Hamlet's Castle (Kronborg)

This was one of my favorite sights in Denmark. This is the castle that is known for being Elsinore or Hamlet's castle in Shakespeare's play, it is actually called Kronborg. The castle is located on the channel between Sweden and Denmark, at the narrow point it is only 4 km from Sweden, and you can actually see Sweden from Denmark on clear days. The castle has been very important to Denmark since it was built in the 1400s. It was originally a fortress that was supposed to control tolls on ships that entered the Baltic sea. Also Kronborg houses a statue of Ogier the Dane, who, according to legend, slumbers here until the day Denmark is in grave danger, at which time he will arise and save the nation.

Tenderloin with Artichoke spaheghetti

This is Amazing!

for steak:
1 good quality beef tenderloin (thick cut is better)
1 tsp all purpose seasoning
1/2 tsp salt and pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1 Tbs creamy herbed goat cheese

Mix all the spices together and evenly coat steak on both sides, then in a broiler cook it on one side for 6 minutes, then flip it and cook the other side for six minutes, with about 2 minutes left add the goat cheese to the top of the steak.

For the pasta:
however much you want of Deboles jerusalem artichoke flour spaghetti
3 smashed cloves of garlic
1 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs salt
2 Tbs Avocado pesto
in a pot add olive oil and garlic over medium high heat, let the garlic cook then fill the pot with water and salt and cook the spaghetti until done, then drain the pasta water a save some of it. put the spaghetti back in the pot and add the avocado pesto, and a teaspoon of pasta water, and mix them thoroughly.

i love this recipe, simple as that.

Avocado Pesto

This is a quick and fresh sauce with a nice light flavor.

for the sauce:
1/2 a medium avocado
5-8 cloves of garlic
1 cup packed fresh Italian parsley
5 leaves fresh oregano, and basil
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 Tbs creamy goat cheese
1 tsp fresh chives
1 tsp fresh cilantro
1 Tbs Pecorino Romano cheese
1 Tbs olive oil

add all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse chop until it is all finely mixed together.

Pesto Chicken Marinara

This one is a personal favorite, it is full of flavor and on the healthy side.

for the chicken:
1 chicken breast
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp Mediterranean basil
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 Tbl humus
2 Tbl pesto sauce
1 Tbl olive oil
1.5 cup of garlic marinara sauce
small amount of Pecorino Romano cheese, or Parmagianno Regiano, or a combination. for garnish.

in a freezer bag add ingredients from (poultry seasoning-pesto) then add the chicken breasts and thoroughly cover them with the ingredients in the bag. then in a skillet over medium-high heat add the olive oil and cook the chicken breast on both sides for 7 minutes per side, then add the tomato sauce and let it simmer with the chicken for another 7 minutes or until done. then plate and garnish with cheese.

i added a simple spinach salad under the chicken just to get the greens in.

Baked Empanadas

these are really good quick pocket pies.

for the empanadas:
1 pre made pie crust
1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup guimi sauce (listed below)
4 oz creamy goat cheese
1 Tbs minced garlic
1/2 Tbs chipotle pepper
1 Tbs fajita seasoning
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1tsp granulated garlic

in a large pan brown the meat with the garlic, chipotle, fajita, paprika,cumin, salt, black pepper, and the granulated garlic. put the meat in a bowl and let cool. if you have a pocket pie former great, if not hands work well. in some of the prepared dough add the goat cheese, guimi sauce, and a good amount of the beef, then close the pocket and cut vent holes in the top. set the oven to 450 degrees, and cook the pocket with a small amount of olive oil on the top. cook them until they are golden brown.

these are great party foods, and fun lunch foods for a kid's lunch, most empanadas are deep fried but i like how the baking tastes on these.

Prosciutto Wrapped Bison Steak & Sweet Potato Gnocchi

This is a little more exotic, it can be a little difficult to find buffalo steaks, and even harder to find good quality ones, and the gnocchi adds a nice sweetness.

For Bison:
1 bison steak
good quality prosciutto
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp all purpose seasoning
1 tsp smoked paprika

For the Gnocchi:
2 (8oz sweet potatoes)
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 egg
2 cups all purpose flour

Pat dry the steak and season with all the spices, then wrap it in the prosciutto, then i prefer to broil it but grilling works too, ( medium rare is a good) bison is easy to overcook so be careful not to turn it to charcoal. let sit about 5 minutes after cooking.

for the gnocchi: cook the potatoes for bout 30 minutes at 350 degrees then set aside to cool.once they are cool to the touch, remove skin and push them through a ricer or mash them blend in all the spices and the egg, then add the flour little by little until you have a soft dough. put a pot of lightly salted water on the stove and bring to a broil. on a floured surface roll the dough into long snakes and cut 1 inch sections of the snakes, drop the pieces into the the pot and cook until the pieces start to float, then remove them with a slotted spoon, then they are ready to eat, you can also pair them with butter or cream sauces. ( as you can see i hand formed my gnocchi)

i paired these two recipes together for a nice mix of the american southwest, also with them i added a baby spinach salad and the guimi sauce (recipe listed below)

Prosciutto Wrapped Tenderloin with Goat Cheese

This is one of my favorites. Tender, juicy, and delicious

for the steak:
1 good quality tenderloin
good quality prosciutto
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp all purpose seasoning
1 tsp granulated garlic

for the cheese:
half a cup (4 oz) french style goat cheese (chevrie is good)
1tsp fresh dill
1/2 tsp fresh thyme
1/2 tsp dried Mediterranean basil leaves
1/2 tsp dried Italian parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder

pat dry the steak and wrap the steak in the prosciutto and evenly distribute the spice on both sides, i prefer to broil it about 4-6 minutes on both sides. (this makes it rare-medium rare)

for the goat cheese add all the ingredients into a freezer bag and mix thoroughly, when the steak has about 2 minutes left in the broiler put the cheese on top of it to let it soften. let the steak rest for 5-10 minutes and enjoy

i paired it with a wilted baby spinach and brocco-slaw salad (wilted in garlic and olive oil)

Sirloin with basamic reduction

This is a simple recipe but is very good, and quick!

For the steak:
1 Good quality sirloin steak
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1 tsp Garlic powder
1 tsp paprika

For the balsamic glaze:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tbs teriyaki sauce
2Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs brown sugar
dash of salt

mix all the spices for the steak together and mix, pat dry the steak and evenly put the spices on both sides of the steak. set aside for five minutes. while steaks are sitting add all the ingredients in order to a pot over medium heat, and let reduce by half. once steaks have set, either grill,broil, or cook in a pan to desired doneness. it wont take long on any of the steaks because the fat content is low, in my personal opinion medium rare tastes best. once steak is done let it set for 10 minutes. then drizzle balsamic glaze over steak. I paired it with a simple green salad with Moro (blood) oranges and red grapes with a simple butternut squash puree.

Estonian Dairy

This past summer my family and I went to the Scandinavian countries. while in that part of the world we took a tour out to a dairy farm outside of Talin Estonia. while there we got to try some of the freshest dairy products anybody could ever get. We tried, yogurt, cheese, curd,a really creamy yogurt drink that i can't spell, and of course milk. they were all amazing and so fresh. the farmers were very friendly and generous. the farm was gorgeous surrounded by green pastures and forests.

Guimi Sauce

This sauce has a weird name, Guimi (guacamole+ Chimichurri) it goes great with any kind of meat, sandwich, or pretty much anything you can think of putting it on; it has a mild herb flavor and is creamy.

1/2 large avocado
1 cup of flat leaf/ Italian parsley (tightly packed)
3 Tbs chives (fresh is best, but dried will work)
1 tsp of cilantro
2 Tbs olive oil (sometimes more depending on how thick you want it)
3 Tbs Fresh oregano
1 Tbs dried thyme
1 tsp paprika
3 Tbs fresh basil leaf
4 Tbs minced garlic
dash Chipotle pepper powder or cayenne powder
Salt and Pepper to taste

Here is the easy part, put all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until everything is chopped and mixed. It is hard to mess up this sauce, so play around with it and tweak it to your liking. hope you enjoy!

seafood Panang Curry

Ok this is my first recipe I am going to be sharing. Seafood panang, panang curry is a dish from Thailand. It is not very spicy, but it has a little kick with some sweetness to it. It is one of my favorite curry dishes, hope you like it!
( on the side are mini empanadas, which i will post the recipe later for those)

For the Panang:
Serves 2

8 large scallops
1/4 lb small-medium shrimp ( about 6 per person)
1Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs Panang curry paste ( you can find it at specialty markets or online)
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup of frozen peas and carrots
1/4 sweet onion chopped small
1/2 cup of coconut milk
salt & pepper to taste

In a wok, or large saute pan heat the oil over medium heat. once oil is hot add the garlic and onion with some salt and let sweat. once the onions and garlic are done (once onions begin to brown) add the curry paste and allow it to heat until you are able to smell it. At this point cook the shrimp in the mixture until almost fully cooked, then add the coconut milk , peas, and carrots and let cook over medium heat until the curry has mixed with milk fully and shrimp are done cooking.

Cook the scallops with a light dusting of salt and pepper to taste in a medium pan, or cast iron skillet (be careful not to over cook the scallops, it is very easy to do) once they are done put them on top of a good amount of jasmine rice in a bowl, then pour the contents of the curry dish onto the scallops. This allows the rice to soak up all the delicious curry sauce that falls off the scallops.
lastly, and most importantly enjoy!

Dog sledding in Juneau

While in Alaska we actually got to go to a glacier where they train sled dogs and we got to go on a ride around the glacier, this is just a short video of it. Life is a journey not a destination.

Icy Strait Point, Alaska

You may have never heard of this town in Alaska since really the only way to get to it is by boat, but this little town has some unique quirks at it. The crab station is a simple yet amazing eatery. The tables are right on the boards of the dock, and the crab is fresh caught everyday. They have one thing on the menu and they do it well, during the time of the year i went they had dungeness crab served simply with white rice. Food can not get any better than having fresh and simple, pair it with your favorite soda or beer, and a beautiful ocean view and you have a meal that anybody should be envious of. The town has many Alaskan natives in it, they sale their goods to tourist, and tell stories around a fire in the center of the town. This is where I learned that they believe there is a spirit that live on the edge of the docks that cause many strange happening to people who go near it. If you ever find yourself in this tiny town, just sit back enjoy some crab and listen to the stories that the elders tell,it may not be an exciting town but it is one of the most interesting places i have been.