3 teaspoons honey
• fruits (e.g. apple, pear, banana, peach, or even strawberries...)
• walnuts

That's the full version as I know it, ofcourse, that only purists like myself stick to. If you don't have that much stuffs, it's no big deal.

To do:

Just add the ingredients in the right order:

• Empty the yoghurt into a bowl.
• Add the squeezed half-lemon, and stir.
• Then, oil ; then, honey. Stir well.
• Grind the flaxseeds and oak flakes, and add them too. Stir.
• You can now add fruits, cut to pieces, as many as you like, as much as you like. And...stir (no kidding!)
• Throw some walnuts on the whole thing before giving it your last spin!
• Look, unconvinced, at your preparation.
• Go ahead and try it (you'd hate to have done all this stirring for nothing)

Right, it may not *look* very good, but it tastes great and is, surely, very healthy!

Quiche Lorraine

Ingredients:

• A dough, pate feuillete or more simple, bought or home-made
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 L milk
• 200G grated cheese (emmenthal or any not too tasty but not too fade cheese)
• 2 table spoon of crême fraiche
• 200gs of cubes of bacon
• 1 big onion

extra :

• one leech, or some mushrooms...

Preparation:

1. In a pan, stir fry onion and bacon together
2. In a bowl, mix milk, eggs, cheese (+ extra)
3. add onion and bacon to the rest
4. Pour on the dough, that has previously been spread in a pie pan.
5. Bake 20-25 min+ (it really depends on the oven) at 180°c/ th. 6
   

Lussekatter

As the weather turns bad again, our thoughts are transposed back to...christmas, and Saint Lucy, and here a wonderful (in all seasons) traditional swedish pastry.



Ingredients :

First dough

• 50g butter
• 5 dL milk
• 50g yeast
• 1 tea spoon salt
• 1,5 L of flour
• 2 tea spoon of sugar

Second dough

• 25g of Safran
• 125g butter
• 1 egg
• 1 dL sugar

+ eggs and milk to brush the pastries before they are cooked (to make them golden)
+ raisins to decorate


Preparation:

first dough

1. Melt the butter in the milk, until it is around 37°c (more would kill the bacterias in the yeast, and the lyssekatter with it!)
2. Add the yeast
3. In a separate pot, put most of the flour (keep one cup aside, for when you mix the two doughs) with the sugar and salt. Mix with the butter and co.
4. cover with a cloth, and let rest for around an hour.

second dough

When the hour is almost up, prepare the second dough.

1. mix (with a hand mixer) butter and almost all sugar. Keep a little sugar to crush the safran if need be.
2. add the egg
3. add the crushed safran to the second dough

mixing the doughs (the fun part)

1. mix both doughs. Dont worry, it will be ugly, but you will succeed in the end. Incorporate the flour that you kept for that purpose.
2. form the lussekattar, in braids, snails, what ever you feel like. It will make a lot of it. Decorate with raisins.
3. brush them with egg and/or milk.
4. bake them on cooking paper, for 8 to 10 minutes, at 250°C regular oven, or 200 if rotating heat. You will need to do it in a few (3, 4, 5) times, as there is a lot of them...

Cookies !

I'm not so sure where this one comes from. But it was tried and approved in Scotland - dunno if this is enough to make it a Scottish recipe?

Ingredients :
225g (2 cups) flour
140g (5/8 cups) butter
100g (1/2 cup) white sugar
100g (1/2 cup) brown sugar
1 packet (1 tablespoon, roughly) baking powder
1 egg
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch ground nutmeg
200g chocolate
and nuts, walnuts, pecan nuts, peanuts, raisins, or whatever you feel like having your cookies bursting with. (use your imagination)

Pre-heat oven at 180°C.
What you do is basically put all of this except for the chocolate in a big bowl, mix until you get a compact dough ball, and then add chocolate/nuts/raisins/etc, and mix again. (easy, eh?)
Then make smaller dough balls (around 3-4 cm) and line them on a baking pan.
Bake at 180°C for around 10 minutes ; don't wait until they're hard to take them out, they'll stiffen when cooling.

Challah

Here is another braided bread recipe... Straight from Canada (expect for a quick stop in Scotland).

This makes two loaves. And requires time, as it involves a lot of wait-for-the-dough-to-rise-ing.

Ingredients :

Yeast mixture :
• 2 packets yeast
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 teaspoon sugar
Alternatively, you may use instant yeast that you will directly add to the dough, and then add about one cup of warm water - this way, the bread may not really rise until in the oven, but it will not have that yeasty taste.

Dough :
• 4,5 cup flour
• 2 eggs
• 3/8 cups sugar
• 1/8 cup honey
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg for brushing + poppy or sesame seeds if you feel like it.

Once all of this is gathered :

- Combine yeast mixture and set aside for 10 minutes (unless you're using instant yeast, in which case you just have to skip this part)
- Mix dough ingredients with yeast mixture (or, instant yeast + water). Add flour for consistency.
Mix by hand for 15-20 minutes - the more the better.
- Turn in greased bowl, and et rise for 1h-1h30 covered in saran wrap.
- Punch down, let rise for a further 45 minutes.
- Separate (half) and braid for two loaves. (To braid, separate in 5 bits, stretch them, then stick them together at one end, and it's basically over-under-over-under.)
- Let rise for 45 minutes, then brush with eggs and sprinkle with seeds.
- Bake at 185°C for 30-35 minutes.
- If it all went according to plan, this thing shall not last long. Which is all for the best, as it's better when straight outta the oven.

Swiss Bread: "Züpfe"

Ingredients for one (big) bread...

125g butter
5-6 dl milk
a lump of yeast (42-50g)
ca. 1 kg flour
1 teespoon of sugar
1 soup spoon of salt

1 egg yolk
a little extra milk

Preparation

melt the butter in a pan. mix salt, sugar and the yeast in bowl. stir until the yeast is liquid. add the milk to the butter and pour it into the bowl (make sure, that the butter and milk are not too hot, so the yeast-bacteries don't get destroyed...). add flour, stir, knead and add more flour until the dough doesn't stick to your fingers anymore (it will need about 1 kg of flour, the dough should still shine a little and not be completely dry!).

Then let it rest until it has about doubled in size.

Split the dough into two even parts. spread them until they form long (similar length) tubes.
Now, the braiding shall begin...

form the bread. put it on baking paper. mix the egg yolk and a little milk. brush the bread with it. put it in the cold oven (lower half of it) for about 40 minutes at 200°C. to check if the bread is ready, knock on it. if the sound is hollow, take it out and let it cool out (at least a little...) and enjoy!

Mousse au Chocolat et au Mascarpone / Chocolate and Mascarpone Mousse

One of my favourite Mousse recipee...


Ingredients...for 3 or 4
* 250G mascarpone
* 100G sugar
* 150G dark chocolate (60ish percent is good)
* 3 eggs
* if you want, you can add some orange flower water.

1. separate the 3 egg-yolks and egg-whites
2. Mix mascarpone and sugar with the egg-yolks
3. Beat the egg-whites into snow
4. Slowly incorporate the egg-whites into the mascarpone and co mix
5. Separate the mousse in two halfs. In one, add orange flower water (a little!)
6. Melt the chocolate with a little milk (bain-marie, microwave, as you like) and incorporate it in the second one.
7. In small bowls, alternate layer of white mousse and black mousse.
8. Keep refrigerated for 2 hours before eating, and try to eat the mousse before 48h

Crêpes (improved recipe)

Contrary to other crêpes recipes, this one has sugar in it. You're not forced to add some of course, but I just think it's more tasty in the end. And that way you can eat them without anything inside , can be practical when you want to take one in your lunchbox or when you have to bring them elsewhere. ;-)

Ingredients:

- 260g flour
- 130g sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 liter milk
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 sp oil
- Vanilla extract drops (optional)

1. In a bowl, put flour, eggs and sugar together.

Tip: Don't mix them before adding milk, otherwise you may have a mixture full of lumps. (You might have some in any case but it may be harder to make them disappear)

2. Slowly pour in milk while stirring.

3. Stir until small bubbles appear on the surface.

Ideally, you should let the batter sit for 1 hour because it helps the flour absorb more liquids, but it's not necessary. Most of the time I didn't do it with this recipe and the result was still perfect.

The batter must be liquid but not too much. If it seems too thick, add a little more water and/or milk. If it seems too liquid (if you added too much water/milk), add a little more flour.


Preparation:

Choose a medium pan rather than a small one. Heat the pan. When it's hot, grease it lightly with (salty!) butter or eventually with vegetable oil. Spread evenly some of the batter in the pan. Remember that you're not making pancakes :-p, so don't put too much of the batter. Crêpes have to be large and thin. When the first side is cooked, flip it on the other side. Traditionally you have to flip it over while throwing it in the air but you can choose a safer method and use spatulas... The second side cooks very quickly, so let it cook only for like 15-20 seconds.

Tip: If you're stacking them on a plate, add a very small pinch of sugar between each of them so that they don't stick to each other later.

Traditionally, crêpes have to be lightly topped and then folded into quarters but you can just do whatever pleases you.

High Tea Scones

625ml flour
2 Tbsp sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

125ml cold butter

250ml buttermilk or plain yogurt
1 egg, lightly beaten

Mix the dry ingredients together. Then cut in the cold butter (just like making pastry). Then mix in the yogurt and egg. I find at this point I usually need to add a little more flour so that it is not too sticky. Turn onto the counter and knead 10 times. Shape into scones. They can be whatever size you like, but I usually role the dough so it is a little more than an inch thick and then cut out circles with the top of a glass. Then you can also brush the tops lightly with a beaten egg for the proper shiny scone look. But it's not necessary. Or you can dip the tops in sugar to make them sparkle.

Bake at 225 C for 12-15 minutes or until they edges turn golden brown and a knife comes out clean. It can be hard to tell when they are done- so sometimes I split one open.

Serve warm with butter and jam. Or ideally with Devonshire cream- but you might have to go to Devonshire to find some. =)

You can also add fruit before baking. Eg. blueberries or cranberries. And cheesey scones are also delicious. Just omit the sugar and replace it with 250ml of shredded cheese and a big pinch of cayenne pepper.

Raspberry and Amaretti Mousse

Serves 1 (that's what recipe said--so i used 500grams of mascapone for 6 people and adjusted everything else accordingly)..it's pretty much about having a feel for it, doesnt have to be exact!!

Ingredients

4 tbsp double cream
110g/4oz mascarpone
2 tbsp icing sugar
55g/2oz raspberries
55g/2oz amaretti biscuits, crushed (can also use crunchy hollow white meringues)
30g/1oz dark chocolate, grated (optional)


Method
1. For the mousse, place the double cream, mascarpone and icing sugar into a bowl and mix well. Fold in the raspberries and crushed amaretti biscuits.
2. Put in a big bowl/individul small ones and sprinkle over the grated chocolate if u want.

Reunion Island meets Brabrand Turkey Curry

This recipee is born of weird circonstances, one january sunday evening in Brabrand, were inspired by a Reunion Island fish curry recipee, but without fish, we kind of did with what we had. The result was really good, though!

ingredients...for 5

• 1 kg turkey breast
• 5 or 6 small onions
• 30 gr of fresh ginger
• 5 tomatoes
  
• 5 garlic cloves
• thym; rosemary
• curry
• oil
  

1. mix your spices together
2. in a pot, put some oil (6 table spoons), and brown the meat for some minutes
3. take the meat outside, brown the onions then add the spices and tomatoes
4. after 10 minutes, add the meat again an let cook for 15minutes at a lower heat
5. Just before the end of the 15 minutes, add a glass of water and turn the heat so the water is boiling
6. turn the heat down again and finish cooking for a few (5) minutes.

Crême au Citron / Lemon Cream

ingredients...for 5

• 500g fromage blanc/fromage frais/kwark
  
• 3 big organic lemon (or more lime)
  
• 400g sweetened condensed milk

zest the lemons and press them.
mix the fromage blanc with the condensed milk
add the lemon zest + juice

=> put in the fridge for at least 2 hours before eating, so that it takes shape.

Pilgrims Cornbread

I'm pretty sure the "New World" owes the survival of it's first citizens to this delicious and hearty food. So today I bring it back to the "Old World" for your enjoyment!

In one bowl mix together:
-190ml cornmeal
-375ml flour
-4 tsp baking powder
-60 ml sugar
-1 tsp salt

In a separate bowl mix together:
-375 ml milk
-1 egg
-2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Combine both mixtures together. Do not overmix. Lumps are okay.

Bake in 8" pan at 200 C for 35 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

Serve warm with butter.

Canadian Pancakes!

Combine in one large bowl:
-250ml flour
-2 Tbsp sugar
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 tsp baking soda
-2 tsp baking powder

In a separate bowl mix:
-1 egg
-250ml milk
-190ml plain yogurt

Mix milk mixture into flour mixture. Add 2 Tbsp vegetable oil. Stir well until combined. You may also need to add some more milk if the batter is too thick.

Fry up over medium heat. You will know when to flip them because little bubbles will appear around the edges of the pancake.

Top with maple syrup, stewed apples, or other fruit of your choice. They are also delicious if you add blueberries, apples and cinnamon, bananas or chocolate chips to the batter before you fry them.

Mousse au Chocolat

Made everywhere and often

ingredients...

• 1 egg per person, or 3 eggs for 4, then per egg
• 10g butter
• some sugar, according to your taste
• 45g of cooking chocolate (around 50%)
  

Separate the yellow and white from the eggs, beat the white into snow
melt chocolate and butter together (micro-wave, bain-marie or in a pot) and add sugar
let it cool for a few moments then add the yellow
mix slowly and gently the white, not all at once (with a fork for example)

=> Pour into individual cups and put into the fridge for at least 2-3h before eating. Dont keep it more than a day after that; as your eggs are raw.

Zucchini Bread

Made in Glasgow, 20/03/08

ingredients...

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup veggie oil
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups grated zucchinis
• 2 tea-spoon vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tea-spoon salt
• 1 tea-spoon baking powder
• 1 tea-spoon baking soda
• 1 table-spoon cinnamon
• 1 cup dropped walnuts and or raisins

Beat eggs until light and foamy.
Add oil+sugar+zucchini+vanilla and mix lightly.
Mix all other dry ingredients, and add the dry ingredients to the wet ones.
Blend.
Add the walnuts and/or raisins

=> Pour into two loaf/cake pans and bake at 325 F° or 163 C° for about 50-60 minutes

Cooking is on!

Mine kære venner, I invite you to this wonderful interactive cooking community, where we will be able to collect all the wonderful international recipees we have been surviving on for the last few months...

If you want to participate, just write at erasmusfood@gmail.com and I will give you the informations :-)