• Cooking everyday meals for the family, fancy dinnerparties for friends, and everything in-between, trying not to break the bank and making the most of what's in season.

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As long as there are eggs in the fridge…

…there’s a meal to be had. Frittatas are great any time of day and with any kind of ingredients. Cauliflower abound in the markets these days, quickly boiled then sautéed with a bit of garlic brings out their sweetness and with some leftover bits of cheese and a salad on the side, dinner’s served!

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Warm winter soup

Spices like turmeric and cumin warm up a dish in more ways than just taste. And they’re good for you too. Simmering soup makes the house smell inviting, perfect for a rainy day.

Looks like cheddar cheese

Looks like cheddar cheese

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Pizza party

Pizza dough with oregano

Pizza dough with oregano

The best pizza is usually the one made at home, with everyone’s pick of their favourite toppings. Made the dough at lunch time (a luxury!) and let it sit covered in a cold oven for hours which made it light and fluffy and easy to roll out. Maxed out the oven temperature and baked quickly. Perfect weekend meal.

Half an half: pepperoni/mushrooms and pesto/sausage

Half and half: pepperoni/mushrooms and pesto/sausage

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Salmon, let me count the ways

Good thing the whole family loves salmon as it seems to be an almost-weekly staple. This time marinated in mustard sauce and quickly fried in a hot pan. Garlic steamed broccoli and sautéed brussels sprouts with lemon on the side.

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Good and good for you

Good and good for you

Two meals at once

Butter-marinated salmon with grilled fennel and potatoes

Butter-marinated salmon with grilled fennel and potatoes

While the potatoes were boiling, fennel grilling and salmon marinating the other night, there was time to chop and prep the next evening’s meal.

We all know soup tastes better the next day! A pile of leeks sautéed slowly with some garlic, potatoes, chicken stock, salt and white pepper. Didn’t have the dill I usually use, but added crème fraîche at the end and some leftover Gruyère which worked like a charm.

Puréed leek and potato soup

Puréed leek and potato soup

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Everyone’s favourite cheese — and soup

We did end up with some leftovers following the New Year’s Day bash, most of it cheese (that’s what happens when buying in bulk). I picked up a baguette on my way home, needed to stop for milk anyway, and went hunting in the freezer for dinner options.

Found a couple of pieces of haddock and a few of salmon. Fresh fennel in the fridge: fish stew! Onion simmered in butter, flour and milk made a roux, a pinch of curry, then the fennel and some chopped potatoes. Added some sliced tomatoes for colour and finished off with a bit of dill, salt and pepper after 20ish minutes of simmering.

Son #1 had Friulano, #2 Asiago, hubby blue cheese…and I had three slices of baguette so I could sample one of each. The only drawback: nothing left for my lunch the next day!

Fish “soup”

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In-between celebrations

Butter bath

Butter bath

After the Christmas weekend and before New Year’s, lighter fare is both required and desired. Simple sautéed spinach with grated citrus, red potatoes and…sole meunière, the not-so-light portion of the meal, as the fish is fried in clarified Butter.

Simply spinach

Simply spinach

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Holiday traditions

Traditional Norwegian “kransekake”

Norwegian kransekake. A few days in a cool dark place, then we’ll decorate with flags and Christmas crackers and finally be ready for the holidays. GOD JUL!

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Pie-fest

Pies ready for the oven

Pies ready for the oven

Son #1 turned 13 in early December and as is tradition, the birthday boy selects the day’s menu. It was a pie-fest! Steak and Guinness pie, chicken pot pie, minted peas — all recipes from Jamie Oliver. Dessert was apple pie and blueberry tart, generously made and brought by two of the guests. Another guest brought a large green salad and I was grateful for the help. We needed some serious re-arranging to fit all 15 around the table.

Steak and Guinness pie

Steak and Guinnes pie

Our house is small, but the kitchen’s the biggest room, so with an extra table and moving of shoes and other kids’ paraphernalia, it worked. Needless to say, I don’t have dinner sets for 15, but mis-matched silver and inherited china looked pretty good even though the table cloth didn’t quite cover the length of the makeshift table. What was important were the people around it.

Birthday meal

Birthday meal

Everyday family classic

Ground beef’s always handy to have in the freezer and I usually pick up bottles of Passata whenever they’re on special as they make a much nicer tomato sauce than the canned variety. With a few onions, some herbs and spices, a carrot or two, a splash of red wine, and a good long simmer, dinner’s pretty simple.

Wholewheat spaghetti with meat sauce

Wholewheat spaghetti with meat sauce

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