The Vegetarian Reuben

This one's been a long time coming guys.

The Reuben is my all-time favorite sandwich. Oh yes. I have a weakness for sauerkraut. Just typing the word here is getting my glands going. It's a dee-licious ingredient that is only better in a hot sandwich with melted cheese all over it, and you know it.

But. The pastrami. Yeah, right? The pastrami just isn't the star of this sandwich, so why keep propagating doomed animals just to be the supporting role here? I found an excellent substitute, found easily at the local health food store and remedied in a few minutes with a few drops of tamari to give this sandwich just the tasty protein punch it deserves. You're welcome.

You'll need:
Rye sourdough slices (I used Danish rye bondebrød)
Sauerkraut, warmed through
Emmenthaler slices
Smoked tofu, sliced, and gently warmed on a pan with a few drops of tamari on each slice
"Russian dressing" - basically mayo and ketchup mixed well with a dollop of mustard too, if that's your thing

To just explain the smoked tofu, I found that it was still too bland, to I tried the method described above, and it did really turn out perfectly. As I said before, the sauerkraut is what makes this sandwich for me personally, but obviously, if you're a meat fan, I won't hold that against you, and this probably won't do it for you. We can still be friends regardless. But see? It looks pretty good!



Now, slather those slices with the sauce, layer your sandwich as you like, but may I suggest tofu on the bottom, sauerkraut, and then the cheese on top? The melting of the cheese works well this way I find, seeping more downward than outward.

Butter up your griddle and give that sandwich some heat on both sides, until the cheese is melted and the bread is perfectly browned.





Really nice.
I invited my friend Jakob over to test it, he'd never had this particular sandwich before - he had thirds.
Go!

Colorful and Spicy Potato Salad

When an ex-boyfriend and I split, the thing I missed the most was this Indian vegetarian cookbook. I later brought it back into my life via Amazon, and to be honest, I've only ever made this lovely potato salad from it.

I don't make it slavishly anymore, following instruction to the t, but the idea is the same, and creamy potato salad with a spicy punch, and loads of color from the additions of pomegranate seeds and coriander. I adore fresh coriander!



The gist is simple, precook and quarter medium potatoes. Let cool.
Mix some low fat yoghurt with a bit of mayonnaise.
I then personally seasoned it with salt, pepper, a dash of garlic powder and piri piri.
I also added finely chopped red onion, but really, I think this can do without.
Give it all a good mix, and top with the pomegranate seeds and fresh, chopped coriander.

So simple, but it looks so daring on the table.
Delicious.

Mummi Hukka's Karelian Pasties or Karjalan Piirakat

As some of you know, I have a Finnish connection. For over half my life, I've had a rather odd obsession with the country, its quirky inhabitants and even quirkier language. I lived there for half a year, going to the university in Helsinki. This quintessential Finnish dish is a comfort food for Finns and foreign exchange students like me alike. I'd often duck into Stockmann's bakery on the way to school and pick up one or two of these as a quick lunch.

Mummi Hukka is a good Finnish friend's grandmother, and the origin of this recipe. It's been made time and time again for years, so it's absolutely perfect!

These pasties are truly delicious any which way you eat them. Fresh, warm, or cold, for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, with munavoi (chopped hardboiled eggs in melted butter), butter, or a slice of cheese.

They can also be made with mashed potato filling, but I happened to have leftover rice after dinner today (I added milk, and boiled, simmered, added more milk, until I got a porridge out of it) .

Crust:
2 dl cold water
1 tsp salt
2 dl wheat flour
3 dl rye flour

Mix well, and roll out, thinly and evenly, atop a floured surface

Filling:
3 dl water
2 dl rice
8 dl milk
half a tsp salt

Bring to a boil, then simmer until you've got a good rice porridge

Check out the pictures for the next steps.

Heat the oven to 300 degrees Celsius.
Bake for about 15 minutes.
Moisten them with milk just after you take them out of the oven.
Enjoy!

Sloe (Slow) Gin

Just across the street from us is the Copenhagen version of Central Park. I've plucked my elderflowers there for over ten years now, but only just last year did I stumble across a patch of sloe bushes (trees?).

I put my boys to work the other day, and held the branches low so their nimble little fingers could grab as many ripening berries as possible. I say ripening, since sloe berries are only truly "done" after the first good frost. I dare not wait for it, since I'm certainly not the only good woman in this burrough looking forward to her own sloe brew.

So, you pluck them as late in the season as you dare. then freeze them yourself overnight. This breaks down their bitterness, and gets them ready to languish in the spirits of your choice for three months. I use gin.



This recipe is an idea gleaned from several sources.
400-500 grams of sloe berries, washed, frozen overnight, and thawed.
100 grams of sugar.
1 bottle of gin.

Shake daily until the sugar is dissolved.
Store a dark place for 3 (THREE!) whole months.
Strain through a sieve, then a cheesecloth.
Enjoy.



I've yet to taste this, it's my very first try with the sloe. I'll probably just enjoy it straight up, but if you have any suggestions for use in a cocktail, do pipe up!

Gingery, Crunchy Salad

I love this salad. I've loved it since the first time I tasted it at Atlas Bar way back. It's a crunchy mix of finely shredded white cabbage, red cabbage, and carrots (actually julienned). I added finely shredded sushi nori for a little more color, flavor and nutrients.

Then, warm some almonds on a hot pan, add honey and soy and gently warm through and mix.

Then, you make the dressing. The dressing's key.
Finely grate ginger and a clove of garlic (garlic's optional). Add a drop of sesame oil, a dollop of soy, a pour of vegetable oil, a bit of apple cider vinegar (or acidic whatever) and honey. A good squeeze of honey. And mix well, and pour over, and toss, and...yum.

Rye Bread Chips

Was out diving with Mina again. I like going with other people best, it's kind of dark and lonely out there!

Anyway, I got a whole untouched, still wrapped mind you, loaf of organic spelt rye bread. Expiration date was still a day away, they probably chucked it to make room for new wares.

This particular bread is not one I buy myself, since I find it quite dry, but I'd been wanting to try making some rye bread chips for a while, something I've tried at an international festival here in Copenhagen. I remember it as being thinly sliced, crispy strips of rye bread, very crunchy, with an oily, garlicky flavor. Should be a cinch to reproduce!

It turned out pretty good, I'd say, though I didn'e have fresh garlic, only garlic powder, and I should have oiled the bread more before baking it. but here's a break down:

1 loaf of rye bread, not too many visible kernels, thinly sliced and cut into smaller strips
olive oil
garlic, either crushed and mixed with the oil, or powdered
salt

Arrange the strips on a piece of baking paper, coat liberally with garlicky oil, or add the garlic powder after oiling.
Sprinkle with salt.
Bake 15-20 minutes in a medium warm oven.

I took them out while they were piping hot and still a little soft, transferred them to a wire tray to cool, and they hardened up as they cooled. They turned out near perfect, and they kept well until the day after.

I happened to serve them as an hors d'oeuvres with Danish soft smoked cheese and chives.
Oldest kid got the rest for his lunch box day after - loved them!



So for divers, or those who just have an old rye bread at home going stale - this is an excellent, tasty and easy snack!

Isa

I don't think I've actually recommended this book here before (for shame!), but it really opened my eyes to a larger repertoire of vegan cooking. It's called Vegan with a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, and it's fabulous really. I love her recipes, and her writing, she's funny, and pragmatic and spunky all at once. Recommended! In fact, her book was the first place I fell over seitan as a meat substitute, a package of which I've got languishing in the fridge passed its "due" date. But it's vacuum packed, so it should be okay still, right?!

You can follow her on Twitter too, @IsaChandra. She makes me laugh there too!