Posted in Other on October 31, 2010| 3 Comments »
Danish winter sky
Starting on Monday November 1st I will be posting “12 Days of Christmas”. Christmas is a magical time of year for me, my favorite time of year, and I would like to share with you some of my most treasured Christmas foods which bring back many wonderful memories. It will be a mix of Danish/American Christmas items and the posts will be running through the middle of December. I hope you enjoy these posts as much as I have enjoyed creating them.
Julestjerne
Posted in Chicken, Soup, Stock, tagged chicken, chicken stock, herbs, stock, vegetables on October 29, 2010| 6 Comments »
Making Chicken Stock
Lets make Chicken Stock. This is definitely worth your time and effort, and really, it’s no trouble at all. Simply add all ingredients to a large stock pot, add water, let it simmer, cool down and freeze…easy. You get the most flavorful and aromatic stock you can imagine and even better, you get to control the amount of salt, not to mention, no chemicals in your stock. You can vary the flavor of your stock by adding different veggies and herbs, this time I added Rutabaga and it was wonderful. But if you can’t find Rutabaga you could use Turnips, Parsnips or whatever you like.
A note about fat, I like to separate it out from the stock by using my fancy fat separator thing-a-ma-jing, but it is not necessary at all. If you freeze it with the fat, the fat will actually help create a seal and after thawing it in the refrigerator you simply just lift the fat off the surface before using the stock. No need for a fancy fat separator…but I like mine 🙂
Chicken Stock
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, pre-cut into breasts, thighs and wings. Giblets discharged.
3 large carrots, cut into large chunks
3 celery stalks, cut into large chunks
2 large onions, quartered
1 large parsnips, cut into large chunks
1/2 rutabaga, cut into large chunks
a small bunch fresh thyme (10-12 sprigs)
2-3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
Directions:
Place chicken, vegetables and all herbs in a large stock pot. Pour in only enough cold water to cover, about 3 quarts. Bring it to a slow boil and then lower heat to medium-low. Cover partially and simmer for 1 1/2 hour or until chicken is done. As the chicken cooks, skim away impurities that rise to the surface. Add a little more water, if necessary to keep chicken covered while simmering.
When done, remove chicken pieces to a large Tupperware. Let cool slightly and then cover and place in refrigerator. Once completely cooled, discard skin and bones and place meat back into storage container.
Strain the stock through a fine sieve into another pot to remove vegetables. Use stock immediately or if you plan on storing it, let it cool down and refrigerate for up to one week or freeze 2-3 months.
Strain out veggies
Chicken Stock
Source: adapted from The Cook’s Encyclopedia of Soup
Posted in Other, tagged game, tag on October 25, 2010| 13 Comments »
I got tagged, so I guess that means I’m it. There is a fun game going around the Food Blogging community and Kim from Liv Life has challenged me for a game of Tag. The person tagged answers 8 questions and then tags another eight Bloggers with a new round of questions. So here are the questions that was posted to me by Kim:
1. What is your favorite restaurant? I thought about this question for quite a while and I have to answer this question in two parts. The all-time best meal I have ever had was at the 1587 restaurant located inside The Tranquil House Inn in Manteo, North Carolina. But we have only eaten there once and it’s a 2 hour drive from where we live. But if it has to be a local restaurant it would probably be a toss-up between P F Chang’s or Carrabba’s. Love them both.
2. When dining out do you prefer a fancy, dress up affair or casual with flip-flops? Well, I don’t know about flip-flops but I do know that I do not like to dress up at all. I am a semi-casual kinda girl living in a semi-casual kinda world.
3. Do you do fast food? If so, what is your favorite? Yes, I am guilty of fast food desires but I try to keep it a minimum. My favorite would be Subway. Is Subway really considered fast food? Well if not, then I’ll go with Five Guys Burger. That is definitely a heart attack on a plate.
4. Do you remember one of the first recipes that you ever made? If so, do you still make it? Yes, it was a Danish version of Marble cake. I made it all the time when I was a young girl back in Denmark. Funny you should ask, because as I am sitting here typing this the aroma of that cake is filling the kitchen…it’s fresh out of the oven and I’ll be posting about it pretty soon.
5. The world is open to you. A personal private jet with pilot is waiting for your direction…. Where will you go? I had to think about this one for a while. I would want to go somewhere really unique and interesting and this is an area that fascinates me. Now brace yourself and put on your best winter gear for I would want to go to Antarctica! Can you imagine what an adventure it would be? Oh and I would want to winter-over as well…just to test myself. What a great question Kim.
6. How close do you live now from where you were born? For this I had to consult with the great world-wide web and it turns out that I live 3977 miles from where I was born in Denmark. Long way from home!
7. Wine…red, white or bubbly? White.
8. Why did you start blogging? Before I even knew there was such a thing as food blogging, my kitchen and Den was littered with food magazines and cookbooks (actually still is). And then one day I read in a magazine about something called a food blog and when I went on the computer and checked it out, I was fascinated. And then I discovered that there was an entire food blogging community and I was in seventh heaven. My husband was the one who suggested that I should start my own blog and I thought it was a brilliant idea even though I knew nothing about how to make a web page. But after a lot of reading up on it…here we are…My Danish Kitchen and I 🙂
I must say that it was really a fun activity to take part in this game of Tag. And now it is my turn to Tag eight other bloggers with a new round of questions.
Here are my eight questions:
1. If your house was destroyed and you could only rescue one kitchen utensil from your kitchen, which one would it be?
2. What is your favorite Holiday? and why?
3. What is your favorite go to dish, to cook or bake?
4. When you need a little me-time how do you prefer to relax?
5. What type of food or dish are you the most intimidated by?
6. How close do you live now from where you were born?
7. If the world was your oyster and time and money were of no concern, where in the world would you like to travel to?
8. Why did you start blogging?
I would like to Tag:
Tes from Tes At Home
Kathy from Polwig
Staci from Eating in Denmark
Julie from Mommie Cooks
Patty from Patty’s Food
Sarah from Baking Serendipity
Christina from Sweet Pea’s Kitchen
Debbie from Squirrel Bakes
If you are not interested in participating, no big deal. I understand that this is not for everyone.
Posted in Italien, Main course, Seafood, tagged cream, fusilli, italien, Italiensk, rejer, sauce, shrimp, tomato on October 21, 2010| 5 Comments »
Fusilli Col Buco And Shrimp In Tomato Cream Sauce
Ok, so I admit it, I’m hooked on Tomato Cream sauces. Ok ok, here is the real truth, I’m hooked on anything tomato. Tomato sandwiches, tomato soup, tomato sauces or just a plain tomato with salt and pepper, yum. I think maybe Joe (my husband) is getting a little tired of my love affair with tomatoes, although he really did like this Tomato cream sauce. And did you see these beautiful Fusilli Col Buco that I found. I have been saving them for a special tomato sauce and this is it. Hope you enjoy this recipe, should you decide to give it a try.
Fusilli Col Buco And Shrimp In Tomato Cream Sauce
Ingredients:
2/3 pound Fusilli Col Buco
1 pound extra-large Shrimp
2 tablespoon Butter
2 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 small Onion – diced
2 cloves Garlic – minced
1/2 cup white wine
1 can Tomato Sauce, 8 ounces
1/2 cup Whipping Cream
fresh Basil, to taste
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Directions:
Peel, devein and rinse shrimp. Cook Fusilli Col Buco until desired consistency. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet. Season shrimp lightly with salt and pepper and cook in skillet until pink. Do not overcook. Remove shrimp from skillet and set aside. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil to skillet, then add diced onion and minced garlic and cook over low-medium heat until tender. Add wine and let it reduce for 4-5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and cream, stir well and bring to a simmer. Chop fresh Basil and add to sauce, then add drained Fusilli Col Buco and Shrimp back into the sauce and stir well to make sure Fusilli is completely covered with sauce. Serve hot with grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Enjoy!
Cooked Shrimp
Fusilli Col Buco in Tomato Cream Sauce
Source: adapted from Pioneer Woman
Posted in Breakfast, Danish, Dessert, tagged crepes, Danish, Danske, pancakes, pandekager, strawberries, yogurt on October 15, 2010| 13 Comments »
Pandekage (Crepe) With Strawberry Yogurt
Have you ever walked into an old-time ice cream parlor where they make the waffle cones fresh? It is one of the most pleasing aromas I can think of. When I make these pancakes the scent of sweet vanilla fills the entire house and it smells just like the ice cream parlor I remember from back home.
Crepes in Denmark is referred to as pancakes and the typical Danish way to eat these, is with a light sprinkle of sugar, then rolled up tightly and dipped in either strawberry or raspberry jam. You get a slight crunch from the sugar and the sweet vanilla flavor is simply wonderful. For this post, I also made a yogurt filling and served it with fresh sliced strawberries which everyone really liked as well.
Pandekager or Crepes can be a little tricky to make and usually the first one falls apart, but don’t let that stop you, after making a couple of crepes you’ll be a turning them out faster than you thought possible. They are truly wonderful and I hope you enjoy them, should you decide to try them.
Crepe with Yogurt and sliced Strawberries
Pandekager (Crepes)
Crepes Ingredients:
3 eggs
5 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
10 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cup buttermilk (kærnemælk)
1 cup milk
Yogurt filling Ingredients:
1 cup vanilla yogurt
a pinch ground cinnamon
6 ounces seedless strawberry jam
1/2 quart fresh strawberries, sliced
Eating Pandekager/Crepes the Danish way:
Sprinkle Pandekage/Crepe with a light coating of sugar, roll up and dip in strawberry or raspberry jam. Delicious.
Directions:
Combine eggs, sugar and vanilla sugar, beat on high-speed until lighter in color. Add flour, buttermilk and milk, beat on medium speed until combined and free of lumps.
Heat a small non-stick pan. Add butter to coat and pour batter into the center of pan and swirl to spread evenly. Cook until golden and flip. Continue to cook the other side until golden and remove from pan onto a large plate to stack.
For filling: mix together yogurt, cinnamon and strawberry jam. Place yogurt mixture in center of crepe and top with sliced strawberries. Roll crepe up and enjoy.
Note: if you have left-over crepes, you can place parchment paper in between each crepe and stack them. Store in a sealable bag in refrigerator for several days or in freezer for up to two months.
Pandekager rolled with sugar and dipped in jam
Source: My Danish Kitchen
Posted in Autumn, Dessert, tagged autumn, bars, cake, cream, dessert, halloween, hazelnut, pumpkin, topping on October 7, 2010| 6 Comments »
Pumpkin Bars With Hazelnut Cream
I heard there is a Pumpkin shortage. A couple of weeks ago, there was no pumpkin to be found anywhere (believe me I looked) but now the stores are fully stocked. So do we have a shortage or did we just get off to a slow start? In any case, I am very happy to see pumpkin on the shelves again and now I can finally get started with my fall baking.
To me, Pumpkin is one of those types of food that is an acquired taste. I really didn’t care for it when I first came to the States but as time have gone by, not only do I like it, I completely love it. Not that pumpkin itself has much flavor but when seasoned correctly it become very delicious.
These pumpkin bars are light and moist all at the same time, and extremely tasty. I like them plain with no topping at all, but if you like a little topping with it, then the hazelnut/cinnamon cream compliments it very nicely. I hope you enjoy these Pumpkin Bars.
Pumpkin Bars
Pumpkin Bars With Hazelnut Cream
Ingredients for Pumpkin Bars:
4 large eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
15 ounce can pumpkin
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
Ingredients for Hazelnut Cream:
1 1/2 cup whipping cream
3 – 3 1/2 tablespoon Hazelnut Liqueur
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan and set aside.
In a large bowl combine eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin. Mix on medium speed until blended well. Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix on low-speed until batter is smooth. Spread batter into greased pan and bake for 30 minutes. Insert a toothpick into center of cake, toothpick should come out clean if cake is done. Let cool completely before cutting into bars.
To make Hazelnut Cream: Add Hazelnut liqueur in increments and taste as you go to see how mild or strong you like the mixture. In a small bowl combine whipping cream, Hazelnut liqueur and cinnamon. Beat until mixture starts to thicken and beaters leave tracks in cream. Serve on top of Pumpkin Bars, if you like. Enjoy!
Source: adapted from Paula Deen, originally by Patty Ronning
Posted in Danish, Other, tagged Koldskål on October 4, 2010| 5 Comments »
Today, Monday October 4th is a special day for My Danish Kitchen. I am honored and so pleased to announce that my dish Koldskål is being featured as the Daily Recipe on the Food News Journals website.
Danish Koldskål
Posted in Travel, tagged bed and breakfast, college, federal crest inn, Lynchburg, Randolph, Randolph college, residence bed and breakfast on October 3, 2010| 3 Comments »
Every fall we visit the college our son is attending in Lynchburg, Va. It’s an opportunity to see what our sons life is like at the college and the highlight of the weekend is the Pumpkin Parade where the Seniors and Sophomores serenade each other in song. It’s an event Joe and I look forward to every year.
Pumpkin Parade at Randolph College
Randolph College
We typically stay at the Residence Bed & Breakfast but this time we also had the pleasure of staying at the Federal Crest Inn.
George and Joann are the owners of The Residence Bed & Breakfast. They are always very personable and cheerful, the rooms are clean, tastefully decorated and comfortable. As an added bonus, the B&B is located next to the college so everything is within walking distance. Breakfast is always a special treat where we enjoy conversing with other parents who have students attending the college as well. The Residence breakfast consisted of a Croissant with cream cheese and syrup, bacon and fruit. Choices of coffee, tea, orange or cranberry juice. Joann always puts on a really nice spread for breakfast and at checkout she sends us off with small bag of cookies. This time it was Snickerdoodles.
The Residence B&B - Stuffed Croissant
The Residence Bed & Breakfast
The Residence Bed & Breakfast
The following night was our first time staying at The Federal Crest Inn. The Inn is owned by Ann and Phil who is a very pleasant and hospitable couple. Ann is an artist who has pieces of her art displayed throughout the house. Beautiful hand painted wine glasses amongst other things. The rooms in the house are equally tastefully decorated, clean and comfortable. Sunday morning at the Federal Crest we were served sliced fruit in yogurt with Muesli and a Cranberry muffin. This was followed by the best French toast I have ever had!!! served with bacon and a slice of cantaloupe.
The Federal Crest Inn - Fruit in Yogurt and Cranberry muffin
The Federal Crest Inn - French Toast
The Federal Crest Inn
Saturday morning we were exploring Lynchburg’s Main Street area and came across this wonderful little market. They had seasonal veggies for sale outside and local arts and crafts, wine and baked products inside. Look at these delicious baked goods, too bad we just had breakfast. We picked up some local wine and I scored a really cute and comfortable knitted pink blouse from Pappy’s Knitting.
Lorraine Bakery
Lorraine Bakery
Lynchburg Community Market
Miss Lynchburg Pumpkin
The local artists were a real pleasure to talk with and we will definitely stop by there again next time we’re in Lynchburg. And to top is all off Lynchburg had the perfect Harvest Moon, did you see it?
Harvest Moon
Source: My Danish Kitchen
Gitte
My Danish Kitchen 