Chokladbollar (Chocolate Balls)

This is probably my favorite dessert of all time. It reminds me of my childhood, as a little girl in Sweden.

Makes about 15 balls

-1 dl sugar (.42 cups)
-3 dl quick oats (1.36 cups)
-3 tablespoons cocoa powder
-50 g butter (room temperature)
-2 tablespoons coffee
-1 tablespoon milk
-Pearl sugar (buy at Ikea)

In a large bowl mix together top 5 ingredients. Roll oat mixture into small balls. Pour pearl sugar into a bowl and coat each chocolate ball. Store in the fridge or freezer.

Shrimp and Marinara Pasta with a Zing

serves 4

3 shallots
4 gloves of garlic
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons oregano
1 tablespoon basil
1/2 tabelspoon red pepper flackes
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes (no added salt)
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce (no added salt)
Whole wheat pasta
Shrimp
In a food processor combine shallots and garlic. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high. Add shallots and garlic to pan and saute for about a minute. Stir in other spices and cook for another minute. Add diced tomatoes (pouring out most of the juice) and tomato sauce - bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer on stove top for about 15 minutes while you heat up your pasta. When your pasta has about 2 more minutes add the shrimp to the marinara. Pour shrimp sauce over pasta and serve with a little grated romano or parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

*this recipe is also delicious with scallops
*if you prefer a thicker sauce simply add a few tabelspoons of tomato paste to thicken.

Julpepparkakor (Christmas Gingerbread Cookies)

God Jul! Merry Christmas!
This is a traditional Swedish recipe for gingerbread cookies, and it is amazing! Please, please, don't ever make ginger bread cookies with molasses! The syrup in this recipe can be found inexpensively at Ikea (called Ljus Sirap by Dan Sukker).

150 g butter
5 dl sugar (about 2.1 cups)
2 dl syrup (about .85 cups)
2 dl water (about .85 cups)
1 tabelspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon baking soda
1.4 liters all-purpose flour (5.92 cups)

Mix butter, sugar, and syrup together. In a separate bowl mix together water and the spices. Add water to butter mixture. Slowly stir in flour until a uniform dough ball forms. Wrap dough in foil and let settle overnight in the fridge.
Preheat oven to 392 degrees f (200 C.) Spread a light layer of flour over a large portion of the counter. Take one third of the dough and roll it thin with a flour dusted rolling pin (roll it very, very thin, just before it seems so thin it will tear). Using cookie cutters cut shapes and place on a greased baking sheet. Cook for five minute in the oven.

*If dough sticks to counter top simply lift dough as you roll it out and place more flour on it. Likewise, if the rolling pin sticks to the dough simply dust it with flour
*This dough can be used for a ginger bread house if you add .42 cups of flour to original dough.

Salmon Marinade

So I usually just put honey mustard on my salmon and bake it, but I wanted to mix it up a little. After browsing online a little I found this great salmon marinade. The salmon was light, yet full of flavor. I served it with salad and garlic mashed potatoes.
Original Recipe Yield 6 servings
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets (with skin)
pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
salt to taste
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
Directions
1.Season salmon fillets with pepper, garlic powder, and salt.
2.In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and vegetable oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in a large resealable plastic bag with the soy sauce mixture, seal, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 1 hr.

On the grill: preheat to medium heat.
Lightly oil grill grate. Place salmon on the preheated grill, and discard marinade. Cook salmon for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

In the oven:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil. Discard salmon marinade; place salmon fillets on the foil and bake uncovered for about 20 minutes.

German Chocolate Brownies

These brownies are so amazing!!!

Try this great German chocolate cake topping on top of a rich brownie base. It is by far one of the best cookies I've ever had!

1/3 cup butter
3 squares unsweetened chocolate
2/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup light cream
1 cup flaked coconut

Directions:
Brownies:
Melt butter and chocolate together. Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl beat eggs. Blend in sugar. Add chocolate mixture and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture.

Pour into a greased 8 inch square pan. Bake at 325 degrees F. for about 20 minutes. Cool.

Topping:
Cream butter and sugar together. Stir in cream and coconut.

Spread over the cooled cake. Preheat broiler.

Place brownies under broiler for 2 to 4 minutes, until topping is bubbly. Cool and cut into squares. Store in refrigerator.

Sylt Kakor (Jam Cookies)

These are delicious! Perfect for a picnic or at Christmas time.
Makes 30 cookies

4.5 dl flour
175 g softened butter
2 dl sugar
jam (strawberry, raspberry, or marionberry are best)

Mix all the ingredients in a food processor. Divide the dough in two and roll into logs (about the width of your thumb), cut into 7 mm pieces. Use your finger to create a little hole at the center of each cookie (do not go all the way through). Put the cookies on a cookie sheet with wax paper, and place in fridge for about an hour.
Take out your cookie sheet, and fill each cookie with a small spoonful of jam (do not overfill or it will leak out). Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. They should be lightly golden on the bottom, but the top will not get much color. Leave them to cool on the cookie sheet or they will be too soft to move. Enjoy!

Light Green Chili Chicken Soup!

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves fresh or roasted garlic, minced

80 oz chicken broth, 2 1/2 cartons of the 32 oz

10 oz can diced tomatoes

7 oz can diced green chilies

4 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts; cooked, shredded and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper (I used half of a rotessarie chicken)

2 1/2 Cups cooked rice of choice, I used basmati

1/4 Cup fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Pinch of salt and pepper to taste

1 bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped

Fresh diced avocados, drizzled with lime juice



1. Place oil into a large dutch oven over medium heat. Saute onion for 8 minutes then add in garlic; cook for 1 minute. Stir in chicken broth, tomtoes, green chilies, chicken breast, rice, lime juice and seasonings. Cook for 5 minutes; taste and season according to your liking. Right before serving add chopped cilantro.

2. Serve soup with fresh diced avocado on top. 10-12 servings