recipes

Cheese Dip or Sauce

ingredients

• 20 g of butter
• 5 g of flour
• 1/4 tsp of table salt
• 1/4 tsp of chili powder
• 10 g of granulated sugar
• 1 dl of milk
• 70 g of american cheese

method

1. melt the butter in a pan
2. mix in the flour, salt, chili powder, and sugar.
3. when this stops sizzling, add 1 dl of milk.
4. simmer until thickened.
5. add american cheese.
6. serve hot as a dip or a sauce.

Chinese chicken stew (中式炖鸡) - 3-4 servings

ingredients

The body of the stew

• ~600 g / 20 oz of fresh or thawed chicken (any cut)
• 2 small or 1 large red onion
• 300 g / 10 oz / ~4 potatoes
• 400 g / 14 oz of carrots

Broth

• 0.5 tsp of salt
• 2 tbsp of light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp of oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp of premium dark soy sauce

Cornstarch slurry

• 2 tsp of corn starch or potato starch
• 3 tsp of water

Finishing touches

• 1 tbsp sesame oil

method

1. Peel the carrots and the potatoes.
2. Cut the potatoes into chunks, about 1 inch thick. Submerge them in water to keep them from browning while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
3. Cut the carrots into chunks, about ½ inch thick.
4. Peel the onion(s) and cut it/them into quarters if they’re small or eighths if they’re large.
5. Pat the chicken dry.
6. Place a dutch oven or other large pot on the stove and heat it on medium-high until water splashed onto the bottom evaporates within five seconds.
7. Add 1 tbsp of cooking fat, such as canola oil.
8. Add the chicken in a single layer. Sear them until deep golden to brown, then flip them and repeat. If the pot is too small to fit all of your chicken, cook one layer at a time until all of the chicken is done.
9. When all of the chicken is seared, lower the temperature to medium and , if the chicken didn’t fit all at once, pack it all into the bottom of the pan, as tightly as possible.
10. Add the light soy sauce, the dark soy sauce, the oyster sauce, and the salt.
11. Fill the pot with water until it just covers the chicken.
12. Add the onion(s), potatoes, and the carrots. Place the lid on the pot.
13. Let the stew come to a boil, then lower it to low.
14. Let it simmer for 30 minutes.
15. Taste the broth. Add more salt if needed.
16. Mix the cornstarch with the water to make the cornstarch slurry.
17. Pour the cornstarch slurry into the stew in a thin stream, across the entire surface so it doesn’t all enter in the same spot.
18. Wiggle the ingredients to stir the slurry through the stew without disturbing them too much.
19. Raise the stove to medium-high and reduce the stew until it almost passes the spoon test.
20. Add the sesame oil and wiggle it into the stew.
21. Serve!

Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20231207225340/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liUdeZqAV30&si=DpXiA2ccigP4KT9M

notes

four hours in my slow cooker on high

Daddy Lau's Clams with Black Bean Sauce

ingredients

main ingredients

• 907 g clams or cockles (~half if using de-shelled)
• 7 g ginger
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 whole chili pepper (or 1 tsp chili flakes)
• 3 stalks green onion
• 3 layers red onion
• 30 g red bell pepper
• 2 tbsp cooking oil (for frying)
• 1 tsp cooking oil (for finishing)

sauce

• 2 tsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 4 tbsp water
• 1 1/4 ml white pepper

• 1 tsp sugar

  seasoning

• 20 ml fermented black bean sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil

slurry

• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 3 tbsp water

method

1. if using whole, raw clams, place the clams into a bowl of cold water. let them soak while you prepare the other ingredients.
2. smash, peel, and mince the garlic. mince the ginger. finely chop the chili pepper, removing the stem and core; the white parts of the green onions; the red onion; and the red bell pepper.
3. mix light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, water, white pepper, and sugar in a bowl. in a separate bowl, mix cornstarch and water.
4. skip this step too if you're using pre-cooked clams. drain the clams. boil as much water as possible in a wok. when boiling, add the clams. cook until they open, circa 4 minutes. turn the heat off. remove the clams. if any are closed, pry them open with a small knife. if they smell normal, keep them. if they smell bad, toss them out. drain the water. give the wok a quick clean.
5. heat the wok on high heat. add the cooking oil. add ginger, garlic, green onion whites, and chili pepper. lower the heat to medium and cook for 15-20 seconds. the the heat to low and add the black bean sauce. stir. add the onion and bell peppers and cook for 30-35 peppers.
6. turn the heat to medium-high. add the clams and stir fry everything for 25-30 seconds. add the sauce. turn the heat to the highest setting and stir for 50 seconds. mix the cornstarch slurry and add a little at a time until you're happy with the consistency, about half. turn off the heat and drizzle in the sesame oil and topping cooking oil. stir and serve.

source

https://www.madewithlau.com/recipes/clams-with-black-bean-sauce

Inga-Britt's Tomato Soup - 4 Servings

Ingredients

• 500 g / 17.64 oz of tomato puree
• 2 1/2 dl / 1/2 cup of half and half
• 4 dl / 1 3/4 cup of water
• 2 cubes of chicken stock (note: many american brands are less dense. swedish cubes advertise 1 cube per 1/2 liter of stock, us that as a reference)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 tsp of dried basil OR 1 dl of fresh basil
• 1/2 ml of cayenne pepper (or to taste)
• 260 g / 9.2 oz of penne pasta

method

1. chop the garlic finely.
2. add the garlic and just enough oil to cook it to a pot.
3. fry on medium until lightly golden.
4. pull the pot off of the heat, add the cayenne pepper, and stir until aromatic.
5. add the tomato puree, the half and half, and the water. place the pot back on the stove.
6. bring to a boil.
7. add the chicken stock and the basil and stir until the cubes are dissolved.

8. a. if you want a thick soup, add the penne to the soup. it will need to boil for about 1 1/2 times as long as the packaging claims. serve!
   b. if you want a thin soup, continue with the rest of the recipe.

9. bring a pot of about 1 liter / 4 cups of water to a boil.
10. add 2 1/2 tsp of salt and the penne to the water.
11. stir, cover with a lid, and let it sit for as long as the packaging instructs.
12. drain the penne and add it to the pot of soup. serve!

notes

this recipe was invented by my maternal grandmother's sister once when she needed something to quickly feed sudden visitors. it's simple, but so, so good. it's the perfect recipe for beginners and pros alike, and is always a hit.

Kycklinggryta med apelsin (Creamy chicken stew with orange) 4 servings

Ingredients

• 360 g rice
• 640 g (ca 2-3) chicken breasts
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp flour
• 75-125 ml orange juice (to taste)
• 2.5 dl half-and-half
• 1 chicken stock cube
• salt (to taste)
• white pepper (to taste)

method

1. boil the rice however you prefer.
2. cut the chicken into bite sized pieces.
3. finely dice the yellow onion.
4. heat a pan, one which will fit the whole dish, with 2 tsp of oil until the oil is shimmering.
5. add the chicken and fry it until browned.
6. remove the chicken, put it in a bowl you'll eat out of later.
7. add 1 tsp of oil and the onion to the pan and fry until the onion is lightly browned.
8. Lower the heat to medium-low, add the chicken back in as well as the flour.
9. Keep stirring until the flour is very lightly brown.
10. Add the orange juice, the half-and-half, and the chicken stock cube.
11. Once this boils, let it boil for five minutes.
12. Taste for seasoning; salt and white pepper.
13. Serve with rice.

notes

a theoretical recreation of a dish my paternal grandmother would cook when i was a child. i haven't had time to check it for accuracy yet but... if you try it, let me know how it tastes!

Rydbergs King Räksallad Copycat Recipe (Shrimp Salad for Tunnbrödsrulle)

ingredients

mayonnaise (275 g)

• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp 6 % vinegar
• 1/2 tsp mustard powder
• 3 g salt
• 1 cup / 218 g vegetable oil

shrimp salad

• 275 g mayonnaise
• 110 g cooked shrimp
• 10 g beetroot
• 10 g tomato paste
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp lemon juice

method

mayonnaise

1. crack the eggs into a jar with a mouth large enough to fit your immersion blender. add the vinegar, mustard powder, and salt.
2. blend the ingredients.
3. pour the oil on top of the other ingredients, while blending if you want to be safe, or blend after if you're feeling brave. the density separation should make it fine.
4. once all of the oil is incorporated, done!

shrimp salad

1. if you're using raw beetroot, boil it first and let it cool.
2. finely chop the beetroot and the shrimp.
3. stir all of the ingredients together.
4. done! serve wrapped in a swedish flatbread with mashed potatoes, 2 hot dogs, ketchup, mustard, and lettuce for a classic swedish fast food.

notes

i developed this copycat recipe after my american girlfriend, taylor, went back home to america and missed the tunnbrödsrulle from sibylla too much. i looked across the internet and was very surprised not to find a copycat recipe of this extremely popular condiment. the hard part of developing this recipe was a lack of access to the real deal. it's sold wholesale in quantities of 2.5 kg. so i was going off of the commercial version as a base, adjusting until it tasted right to me. this may be less potent than the original, which makes sense because they use "shrimp extract" as a flavour enhancer. the shrimp being finely chopped in this version should hopefully make up some of the difference.
on that topic, there is less beetroot in mine, by my guesstimation, but there is the right amount of flavour in my opinion. this is probably also because i chop it more fine than the original.
as for the colour, it is deeper than the original. they use white beets for flavour and texture and add beetroot juice for colour. my colour comes directly from beetroot and tomato paste so it's more intense.
if you look at the ingredients for the original, there are several missing in my copycat recipe. it's possible that i may be able to extrapolate what they are and in what proportions if i had access to the original but i don't, and this tastes good to me.
finally, if you have suggestions on making this recipe more accurate, please let me know! i'd love some feedback.

Stufvade makaroner (Macaroni & Cheese)

Ingredients

• 250 g macaroni
• 100 g butter
• 1 heaped tbsp flour
• 1/3 l beef stock
• 100 g shredded cheese
• white pepper
• salt
• cayenne pepper
• mustard

method

1. bring water to a boil in a large pot.
2. per liter of water, add 2 1/2 tsp of salt.
3. add the macaroni and boil until it is just done to your liking. rinse it in cold water to remove excess starch and stop the cooking process. leave to drain.
4. meanwhile, melt the butter in another pan.
5. whisk in the flour.
6. once this stops sizzling, add beef stock, little by little, whisking smooth in-between.
7. once this reaches a boil, cut the heat to very low and add white pepper, salt, cayenne pepper, and mustard to taste, as well as the shredded cheese.
8. once this is smooth, heat the macaroni in the sauce.
9. serve! i like it with meatballs.

notes

this recipe originates from a cookbook i own, Kokboken Kronan by Greta Sturk. it was released in 1914, making this recipe 110 years old at the time of writing. i'm including the original text here, for preservation and entertainment:

147. STUFVADE MAKARONER.

Till 1/4 kg. sönderbrutna och kokta makaroner beredes en hvit sås af 1 hg. smör, 1 rågad matsked mjöl och ungefär 1/3 liter buljong. När såsen har kokat upp, tillsättes stött hvitpeppar, salt, cayennepeppar, utrörd senap samt 1 hg. rifven ost, och får detta ett uppkok. Sist värmes makaronen däri. Serveras till kötträtter.

swedish meatballs (4 servings)

ingredients

meatballs

• 1/2 dl breadcrumbs
• 1 dl milk
• 1/2-1 tsp salt
• 1 ml black pepper
• 1 egg
• 400 g ground pork and beef
• 1 tbsp grated yellow onion

sauce

• 2 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 5 dl beef stock
• 2 tbsp heavy cream
• 2 tsp tomato paste
• salt
• pepper
• dark soy sauce

method

1. mix the breadcrumbs and milk.
2. mix in salt and pepper. let the mixture rest for 10 minutes.
3. grate the onion.
4. work in the eggs, the onion, and the ground meat until the dough is smooth but not so long it becomes stringy.
5. roll the dough into balls of desired size (traditionally, around 4/5 of an inch).
6. fry the meatballs in butter until well browned. set the meatballs aside.
7. brown the butter in the frying pan.
8. add the flower and stir while letting lightly brown.
9. remove the pan from the heat.
10. pour in a little bit of the stock and stir until the sauce is smooth.
11. put the pan back on the heat.
12. add the rest of the stock.
13. boil for for 3-5 minutes while stirring.
14. round out the flavour with heavy cream.
15. add the tomato paste.
16. if the sauce is too pale, add dark soy sauce.
17. salt and pepper to taste.
18. add the meatballs back into the pan and warm them in the sauce.
19. serve with mashed or boiled potatoes, lingonberries in some form (or cranberries as descrbied in my cabbage pudding recipe), and sliced pickles.

Swedish Pea Soup and Swedish Pancakes

Ingredients

PEA SOUP

• 4 dl / 14 fl oz / 385 g of yellow peas OR substitute split peas.
• 1/2 l / 2 cups of water
• 1 dl / 1/3 cup / 60 g of minced yellow onion
• 5 dl / 2 cups of vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp of minced ginger
• 2 pinches of thyme
• 1 tsp of marjoram
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Sweet mustard

PANCAKES

• 1 egg
• 2 dl of all-purpose flour
• 4 dl of milk
• 1/4 tsp of salt

method

PEA SOUP

1. Rinse the peas.
2. Soak the peas for 12 hours OR bring 1.5 l / 6 cups of water to a boil. Pour over the peas and add 1 1/2 tsp of baking soda and soak for 1 hour off the heat.
3. Strain the peas.
4. Add the water and the vegetable stock to the peas.
5. Bring to a boil, removing scum as it appears. Add the onions and ginger.
6. Boil until the peas are completely soft and stirring roughly completely breaks them down. This should take at least an hour if using whole peas. Using the high setting on my slow cooker it takes about four hours. Experiment with split peas to find the right time.
7. Add the thyme, marjoram, and salt and pepper to taste.
8. Serve topped with sweet mustard!

PANCAKES

1. Add the egg, flour, milk, and salt to a mixing bowl.
2. Whisk together until mostly lump free.
3. Let the batter rest on the counter for an hour or in the fridge for longer.
4. Heat up a shallow, flat frying pan. You want it hot enough that butter melts quickly.
5. Add a good dollop of butter to the pan followed by enough batter that when you swirl it around the pan, it thinly coats the whole pan.
6. Fry on one side until the edges start browning. Flip using a spatula.
7. Remove the pancake once the high spots on the bottom are well browned.
8. Once all of the batter has been fried, server with a sweet jam, syrup, or other sweet topping. Strawberry jam and whipped cream are traditional.

notes

this is a classic swedish food, traditionally served on thursdays. it was originally part of the military's food rotation and eventually spread to the rest of the population. this meal is also common in finland, where the pancakes are called lettu.
if you want to make less than 4 servings of pancakes, halve the recipe. you can still use one egg while just halving the milk and the flour.