Tag: menu

Menu planning!

What’s for dinner – warm comfort food or a cool fresh salad? Happy Sunday from blowing-a-gale and wet Copenhagen! I’m just back from a bike ride and quick dunk in the sea with my Bestie Helene (more photos later in this post). It’s now dark here in Copenhagen by 4pm (a huge change from summer where it’s light until 11.30pm) so I’m really enjoying the candles by my sink and the fairy lights in our garden as I prepare dinner then finish off my Evening Routine. Very cheery! But without further ado, here’s what we ate at Casa Copenhagen this week!

Bulgogi beef with broccoli, red peppers and rice – I often use minced beef and alter the recipe every time but this recipe from BBC Good Food is easy if you’ve never made it before. I used half a package of beef (enough for hubby and me) and used the other half to make chili later in the week (see below).

Breakfast for dinner – used to have this a lot when our kids lived at home! Fried eggs, Danish bacon, leftover potatoes cubed and fried, my homemade bread rolls (I make up a large batch every weekend and freeze a few for the week) with butter and cheese. Easy peasy!

Danish fish and chips – frozen battered plaice fish fillets straight from the freezer, with homemade oven chips (I make normal fries for hubby, sweet potato for me) with broccoli (the other half from the bulgogi beef) and remoulade sauce

Beef and black bean chili in my Instant Pot (slow cooker function) – I used the other half of the minced beef from the bulgogi above to make the chili. Lots of sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, fresh avocado, grated cheese, chopped red onion and a squeeze of lime to finish…

Simple Tagliatelle pasta with bacon, mushrooms, garlic and cream topped with lots of freshly grated parmesan and plus a spinach salad on the side

And seeing as how the weather has been so miserable recently, I’m bringing my Mum’s Minestrone soup back into circulation! Have you ever tried it? I know many of you have made it and love it! Quick and easy, a family favourite. You can see how I make it below, just tap to watch the video! Ideal for the slow cooker or Instant Pot, but the stove top method is just as good.

Helene and I could have done with a plate of my Mum’s Minestrone after our bike ride and sea dip today… Blowing a gale and for once it was much warmer IN the sea than OUT! Ha ha! Sea 6c/42f, air windchill minus -3c/26f Brrrr!

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!

Want to see more of my easy recipes and crafts? Tap below for my full YouTube series…

Velbekomme (“bon appétit”) and have a wonderful day!

LLAP! Hugs!

Diane

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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…

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!

Want to see more of my easy recipes and crafts? Tap below for my full YouTube series…

Velbekomme (“bon appétit”) and have a wonderful day!

LLAP! Hugs!

Diane

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What’s for dinner?

Happy Sunday from very grey and wet Copenhagen! I’ve got a thick beef stew on the go in my Instant Pot today (pressure cooker setting) which will be our dinner tonight – steak pie. Yum! Not sure if it’s because I’m Scottish but I will eat anything if it’s covered in – or topped with – pastry, ha ha! Our Flylady habit for November is meal planning. What’s your style? I usually draft a basic plan and then decide on the day what we’ll be eating (our plans shift quite often). Once a week is dedicated to leftovers or a straightforward “clean out the fridge” quiche or omelette. And on really chaotic days, we turn to “madder“. Danish rye bread with an assortment of toppings (a common lunch choice here in Denmark). We also factor in an occasional takeaway or dinner in the city with our grown kids. Keep it simple, Sweetie! Without further ado, here’s what we ate at Casa Copenhagen last week!

Västerbottenostpaj – Swedish cheese pie A readymade pie (Västerbotten cheese is similar to parmesan) gently heated in the oven and served with a mixed salad and baby potatoes. In the summer we usually eat it warm with some smoked salmon on the side.

Vegetarian mixed bean chili (I used kidney beans, black beans, chickpeas and sweetcorn) made in my Instant Pot (slow cooker setting) with tortilla chips, sour cream, grated cheese and coriander. I made the chili with a large cup of quinoa so we didn’t need any rice on the side. And this time I also added some smoked paprika to the chili which gave it a lovely depth of flavour.

Creamy chicken pasta – leftover cooked chicken (I had a small bag of it in the freezer) which I quickly fried with onion, garlic and herbs in my Instant Pot on sauté mode. Then I put in a layer of wholemeal pasta (enough for me and hubby) and covered the mixture with chicken stock. Cooked at high pressure for 5 minutes. When the pasta was cooked I stirred in some frozen peas (they “cook” immediately in the hot pasta). And then added quite a lot of Philadelphia cheese plus a little cream. Extra parmesan on top. Forgot to take a photo but it’s always delicious and so easy! (Sometimes I use leftover ham or beef, bacon, mushrooms, red peppers, etc)

Homemade pizza with chorizo sausage and green pepper.

Chicken and bacon pastry parcels – straight from the freezer, on a night that I was home alone. With homemade sweet potato fries and salad.

Super Speedy Thai Prawn curry – a recipe my Dearly-Departed-Mother-in-Law often cooked for us. Has absolutely nothing to do with Thailand but it is very speedy and tasty – it can be on the table in 15 minutes, once you get the rice cooking! I keep a packet of frozen prawns in the freezer for this dish (just add the frozen prawns to the sauce once it is made, and gently heat through).

That’s it for this week’s menu plan! Remember to clear up the kitchen as soon as you finish eating dinner (don’t go wandering off) and complete your Evening Routine. Whether you are in the northern or southern hemisphere, keep your Routines hygge – they will be more enjoyable!

Velbekomme (“bon appétit”) and have a wonderful day!

LLAP! Hugs!

Diane

PS: Want more of my easy recipes and crafts? Tap below for my full YouTube series…

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