Stewed angelica

Angelica (Angelica archangelica) is the most highly regarded medicinal plant growing in Iceland, considered more potent than even yarrow (Achillea millefolium) and Iceland moss (Cetraria islandica). It has been used to fight infections (bacterial, fungal and viral), as a local anaesthetic, to strengthen the immune system and as an aid to digestion and recent research has show it to be effective against cancer cells.

Abroad it is used to flavour alcoholic drinks such as Bénédictine , Chartreuse, Vermouth and Dubonnet, and locally the root is used to flavour schnapps (Hvannarótarbrennivín). As a medicine it is most often made into a tisane or a tincture, using leaves, root or seeds. It is also a food plant. Here is one recipe:

Take fresh, young angelica stalks, peel off the outer layer and wash the stalks in cold water. Cut away any spots. Pour hot water over the stalks, then cook them in salted water until they are soft. Drain carefully, and serve with whipped butter. May also be stirred into white sauce and served as a side dish (the recipe book doesn’t say what with).

Disclaimer: I have’t tried it, but if I do I will report back.

P.S. Take a look at the comment below - there are instructions for angelica jam in there that sounds heavenly.

Bruschetta

Ingredients

Bruschetta is made with simple ingredients that provide a powerful flavour return on your investment. Make it with the highest quality and freshest ingredients you can find. Summer gardens will soon be a source for most, if not all, of these delicious flavours. Here’s a recipe I like to use.

Enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. fresh tomatoes (roma, heirloom, beefsteak...whatever is in season is best)
• 1/2 fresh onion
• 4 cloves fresh garlic
• 1 bunch fresh basil
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Preparation:

Chop, mix, and season. Yum.

Fried fish Orly

I have had several requests for this dish, so I decided to post the recipe. Apparently it was a favourite with American servicemen stationed at Keflavik airport and some of them still remember it fondly.

I'd be the first to admit that this isn't a specifically Icelandic dish, but you can buy it in many diners and restaurants all over the country.

Orly batter:
300 ml (10 fl.oz.) light lager or water
2 tbs sugar
1 tsp salt (the original recipe says 1 tbs, but this must be an error)
1 tbs cooking oil (the original recipe says 1 tsp, but this must also be an error - there needs to be more than 1 teaspoon of oil in the batter)
1 egg yolk
flour
1 egg white

Mix together the lager or water, sugar, salt oil and egg yolk and thicken with flour until the batter is the thickness of pancake batter. Let stand for 1 hour at room temperature. Whip the egg white stiff and fold into the batter just before you use it.

May be used to coat fish, scampi/langoustines, shrimp or vegetable fritters.

To make fish Orly:
Haddock fillets, boned and skinned, or other white fish – cod or sole is good and anglerfish is divine
flour for dredging

Cut the fish fillets in pieces about 3 by 2 inches. Pat the fish pieces dry, season if you wish and dredge in flour. Dip to coat in the orly batter and fry in a frying pan or a deep-fryer (set temperature at 180 to 200 °C (355 to 390 °F)) for 2-3 minutes. Batter coating should be golden when cooked.

Generally served with chips/fries, cocktail sauce and coleslaw.
I also like to serve it with rice, salad and sweet-and-sour sauce.

Notes:

• Stir peeled Arctic shrimp or finely chopped vegetables into the batter and drop lumps of it into hot oil with a tablespoon. Makes great finger food.
• Cut fish fillets into finger-sized strips, batter and fry. Another great finger food.
• Cocktail sauce, garlic sauce, sweet-and-sour sauce or sweet chili sauce make a good dipping sauce for food in Orly.

DARK RYE BREAD

We have used this bread for anything we would have used traditional bread for in the bad old days, including sandwiches and croutons.

Note: Be sure to read the next post here, "Almond Flour Revisited," before you attempt this recipe.

Enjoy.

Ingredients:

2 cups blanched almond flour

1 1/2 cups ground flax meal

1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

6 eggs

1/4 cup olive

1/2 cup water

4 tablespoons caraway seeds

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a loaf pan with olive oil or (better still) coconut oil. I like to add a piece of parchment for easy removal after baking.

Mix dry ingredients in one bowl except for caraway seeds.

Mix wet ingredients in another bowl.

Stir wet ingredients into dry, then mix in caraway seeds.

Allow batter to sit for 1 or 2 minutes to "thicken."

Pour the batter into the loaf pan, and bake for 50-60 minutes.

Cool and serve.

ALMOUND FLOUR REVISITED

I have wanted to share a few important links and recipes with all of you for quite a while. Sorry for the delay. First, I want to talk about Almond Flour, Almond Meal, the difference between the two in recipes, and the cost factor.

I avoid purchasing almond flour in the grocery store at around $15.00 per pound. One example of almond flour you will find in retail stores is Bob's Red Mill. This product, really more of an almond meal, has a very coarse texture. I do not recommend using Bob's Red Mill almond flour in my recipes, although, it will yield a decent result – just not the amazing results that a finer textured Almond Flour will produce. The least expensive almond meal I have seen locally is in the “Bulk Barn,” where the cost is roughly $9.39 per pound. In the bulk stores, it is referred to as “ground almonds,” and that is closer to the truth of its texture. I prefer to purchase almond flour of the finest quality and texture online where the price is considerably less than retail in either the grocery store or in bulk. Of course, there are shipping costs, which add to the bottom line price. Ultimately, almond flour is still expensive, but it is packed with protein and flavour, allowing me to have baked treats like cupcakes and breads. So for me, it is worth the cost.

Here in Canada the best link to order almond flour online is:

JK Gourmet at www.jkgourmet.com 1-800-608-0465.

Search the website carefully. You are only interested in the blanched almond flour! You will be buying in bulk from JK Gourmet, but you will save money, your results will be wonderful, and you will have plenty on hand when you need it.

Other online sources, best for US orders, are:

Benefit Your Life (organic) at www.benefityourlifestore.com 1-877-295-2407

Honeyville at www.store.honeyvillegrain.com 1-888-810-3212

In the US, you can purchase smaller amounts per online order, which, based on your budget, might be helpful.

I store my almond flour in the freezer, taking out 8-10 cups at a time to keep on hand at room temperature. Trying to use frozen almond flour is more work than it’s worth.

By the way, if you have enjoyed the almond flour recipes in GOOD FOOD using almond meal or ground almonds, you will enjoy those recipes even more using this better quality almond flour. You need not make measurement adjustments.

I will follow this post with a recipe which, thanks to the finer textured almond flour, I have really enjoyed, “Dark Rye Bread.”

Enjoy.

I've added photos to several recipes

Here's a list, if you want to take a look. 
Most of the photos can be viewed in a larger size by clicking on them.

• Baking-powder bread
• Cold bread casserole
• Colostrum pudding
• Devil‘s cake (buttercream icing variation)
• Dried fish
• Fish and seafood in Iceland (fermented skate, anglerfish), also added a load of links
• Gravlax
• Ham and egg sandwich loaf (4 variations)
• Icelandic pancakes (cream pancake)
• Kleinur (different stages of preparation)
• Lamb soup
• Pineapple pudding
• Rice pudding
• Salt cod
• Shrimp sandwich loaf (2 variations)
• Singed sheep‘s heads & brawn (brawn)
• Small pancakes (lummur)
• Smoked lamb
• Traditional Icelandic Christmas Dishes Traditional salt cod