This is a super simple recipe for a very tasty starter. I found it in the Swedish magazine “Mat & Vänner” and decided to bring it to Anne’s Twelwth Night dinner. As we eat so much during Anne’s annual gourmet Twelwth Night dinners I halfed the whole recipe except from the sauce, but if you want larger servings than just add another lobster tail. We got the lobster from F’s parents as they live on an island in the Gothenburg archipelago since last year and have a lot of fisherman friends with all sorts of delicacies from the sea.

Lobster on pumpernickel with saffron sauce
(Makes 8 small servings. Adapted from “Mat & Vänner”, issue 6 2007)

8 round slices of pumpernickel bread (either buy a round bread for appetizers or cut out circles from normal slices with a cookie cutter)
1 lobster tail (cooked, shell and membrane removed)
200 ml crème fraîche
0.25 gram saffron
1 tbsp canola oil
Maldon Sea salt
white pepper
dill for decoration

Combine saffron, canola oil and crème fraîche. Salt and pepper to taste.

Cut the lobster in slices. Put the lobster slices on the bread circles and pour some saffron sauce on each one. Decorate with dill.

Autumn is officially here, the evenings become darker much quicker and the air is crisp and cold. I’m already wearing my autumn jacket and soon it will be time for gloves and cap. Autumn is mushroom season and since I’ve moved to Stockholm I havn’t been out picking any as I don’t feel confident without my parents (I have a tendency to pick poisonous ones…). Therefore I’m glad that the markets and grocery stores have loads of those delicious treats. This chanterelle toast is super easy to prepare and it’s perfect for a quick dinner when you come home tired after work. Serve it with a store bought soup, some of them are really nice.

Chanterelle toast
(makes 2)

2 slices of bread
200 gram chanterelles
2 shallots
Maldon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
butter

Brush away all dirt from the chanterelles. Tear them in small parts. Chop the shallots. Fry the chanterelles with the shallots in butter until cooked and a bit crispy. Salt and pepper.
Toast the bread, butter and divide the chanterelles evenly between the two slices. Serve with soup.

Summer and thus picnic season is here. A few days ago me and my husband took a bike ride to the beautiful Haga park where we had a cosy picnic next to the temple of the echo that is quite popular for civil weddings. Coincidentally a couple got married in the temple while we were eating, so we curiously watched the ceremony from our picnic blanket.

The Temple of the Echo in the Haga Park.

Ever since I found the recipe for Jägerwecken, stuffed Austrian baguette, on Johanna’s blog it has been mandatory on all my picnics. Everybody seem to love it and it’s the perfect finger food. Just don’t forget to bring a knife to the picnic so you can slice the baguettes. I’ve changed the recipe but the basic concept is still there: a stuffed baguette with a lot of goodies. I prefer using two smaller baguettes instead of a long one as they are easier to stuff but it doesn’t really matter.

Stuffed picnic baguettes

2 baguettes (about 20 cm long)
2 hard boiled eggs
70 gram gherkins
100 gram smoked Turkey breast, thinly sliced
60 gram Västerbotten cheese
130 gram cream cheese
80 gram smoked processed cheese “Bonno” (looks like a brown sausage)
1 tsp dijon mustard
one handful parsley

Cut off one end of the baguette/s. Hollow out the baguette/s by using kitchen tweezers. Make sure the crust is intact. Chop all ingredients coursly and then combine. Stuff the baguette/s tightly, I use the end of my ice cream scoop for this. Keep the stuffed baguettes in the fridge, wrapped in cling film. When serving just slice the baguettes.

Minced meat sandwich topped with Västerbotten cheese.

It’s been incredible hot here in Stockholm the last week, up to 31 degrees C, and on such days you don’t actually feel like cooking and need to take short cuts. One of my favourite quick dinners is when I have some left over minced meat sauce from the day before or from the freezer. I just put a couple of table spoons of the sauce on top of white bread, top with slices of cheese and then bake the sandwiches it in the oven (200 degrees C) for 10-15 minutes. Serve the sandwiches with a salad. Quick, easy and so incredibly yummy (even though a bit unhealthy…). In the photo above I’ve used sauce containing minced meat, bacon, cinnamon and tomatoes but you can basically use any minced meat sauce.

Winter has hit Stockholm in full force and it’s freezing cold. The Christmas snow fell one month to late, when I was already planning to start the countdown for summer… Cold winter days makes you inventive, trying to avoid leaving the house for grocery shopping. These sandwiches are no revolutionary dish, but still tasty and great if you have some left over chicken.

Chicken Sandwiches
(serves 2)

200 grams cold grilled left over chicken, deboned and cut in small pieces
3 tbsp mayonnaise
2.5 tsp dijon mustard
0.5 red onion, finely chopped
ground pepper
cayenne pepper
~4 slices of which ever bread you have at home. I used twisted baguettes which we had in the freezer.

Mix all ingredients and spread on the bread.