Hot goat cheese salad

When the eating becomes a major activity during christmas and you feel that you need a brake, make a salad! Always some cheese leftovers to find in this case, goat cheese. Salad is not as its best season but you can always find some "Mache" (see photo), prepare your toasts with the cheese, sprinkle some olive oil on top with herbs and pepper. Grill a couple of minutes in the oven. Make a good french dressing and its ready to eat! 

Merry x-mas and a very happy year 2011/2012 all! God jul, Joyeux noël ...

Buffet with mini cakes, salmon, herring and oysters is served! Main course white meat then cheese platter and x-mas cake with custard and of course champaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagne!

Boudin blanc avec une sauce chanterelle

For christmas I really enjoy white meat and seafood. A nice and tasty plate is the white sausage the "Boudin blanc" with a wild mushroom sauce. Take the skin of the sausage before fying it the pan with some butter. Fry the mushroms with some garlic and parsley, then prepare a nice sauce bechamel with cream, vegetable stock, a hint of white wine or some other alcohol and salt/pepper. Make it boil to thicken use maizena if needed. Could go well with some simple boiled potatoes. Bon appetit!

Mulled wine

Great hot drink at x-mas time, this is my version :
Two bottles of a full-bodied red wine such as
Corbières for example
One bottle of sweet muscat wine
Some brow sugar
Cinnamon sticks
One orange
Clove
Cardamom
Bay leaves
Some vodka
Garnish with raisins and whole peeled almonds
Smells wonderful goes vey well with gingercookies, homemade candies and fruits to be enjoyed among friends ...

Marzipan treats

Easiest thing in the world just marinate your marzipan with some alcohol such as calvados, cointreau or brandy then melt some good dark chocolate and dip it in. Let it dry for a moment and then eat!

Swedish ginger cookies

Lack of time and ingredients drove me to buy my dough this year, can be found at Ikea or at the local swedish church  (in France and anglo-saxon countries) anyhow, great fun with your little ones who can make different figures and animals and decorate them.

"Lussekatter" (Saffron Buns)

These cakes are served on Lucia day the 13 of December in Sweden.
Basically the same ingredients as when you bake the traditionel "kanelbullar" (cinnamon buns)

• ½ tsp. crushed saffron
•  180ml milk
• 50 grams of yeast dissolved in lukewarm milk
• 120g melted butter
• one egg, beaten to brush on top
• 180g of sugar
• one tsp. salt
• 850 gr flour
• Raisins to decorate

Start mixing some of the yeast with a part of the  lukewarm milk. In a big another big bowl stir the butter and sugar together. Then crush the saffron with a lump of sugar and blend into the dough. Add all the ingredients now, the rest of the yeast, milk, flour, salt. Leave it all for 40 minutes. Now bake the dough and let it rest for another 30 minutes. Brush with beaten egg and bake at 190-200°C for 10-15 minutes, enjoy!

Bagel sandwich witch chicken and mayo

One really good thing about going to the UK or the USA is the facility to find good bagels. In Paris I can find them in the jewish area, "le Marais". I truly adore them ever since I discovered them about thirty years ago. My husband has tried to make them several times, without any succes I'm afraid. The were hard as a rock and completely uneatable. They can be filled with anyting you want, today I had some chicken breast, mayo, salad/carrots and pickled cucumber. Garnish with red onions, finished. This wee' I had them fresh in the market in London with tuna, (salmon & cream cheese is another classic) so simple and so good! Coming back soon with X-mas recipes from back home, Sweden!!