Gnocchi with meat sauce

 

During this cold Spring it is good to serve a hot oven dish, so when I found this recipe on gnocchi in the weekly magazine Søndag (issue 12/2021), I decided to make and serve it for my mother on our weekly Sunday dinner.

The only changes, which I have made, was to reduce the amount of chili from 1½ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon, as my mother does not like to spicy food. The other change was to increase the amount of tomato concentrate from 2 teaspoons to the entire size of the small tin of 70 g.

Gnocchi with meat sauce: - 4 servings

• 300 g gnocchi
• 1 fresh mozzarella cheese - medium chopped
• 1 onion - medium chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic - finely choppped
• olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried chilii
• 250 g minced beef
• 70 g tomato concentrated
• 400 g tomato passata
• 1 dl water
• salt & pepper for seasoning
• fresh basil for topping

1. Heat up the oven to 200'C.
2. Fry the chopped onion & garlic in hot olive oil for a few minutes.
3. Add in the dried herbs, let the herbs fry for 1 minutes.
4. Add in the minced and fry it until it have changed colour.
5. Add in the tomato concentrate, tomato passata, water, salt & pepper.
6. Warm the sauce up.
7. Add the gnocchi into a baking tray, fill the meat sauce on top, and mix it well together.
8. Add the chopped fresh mozzarella on top.
9. Bake the dish at 200'C for 25 minutes.
10. Serve the dish hot together with fresh basil leaves.

Irma knit top - getting started on my first Summer knitting projects

 

As my first Summer knitting project, I have decided to knit this Irma top from Önling. As yarn I will use Önling no 14 garn, which is made from 78% cotton and 22% linen.

It will be something of a change knitting with cotton & linen yarn instead of the wool, which I have used a lot for my recent knitting projects. This cotton & linen yarn feels much hard for the fingers compared to wool.

I brought this yarn as part of a knitting box from Önling last Summer. Last Summer I started late June/beginning of July to knit some Summer projects, so my first Summer tops was first finished mid August. Therefore it has been important for me to start my Summer knitting sooner this year.

So Faded - ready for Spring time

I have finished my version of So faded by Andrea Mowry. I have knitted it in five different colours ranging from dark green, over light green, white version, lighter blue ending up with dark blue. 

To have a sweater fitting into Spring and Autumn, I have decided to knit my version with arms in half size. 

I have spend 845 DKK on the yarn for this sweater and 45 DKK to buy the sweater recipe. AA I have finished this sweater I have been able to place a cross on my Make Nine 2021 knitting project, and at the same time I am able to start on my various Summer knitting projects.

Hveder 2021

 

Today Thursday evening is this the evening before Store Bededag (Great Payer Day) (a Danish religious holiday celebrated on the 4th Friday after Easter). And it is the peak evening for enjoying roasted "hveder" - wheat buns with cardamon.

This year I have baked these "hveder" (wheat buns) using this recipe on hveder - wheat buns with cardamom as starting point with addition of freshly grounded cardamom. The second raising phase have also been modified. This year I have added in some more cardamom to have a more rich taste.

"Hveder" (wheat buns) with cardamon: - 16-20 buns

• 650 g wheat flour
• 50 g sugar
• 120 g butter
• 25 g fresh yeast
• 1 egg
• 8 g salt
• 250 g full-fat milk
• 2 teaspoons cardamom 
• 1 egg - optional for glazing of the bun surface

1. Weigh all the ingredients directly into the mixing bowl of the stand alone mixer. Keep salt & sugar away from the yeast.
2. Place the bowl on the stand-alone mixer.
3. Start knead the dough at speed 1 for 8 minutes.
4. Afterwards increase the speed to 4, knead for 2 minutes. Check the consistency of the dough. If it is not OK, when knead it at speed 4 for another 2 minutes. Again check the consistency. If needed, knead again for 1 minute and when check consistency of the dough.
5. Cover the dough in the mixing bowl with a damp tea towel.
6. Let the entire dough raise for approx 30-40 minutes under a damp cloth.
7. When you evaluate, that the dough has raise enough, divide the dough into smaller pieces with a weight of 80 g each.
8. Shape the dough pieces into bun shapes. Place the bun pieces relative close in pans covered with baking parchment. 
9. Place the pans with bun dough in the oven (fan oven at 35-40'C). 
10. Let the bun raise for second time for approx. 40 minutes inside the oven.
11. Heat up the fan oven to 180'C.
12. Bake the bun at 180'C for 20-25 minutes.
13. Serve the buns warm with butter. Or slice them into 2 and roast the buns in the fan oven at 200C until light brown in the colour.

Recipe suggestion for "Hveder" for Store Bededag

 

This evening is the evening before Store Bededag (Great Payer Day) (a Danish religious holiday celebrated on the 4th Friday after Easter). And it is the peak evening for enjoying roasted "hveder" - wheat buns with cardamom.

Having discovered the great taste of home-made "hveder", where is no turning back for commercial baked "hveder". The combination of freshly grounded cardamon covering your kitchen in wonderful flavour and eating freshly baked/roasted buns is a combination made in heaven !!!

As inspiration for you I hereby share a selection of the various "hveder", which I have been baking over the years. And tomorrow I will share the recipe of the hveder 2021, which I will be baking this year.

Happy baking

Hveder 2020

Hveder a la Søndag



hveder -wheat buns with cardamon

Hveder a la Isabellas

Hveder af purpur hvede og surdej

Hveder med inspiration from "Maden imit liv"

Hveder med marcipan

Klassike hveder

Sparkling Rose Port

 

Let's celebrate, that the week-end is here with a large glass of sparkling rose port with inspiration from Storgaard delikatesser.

Another suggestion for a drink with port wine, you could also look at this white port tonic.

Sparkling Rose Port: - 1 drink

• 6-9 cl rose port wine
• sparkling wine - dry or semi sweet
• ice cubes
• 1-2 slices of orange

1. Fill ice cubes into a large gin glass/bowl.
2. Add in 1-2 slices of orange
3. Pour in the rose port
4. Fill up with sparkling wine
5. Cheer :-)

Easter decoration 2021

 

It is a Danish tradition to decorate your home with various lambs, eggs, chickens in the time up to Easter. It is also a Danish to tradition to bring tree branches to the living room, which when is decorate with various eggs decoration.

I have also started to hang up various Easter decorations with tape in my windows as a way to use all my mine Easter decorations. This year I had to hang up the Easter egg a high up as possible, as my little garden tiger Felix likes to punch to things, which are within reach :-)

Also this year I have been buying some new Easter decoration, this year in form of 3 small decoration lambs.

I have received as gift as well brought myself this selection of both eatable & body shampoo & lotions Easter eggs

It is not typical Danish to decorate your outdoor surroundings with colourfull eggs. This is much more tradition in Germany. However, I really like these outdoor decorations with eggs, so I have been doing this for the last 7 years.