Tag Archives: Food Stylist

Janssons frestelse – Going Swedish!

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 I will never forget the “janssons” I had at my Swedish friends, I went back home obsessing about those layers of potatoes and onions.

Christy, our host, had always confessed that she and cooking go in different directions. Her love is for painting, but it turns out that she can manipulate food ingredients like she plays with colors. The fireplace, the mood and the table set, everything was so divine.

The mushrooms that she picked herself in the woods in Sweden were carried all the way from Stockholm to Beirut (to my tummy) to make her delicious mushroom soup recipe.

In general, I love any food that goes out of the oven, and that Janssons was a whole new experience. Three ingredients I never thought of combining together; POTATOES – ONIONS – ANCHOVIES.

Before trying that meal, if I heard the word ‘anchovies’ twice, I would pass out. Now I believe that if it’s from a good source and combined with the right ingredients, it adds a lot of flavoring and makes a beautiful dish.

If you are like Serge (my husband) and I, and you don’t like anchovies, you should try this dish and I’m sure it will change your whole perspective on sprats.

Thank you Christy!

 


Ingredients

  • 1.2 kg (2 lb) potatoes
  • 400 g (14 oz) onions
  • 1 small can of anchovies*
  • 3 cups heavy whipping cream
  • Salt – white pepper – black ground pepper
  • Breadcrumbs
  • Butter

*For more flavoring you can double the quantity of anchovies

Preparation

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into strips like match sticks. Thinner than you cut for French fries. Peel and cut the onions into thin slices, sautéing them gently in a little butter without browning.

2. Grease a ovenproof baking dish and cover the bottom with a layer of potatoes, then add half the onions and all the anchovies. Try grinding fresh black pepper between the layers and sprinkle on a little salt.

3. Another layer of potatoes, then the rest of the onions.

4. Finish with a layer of potatoes.

5. Flatten the surface. Pour the cream on until it is almost visible through the potatoes. Place a few pats of butter on top and sprinkle with some breadcrumbs.

Bake in the oven [250C/475F] for about an hour.

Apple Crumble

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One of the many things I love about Lebanon is that when you go and visit someone who has a house in the village with a garden, you always come back with a goody bag, and here I mean fresh fruits and vegetables “min el jnayneh” i.e from the garden.

My father in law, who by the way makes anything he puts his hands on turn green, is a fantastic gardener, and a very generous one as well. No one can visit him and leave empty-handed.

APPLES were my reward for taking the girls to play in his garden last Sunday (I’m a mom of 2 girls).

Granny smith, fuji apples, golden apples, and many more. But my favorites are the Gala apples, not only because of their fairy tale name but also because of their sweet taste.

Hands-on APPLE CRUMBLE

Ingredients

Crumble:

  • 3 cups flour
  • 2/3 cup brown Sugar
  • 2/3 cup white sugar
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 250 gms or and a half sticks unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup of oats

Filling:

  • 450g/ or 5 to 6 apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1cm/in piece
  • 50g/2oz unrefined brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp lemoncello
  • 1 tbsp of ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup of raisins (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

2. Grease a rectangular oven dish with a knob of butter

3. Place the apples inside the dish and sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon and lemoncello.

4. Make the crumb topping: In a bowl, combine together flour, sugars, salt and oat. Pour warm melted butter over mixture and rub with your fingers to make large clumps or crumbs.

5. Sprinkle the raisins over the apples then spoon the crumble mixture on top.

6. Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes until the crumble is browned and the fruit mixture soft.

7. Serve with vanilla ice cream