Guest Post: From The Amateur Icelandic Chef

I am excited to Introduce Guðmundur to you I came across his blog by chance The Amateur Icelandic Chef, and there is nothing Amateur about it fabulous recipes and great pictures, he is also an artist. We don't often think of Iceland for food, but I remember when I first started blogging reading a great article in the Wall Street journal about how good Icelandic food is, with free range lamb, smoked puffin and great desserts and with the economy how it is now is the time to visit. Its on my list of places I really want to go, and these recipes reinforce how good the food must be, enjoy...... (be sure to visit his blog and follow, lets introduce our new foodie friend to the blogging community!)

My name is Guðmundur Birkir Pálmason and I live in Stockholm Sweden. I have been studying chiropractic DC for 3 years and will graduate in 2011.

My love for food began at an early age and my first memory in the kitchen is when I was 8 years old making pancakes for the whole family. I was a lucky boy growing up because I was surrounded by great cooks, like both my grandmothers and my mother who was a homemaker and I always consider myself very lucky having her at home with the dinner ready every day. My mom would always try new things in the kitchen and i think I got that from her because I rarely make the same dish twice.

When I was eighteen I began writing down all the recipes from my family and I decided then that I would one day publish a cookbook with all the classics from my family. As time went on I began making my own recipes and that's how this food blog started. I am still working on my cookbook which will be published in Iceland this year. The food blog is about easy recipes rich in flavor and passion. I have a lot of passion for good food and I hope that shows in my recipes. I believe that anyone can cook if they simply take the time.

Icelandic Oatmeal & Blueberry Pie

This is an old Icelandic classic called "Hjónabandssæla" which means "happy marriage". I do not know if this is the secret of a happy marriage but it sure is tasty...:)

Ingredients:

• 200g butter, room temperature
• 170g oatmeal
• 170g plain flour
• 100g caster sugar
• 1tsp bicarbonate
• blueberry jam

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200˚C (~400 F)
2. Add the butter, oatmeal, flour, sugar and bicarbonate into a large bowl and work together with your hands…..or you can add all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until you get a fine sandy textured dough.
3. Take 2/3 of the dough and push into a buttered cake dish with your hands.
4. Spread the blueberry jam over and then just sprinkle the rest of the dough over the jam.
5. Bake for 30 minutes in the middle shelf.

Minced Beef Burgers in a Brown Sauce

This is a recipe my mom used to make and always takes me back to my childhood. Good and wholesome home cooking is the best.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg minced meat, (beef 10%)
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 3 slices of bread
• 1 egg
• 2dl milk
• 2 tsp all round spice
• salt and pepper
• 300ml beef stock
• 1dl simple cream
• flour to dust

Method:

1. Put the bread in a food processor and pulse until you have fine crumbs. Put the breadcrumbs in a bowl and add the milk and egg. Mix well together.
2. Add the minced meat and all round spice to the bowl and mix well with your hands. Salt and pepper to taste.
3. Make 9 – 10 burgers and set them aside. Add the sliced onion and a drizzle of olive oil to a hot pan and fry them until brown. Then remove the onion from the pan and set aside.
4. Dust the beef burgers in some flour , the flour will thicken the sauce and give the burgers a nice texture. Fry them in a little butter on both sides on a hot pan.
5. Add the onion back to the pan and then add the stock. Let simmer for 3 minutes. Add the cream to the sauce and stir.

Serve with some boiled potatoes.

Now you want to go to Iceland don't you!!

photo from travel advisor

and the sweet Gera of Sweet Foods gave me an award, you are to mention 10 things about yourself- 1. love coffee 2. love bread making 3. travel addict 4. adore my hubby and little daughter and family 5 . I am a Brit 6. Short! 7. hyper at times! 8. determined 9. love blogging 10. a good friend, feel free to ask away, I want to share it with you all Love Rebecca