end Of an Era

Hello peeps!

The time has come, to say goodbye to Charlie’s world!

many of you have followed me since the start, when I was a recent high school student and were about to take that big leap and move across the continent and stand on my own two feet for the first time, thousands of miles from my home and my family. I now have a masters degree in my hands and I’m about to begin a new chapter of my life. I have had the most wonderful readers, who have cheered me on as i struggled in my studies and in doubt.

The end of charlie’s world however do not mean the end of me in the blogosphere. I have set up a new blog and a new start, something that will suit me better as the person i has grown into in these past couple of years, so come on over to : https://charlieskitchenstories.wordpress.com

With Love 

Charlie XX

DIY: Spring Flower Jars

Happy Good Friday, or just happy Friday if you don’t celebrate Easter.

Today’s recipe is a DIY. Its very easy to make and takes about 10-15 minutes a jar to make and is perfect to place on your Easter table during the festivities, and if you don’t celebrate Easter, remove the chicken and it will be a beautiful spring flower arrangement.

What you need:

Jar(s)

Water

Tree branches

Small decorative chickens (optional)

Moss

Wild flowers

 

Directions

1. Start by making a tree crown, intertwine several tree branches and bind them together with
2. Start by filling your jar with a bit of water on the bottom.
3. Cut a couple a tree branches into small pieces the same length as the bottom of the jar. Place the cut tree branches diagonally inside the jar, one across another so they make up a “net”.
4. Cover the branch construction with moss.
5. Place a couple of spring flowers in the jar. Place the tree crown around the upper part of the jar. Place the little chicken on the moss.

 

Love, 

Charlie 

Saffron, Smoked Salmon And Red Chicory Risotto

Happy Wednesday peeps.

It’s almost Easter time, which means its time for Easter egg hunts, lots and lots of candy and food.

I’m not a massive Easter fan, but I am a fan of every opportunity given to indulge in some good food. Hehe

This recipe I made a couple of weeks (!) ago and it was received with great success.

So I though this could be todays recipe here on Charlie’s world.

This risotto, by now you all know I love risotto, can easily be a fancy week dinner or a simple dinner to share with ones friends a Saturday night. It can easily go as a first course or as well a main course.

 

 

Ingredients

 

½ head of red chicory

1-teaspoon saffron

7 oz. /200 g smoked salmon

¾ cups /1,5 dl chardonnay wine

1 -1 0.5 vegetable stock

1 ½ cup / 280 grams Risotto rice

1 garlic clove

½ chopped onion

Butter

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Parmesan (Optional)

 

Method

 

1. Heat the vegetable stock in a large pot. Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel garlic.
2. In a large pan heat about 1 tbsp. of good quality olive oil over a low heat, add the garlic clove and the chopped onion. Fry gently for approximately 5- 10 minutes.
3. Add the rice ad turn up the heat – the rice will now begin to lightly fry, so keep stirring it. After 1 minute it will look slightly translucent. Add the wine and keep stirring.
4. Once the wine has cooked into the rice, add your first ladle of hot stock. Turn the heat down to a simmer so the rice doesn’t cook too quickly on the outside. Keep adding ladleful’s of stock, stirring and almost massaging the creamy starch out of the rice, allowing each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next. This will take around about 15 minutes. Taste the rice – is it cooked? Carry on adding stock until the rice is soft but with a slight bite.
5. Add the saffron and stir it around! It will become bright yellow and oh so colorful. It will also have an incredible smell.
6. Chop the salmon and red chicory into small pieces and add them to the risotto. Give it a good stir. Taste with salt and pepper, add a tablespoon of butter to the risotto and give it a good stir around. If one wish, add some freshly grated parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Love, 

Charlie 

 

walnut chocolate chip cookies

Happy Friday peeps,

I’m extremely tired today. I’m having a full day in front of me and I’m functioning on less than 4 hours of sleep. But who am I to complain.

I’m happy to be welcoming the weeend and some down time.

30 cookies

Ingredients

2 sticks / 230 grams butter

2 1/5 cups/ 5,5 dl flour

10 oz. /300g chocolate

4/5 cups /2 dl walnuts

1 egg

4/5 cups / 2 dl sugar

2/3 cups/ 1,5 dl brown sugars

1,5 tbsp. baking soda

0,5 tbsp. salt

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 190°C / 375F
2. Chop chocolate and walnuts roughly
3. Mix butter, brown sugar and sugar until white and fluffy
4. Stir in the egg to the butter mixture.
5. Mix all dry ingredients in a separate bowl, add into the butter mixture work it until it becomes a dough.
6. Lastly mix in chopped chocolate and walnuts.
7. Divide the dough in roughly 30 small pieces, roll into small balls. Distribute one inch apart on baking trays dressed in parchment paper.
8. Cook for 10-11 minutes, until the cookies have gotten a bit of color.
9. Done!

Love ,

Charlie xx

carrot cake

 

Carrot cake is one of my absolute favorite things in this world.

It is one of the few things that have always remained a constant favorite of mine, it’s the perfect cake to enjoy with a cup of tea, when one feels a bit sad and needs cheering up or even for desert after dinner. It’s the simply the best cake, according to me.

Carrot cake

3 eggs

1 ¼ cups/ 3 dl sugar

1 & 2/3 cups / 4 dl flour

½ tsp. vanilla extract

4 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ginger

2 cups /4 ½ dl grated carrots

1 cup/ 2 ½ dl sunflower oil

Frosting

7 oz. / 200g cream cheese

3 ½ oz. /100g room temperature butter

zest from 1 organic lemon

2 cups / 4.5 dl of icing sugar

Decoration

Chopped hazelnuts

Method

cake 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F/ 175°C
2. Whisk eggs and sugar until fluffy and light light yellow.
3. Mix all dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Carefully fold them into the egg batter.
4. Add oil and grated carrots. Stir until a even batter.
5. Dress a spring form with parchment paper.
6. Bake for about 40 minutes.
7. Put a side and let cool. When its cold start with the frosting

 

Frosting:

1. Whisk cream cheese and room temperate butter until soft. Zest one lemon and add it. Add icing sugar mix until you get your desired consistent of frosting.
2. Spread the frosting on top of the cake.
3. Sprinkle chopped hazelnuts on top of the cake.
4. Done!

 

 

Love 

charlie xx

Beef Meat Stew

hello my lovely peeps!

I thought winter was gone, like most of us did. But winter hit us yet again. The grass outside my window is once again white and the spring jacket has once again been shoved into the back of my closet and my winter jacket is currently hanging on a prime spot.

What’s better than a warm and hearty Meat stew as the winter has decided to make reappearance into our lives. My lovely grandma inspires this recipe, she used to make the best meat stew when I was growing up, and what’s better during this cold and prolonged winter than a traditional family stew to keep us warm.

Ingredients 

2.5 pounds /1 kg boneless meat chunks

2 yellow onions

4 carrots

1 garlic clove

1 Rosemary branch

2Cloves

10 whole allspice seeds

3 bay leaves

1 cup/ 2,5 dl good quality red wine

4.2 cups/ 10 dl beef stock

Salt

Pepper

Butter

1 Tbsp. Flour

INSTRUCTIONS

• Peel and chop onions in large chunks. Peel garlic and cut it into small pieces. Peel carrots and cut into one- inch chunks on a diagonal.
• Brown meat in butter in a pan.
• In a cast iron pan, melt 1 table spoon of butter, add onion and garlic let cook for 5 minutes or until soften and golden. Add the carrots and stir.
• Add the meat and powder with 1 tbsp. of flour. Give it a good stir.
• Add the wine and let cook for 3-5 minutes on low heat.
• Add the meat stock and spices and rosemary.
• Cover with a lid and let cook on a low heat for 1-3 hours or until the meat is tender. Stir occasionally.
• Taste with salt and pepper
• Serve directly from the pot with boiled potatoes and pickled beets.

Love  

Charlie xx 

Brick oven cooked lamb stew

 

Today’s recipe is a lamb stew that has been cooked in my brick oven for 24 hours; it requires minimal work and has an amazing taste to it, it’s a great hearty comfort food.

We have a brick oven in our backyard and to say that it is used frequently is a big lie. But every now and again we fire it up, and we fill it up, we make pizza, legume stews, bread, vegetables and much more.

This stew one can make both in cast iron pot/dish on low heat or in a brick oven.

 

2.2 pounds/ 1 kg of lamb meat

1 onion

2 potatoes diced

2 garlic cloves

½ dried chili pepper

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 carrot chopped

½ bottle of a good red wine

2 cups/4.5 dl of vegetable broth

Rosemary

Sage

Thyme

Cumin seeds

Fennel seeds

Olive oil

 

1. Start by chopping the vegetables (not the garlic cloves). Place in the cast iron dish with a bit of olive oil.

(if you are cooking on a regular stove. Let all vegetables cook together with a bit of olive oil for about five minutes.)

2. Add the meat.

(If you are cooking it on a stove let the meat cook for a few minutes until it has gotten a bit of color.

3. Add spices and chili pepper. Cover with wine and broth. Cover with a lid.
4. Place cast iron dish in brick oven.
5. Stir every 4-5 hours, if you notice that the liquid starts to evaporate, add some more.
6. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
7. Enjoy.

Love 

Charlie xx

 

weekend vibes

Hello Monday and a new week!

While you are reading this post I’m hitting the slopes in the Alps.

A few weeks ago my Beau and I had a lovely day by the water which I have not yet shared with you, so here are some lovely pictures from a sunny winter day (where one could really feel the spring in the air).

Love Charlie xx

 

Coffee chocolate truffles

 

Who doesn’t love a small chocolate truffle alongside that warm cup of coffee after dinner?

I’m a huge believer of everyday luxury; I doesn’t need to be something big, these truffles after dinner with a cup of coffee on the couch in front of Netflix is something that brings your average Wednesday evening up several levels on the luxury scale.

These truffles are really easy to make and is also a great gift to hand over to your dinner host this weekend, so try them out.

Coffee Chocolate truffles

1, 5 dl cream

300 grams dark chocolate

3 tbsp. coffee

Cacao for rolling your truffles

 

 

1. heat the cream. Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place it in the warm cream. Add the coffee. Stir until all the chocolate has melted.

2. Place in the fridge for about 1,5 hour until they have become solid.

3. Roll into small balls and dust with cacao. Store them in a nice jar in the fridge.

 

Perfect with a cup of coffee after dinner!

Love 

Charlie xx

Garlic And Chili Sautéed Cavolo Nero

Cavolo nero is pretty much the Italian verson of kale. I love kale and I eat it as often as possible but sometimes its good to vary ones food and then cavolo nero is great.

This recipe is fast and makes a perfect and healthy side dish.

 

Ingredients

1tbsp olive oil

3 garlic cloves, finely sliced

14 oz. / 400g cavolo nero,

stalks removed and leaves sliced into 2 cm ribbons

½ chili finely sliced optional

 

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and fry for 1 minutes, the add the cavolo nero and chili. Season with salt and pepper and stir for 3-4 minutes or until the cavolo nero has wilted.

 

Love 

Charlie xx