10 on the 10th - july

You will LOVE todays list! It's my 10 fave recipes. Be sure to add this post to your favorites or to copy and paste it into a document. These recepies have been tried many, many times by me and should be foolproof. Enjoy!

1. First up - the best Iced tea you've ever tasted!

• 1 liter (about 4 cups)of boiling water
• 5 bags of Lipton's Blue fruit tea (or similar)
• 2 tablespoons of honey
• 1 dl (about 1/2 cup) elderflowersyrup (konc. flädersaft)
• 50 cl (about 2 fl.oz)Schweppe's Russian soda

Pour water into a pitcher and add the teabags. Let set for 5 min. Remove teabags and stir in the honey. Make sure you stir until it's dissolved. Add the elderflowersyrup. Click on the link above to learn how to make your own. It's used as a drink mix. If you can't find it, and can't make it, try lemonjuice. Let the tea cool on the counter until it's room temperature, then put in the fridge. Pour the Russian soda into the tea just before drinking, to add a little extra fizz. Delish!

2. Cray-ay-zeeee yummy homemade Peanutbutter cups:

Mix one jar (350g/12oz) of creamy peanutbutter with 5 dl(2 cups)of powdered sugar. You want to make it into a firm dough. If it's too dry add some fluid margarine or melted butter. Roll dough into a cylinder of 5 cm (2 inches) width. Cut into slices and put pieces onto a plate and stick it in the freezer for about 10 min. Dip into melted chocolate. I use about 350g (12oz) because I like a thick, crunchy layer of chocolate. Put in the fridge to harden. Or stick it in the freezer if you're in a rush to try them - haha!

3. The best warm salad ever! We always make this when we have friends over for dinner. We double up the recipe and it's always gone at the end. This recipe may seem a little complicated, but you'll learn it in time. It's definately worth it! Koosmali - indian carrot salad:
Link to recipe in Swedish here!

• 1 tbls cooking oil
• 2 tbls brown mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp Red hot chili flakes
• 2 tbls mango chutney
• 5 bay leaves
• 1 lb shredded carrots
• 2 tbls lemon juice
• 2 tbls chopped peanuts
• 1 quarter cup minced cilantro

Cook the mustard seeds in the oil until they don't pop. Using a lid is a good idea! Add chili flakes and heat for another 15 seconds. Lower heat and add the chutney and the leaves. Stir for another 15 seconds. Mix in the shredded carrots and cook for 3 minutes, until semi soft. Remove from heat, and discard of the bay leaves. Stir in the lemon juice, peanuts and cilantro.

4. My best easy and cheap soup for guests that visit at the end of your paycheck ;) It's also delicious - and vegetarian! Maharaja soup:

• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 2 apples, shredded
• 1 tbls curry
• cooking oil
• 1 liter (4 cups) vegetable broth
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 1 dl (1/2 cup) pre-boiled rice
• 2 dl (barely 1 cup) creme fraiche (or sour cream)

add-ons: creme fraiche, peanuts

Cook the onions, carrot and apples in oil together with curry. Add the broth and let simmer for 10 min. Stir in the tomatoes, boiled rice and creme fraiche. Top each plate with creme fraiche and a sprinkle of peanuts.

5. Quick and easy oatmeal cookies. I make these with my 3 y.o. son who loves to help in the kitchen. In Swedish they're called fork cookies. And you could use margarine instead of butter but really - just don't! It won't taste the same. That's another lesson from my grandma. Cookies demand butter!

• 200g (1 stick/4 oz) of butter
• 4 tbls sugar
• 1 1/2 dl (1/2 cup)oatmeal
• 3 dl (1,2 cups) flour

Heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius or 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Stir butter and sugar until soft. Mix in oatmeal and flour. Roll dough into little balls, about the size of a golf ball. (This makes about 20 cookies, the original recipe makes 50 smaller ones. Roll them any size you like!)Place on a cookie sheet and press down on each cookie with a fork. I dip the fork in hot water first to keep the dough from sticking to it. Bake for 10-15 min depending on the size of your cookies. I take mine out when they start to turn slightly brown around the edges. I like them wellbaked and crunchy!

6. My favorite fish dish! Mexican tuna lasagna:

• 1 tbls cooking oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 tbls tomato paste
• 8 black pitless olives, thinly sliced
• 1 green chilipepper, seeds removed and chopped
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 can of tuna in water
• 1 small jar of cottage cheese
• 1 egg
• 2,5 dl (1 cup) of shredded cheese
• 4 wheat tortillas cut in slices (amount depends on size)

Preheat oven to 180 C ( 350 F). Put oil, onion and garlic in a pot, and cook until soft. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, olives, chili, green pepper and the ground cumin. Let simmer under a lid for 15 min. Take from heat and add the tuna. Stir well.

Mix egg and cottage cheese. Pour half of the tomatosauce into a lasagna oven dish. Cover with half of the shredded cheese. Spread the cottage cheese mix on top and then cover with the tortilla slices. Now pour the remaining tomatosauce over the tortillas. Sprinkle with the rest of the shredded cheese. Bake for 30 min. Some sour creme for topping is delicious!

7. The most amazing apple crumble pie ever. Truly!!! The Swedish name for it is "Bittes äppelpaj". I make the topping times 1,5. That's one more advice from grandma. Stingy people can't cook. Haha!

• 4 apples in thin slices
• 150 g (5 oz)of butter
• 3 dl (1,25 cups) oatmeal
• 2 dl (0,75 cups) sugar
• 1/2 dl (1 quarter cup)"ljus sirap" = light corn syrup
• 1 1/2 dl (1/2 cup) flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tbls milk

Preheat oven to 175 C / 350 F. Melt the butter in a pan. Remove from heat. Mix in all other ingredients aside from the apples. Put apple slices in a buttered oven dish. Spread the batter on top. Cook for 30 minutes. Serve with lots of custard or ice cream.

Since this was a very large post to write I will have to add more tomorrow. Good nite!

/Magdalena