Menu plan – 7 July 2020

Menu planning…we have a simple salad or fresh, raw veggies with most of our meals

What’s on the menu this week at Casa Copenhagen? We are into vacation season now, and taking things easy with a mix of old family favourites and a few new recipes. Remember when you are menu planning to “K.I.S.S.” – keep it simple, sweetie!

  • Build-your-own-burger with oven-baked potato wedges and salad
  • Spaghetti Carbonara with wilted spinach, my homemade foccacia (my recipe for foccacia is here) – I had written Carbonara on last week’s menu plan but we had a last minute change and made Spaghetti Bolognese instead. So this week it’s definitely Carbonara!
  • Potato gnocchi with mushrooms, garlic, spinach, white wine, cream and parmesan (there’s a good simple recipe for that here https://simplyhomecooked.com/creamy-mushroom-gnocchi/ )
  • Pad See Ew – Thai Fried rice noodles with pork tenderloin and broccoli (from the Danish book Foodfanatic Thai by Nadia Mathiasen – recipe is here https://www.foodfanatic.dk/stegte-nudler-med-svinekoed-og-asiatisk-broccoli
  • Green lentil salad (with feta, tomato, cucumber, lemon/mustard/honey dressing) OR we might go a different route with a Baked Feta Salad with Lentils https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/mango-chutney-baked-feta-lentils Will depend on how we feel on the day!
  • leftovers or out to dinner/takeaway
  • and, if our plans change (which they invariably do…) smørrebrød, which is open-faced Danish rye bread with various toppings!
Cherries from our garden…eaten by the sea for my morning swim breakfast!

LLAP!

May the Danish hygge be with you!

Hugs!

Diane

PS: Looking for more easy menu planning inspiration? I have plenty of easy recipes (and crafts!) on my YouTube channel! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxIYCyTLBED8ZP5_UDGRXUAvbPiuxOh95

Menu plan, 30 June 2020

What’s on the menu this week at Casa Copenhagen? A mixture of meals to suit the very mixed summer weather we are having!

  • Forloren Hare (Danish meatloaf – my recipe is here ) A homemade one which I have in the freezer…I was going to use it last week but our plans changed. Served with potatoes, carrots and creamy gravy.
  • Simple Red Thai Chicken (cooked by our son) with rice and naan bread
  • Lamb burgers, pesto potatoes, ratatouille
  • Spaghetti Carbonara with wilted spinach, my homemade foccacia (my recipe for foccacia is here)
  • Pork chops with a tabbouleh salad (bulgur, parsley, onion, cucumber, tomato, fresh mint)
  • Bibimbap (again! yes! it’s a staple in our house) made by our daughter
  • Chorizo, chickpea and egg salad
  • and, if our plans change (which they invariably do…), smørrebrød or leftovers!
Red Thai curry made by my son

We had a heatwave last week and have been eating a lot of koldskål…the taste of Danish summer!

Danish koldskål with kammerjunkere and strawberries

You can see it in my Summer in Denmark YouTube video…

Bon appétit!

LLAP!

May the Danish hygge be with you!

Hugs!

Diane

PS: Looking for more inspiration? I have plenty of easy recipes (and crafts!) on my YouTube channel! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxIYCyTLBED8ZP5_UDGRXUAvbPiuxOh95

Menu plan, 23 June 2020

What a week of celebrations ahead! Our son’s graduation from Danish High School today, Danish “Sankt Hans Aften” (bonfire night, midsummer), my birthday on Thursday (which means a birthday breakfast swim with my Besties plus dinner out with the family) plus we’re hosting a big graduation party for classmates, friends and family at the weekend. Whew! My simple daily routines are keeping me sane and I’ve kept this week’s menu plan super simple, plus stocked up on various “ready meals” and easy to throw together food (frozen pizzas, sausages, mixed salad bags, etc) so that we aren’t caught out by last minute changes. So here’s what’s on the menu at celebratory Casa Copenhagen!

Takeaway sushi tonight for our son’s graduation day – congratulations to our “wee” boy! 👏🥂👨‍🎓🇩🇰💐

IKEA meatballs with readymade potato salad and a simple mixed salad (grated carrots, spinach, sliced apple, tomatoes)

Danish biksemad (chopped onion, potatoes, beef), available in the freezer section of the supermarket. Topped with fried eggs, pickled beetroot and ketchup or brown sauce on the side.

My birthday dinner will be at one of my favourite restaurants in the Christianshavn area of the city, on the canals. (Photo from autumn 2019)

At the bistro I can get my fill of my favourites…raw oysters to start, then steak tartare and fries… Yum! Plus a glass (or two) of champagne.

I also have some salmon in the freezer so if I ask my husband sweetly he may make his famous four-ingredient Creamy Baked Salmon.

Danish meatloaf “forloren hare” – you may remember I made two loaves a couple of weeks ago, and popped one in the freezer for a later date. Now is the time! Will serve with new baby potatoes, warm red cabbage and a creamy gravy.

For our graduation party, we’ll have food catered from a local Thai restaurant, plus we’re going to make lots of cake: chocolate brownies and black bean chocolate cake (just whizz together and bake). My recipe for that is here…

That’s it – bon appétit! And remember, when menu planning, to K.I.S.S. – keep it simple, sweetie!

My “wee boy” graduating today

LLAP!

May the Danish hygge be with you!

Hugs!

Diane

What’s for dinner? Flylady Menu Planning

What’s for dinner this week at Casa Copenhagen? We are heading into one of the busiest weeks of the year! Graduation, work, end of term, Sankt Hans Aften (midsummer “bonfire night”), my birthday – plus a lot of other events… Fun but so very hectic! In order to save my sanity and avoid that feeling of clinging on to the merry-go-round with my bare knuckles, I’m keeping things very basic this week. Including making sure that I get a little bit of pamper time (or self-preservation time, as I like to call it) every single day. Without fail. Copenhagen weather is fairly sunny and warm this week which also means we’ll be able to eat outside on our newly oiled deck (one of my “Making the Most of May” projects), woo hoo!

If I don’t specify in my menu plan, our side dishes are usually a fresh veggie platter (tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, broccoli florets, etc) or a spinach salad. One evening per week is usually leftovers or some simple smørrebrød (Danish rye bread with toppings) or we use up what we have left in the fridge, making it into a quiche or an omelet. When you’re menu planning, remember to K.I.S.S. – “Keep it simple, sweetie”!

Spaghetti Bolognese, aka pasta med kødsovs in Danish. I use a jar of Dolmio sauce – quick and simple. Garlic bread and veggies on the side. One of my “go to” meals when life is hectic: I keep all the ingredients in my freezer pantry.

Jennifer Joyce’s My Asian Kitchen

Nasi Goreng (fried rice with veggies and crispy fried egg). We’ll be using the recipe from Jennifer Joyce’s My Asian Kitchen

Homemade tuna and sweetcorn quiche with new baby potatoes and beetroot.

Butter roasted Thai chicken

Butter roasted Thai chicken served with rice. This is one of the recipes we made a few weeks ago from Emily Kydd’s Quick + Simple = Delicious book.

Emily Kydd

Homemade Croque Madame, an eternal classic. It’s a variation of Croque Monsieur, topped with a fried egg. Big fresh green salad on the side.

Chicken Cæsar Salad (with leftover boiled potatoes), using a bag of ready cooked chicken from the freezer. Cæsar dressing is very simple to mix together and I always have all the dressing ingredients ready to go in my fridge/pantry.

Enjoy your week! And remember to dry out your sink/close the kitchen when you’ve finished your dinner…

LLAP

Hugs

Diane

🥗 MENU What’s for dinner? 9 June 2020 Flylady Menu planning

salade nicoise
What’s for dinner this week at Casa Copenhagen? We are in Flylady Zone 2 at the moment and one of my “pamper” ideas was to pull out some of our old recipes for lighter, “summer” dishes because the weather is beginning to heat up now, woo hoo!😀 So it will be crisp veggies galore this week! [Need errand day/pamper and garden ideas for the kitchen zone? See here!]

If I don’t specify in my menu plan, our side dishes are usually a fresh veggie platter (tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, broccoli florets, etc) or a spinach salad. One evening per week is usually leftovers or some simple smørrebrød (Danish rye bread with toppings) or we use up what we have left in the fridge, making it into a quiche or an omelet. When you’re menu planning, remember to K.I.S.S. – “Keep it simple, sweetie”!


We love to have “substantial” salads and my daughter’s favourite is Salade Nicoise. The eggs and potatoes make it very filling, and I usually use any leftover rye bread we have to make croutons for some added crunch.
salade nicoise
Pork chops with “overnight” salad – my recipe for this rather weird and intriguing salad is here

Thai Larb (from the Jennifer Joyce “My Asian Kitchen” book – we love this cookbook and refer to it often). My son will be making the Larb for us
Jennifer Joyce "My Asian Kitchen"
and we’ll be using mango instead of pineapple once again because it was so good last time!
Thai Larb
Fish tacos (we will probably use cod and panko breadcrumbs) with lots of lovely sriracha mayonnaise/sliced avocado/coriander on the top, and make a simple carrot/cabbage coleslaw to go along with it.


Beef steaks with oven fries (potato/sweet potato) and warm cannellini beans/wilted spinach/pesto



Coronation chicken (pictured above) which you can see me putting together on YouTube…a few simple ingredients and it’s on the table in 5 minutes!

And when you’ve finished dinner? Don’t forget to “close the kitchen” and leave your sink ready for the next time!

Diane in Denmark menu planning

Bon appétit!
LLAP!
And may the Danish hygge be with you!
Diane

PS: Looking for more easy recipes and simple crafts? I have a whole series!

🥗 MENU What’s for dinner? 2 June 2020 Flylady Menu planning

What’s for dinner this week at Casa Copenhagen? The first of June heralds the start of Danish summer and we are off to a wonderful start with sunny, blue skies and temperatures got up to 24c/75f yesterday! 😀👒 This week we’ve got a good mix of tried and trusted family favourites: recipes I can make with my eyes closed – so useful when things are busy and beginning to get hot. In other news it’s Danish Constitution Day plus Danish Fathers Day on 5 June (fixed date every year). Many stores/supermarkets are closed, also some schools and offices. Some have a half-day holiday. Check locally for details but make sure to do your grocery shop early this week!

If I don’t specify below, our side dishes are usually a fresh veggie platter (tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, broccoli florets, etc) or a spinach salad. Usually we have one evening per week where we use leftovers, eat some simple smørrebrød (Danish rye bread with toppings) or use up what we have left in the fridge. When you’re menu planning, remember to K.I.S.S.! Keep it simple, sweetie!

Whole roast chicken done in one pan along with potatoes, carrots and bacon. Easy Peasy! Served with a mozzarella tomato salad.



We didn’t get round to making the Grilled flank steak salad with red onion, beans and pesto (from the Emily Kydd book) last week, so that’s been pushed forward to this week’s menu.


Bibimbap. Yes, again! We make a variation of this recipe https://mykoreankitchen.com/bibimbap-korean-mixed-rice-with-meat-and-assorted-vegetables/ And I make a large batch of the sauce, keeping it in a jar in the fridge.

Diane in Denmark menu planning

Diane in Denmark menu planning

Oksekød i fad or “Beef in a bowl” A rather strange name and actually the first-ever dish my Dear Danish Husband cooked for me when we were courting. Don’t be alarmed by the vast quantity of ketchup, it gives real flavour to the dish 😅 Here’s how to make it.






Boller i karry a.k.a “balls in curry” – yes, we are all about the silly Danish names this week – with rice and homemade naan bread.
 Leftovers from the week served with Watermelon, Feta cheese and Cucumber salad…to keep us cool!


Looking for more easy recipes? I have a whole series!

And when you’ve finished dinner? Don’t forget to “close the kitchen” and leave your sink ready for the next time!

Bon appétit!
LLAP!
And may the Danish hygge be with you!
Diane

🥗 MENU What’s for dinner? Flylady Menu planning (new cookbooks)

What’s for dinner this week at Casa Copenhagen? We’re trying out several recipes from a book I found at our local Danish library by a British food writer called Emily Kydd (the English title of the book is Quick + Simple = Delicious). We’ll be adding our own twists to the recipes. If I don’t specify below, our side dishes are usually a fresh veggie platter (tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, broccoli florets, etc) or a spinach salad. Usually we have one evening per week where we use leftovers, eat some simple smørrebrød (Danish rye bread with toppings) or use up what we have left in the fridge. When you’re menu planning, remember to K.I.S.S.! Keep it simple, sweetie!

Grilled flank steak salad with red onion, beans and pesto (from the Emily Kydd book)


One night this week I’m meeting my friend, Kathryn, for dinner and while Kathryn and I are out gallivanting the family will be fending for themselves. Probably making biksemad (hash of fried cubed potatoes, beef, onions,), packet mix from the freezer, with fried eggs on top, ketchup and pickled beetroot on the side.

Farmors thai rejer! My DDDMIL (dearly departed Danish mother in law) recipe for Thai prawns which has nothing really to do with Thailand but was a recipe she often made for us when we visited and which is simple and tasty. Here’s how to make it!

Crispy noodles with aubergine and hoisin (from the Emily Kydd book)




Gyoza-balls with coconut rice and wasabi-guacamole (from the Emily Kydd book) My son made this dish for us and we enjoyed it! We always make rice in my beloved rice cooker.

Wasabi guacamole



Butter roasted Thai chicken with radish, mango and avocado salad
(from the Emily Kydd book)


Simple potato pancakes with a smoked-salmon tomato salad (from the Emily Kydd book)

Looking for easy recipes? I have a whole series!

And when you’ve finished dinner? Don’t forget to “close the kitchen” and leave your sink ready for the next time!

Bon appétit!
LLAP!
And may the Danish hygge be with you!
Diane

🥗 MENU What’s for dinner? Flylady Menu planning

What’s for dinner this week at Casa Copenhagen? Yet another “public holiday” in Denmark this week! (Church and state are linked in Denmark and most of our public holidays follow the Christian calendar. Thursday is Kristi Himmelfart = Ascension. And schools/many workplaces will also be closed on Friday). If I don’t specify below, side dishes are usually a fresh veggie platter (tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, broccoli florets, etc) or a spinach salad. And remember, when you’re menu planning to K.I.S.S.! Keep it simple, sweetie!

Chicken, crispy bacon and avocado salad


Chops with Couscous and Oven-Roasted Ratatouille. Oven-roasting the veggies really brings out the flavour: I prefer it to stove-cooked versions which can get very soggy. Simply chop up courgettte, aubergine, tomatoes, onion, red peppers, a little garlic and basil. Salt and pepper. Toss in olive oil and roast in a hot oven for about 30 minutes.

Chilli sin carne in hollowed-out bread “bowls”.  With grated cheese, salsa, creme fraîche. My 15 minute bread roll recipe ishere.

Spaghetti Carbonara (eggs, cream, parmesan, bacon).

Home vegetable quiche or tart (I have a very easy recipe here) with Salted Baby Potatoes

Pork Tenderloin with lightly boiled carrots, new potatoes and a creamy, balsamico sauce.

And one or two days of the week will usually be “something made with leftovers”, a takeaway or Danish smørrebrød (ryebread with various toppings).

Bon appétit!

My easy recipes and crafts are on this playlist

🥗 MENU What’s for dinner? Flylady menu planning

Here’s what’s on the menu at Casa Copenhagen this week!

  •  Usually I prepare two at the same time and freeze one lasagne for later use

  • luxury Danish biksemad which is basically a hash: diced potato and onion fried up with leftover meat (usually beef or pork), topped with a fried egg and served with pickled beetroot and ketchup or brown sauce. In my luxury version, I use extra vegetables (usually carrot and leek) plus a jar of duck (“rillettes de canard“)

  • Egg fried rice with leftover ham (from the “Glazed honey mustard ham” we had recently) and veggies from the fridge that need to be used up (red pepper/spinach)

  • Freezer meal (something straight from the supermarket) or leftover day…you don’t need to cook from scratch every day! 🙂

More easy recipes and crafts below!

💡 PRINTABLES Zone 2 Inspiration…errands, self-care, garden!

FLYLADY ZONE 2, THE KITCHEN

Thank you for all your wonderful suggestions on YouTube and Instagram for things we can focus on in Flylady zone 2 (the kitchen) for shopping, self-care and working in the garden! 😄 I shall keep adding to the list as more ideas come in…

Here’s my “self-preservation” bingo card for this week. You can click the photo, save and print. Or if you’d like to customise, here’s a link

 https://www.canva.com/design/DAD8DjpSh0U/8vcD9PcTJpbAad46yREGmw/view?utm_content=DAD8DjpSh0U&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=sharebutton&mode=preview



ERRANDS – SHOPPING LIST

  • Washing up liquid
  • Rubber gloves
  • Dishwasher detergent/tabs
  • Rinse aid
  • Dishwasher salt
  • Coffee/tea
  • Baking parchment/wrap
  • Kitchen roll
  • Cleaning liquid

SELF-CARE, PAMPER

  • Homemade face mask, lip or hand scrub, bath salts/bombs, homemade foot cream. Use herbs or flowers from your garden or pantry items (honey, sugar exfoliating scrub, olive oil egg yolk hair treatment, vanilla bath salts).
  • Keep a tube of hand cream by the sink.
  • Additional hand-care with some lotion or a mini-manicure.Make one day this week a “detox” day, with juicing and relaxation.
  • Search online for a new recipe to try, or reread a favourite cookbook.
  • Write down your favourite family recipe and make a copy for your children.
  • Have a go at that recipe you saved and never got round to.
  • Try making a new healthy snack, biscuit or cake.
  • Prepare a ‘new’ or ‘special’ snack to enjoy later on with a cup of tea!
  • Tidy and/or discard old recipes.
  • Tweak your diet, research healthier eating ideas and add one to your menu plan this week.
  • Add some fresh mint or a slice of lemon to your water.
  • Make homemade chocolates, truffles or fudge (for Zone 4 stash 😊).
  • Sit outside with your morning tea or coffee and listen to the birds.
  • Candlelight dinner with your best china, alone or with your significant other, on the balcony or in your garden.
  • Put together a pamper snack basket for the week, something special each day to enjoy.
  • Add your favourite meal to this week’s menu plan.
  • Sit at the dinner table, add candles, background music, serviettes, eat outside weather-permitting.
  • Enjoy the light in the kitchen for reading or doing a crossword.
  • Try a new type of tea or coffee or savour a cup of your favourite brew. Use the one you have been saving “for a special occasion”.
  • Indulge yourself and enjoy your favourite dessert, or a new ice-cream flavour.
  • Use one of your china teacups/saucers that you only keep for guests, or drink water/juice from a crystal wine glass.
  • Put together different salads, trying new combinations of veggies and fruits you’ve never tried, use a variety of lettuces and greens.
  • Add something which makes you smile while you’re cooking/doing the dishes: a bloom from the garden, a pot plant, a candle, a photo frame.
  • Make paper flowers to put on your windowsill or table.
  • Take a couple of pieces of the “good china” you save for special occasions out and have lunch or a snack, a cup of tea. Take a photo and invite a friend to do the same for a “separate but together” teatime, or eat “together” via FaceTime or Skype.
  • Hang a beautiful crystal in the window to make sparkles and rainbows.
  • Attach a perspex bird feeder to the kitchen window. You can see our one here…

GARDEN/YARD

  • Sow vegetable or herb seeds, plant up tender vegetables in a greenhouse, sow cress or micro seeds for quick fresh greens.
  • Watch the birds at the feeder.
  • Read outside in the garden, make a reading spot for yourself.
  • Use a special cuticle and hand cream after you’ve been working outside.
  • Sit outside and “just be”.
  • Rub your hands in the thyme, lavender, basil or mint bush.
  • Prepare the area for the vegetable garden.
  • Clean and check outside furniture.
  • Clean/prepare the barbecue and implements. Gas/charcoal.
  • Wipe down the parasol.
  • Take care of fruit trees or bushes. Swap excess garden produce with friends or neighbours.
  • Light a small bonfire.
  • Toast marshmallows.
  • Have a go at growing herbs in containers or recycled tin cans or plastic pot.
  • Water plants, set up a rainwater collector.

MY EASY RECIPES AND CRAFTS PLAYLIST!