The Two Rrr's

Spicy Salsa with Bell Pepper

Yields 1 pint

1 bell pepper, roasted or grilled with skin removed, cleaned and finely chopped

1 small handful fresh basil, finely chopped

2 tomatoes, with seeds removed and chopped into small cubes

½ – 1 red chilie, finely chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons honey

salt

Mix all the chopped ingredients together. Leave at room temperature for 20 minutes. Add the honey, and salt to taste.

One way to prepare bell peppers is to place them, quartered, in an oiled pyrex dish, skin side up. Bake at 400 degrees until they begin to soften, then turn and bake until skin loosens. Transfer to a plate, cover with a plastic bag for 10 minutes, and then remove the skin.

Pizza Sauce with Pizzazz

Yield: enough for one large or several smaller

1 pound crushed tomatoes

1 onion, finely chopped

1 -2 garlic cloves, pressed

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 pinch white pepper

3 drops Tabasco

Photo by Mathias P.R. Reding on Pexels.com

Place all the ingredients in a small pot, and let simmer for a minimum of 10 minutes.

Use a mixer until smooth, or use as is!

You deserve a somewhat more elegant pizza sauce than the regular old one, right?

Laxceviche

6 portioner, eller 12 bufféportioner

300 g laxfilé

2 – 3 tomater

1 liten fänkål

1 salladslök

½ rödlök

1 grönt äpple

1 – 2 lime

3 dl tomatjuice

3 msk chilisås

3 tsk flytande honung

1½ tsk worcestershiresås

3 droppar tabasco

salt

vitpeppar

Skär laxen i små bitar. Skiva tomaterna tunt och dela på mitten. Finhacka fänkålen, salladslöken och rödlöken. Tärna äpplet.

Pressa limen, och finriv skalet.

Vispa ihop en sås av limejuice och -skal, tomatjuice, chilisås, honung, worcestershiresås och tabasco.

Vänd ner lax, tomater, fänkål, salladslök, rödlök och äpple i såsen. Låt stå i kylen i några timmar, eller över dagen. Eller natten.

Smaka av med salt och peppar.

Durian

När jag var i Singapore åt jag Durian-glass minst en gång i veckan. Den är baserad på en frukt med en doft som om någon släppt sig – ungefär som surströmming. Singapore Airlines har sedan länge förbjudit Durian i handbagaget. Färsk Durian finns inte att köpa i Sverige, så jag har inget recept på hur man gör glassen. Tur kanske någon tycker, men synd ändå, för glassen är väldigt god.

A Dundee Limerick

Photo by Luciann Photography on Pexels.com

There was an old man of Dundee

Who came home as drunk as could be.

He wound up the clock

With the end of his cock

And buggered his wife with the key.

Garlic Béa

Yields about 1 pint

Béa is what Swedes call Béarnaise sauce in everyday language – guess we’re too lazy to pronounce this multi-syllable word!

2 cups mayonnaise

4 tablespoons fresh tarragon, finely chopped

2 – 3 garlic cloves, pressed or finely chopped

2 teaspoons white vinegar

2 teaspoons honey

Salt

White pepper

Mix the first five ingredients well and add salt and pepper to taste.

Warm Pumpkin Salad with Feta Cheese

Serves 6

Photo by Polina Tankilevitch on Pexels.com

1 butternut squash, or sweet potatoes, at least 3 pounds, peeled and cut into small pieces

1 tablespoon EVOO

½ teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons honey

4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Salt

White pepper

1 bunch fresh basil

In a bowl, combine the pumpkin with the oil and the cinnamon. Coat an oven pan with butter or oil. Spread out the pumpkin and roast in 425 degrees for 18 – 20 minutes.

Mix the pumpkin with the feta cheese and the honey. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with the basil.

This is sooo tasty and easily replaces rice or potatoes as part of the meal. And it’s more colorful!

Instead of coating the baking pan with oil, or covering with a parchment paper, I use a silicone cover, which is good for 200 uses and is easy to wash; goes in the dishwasher, too.

Warm Red Cabbage Salad

Serves 6

1 pound red cabbage, shredded

1 tablespoon mild flavor oil

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

10 dried apricots, chopped

½ – ¾ cup nuts (like hazel, pistachio, cashew nuts or sunflower seeds), roasted

Salt

White pepper

Fry the cabbage in the oil along with the honey, vinegar and the spices. Mix in the apricots and nuts. Salt and pepper to taste.

This is my favorite whenever a warm salad is needed! A tad sweet, a tad acidulous, soft and crunchy & just right! Goes splendidly with Swedish meatballs, ham, falafel, or lamb.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes ½ x ½ inch

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons EVOO

2½ teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon dried coriander

1 teaspoon paprika powder

1 teaspoon salt

Photo by Anastasia Belousova on Pexels.com

In a medium bowl toss the potato cubes with the honey, oil, spices, and salt until they are well covered with the dressing.

Spread on a baking pan covered with a baking sheet (I use one made of silicone that can be reused 200 times).

Roast in 400 degrees for 10 – 15 minutes.

**These are not potatoes, but they’re very sweet!**

This can be used instead of rice, as topping on bruschetta or pizza, or mashed with a cream cheese and eaten as dip.