Voila...Cevapcici in a Jiffy!

Yeah, we know. Cevapcici...IGEN! A lotta people in school and at work know that we love those meat rolls and what better way to have lunch than to eat your favorite food fried in different mixes and spices!? Okay, here's what the jiffy in the title means:

Ingredients

Cevapcici

Couscous

Creme Fraiche

Sta. Maria Pepper Mix

Black Pepper

Lök Pulver or Onion Powder

Lemon

Directions

1. Medium fire, fry the meat rolls on the pan. No need for butter because Cevapcici rolls are oily enough on its own.
2. When the meat rolls start to smell good, put all the spices in. I did not measure how much but you will figure out when you start imagining the taste in your mouth just by smelling them.
3. Prepare the couscous. The latest one we bought was Couscous Klassisk by Druvan.
• Boil 2.5 dl water (1 dl = 100ml) in a pan.
• When the water starts to boil, remove pan from heat and pour 3 dl of couscous into it. Continue stirring until they swell.
• We usually do not add anything else, but eHow has another way of cooking couscous, follow this link: http://www.ehow.com/how_2042931_cook-couscous.html

Serve cevapcici with couscous on a plate. Add a spoon or two of Creme Fraiche and squeeze lemon on it. 

Availability of Ingredients

• Sour cream can be used in place of Creme Fraiche when it comes to texture and density, but tastes a bit different and stronger too. Amount to be added depends on your taste.
• Rice or any kind of pasta you prefer can be used insteady of Couscous, but in this case, we recommend mashed potatoes.
• Cevapcici are rolls of grinded meat found (as far as we know) only found in Lidl, a german grocery chain that has hundreds of stores in Sweden by now. If you can not find any alternative to them just make your own with the same base recipe as swedish meatballs (http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/10365/classic-swedish-meatballs) and make rolls of it.

Porkchop and Pomme

Frying up cops

Frying up brusselsprouts with butter

 

Pomme in the oven

Dinnertime

Ingredients

Porkfilé

Dried basil

Oregano

Brusselsprouts

Butter

Honey

Pomme

Directions

1. Chop the pork in slices and massage in the spices into the meat. 
2. Heat up oven and put the pomme there when oven is ready.
3. Fry the pork with butter slowly so it doesn't  get burned. Fry up some butter in a small casserol and spices of own choice, not hot ones tho. Mix in brusselsprouts.
4. Add a string of honey to the sprouts and let it simmer for a few minutes. 

Serve with bearnaisesauce and possibly veggies of choice

Availability of Ingredients

All ingredients oughta be able to find just about anywhere, but and type of pork with as less fat as possible will do just fine. If not, cut as much fat away you can.

The Real Love on a Bowl

This is our typical breakfast: sour milk, digestive biscuits, fruits and orange juice (if available...if none: milk again! or just water! haha).

 Arla Sour Milk (Banana & Lime) and Original Flavor with Digestive Biscuits and Bananas

Milbona Strawberry-Flavored Sour Milk with Digestive Biscuits and Bananas

Milk is very healthy for the body, and we prefer to have our daily breakfast dose on the sour side of things. Too bad that it's only available in Scandinavia, but back in Manila here's the secret to the closest taste of our morning dose of healhty living:

Ingredients:

Nestle Creamy Yoghurt (White)

Marks & Spencer Digestive Biscuits

Bananas / Strawberries (depending on your taste.

Directions

1. Pour the yoghurt onto a bowl for your desired serving.
2. Crush the digestive biscuits on your hands (not on the bowl as they tend to be soggy).
3. Add the cut bananas and/or strawberries (or of any fruit you want) into the mix.

Availability of Ingredients

• Digestive biscuits in Sweden can be bought at the cheapest price of SEK5.90 (Euroshopper brand) from ICA Maxi. The digestive biscuits from Marks & Spencer in the Philippines is a bit pricey tho (choice of either Php100.00 of Php130.00). Trivia: In search for biscuits having almost the same taste and texture of Graham Crackers, we ended up settling with digestive biscuits. We haven't tried it yet, but you could probably experiment on using that instead of digestive biscuits, then let us know ;)
• The strawberry-flavored sour milk we got from Lidl. In Manila, Nestlé Fruit Strawberry Yoghurt can be used. 

Tikka Massala with Pomodoro and Sun Dried Tomatoes

Ingredients

Let's eat!

Ingredients

Cevapcici

Chorizo

Sundried Tomatoes

Pomodoro (version of bolognese pasta sauce)

Tikka Masala Spice Mix

Creme Fraiche

Couscous

Directions

 

To make things "easier", let the cevapcici unfreeze some before starting to cook 

1. Chop cevapcici and prefry it
2. Add sliced chorizo
3. When the meats have gained the right color and are cooked, add pomodoro and lower the temperature on the stove.
4. Season with tikka masala
5. Simmer so the flavours are released and mixed
6. Add just about enough Creme Fraiche that the casserole don't change in colour too much.
7. Chop sundried tomatoes and mix them in.

You may also add chopped fresh tomatoes to this dish if you want, since it will really add a freshness to it.

Serve with couscous and vegetables of your own choice.

Additional creme fraiche on top for visuals, and as condiment

Availability of Ingredients

• Cevapcici are rolls of grinded meat found (as far as we know) only found in Lidl, a german grocery chain that has hundreds of stores in Sweden by now. If you can not find any alternative to them just make your own with the same base recipe as swedish meatballs (http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/10365/classic-swedish-meatballs) and make rolls of it.
• Sour cream can be used in place of Creme Fraiche when it comes to texture and density, but tastes a bit different and stronger too. Amount to be added depends on your taste.
• Rice or any kind of pasta (recommended is risoni, riceshaped pasta) you prefer can be used insteady of Couscous.
• Tikka Masala Spice Mix can probably be found just about anywhere, but to make your own version just use; Red Chilli, Coriander, Tumeric, Cumin Seeds, Caraway Seeds, Black Pepper, Green Cardamom, Dried Mango, Dried Garlic, Dried Ginger, Tartaric acid, Salt

Who Said You Can't Have Pancakes for Lunch?!

Pancake tidbits, cheese, turkey, lettuce, and cherry tomatoes. Not really healthy but tastes good enough to be called a meal on a day when all you have are leftovers and laziness at the top of your list of food choices. I'll call this the Pancake Lunch.

Ingredients

Leftover pancakes

Turkey (or any preferred meat)

Cherry Tomatoes

Lettuce

Cheese

Directions

1. Place the cut pancakes according to the shape of the plate (like a crust), smallest pieces in the middle of the pile with all the other ingredients. Bigger pieces on top.
2. Place the meat, vegetables, and cheese in the middle, also bits of cheese on top.
3. Everything is ready to eat.

Availability of Ingredients

• Cherry tomatoes are bite-size tomatoes. If unavailable in your area, just get a tomato and cut it into pieces and VOILA!

Impromptu Rolls

Busy schedule, with a lot of cleaning and studying to do so here's a simple recipe.

Ingredients

Arla Creme Fraiche

Sundried Tomatoes

Köttbullar

Black Pepper

Chili Pepper
Chili and Lime Spices

Köttbuljong

Pita Bread

Köttbuljong (meat bouillon)

Directions

1. Fry the kötbbular (meat balls) and put the black pepper, chili pepper, and chili and lime spices. You can do without the bouillon tho. You can put a little water and let it dissolve there. Wait until the water evaporates and put in the spices. Most of them we bought from ICA.
2. Mix the sundried tomatoes.
3. Put a little of creme fraiche.
4. Before serving, squeeze a bit of lime on it and it's good to go!

Availability of Ingredients

• If no köttbullar is available, they can be made at home.Check out this link from Knowledgerush.
• Sour cream can be used in place of Creme Fraiche when it comes to texture and density, but tastes a bit different and stronger too. Amount to be added depends on your taste.

Curry Sausage (Indian-Inspired)

Ingredients

Preparation

Dinner is served

Ingredients

Falukorv
2 Apples
2 Lime
1½dl Creme Fraiche
A handful Curry powder
Onionpowder
Oregano
Couscous

Directions

1. Chop the sausage and apples.
2. Pre-fry the sausage before adding apples.
3. Leave it for a little while as you mash the spices together. Remember to use alot of curry(!)
4. Pour the spices in and stir well so everything is "spiced up". 
5. Add creme fraiche, and mix. 
6. Simmer for just a minute and then squeeze at least one lime into the casserole.

Serve with couscous, lettuce and cherry tomate. Additional creme fraiche on top for visuals, and as condiment. Squeeze some more lime on the dish before digging in.

Availability of Ingredients

• If no Falukorv is available, the closest that has the same texture (but not exactly the taste, which might be a bit sweeter) is SPAM. Before following the directions above, cut SPAM into desired sizes and fry separetely first so that the meat won't break off easily.
• Sour cream can be used in place of Creme Fraiche when it comes to texture and density, but tastes a bit different and stronger too. Amount to be added depends on your taste.
• Rice or any kind of pasta you prefer can be used insteady of Couscous.

Italian Casserole

Ingredients lined up

Done cooking

Ingredients

Meatballs

Sundried tomatoes

Mild tomatosoup

Fresh paprika/tomato fettucini

Creme Fraiche

Directions

1. Save the pasta for last since fresh pasta only takes about 2-3min to be done.
2. Start by cutting the meatballs in half and fry them.
3. Add chopped sundried tomatoes and stir around in the pan until it's evenly warm.
4. Boil water for the pasta.
5. Pour one pack of soup in the pan and let simmer for a while when the pasta is cooking.
6. When that is done, add creme fraiche  and pasta in the pan and mix it all together.
7. Let it simmer for awhile.

To add more freshness to the casserole, add sliced cherry tomatoes.

Availability of Ingredients

• Sour cream can be used in place of Creme Fraiche when it comes to texture and density, but tastes a bit different and stronger too. Amount to be added depends on your taste.
• Kelda is our favorite brand of soups (and the only one we noticed producing tomato soup). If this brand is unavailable in your area (like the Philippines), try this one we found on JamieOlver.com on home made tomato soup: http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegeterian-recipes/tomato-soup

Unwind with the Pizzeria

Tonight is no-stress-night so we decided to swing by Natti Pizzeria and order two of their most delicious combinations.

First is the Kebab Pizza which is the most delicious, of course (and that's being biased and over-the-edge subjective with the taste since we haven't really ordered other flavors yet haha!).

Second one we ordered is Falcon, a pizza with porkfilée red onions, squash and bearnaise sauce.

When we've tried making pizzas someday and get to post it here, we'll try an experimental kebab pizza and mixing it with other meats and flavors as well. Just keep visiting ;)

Stockholm for Skunk Anansie

Today, is no-cook day because we're going to watch SKUNK ANANSIE, YEAH! They will be performing in Berns so we decided to take a walk around Stockholm (we love taking pictures!), and we decided to take pictures of our lunch that we will try to re-create later on.



Beef Pasta that we unfortunately can't really remember exactly what was in it, other than strings of beef, penne pasta, zucchini and cream. Cheese & spinach pie, made on a swedish special cheese (Västerbotten).

Sausage Stroganov

Boiling potatoes in the foreground while the "casserole" is frying

Ready to eat

Ingredients

Falukorv (swedish large sausage)
Creme Fraiche
Salt
Pimento
Potatoes (Make sure you use enough. You'd be surprised how much is required to make mashed potatoes)
Butter




Directions

1. Clean the potatoes and slice into smaller pieces.
2. Chop the sausage into sticks and pre-fry. Add CF after taste and season with salt and pimento. Let it cook on low temp.
3. When the potatoes are done, pour all the water out and mash them with an electric whipper. Stir on low speed. Add salt, butter and a little pimento and stir into a thick puree. Lumps are recommended to save.

I should mention that this is a budget version of stroganov when there's a low stock of ingredients. The proper way to cook this is to include diced onions, meatbroth cubes, tomato puree and soy sauce.




Availability of Ingredients

• If Falukorv is unavailable, the closest that has the same texture (but not exactly the taste, which might be a bit sweeter) is SPAM. Before following the directions above, cut SPAM into desired sizes and fry separetely first so that the meat won't break off easily.
• Sour cream can be used in place of Creme Fraiche when it comes to texture and density, but tastes a bit different and stronger too. Amount to be added depends on your taste.

Sunflower Meat with Sun Dried Tomatoes

Sundried Tomatoes from Druvan and chopped onions

Served with Penne Pasta

A real experiment in combining flavours and ingredients from different continents.

Ingredients

400g minced meat

sunflower seeds

white pepper

salt

cayenne pepper

1tbsp Creme Fraiche

1can coconut milk

sundried tomatoes

1 onion

Directions

1. Start with frying the meat and letting it get properly cooked.
2. Grind the sunflower seeds together with white pepper, salt and just a little cayenne pepper until  it's almost entirely grinded. Preferable is to save some of the seeds just almost entirely crushed.
3. Pour the mixture in the pan and blend well. Let it fry for just a minute.
4. Add the coconut milk and creme fraiche. Let it simmer for a few minutes until almost all the fluid has evaporated.
5. Add chopped sundried tomatoes and onions and stir.

Serve with Penne Pasta or whatever pasta you prefer.

Availability of Ingredients

• Sour cream can be used in place of Creme Fraiche when it comes to texture and density, but tastes a bit different and stronger too. Amount to be added depends on your taste.
• Sun-dried tomatoes are available almost in any grocery, especially in Sweden. Our favorite brand is Druvan. If it is unavailable in any location (we haven't really seen one in the Philippines or it's possible we did not look enough), home made sun-dried tomatoes are easy to do. Just go and check out this page http://homecooking.about.com/od/howtocookvegetables/a/sundriedrecipe.htm. If you know other ways of how to do this (one great way of doing this at home is if you pattern it the way tomatoes turn out to be when cooking Adobong Matanda), do let us know. Thanks!

Pea Soup Deluxe with Flat Bread

A little lazy cooking this night because it has been a really busy day. Easy to prepare but a dish that leaves you full for the rest of the night.

Ingredients

Ready-to-heat peasoup in a can / Ärtsoppa med extra fläsk (peasoup with extra pork)

Senap (Mustard)

Directions

1. Just let it boil easily with half a can of water.
2. Add a string of mustard, how much is up to yourself of course :)
3. Served with swedish flatbread with a few slices of gouda-cheese.

Availability of Ingredients

• Everything can be found in just about any swedish grocerystore. If you can't get a hold of Ärtsoppa, just make your own peasoup with the help of http://southernfood.about.com/od/beansoups/r/blbb35.htm
• You can use MY San Sky Flakes (in the Philippines) or plain crackers, in place of flat bread.

Tuna Casserole with Tomato Noodles

Black Beans & Tuna

All mixed together with mayo, creme fraiche, diced apples and salt and black pepper.

Noodles boiled and then simmered in tomatosoup-mix

Ingredients

2 cans of tuna

½can of black beans

1 apple (red)

2tbsp Creme Fraiche

2tbsp Mayonaisse

salt

black pepper

2 packs of noodles (without flavoring)

½pack of tomato soup mix

Directions

1. Drain the tuna from most of the water/oil and pour in a medium sized bowl. Make sure to "loosen up" the tuna.
2. Dice the apples and add it to the tuna.
3. Add then your CF and mayo, mixing it well together until it's one single color.
4. Now you may add the black beans, this is so you won't mash them when trying to mix everything properly.  Finally season it with salt and pepper according to your own taste.

This is just one version of the tuna casserole. the main ingredients are of course tuna, cf and mayo. To make it even tastier, try adding either diced pickles or boston cucumber (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bostongurka)  and little red onion instead of the black beans. Important thing is to make the caserol thick, since eating this on hard bread or with spaghetti for that matter is very tasty.

You might want to add a little cf to the noodlesoup at the end, just to make it extra creamy.