Smorkaka: Danish Breakfast Pastries

December 2, 2011

Both Joshua and I trace our ancestry to Denmark (or at least the tiny Faroe Islands they rule), so Danish foods are fun part of the holidays for me.

These breakfast pastries are one of my family’s favorites, but with a little deviance from the original. Thanks to my mom’s tweaking, the rich and decadent pastries are transformed into rich-and-somewhat-more-healthy pastries, but still so yummy.

Smor means butter in Danish, as you might guess from the recipe.

Smorkaka: Danish Breakfast Pastries

Ingredients:

  • scant cup milk
  • 1 ½ T yeast
  • 1 ½ T sugar
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 egg
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • Approx. 3 ½ cups flour (I use 1 ½ wheat)
Fillings:
  • 1 cup pudding (use store bought or make your own.)
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • Raisins, optional
Frosting: 
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 T butter
  • a few drops of milk

Instructions:

Prepare pudding, and refrigerate.

Combine milk yeast and sugar. Let sponge five minutes. Add butter, eggs and salt. Add flour ’til it stops sticking. Let rise 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix together powdered sugar, butter and cinnamon.

Press 1/3 of dough into well greased 10×15 pan. Spread with thin layer of powdered sugar mix, then one cup pudding. Sprinkle with raisins (if desired.) Roll out rest of dough. Spread with powdered sugar mix. Cut into 18-24 pieces and place on the pudding. Rise 30 minutes.

Bake at 400 for about 15 minutes or until lightly golden.

Cool slightly and drizzle with frosting.

Healthy? maybe not. But you should have seen the original recipe!

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How to Make Nourishing Broth

November 29, 2011

Winter is right around the corner and it almost snowed here last night. Soup time is definitely here!

We’ve had colds and have been eating chicken soup like medicine. I even had it for breakfast. [I know, I'm weird! But it was really yummy. What do you think, does soup for breakfast work?]

Soups are a nourishing and frugal way to keep warm this winter. A good broth is the integral starting point.

Added bonus: Recent studies have shown that more and more children are lacking calcium (86% of teenage girls, according to the USDA!) A nourishing broth is an excellent way to get you and your family necessary calcium. The longer you cook soup bones in an acidic medium, the more calcium is drawn out.

How to make nourishing broth:

What you’ll need:

  • Soup bones (from high quality beef, chicken, lamb, etc) OR the leftover carcasse of a cooked chicken, turkey, etc.
  • Water, filtered
  • Vinegar
  • Salt, pepper and seasonings to taste
  • Chopped onions and celery, if desired
  • Fresh minced garlic, wait ’til nearly finished

Instructions:

Put the bones in a large stock pot or crockpot and cover with filtered water.

Add about 1 T vinegar for every 4 cups water. (The point is to make the water acidic to draw calcium from the bones. You don’t want it tasting like vinegar!)

Chop up onions and celery and add to the broth for flavor and added nutrition. Add salt, pepper and desired seasonings.

Bring to a boil them simmer over low heat for 12-24 hours. (Why so long? We want as much calcium as possible!)

Shortly before its finished, add minced fresh garlic.

Make immediately into soup or let it cool and store in the fridge for a few days or freeze to add to soups and gravies over the next months.

Tips and tricks:

If storing in glass jars, make sure to leave plenty of room for the broth to expand while it freezes

Want to removed excess fat? Refrigerate the broth. Once cooled, the fat rises to the top and you can easily remove it.

Why wait on the garlic? Garlic is full of anti-bacterial, anti-fungal goodness, but cooking it reduces its effect. Wait til the last minute for the best nutritional bang.

Articles and scientific studies, for nerds like me:

Growing calcium deficiency in children 
Study on how to increase calcium in soup broth

 Linked up at Works for Me Wednesdays and Frugal Fridays

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Panacakka: Scandinavian Crepes

November 26, 2011

The tiny Faroe Islands, nestled in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, hold many fond childhood memories for me. My siblings and I spent countless hours playing by the ocean in my grandparent’s backyard or climbing the mountains that stood right outside the front door. And we loved Omma’s breakfasts!

While serving these crepes to my children this morning, the true appeal of Scandinavian Crepes dawned on me. Their purpose is to hold as much cream, strawberries and powdered sugar as possible! What kid wouldn’t like that?

Although they are easy to make, crepes are somewhat time-consuming to fry. They are best for a weekend or holiday morning served with a glass of milk or cup of hot coffee.

Scandinavian Crepes, makes 12-16 crepes

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1 to 1½ cups milk, divided
3 T melted butter, slightly cooled
1 cup flour (I use half white and half fresh ground wheat)
dash salt
1 tsp cinnamon

Toppings:

Whipped cream
Strawberries (we use sliced fresh strawberries, strawberry sauce or strawberry jam)
Powdered sugar
Cinnamon or nutmeg, optional
Syrup, optional

Instructions:

Heat frying pan(s) over medium-high heat. (Use two pans to speed up the frying time.)

Beat the eggs. Add half a cup of milk and stir well. Add the melted butter, flour, salt and cinnamon. Stir well.

Add up to one more cup of milk. The batter should be thin, but not watery. I used a little less than 1 ½ cups total.

Pour about 2 T batter on heated pan and quickly swirl the batter to make a thin roundish crepe. Fry for 30-45 seconds ’til golden. Flip and fry for about 15 seconds.

Serve immediately and spread with cream and strawberries. Roll up and dust (or coat) with powdered sugar.

The crepes do not keep well, but you can refrigerate the batter for a few days. Just let it warm up to room temperature and stir well before frying.

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How to Turn Apple Pie Scraps Into Applesauce

November 17, 2011

Recently we bought a big box of apple seconds and (despite the munchkins eating apples at breakneck speed) had lots of apples to turn into apple pie filling.

As I peeled and cored the apples, the pile of scraps kept growing. Rather than tossing them in the trash, why not turn them into applesauce?

First, soak the apples in vinegar water or fruit cleaner and rinse well.


As you peel and core the apples, just dump the peels (and cores, if you want!) into a crock pot.

Maybe I’m not as good a peeler as you, but my apple peelings still had a decent bit of flesh on them (and this way I didn’t feel guilty about that fact!)

Cook the peels for a few hours, stirring occasionally. When the apple scraps are nice and soft, transfer to a strainer/colander.

Strain the sauce from the scraps and cool. Sprinkle with cinnamon (or make Eppli Cakka) and enjoy!

Do you use your apple peels? If so, what’s your favorite use? 

Linked up at Frugal Friday and Works for Me Wednesday 

 

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Why Cook Your Own Beans?

November 10, 2011

Besides the fact that they taste good, beans are promoted for two main reasons: cost and health.

Beans are one of the cheapest sources of protein. “Eat more beans” makes it onto many lists of money-saving tactics. If the point is to save, it makes sense to save as much as possible, right? Canned beans easily cost double the amount of dried.

There’s another reason I find more compelling: health. Beans are a wonderful source of protein and fiber and all that. But as we all know, beans can be difficult to digest.

They are difficult to digest because they contain a significant amount of phytic acid. Phytic acid is a good thing for the plant. It protects the kernel and prevents it from loosing nutrients like zinc, calcium and iron until planting time. However, our bodies need those nutrients, and in order to use them we have to break down the phytic acid.

Cooking breaks phytic acid down a little, but to get the most nutrition (and have it be as easy on the digestive tract as possible) you need to soak your beans.

photo by marina nisi

Save yourself some time and cook up a big pot and freeze in smaller amounts. We love homemade bean dip and chili and Mexican foods, so try to always have soaked, cooked beans in the freezer to pull out.

How to soak your beans:

What you’ll need:

  • A big pot
  • Water
  • Beans
  • Lemon juice or vinegar (one of many uses for vinegar!)
  • Time for them to soak
  1. The night before you need them, rinse your beans really well. Even “triple washed” beans occasionally have a clump of dirt.
  2. Add beans to pot or crock pot and cover with lots of water. Add a couple tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice.
  3. Let soak 12-24 hours.
  4. Drain, rinse and add more water.
  5. Bring to a boil and simmer until almost tender (anywhere from 1-8 hours, depending on the bean type and whether you’re using a crockpot)
  6. When nearly tender, add salt. (Why wait? Adding salt at the beginning makes the skins tough. Waiting ’til they’re completely cooked doesn’t let the flavor penetrate.) and finish cooking.

I usually use some for dinner and freeze the rest in glass jars or Tupperware. It doesn’t take much effort, but soaking and cooking beans saves time and adds nutrition (or at least makes what is already there more usable!)

Linked up at Frugal Friday

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Eppli Cakka: Healthy Dessert or Yummy Breakfast

July 1, 2010

Eppli Caka, or “Apple Cake”, was a traditional dessert growing up in the Faroe Islands. Still a favorite at my parent’s home, it is such a delicious healthy and simple dessert…. or breakfast!

Ingredients:

  • Applesauce (homemade is definitely tastiest!)
  • Granola (again, homemade wins!)
  • 1-2 apples, cored and diced (optional)
  • Whipped cream
  • Chocolate (optional)

Alternate layers of applesauce, granola and apples. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Serve immediately.

Family’s favorite granola recipe:

Combine:

4 1/2 cups oatmeal (I prefer old fashioned oats)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup coconut
1/8 cup ground flax seed

Melt over low heat, then add to dry ingredients:

2 T butter
2 T brown sugar
scant 1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
2 T water

Bake in a 9×13 pan at 275 for one hour, stirring often.

part of Tasty Tuesday and Tempt my Tummy Tuesday

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Stuffed Zucchini

June 21, 2010

Zucchini picked fresh from the garden then stuffed and baked makes one of our favorite simple summer dinners.

Ingredients: (serves 4)

2 large or 8 small zucchini or squash
2 large eggs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1+ cup homemade bread crumbs
1/4-1/2 pound sausage, fried and drained
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup mozzarella or Parmesan cheese

Boil the zucchini for 5-10 minutes or until almost tender. Remove from water and cool slightly.

Once cool enough to handle, gently cut off the top and with a spoon remove the insides, leaving just a small rim.

Blend or mash the pulp and add the eggs, cheese, bread crumbs, sausage and seasonings. If the mixture is soupy add up to half a cup more bread crumbs. Spoon into zucchini.

Place in a greased 9X13 pan and bake at 350 for 2o minutes or until tender. Top with cheese and bake five minutes more. Makes 4 servings. Enjoy!

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A Summer of Smoothies

June 12, 2010

It is hot outside (not that you didn’t know that) and ice cream sounds good pretty much all the time.

The waste line and pocket book protest.

A daily smoothie satisfies the desire for something cold and is a nourishing, delicious and inexpensive alternative.

Part of the beauty of smoothies is the fact that there are at least a million variations. Let creativity take full reign!

To ensure that they make a nourishing and sustaining snack, include an  item from each of the first four groups:

  • A protein base: milk or homemade yogurt are delicious
  • Healthy fat: cream or melted coconut oil, etc. (not only does it add richness, but quells the “I’m hungry” cries for more than ten minutes.)
  • Fruits: frozen bananas, strawberries, blueberries, etc.
  • Veggies: Smoothies are a great way to camouflage spinach, cucumber, cooked broccoli, other vegetables or even powdered vitamins!
  • Sweetener: Juice concentrate or honey
  • Flavoring: Vanilla, almond, lemon etc. Add a pinch of salt on really hot days to replace what is lost from sweating.
  • Ice: lots of it!

My favorite is a simple yogurt berry smoothie, but for a fun “guess the flavor” treat blend ice, fresh cucumbers, lemon/lime juice and sweetener. Not quite as nourishing, but so yummy! Few people guess that it is really a cucumber shake.

What do you add to your smoothie?

photo by Tanja Sund

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Hearty Baked Beans Recipe

June 1, 2010

I hope you have had a wonderful extended weekend! After a restful couple days at home, we spent Memorial Day at a barbecue with good friends.

No barbecue is complete without baked beans but they used to be the one item I’d skip. Then I tasted Joshua’s Grandma’s recipe. I could eat these for dinner by themselves!

Hearty Baked Beans

1/4 pound hamburger
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/4 pound bacon

1 can butter beans
1 can (2 cups) kidney beans
2 cans (4 cups) pork and beans/pinto beans

2 T barbecue sauce
2 T ketchup
1 T mustard
1/4 cup sugar or honey
1 1/2 T molasses
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt

(If you have time) Soak pinto and kidney beans in water and 2 T vinegar overnight to break down the phytic acid. In the morning, drain water and rinse. Fill with fresh water and cook, unsalted, until nearly tender. Add salt and finish cooking.

Brown hamburger and onions; drain fat. Brown bacon, drain fat (and save them for frying eggs!) and crumble.

Combine all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low for 3-4 hours or bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Makes 8-10 servings. Enjoy!

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Almond Crunch Cookies

May 29, 2010

Freshly baked cookies and a cup of hot (or iced) tea spell hospitality to me. Growing up on a small island in a little village where everyone knows everyone you just expect a friend to pop in for tea and a little chat as she walks home from work or heads to the grocery store.

If it weren’t for the walking part, I would have gained ten pounds last time I visited. The day I left I stopped in to say good-bye to friends and relatives and lost track of how many times I was offered tea and cookies. You just can’t leave without something to eat.

Living as most of us do in cities in fast paced America, “dropping in just to say hi” isn’t a daily occurrence. But that’s no reason to be unprepared when it does happen.

And freezing the cookie dough makes it so easy. Not all recipes work well frozen, but many do.

My mother-in-law introduced these to me a while back and they are my new absolute favorite…and freeze wonderfully.

Texas Almond Crunch Cookies

In large bowl combine:
1 c. sugar
1 c. powdered sugar
1 c. butter, softened
1 c. oil (1/2 olive; 1/2 canola)
Add and mix well:
2 eggs
1 tsp almond flavoring
Combine and gradually add to wet mixture:
3 cups white flour
1 1/2 cups wheat flour
3/4 tsp b. soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cream of tartar
Add and mix well:
2 cups coarsely chopped almonds

If necessary cover and refrigerate for an hour, then shape into balls and
roll in sugar. Criss cross tops with fork. Bake at 350 for 12-18 minutes or
until edges are slightly golden. Cool for a minute on pan before removing to
cooling rack.

Bake what you want for the moment and then roll the remaining dough in wax paper and stick it in the freezer.

When a friend stops by or your husband has had a long day and needs some cookies and coffee, just pull out the dough. Slice it up, roll it in the sugar and bake. Yum!

part of the Ultimate Recipe Swap over at Life as Mom

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