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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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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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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Chocolate meat balls? Albondigas de choco - cuttlefish balls

Though I've spent years researching (yes, thats one way of putting it...) the selection in Andalusian tapas bars, occasionally even I'm in for a surprise. In Cadiz I kept bumping into albondigas de choco, which I was immediately intrigued by. Albondigas we all know - the blog has recipes for traditional Spanish tapas meat balls and for a version pimped with chorizo. But choco? Chocolate? Chocolate meat balls? Seriously?

No. 

Turned out choco means cuttlefish, which is something that's being fished and consumed in Cadiz a lot. Just look at the selection at the fish market... And if there's something I love even me than chocolate, it is any member of the octopus family. Dios mios - these dreamily light and flully balls are probably the best thing I brought back from my trip. Just try them - they'll melt in your mouth!

Makes 30 balls

Albondigas de choco - cuttlefish balls:

500 g cuttlefish 

1 smallish onion

2 garlic cloves

handful of chopped parsley

1,5 tsp finely grated lemon zest

2 eggs

9 tbsp bread crumbs

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

(Plus flour for dredging, optional)

For frying: 1 dl oil

The sauce:

1 onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2,5 dl whte wine

5 dl good fish stock

1 bay leaf
pinch of saffron

Clean the cuttlefish if needed. Rinse and drain thoroughl. Cut into smaller pieces and measure into  a food processor along with the rest of the ingredients. Blizz until you have a smooth mixture (it's ok to leave some rougher bits). Avoid the temptation to add more bread crumbs to get a more solid texture as that easily results in dry and hard balls. And that's something we don't want...

Let the mixture rest in cold for half an hour. 

Roll into 30 balls (the mixture is a little loose, but don't worry - that's just what we want!) and dredge them in flour, shaking off the excess. This part is optional, but it does help thicken the sauce, too. Fry them in oil until golden brown and transfer aside. 

Add remaining onion and garlic into the oil left from frying the balls. Sauté util their soft and translucent but don't let them brown. Pour in white wine and bring to boil. Let boil for 5 minutes and then add fish stock, saffron and bay leaf. Check the taste and season as needed. 

Let boiluntil it thickens. Then add the balls, lower the heat and let simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

Serve. With some chilled Verdejo and dreams of Andalusian sun...

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Quick and easy weekday treat: pasta with pea pesto and crunchy bacon

Thirties are apparently the busiest years in anyone's life. And boy, does it feel like that, too. Usually though people my age are also juggling marriages and mortgages and children's football practices too, in addition to everything else. How that is even possible I don't know. I mean, how many hours do they have in their day?

Lately this rush hour of my life has been even more hectic than usual. Last time I got enough sleep was sometime at the beginning of the decade. The bags under my eyes are beginning to reach the point that the airlines will start charging extra for them.  

Even in the sleep-deprived haze I navigate my days in I still need to eat. This recipe is from one of the many, many enticing cook books that have been published this spring, which I have a whole stack to get through...

Serves 2

Pasta with pea pesto and crunchy bacon

170 g bacon

Pea pesto:

200 g frozen peas

1/2 bunch basil

1/2 dl grated Parmesan

1 tbsp oil

2-3 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 garlic clove

1/2 dl pasta cooking water

Lemon oil:

1/2 dl oil

2 tbsp lemon juice

The zest of a lemon, in thin strips

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

To serve: 1 dl Parmesan shavings

Roast bacon until crisp, either in an oven or in  a pan over moderate heat.

Prepare the pea pesto by blizzing peas, basil leaves, Parmesan, oil, lemon juice and seasoning in a blender or a food processor. Add cooking water from pasta to reach the desired consistency.

This point at latest start cooking the pasta. Combine the ingredients for the lemon oil. 

Add lemon oil into the cooked and drained pasta. Add pea pesto and crumbled up bacon. Sprinkle Parmesan on top and serve.

Any fool-proof weekday dinner life-saving recipes you've come tor rely on?

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Easy, fresh, quick, creamy and dreamy lemon and lime pudding

Easter is just around the corner and with that, days and days of food orgies. In case you're looking for something a bit lighter to finish the meal off with, look no further. This zingy spring time treat is sure to work... well, a treat. 

Ok, so it does have some cream, eggs, sugar (and a little butter, too...) but in such a fresh, dreamy and creamy way that still manages to leave you feeling good. 

Should you want, you can also make it using just lemons. Or lime. Or, even oranges, in which case you can omit the icing sugar completely and cut back on the sugar in the curd, too. 

And the absolutely best part about this quick and easy pudding that only requires a handful of ingredients is the fact that you can make it up to 2 days in advance to ease the stress on the day itself. Though... I have a feeling you won't be able to hold off either - I for instance ate the first three in one sitting. Though I wasn't supposed to tell you that...

Serves four

Lemon and lime pudding

2 tbsp grated lime zest (about 2 limes)

1 dl lemon juice (approximately 1 lemon)

1 dl lime juice (approximately 3 limes)

2 dl sugar

4 eggs

60 g butter

2 dl cream

1/2 tsp vanilla sugar/ vanilla essence

1/2 dl icing sugar

Measure the ingredients (apart from cream, vanilla and icing sugar) into a pot and bring to just below simmer. Continue cooking over low-medium heat stirring occasionally, until the mixture starts to thicken (about 10 minutes). Drain through a sieve into a clean bowl. 

Leave to cool to room temperature and chill in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Whisk cream into still foam and season with vanilla and icing sugar. Fold into the curd and mix until even. Pour into serving dishes and serve immediately (or keep in the fridge, covered, until ready to serve).

Serve with berries (blueberries!), meringue crumbs or crushed biscuits for more of a cheesecake-like feel. 

In case you're looking for more sweet treats for your Easter celebrations, just go here.

And in case you're looking for inspiration for lamb, click on here.

Wishing you all a delicious and sunny Easter time with your loved ones!

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Hummus with roasted beetroots and rosemary oil

The previous hummus recipe got its glorious colour and sweetness from roasted carrots, this time it's time to celebrate beetroot, that unsung hero of the veggie world.

Beetroot itself is rather a humble looking knobbly little thing that doesn't really look like much. But there is sooooo much more than meets the eye!

It contains betaine among other things (a powerful antioxidant which is also used to treat depression) and tryptophan, that happiness-inducing chemical also found in chocolate. Some cultures believed that if a man and woman eat from the same beetroot, they'll fall in love. The oracle of Delphi even went so far as to declare it the second most powerful aphrodisiac known to man. 

Another strange if amorous association is the expression "taking favours in the beetroot fields", which in the early 20th century English was used as an euphemism for visiting prostitutes. This might have something to do with the brothel at historic Pompei, the walls of which were actually adorned with paintings of beets... Oh well.

One thing beetroots absolutely love getting jiggy with is rosemary, so instead of normal oil I used a rosemary infused one. For recipe, just see here. 

Roasted beetroot hummus with rosemary oil:

400 g can chickpeas (drained weight 240 g)

1 tbsp tahini
1 largeish or 1,5 smaller beetroots (about 170 g)

3 tbsp rosemary oil

2 garlic cloves

2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper
2-3 tbsp water

Measure the ingredients into a food processor. Blizz until velvety smooth. Check the taste and add salt and/or lemon juice if needed. If it's too thick, add more water a tbsp at a time until you've reach the desired consistency.

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Moroccan hummus with roasted carrots, harissa and herbs

If the previous hummus recipe with sun-dried tomatos blew you away with its intense flavours, this one will seduce your taste buds with its gentle sweetness and Moroccan twist. I actually think this just might have been my personal favourite...!

Roasting veggies not only gives them depth of flavour, it also lends them a wonderful sweetness and is a great way of making the most of those winter vegetables, as tired and scruffy as the rest of us...

And yes, that is the next hummus recipe lurking in the back. I don't think I need to tell you where she got that gloriously vibrant colour of hers...?

Moroccan hummus with roasted carrots:

400 g can chickpeas (drained weight 240 g)

1 tbsp tahini
4 medium sized carrots (total weight about 450 g)

1 tbsp oil

2 garlic cloves

3 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp harissa

1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2-3 tbsp water

Measure the ingredients into a food processor. Blizz until velvety smooth. Check the taste and add salt and/or lemon juice if needed. If it's too thick, add more water a tbsp at a time until you've reach the desired consistency.

You know, hummus is a lot more versatile than you might think. Serve it as a dip, as part of a meze feast, as a spread on bread... but why not also as a warm side? This for instance would love the company of grilled pork. Or, you could fold in some grilled chicken and more herbs and use it as filling for salty crêpes, wraps or jacket potato...

How about you guys? How do you have your hummus?

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Hummus with sun-dried tomatos

Hummus - much like so many other things in Middle East- is a source of continuous fighting. Its name means "chickpea" in both Hebrew and Arabic and every single country in the region claims to have invented it. Whether or not the original inventors, Israelis have truly made it their own: their annual consumption is over double that of neighbouring countries. 

This hummus recipe will hardly add any fuel to the flames of any international incident: it's from my kitchen in Helsinki and outrageously rips its inspiration from Italy of all countries. It became a swift favourite of our hummus orgies yesterday. So freaking addictive even crack doesn't stand a chance - especially with these za'atar covered flatread crisps. 

Instead of sun-dried tomatos you could also use these oven-roasted ones. 

Hummus with sun-dried tomatos:

400 g can chickpeas (drained weight 240 g)

1 tbsp tahini
14 sun-dried tomatos

4 tbsp oil from the sun-dried tomatos

2 garlic cloves

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp finely chopped basil
5 tbsp water
1/4 tsp black pepper

(1/4 tsp salt)

Measure the ingredients (apart from salt) into a food processor. Blizz until velvety smooth. Check the taste and add salt now if needed (there's quite a bit of salt in the tomatos). If it's too thick, add more water a tbsp at a time until you've reach the desired consistency.

Here's a teaser of all the other hummus recipes making their on the blog this week. Ooh, those colours! Spring just can't be here soon enough!

Out of habit I peel my chickpeas (the skin comes off easily, you just pinch the chickpea), but do you? Does it make any difference to the taste? Oh, and is everybody happy with the tinned variety or are there people out there who soak and boil their own chickpeas? Can you tell the difference?

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