Shrimps with Limoncello mayonnaise and tomato and basil mayonnaise - quick and easy party treat (gluten-free)

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A bag of cooked shrimps and a couple of dipping sauces. Party treats don't get much easier than that!

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It seems this seafood aficionado has finally found her match. New Love is at least as passionate about fish and seafood as I am and I... I'm loving every minute of it. 

I'm not quite ready to let the Gothenburger see what kind of havoc I wreak when let loose at an all-you-can-eat shrimp buffet, though... perhaps we should leave that much mystery into this relationship?

Located on the Atlantic shore Gotheburg, the second largest city in Sweden, loves its fish and seafood and takes them very seriously. I would have never thought I of all people would get to witness someone break out into full foodzilla mode. But that, my friends, is exactly what happened (and yes, I loved every moment of it)

As we sat down for a dinner at our hotel Gothenburger ordered Toast Skagen, a Swedish classic (an open-faced sandwich piled high with shrimps), which was advertized to feature "hand peeled shrimps". 

As the dish arrived at the table, it only took him a nano second. "These. Are. Not. Hand. Peeled." he hissed, in a voice so cold it would have been enough to freeze the entire Mediterranean. 

Well, these babies are. And the best thing? They're peeled by your guests thsemselves- you just sit back and enjoy! The dips only take minutes to make, so these are perfect for any stress-free (and gluten-free!) party.

Whole Nordic ready-cooked shrimps can be found in frozen foods section of your supermarket. And IKEA, of course.

Shrimps with two dips:

500 g bag of  whole, cooked shrimps

Limoncello mayonnaise:

1,5 dl good mayonnaise (yes, I mean Hellman's)

the finely grated zest of a lemon

1 tbsp Limoncello (or lemon juice)

1 tbsp finely chopped chives

(salt, pepper)

Tomato and basil mayonnaise:

1,5 dl good mayonnaise

5 sun dried tomatos

10 basil leaves

(salt, pepper)

Measure the ingredients into a blender and whizz until smooth. Check the taste and season if needed.

Dip and enjoy.

For more dips and sauces, just click here.

Oh, and for more ideas for a stress-free (and Mediterranean) holiday feast see here and here.

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SHARING IS CARING!

Tuna tapas - quick and easy treat for New Year buffet

Remember how I was supposed to go to Andalusia and tour the sherry country? And how in the end Middle East and Third intifada won? Oh, well. In the next posts we'll return there (and visit next winery of the itinerary!), but I suppose it's only fair we paid a little visit to Andalusia, too.

Having barely survived the stress over Christmas foods, I'm sure the last think you want to think about is what to serve at New Year, right? But hey - how about a fun and fuss-free tapas fiesta? And serving some sherries with them (before that Champagne pops open and starts flowing)? This is a recipe that goes with both.

These tuna tapas are one of the Basque country tapas (or, pintxos, as they're known there) classics and por que non - they're as quick as they're easy and cheap and cheerful, too! Instead of dill you can use finely chopped chives or parsley, too.

This makes enough spread for 1 baguette - that's about 20-15 pintxos

Tuna tapas:

1 baquette, diagonally sliced to 1,5 cm thick slices (and gently toasted, if you wish)

2 tins of tuna chunks in oil (à 185 g/ 140g) 

1,5 dl mayonnaise

1,5 tsp finely grated lemon zest

the juice of a lemon

1 smallish onion, very finely choppedp

3 tsp finely chopped fresh dill

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

salt, pepper

to serve: anchovies (1/ each pintxo) or capers or marinated red onion

Drain tuna. Combine the rest of the ingredients for the spread and finally fold in tuna. Check the taste, season, decorate and serve. 

As for those sherries, very cold Fino Inocente would be the best match. It also makes a good pair with olives and other fishy treats - from smoked salmon to deep-fried calamari rings. 

And what else could you have...?

If you're into seafood, you should check out these treats:

- Pulpo con sherry and pimentón - baby octopus in sherry and tomato sauce

- Spanish mussles with Jamón Serrano, orange and sherry

- Chorizo and squid salad with crunchy chickpeas

- Gambas pilpil 

On the meatier side you might like these:

- Albondigas - Spanish meat balls

- Quick and easy chorizo and chickpea salad

- Two-ingredient wonder chorizo cooked in red wine

- Chicken liver in fig and port wine sauce

And hey - how about tortilla Española, Spanish potato omelette? You can also cut it into cocktail-bites and serve topped with chorizo like I did over here. Salty and fatty sausages along with tortilla Española work well paired with something softer such as Cream (I like Valdespino's!).

And there can't be a tapas fiesta without those luscious Spanish hams. Ham and treats such as sun-dried tomatos (or oven-dried for that matter!) with a concentrated flavours with hints with vinegary elements are surprisingly good matches with sweeter varieties, such as Oloroso Blend Medium. 

For more tapas recipes just see here, for ideas on how to use sherry in cooking, just click on here!

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Sharing is caring!

Tuna balls with garlic mayo - cheap and cheerful cocktail party treat

For the past couple of weeks I've been keeping a secret. Not easy, I'll tell you. But what a wonderful secret it was to have! My British brother finally got around to proposing to The Mane Magician and sought my consultancy in finding The Perfect Ring. And perfect it was. He said he knew straight away. With the ring and with the girl. Oh, young love...

So, over the weekend we got together to celebrate the happy news. Can't think of a better excuse! 

These tuna balls are cheap, easy and so convenient. Nothing exotic here - you'll find all the ingredients in any little corner shop. You could substitute pepper with frozen and thawed corn kernels, too (about 100 gr will do) in which case they don't need to be sautéed. 

Depending on the size this yields 25-30 balls

Tuna and pepper balls:

2 largeish potatos
1/2 green pepper, finely diced
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
bunch of parsley, chopped
1/2 dl breadcrumbs (gluten-free is needed) 
1 egg
2 cans of tuna, drained
salt, pepper

1/2 l canola oil, for frying

Steam oR boil the potatos, let cool.

Sauté pepper and onion in a bit of oil until soft. 

Mash the potatos using a fork. Add onion, peppers, parsley, garlic, lemon zest and bread crumbs. Mix until smooth. Then add the egg and finally tuna (can be in coarser bits).

Check the taste, season as needed and roll into 25-30 bite-size balls. Deep-fry in hot oil, drain on kitchen towels and serve, with lemon wedges and/or garlic mayo.

Garlic mayo:

1,5 dl good mayonnaise
1/2 tbsp granulated garlic
1 tsp mustard
salt, white pepper (to taste)

Combine the ingredients, check the taste and season with salt and pepper.

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Figs with prosciutto and mozzarella

And so we continue with the quick and easy treats of our New Year celebrations. This one's marginally more complicated than yesterday's one-ingredient-wonder, yet this one too only calls for 3 ingredients.

Not much of a recipe is even needed: I mean, it's just figs, ham and good mozzarella on a bed of rucola, drizzled with some good olive oil and finished with sprinkling of black pepper. 

The thing is though, that the less and simpler ingredients are needed, the better quality they need to be as there's nothing to distract from them. Decent Mozzarella di Bufala can be found at just about any supermarket in Finland, as can prosciutto, but fig is a fickler matter altogether. 

Though in season (and hence available just about everywhere), much like chestnuts they remain a mystery to me. I know, that there are fresh figs available out there, glorious in their ripe fleshy redness and just bursting with deep, fruity flavour. I know that, because I've had figs like that. Just never in Finland.  The only figs we seem to get are always a bit bland with thick, leathery skin. 

This time I didn't throw an embarrassingly massive tantrum though. I would imagine the Champagne helped...

8 ripe, fresh figs

100 g prosciutto/ Parma ham, Serrano ham (nothing smoked though)

1 ball (125 g) Mozzarella d Bufala

to serve: salad leaves, toasted pine nuts (optional), black pepper

Dressing:

1/2 dl oil

1/2 tsp mustard (sweet variety) 

1/2 tsp honey (if using Dijon or any stronger variety of mustard, some more)

Cut a cross-shape incision onto the top of each fig (careful not to cut all the way through though) and squeeze the bottom of the fig so they open up like flowers. Rest on the salad leaves. Cut the ham lengthwise in half. Drain mozzarella and tear into 8 pieces, scattering them into the figs along with the ham. Combine the ingredients for the dressing and drizzle on the figs. Scatter some freshly ground black pepper on top and, if you want, some pine nuts too. 

Pretty as a picture. And on the table in less than five minutes!

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Easy peasy gluten-free Parmesan crackers

The recipe to kick off the blog year 2015 simply couldn't be any quicker or easier: it consists of 1 (or 2, up to you!) ingredient. And of all the things out there in the world it's cheese. 

Not only are these quick and easy, they're also such a lifesaver for parties as they are a perfect gluten-free substitute for crackers and such. Not so much great news for those keeping kosher though, as I firmly believe The Only Real Parmesan comes from Emilio Romagna in Italy (the way The Only Real Champagne comes from Champagne, no matter what the Americans say!) and kosher Parmesan has not been available since Fanticini family retired from cheese-making business. 

By now you all know how I feel about cheese (don't like it) and I still firmly feel that you should buy the real deal instead of the sawdust they sell in plastic bags. There is a difference. Trust me. 

Having been in long-term relationships for years myself, I love living single life vicariously through Tzatziki Champion's escapades as she navigates the dos and dont's of finding The One. "It could have never worked between us", she confided once. "He was one of those men who have plastic bag cheese in their fridge". 

200 g chunk of Parmesan makes 24-30 crackers, depending on the size

200 gr pala parmesaania

finely chopped rosemary  or (black) sesame seeds

Grate parmesan into a bowl. Spoon little mounds on baking sheet; 5-6 cm in diameter and flatten into round discs. Sprinkle with either rosemary, sesame seeds or black pepper. Bake at 200 for 5-6 minutes until cheese has melted and the crackers are of pale golden colour (don't bale for too long as they get too toasty to the point of bitter).

Let cool on the parchment and serve. As snacks with drinks or with toppings of your choice. At our New Year celebrations for instance we topped these with rucola, truffle mayo and carpaccio.

Just like these oat snaps, while they're warm they're pliable, so you can mold them as you want: around the pastry bag nozzle for cone-shaped crackers or rolled around a wooden handle for a tube-like shape. If they've cooled already, just pop them back into the oven or microwave oven. 

PS. Don't throw the leftover umami-rich Parmesan chunks either - use them in soups (like Minestrone!) and stocks to give them extra depth!

PPS. For more time-saving recipes that are at the table in half an hour, click on here!

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SAISIKO OLLA LISÄÄ?

         

Sambousek

Middle East has been very happening of late. And not just on the war on terror- front. Jews just commemorated one of the biggest events of the calendar: the day of atonement, Yom Kippur. The Muslims on the other hand celebrated Eid Al-Adha, the sacrificial feast that ends hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. So, while one lot was fasting, the other was busy slaughtering animals to eat. Oh, the world we live in. 

My household didn't fast this year. Though there weren't any dead camels or goats either. Instead I made sambouseks, little pasties that are a staple at any Middle Eastern table (yes, both etymologically and gastronomically related to Indian samosas!) They are also one of my all time favourite street food treats. Everywhere I've been I've looked up the guy and gone silly stuffing my face with them.

Both the texture of the shell and the filling varies from one country (and cook) to another. Some take the time to use yeast as the leavening agent, some are greedy and in a hurry to start eating. You just guess which category I fall into...

In Middle East these pasties are either meat or local white cheese, known as "Bulgarian cheese". The meat is usually lamb, but beef will do just fine (neither one of the lots is too keen on pork in that region...). Ours was organic Hereford we got from Kotitila.fi. Pine nuts give the filling a nice texture, but can be omitted too. Or substituted with pomegranate seeds!

You can make the pasties as big or small as you want - My mold measured 13 cm in diameter.

Sambousek-pastry:

7,5 dl all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 eggs
3,75 dl water
a little less than 1 dl oil

Mix everything else but water. Then add water and work into a smooth dough that doesn't stick to the bowl. Cover with cling film and let erst while you prepare the filling. 

Filling:

500 gr ground lamb or beef
1 large onion
1 generous tbsp bokharat-spice mix
3/4 dl pine nuts (or seeds of 1/2 pomegranate)
2 handfuls of chopped parsley leaves
salt

For frying: 1 l oil (canola, rape seed etc)

Peel and finely chop the onion. Sauté in a couple of tbsp of oil until translucent. Add spices and once they start releasing the aromas, add the meat. Brown it thoroughly, add pine nuts, check the taste and season. Fold in chopped parsley and let cool.

Divide the dough in 4 and roll each one of them into a thin sheet on a floured surface. Using a mold or a small bowl/ glass cut into discs, fill, fold into a crescent and pinch the edges shut. If you're worried they might not stay shut, pinch the edges with the tines of a fork. Or you can fold them into triangles like I did with these dim sums. 

Heat oil in a heavy-based pot to 180 and fry the sambouseks a couple at a time (for 101 of deep-frying please see here!) until golden. Drain on kitchen towels.

You could also bake these oven, but that takes longer and results in harder crust. Brush the pasties with oil and bake at 180 for about 40 minutes. 

Serve with tzatziki and Israeli salad or tabbouleh.

PS. A quality meat is quality meat, ground or not. So, do follow these tips:

- Take the meat out of the fridge into room temperature for at least an hour before the cooking
- make sure the pan is hot enough to guarantee proper browning
- fry the meat in batches if needed and don't overcrowd the pan. This brings the temperature down which means it just boils in its own juices resulting in gray, tasteless crap
- organic mince is top quality produce, so eggs and bread crumbs can be skipped when making for instance burgers. Season thoroughly with salt and pepper, let it absorb the flavours in the fridge for half an hour or so and hey ho, you're good to go!

*In cooperation with Suomen kotitila - the meat was provided by the supplier*

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Crayfish! Canapes!

As anyone who's ever moved can guess, we, too, have spent significant amount of quality time at IKEA in the recent months. And as a result, we, too, are the happy owners of several storage solutions named after Swedish death metal-fans. Now, I've never been terribly zen to begin with but over the spring I've added some new entries into my arsenal of anger. Repertoire of rage,   if you will. In addition to thesehungerpangsaremakemehomicidal -rage I have now mastered bloodyhellthisstupidpowertool-rage and my favourite: thesefuckersaren'tevensupposedtofittogether-rage. 

The shopping sprees have given me plenty of time to sample IKEA's food shop's selection, too. The balancing effect their crisp bread and herring jars have on the fragile Scandinavian psyche is no news of course: I have come to rely on them both in Spain and in England. Back when I lived in London I use to make pilgrimages there with a friend of mine with whom we'd buy tubes of fish roe paste which we'd suck straight out of the tube as soon as we hit the parking lot. Oh, and wash it down with Kopperberg, Swedish cider (yes, for reals:  I used to live in the country that produces possibly the best cider in the world and I'd still make the hideous Tube journey all the way there just to get my hands on that dreadful gunk!)

These little genius gems were a new acquaintance for me though and I've since been buying them by truck loads. They are so convenient to have around for whipping something up to accompany a glass of wine before dinner. Or to surprise your surprise guests (hellooo, Tzatziki Champion, do come on in!)  - as anyone who's been over in the last two months will have noticed...

Out of the variety of fillings we've tried, these crayfish ones have become an all round crowd pleaser. Faintly fiery and subtly sweet... they are just the thing right now! See, last Monday spelled the beginning of this year's crayfish season when we in Scandinavia go gaga over crayfish.

If you want, you can make these out of mayonnaise alone. The filling itself can be made in advance, but do fill the shells only as you're about to serve them to stop them from getting soggy.

24 mini croustades

3/4 dl mayonnaise
3/4 dl Greek yogurt/ crème fraîche/ sour cream
3/4 - 1 tsp - 1 Srirachaa/ chilli sauce (depending on how fiery you want yours)
1/2 tsp tomato concentrate
handful of coriander leaves (1 tbsp when finely chopped)
the zest pf 1/2 lime, finely grated
1,5 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp granulated garlic
2 dl crayfish tails (or prawns)

To decorate: coriander leaves and/or crayfish tails

Drain the crayfish tails and squeeze dry. Combine rest of the ingredients, check the taste, season as needed and fold in the crayfish tails. Spoon into the croustade shells and have yourself a treat. Or two. With a glass of bubbly. Or two.

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Gluten-free savoury muffins with sun dried tomatos, basil and olives

These days it's somewhat inevitable that in case you throw a party, there's bound to be at least one vegetarian. So, it was only fair to devise a vegetarian option to go with the cold smoked reindeer muffins I came up with for Philadelphia's recipe contest. I went for classic Mediterranean flavours of tomatos, olives and basil. And it was gooooooood. Take it from a ruthless carnivore!

Oh, and they're gluten-free too!

Depending on the size of your muffin tin this makes  12-22 

150 g butter

2 tbsp sugar

2 eggs

200 g Philadelphia garlic and herbs- cream cheese

1 dl milk

1 dl rice flour

1,25 dl potato starch

1,5 dl finely ground polenta/ yellow corn meal

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarb

1 dl sun dried tomatos, chopped 

handful of basil leaves, chopped (about 1/2 dl when chopped) 
1/2 dl black olives, chopped and drained (about 8-10 olives)

1/2 tsp black pepper

To decorate: 200 g Philadelphia garlic and herbs- cream cheese, cherry tomatos and/or basil leaves

Cream softened butter with sugar. Then add eggs, one at a time, continuing to beat. In another bowl mix cream cheese with milk until smooth and pour into the mixture. Combine the dry ingredients and add those into rest of the ingredients. Fold in reindeer and red onions. Season. There's no need for salt as cold smoked reindeer is that salty.

Spoon into the muffin tins. Those silicone ones totally rock - no need for greasing or lining with paper - nothing sticks to them! Bake at 200° for 15-25 minutes (depending on the size of your muffins). Check the doneness with a skewer - a little moist is perfect. Cool and decorate as you want.

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Gluten-free savoury muffins with cold smoked reindeer

The swiftly approaching summer means a couple of things. Such as the beginning of the barbecue season. And numerous parties: weddings, graduations and so forth. And that, of course, means recipe contests galore! Recently we've been matching wines with food for that perfect summer party and barbecuing porky delicacies. And yes, now there's another one!

This time Philadelphia cream cheese invited bloggers to come up with innovative ways to use their cream cheeses for little savoury treats for the party season. And I can tell you my head was spinning with ideas - salty snacks have always been my preferred choice over anything sweet and cute.

I'm not totally immune to the cute though: tempted by the minimuffin tins I couldn't resist at my latest pilgrimage to the cook ware shop I came up with these gluten-free savoury minimuffins. Which, on top of being über cute are also über easy. The batter is ready by the time the oven has warmed and it's so incredibly versatile. Shavings of cold smoked salmon would compliment cream cheese with chives. Reindeer can be substituted with crunchy bits of fried bacon. And chorizo and roasted red peppers... how can it be anything but delicious! And there's a Mediterranean veggie version coming up, too!

Depending on the size of your muffin tin this makes  12-22 

150 g butter

2 tbsp sugar

2 eggs

200 g Philadelphia chives- cream cheese

1 dl milk

1 dl rice flour

1,25 dl potato starch

1,5 dl finely ground polenta/ yellow corn meal

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarb

1 dl cold smoked reindeer crumbs (about 50 gr) 

1 dl finely chopped red onions (about 1/4 onion)

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp nutmeg

To decorate: 200 g Philadelphia chives- cream cheese, fresh herbs

Cream softened butter with sugar. Then add eggs, one at a time, continuing to beat. In another bowl mix cream cheese with milk until smooth and pour into the mixture. Combine the dry ingredients and add those into rest of the ingredients. Fold in reindeer and red onions. Season. There's no need for salt as cold smoked reindeer is that salty.

Spoon into the muffin tins. Those silicone ones totally rock - no need for greasing or lining with paper - nothing sticks to them! Bake at 200° for 15-25 minutes (depending on the size of your muffins). Check the doneness with a skewer - a little moist is perfect. Cool and decorate with cream cheese. 

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ANYONE FOR SECONDS?

      

Vietnamese duck rolls

Though the climate in Helsinki has put my faith in a serious test, it's got to be believed. You hear it in the birds singing in the morning, getting more and more cheerful each day, in the sun whose rays warm a weary soul and the first flowers, pushing defiantly through the soil. Spring, boys and girls, spring! It's finally here!

A food blogger is particularly excited having survived a cold, dark winter as the days are getting longer and the amount of natural light is growing every day. That, you see, means, that I can finally plan cooking (and eating and photographing it!) beyond that meagre 2-hour-window on weekend mornings! (yes, that's how obsessive the hunt for a good photo is...)

And spring, that is the time for starting a lighter life. And if you're anything like me, it's about time, too. Those slow roasted chunks of meat and sturdy stews sure have left their mark - not just in my memories, but around my waist too..! Don't get me wrong - we're not swearing off meat in my kitchen (ooooh nooo!) - animals simply taste best when they're dead! Over the recent months I've reignited my love for duck, which people often tend to find too fatty and robust (for absolutely no reason!) You've already seen it being confited, roasted, fried, dressed in salads and even shoved into burgers.

With spring I find myself (counting days to summer and summer holidays) turning more and more to Asia for inspiration. Their use of fresh veggies and aromatic herbs is just something I can't get enough of. And so even a duck gets a spring-time makeover and a whole new wardrobe as it gets wrapped in rice paper. We used the last of our lovingly stored duck leg confits, but the recipe below yields every bit as delicious results. I warmed the legs under the broiler as I did with that scrumptious pear and duck confit salad.

Light and warmth do wonders to my Northern psyche. I actually seek the company of others, find myself smiling for no reason and the energy levels are through the roof! Sure, I could claim I spent my winter months in the light of hand-made artisanal scented candles, on my Chesterfield sofa at my library, feasting on vintage Barolo... but let's face it - you wouldn't believe that for a second. So yes, the truth is closer to hiding under a duvet, wearing every single pair of woolen socks I own in the company of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills- marathon. 

But now it's time to chuck aside both hiding and woolen socks (and while at it, casually ignore the need for a spring clean up that the spring sun so ruthlessly tends to reveal) and get your friends together! These Vietnamese duck rolls can be made in advance, which makes them fantastic party food. And if you hold on just a little while longer, you can pack these in a picnic basket! Just think - the scent of freshly cut grass, a blanket spread in a sunny park, the best friends in the world, chilled rosé, screams of the seagulls and the laughter bubbling in the air long into the evening.

These take a bit of work, yes, but a cunning lazy hostess turns that into audience participation number! You just prep the ingredients and everyone gets to stuff their own rolls exactly the way they like them!

According to what's available you can use just about any veggies in these. Boiled and cooled glass noodles work too. Nuts on the other hand lend the rolls lovely crunch. Another thing that makes these so perfect for parties is the way they suit most of the dietary restrictions: you can skip the meat and make these entirely vegetarian and these are dairy- and gluten-free!

makes about 18

1 packet rice paper sheets

Filling:

2 carrots

10 cm piece leek

1 smallish cucumber

1/2 packet (about 75 gr) mange tout

1 bunch of coriander

2 duck breasts (or duck leg confits)

To serve: Hoisin sauce

Duck:

1/2 dl soy sauce

1/4 dl honey

a couple of cm piece of fresh ginger finely minced

2 cloves of garlic, finely minced

Combine the ingredients for the marinade and pour into a plastic bag with the ducks. Let marinate for at least 4 hours or until the next day. Turn around a couple of times.

Pat the duck, score the fatty side almost to the meat but not quite and place on a cold pan. Then turn the heat on and continue frying until the fatty side is nicely golden brown. Turn over and brown the other side too. There's no need to add oil as the duck fat takes care of all that. If there's too much seeping out, pour some of it out (worth keeping though - it's great for frying!)

Finish cooking at 180 for about 8 minutes. Let cool and cut to thin strips. 

Peel and julienne the veggies (that's Cheffish for match sticks). If you cut them to same length you don't need to worry about them poking through the fragile rice paper either which makes rolling them easier.

B oil some water and keep the water hot throughout the rolling process - hot water helps soften the rice paper so it becomes more pliable. Soak the sheets in water one at a time and then spread over parchment. Smooth it and place the desired amount of filling on the bottom.

Roll the lower edge tightly over the filling and then lift the sides on top and then finish rolling. As the rice paper gets wet, it becomes pliable but also sticky which enables the roll to stick together.

Store the rolls covered. Dip in Hoisin sauce and enjoy!

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