Breakfast pizza with spinach, smoked salmon, eggs and foolproof Hollandaise sauce (gluten-free, kosher)

Pizza for breakfast? Pizza brunch? Hell yes! This breakfast pizza with spinach, cold smoked salmon, eggs and fool-proof Hollandaise is perfect for lazy weekend mornings!

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In my blog post about foodie traveller's Gothenburg I probably should have also included Brewers Beer Bar, another Tredje Långgatan gem which is pretty much as close to heaven as it gets for those (oh, so individual) lumberjack shirt-wearing, bushy beard-sporting hipsters.

It's not just their selection of craft beers (anybody else getting soooooo tired of that word?) that keeps the hipsters flocking here, it's also their sourdough pizzas. Let's all take a moment to let that really sink in. 

Sourdough. 

Pizza. 

Mmmmm..... (anybody else salivating like a senile rottweiler right about now?)

During weekends they serve a brunch, which consists of exactly one dish: that sourdough pizza. As a breakfast version. Yes. Pizza. For breakfast. I'm going to start growing my beard right now. 

There are two choices. Either English Breakfast (yes, with all those accoutrements guaranteed to repair any damage you might have done to yourself the night before) and Florentine; pizza with spinach, ricotta, artichoke and stuff - all topped off with a dollop of Hollandaise. 

Pizza brunch! Genius!

Sure, I've had pizza for breakfast several times in my life. And sure, mostly on Sunday mornings and those endless days following New Year and First of May celebrations. 

But there's something about crawling to the door to receive the delivery guy with the make-up from night before running down your cheeks that somehow makes the whole operation decidedly less... glamorous.

But enough of that visual!

I can't think of a better way to kick off a lazy weekend day than this. Have frinds over, put on some music, pour everybody a round of Mimosas and whack these babies onto the table. Oh, yes. I can tell you as soon as I put a photo of this on my Instagram, next Sunday was booked in seconds. 

They are so rich that 2 pizzas easily feed up to 8 people. Another great thing? You'll make the pizza dough in just minutes the night before. More great things? That Hollandaise really is fool-proof and is ready in matter of minutes. But, in case you don't have an immersion blender and one of those accompanying tall beakers, cheat away and use a ready-made one. 

Oh, and if you prefer it that way, you can add the cold smoked salmon slices into the pizza after it comes out of the oven, too.  

You'll find my trusty pizza dough recipe on the blog over here.

2 pizzas (serves 4-8 people)

Breakfast pizza Florentine with spinach, smoked salmon and eggs:

1 portion of pizza dough (mine's over here)

toppings:

200 g spinach

1 tbsp crème fraîche/ sour cream/ cream cheese/ Turkish yogurt

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

pinch of salt

pinch of black pepper

a little bit of butter / oil for frying

100 g cold smoked salmon

4 eggs

Pre-heat oven to 275°. In case you own a pizza stone, put it in the oven now. If you don't, use a tray. Or a cast iron pan. Once the oven has reached the temperature, leave the pizza stone/ equivalent in the oven for another 45 minutes. 

Heat a little butter or oil in a pan and wilt the spinach. Add lemon zest, crème fraîche and season. Go easy on the salt, as salmon has quite a bit of it. Stir well.

Roll the risen pizza dough into 2 similar-sized bases and tansfer them onto the pizza stones. Spoon the spinach mixture on the pizza base, top with slivers of cold smoked salmon and break 2 eggs on top of each pizza.

Bake for 6-10 minutes (depending on the oven) until the eggs have set and the crust has a bit of colour on them. 

In the meanwhile prepare the Hollandaise.

Fool-proof lemony Hollandaise:

2 egg yolks

1 tbsp cold water

1 tbsp lemon juice

(3/4 tsp finely grated lemon zest) 

pinch of salt

pinch of white pepper

pinch of cayenne pepper

110 g butter, melted

(1/2 tbsp finely chopped chives)

Measure the ingredients (apart fro butter and chives) into the blender's beaker. Melt the butter in a small pan. Blizz the yolks with rest of the ingredients and then, with the blender continuously running, add the hot butter in a thin stream. Voilà - you've got yourself a billowy Hollandaise! In no time!

Fold in chives (if using), check the taste and season as needed. 

Drizzle on top of the pizzas and serve.

Pizza for breakfast - yay or nay? What would be your favourite toppings - smoked salmon, spinach and eggs or something else entirely?

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Jansson's temptation - Swedish potato and anchovy bake (gluten-free, kosher)

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Jansson's temptation is a Swedish comfort food classic and one of their most beloved Christmas staples. It is as easy as it is delicious - this is not the time to scrimp on butter and cream!

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My, my, the blog has celebrated the humble potato lately! First I shared my secrets to the perfect mashed potatos and then I started rolling out souvenirs from my trip to Bulgaria in the form of patatnik, potato and mint omelette.

Now I'm introducing you guys to a Swedish classic that could not be better suited for this time of the year: Jansson's temptation. Though the dish, named after a Swedish opera singer and a bona fide bon vivant,  has become a crucial part of the Swedish Christmas feast, its roots are actually in a completely different kind of merrymaking. 

Pella Janzon, you see,was known not just for his bass bariton, also for the parties he threw after the performances; feasts that consisted of beer, schnapps and anhovy gratin. Later it has become a popular late night/ early morning snack.

The tangy saltiness of the anchovies, richness of the cream, comforting nature of the potato and the sweetness of the onions is a combination I've loved since childhood - well, after my parents finally managed to convince me (ever the cheese phobe) that the dish contains absolutely no cheese, anyway. I'm sure that didn't take much longer than a decade...

The dish is easy and only requires a handful of ingredients. But, all the more reason to bear in mind the following tips:

- Take your time sautéeing the onions so they're properly soft as that's when their sweetness really comes out to play
- Use double cream. Don't even think about casting looks at those light cream atrocities or substituting it with fish stock. No. You can diet tomorrow. 
- Do not discard the liquid from the anchovies - mix it with cream and use it in cooking.

And then off to the most important thing:

- when we Scandinavians use the wor anchovy, we're not actually talking about anchovies (why we do that, then, is anyone's guess). 

Therefore I would not attempt to make this with the actual anchovies. Fish which in Scandinavia is sold as anchovy (or Jansson's fillets) is actually sprat, marinated in a very particular, salty, sweet and tangy mixture. You should be able to get your hands on them in Swedish/ Nordic shops. As an emergency plan you could also use marinated matjes herring (matjes sill) which you can pick up at any IKEA.

The puritanists would probably stone me for using chives, but I like the greenness and freshness they lend the dish. But, feel free to omit it.

Serves 6 - 8

Jansson's temptation - a Swedish potato and anchovy bake:

2 large onions (or 3 small ones)
8-19 large potatos (total weight 1 1/4 kg)
2 tins (á 125 g) marinated sprats/ Jansson's filéer
4-5 dl heavy cream
1 tsp black pepper
a bunch of chives

For frying: butter

Start with the onion. Peel and finely slice them and sauté, in a  couple oftablespoons of butter over low heat in a pan. In the meanwhile prep the remaining ingredients. 

Peel the potato, cut into slices and then into thin strips. Drain the sprats (reserving the liquid) and cut lengthwise in half. Finely shop the chives. Combine cream with the sprat marinade (1/2 dl), whisk until smooth and season with salt and pepper.

Grease the oven proof dish you're using with butter. Lay half of the potatos into the dish, followed by a  layer of onions, 4 tablespoons of chives, sprats and top with the remaining half of the potatos. 

Pour the cream mixture over the bake and sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of butter on top in small knobs.

Bake at 220 (in a convection oven 200 will do) in the lower part of the oven for about an hour. In case the bake starts getting too much colour for your liking, cover it with a piece of foil.

Scatter the remaining chives on top and serve!

Any of you guys familiar with this Jansson's temptation yet? Are you puritanists when it comes to Christmas traditions or have any foreign dishes made it onto your Christmas tables?

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So good it makes you cry: secrets of perfect mashed potatos (gluten-free, kosher)

Secrets to my perfect mashed potatos? Browned butter and caramelized onions. The result will have you in tears.

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Out of all the comfort foods I can't think of anything more comforting than mashed potatos. But sure enough, there are mashes and there are mashes. A couple of tricks will make even those just-add-water-instant-mash-powders edible, but let's face it: the best one is always made from scratch.

You'll find my love letter to my Dad's mash on the blog over here. It has made an impression on all the diners I've brought home over the years, though sometimes with some reservations: "Just look at that colour! Exactly how much butter's in that?!". Just enough, I say.

My Nan's mash on the other had was nothing short of a culture shock. It's texture couldn't have been further away from the kind of dreamy, silky cloud you just want to dive and frolick in. See, she put onion in hers. And trust me, not the kind that'd been finely minced to oblivion. I doubt it was even sautéed first. Sure, onion does lend the mash some flavour. And funky texture, too - if testing your gag reflex is what you're after.

Over the years my mash has evolved into this. It pays homage to both of my Dad's and Nan's mashes, but with my own twists. There's butter alright, nutmine is browned. There are quite a bit onions too...only caramelized and puréed. And the result... oh, yes. Usually it disappears from the table just like that.No mains needed. 

Secrets to perfect mashed potatos are simple. Right potato variety (the floury one), steaming potatos dry after boiling them and using potato ricer - a contraption that looks like a huge garlic press. Oh, and browned butter, hot milk and caramelized onion. 

Not everyone's the kind of pathetic cry baby such as I am (even 6 Nations rugby tournament's ads reduce me to tears...) but this is a mash that will have you in tears twice: first when you're slicing the onions and then when you tuck in the mash.

The perfect mashed potatos with browned butter and caramelized onions:

1 kg (floury) potatos

3 smallish onions, peeled and finely sliced

1,5 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped

1 tsp mustard

2 tl salt

1/2 tsp white pepper

150 g butter

1,5-2 dl milk (full fat), heated

Peel the potatos and, dpending on the size, cut into 4-6 pieces. Steam or boil in salted water until done. In the meanwhile caramelize the onion in a pan over medium heat in a couple of tbsp of butter. 

Once the potatos are done, drain them and steam dry. Purée onion in a blender with thyme and mustard until smooth. Add a couple of tbsp milk to ease the process if needed.

Brown butter in a pan (or a coated pot) over medium high heat until it stops to bubble and the aroma becomes nutty and toasty.

Crush the potatos through a ricer. Combine with rest of the ingredients and beat until smooth. Check the taste and add more salt and/or pepper if needed. 

Oh, and what to have with this? Well, how about

Moose meatballs with rosemary in cranberry sauce 

Traditional Swedish meatballs

Bangers & Mash - British comfort food at its best

Pork, pepper and paprika stew

Slow cooked soy Bolognese

Soy and beetroot Stroganoff

Or, my latest confort food love: Lindström's meatballs! 

PS. What are your comfort food favourites? And where do you stand on mash: with or without onions?

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Lemon and rosemary shortbread biscuits

Lemon and rosemary give these shortcrust biscuits wonderful and oh, so Mediterranean freshness!

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At our Mediterranean themed Christmas season kick off party we did not settle for any old gingerbread, oh, no. Instead I baked these zingy lemon and rosemary shortbread biscuits which get their lovely shape from snowflake-shaped cookie cutters. 

I used them as a decoration for our Christmas three, too and guests could nip over when ever they felt like it.

I also set up a decoration station where they could decorate their own to take home with them. Surprisingly therapeutic activity, I'll tell you. A bit like those mindfulness colouring books, I guess... only with a glass of wine.

These  also make great place cards for the holiday season and wonderful foodie gifts.

Lemon and rosemary shortbread biscuits:

175 g butter, at room temperature
1 1/4  dl sugar
finely grated zest of a lemon

the juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

3,75 dl all purpose flour

Beat butter wth sugar. Add lemon juice and zest along with rosemary and finally beat in the flour until you get a crumbly mixture. 

Squeeze the dough together, wrap in clingfilm and leave to chill for an hour (or overnight).

Divide the dough into 4 and keep rest of the segments covered while working on one. 

On a lightly floured surface roll into a 1/2 cm thick sheet and using a cookie cutter cut into biscuits of your choice. Lift onto a tray lined with a baking sheet and chill for an hour prior to baking.

Bake at 180 (in a fan oven less will do) until the edges start getting a little colour - 6-8 minutes.

Cool and store in an airtight container. Hidden from your greedy little hands...

Looking for more ideas for a stress-free and delicious hlidays eason with a Mediterranean twist? Check out my tips over here!

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Fish and roe terrine - easy and festive treat for Christmas table (gluten-free)

Fish and roe terrine is a make-ahead, easy and festive treat for Christmas or Hanukkah table!

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We kicked off our festive season bright and early last weekend. Though the amount of guests kept dropping owing to the flu season ("nope, can't make it - still dying") and the Wine Expo ("yeah... we're just about to finish our 54th drinks over here so we should be there... soon...ish"), the amount of food did not reflect it. Oh, no. Instead we were left with Obelixian Gallian feast.

As the theme was stress-free holiday season, we decided on terrines which, despite of their impressive appearance, are easy to make and can be made in advance. 

The star of the evening was this rustic country style pork terrine, but in addition to that we also feasted on a fish and roe version.

Serves 8-10

Fish and roe terrine:

600 g boneless, skinned white fish fillets
2 egg whites
2 dl cream
100 g roe (something with bigger texture, such as trout)
handful of finely chopped parsley
handful of finely chopped fresh dill
zest of 1/2 lemon, finely grated
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Measure fish, egg whites and cream into a food processor and blizz until smooth. 

Fold in rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Line a terrine (or bundt) tin with cling film and spoon the mixture into a prepared tin. Fold the edges over the terrine mixture and cover the dish wth a tightly wrapped tin foil.

Place the tin into an oven proof dish and pour enough boiling water to reach the halfway of the tin. 

Bake at 175 (less in a fan assisted oven) for an hour. 

Remove from the oven and leave to cool and then chill in the fridge until cold.

Remove the foil and open the cling film. Carefuly turn into the serving dish and remove rest of the cling film. Serve.

PS. Don't forget there are more stress-free, make-ahead treats on the blog all week this week!

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The second best salmon soup in the archipelago

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Archipelago salmon soup is wonderfully rich and full of flavours of summer. And orange.

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We're not completely frivolous in our tiaras, The Cat Blogger and I. We're quite capable of carryng on conversations that are very deep and meaningful. During our latest trip to Aland we took on the wellbeing of the entire planet (that UN really aren't doing their bit, are they?) and got thinking about the Fatal Flaws In The World.

And let's face it, there's no imminent shortage of those. There's abject poverty, famine and wars. There are human rights violations, insufferable inequality and men wo never call you back. 

With me the most the biggest mistake in God's plan is the fact I wasn't born in the archipelago. I, along with my nautica sripes would feel so at home there, glowing in tan courtesy of perpetual sun and sailing, pickling herring and serving heaving plates of shrimps to the dinner guests gathered on the deck of our boat.

In Aland I blended in that stripy crowd so well my companion occasionally struggled to spot where this Waldo is. 

In archipelago my dietary awaeness also invariably experiences an natural, albeit temporary, wake-up call. As I'm feasting on all those shrimps, fish soups, gubbröra and Toast Skagens I find myself declaring rather convincingly how I could live on this alone. Until the companion (once again) reminds me of the existence of things like bacon. And Iberico ham. And that oxtail ragú of mine. 

Luckily there are ways to hold on to the archipelago-dweller within even back home by serving oneself a generous portion of this archipelago inspired fish soup. Just close your eyes and visualize yourself sitting on the pier, carelessly swinging your legs over the glimmering sea as the evening sun kisses your freckles. In the ghetto conditions of mainland the last two can coneveniently be substituted with a bucket of ice cold water and a bright light lamp.

I've humbly named the soup The second best salmon soup in the archipelago. The first prize still goes to the one at Fyren in Nauvo and quite justifiably so. Helt suveränt!

I used the salmon stock I made myself (the recipe for which you'll find here) but feel free to use a good store bought variety. 

Serves 4-6

Archipelago salmon soup:

1,5 l good fish stock

the juice of 2,5 oranges (2,5 dl)

1 large onion

8 potatos (total weight 750 g)

4 carrots ( total weight 250 g)

12 allspice peppercorns

600 g salmon (or other fish) 

2,5 dl heavy cream

25 g butter

for serving: bunch of dill

Bring the stock to boil. Add allspice, sliced onion and chopped up veggies. Continue cooking until the veggies are just about done. Then add fish in similar sized cubes and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.

Add cream and bring to boil. Stir in butter and dill. Serve. With toasted archipelago bread croutons. 

Oh, my recipe for archipelago bread? Right over here!

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Ålandspannkaka - Aland pancake

Aland pancake gets its distinctive  flavour from cardamom and lemon zest and is the best pancake on land or sea. 

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When I was a kid I couldn't think of a better place than my Grandma's house. When there, I got to wear her pearls and play fancy lady. She would invariably nod off early, which meant getting to stay up late and watching all the things on TV my parents would have never allowed me to watch like Twilight Zone (and quite rightfully so: after one episode of Twilight Zone I was too terrified to sleep for a week). 

She would also always get me Kalle's Kaviar (a Swedish smörgåskaviar made of roe) at the shop and never say anything when I would wolf the entire tube down in one sitting. And to top it all off Grandma made the best pancake in the world for which she, in a manner that seemed so exotic to me, would use porridge.

At the time I had never even heard the name Aland pancake let alone of the island that gave it its name (I grew up North. We didn't know much...)

You can make the pancake using either semolina porridge or rice pudding, in which case it's also gluten free, seeing how my recipe uses no flour at all. There are also different takes on the ideal thickness, but obviously mine, the "less is never more", is the only right one. So, pie dishes or lasagne dishes reign supreme over sheet pans. 

The recipe below is enough for a 20 cm diameter dish. 

Serves 4-6

Ålands pannkaka - Aland pancake:

5 dl full fat milk (yes, really. Step away from that fat-free variety and place your hands where I can see them...)
0,75 dl finely ground semolina 

2 eggs
3/4 tsp vanilla extract (or vanilla sugar)
4 tbsp caster sugar
1/2 tl suolaa
1,5 tsp cardamom
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest 

Start by making the semolina porridge. Bring milk to boil in a heavy-bottomed pan, whisk in the semolina and, over low heat, stirring every now and then, cook for 5 minuts until done. Leave to cool. 

Beat eggs with rest of the ingredients. Then whisk in the cooled porridge until smooth. 

Pour into a pie dish lined with baking parchment (or use the Scandinavian strick of smearig a coating of butter on the bottom and the sides and then sprinkling the dish with layer of bread crumbs). Bake in the lower part of the oven at 175 for 45 minutes until the pancake has set andis gloriously golden. 

Serve with jam and whipped cream.

Traditionally Aland pancake is served with loosely whipped cream and plum jam. My Grandma served hers with strawberry jam she made herself and even the memory of its sugary sweetness still makes my teeth cry.

So, try this rhubarb and orange compote or this heavenly toffee-like oven roasted apple jam. 

If baked in a square tin, you could cut them into bite size squares for a party treat.

I bet after this recipe you will never guess where our journey continued from Turku? And which destination I'll be intriducing you on the blog next...?

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