What’s for dinner tonight? Menu plan, 11 November 2023

Menu planning!

Happy Saturday from started-off-sunny-but-clouds-and-dark-skies are coming Copenhagen! Flylady habit of the month is meal planning so here goes with this week’s menu! On Thursday my friends Angela, Erika and I had a seaswim/sauna evening at our club and we brought along a picnic dinner to share – very hyggelig! I made Spiced Carrot and Ginger Soup (see below for the recipe). Angela brought bread rolls, butter and cheese. And Erika brought Lindt chocolates and grapes. What a lovely, relaxing evening we had! The best way to combat the doom and gloom of the long Danish winter darkness…

Winterbathing on a dark and damp evening in Copenhagen

But without further ado, here’s the full run down of what we ate at Casa Copenhagen this week!

Leftover homemade steak pie (from last week) served with pickled beetroot and a salad

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken Noodles – I got the recipe idea from the young Irishman, known on social media as “Bored at Lunch”. This particular recipe wasn’t fantastic so I won’t make it again.

Spiced carrot and ginger soup – for our picnic dinner, see above! I don’t have an exact recipe for this soup, I change it every time I make it! But here goes… Fry ginger, garlic, chopped carrots and onion. Add some herbs or spices: turmeric, garam masala, curry, cumin, paprika, smoked paprika, etc. Whatever you feel like. I sometimes also add a small cup of red lentils, for a more substantial soup. Pour in a tin of coconut milk (I use full fat variety) plus some vegetable or chicken stock, to cover. Cook until soft – I usually pressure cook soups in my Instant Pot. Leave to cool slightly then blend. Add some sriracha sauce or chili flakes to give it a slight kick. Not too much, you just want warmth. I love to top it with fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime juice. Delicious and so comforting on a chilly, dark day. Or after a cold evening seaswim!

Birthday Bash! Out to a German friend’s 50th birthday, woo hoo! Pot luck dinner so I baked some chocolate brownies.

Confit de canard – duck confit with baby potatoes, padrón peppers and pickled red cabbage. Then chocolate icecream bonbons for dessert. Our kids came round for dinner last night to celebrate Mortens Aften (St Martin’s Eve), 10 November. It feels like a mini run through for Christmas because in Denmark we eat duck for Christmas dinner! I added some sparklers to our icecream dessert…just because, ha ha!

Brændende Kærlighed – a traditional Danish dish called “Burning Love”, good old-fashion, honest, comfort food. Not for the faint-hearted! Mashed potato topped with fried onions and tons of bacon… One of hubbie’s favourites. You can see how I make it below, just tap to watch the video!

That’s it for this week’s menu plan – hope it gave you a little inspiration! I make a basic list for the week then decide on the day what to make (depending on our plans) . Once a week is leftovers or “clean out the fridge” quiche. On busy days we have”madder” (Danish rye bread with various toppings). We also plan the occasional takeaway or dinner out. Keep it simple, Sweetie! Okay, now it’s your turn!