Europe Archives | Page 9 of 11 | SpiceBreeze

4

Mar, 2020

Pollo con Pesto

Italian Pollo con Pesto al Forno

Italian Pollo con Pesto

Italian Pollo con Pesto al Forno

SpiceBreeze

Pollo con Pesto al Forno is an easy baked chicken. Just perfect for a weeknight. Our spice blend includes sun-dried tomatoes and precious pine nuts. We skipped the cheese to avoid preservatives. Alternatively, you can sprinkle the blend on a margarita pizza, or pasta with tomato or cheese sauce.

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Cuisine Italian

Servings

Ingredients

Shopping List

2 pieces chicken breasts cut into 4 thin(halved horizontally)
8-12 oz mozzarella cut into thin slices
2 large tomato/es cut into thin slices
1-2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
olive oil
salt & pepper

Suggested Sides

Cooked orzo, baked or mashed potatoes, or French fries.
Green asparagus, kale or lettuce salad, or sautéed spinach.

Culinary Spice Kit

Basil, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts, salt, black pepper.

Instructions

Prepare

Preheat the OVEN to 350°F.
Season chicken with salt & pepper to taste.
Mix Pesto spices with 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and 3/8 cup olive oil.
In a BAKING DISH, spread a thin layer of oil on the bottom.
Add the chicken halves in one layer.
Spread the pesto mixture evenly onto the chicken.

Assemble

Place tomato slices in one layer on top.
Sprinkle with parmesan cheese to taste.
Add mozzarella slices as the last layer.
Sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste.

Bake

Bake the chicken for about 20 minutes.

Alternative Vegetarian Version

Cut zucchini lengthwise in half and scoop out the middle.
Season the inside with salt & pepper to taste.
Dice the scooped out flesh and add it to the Pesto mixture.
Fill it back into the zucchini.
Place the zucchini in the greased BAKING DISH.
Continue with the assemble and bake steps of the recipe above.
Enjoy!

Notes

▪ Substitute chicken with zucchini and follow the vegetarian version.

▪ Substitute chicken with fish filet.

▪ Substitute mozzarella with your preferred cheese.

Marceline Reid-Jaques

2022-12-14

Karen Jones

2022-12-05

Wonderful, flavorful meals using readily available ingredients!

ann davis

2022-11-29

My daughter gave me a subscription as a Christmas present while our families were quarantining together. It was so much fun! It introduced us to several cuisines that were totally new to us. The recipes were easy to follow and the spices were transformative - fresh and pungent and delicious.

Jessica Brown

2022-05-22

The best way to try new dishes!

Enter the Culinary World

Be Inspired | Explore your boundaries and creativity

7

Feb, 2020

French Filet Mignon Au Poivre

French Valentine’s Dinner

French Filet Mignon au Poivre

French Valentine's Dinner For Two

SpiceBreeze

Enjoy a French Valentine's dinner for two with classic Filet Mignon au Poivre (pepper steak) and discover the extravagance of a rose-flavored dessert. Filet mignon is the most original choice. Chicken and pork work just as well. Precious green peppercorns give the creamy sauce a less pungent, woody-fruity note.

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hands-on time 30

Course Dessert, Main Course

Cuisine French

Servings

Ingredients

Shopping List

2 inch filet mignon* 1 inch thick
2 tbsp cognac** or brandy or similar
0.5 cup beef broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 lb potatoes cooked and peeled
8 oz snow peas or thin carrot slices
3 cups yogurt plain, creamy
butter & oil
honey***
milk
salt & pepper

Culinary Spice Kit

[1] Green peppercorns
[2] Rosebud powder

Instructions

Prepare 30 minutes before cooking

Soak Valentine [1] spices in 3 tbsp water.
Rub dry filets with salt and pepper to taste. Let them rest at room temperature.

Dessert

Mix yogurt with Valentine [2] spices.
Add honey*** to taste.

Fry

In a PAN, heat 2 tbsp oil to smoking hot.
Fry filets 2 minutes on each side over high heat without moving them in between.
Add 1 tbsp butter. Fry filets over high heat until the desired doneness.
Transfer filet to a plate and cover with foil.
Carefully, add cognac**.
Cook 1 minute. Add the soaked Valentine [1] spices with the water.
Cook 2 minutes over high heat.
Add broth, cream, and salt & pepper to taste.
Bring to a boil. Cook until the sauce thickened.

Potatoes

Mash potatoes and reheat with some milk. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Peas

In a separate PAN, heat some butter and fry snow peas for about 5 minutes. Add salt to taste.
Enjoy!

Notes

* Substitute filet with chicken breast, pork tenderloin or chops, or eggplant slices. Adjust cooking time.

** On a gas stove, make sure to have a lid at hand in case of catching fire.

*** Substitute honey with (maple) syrup. Optionally, add fresh raspberries.

28

Jan, 2020

French Boeuf aux Quatre Épices

French Bœuf aux Quatre Épices

Hearty Winter Stew

European cuisine has an interesting range of hearty stews to survive the cold season. Enjoy the deep flavor in French Bœuf aux Quatre Épices. Choose the main recipe for a beef stew or one of its variations.

Quatre Épices

Quatre Épices or “four spices” is a French staple blend with white pepper in a prominent role. Quatre Épices is used to season hearty stews and soups, or braised root vegetables.

The Star: White Pepper

Black and white pepper derive from the same plant but have different flavors and heat profiles. They are harvested at different stages. In the next step, to receive the white pepper, the skin is removed from the pepper berry.

Variations

Substitute beef with lamb or rabbit.
Substitute 1-2 cups of broth with red wine.
In the end, stir 1/2 to 1 cup of heavy cream into the sauce, and bring it to a boil. Adjust salt.
Instead of the heavy cream, top your plated meal with a dollop of crème fraîche.

Vegetarian Version

For a vegetarian version, make the following changes to the recipe:

Step (1) – Add 1 lb mushrooms.

Step (2) – Skip this step.

Step (4) – 1 tbsp flour is enough for this version.

Step (5) – Use not more than 2 cups of broth.

Step (7) – Cooks fast in only 30 minutes.

The Bœuf aux Quatre Épices Culinary Spice Kit includes the following spices:

White pepper, cloves, ginger, nutmeg

Fresh carrots and small onions cook for three hours in this stew. Use shallots or beautiful boiling onions.

Boeuf aux Quatre Épices

French Bœuf aux Quatre Épices

SpiceBreeze

Quatre Épices or "four spices" is a French staple blend with white pepper in a prominent role. Black and white pepper derive from the same plant but have different flavors and heat profiles. They are harvested at different stages. In the next step, to receive the white pepper, the skin is removed from the pepper berry. Quatre Épices is used to season hearty stews and soups, or braised root vegetables. This recipe is for a French-style beef stew or one of its variations.

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hands-on time 30

Course Main Course

Cuisine French

Servings

Ingredients

Protein

1.25 lb beef stew
7 oz bacon

Produce

5 carrots cut into 1-inch slices
10 small shallots peeled
2 cloves garlic peeled, crushed

Dairy

4 tbsp butter

Packaged Goods/Staples

5 cups beef or vegetable broth
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp flour
salt

Bœuf aux Quatre Épices Culinary Spice Kit

white pepper, cloves, ginger, nutmeg

Suggested sides

potato croquettes or dumplings, boiled or mashed potatoes, gnocchi, or thick noodles of your choice
lettuce or cucumber salad with a light lemon dressing

Instructions

In a large POT, melt the butter.
Add the onions whole and the bacon.
Cook over medium-low heat until golden, stirring constantly.
Scoop them out and set aside.
In the same POT, cook the meat over high heat until it turns brown, stirring frequently.
Add the carrots and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Sprinkle the meat with flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
Add the broth, mix, and scrape the bottom. Return the bacon and onions.
Add the tomato paste, garlic, and Quatre Épices spices. Season with salt to taste. Mix well.
Bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat for 3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes.
Enjoy!

Vegetarian (optional)

Add 1 lb mushrooms with the onions.
1 tbsp flour is enough for this version.
Use not more than 2 cups of broth.
Cooks fast in only 30 minutes

Notes

Optional/ Variations

▪ Substitute beef with lamb or rabbit.

▪ Substitute 1-2 cups of broth with red wine.

▪ In the end, stir 1/2 to 1 cup of heavy cream into the sauce, and bring it to a boil. Adjust salt.

▪ Instead of the heavy cream, top your plated meal with a dollop crème fraîche.

24

Jun, 2019

Smörgåstårta - Swedish Sandwich Cake

Smörgåstårta – Swedish Sandwich Cake

Smörgåstårta - Swedish Sandwich Cake

It looks like a cake with a savory decoration. The inside is a layered sandwich filled with everything you can imagine as long as you combine it with mayonnaise and eggs on sandwich bread. Serve it cold and cut in cake slices.

Cake or Cupcakes

The recipe below is an easy version of a cake. You can also make four single “cupcakes” instead of one large cake when you assemble on top of four single slices of bread.

Decoration with no Limits

The is no limit for the cake decoration. Often used vegetables are lettuce leaves, sliced cucumber & tomatoes, and chopped chives. Other options are quartered eggs, cherries, grapes, and small shrimps.

The Smörgåstårta Culinary Spice Kit includes the following spices:

Horseradish, green peppercorns, fennel, dill, celery

Fillings Make the Difference

Popular are different fillings for each layer and rich decorations. Here are some inspirations:

Vegetarian filling: Substitute tuna with 1/2 lb of mushrooms. Cut the mushrooms in slices and cook them in some butter until they become just a bit soft.
Meat filling: Substitute tuna with 8 oz ham, cut into 1/2-inch squares, or chicken breast, cooked and shredded.
Paste layer: On one layer spread a smoked cod, salmon, shrimps, anchovy, olive, avocado, or liver pâté paste.
More fillings: Substitute tuna with chopped eggs and anchovies.

Tip: Quick DIY Mayonnaise

In Sweden, it’s often used cream fraîche for the filling, which is rarely available in the United States. It is like a mix of heavy cream and sour cream.

You can make your own mayonnaise any time at home from eggs, oil, and white vinegar:

Leave 2 eggs at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Mix eggs in a blender.
Add 1 cup of vegetable oil one tablespoon at a time.
Add 1 tsp white vinegar or more to taste.
Add salt and black pepper to taste.

For a variation, add one tsp of mustard or freshly grated horseradish.

Smörgåstårta - Swedish Sandwich Cake

Smörgåstårta - Swedish Sandwich Cake

SpiceBreeze

It looks like a cake with a savory decoration. The inside is a layered sandwich filled with everything you can imagine as long as you combine it with mayonnaise and eggs on sandwich bread. This recipe is one easy version. You can also make four single "cupcakes" instead of one large cake. Popular are different fillings for each layer and rich decorations. Get more recipes and inspirations on our website.

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Cuisine Swedish

Servings

Ingredients

2 can tuna in water each 5 oz
8 oz mayonnaise
4 oz sour cream
4 oz cream cheese
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
12 slices sandwich bread cut into even squares
2 hard-boiled eggs chopped
1-2 lemon for juice
salt & pepper

Culinary Spice Kit Ingredients:

[Tarta] horseradish, green peppercorns, fennel, dill, celery

Instructions

A. Filling

In a BOWL, mix the Tarta Spices with 1/8 cup lemon juice.
Add mayonnaise, sour cream, cream cheese. Mix well.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Set 1 cup of the mixture aside for the “icing”.
To the remaining mixture, add eggs, vegetables, and tuna.

B. Assembly

Assembly the cake on a large serving plate
(1) With a knife, spread four slices of bread with half of the filling.
(2) Place four slices of bread on top.
(3) Spread with the remaining filling.
(4) Place the last slices of bread on top.
(5) Use the “icing” mixture to spread over the top and all sides.
(6) Cover completely with plastic wrap.
Let it rest overnight in the fridge.

C. Decoration

Decorate the cake to your taste, for instance, cover with lettuce leaves and top with tomato slices and chopped herbs. For more ideas and tips see our blog.
Enjoy!

19

Jun, 2019

Swedish Köttbullar

Swedish Köttbullar

Swedish Köttbullar

Swedish Köttbullar

SpiceBreeze

IKEA made them famous around the world: Köttbullar, the national dish of Sweden. Surprisingly, in 2018, Sweden revealed Turkey as its origin. In the 18th century, King Charles XII fell in love with Turkish meatballs and introduced them to his home country. Today, Köttbullars are usually served with mashed potatoes, creamy brown sauce, and sour-sweet sides: cucumber salad and lingonberry jam.

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Cuisine Swedish

Servings

Ingredients

Shopping list

1 lb ground meat (half beef and pork or any to your liking)
1 lb potatoes boiled, peeled
1 English cucumber finely sliced
1 jar berry jam*)
1/4 cup breadcrumbs

You might have

1/2 cup milk plus some for the potatoes
2 tbsp butter
1 egg
1 tbsp agave syrup or honey or sugar (or to taste)
1/8 cup vinegar
salt & pepper

Sauce

2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1 cup broth

Optional

Fresh parsley or dill finely chopped

Culinary Spice Kit

Onions, white pepper, allspice, black pepper, yellow mustard, ginger

Instructions

Pickled Salad

In a BOWL, mix 1/3 cup of water with the vinegar and salt to taste. Sweeten to taste. Mix well.
Add cucumber slices and mix well.
Optionally, add fresh parsley or dill.
Let it rest in the fridge for 2 to 24 hours.

Meatballs

In a BOWL, whisk the egg.
Add Köttbullar spices, milk, and breadcrumbs. Mix well. Let it soak for 10 minutes.
Add the meat and salt to taste (1 tsp recommended). Knead until everything is well combined. Don't overdo it.
Form little meatballs.
In a PAN, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium heat.
Fry the meatballs until they are cooked through.
Shake the PAN occasionally to brown the balls all around.

Sauce

In a small POT, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium heat.
Add flour and gently whisk for about 3 minutes until it changes color.
Whisking continuously, add milk and broth and bring to boil over medium heat.
Turn heat to low and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Mashed potatoes

Mash the potatoes and reheat them with a little milk.
Add salt to taste.

Serve

Serve the meatballs with the salad, mashed potatoes, jam, and optional sauce. Enjoy!

Notes

*) Lingonberry is the best choice, available, for instance, at IKEA stores. Raspberry or blueberry jam works fine as well. Or, cook cranberries with some water and sugar into a thick sauce. Or, serve just with fresh raspberries or blueberries.
Substitute pickled cucumber salad with any other pickled vegetable that you prefer.
Substitute breadcrumbs with flour or ground nuts.

Marceline Reid-Jaques

2022-12-14

Karen Jones

2022-12-05

Wonderful, flavorful meals using readily available ingredients!

ann davis

2022-11-29

My daughter gave me a subscription as a Christmas present while our families were quarantining together. It was so much fun! It introduced us to several cuisines that were totally new to us. The recipes were easy to follow and the spices were transformative - fresh and pungent and delicious.

Jessica Brown

2022-05-22

The best way to try new dishes!

Enter the Culinary World

Be Inspired | Explore your boundaries and creativity

Köttbullar

Swedish Köttbullar

IKEA made them famous around the world: Köttbullar, the national dish of Sweden. Surprisingly, in 2018, Sweden revealed Turkey as its origin. In the 18th century, King Charles XII fell in love with Turkish meatballs and introduced them to his home country. Today, Köttbullars are usually served with mashed potatoes, creamy brown sauce, and sour-sweet sides: cucumber salad and lingonberry jam.

Shopping list

1 lb ground meat ( (half beef and pork or any to your liking))
1 lb potatoes (boiled, peeled)
1 English cucumber (finely sliced)
1 jar berry jam*)
1/4 cup breadcrumbs

You might have

1/2 cup milk (plus some for the potatoes)
2 tbsp butter
1 egg
1 tbsp agave syrup (or honey or sugar (or to taste))
1/8 cup vinegar
salt & pepper

Sauce

2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1 cup broth

Optional

Fresh parsley or dill (finely chopped)

Culinary Spice Kit

Onions, white pepper, allspice, black pepper, yellow mustard, ginger

Pickled Salad

In a BOWL, mix 1/3 cup of water with the vinegar and salt to taste. Sweeten to taste. Mix well.
Add cucumber slices and mix well.
Optionally, add fresh parsley or dill.
Let it rest in the fridge for 2 to 24 hours.

Meatballs

In a BOWL, whisk the egg.
Add Köttbullar spices, milk, and breadcrumbs. Mix well. Let it soak for 10 minutes.
Add the meat and salt to taste (1 tsp recommended). Knead until everything is well combined. Don’t overdo it.
Form little meatballs.
In a PAN, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium heat.
Fry the meatballs until they are cooked through.
Shake the PAN occasionally to brown the balls all around.

Sauce

In a small POT, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium heat.
Add flour and gently whisk for about 3 minutes until it changes color.
Whisking continuously, add milk and broth and bring to boil over medium heat.
Turn heat to low and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Mashed potatoes

Mash the potatoes and reheat them with a little milk.
Add salt to taste.

Serve

Serve the meatballs with the salad, mashed potatoes, jam, and optional sauce. Enjoy!

*) Lingonberry is the best choice, available, for instance, at IKEA stores. Raspberry or blueberry jam works fine as well. Or, cook cranberries with some water and sugar into a thick sauce. Or, serve just with fresh raspberries or blueberries.
Substitute pickled cucumber salad with any other pickled vegetable that you prefer.
Substitute breadcrumbs with flour or ground nuts.

7

Sep, 2018

Georgian Ajapsandali

Georgian Ajapsandali

Ajapsandal-i

Caucasian Ajapsandal or Georgian Ajapsandali is a perfect summer dish since this eggplant stew with fresh herbs tastes best cold. While cooling, the vegetables can absorb the complex combination of typical Georgian spices.

Meat is Optional

Lamb or beef can be added to this dish rich of vegetables with the additional instructions at the end of the recipe. Though, prepare for about 2 hours more to cook the meat tender. Faster is to serve Ajapsandali as a side to grilled meat.

Variations

Traditionally, it has a little heat from a fresh chili pepper, but this is up to you.
Substitute eggplant with zucchini for a change or if you prefer so.

The Ajapsandali Culinary Spice Kit includes the following spices:

Coriander, marigold, garlic, methi, paprika, caraway, black pepper, fenugreek, hyssop, mint, savory, chili

Georgian Ajapsandali

Georgian Ajapsandali

SpiceBreeze

Caucasian Ajapsandal or Ajapsandali is a perfect summer dish since this eggplant stew with fresh herbs tastes best cold. Lamb or beef can be added. Traditionally, it has a little heat from a fresh chili pepper. The spice blend includes marigold which is also called Georgian saffron.

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hands-on time 30

Cuisine Georgian

Servings

Ingredients

1.5 lb eggplants or zucchini or half-half
1.5 lb tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
1/3 cup cilantro and/or parsley finely chopped
8 slices dark bread
1 onion chopped
4 cloves garlic chopped
vegetable oil
salt & pepper

Ajapsandali Culinary Spice Kit

Coriander, marigold, garlic, methi, paprika, caraway, black pepper, fenugreek, hyssop, mint, savory, chili

Optional

fresh chili pepper finely chopped
1 carrot diced
grilled meat

Instructions

Prepare

Cut all vegetables into 1-inch pieces.
In a BOWL, add eggplants and 2 tsp salt.
Mix well. Let rest for 30 minutes.
Rinse eggplants and squeeze all liquid out.

Fry

In a PAN, heat 2 tbsp oil over high heat.
Careful of splatters, add eggplants and fry until they turn brown.
Add oil as necessary.

Cook

In a POT, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium heat.
Fry onions for 5 minutes. Add fried eggplants, garlic, and Ajapsandali spices.
Mix well and cook for 2 minutes.
Add tomatoes, bell peppers, optional chili and/or carrots, and salt & pepper to taste.
Mix well. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes.
Stir in cilantro or parsley.

Serve

Serve hot or cold with dark bread and optional grilled meat.
Enjoy!

Notes

Additional instructions for Ajapsandali with beef or lamb:

You need

1 lb stew beef or lamb, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups tomato puree

Prepare

Season meat with salt and pepper.
Dredge meat in 2 tbsp flour.

Cook

Before frying the onions, add the meat, and cook about 5 minutes until it's browned all over.
Take meat out and set aside.
Fry onions for 5 minutes.
Add meat, tomato puree, garlic, Ajapsandal Spices. and salt to taste. Mix well.
Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 1.5 - 2.5 hours until the meat is almost tender. Add a bit water or tomato puree if necessary.
Add fried eggplants.
Continue with the cooking step 4 in the main recipe above.

Georgian Bread: Khachapuri recipe.

Georgian Dishes

Georgian chakhokhbili

Georgian chashushuli

Georgian ajapsandali