Christmassy salad with roasted Brussel sprouts, gingerbread spiced flank steak and glögg syrup dressing (gluten-free, dairy-free, kosher)

Roasted Brussel sprouts, gingerbread spiced flank steak and glögg syrup dressing - this salad is festive enough to make an appearance at a Christmas table!

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You know what peeps? It's December 1st! Which means in exactly a month we'll all be done with Christmas stress and we've rang in the New Year! I'll be waking up to the first day of 2017 in the arms of my Gothenburger in Hotel Kamp, the fanciest hotel of the whole country - how about you guys?

Well... okay. In all honesty these weeks leading up to Christmas do seem to bring out a lot more in people than just stress-driven, anxiety-ridden monsters: it really is the season of good will. That's something I'd like to have around all year long, God knows we'll always have something to stress about anyway!

And as it goes, my life-long nemesis; Brussel sprouts have made their appearance in the shops. And somehow they managed to weasel their way into my basket, too. I've hated it all my life, but o tempora, o mores - how the times have changed!

Last year before Christmas I finally came to realize that bugger can actually be turned into something genuinely good! For the recipe that lead to this epiphany, check out the blog post for Brussel sprouts, bacon and chestnut bake.

I've also been smuggling some Brussel sprouts into my holiday season in the form of this side dish (with bacon, you ask? Well, of course!) and an Irish classic: colcannon.

Rather Christmassy is this recipe, too. Brussel sprouts roasted in the oven with red onions, paired with another seasonal treat: pomegranate seeds, pistacchios and flank steak that got its dry rub from gingerbread spice mix (!)

And to top it all off, some glögg syrup dressing. Ho, ho, ho! 

As a main course for 2, as part of a Christmas table for 4

Christmassy salad with roasted Brussel sprouts, gingerbread spiced flank steak and glögg syrup dressing:

Roasted Brussel sprouts:

1 box (300 g) Brussel sprouts

3 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp granulated garlic

salt, pepper

1 large red onion (or 2 small ones)

Gingerbread spiced flank steak:

500 g flank steak

2 tsp gingerbread spice mix

salt, pepper

for frying: a couple of tbsp of butter and/or a couple of tbsp oil

To serve:

seeds from 1/2 pomegranate

a handful of toasted and salted pistacchios, roughly chopped (about 1/2 of 125 g bag)
2 spring onions

Glögg syrup dressing:

6 dl ready made glögg

2 tbsp(brown) sugar

the zest of 1/2 orange, in a strip

2 tbsp mayonnaise

pinch of salt, black pepper and allspice

Start by making the glögg syrup - this way it'll have tie to cool down. 

Measure glögg, orange zest and sugar into a small pot. Boil over high heat until it has reduced to syrupy consistency and you're left with about 1 dl (10-15 mins). Remove the orange zest and cool. Then whizz it in a blender (or whisk by hand) with mayonnaise to a smooth dressing. Season as needed.

Heat oven to 225° (in a fan oven 200° should do). Trim the Brussel sprouts and remove any unsightly yellow/ brown outer leaves. Cut lengthwise in half. Spread them in an oven dish, add oil and spices and toss until well coated. Roast for 10 minutes (the cut side u if you want them to get a nice colour). In the meanwhile prep the remaining ingredients.

Peel the pistacchios and chop roughly, Deseed the pomegranate. Chop the spring onion. Peell red onion(s), cut lengthwise in half and then roughly into chunks.

Pat the meat dry. Rub the spice mix into the meat on both sides. Season generously with salt and pepper. Using butter and/or oil, fry over a hot pan 3-4 inutes per side Transfer from the pan and leave to rest, covered in foil, for 10 minutes. 

After roasting the Brussel sprouts for 10 minutes add the red onion and continue roasting for another 7-10 minutes, depending on the desired doneness.

Spoon Brussel sprouts and red onion onto the serving dish. Sprinkle spring onion, pomegranate seeds and pistacchios (leave some for decorating) on top of them. Cut the flank steak (against the grain) into thin strips and place on top of the salad. 

Serve with the dressing.

For wine pairing I would go for something medium bodied, with soft tannins and ripe berry notes, such as a New Zealand Pinot Noir or California Zinfandel, such as this gem from Sonoma.

Wishing you all a happy Holiday season!

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Ensaladilla ceviche - globetrotter's fish ceviche salad

Oh, how well I ate in Andalusia (again...) - I've feasted on enough seafood and Iberico pork to see me through the rest of the.. well, month, anyway. Travelling alone is a bit tricky though- when everything sounds and looks so irresistible, one person really struggles to get through all the food at the table with no-one to share it with...

Sure, tapas bars have some salads on their menus, too, but they're hardly the lighter option. Ok, the ensaladillas might have some genuine veggies in them, too, but swimming in a massive quantities of mayo. 

After returning home I've been trying to eat a little lighter and so one day I whipped u a batch of this fresh and summery fish ceviche salad. Instead of mayo it has some Greek yogurt and even that just a couple of spoonfuls. The salad is quite a United Nations, boasting influences from all over the world in the form of sweet chilli sauce, pomegranate seeds, fresh coriander and mint.

The portion below feeds six as a starter. Easily. As a tapas size portions it's enough for 10. At least. 

I really ought to do something about my greed.

Serves 6-10

Fish ceviche salad with watermelon and mint:

700 g neutral flavoured white fish (halibut, sea bass...)

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

2 tsp salt

5 limes, juiced

3 tomatos, deseeded and chopped to 1 cm cubes

1/2 large cucumber, deseeded and chopped to 1 cm cubes

200 g watermelon (rind removed), chopped to 1 cm cubes

the seeds of a pomegranate

2 bunches of coriander, finely chopped

handful of chopped mint leaves

3 tbsp Greek yogurt

3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

1/2 tsp granulated garlic

salt, pepper (to taste) 

Dice the fish into 1 cm cubes. Transfer into a (plastic) bowl with onion. Sprinkle salt on top and to with lime juice. Cover and leave to cure in the fridge for half an hour, stirring every now and then. In the meanwhile prep the rest of the ingredients.

Cut the tomatos and cucumber in half. Scoop out the seeds and chop the veggies into 1 cm cubes. Combine with the herbs. In another bowl mix together the dressing.

Drain the fish and onion and add into the veggies. Gently fold in the dressing. Check the taste, season as needed and serve.

Great with corn crisps and very, very cold corn beer...

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Ham and pasta salad

The star of Finnish Christmas table is ham. A big ass ham. As a result, by now everyone's so sick of it they'll not want to see one for another year. But in case you're still left with some, this retro salad is a fine way of recycling it into good use. And a cheap and cheerful dish for parties and buffets. And picnics - we're only half a year away from summer!

In my childhood we never had issues with leftover ham: though I'm not much of a ham-eater (unless it comes from a black-hoofed Spaniard, of course...) my consumption during Christmas time got legendarily out of control. By Christmas Day my poor Dad had to cook another one as the first one had mysteriously disappeared into the bottomless stomach of his first-born...

And sure, after the non-stop food orgies that are Christmas you could substitute some of the mayonnaise in the dressing with say, Turkish yogurt, too. 

Serves 4-6, as a part of a buffet up to 10 people

Ham and pasta salad:

200 g pasta (gluten-free if needed)

350 g ham, diced to 1 cm cubes

1 red pepper, diced to 1 cm cubes

200 g peas

200 g corn

Dressing:

2,5 dl mayonnaise

2 tbsp mustard (sweeter variety)

1 bunch chives

1,5 tsp granulated garlic 

salt, pepper to taste

Conbine the ingredients for dressing. Cook pasta according to instructions on the packet. Drain and rinse with cold water. Combine with rest of the ingredients and fold in the dressing. Check the taste and season as needed. Serve. 

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Moroccan carrot salad - quick and easy, vegan and gluten-free meze treat

As the Instagram updates from my Israeli adventure showed, Israelis eat a lot of salads. A lot. Even at breakfast. Without a doubt that might have something to do with the fact just about everyone looks like a supermodel there... As they can be prepared in advance, they also make ideal Shabbat dishes - cooking and any kind of other work is prohibited and it's the time to relax, enjoy time with your loved ones... and eat, of course. 

And what do you know - after my first trip to the shops once back home I was shocked to discover my shopping consisted of nothing but veggies. Israel even managed to make me fall in love with cauliflower, something I've always hated. Old dogs, new tricks. Damn.

Israeli culinary heritage showcases both the traditions of the former rulers of the region and the specialties brought over by its ethnically diverse nation. Much like Turkish salad, Moroccan carrot salad is one of Israeli meze staples. 

As part of a meze spread this serves 3-4

Moroccan citrusy carrot salad:

3 large carrots, diagonally sliced into 1/2 cm thick coins

Dressing:

2 largeish cloves of garlic, finely minced

the juice of a lemon

1/4 dl oil

1/2 tsp harissa paste

1/2 tsp sugar

2,5 tbsp finely chopped fresh herbs (I used 1 tbsp parsley, 1 tbsp coriander and 1/2 tbsp mint)

salt, pepper

Steam or boil the carrots in a little bit of water until still with a bit of bite to them.

Combine the ingredients for the dressing and fold into the warm carrots. Let cool, check the taste, season as  needed and serve.

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Lighter take on Waldorf salad - salad with celery, fennel, apple and grapes (vegan and gluten-free)

One of the most sumptious hotels of my travel history is, without a doubt, Waldorf Astoria. Even the name echoes Old World glamuor, top hat-wearing doormen, atmosphere that just oozes elegance and clientele consisting of heiresses dripping with diamonds (ok, I might have been overdoing Hercule Poirot recently...)

And sure enough it is favoured by those of the upper echelons of the society: as I entered the hotel after a hard day of shopping I didn't understand the crowds gathered at the driveway, screaming and taking photos. I mean, I had left all my diamonds at the hotel safe, so there was no way they had me down as one of the heiresses. The reason turned out to be bunch of (admittedly handsomely built) young men that walked into the lift with me. A.k.a AC Juventus... (!!!)

In my dreamsthere is, however, only One Real Waldorf Astoria and that, along with so many other things I dream about (delis of Lower East Side, Barney's, the legendary Sunday Brunch at Waldorf Astoria, scenes of Breakfast at Tiffany's, my future husband...) is located in New York. 

That's also where this salad was born. I ended making it as I had to think of some use for the celerys left over from this soy bolognese (waste not, want not...). While I've never been a big fan of celery (when it's not swimming in a pool of vodka and tomato juice, anyway...),thinly sliced with the rest of the ingredients I really, really loved it. Fresh, quick, easy... and delicious!

The original salad bathes in a heavy dose of mayonnaise, so this is a lighter and fresher version. Should you want a more robust texture, roughly chop the ingredients into cubes. If the idea of salad with no meat in it scares you, this is delicious with some grilled chicken. 

Serves 2-3, as a side dish (try with chicken or fish!) 4-6

Lighter Waldorf salad:

3 celery stalks, thinly diagonally sliced (use the leaves, too!)
2 large fennels, thinly sliced
1 large green apple, thinly sliced
200 g green grapes, cut in half
1 large bunch of parsley
130 g walnuts

Dressing:

1/3 dl oil
1,5 tst mustard
the juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp honey
salt white pepper

Cut the fennels in half, remove the core and outer, leathery skin. Slice thinly and combine with rest of the ingredients. 

Mix the dressing and toss into the salad. Serve.

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Fried chicken and bubbly - celebration of life, love and liberty

Crunchy on the outside, so juicy on the inside... Fried chicken with crispy corn flakes coating is everyone's favourite and nobility of comfort foods.

The past weekend was a dark one; not just for France but for everyone who believes in freedom. News from Paris on that somber Friday evening filled me with sadness, disbelief, frustration, anger and disappointment. Yes, mixed with a little bit of fear. But that's just what they wanted: for the rest of us to stop doing what we love and being who we are, simply out of fear. 

In the midst of that emotional hurricane I could only seek solace in joy, hope and love and so we decided not to skip Sunday lunch. I filled the table with people I love and food made with love and for a little moment world seemed like a safe place again.

Six servings

Crispy corn flakes- coated fried chicken:

800 g (6 pcs) chicken thighs (bone-in)

marinade:

1 l buttermilk

1,5 tbsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp dried thyme

1 tbsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp pimentón (smoked paprika - can be substituted with regular paprika) 

1/2 tsp granulated garlic

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp mustard powder (or mustard)

1/4 tsp cayenne

for coating:

flour (gluten-free if needed), salt, pepper

the marinade

200 g corn flakes, crushed

for frying: 1 l oil

Pat the chicken pieces dry. Combine the ingredients for the marinade and pour over the chicken thighs. Cover and leave to marinate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Drain the chicken, reserving the marinade. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, toss in flour, drench in buttermilk mixture and coat with corn flakes. 

Heat oil in a heavy-based pot. Deep-fry chicken thighs in batches, turning halfway through until coating is golden brown and the chicken is done (about 15 minutes). Keep monitoring the oil temperature to make sure you won't burn the chicken. 

Drain on kitchen towels and serve. For instance with healthier, clear coleslaw and ketchunnaise, tomato-mayonnaise with hint of paprika. Both were inspired by the lunch at Just Vege.

Tartar sauce would be another good option, for recipe see here.

Lighter, brighter coleslaw:

1 small cabbage (450 g)

3 largeish carrots (total weight 350 g)

1 large bunch of dill, finely chopped, stalks and all

dressing:

1/4 dl oil

4 tbsp apple vinegar (or white vinegar)

the juice and finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp white pepper

Peel the outer leaves of the cabbage, cut in half and remove the hard core. You'll be left with about 350 g of cabbage. Peel and grate/ cut the carrot into strips. Combine with dill.

Whisk the dressing together until the sugar has dissolved. Pour into the salad, cover and let sit in the fridge for at least an hour before serving. Check the taste and season as needed; with salt, pepper or more lemon. 

Ketchunnaise:

1 dl mayonnaise

1 dl ketchup

1/4 tsp pimentòn

salt, pepper

(pinch of chilli)

Combine the ingredients, check the taste and serve.

Sure, you could go for Coca Cola or any old beer...but in case wine is what you're after, Riesling from Mosel (such as this Blitz you've already been introduced to) would, in its not so sweet acidity be a good pairing, too. 

We decided to take it up a notch ad celebrate life and coming together by cracking open a bottle of bubbly. Champagne or sparkling wine (especially those with a bit of toastiness) are a surprisingly good match - its crispness evens out the fattiness of anything deep-fried. No, I'm not making this up: there's actually a restaurant in New York devoted to the unlikely marriage between these two!

Jaume Serra Brut is another trusty friend that's been featured on the blog before. In addition the gentle toastiness it's got citrusy freshness and fruitiness and none of that stale yeastiness that (all too) often accompanies cheap fizz. It's got body that makes it easy to pair with variety of dishes, too: for instance with this recipe it compliments the freshness of the coleslaw and balances the fattiness of the chicken.

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Warm kale salad with roasted sweet potato, red onion and pomegranate seeds - autumn colours on a plate

This meat-free October has somewhat inevitably broadened my horizons and started to change my approach to veggies. And salads. I'm slowly starting to realize that they. Can. Actually. Taste.Good (yes, I just wrote that.) As long as you steer clear of the cucumber, tomato and sad, soggy salad leaves.

Now that the autumn is in full force, salads can be warm, too, like this recent discovery. It gets its body from roasted veggies, warmth from the spices and lovely texture from pomegranate seeds. I mean - just look at those colours! You only need about handful of ingredients, but once you put them together... good. So god, you too might find yourself whipping up another batch right after finishing the first one. 

You can serve it warm or at room temperature. Another thing that makes this a great addition to buffets is the fact this is suitable for all possible dietary restrictions. 

Instead of sweet potato you could also use pumpkin or carrots (in which case be prepared for a longer roasting time)

Serves four

Warm kale salad with roasted sweet potato, red onion and pomegranate seeds

2 largeish sweet potatos (total weight about 1 kg)

4 red onions

0.5 dl oil

3/4 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp allspice

1,5 tsp ground coriander seeds

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

salt, black pepper

125 g bag of kale, core removed and leaves shredded

4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

oil for frying

to serve:

the seeds of a pomegranate

bunch of coriander

The dressing:

4 tbsp oil

1,5 tbsp pomegranate molasses (can be substituted with Balsamico syrup)
1 tbsp honey
the juice of a lime

Peel and chop the sweet potatos into a 2 cm chnks. Cut the onions in 8 segments. Heat the oil in a pan and then add to spices. Pour the oil over the veggies, toss to make sure they're all covered and roast at 200 for 15-20 minutes until done.

Heat a couple of tbsp oil in a pan, add garlic and a little while later kale. Cook, covered, for about 5 minutes until done to your liking.

Place the kale on serving plate, top with roasted veggies and sprinkle with coriander leaves and pomegranate seeds. Combine the ingredients for the dressing and pour over the salad. 

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Korean coleslaw

Korean kitchen just goes above my understanding. How can fermentation on one hand produce something as noble as wine, yet also result in something as incomprehensible as kimchi? I just don't get it. This, however, is logic in a way even I can follow. Summer + BBQ season + new harvest carrots and cabbage... doesn't take Einstein to figure out that can only mean one thing: coleslaw. Much like  last year's take on this summer classic, this year's version takes its inspiration from Asia and from the Korean miracle condiment that has found home even in my fridge: gochujang paste.

These days that earthy chilli-based paste (result of fermentation, this too) can be found in regular supermarkets, so shop away! In case you have issues with gluten, steer clear though. If you want a lighter version, substitute half of the mayo with Greek yogurt.

As a side this is enough for 3, in burgers or hot dogs for 6

Korean coleslaw:

1 small new harvest cabbage (about 500 g head)

3 carrots

2 tsp rice vinegar (can be substituted with white vinegar)

2 tsp sugar

3 spring onions
bunch coriander

1/2 dl sesame seeds

Gochujang- mayo dressing:

2 dl mayo

1-2 tbsp Gochujang paste (to taste)

1/2 lime, juiced

1/4 tl sesame oil

1/4 tsp granulated garlic
salt, pepper (to taste)

Cut the cabbage in half, remove the hard core and outer leaves and shred finely. Peel and shred the carrots. Combine rice vinegar with sugar and add to the veggies. Let them soften a bit while you prepare the dressing.

Combine the ingredients for the dressing, check the taste and season with salt and pepper (add a touch of sugar if needed!). Stir into the salad and finally fold in chopped spring onion, coriander and sesame seeds. 

Serve. For instance with this Filippino pork belly...?

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Sesame-encrusted tuna salad So Cal with Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc

Southern California - or So Cal as it's also known - is not a region I'm personally familiar with, but based on documentaries such as Real Housewives of Orange County it seems like a charmingly genuine place where people have their values in check and feet firmly on the ground (...)

Now, obviously I was being sarcastic. The grotesquely drag queen-like, bewilderingly immature characters in the series are so frighteningly devoid of any personality it's downright perverse there isn't a Martini-swigging committee gearing up to launch a charity event for them alone. Oh, perhaps they've had them surgically removed to make more room for silicone and Botox and collagen? 

Food wise though So Cal sounds aaaahmazing. Fresh fish and seafood? Veggies? With Asian twist and influences from south of the border, too? Avocados, lime and coriander galore? Count me in!

This salad was born out of those very ingredients as I stumbled upon a gorgeous piece of fresh tuna at my fish monger, which soon found itself swimming in an Asian-inspired marinade. The price of fresh tuna might seem extortionate at times, but a owing to its meatiness a little goes a long way, especially in salads and especially when sliced this thinly. Use any veggies you want - it's wasabi mayo that is the crowning glory. That could also be substituted with this miso sesame dressing. 

Serves 3, as a starter 4-5

So Cal salad with Asian marinated sesame encrusted tuna:

350 g piece fresh tuna

marinade:

0,75 dl soy sauce

3 tbsp honey

1,5 tbsp finely chopped ginger

1 largish clove garlic

the juice of 1/2 lime

1/2 tsp sesame oil

sesame crust:

1 egg white, lightly beaten

black sesame seeds (about 1/2 dl)

oil for frying

Combine the ingredients for the marinade and pour over the tuna. Leave to marinate while you prep the salad.

Salad:

1 sheet nori seaweed
7 radishes

2 spring onions, chopped

bunch of coriander, leaves chopped

1 large carrot (or 2 smaller ones)

125 g cherry tomatos

2 small avocados

1 small green pepper (or 1/2 of a larger one)

To serve: wasabi mayo or miso-sesame dressing

Toast the seaweed at 200° until crisp but not burnt. Cut to strips. 

Cut the cherry tomatos in half, slice radishes finely and cut the carrot to thin strips. The easiest way to do this is to first slice them with mandolin or a vegetable peeler and then stack the slices and cut them into match stick like strips. Cut pepper into small cubes and do the same with avocado. Combine the ingredients, fold in seaweed, spring onion and coriander, place on the serving dish and drizzle with dressing.

Remove tuna from marinade and pat dry. Toss it in the egg white and then in sesame seeds. Heat some oil in a hot pan and sear the tuna for about 30 secs on each side. 

Let cool a bit and then (using a sharp knife) slice thinly and place on top of the salad. Serve.

Instead of California the wine pairing comes from New Zealand. I've never been best of friends with their Sauvignon Blacs as too often the currant-ey notes are too dominating. There is some of that in this, too, but in a very ripe form. Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc is a delightfully mouthwatering Sauvignon Bland and as such makes a perfect aperitif.

The wine (organic, too!) is dry and aromatic and would go well with variety of seafood and fish dishes, especially with smoked fish. It does, however, have such fruitiness, that it also worked surprisingly well with the Asian influences of this dish - it truly blossomed with this salad. A great wine for summer! And hey, it's available in a demi bottle, too (0,375 l) which makes it a convenient for picnics or those evenings à deux, when a whole bottle would be too much. 

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