Sunday Brunch with the girls

Sooooo much food to be enjoyed at Casa Tara ^_^

Ham n' egg cups, apple cinnamon muffins, raspberry muffins, pumpkin muffins, broccoli potato quiche, Danish 'futsko', homemade bagels + bread rolls and more*!!

I brought some leftovers back for Mr Nik which earnt me some bonus brownie points ;P

Delicious bliss.

*My trusty knækbrød recipe failed me this time (maybe cos I deviated from it somewhat) but it was the ugly cousin in the beautiful family today. I should have just kept it at home...

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Danish brunch

Typical Danish Brunch. Yum! ^_^

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Dinner with the handball stars...

I've been away for the past few days on a teamsport photoshoot and missing Mr Nik + his delicious cheesecakes... :(

But I've been making sure that I get the most out of my time here in Copenhagen - grabbing time in the evening to see my beloved girls, Anja and Inês - and today, eating sushi at cph's best sushi place with handball star Oliver Roggisch and his friend and fellow player Thomas Bruun. What a lovely day photoshooting lovely people ^_^ 'could think of worse jobs...


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Sticks 'n Sushi, Istedgade, Copenhagen

English Breakfast Crêpes

[Before folding the crêpe] this is what's inside.

Since Nik cooks most days, I've decided to make it a regular thing to treat the fella to a special breakfast every Sunday :) It's also an opportunity for me to experiment and play with different recipes.

This was inspired by a 'Crêpe Challenge' evening with the girls one night :)

Ingredients: [serves 2 - with room for extras]
- half cup of flour
- 3 large eggs
- half cup of milk [or until the consistency is runny-ish, like double cream]
- pinch of seasoning
- bacon [I've used pancetta here]
[- proper English sausages fried and sliced would be great in this, but sadly, it's impossible to get hold of it here in Vejle]


Making the Crêpes:
- whisk flour, 1 egg, milk together until smooth. Season a little.
- heat a little butter on pan and ladle in some pancake batter. Roll the batter around on pan until surface is covered. Cook on medium heat for about 40 secs [or until sufficiently cooked] on each side and place on plate.
- fry the eggs [I prefer mine with the yolk poked] and place bacon in the grill.
- once cooked, place in crêpe and fold.

Værsgo!

Coconut Panna Cotta

 

Coconut Panna Cotta with Hershey's chocolate sauce

So this is my oriental twist on the panna cotta recipe we learnt at the cooking school in Tuscany. If you like chinese coconut pudding at dimsum restaurants, this actually comes pretty close. And it's SO easy.

Ingredients: [serves 8 ramekins]

- 2 tins of coconut milk [400ml each]

- 80g of sugar [to taste]

- 5 sheets of gelatin [8.5g]

1. Heat coconut milk slowly in saucepan. Add sugar to taste and stir.

2. Place gelatin sheets in bowl of cold water to soak until rubbery [about 3mins].

3. Once coconut milk is sufficiently heated through to a light simmer [but not boil], take it off the stove. 

4. Squeeze out water from the gelatin sheets and stir into the milk. The gelatin should dissolve instantly.

5. Pour the coconut mixture into ramekins and place on the side to cool. 

6. Once cooled, place into fridge to set.

Serve with chocolate sauce, or balsamic glaze or chopped mangoes.

Pumpkin Gnocchi with Sage & Butter sauce

I tried this recipe out with a couple of girlfriends the other week - it was SO good, I just HAD to make it again for Mr Nik. And maaaan, it was still good the second time round - it's now my favouritest gnocchi recipe in the world.

Serve this with a chilled glass of rosé, followed by a coconut panna cotta for dessert [recipe in the next post].

Ingredients:
- 1x hokkaido pumpkin [aka Red Kuri Squash - they look like a giant orange onion]
- pinch of sea salt

- 1 large eggyolk
- 100g flour, extra for dusting the board
- freshly ground nutmeg
- 50-75 g butter
- 15-20 mid-sized sage leaves
- freshly ground black pepper
- grated parmesan
- pancetta [Everything tastes better with pancetta!! But here, the saltiness complements the sweetness of the gnocchi perfectly.]
[- optional: roasted and coarsely chopped pumpkin seeds]

Making the dough:
1. Hollow and cut pumpkin into finger-thick slices. Sprinkle some sea salt and place on baking sheet and roast until soft.
2. Once ready, cut away tough skin and blend until puréed. Season to taste. Add some freshly grounded nutmeg.

3. Add egg yolk and flour, blending quickly with a fork or wooden spoon. [The dough should be a little sticky - don't be tempted to add more flour - that'll just made the gnocchi heavy. You'll want this light and fluffy.]

Forming the gnocchi:
Generously flour a wooden surface as well as hands. Take a large tablespoon of dough in floured hands and carefully form this lump of dough into a finger-thick sausage. Cut into pillows using a knife and place the gnocchi on a place dusted with flour.

In the meantime, place some pancetta [on a baking sheet] in the oven and let it cook until crispy.

Once ready, just bring a large pot of water to the boil - reduce heat when lightly bubbling, add a generous pinch of salt and place gnocchi in with a quick stir to stop it sticking to the pot. Since they're freshly made, they'll only take 5mins [max] but you'll know they're ready when they float to the top.

Making the sauce:
1. Wash and pat the sage leaves dry. Stack and cut them into thin shreds [or chiffonades - but that just sounds so poncy] .
2. Melt the butter slowly on pan [low-medium heat!! trust me, I burnt the butter at my first attempt].
3. Add the sage and sauté until crisp.

Grate some parmesan after spooning over the butter sage sauce.

4. Spoon over the cooked and drained gnocchi.

Place the crispy pancetta on top - et voilá!! ^_^

Blogging from my iPhone?

I've gone all app-crazy! Just downloaded this in the hope that I'll get better at keeping this blog more 'alive'.

Let's see if this works...

In the meantime, enjoy this (nearly) heartshaped kiwi heart I found at work the other day.





I <3 kiwis!

Location:Orla Lehmannsgade,Vejle,Denmark

Birthday treats, frequent eats.

So it was my birthday last week and true to form, Mr Nik made the mountains move to ensure I had the time of life. I dedicate this post to him as he planned the BEST surprise by organizing a mystery weekend away and I had no idea what I was doing, what I was eating, where or for how long or with who... All I was asked to do, was to take the Friday off and pack a bag. I can't believe he did so much [bless him!], I don't quite know where to begin...

So let's start from the top.

Birthday decorations - Yde style. Thank you, Jesper!! :)

 

My birthday happened to have fallen on 'Steak Wednesday' at the cantine.

AND I gots me some free homemade cookies and soda. Result!! \m/

So just when I thought the day couldn't get any better. We had an intimate dinner with a few friends and of course, Mr Nik delivered a scrumptious 3 course dinner. 

Starter: Simple parmesan bruschetta with balsamic glaze and truffle oil.

Squid ink spaghetti with tomato, chili and prawns. Topped with parsley and grated parmesan. This was simply superb

And the piece de résistance! My birthday cake = Mr Nik's homemade strawberry cheesecake. He made me the happiest girl in the world.

Just when I thought I was spoilt enough, the evening of the very next day, he presented me with my present: An itinery for my mystery day off...

 "Friday 24th September. Wake up to Eggs Benedict."  

He knows me sooo well!! Eggs Benedict is my most favourite breakfast dish EVER. Not only that, but he made the hollandaise sauce JUST how I like it. Deliciously yoke-like with a hint of mustard. YUM!

"After breakfast, we'll take the 11am train to Copenhagen. We'll check into your favourite hotel [Axel]. You can spend the afternoon shopping!"

"We head back to the hotel around 5 to get ready and dressed for a romantic dinner at Lêlê's. Just the two of us"

FAB! But little did I know that when we turned up, we were greeted with some of my best friends - most of whom I hadn't seen in AGES!!!

Mr Nik and me with Jude and Winnie - who came all the way from London!! You guys rock!!

Our ray of Swedish sunshine, Gustaf.

And here are my gorgeous girlfriends who haven't seen in months and months!!!! Anja, Inês and Christina - who live in Copenhagen, Malmö and Vejle respectively. Needlessly to say, for the 2 who don't live in Vejle, I havent seen in months! As for Christine, well, since she lives across the road from us, she's practically part of our furniture. 

It was such a memorable night. Perfect to the final detail!! I usually don't get too emotional about these things, but that night I really felt incredibly blessed to be surrounded by such dear dear friends and to have Mr Nik as my husband. Jeez. I must have been some helluva saint in my past life to deserve blessings now.

For once, the food wasn't priority, but that's not to say that it wasn't good! There was a very good reason why Nik booked a table at Lêlê's. Just look at the starter platter... MMmmmmm... This is as good as Asian food gets in Denmark!  

 

Nik, my sweet, sweet husband. Thank you for giving me the best birthday present ever. I love you so much xxxxxxx

Long time no post. Bad Miso, Bad!

 So it's official. I suck at posting. But all it doesn't mean I've lost my interest in food. It's pretty safe to say that if only I stopped eating, I might actually stand a better chance at getting things done. Like blogging and knitting [that's my next project. I want to prepare for winter!]...

So what have I been eating these past few months? Well, here are some highlights. Some homemade experiments, some from my travels and some were lovingly made for me [by Mr Nik, no less]. Prepare to be hungry...

:: Experiments at home ::

Chilli Beef Mein [homemade]

Summery Sausage, apple and veg salad [homemade] 
 Really need to try and remember the recipes for these and keep them here...

:: TUSCANY ::

In August, Mr Nik and I took our appetites to Tuscany to celebrate our First Anniversary [Yay!! ^_^] EVERY meal we had there was great without exception. But some, were just remarkable. Especially, at Osteria di Passignano. It was SO good, we went there twice. Exceptional service, exceptional wine list and truly truly great food.

We tried both the wine and degustazione menus - both were divine. The wines that came with each dish blew. our. minds. Needless to say, we were rather sloshed by the time we left. But not before we made friends with the staff there! After Mr Nik discovered the Mâitre D' was a fellow Metallica fan and bass-player, I knew we were there for the long haul. Well, here are the pics from one of our memorable visits. It gets progressively blurry as the nights goes on...

Appetizer: Olive oil butter [Genius!]. Local pommodoro tomato paste. Homebaked crostinis.

Millefeuille of bluefish and zucchini, with thyme-salted 'babá', potato and anchovy foam.

Roast vegetable and burrata lasagna on basil pesto. 

Will defo attempt to recreate this at some point, so watch this space!

Rabbit loin stuffed with olives, rabbit thigh with peach, all served on a potato rosti.

Succulent roasted pigeon breast, thigh stuffed with its liver and served on a berry salad.

Cheese platter with a selection of honey, complemented with fruit bread.

When in Tuscany, it would be a sin to miss the local Pici [or Pinci - depending on which end of the road you're at]. It a handmade pasta that is specific to the region - it's essentially thick udon noodles made with wheat flour. Here's one of the best plates of Pici served with a sausage meat ragu - enjoyed in Montepulciano - with a tasty glass of Brunello Riserva on the side. Heaven, this was.

 Pici with sausage meat ragu.

Needless to say, we ate and drank A LOT whilst in Tuscany. Since we couldn't take all the food and wine back with us, we took instead, the knowledge from our numerous wine-tasting sessions and the skills we gained from the cooking class we lucked in on.

Cooking class where we learnt to make the following:

Panzanella. Ricotta and aubergine ravioli. Saffron risotto. Tuscan roast chicken with twice roasted potatoes and my new favourite dessert - panna cotta! 

Wine cellars - wine wombs rooms.

Seared Scallops on a bed of Thai-Style noodle salad, sprinkled with crispy lardons

Yay! So the dinner I'd planned for tonight turned out great! ^_^

Since the fella's going away to London next weekend the Toy Story 3 premier [yes, toy design can be rather glamorous], tonight's the only night we'll have to spend some quality time together. So here's the quick low-down:

Scallop Marinade 

1 glug of olive oil

1 clove finely chopped garlic

Juice of 1 lime

Zest of lime

Squeeze of lemon juice

1 dash of sesame oil

Marinade the scallops for 1hr in the fridge

Thai-Style Noodle Salad

Rice noodles

1/2 red pepper [slice into julienne strips]

4" of cucumber [slice into julienne strips]

2 small carrots [slice into julienne strips]  

Spring onion [chopped into 2" strips]

Once rice noodles are cooked, drain and rinse immediately under super cold water to stop the noodles from cooking any further. [My dad says this also helps keep the bite and 'bounciness' in the noodle texture.] Rinse until the noodles are cold. Mix the raw vegetable ingredients in. I often use scissors to snip the noodles to make it easier when tossing the salad.

Dressing for Noodle Salad

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp sesame

2 tsp fish sauce

1 tsp sugar

Juice of 2 limes

Zest of lime

Finely chopped garlic

My measurements are rough as I often go by taste testing - I'd recommend you do the same. It should tast rather tart with a hint of sweetness. Mr Nik isn't keen on chilis - so if I was cooking this for myself, I'd add some chopped chilli into this dressing for a little kick. Toss dressing into noodles. Mix well.

---- 

Once salad is ready, heat up pan with a dash of olive oil. Once pan is super hot, place scallops on pan to sear. Allocate roughly 3-4minutes per side [depending on size of scallops].

Simultaneously fry up some chopped bacon on a dry pan until crispy. Et voilá, lardons! 

Serve scallops on bed of noodle salad. Sprinkle crispy lardons on top. If you like a little kick [like I do] then sprinkle 1 finely chopped chilli on top as well.

We had a nice bottle of super chilled Sauvignon Blanc with this - and it was just perfect. Mmmmm...

This improvized recipe was just great. Easy and delicious! The zesty freshness of the salad complemented well with the delicate flesh of the scallops, and the saltiness of the lardons gave it a lovely extra body. 

Give it a try! ^_^

Yeah, I've been a bit rubbish at bloggin'...

...and I blame it all on work: hummel sales conference, Berlin fashion week, photoshoots for next year's Spring/Summer collection to name just a few of the things that have stopped me from feeling creative in the kitchen [and then blogging about it]. But I'm back now! Yay ^-^ and that's all that matters. 

The good news is that I'm feeling waaay inspired with all this summer weather we're currently enjoying in Denmark. Time to ditch the heavy foodstuff and seek lighter alternatives to stay cool and fresh during this season! I'm actually in the middle of marinading some scallops for a romantic dinner tonight with the fella. Like with most things I cook in the kitchen, it's my first time. So keep your digits crossed for a scrummy result! Will post up some pics once it's all done.

In the meantime, I'd like to post up a lovely Danish 'The Bøller'  recipe [pron. "Te Boller"] that my friend Lissy made me when we were summer-housing in Løkken together. The Bøller translates to 'Tea Buns' - which are traditionally enjoyed with herbal tea, butter and homemade marmelade. This recipe earnt me some massive brownie points with the father-in-law when he came to visit a couple of months ago. 

Danish Oatmeal Tea Buns
20g yeast
0.8 liters of cold water
600g flour
200g oatmeal
200g whole wheat flour
1-2 tsp salt
1-2 tsp sugar or honey
a squeeze of lemon juice

Mix yeast in water. Gradually fold and knead all ingredients in. Cover the dough with clingfilm and let it sit in the fridge overnight [at least 8hrs]. Once it's ready and the dough has risen, preheat over to 210 degrees. Form the dough into bun-sized balls and place on a baking tray lined with foil and back for 25mins.

There. And that's literally it. Suuuuper easy. They turned out perfectly - even for me! 


Anyway, I'd better get back to preparing tonight's dinner...

Mr Nik's Honey Pesto Roast Pork

Since I was busy packing for my weekend trip away with work, Mr Nik did the honorable thing last Thursday evening and cooked dinner. It was a welcomed hearty dish, as lunch was pants that day - but to be honest I reckon it was a secret ploy of his to make sure I came home after the weekend ;)

Well it worked, cos here I am (^_^)

Honey Pesto Pesto Roast Pork

Ingredients
- Good cut of pork [I've no idea what this cut is called. Answers please!]
- Homemade basil pesto - mixed with honey and crushed garlic

 

Meaty spa treatment.

1. We've discovered that if you want great tasting meat, you've got to treat it well. Just ask those happy Wagyu cows! So give your meat a little spa treatment before you roast:
- Start with a quick rinse and exfoliate with a sea salt scrub.
- Massage and drizzle with oils [preferably olive oil]
- Season thoroughly and lovingly
- And leave your to meat rest for about an hour after the treatment. [Enya could be played to the meat at this point to show it some extra TLC - but I don't think it'll do much to the taste or texture...]

Basking in a basil pesto mask.

2. After about an hour, continue the treatment by applying a pesto mask to the meat. Allow it to rest and absorb for another hour.

3. Once the meat has rested sufficiently, place the meat in a pre-heated oven at circa 175º and roast for 45mins to an hour [depending on the size of the meat]. It's pork, so you want it cooked well, but still juicy when you slice through.

Fresh 'n' Sweet Bulgar Salad

Ingredients
- Bulgar wheat
- Mushroom stock cube
- 1 small handful of crumbled Feta cheese
- 1 large handful spinach
- 1 small handful cherry tomatoes
- 1 heaped tbsp dried cranberries
- 1 drizzle of olive oil
- 1 tbsp of fresh lemon juice

1. Place desired amount of bulgar in pan, pour in cold water until it just about covers the bulgar.
2. Bring water to boil, add 1 mushroom stock cube. Simmer until stock cube is dissolved.
3. Take off heat and leave to sit with lid on for about 10mins.
4. Stir in cheese, veg and dried cranberries
5. Drizzle with olive oil, add lemon juice and stir.

Carrots
1. Throw a handful of fresh carrots into a foil pouch.
2. Season, add knob butter.
3. Seal pouch and place in oven for 15mins.

 Hearty, succulent and truly delicious springtime grub.

Once the meat is done, take it out of the oven, leave the meat to rest whilst you serve up the bulgar and carrots on the plate. Slice up the meat and place on top.

Serve with a nice glass of super-chilled Sauvignon blanc - heaven!

Mr Nik's Posh Burger Dinner

Contrary to the impression I try to create in this blog, I actually never used to enjoy cooking until recently, when the penny just kinda 'dropped'. I mean - don't get me wrong - not cooking have never stopped me from eating great food [the majority of such meals have been provided for me by my very talented husband - who, as it happens, adores time alone in the kitchen making delicious food for us. I hope that explains why it so long for me to even feel the need to cook...]. As the daughter of an ex-chef, it's also kinda hard not to appreciate the labour of love in good food, but finding the patience to do it was just something I had no capacity for. Until now. [I'm sure somewhere in Hong Kong, my dad is punching the air with joy right now.]

So yeah, I love it now. It's all I think about. I run home from work trying to think of things I can cook with the ingredients in the fridge. Imagine how much my bottom lip stuck out when I realized Mr Nik wanted to cook tonight... But I tells ya, when this guy's in the kitchen, I just have to concede and let him work his magic.

And here's what he made - Mr Nik's posh burger dinner - an ol' fave of mine (^_^)!

Ingredients:
- ground beef
- handful of fresh asparagus
- 2 sweet potatoes
- butter
- cream
- handful of frozen garden peas
- 1 handful grated parmesan

Burgers:
1. Season the beef. Mix with Mr Nik's homemade tomato & onion chutney [really must get that recipe up here soon - its delicious] & homemade pesto [we had so much leftover from the Gnocchi lunch]
2. Once combined, form into patties. Sear both sides on a super hot frying pan.
3. When seared, place patties [still in pan] in hot oven [170º] for about 15mins

Sweet potato bed:
1. Chop potatoes into smallish chunks and boil until soft.
2. Once boiled, add knob of butter, splash of cream and stir in some frozen peas. The heat from the potatoes will cook the peas nicely.

Aparagus:
1. Place asparagus in tin foil pouch with a knob of butter. Season.
2. Seal up tin foil pouch. Place in hot oven [about 170º] for 5 mins.

Parmesan sauce:
1. Heat up 1/4 litre of cream in saucier
2. Add parmesan
3. Pepper generously
4. Stir until sauce thickens to desired consistency

Serve and devour!

Fried Mince Pork + Fragrant Jasmine Rice.

After a day full of brain-frazzling meetings, my cold symptoms only got worse by the time I got home today. With Mr Nik at Danish class, I thought I'd treat him to a yummy dinner ready on the table for when he gets home. Won't hurt to earn myself some extra brownie points I guess! ;)

I've been feeling kinda homesick recently, so I knew this dish was definitely gonna perk me up. My mum used to make this [along with like, 4 other dishes] as a typical mid-week feast in the Lee household.

Mmmmmm... almost as good as my Mama's.

Ingredients:
- Sunflower oil
- Minced pork [seasoned with salt, white pepper & Shao Sing wine]
- Handful of runner beans
- Yellow pepper
- 1 Scallion
- 1 clove finely chopped garlic
- Ginger. Grated over wok whilst cooking.
- 2 [small] eggs. Whisked. Seasoned with S+P, splash of milk.
- 1 finely chopped chilli

Marinade:
- 1 heaped tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 1 tbsp Soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp Sesame Oil
- 1 heaped tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 heaped tbsp cornflour

1. Add a splash of sunflower oil to a hot wok. Add egg mix, stir constantly to create fine, light scrambled flakes.
2. Once almost cooked, remove egg from wok, and place aside.
3. Dry-wipe wok. Add splash of oil, chuck in the garlic and mince pork. Leave on high heat to brown. Grate ginger over the top whilst this is cooking. Only when meat is browned do you stir fry.
4. Add all veg. Stir fry.
5. Add the eggs, stir into the mix.
6. Stir in marinade.

Sprinkle fresh chilli onto the dish. Serve with steamed fragrant jasmine rice.

Homesickness be gone! (^_^)

Philadelphia Gnocchi with Pesto [& Peas]

I made Gnocchi for lunch today and for my first attempt, it was a success! This was an unbelievably easy and light recipe that I've adapted slightly from Delicious Days.

Little bite-sized, velvety pillows of fluffy clouds they were! Mr Nik is now my No. 1 gnocchi fan (^_^). Will definitely need to do this again for friends, but next time, I'll add some pancetta for a little more complexity to the flavours.

Gnocchi Ingredients:

- 200g Philadelphia cream cheese
- 1 egg yolk (M-L) or 2 small yolks
- 1 generous pinch of sea salt
- 1 handful of freshly grated Parmesan [Pecorino]
- 50-75g all-purpose flour, extra for dusting the dough/board
- serve with tomato sauce or any kind of pesto

Pesto Ingredients:
- 1 Basil plant
- 1 small handful of freshly grated Parmesan
- 1 handful of spinach leaves
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper
- 1 large teaspoon of Mr Nik's homemade tomato & onion chutney [Recipe for another time]

Pesto:

1. Throw all pesto ingredients into blender and blitz this into a desired consistency before making the gnocchi.

Gnocchi:

1. Mix the cream cheese with egg yolk[s], salt and parmesan in a large bowl.

2. Slowly stir in flour to the mix until combined. [NB the more flour, the more dense the gnocchi will become]

3. To form the gnocchi, generously flour the board. Dollop a large tbsp of the dough on to the board and dust with more flour. You'll be surprised to feel how amazingly light and soft this dough is!

4. Roll into finger-thick roll and cut into little pillows.

5. Plop into pan of salted, boiling water for 2-5mins. Or until they all float to the surface.

6. Skim them out and serve immediately with the homemade pesto, peas and pancetta.

 Ta-da!

They really needed the peas for a little extra texture. Next time, I'll chuck in a bit of pancetta as well.

And that's it. Big thanks to Delicious Days for the inspiration. You rock!

Best Cupcake Site Ever

Three words: Cupcake Design Porn.

http://mingmakescupcakes.yolasite.com/

Hello, Kitty. What's that? You wanna get me drunk?

So I've seen Hello Kitty lighters, ashtrays, sanitary towels [thanks mum] - even dildos.

And now wine?? Why not.

Enjoy a glass of Kitty Brut Rose at your nearest Kitty Strip Club now. I'm sure there's one around... If there ain't, Sanrio Licensing's probably chatting with the guys at Spearmint Rhino's as I type...

Get a taste of Kitty's wrongness here

Super Simple Carbonara

Mr Nik usually whips up a Pasta Carbonara when he knows I need a bit of midweek cheering up. He says it's easy peasy, so I thought I'd give it a try and cooked this to cheer him up when he had a bad day last week. It did the job nicely (^_^).

Ingredients
- Spaghetti or linguine
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/4 litre double cream
- 1 very large/heaped handful of grated parmesan
- 1 handful of chopped bacon [or pancetta if you can get some.]
- 1/2 chopped onion

1. Cook pasta.
2. Whisk parmesan, egg yolks and cream into a large bowl. Season.
3. Fry bacon in large skillet. Add mushrooms when bacon is nearly done.
3. When pasta is ready: Drain. Tip into skillet with the bacon over a very low heat.
4. Add Carbonara sauce. Stir until sauce thickens to your liking.

Y'know what? I was so hungry, I forgot to take a pic of this one. Next time! ;)

What to do with leftover Wonton filling?

I'm quite aware that I'm becoming more Scandinavian by the day [well, I'm certainly behaving more 'blond'...], but never did I imagine that I would be able to take something Chinese-y and to turn it into something so quintessentially Danish.

Behold! The Wonton Frikadeller.

Pan-fried pork & prawn frikadeller, served with a bulgar-heavy salad.

When you're rubbish at quantity control [like I am], then this is a great solution for all that excess wonton filling.

A new kitchen makes everything tastes a little better!

So Easter has come and gone! Whilst Mr Nik and I spent most [read ALL] of the Easter break renovating our kitchen, my plans to perfect and practice the wonton recipe will have to wait.

But I did manage to christen our beautiful new kitchen with a dish that'll make my grandmother proud. I just LOVE noodles - Almost as much as I love my husband. And since I grew up with my Shan-Dongese grandmother, I was always extremely fed well with delicious homemade dumplings and a million different varieties of noodles. Hmmm...

Well, crispy noodles with shredded pork were one of my all-time faves and she used to cook this for me after school - everyday - at my request :) After seeing it being made for me soooo many times, I thought I should give it a go and, for my first attempt, I don't think I did too badly. The gravy could have done with a little chicken stock and corn starch, but next time, I'll know.

An old favourite of mine :) I didn't have pork - so this was shredded chicken, stir-fried with tofu and savoy cabbage, served on a bed of thin, crispy egg noodles. Not quite Hong-Kong style, but you learn to adapt in Denmark.

Here's how I made this:

1. Marinate shredded meat with a splash of rice wine, 1 tsp of corn starch, 2 tsp of soy sauce, and some white pepper.
2. Make the gravy with 2 tbsp of oyster sauce, 2 tbsp of soy sauce, 3 tbsp of warm water, 1 tsp of sugar, generous splash of rice wine.
   
3. Heat wok with bit of sunflower oil until smoking.
4. Fry the cooked [and patted-dry] noodles until crispy. Flip and toss occasionally.
   
5. Once noodles are crispy, dish and set aside.
6. Keep wok hot, add a little bit of sunflower oil, saute garlic.
7. Chuck in the meat and fry until opaque and throw in the tofu. Stir-fry until tofu is browned.
   
8. Add scallions and chopped savoy cabbage [in absence of bak choi]
9. Add gravy. Serve on top of bed of crispy noodles.
   

Well, it was Easter after all, so we thought we'd treat ourselves to a nice bottle of Veuve Clicquot Brut to complement the noodles :) And here's what followed as dessert:

Coconut ice-cream topped with Hershey chocolate sauce, summer berries and served in a dark chocolate cup.

Lush.