Food: Rude Food Recipe 4: ‘Keep the cold at bay’ soup

 

The #Beastfromtheeast has left its mark over all of northern Europe it seems and snowy Malmö is no exception. I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands with this stalwart soup that will batten down the hatches with plenty of fresh alium and flush out any lingering nasties with the heat of the chilli. The level of any of these is preferential, but here are the amounts that I used.

You will need:

• 1 pack of cooked Beetroot, and its juice
• The zest & juice of 1/2 lemon,
• 1/2 tsp chilli, (go full tsp if you’re feeling particularly under the weather!),
• 2 medium potatoes,
• 1/2 an onion,
• 1tbs Sauerkraut juice (optional, I used some, leftover from my dear friend Kathe Kaczmarzyk’s pop-up here in Malmö) ,
• 3 cloves of garlic,
• 3 rhizomes of fresh turmeric, grated,
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon,
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger,
• Salt & pepper,
• 500ml homemade veg stock
• 1tbs dried parsley,

For the orange, ginger & mustard crème:

• 2tbs dairy free crème fraîche (I used Oatly fraîche)
• 1tsp wholegrain mustard
• zest & juice of 1/4 orange
• Thumb- size piece of ginger, grated

Garnish:

Handful of fresh parsley, chopped.

 

 

The method for soups is always fairly simple, the magic here is the contents and not the process.

Chop the onion, the garlic and the onions roughly, separately chop up the beetroot into chunks and make sure you keep the juices.

Gently soften the onion and the garlic in a little oil and then add the potatoes, stir them through. Begin to add the lemon juice, the sauerkraut, the beetroot pieces, the beetroot juice and then grate in the lemon zest and the turmeric. Be careful with the fresh turmeric as it will stain anything, including your skin, so you might want to use gloves. Add the spices, the herbs and then pour over the stock, season to your taste including the chilli!

Bring the whole thing up to a robust simmer before sticking in the oven at 140 degrees celsius (fan assisted) and allow it to do its thing for at least an hour. Take the whole thing out, stir and check the seasoning. When you’re happy with it you can blast the whole thing with a stick blender or a food processor until it’s thick.

The aroma should be rich and earthy with the beetroot and the garlic, the back notes from the sauerkraut and the lemon should be sharp and punchy. The heat should be there to the taste too from the chilli. The colour should be like you’ve liquidised rubies.

For the punchy crème, simply mix all the ingredients together into a bowl and leave to thicken for 5 minutes.

Serve with a good loaf of your favourite sourdough, a sprinkle of chopped parsley and a generous dollop of the punchy fraîche.

Enjoy!

FOOD: RUDE FOOD RECIPE 2: PARSNIP, SAGE & BROWN MUSTARD SOUP

For my second recipe as Rude Food ambassador; as I still had a glut of rescued parsnips and potatoes left, I thought I’d do a take on my roasted parsnip & mustard soup.

these are rescued ingredients I was given for this recipe: rescued parsnips, sage, apples & potatoes.

You’ll need:

• 4-5 medium parsnips (roasted)
• 1 onion
• 2 potatoes, peeled & cut into quarters
• 1tbsp German mustard (use wholegrain mustard as an alternative)
• 1tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1tbs dried sage
• 1tbs dried parsley
• 1 Litre of water
• Rapeseed oil

Garnish:

• A handful walnuts chopped and toasted
• Chopped fresh parsley
• 1-2 small golden roasted parsnips
• slice of fried apple (optional)
• Some walnut oil (optional)

 

Pre-heat your oven to 180°C with your baking tray loaded with a generous glug or two of rapeseed oil, then peel and parboil the parsnips and potatoes. Toss the parsnips in the hot oil and roast for 25 minutes or so.

While they’re cooking, chop and fry the onion in a Le Creuset style deep pan with a little oil until they’re soft and mellow. Next, add in the potatoes. When the parsnips are done, remove from the oven and snip into the pot with a pair of scissors (keep one or two smaller parsnips and leave to one side for the garnish). Pour over the water, stir in the mustards, the dried parsley & sage and season generously with salt and black pepper. Put the lid on and let it simmer for a further thirty minutes.

When the soup’s done its thing, take a hand blender and blitz the whole thing into a thick, creamy soup. For the topping, chop and toast the walnuts in apotatoes dry frying pan.  Finish with chopped parsley, a slice of fried apple, walnuts, a drizzle of walnut oil and the whole roasted parsnips you kept from earlier.

Serve with with a good hearty loaf; I served mine with a crusty walnut bread and a good beer!

 

Food: Broccoli, spinach & parsley soup

This is a great soup with a big burst of green to help beat the up-coming illnesses this Autumn, and will make you feel generally more hyggelig (cosy)!

You’ll need:

• 3-4 medium potatoes
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 head of broccoli, chopped
• Broccoli stem, finely cut
• 20g frozen spinach
• Handful of fresh parsley
• 1 tbs dried parsley
• 100ml veg stock
• 1 tbs Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp nutritional yeast
• 1 litre of water
• Rapeseed oil
• Salt & pepper

 

Garnish:

• 1 tbs walnut oil
• Chopped fresh parsley

 

Start by chopping the potatoes into chunks, parboil them in a pan of salted water. Once done, drain and set aside.

Chop and fry the onion & minced garlic in a cast iron pot on a medium heat with a little oil until they’re soft and mellow. Next, add in the potatoes, dried parsley and the broccoli stem. Pour over the water and veg stock and stir. Add in the broccoli and bring to a simmer. Simmer for at least 20 minutes before adding the spinach and fresh parsley, and stir lightly until it starts to thaw. Place the lid on, turn the heat down onto its lowest setting and leave the mixture bubble and cook for a further 8-10 minutes. Now, stir in the nooch (nutritional yeast) and the mustard.

When the soup’s done its thing, take a hand blender and blitz the whole thing into a thick, velvety green soup. Season to taste.

Serve with a drizzle of walnut oil, a crack of black pepper and some chopped parsley. It goes really well with a crusty loaf and I’d recommend pairing it with a Æro Valnød Øl (walnut ale)  by Danish brewery, Rise Bryggeri, as the flavours complemented each other so well, but any gold ale would work here!

Enjoy!

Food: Gulrødspølse

Inspired by my many trips to Denmark, and their national fast food the rødpølse, I’ve made my own vegan version, which is tasty AF and a lot cheaper than sourcing the Danish hotdogs! You’ll often see a pølsevogn (or hotdog cart) on most street corners in Copenhagen!

The ristet hotdog is a rødpølse with many toppings. They are quite an experience to eat, trying to not drop it all on the floor is like a national challenge. Good luck, but it’s worth the challenge!

The recipe is similar to my Currywurst one, so feel free to make double the amount for two different Northern European dirty favourites!

Once again, I highly recommend prepping the carrots in advance, they’re dead simple to prepare but it makes all the difference when they’ve had time to marinate.

You’ll need:

• Two medium sized carrots (per person)
• 1tbs Smoked paprika,
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard,
• 1-2 drops of liquid smoke,
• 1tbs of cider vinegar,
• 1tbs of light soy sauce,
• 1tsp Garlic infused oil
• 10ml water

Remoulade:

• 3tbs vegan mayo,
• 1/4 tsp curry powder,
• 1 small gherkin, chopped,
• handful of parsley, chopped,
• 1tsp Dijon mustard,
• 1tsp sugar,
• 1tbs finely chopped onion
• 2 chopped capers

To serve:

• Ketchup (the Danes have a special hotdog ketchup, which I got from Scandi Kitchen but regular ketchup will also work)
• Mustard
• Handful of crispy fried onions
• 1 Sandwich gherkin or 3-4 gherkin slices
• 1tbs of chopped onion

Begin by topping and tailing the carrots and “carving” to make rounded ends, a bit like a wurst or hotdog style sausage. Peel the carrots and simmer in salted water on a medium heat until soft. Don’t over boil because they’ll fall apart and be of no use to anyone! You want the knife to slide through but not disintegrate when you lift them. When they’re done leave them to dry out and cool.

When they’re dry put them in a freezer bag or container to marinate with the paprika, cider vinegar, oil,  liquid smoke, mustard and soy sauce. Leave them to soak up the flavours for 3-4 hours or best, overnight. They’ll keep for a few days in the fridge if you’re making them well in advance.

Remoulade to the Danes is what brown sauce is to Brits or fish sauce is to the Thai, to make this curry infused mayonnaise sauce is rather easy. Simply, add all the ingredients and mix into a creamy, piquant sauce. Once mixed, Set aside.

To cook the hotdogs, simply take them out of the marinade and brown them in a pan, remembering to turn them. Once brown on all sides, they’re ready to load up!

Home your dog in a hotdog bun and top it with all of the toppings. Start with the ketchup, mustard and remoulade. Then the gherkins and the onions.

Serve with some fries or dill potatoes. Traditionally the Danes pair it with chocolate milk (even grown ups!) or a cold bottle of Danish beer like Tuborg.

Velbekommen!

 

Also- If you are in Copenhagen, the D.Ø.P pølsevogn do a cracking vegan hotdog!

 

Food: Roasted Parsnip and brown mustard Soup

So, the evenings are starting to draw in and we’re already wrapped up with  scarves and mittens. What better way to see in the end of the year than with a hearty soup to warm the cockles of the soul?

You’ll need:

• 4-5 medium parsnips (roasted)
• 1 onion
• 1tbsp German mustard (use wholegrain mustard as an alternative)
• 1tbsp Dijon mustard
• Parsley (fresh, naturally)
• 1 Litre of water
• Rapeseed oil

Garnish:

• A handful Hazelnuts, chopped and toasted
• Chopped fresh parsley
• 1-2 small golden roasted parsnips

 

The real trick with this soup is the roasting of the parsnips. You can bung them in the oven and let them do their thing while you’re catching up with some reading.

Pre-heat your oven to 180°C with your baking tray loaded with a generous glug or two of rapeseed oil, then peel and parboil the parsnips. Toss the parsnips in the hot oil and roast for 25 minutes or so.

While they’re cooking, chop and fry the onion in a Le Creuset style deep pan with a little oil until they’re soft and mellow. When the parsnips are done, remove from the oven and snip into the pot with a pair of scissors (keep one or two smaller parsnips and leave to one side for the garnish). Pour over the water, stir in the mustards, a handful of parsley and season generously with salt and black pepper. Put the lid on and let it simmer for a further thirty minutes.

When the soup’s done its thing, take a hand blender and blitz the whole thing into a thick, creamy soup. For the topping, chop and toast the hazelnuts in a dry frying pan. Keep an eye on them as they cook very quickly and burned hazelnuts aren’t nice! Sprinkle a little fresh, chopped parsley, the hazelnuts and the whole roasted parsnips you kept from earlier.

Serve with rye bread or sourdough and a nice beer, I used a great Pale Ale from the Norwegian brewers Nøgne Ø.

Enjoy!

Food: Butternut squash and thyme frikadeller

Here’s a quick recipe to make when you’re stumped to rustle up something. It’s great for entertaining and a Vegan twist on a Danish classic!

You will need:

• Half a roasted butternut squash, de-skinned
• 1 onion, chopped finely
• 1 tsp garlic paste/1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 20g rye bread crumbs
• 1 tin of butter beans, drained
• 1tbsp dried parsley
• 1tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• Pinch of salt
• Generous amount of cracked, black pepper

To make start by quartering and deseeding the butternut squash then place in a deep baking tray. Drizzle with vegetable oil, sprinkle with salt and cover with foil and bake in the oven at 180° for around forty minutes. You can roast the squash in the bottom of the oven when you’re cooking other things – basically, roasted squash is a really versatile ingredient, especially in Autumn and Winter, so bung one when it’s convenient.

Check when they’re done by poking with a fork – they should be really soft. Take them out and allow them to cool (so they’re okay to handle) and save half the squash for a future recipe (soup is good). When they’re cool, scoop out the flesh of the other half and add to a mixing bowl.

Soften the chopped onion in a little oil and add to the mix. Combine the rest of the ingredients and mash with a masher until the beans are broken up and not too big. You can freeze whatever mix you don’t use or otherwise allow to rest in the fridge for a day or two. Form the mix into round, meatball sized balls and shallow fry in a little vegan butter until browned on all sides.

Serve with some boiled potatoes and a simple cucumber salad/pickle;

• Half a cucumber, sliced finely
• 4tbsp sugar
• 4tbsp white wine vinegar
• some mustard seeds; some black peppercorns
• dill, chopped finely
• a few bay leaves and a splash of water.

Make sure the cucumber is covered and leave to do its thing for at least an hour or two, longer if possible – it’ll keep in the fridge for AGES).

 

Velbekomme!

Food: Vegan Jagerschnitzel

Or the full title in German would be: Jagerschnitzel Veganisch (Blumenkohl schnitzel) mit champignons soße und pommes.

After my recent trip to Berlin with Uni, and the fact that Berlin is a vegan oasis- I’ve used this as inspiration make some some vegan schnitzel. This schnitzel uses cauliflower (or in German, Blumenkohl) in place of pork, which gives it some great bite.

 

To make, you’ll need:

• 1 or 2 heads of cauliflower, cut lengthways into 4 thick steaks
• 150g plain flour
• 150g breadcrumbs
• 200ml soya milk
• 1tsp salt
• 1tsp white pepper
• 1/2tsp mixed spice
• One bottle of vegetable oil

 

For the sauce:

• 75g small chestnut mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1/2 a large onion, chopped finely
• 100-200ml soya cream
• Handful fresh parsley, chopped
• 1tsp dried thyme
• 1tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1tbsp garlic oil

 

First start by cutting the heads of cauliflower into steaks. Small heads will only yield two decent sized steaks so I’d recommend getting two. The steaks should be at least 1 and 1/2 cm thick. Prepare your coating area by mixing the breadcrumbs in one tray and then the flour, salt, pepper and mixed spice in the other. Make sure you mix them through and evenly coat the bottom. Pour the milk into a wide bowl and dip the steaks, one at a time, into the milk then the flour mixture. Make sure you get into every nook and cranny – there’s a lot more fiddly surface area to cover on a cauliflower! When each steak is sufficiently covered in the flour mixture, leave on a rack for five minutes while you prepare the first part of the sauce.

Chop the onion and fry over a medium heat in the garlic oil. As they begin to brown add the mushrooms and fry until they begin to soften. Take them off the heat and return to the steaks.

Empty a third of bottle of vegetable oil into a pan wide enough to take the steaks – turn the heat to max and let it heat up while you prepare the next stage. Dip each steak in the milk for a second time and then in the breadcrumbs – remember to thoroughly cover each one, but don’t be tempted to double dip, therein chaos lies!

Test the heat of the oil with a small nugget of leftover cauliflower – when it’s bubbling like crazy and browns quickly, the oil is ready. Turn it down a shade and then lower the first steak into the oil – the browning should only take a minute or two so be ready to take it out. Have a cooling rack ready to take the steaks when they’re done – I used the one from the grill. I put kitchen roll underneath to take the excess oil (there’ll be a fair amount). Repeat the process for the other steaks then put the grill rack, steaks and all, onto a baking tray and bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 140 degrees celsius (fan).

While they’re baking fill your pan with the rest of the oil and return to max heat. When it’s ready deep fry your pommes until golden brown, let them shed their excess oil over kitchen roll then sprinkle liberally with salt  – I used Norður Salt.

Return your mushrooms and onions to the heat and add the soya cream and the mustard. Stir through until everything’s hot and combined. When then steaks are ready they should be golden brown. Poke the thickest part with a knife or skewer – if it goes through easily your steaks are done. Plate up and enjoy with stein of pilsner!

Food: Vegan Gravadlax

Inspired by the recipe for carrot lox on the food blog Olives for Dinner, I was inspired to make my own version, but more Scandi 😉

(ps: All of the Scandi ingredients can be bought from Tiger and IKEA)

To make, you’ll need:

• 3 carrots, peeled finely
• 1 tbs dijon mustard
• 1tbs dried dill
• 2 bay leaves
• 50ml Snaps/Akvavit
• 150ml water
• 1tbs green nori sprinkle
• 1tbs olive oil
• 3tbs salt
• 1tbs sugar
• 1tbs lingonberry syrup
• 2tbs lingonberry cider vinegar
• Pinch of black pepper

To make, simply peel the carrots as thin as possible and set aside. In a jar (I used a mason jar), add in the rest of the ingredients (minus the olive oil) and stir. Because of the mustard, the mixture will be cloudy- but don’t worry!

Place the carrot ‘salmon’ into the mixture and let it marinade for approximately 2o minutes. After this, spoon out the carrots, add the tablespoon of oil and place into a baking tray. Cover with foil and place into an oven heated to 140°C for 20 minutes. After this, leave to cool slightly and place back into the jar. Shake up the jar and leave (when cool) in the fridge to marinate for 1-2 days. Cooking the carrots softens the texture of them and allows the marinade to permeate. I will be using these for some plant based Scandinavian themed lunches in the future!

Enjoy x

Food: Today’s lunch

After working up a sweat on a walk in a nearby forest, this morning, myself and Tom were quite peckish. Being in the forest inspired me to make a Scandinavian lunch:

Egg & cucumber knäckebröd, drizzled with a mustard and dill dressing, lingonberry pickled onions and fresh dill sprigs. All served on my vintage Iittala Solaris plate by Tapio Wirkkala, just added to the Scandi-ness of it all 🙂

The cucumber was dressed in a mixture of sugar, white wine vinegar and akvavit, mmmm!

The dressing is lovely and silky, and really quick to make. It just needs:

• 1tbs of rapeseed oil
• 2 tsp of white wine vinegar
• 1 heaped teaspoon of Dijon mustard
• sprinkling of dried dill
• a couple of sprigs of fresh dill (chopped)
• some sugar,
• salt and pepper, to taste

just mix them together until it all emulsifies into a lovely sharp and punchy dressing.

The pickled onions, another easily made component, I made a couple of weeks ago, and it just gets better as many a pickle with time:

Simply cut up a red onion in half and separate into rings, then make a mixture of vinegar, sugar, water in a bowl Add in a couple of cloves, crushed cinnamon stick and a Star anise . I used a lovely lingonberry cider vinegar i found in IKEA, its so fruity!

We served it with a very appropriate Scandi-inspired cocktail made with:

• 1 shot vodka (I used Finlandia)
• 2 shots of Akvavit
• a splash of blueberry syrup, from IKEA,
• some lemon juice,
• a sprig of mint

Topped up with elderflower flavour sparkling water. This makes a fruity and refreshing tipple!