Dried cranberry and white chocolate cookies

I'm gonna sound like a commercial now: are you craving something sweet but you don't have a lot of time to bake? Then this cranberry and white chocolate cookie recipe is the one for you! :)) But really, it takes only 15 minutes to make the dough, and another 5 to make it into cookies, and then the baking is 10-12 minutes. If you really don't have much time, you can add the chocolate to the dough but if you feel like being creative, I suggest decorating the top of the cookies with it. 

 Ingredients which will make about 17 cookies:

• 13 dkgs of plain flour
• 13 dkgs of whole grain spelt flour
• 10 dkgs of sugar
• 8 dkgs of cold butter 
• 2 eggs
• two handfuls of dried cranberries
• a handful of raisins
• 1.5 tablespoons of candied orange peel
• a pinch of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder

Mix the two types of flour with the sugar, the cinnamon and the baking powder. Crumble the butter into the flour mixture, then add the two eggs. You can start stirring it with a wooden spoon in the beginning but then you'll have to dive in and knead the dough with your hands, until almost done. In that exact moment just add the dried fruits and the orange peel and finish the dough. Line some parchment paper in a baking tin and shape the cookies so that they are of 6 cms of diameter, approximately. Bake them at 180 deg Celsius for about 10-12 minutes, until the top becomes golden brown. Place them on a cake rack and let them cool, while you melt the white chocolate. You can decorate the cookies with the melted chocolate, almond flakes and cranberries. 

Spicy salmon with avocado salsa and potato salad in horseradish dressing

Having a bigger amount of salmon at home is just great, you can always take a piece out of the freezer. Although I bought this particular salmon for Christmas, it is almost time so it's not cheating... ;) All of these 3 recipes are very easy and quick to make, perfect for a Sunday lunch. 

Ingredients for the salmon:

• 1fillet of salmon (approx. 10-15 dkgs)
• half a teaspoon of smoked paprika
• half a teaspoon of ground coriander
• half a teaspoon of ground caraway seeds 
• juice of half a lemon or lime
• one teaspoon of soft brown sugar  
• half a teaspoon of chili powder
• salt 

Pour the lemon juice on the salmon fillets and give it a stir, so that the juice covers the entire piece of salmon and let the lemon juice do its job until you prepare the  seasoning. Mix all of the spices with the sugar and then take the fillet and roll it into the spices, so the entire salmon is covered in the lovely spice mixture. Heat a bit of oil in a pan and cook both sides of the salmon for 5 minutes tops, you don't want to dry it out. 

 

Ingredients for the salsa:

• 2 ripe avocados
• a handful of cocktail tomatoes
• juice of half a lemon
• a bit of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 thin spring onions
• salt
• freshly ground pepper

The avocados need to be cut into smaller cubes, the tomatoes into quarters. Slice the onions fine and then add the salt, the lemon juice, the olive oil and the salt and pepper. Give it a good stir and let it rest for a while.

Ingredients for the potato salad.

• 10-12 pieces of small potatoes
• 2.5 dls of sour cream
• two pieces of spring onions
• 1 tablespoon of grated horseradish
• 2 tablespoons of white vine vinegar
• zest of one lemon
• salt, freshly ground pepper

Cook the potatoes in salted water until soft, then drain them and let them cool down. When that's done, you can peel them and cut them in quarters. Add the vinegar and the lemon zest, give it a stir. Meanwhile you can stir the horseradish into the sour cream, slice the onions fine, add the pepper and the salt and in the end mix everything together. Add more salt, if needed