WinterWinter
During winter time I love making comforting food that warms me up, such as soups, stews and casseroles. Often, when enjoying my meal I can hear the very strong winter wind screaming at the windows and if you peek outside you might see a blizzard covering up everything in snow. And you wonder where you parked your car because you might not find it in the morning. Icelandic winters can be harsh and when Mother Nature is determined to keep you inside, the best thing to do is cook something nice. When I was a little girl we often had to leave our house through the balcony on the first floor because there was so much snow in front of the main door on the ground floor we couldn't get out. We rode snowmobiles to school and in the evenings we laid out in the snow watching the Northern Lights dance around in the sky. I am not fond of the cold winters which is why I am like a bear that goes into hibernation. I just want to be inside in my warm house (all houses in Iceland have geothermal heating which means that the houses are some of the comfiest and warmest you can find).
The recipes that I have collected in this category really reflect the long winter days when the only thing you want to do is crawl under a warm blanket with a mug of lovely, chunky soup.
4 Market Place Cafe's Broccoli and Leek Soup
Maria and Pete are dear friends of ours who used to own and run a cafe called 4 Market Place in central London (very close to where we used to live).
A Drink for Sore Throats
I don't get a sore throat often and I rarely ever get a flu or a cold (thankfully).
A Simple Fish Soup
This soup is both very simple to make and cheap and perfect mid week, especially when you have a bit of cooked leftover fish in the fridge.
Apple and Bran Muffins
Ever since I was little, growing up in Iceland I dreamt of keeping an apple tree. I love apples and my father always used to slice an apple each night when watching his TV programs.
Autumn Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Apples
This must be the perfect autumn soup! It is warming, slightly sweet (not too much though), mild and packed with vitamin C. This soup is quite popular with kids and easy on the stomach.
Beet and Apple Detox Juice
This is a fantastically healthy juice, packed with vitamins and antioxidants.
Biscotti with Pistachio Nuts and Orange Zest
The orange aroma that fills the kitchen when making these is wonderful. I sometimes make these biscottis just to fill the kitchen with that lovely orange scent.
Black Bean and Sweetcorn Soup
This is an easy mid-week soup, perfect for the left over vegetables found at the back of the fridge.
Blueberry Tea
This is my favourite tea when blueberries are in season although I often make it with frozen blueberries as well.
Breakfast Muffins
This recipe is inspired by a similar recipe in Nigella Lawson's How to be a Domestic Goddess (if you don't own a copy I recommend buying one, it's a pure joy to read).
Cashew Cream Buns with Strawberry Jam
The Monday, seven weeks before Easter, the tradition in Iceland is to serve Bollur (buns) and the day is called Bolludagur (Bun Day).
Cauliflower and Potato Soup
Since we don't have a very warm climate in Iceland our only hope for growing something we can eat is potatoes and hardy vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, beets, carrots etc.
Cauliflower Soup
I remember when I was a young girl (ok not THAT long ago), the kids in my neighbourhood used to attend a large garden where each kid had a plot for growing vegetables (we are not able to grow
Celery, Beet and Carrot Juice
If you are not into healthy eating, this drink probably might be a source of nightmares...it contains everything that "normal" people hate such as celery and beets (just add Brussel sprouts to comp
Chickpea Soup
I love Jamie Oliver's recipes and his whole philosophy on and approach to food, which is "use organic, local ingredients and avoid the junk". This is an adaptation of one of his recipes.
Chinese Five Spice Vegetable Noodles
'Five Spice' is a seasoning regularly used in Chinese food. It should be available in most supermarkets (and some health food stores), just ensure it contains only spices, not additives.
Chocolate Muffins
When I want to indulge...I make these muffins..and I make them with organic, dark chocolate. They are SO yummy.
Cinnamon Cookies
These are my favourite cinnamon cookies. There is absolutely nothing that announces the arrival of Christmas more clearly than the aroma of these baking in the oven.
Coconut and Pistachio Rolls (Buns)
This might somehow sound like a strange combination, pistachios, hazelnuts and coconut in a bread but somehow it works and quite well I might add.
Coconut and Salmon Noodle Soup
This soup is the perfect one to make if you have a bit of leftover salmon in the freezer or fridge.
Cornmeal and Mixed-seeds Bread
The texture of this bread is very nice and it is an excellent bread for freezing and toasting. Although the bread includes a fairly long ingredient list, it is quite easy to make.
Cream Buns with Jam
The Monday, seven weeks before Easter, the tradition in Iceland is to serve Bollur (buns) and the day is called Bolludagur (Bun Day).
Crêpes with Pearl Barley, Mushrooms and Mustard Sauce
I love crêpes...the French pancakes originating from Brittany in France.
