Oriental theme: Chicken and tomato rice

This time oriental atmosphere is created by the salad, which is made with long sliced cucumber and ice berg lettuce. Chopsticks are the natural choice for utensils. Salad is flavored with fructose, salt and some balsamic vinegar.

Ingredients:
ice berg lettuce
cucumber
balsamic vinegar
fructose, salt
full corn rice
tomato
coriander
spring onion
roasted champignon
chicken fillet
tarragon
turnip rape oil

Before cutting the tomato peel into cubes, the seeds and juice are removed to be used with the chicken. Tomato cubes, chopped coriander and spring onion are mixed to boiled rice just before serving. Chicken filets can be placed in freezer for a while, so that they are easier to cut into slices. The champignons are first toasted on a dry pan, then added oil and chicken. When the meat is done, add tomato seeds and juice and fry briefly.

Oriental theme: Jiaozi and garlic

Jiaozi, dumplings, are a very common food in Asia. In fact, there are some sources, that claim this kind of food has traveled to Asia from west, even from Finland. This is plausible, since one of the traditional Finnish foods is Carelian pies, prepared the similar way as dumplings.

This time, however, the dinners is prepared in Chinese way. The method is very labor intensive, but at the same time it offers a nice way to prepare dinner together with friends.

Ingredients;
celery
minced chicken
ginger
garlic
spring onion
coriander
eggs
wheat dough

The ingredients are minced and mixed together. The wheat dough is made the similar way as pasta dough, flour, water and egg. Small pieces of dough are then rolled thin and round. Spoonful of the filling is added to each of them, and the package is carefully closed. The dumplings are then boiled in a big kettle. One portion is added into the boiling water, and when the water boils again, some cold water is added. This is repeated three times, and the dumplings are ready.

For this dinner we made the dumplings the previous day, and fried them for the dinner in turnip rape oil. Served with soya sauce and grated garlic.

Blueberry reindeer and mushroom rice

The size of a reindeer filet is not extensive, but the savor and texture brings it to the aristocracy of meats. And in such case it can and should be fried only in butter on a cast iron pan. The filet need some heat on both sides for just a few minutes. The filet is sliced just before serving.

Ingredients:
ice berg lettuce
spring onion, mint
roasted pumpkin seeds
olive oil
Aattu's blueberry sauce
rice, roasted champignons
reindeer filet, butter


When the main character of the dinner is modest but strong, the salad or the side dish must not be profuse. The salad gets some edge from the spring onion and fresh mint leaves. Champignons toasted on a dry pan add character and structure to rice. Aattu's slowly cooked blueberry sauce gives the finishing touch to the meal.

Pumpkin seeds and goat cheese

This salad was a bit of a panic solution, I got hungry, and there wasn't much anything to eat at home. Despite of the starting point, the outcome was very tasty.

Ingredients:
ice berg lettuce
spring onion
tomato
roasted pumpkin seeds
cold cuts of reindeer steak roll
Norwegian goat cheese
olive oil

I piled the reindeer and cheese on top of each other before slicing it very thin. The sweetness of the cheese complements nicely the smokey aroma of the reindeer.

Reindeer and almonds

Smoked reindeer steak roll brings nice and strong flavor to otherwise light salad. The meal is also fairly substantial, and won't make you hungry right after leaving the dinner table, as would easily be the case with a regular salad.

Ingredients:
ice berg lettuce
spring onion
roasted almonds
cold cuts of reindeer steak roll
cold cuts of honey chicken roll
coriander, mint
lemon balm
olive oil
turnip rape oil
black pepper


The herbs are cut into small pieces, and covered with turnip rape oil. The cold cuts are sliced. Salad is built and the final touch is given by olive oil.

Salmon and rice

It is fast and easy to make tasty food with salmon. As I accidentally was able to get some real salmon, instead of the Norwegian bred-in-a-bag fish, I wanted to make a little more complex dinner with salad, side dish and salmon.


Ingredients:
salmon
basmati rice, coriander
champignons, tomato
tarragon, turnip rape oil
ice berg lettuce
spring onion
pine seeds
basil, olive oil


Salmon is cut into medallions, fried on a tender heat in its own fat. Rice gets some colour and taste by adding coriander just before the serving. The tomato juice and seeds are fried in turnip rape oil with toasted champignons. Add salt and tarragon. Salad is built with ice berg lettuce, spring onion, tomato peel cubes, roasted pine seeds, basil and olive oil.

Crunching lettuce, hidden seeds

I have always liked cooking, and once I got the idea of making this blog, the first recipe and photo are quite modest - but very tasty.

Ingredients:
ice berg lettuce
tomato
olive oil
rye crouton
spring onion
pine seed
black pepper
champignon

The pine seeds are gently roasted, of course - and the rye crouton I made myself. Cut the full rye bread slices to cubes, toast them in a dry pan for a while, move them to a bowl and add olive oil. Very crunchy and tasty, indeed! Also the champignons were roasted on a dry iron pan.