Cinnamon rolls are commonly found throughout North America, but originated in the Scandinavian countries. Sweden has the kanelbulle, or cinnamon bun, which was probably the precursor to the cinnamon roll.

It is a yeast dough pastry, rolled with a layer of sweet cinnamon and brown sugar sauce, and topped with a cream cheese icing.

Perfect with a morning coffee!

Serves: Lots

Ingredients:

• 2 packages (or 2 tspn) dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup warm water (not hot)
• 1 can evaporated milk at room temperature
• 2/3 cup melted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 6 - 8 cups flour
• extra butter
• raisins (optional)
• cinnamon-sugar mix
• brown sugar

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 200ml (one cup) evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 200gm (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened

Method:

1. Mix the water, yeast and spoon of sugar, and mix.
2. Mix the evaporated milk, butter, sugar, salt and flour to make dough.
3. Ad the yeast mixture and mix thoroughly.
4. Let stand for 15 minutes.
5. Turn the dough onto floured surface and knead by hand until smooth and stretchy.
6. Remove air bubbles by slapping the dough onto a board.
7. Place in a large greased bowl, cover with cling film, and place in a warm (not hot!) oven for an hour to let it rise.
8. On floured surface, roll out dough in the shape of a rectangle.
9. Spread generously with butter.
10. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mix and a little brown sugar.
11. You can add raisins if you wish.
12. Roll the dough tightly and cut into slices 5cm (2inches) thick.
13. Preheat oven to 200 degrees C (400 degrees F) and then reduce to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F) when the rolls go into the oven.
14. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes.
15. While still warm, frost with cream cheese frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Combine the sugar, butter and enough milk to make a stiff frosting.
2. Add the softened cream cheese and mix until smooth
3. Add milk as needed to get the right smoothness.
4. Remember, you will be putting the frosting on when the rolls are warm, so it can be a bit stiff when cold.

Recipe Description:

Glögg, or Christmas vodka is a winter tradition in Sweden and other Scandinavian countries. It is commonly made with vodka, but wine can also be added or substituted. It can be served chilled or warmed.

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle (700ml) Vodka
• 2 tbspn sugar
• 2 sticks of cinnamon
• 12 whole cloves
• 12 whole cardamon seeds
• 1 orange

Method:

1. Gently crush the cinnamon, cloves and cardamon to release the flavor.
2. Put the sugar and spices into the vodka bottle.
3. Cork the bottle and leave for at least 2 days.
4. Wash an orange and slice a long strip of peel.
5. Put this strip of peel into the bottle and leave for a further 24 hours.
6. Strain and discard spices and peel.
7. Serve chilled or gently warmed.

Description:

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1kg [2 lb] beef, cut into thin strips across the grain
• 500g [1 lb] onions, sliced thinly
• 500g [1 lb] mushroom, sliced
• 500ml (1 large tub) sour cream
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 1 tspn sugar salt,
• cracked black pepper oil

Method:

1. Mix the mustard with the sugar, salt, pepper and 1 tbspn water to form a thick paste, and simmer
2. Wash and slice mushrooms
3. Peel and slice onions
4. Brown the mushrooms and onions in oil, then cook gently for 20 minutes
5. Cut the beef into thin strips
6. Cook on a high heat in batches to sear, not boil
7. When all the beef is seared, add to the mushroom/onion pan
8. Mix in the mustard paste
9. Stir in the sour cream
10. Season with salt and pepper to taste
11. Serve with boiled potatos or rice.

Description

This basic version of gazpacho is the one travelers would be most likely to encounter when touring through Spain. The fact that this soup is commonly found, however, in no way renders it “ordinary”.

One taste of this chilled gazpacho and you will be instantly transported to a land of whitewashed walls, red-tiled roofs, and a golden sun…

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 10 oz of bread
• 21 oz. of tomato
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 onions
• 2 red and green peppers
• 1 cucumber (optional)
• 7 tablespoons of oil
• 2 tablespoons of vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoon of water
• Cumin (optional)

Preparation

In a big mortar mash the cumin, the garlic and the soaked bread, in a plastic bowl mix the chopped onion, the chopped tomato, the oil, the vinegar, the salt and the contents of the mortar, mash it with the mixer and add very cold water to mix everything. Add salt and strain it. Keep it in the fridge until served.

Serve with the tomato, the cucumber, the pepper and the toasted bread cut to dices.

Description

Spanakopita  is a Greek savoury pastry with a filling of chopped spinach, feta cheese (sometimes in combination with ricotta cheese), onions or green onions, egg, and seasoning. The filling is wrapped in layers of phyllo pastry with butter and/or olive oil, either in a large pan from which individual servings are cut, or rolled into individual triangular servings.

Spanakopita is golden in color when baked, the color often enhanced by butter and egg yolk. Other white, fresh, preferably salted cheeses may also mixed with, or substituted for, the feta cheese.

It is mostly eaten as a snack in Greece. There is a “fasting”, or vegan, version of spanakopita, eaten during the Great Lent and other religious fasts, and comprising of spinach, onions or green onions, other green herbs like dill, parsleyor celery, olive oil and a little wheat flour, but without eggs or dairy products; the mixture is oven-baked until crisp.

Ingredients
5 leaks
4-5 eggs
2 kg [4.4 lb] fresh spinach
1/2 kg [1 lb] feta cheese
1/2 kg [1 lb] spring onions
Puff pastry or phyllo pastry
1 cup dill
1/4 cup rice
1 cup olive oil
1 cube beef stock

Directions
1. Clean and wash the spinach. Sprinkle with salt and let it lay to remove as much water as possible.
2. Cut the onions, leaks and dill and set aside.
3. In a large pot cook the onion in the oil. When the onions are pale and translucent add the spinach and leaks to the pot and simmer stirring constantly until the spinach is wilted.
4. Add the dill. Add the rice. Season with salt and pepper and cook for a little longer.
5. Add the feta cheese and the eggs and mix well.
6. Arrange the puff pastry or phyllo pastry in an oiled baking pan and pour in the spinach mixture.
7. Cover with the remaining pastry sheets.
8. Butter a baking pan and pour in the mixture.
9. Bake in a moderate oven 180C [350 F] for about 30 minutes.

Description

From the country’s varied culinary repertoire Hungarian goulash is the most famous and often cooked dish outside the borders of Hungary, still many confusions and misconceptions surround its exact preparation method.

Even in Hungary every other housewife or chef has its own way of cookingit by adding or omitting some of the ingredients, or changing something in the preparation process, however they would all call their gulyás the most authentic.

Authentic gulyás is a beef dish cooked with onions, Hungarian Paprika powder, tomatoes and some green pepper.

Potato and noodles (csipetke in Hungarian) are also added according to some recipes.

Hungarian goulash is neither a soup nor a stew, it’s somewhere in between. Though in Hungary it’s considered rather to be asoup than a stew, so look for it among Soups on restaurant menus.

If cooked in the proper way goulash has a nice and evenly thick consistency, almost like a sauce. In Hungary gulyás is eaten as amain dish; noodle or pastry dishes, especially the ones made with cottage cheese (túrós csúsza, túrógombóc, strudel) go down well after the heavy soup.

Ingredients:

• 600 g beef sheen or shoulder, or any tender part of the beef cut into 2×2 cm cubes
• 2 tablespoons oil or lard
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1-2 carrots, diced
• 1 parsnip, diced
• 1-2 cellery leafes
• 2 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped, or 1 tbs. tomato paste
• 2 fresh green peppers
• 2-3 medium potatoes, sliced
• 1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika powder
• 1 teaspoon ground caraway seed
• 1 bayleaf
• ground black pepper and salt according to taste
• water

Method:

1. Heat up the oil or lard in a pot and braise the chopped onions in it until they get a nice golden brown colour.
2. Sprinkle the braised onions with paprika powder while strirring them to prevent the paprika from burning.
3. Add the beef cubes and and sauté them till they turn white and get a bit of brownish colour as well.
4. The meat will probably let out its own juice, let the beef-cubes simmer in it while adding the grated or crushed and chopped garlic (grated garlic has stronger flavour), the ground caraway seed, some salt and ground black pepper, thebayleaf, pour water enough to cover the content of the pan and let it simmer on low heat for a while.
5. When the meat is half-cooked (approx. in 1,5 hour, but it can take longer depending on the type and quality of the beef) add the diced carrots,parsnip and the potatoes, the cellery leaf and some more salt if necessary (vegetables tend to call for more salt). You’ll probably have to add some more (2-3 cups) water too.
6. When the vegetables and the meat are almost done add the tomatoe cubes and the sliced green peppers. Let it cook on low heat for another few minutes. You can remove the lid of the pan if you want the soup to thicken.
7. Bring the soup to the boil and add the csipetke dough, it needs about 5 minutes to get cooked.