Mum's Lemon Pickled Herring

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Ingredients:
1 can herring (pre-pickled)
1 lemon
1 leek
1 handfull of dill

juice from the lemon
2½ Tbs strong vinegar
200 ml water
150 ml sugar
½ tsp all-spice, whole
½ tsp white pepper, whole
2 bay leaves

Wash the lemon carefully. Cut off the zest using a zester or a microplane. Press the juice from the lemon and mix it with the water, vinegar, sugar and spices. Bring to a quick boil and make sure all sugar is dissolved. Let it cool off completely.
Rinse the herring and cut into smaller (~½ inch 1-1½ cm) pieces. Thinly slice the leek.
In a glass jar assemble by putting a layer of herring, then a layer of leek, a layer of lemon zest and a layer of dill. Repeat. Finally pour the sauce over and cover. Refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. Enjoy!

(can be kept in the fridge for approx. 1 week)

Lemon Baked Pasta

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From the Pioneer Woman. This was so easy and so yummy! I think I could have added a little bit more garlic though. And the original recipe calls for parsley which I really do not like. I didn't have any fresh herbs at home today but I'm thinking it would go well with basil or rosemary instead of parsley. Oh, and it made lots - enough for dinner for two and then five lunch boxes!

Ingredients:

1 pound spaghetti
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
2 cups sour cream (I used crème fraîche, 5 dl)
1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste if desired
Black pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese
Flat leaf parsley, chopped (or rosemary or basil)
Extra lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (190'C). Cook spaghetti until al dente.
In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil.
When butter is melted, add minced garlic.
Squeeze lemon juice into the pan. Turn off heat.
Add sour cream and stir mixture together. Add lemon zest, salt and pepper.
Pour mixture over drained spaghetti and stir together, then pour spaghetti into an oven safe dish.
Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes. (Don’t bake too long or the pasta will dry out.)
When you remove it from the oven, squeeze a little more lemon juice over the top.
Top generously with Parmesan cheese, then chopped herbs.
Give it a final squeeze of lemon juice at the end.

Serve with bread and a salad.