Breakfast and Brunch

Overnight Oats with Skyr and Cardamom Blueberry Compote

May 22, 2020 by Kristi 2 Comments

Say hello to your new favorite make ahead breakfast! These Overnight Oats with Skyr and Blueberry Cardamom Compote are SO satisfying and delicious, and a very nutritious and Nordic way to begin the day. Think of overnight oats as a refreshing warm weather version of porridge that is served chilled. It’s a welcome summertime change from the traditional bowl of warm porridge.

The History Behind Overnight Oats

Overnight oats are essentially a modernized version of muesli, a Swiss oatmeal dish that is traditionally served cold. The recipe was developed by a Swiss doctor, Maximilian Bircher-Benner, in the early twentieth century as a “health food” to serve to his patients as part of their strict vegetarian diet regimen. The original version contained diced apple, nuts, rolled oats that had been soaked for 12 hours, lemon juice and either milk or cream. Interestingly, muesli was originally served as an appetizer course before dinner and not as a breakfast food.

rolled oats, chia seeds, cinnamon and salt

How Overnight Oats Differ from Traditional Oatmeal

As I mentioned above, overnight oats are not cooked. Instead, they are soaked overnight in a mixture of milk (regular or plant-based), possibly some yogurt or skyr (Icelandic yogurt), sweetener (usually pure maple syrup or honey) and chia seeds which help thicken the mixture and give it a hearty, substantial texture. They are almost always made with old-fashioned rolled oats as opposed to quick-cooking or steel cut. Quick-cooking or instant oats create an overly mushy texture to the final product, and steel cut oats don’t soften enough during the soaking process to be pleasantly edible. But not to worry! All oats, regardless of their processing, contain the same amount of desirable nutrients, including fiber, thiamin, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, manganese, selenium, and iron.

How to Make and Store Overnight Oats

Making overnight oats couldn’t be simpler. No need to turn on the stove or even pop anything into the microwave! Simply combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Allow the oats to soak for at least 3 hours or overnight in the fridge and top as desired. DONE! I will often portion mine into individual servings in small glass jars prior to placing them into the refrigerator. This saves me a step in the morning…all I have to do is top my oats and enjoy! Overnight oats will keep for 4 days covered tightly in the fridge. Almost a week’s worth of nourishing breakfasts at your fingertips!

Topping Ideas

My recipe here calls for Blueberry Cardamom Compote and a little granola for crunch. This is a heavenly combination and you MUST try it. BUT there are MANY options for topping your overnight oats! Here are a few ideas for when you are ready to branch out from the original:

Fresh berries
Stirred Lingonberries or Lingonberry Jam (serious Scandi vibes!)
Sliced banana
Chopped apple, mango or pineapple
Coconut flakes
Shaved dark chocolate or cacao nibs
Nuts and seeds of all kinds
Granola
Nut butter (roasted almond butter and diced apple are wonderful together)
Shredded carrots and warm spices (think carrot cake vibes)
Any seasonal compote (Roasted Strawberry Rhubarb Compote, Roasted Pear Compote with Cardamom, Vanilla and Fresh Ginger, or Roasted Peach Ginger Compote are all AMAZING!)

I hope you give these Overnight Oats with Blueberry Cardamom Compote a try! Please drop me a line or leave a comment below and let me know if you do. And I’d love to hear how you mix it up with your own topping combinations!

Overnight Oats with Skyr and Cardamom Blueberry Compote

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

An easy and nutritious make-ahead breakfast with oats, skyr (Icelandic yogurt), almond milk and chia seeds. Topped with a simple Blueberry Cardamom Compote, these overnight oats are a very delicious and Nordic way start to your day!

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes + at least 3 hours soaking time
Yield: 4 servings
Category: Breakfast
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

For the Oats:

1 ⅓ cup old-fashioned rolled oats

¼ cup chia seeds

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

1 ⅓ cup plain skyr (Icelandic yogurt) or Greek yogurt

1 ⅓ cup milk of choice (I like unsweetened almond)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

¼ cup pure maple syrup

Blueberry Cardamom Compote and Nordic Morning Granola (or store bought) for topping

Optional Toppings:

Toasted nuts

Coconut flakes

Additional maple syrup or honey

Additional skyr or yogurt

Additional milk

A dollop of nut butter (I like roasted almond butter with mine)

Instructions

Whisk all ingredients together in a medium bowl. Cover and transfer to the fridge. Let sit overnight or for at least 3 hours. If you want to store the oats in individual portions, simply divide the mixture between 4 small jars and cover. Overnight oats will keep well-covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
When you are ready to serve, top each portion of oats with a generous dollop of Blueberry Cardamom Compote and Granola and any optional toppings as desired. Enjoy!

Keywords: oats, oatmeal, overnight oats, muesli, skyr, blueberries, cardamom, make-ahead, easy, simple

Blueberry Cardamom Compote

May 20, 2020 by Kristi Leave a Comment

I developed this Blueberry Cardamom Compote as part of a recipe for overnight oats (coming Friday!), but loved it so much that I thought it deserved its own billing. Because as it turns out, not only is this Blueberry Cardamom Compote good on overnight oats, it is also delicious on toast, on cream cheese-smeared crispbread, on steel cut oat porridge, on ice cream (YES!), mixed into skyr or yogurt and topped with granola or STRAIGHT FROM THE JAR. Seriously, we can’t get enough of this stuff around here!

One of the very best things about this Blueberry Cardamom Compote is that frozen wild blueberries work really well in this recipe. In fact, I like them better here than fresh blueberries from produce section. That means that if you get in the habit of picking up one of those giant bags of frozen blueberries on your weekly Costco run, you can make this compote on a moment’s notice and at any time of the year. That’s right! No need to forage the forest floor in late summer for your blueberries Scandinavian style (although that does sound delightful, doesn’t it?). A quick trip to the store and you’ll be all stocked up and ready for blueberry cardamom goodness whenever the mood strikes.

There isn’t much to say to ensure your success with this Blueberry Cardamom Compote….it couldn’t be easier and only requires a stir now and then to keep it from sticking to the pan. My only word of advice (as always) is to use freshly ground cardamom if you can. It is SO much better than the cardamom that is already ground for you. I have a mortar and pestle that works really well for this. It’s a little extra effort but well worth it in terms of flavor!

This Blueberry Cardamom Compote will keep for at least a week in the fridge. Ours never lasts more than a day or two though….too many delicious ways to put it to use! For longer storage, you could easily keep it the freezer for a couple of months.

I hope you give this Blueberry Cardamom Compote a try! It is simply delicious and a fun thing to have on hand to perk up your breakfast, afternoon snack or dessert. Looking for more delicious seasonal compotes to try? I’ve got several here on the blog:

Blueberry Cardamom Compote

A simple and delicious fruit compote made with frozen blueberries, ground cardamom and pure maple syrup. The perfect way to perk up your breakfast, afternoon snack or late night bowl of ice cream!

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 2 cups 1x
Category: compote
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian
Diet: Vegan

Scale

Ingredients

4 cups frozen wild blueberries, no need to defrost (fresh blueberries will also work)

1 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom

¼ cup pure maple syrup (more to taste)

Pinch of fine sea salt

1 teaspoon of freshly-squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

Combine all ingredients except lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium low stirring frequently until berries get syrupy and begin to break down, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in lemon juice. Once berries have cooled, transfer them to a jar and store in the fridge until ready to use (berries will keep in the fridge for about a week or in the freezer for a couple of months).

Keywords: blueberry, compote, cardamom, maple syrup, easy, simple, make ahead, vegan, vegetarian

Salted Caramel Apple Oat Porridge

April 14, 2020 by Kristi Leave a Comment

Temperatures have dipped back down below freezing here, which is quite normal for spring in Nebraska. These chilly mornings find me dreaming about a bowl of warm, satisfying porridge. Oatmeal is quite often my go-to breakfast, especially when it’s cold outside, and I’m pretty sure I’m not alone! While we oatmeal lovers can always opt for some simple toppings, brown sugar and bananas for example, sometimes it’s fun to do something a little different, a little exciting even, with that basic bowl of porridge.

And that’s where this Salted Caramel Apple Oat Porridge comes in. This recipe is inspired from the menu at GRØD, the trendy porridge bar with several locations in Denmark. I have not been (it’s definitely on my travel bucket list!), but I follow them on Instagram and frequently visit their website to peruse their creative and inspiring menu. If you are up for a little armchair Scandinavian travel, I encourage you to check it out! You will be amazed at the innovative porridge combinations they have to offer.

One of the most popular items on their menu is a steel cut oat porridge with homemade caramel sauce, apples and toasted almonds like this one. I already had a recipe for an easy and delicious salted caramel sauce so I figured I was already halfway to recreating this delicious breakfast at home.

But first I needed a solid foundation for my porridge bowl: the oats themselves. I opted for steel cut oats over rolled. They take a little longer to cook, but their toothsome yet creamy texture is hard to beat and worth a little extra time on the stove. And you can easily make them ahead of time. I will often make a big batch of steel cut oats on Sunday and reheat small portions for myself each morning throughout the week.

Cooking steel cut oats couldn’t be simpler. The ratio of oats to liquid is always 1 to 4 (1 cup of oats for every 4 cups of water and/or milk). I do take the extra step of toasting the oats in butter for a few minutes prior to adding the water. This isn’t necessary but adds a delicious nutty/toasty flavor to your oats that really takes them to the next level.

Cook the oats for as long as you like depending on the texture you prefer. I like mine to have just a little bite to them, like an al dente pasta. That usually means about 25-30 minutes of simmering time. You won’t need to stir much at first, but as you near the end of the cooking time you’ll want to stir the oats frequently so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot as they thicken. If you like your oats a bit softer and want to continue cooking them for a longer period of time, you may need to a little water towards the end to achieve a creamy, not-too-thick consistency and to limit sticking to the bottom of the pot.

You are going to love this Salted Caramel Apple Oat Porridge! It’s deeply comforting and satisfying and just a little bit indulgent. Sounds like the perfect start to your day, doesn’t it? If you give it a try, let me know in the comments below! I’d love to hear from you!

Salted Caramel Apple Oat Porridge

Creamy steel cut oats topped with crisp apple, toasted almonds and homemade salted caramel sauce.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Category: breakfast/brunch
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian, Danish
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter or extra-virgin coconut oil

1 cup steel cut oats

4 cups water

½ teaspoon fine salt

2 apples, diced medium

1 cup sliced almonds, toasted

1 cup Salted Caramel Sauce

Ground cinnamon for sprinkling, optional

Instructions

Heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add oats and cook, stirring frequently, until oats begin to smell toasty, about 3 minutes. Add water and salt. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer oats, stirring occasionally, until porridge is thick and creamy and the oats are tender, about 25-35 minutes.
Place warm oatmeal in a bowl. Top with diced apples, almonds and Salted Caramel Sauce. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired. Serve.

Keywords: steel cut oats, oatmeal, salted caramel, almonds, porridge

Baked Nordic Oat and Rye Porridge

March 31, 2020 by Kristi Leave a Comment

Porridge has been a cornerstone of the Scandinavian diet since prehistoric times. Nutritious and easy to store, it only makes sense that hearty grains such as oats, barley and rye would be important to people living in a cold, harsh climate. According to food historian Henry Notaker, porridge was once served as often as three times a day! While things have thankfully changed from the days of eating porridge for every meal, it has most definitely made a culinary comeback in recent years. Trendy porridge bars such as GRØD in Denmark have revived an interest in this ancient food by finding innovative and delicious new ways to enjoy porridge.

Baked Nordic Oat and Rye Porridge ingredients

This Baked Nordic Oat and Rye Porridge is definitely a twist on your basic bowl of oatmeal. Baked in the oven, this mixture of rolled oats, rye flakes toasted almonds and blueberries is like a porridge casserole of sorts. It makes a nice addition to the breakfast or brunch table, or you can make a batch on Sunday to reheat for quick, nutritious breakfasts throughout the week.

What Are Rye Flakes?

Rye flakes are rye groats that have been steamed and rolled, much like old-fashioned rolled oats. They are highly nutritious and an excellent source of fiber. Studies have shown that eating rye porridge for breakfast leaves people feeling satiated for a longer period of time that other breakfast options. I really like the combination of rolled oats and rye: the softness of the oats and the heartiness of the rye really work well together. Rye flakes are available at some natural grocery stores or on Amazon.com.

The concept of baked oatmeal was made famous by Heidi Swanson in her wonderful cookbook, Super Natural Everyday. This Baked Nordic Oat and Rye Porridge is a take on that original concept. Rather than including all oats, my version contains a combination of rolled oats and rye flakes. No rye flakes? No problem! Simply use all oats instead. I’ve also omitted the sliced bananas included in the original version and added more blueberries, but you could certainly add a sliced banana or two to the bottom layer of fruit if you happen to have one languishing on your counter and are looking to put it to good use.

I hope you give this Baked Nordic Oat and Rye Porridge a try! If you are the kind of person who has a bag of frozen blueberries in the freezer, it’s likely that you already have everything on hand to make this happen. Let me know how it goes in the comments below! I am always happy to hear from you.

Baked Nordic Oat and Rye Porridge

A hearty and delicious baked oat and rye porridge with wild blue berries and toasted almonds.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 6 servings
Category: breakfast, porridge
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian

Ingredients

1 cup rolled old-fashioned oats

1 cup rye flakes (or additional 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats)

½ cup sliced almonds, toasted

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

⅓ cup pure maple syrup

2 cups whole milk (unsweetened nut milk or oat milk works just fine)

1 large egg

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 ½ cups blueberries, fresh or frozen (no need to defrost)

Optional Toppings:

Maple syrup

Melted butter

Skyr (Icelandic yogurt)

Milk or cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter the inside of an 8 x 8 glass baking dish.
In a large bowl, combine oats, rye flakes, half of the almonds, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
In a second bowl, whisk together maple syrup, milk, egg, butter and vanilla.
Sprinkle 1 cup of the berries in the bottom of the prepared dish. Top with dry oat mixure.
Pour wet mixture over the top of the oat mixture. Tap the pan on the counter a couple of times to make sure that the wet mixture sinks all the way to the bottom and that the dry ingredients are completely submerged .
Sprinkle remaining berries and ¼ cup of sliced almonds over the top. Bake until golden brown and oats are set, about 40-50 minutes. Serve warm with optional toppings.

Notes

Adapted from Supernatural Everyday by Heidi Swanson

Keywords: oatmeal, rye, blueberry, almonds, baked

Roasted Beet and Raspberry Skyr Parfaits

January 23, 2020 by Kristi Leave a Comment

I’m going to have to ask you to trust me on this one. Raspberry jam and roasted beets? Together?? Yes. As odd as it sounds, raspberries and beets have an affinity for one another.

The idea for these easy Roasted Beet and Raspberry Skyr Parfaits came from an article on yogurt toppings from Eating Well magazine. I’m always looking for new ways to jazz up my morning granola and skyr routine and was particularly intrigued by this one. What could make for a more Nordic breakfast than beets and skyr?

After giving this very simple idea a try, I was hooked. Earthy beets and sweet-tart raspberry preserves are a magical combination, and a perfect compliment to creamy skyr and crunchy granola. A winning (and easy) Scandi breakfast any day of the week!

Plan on roasting and chopping the beets ahead of time (you’ll find instructions on how to do so in the recipe below) so that in the morning you can just pull out what you need, add your raspberry preserves and breakfast is served. I’ve written the recipe for two parfaits, but if you are only making one for yourself, plan on a heaping quarter cup of beets to 1 tablespoon of jam.

I really hope you give these unusual but OH SO delicious Roasted Beet and Raspberry Skyr Parfaits a try. I think you’ll agree…this unlikely duo was made for each other.

Roasted Beet and Raspberry Skyr Parfaits

An unusual but delicious Nordic breakfast parfait featuring roasted beets, raspberry preserves and Icelandic yogurt.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 2 parfaits
Category: breakfast
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian

Ingredients

¾ cup chopped roasted beets (see note below)

2 heaping tablespoons raspberry jam or preserves

Plain skyr (Icelandic yogurt) or greek yogurt

Nordic Morning Granola (or other granola of your choice)

Instructions

Toss beets with raspberry jam.
To assemble parfaits, put a generous scoop of yogurt in the bottom of a bowl, glass or jar. Top with half the beet mixture and a sprinkle of granola. Repeat with second parfait. Serve.

Notes

To roast beets: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place scrubbed and trimmed beets on a piece of aluminum foil and rub oil over them with your hands. Sprinkle with salt and wrap tightly inside foil. Transfer foil packet to a baking sheet. Bake until beets are tender (you should be able to insert a knife into the beet with little resistance), about 45 minutes to an hour. Larger beets will take longer to cook than smaller ones. Remove beets from the oven. Once they are cool enough to handle, rub the skins off using a paper towel. Cut each beet into ½ inch cubes.

Keywords: beets, raspberry, parfait, skyr, yogurt, granola

Swedish Pancakes with Lingonberries

September 17, 2019 by Kristi 2 Comments

Swedish pancakes are one of the most well-known Scandinavian delicacies, and rightfully so. Tender, buttery and most likely served with a generous spoonful of lingonberries and a dollop of whipped cream, there is much to account for their popularity. Other Scandinavian delicacies may take a little getting used to (I’m looking at YOU, pickled herring), but the Swedish pancake poses only deliciousness. No hardship whatsoever.

How are Swedish Pancakes different from American Pancakes?

Unlike American pancakes which are prized for being tall and fluffy, Swedish pancakes are thin, delicate and crepe-like. They are traditionally made in a special pan called a plett, which has thin 3-inch round indentations designed for cooking the pancakes. The Swedish pancake batter itself has many similar ingredients to American pancakes (milk, butter, eggs, flour, etc.), but the consistency of the batter is much thinner, and it does not contain any leavening agents. Most Swedish pancake recipes also recommend a brief rest of the batter prior to cooking which helps ensure a uniformly thin and tender pancake.

When served, American pancakes are often buttered, stacked and drenched generously in maple syrup. Swedish pancakes, on the other hand, are traditionally rolled or folded and served with lingonberries, butter and/or whipped cream.

American pancakes are almost always eaten for breakfast. Swedish pancakes, however, are traditionally served on Thursday evenings as a dessert following a meal of hearty pea soup. According to Food’s Ready, a cookbook put together by IKEA food services, this tradition harkens back to when Sweden was a Catholic country and it was customary to fast on Fridays. People would fill up on pea soup and pancakes the night before to help them get through that long day ahead without food.

When I was growing up, Swedish pancakes were strictly for Christmas morning. My mother made giant platters of the them, heaped high with lingonberries and butter. Not a present would be opened until my brother and I had singlehandedly cleaned up the kitchen after breakfast while the adults lingered over coffee and cookies. While I have fond memories of these special Christmas morning breakfasts, I see no reason why Swedish pancakes should be relegated to a once a year meal. So simple and delicious, why not enjoy them all year round?

Making Easy and Delicious Swedish Pancakes at Home

Use a blender to mix your batter ingredients. This creates an incredibly smooth, lump-free batter every time and couldn’t be easier. Just put everything in, let it whirl about and you’re done.
Rest the batter for at least two hours or up to two days. As I mentioned above, this will help ensure that your pancakes are uniform in texture and as tender as they can be. I recommend mixing the batter the night before so that it’s ready when you are.
Use a 10 inch nonstick skillet to make your Swedish pancakes. While those little 3 inch pancakes made in a plett are charming, they are small and somewhat insubstantial. It is just as common these days to see Swedish pancakes in a larger form, more like a small crepe. Choosing this modern, bigger pancake shape also means you have one less piece of special equipment to buy….a small nonstick skillet will do the job just fine.
Brush the skillet with melted butter prior to cooking each pancake. This imparts delicious flavor and just the right amount of browning to the pancakes.
Lift and swirl that skillet! Lift the heated skillet off of the burner before you pour the batter into the skillet. Once you pour the batter in, swirl it around so that it coats the bottom of the pan evenly. Continue swirling until the batter is just set. Then return the skillet to the heat. This technique may take a little practice but it makes for a pancake that is nicely browned and uniform in thickness.
Place a dollop of lingonberry butter inside each pancake. This is a little trick I learned from my mother. She would mix lingonberries and butter together and place a bit inside each warm pancake as it came off of the heat. Just a little bit of lingonberries and butter on the inside of the folded pancake makes a big difference in flavor.

This recipe for Swedish pancakes is quite easy and forgiving. Several of the recipes I tried during the testing process were fussy and often ended with fragile, torn pancakes. Not pretty. These, on the other hand, are delicate and tender but still easy to maneuver without any ripping or tearing.

So don’t wait until Christmas morning….go forth and make Swedish pancakes with confidence and ease. On any day of the week! They do not disappoint.

Swedish Pancakes with Lingonberries

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

An easy and delicious recipe for a true Scandinavian classic. Tender and delicate pancakes served with lingonberries, butter and whipped cream.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 10 minutes + 2 hours resting time
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes
Yield: approximately 10 pancakes
Category: breakfast, dessert
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian, Swedish

Ingredients

For the Pancake Batter:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup whole milk

6 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for the pan

½ teaspoon vanilla

For the Lingonberry Butter:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon lingonberry preserves, such as the Felix brand

Pinch of salt

To Serve:

Lingonberry preserves

Butter (optional)

Lightly sweetened whipped cream (optional)

Instructions

Make the Pancake Batter: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until completely smooth. Transfer to the refrigerator to rest for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
Meanwhile, make the Lingonberry Butter: Combine lingonberry preserves, butter and salt together in a small bowl with a fork. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees and place an empty heatproof tray or baking sheet inside. Heat a 10 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Stir the batter briefly to recombine. Brush skillet with melted butter. Pick the skillet up off of the burner and quickly add ¼ cup of batter. Immediately begin swirling the batter around the skillet so that it coats the bottom of the pan. Continue swirling until the batter is just set. Return skillet to the burner. Cook until the pancake is golden brown in spots on the bottom, about 30 seconds. Use a thin spatula to loosen the pancake, flip it over continue to cook on the other side for about 20 seconds. Transfer to a plate and add a small (about ½ teaspoon) dollop of lingonberry butter to on the top of the pancake. Fold into quarters. Transfer to oven to keep warm and repeat with remaining batter, wiping out skillet in between pancakes with paper towel as needed.
To serve, top pancakes with lingonberry preserves, additional butter and/or whipped cream.

Keywords: Swedish, pancakes, lingonberries, Scandinavian

Roasted Peach Ginger Compote

August 14, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

I have extolled the virtues of the fruit compote here on the blog before. In fact, this is my third compote recipe in only six months of blogging! Here’s why I think everyone should have a jar of seasonal fruit compote in the fridge at all times:

They are easy to prepare. Simply toss cut fruit with your sweetener or choice and any additional flavorings and let it roast in the oven for 40 minutes or so. Done.
It is a no-fuss method for making the most of seasonal produce. Have a bunch of peaches/apples/pears/strawberries from the farm stand that are ripe and ready to go but not feeling up to making a pie at the moment? Perfect! The compote is your simple solution to preserving the life of your fruit without turning it into a complicated project.
Compotes are better (and easier) than jelly or jam. Compotes can be used in place of jam or jelly on your morning toast, and they typically contain less sugar and have better, truer fruit flavor. An all-around win!
They freeze beautifully. Most compotes will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks (not that you won’t finish it before that), but they also store well in the freezer for a few months. For when you need that taste of summer peaches come January.
And the number one reason to make compotes part of your cooking repertoire…..they are INCREDIBLY versatile.

Let me expand on the versatility piece. Once you have a jar of this peach compote in your fridge, for example, the options beyond your morning toast are endless. A few suggestions:

Layer it with skyr or Greek yogurt and granola for a morning breakfast parfait (this is SO good….like peach crumble for breakfast)!
Spoon on top of a Nordic Buttermilk Waffle with some whipped cream.
Stir into your morning oatmeal with a little cinnamon and whole milk or cream.
Use it in place of the strawberry rhubarb compote in these barley scones to create a ginger peach version.
Sandwich it in between two layers of vanilla cake with some pastry cream and top with whipped cream and fresh peaches. Peaches and cream cake!
Use it in place of the blueberry filling in these rye crumble bars.
Spoon on top of vanilla ice cream (so simple and delicious).
Rye crispbread + cream cheese + compote = tasty and easy breakfast or afternoon snack.

And I’m sure you’ve already thought of some ideas beyond what I’ve suggested here. It’s no wonder that fruit compotes are popular in the Nordic region where growing seasons are short and preservation of seasonal goodness is paramount. This week, stop by the farm stand and pick up a batch of peaches and give this one a try. I can’t wait to hear how you choose to put it to use in your own kitchen!

Roasted Peach Ginger Compote

A delicious and simple roasted fruit compote with just a hint of ginger. So simple and versatile!

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: Just under 2 cups 1x
Category: compote
Method: roasting
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian

Scale

Ingredients

6-8 ripe peaches, about 2 ½ pounds

4-5 thin slices of fresh ginger (no need to peel)

Pinch of fine sea salt

¼ cup light brown sugar, packed (more to taste)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Peel peaches using a serrated peeler (alternatively you can score the bottom of each piece with an “X” and dunk into boiling water for 30 seconds or so. The peel should come off easily at this point). Remove the pit and slice each peach into ½ inch chunks. Transfer to a 9 x 13 baking dish.
Add remaining ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula. If your peaches aren’t particularly sweet, feel free to add a couple of extra tablespoons of brown sugar. Transfer baking dish to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Stir the compote and return to the oven and continue baking for an additional 20 minutes.
Set aside to cool slightly. Serve or store tightly covered in the fridge for up to two weeks or freeze for longer storage.

Keywords: peach, ginger, compote

Nordic Buttermilk Waffles

August 12, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

Beatrice Ojakangas says that there are many different Nordic waffle recipes, “one for every Scandinavian cook.” In her book, Scandinavian Feasts she describes the waffle cottages of the Swedish province of Dalarna:

The waffles that are served in waffle cottages are baked in irons that separate each one into five small hearts, which when attached are called a lagg. When broken into individual sections, they are eaten like cookies, with jam and sweetened whipped cream or sour cream in the middle. Waffle cottages are open all winter to serve skiers. In the summertime, when visitors come to enjoy the midnight sun, the waffle cottages also add an old-fashioned stew called söpådor to the menu.

If you have ever visited a waffle cottage, please let me know. I would love to hear about it. I have not yet had the pleasure, but that’s not going to stop me from making my own version of Nordic waffles at home. It’s not as though we are unfamiliar with waffles here in America. Slathered in butter and drizzled with maple syrup, waffles are a Sunday morning mainstay. But they do waffles their own way in Scandinavia. A few distinct differences:

They are charmingly heart-shaped.
The batter is often made with cream or sour cream.
The batter usually contains cardamom.
They are delicious hot but are often served room temperature.
Whipped cream and fresh berries or jam are the toppings of choice.

When I set out to make my own recipe for Nordic waffles, I began by trying what was out there. I loved the addition of cardamom, but using cream in the batter yielded a VERY rich waffle, a bit too rich for my taste. Maybe that’s the idea, but as these are MY Nordic waffles, I decided to use buttermilk instead of cream. I went back to my favorite basic buttermilk waffle recipe, courtesy of Martha Stewart. I tweaked it slightly, adding cardamom, vanilla extract and an extra tablespoon of sugar (Nordic waffles tend to be sweeter as they are not served with maple syrup). The result was just what I was looking for. Tender and buttery without being over the top. And the combination of vanilla and cardamom gave them that quintessential Scandinavian touch.

Whipped cream is always lovely, but I began thinking about how I could jazz up the topping a little. I remembered a version of whipped cream I used to make to go with a favorite apple tart that was half cream, half sour cream. What if I tried something like that with skyr, the deliciously creamy Icelandic yogurt? I changed the ratio slightly for my version, opting for a bit more yogurt than cream and added a touch of vanilla and sugar. The result? A tangy and creamy topping that is the perfect compliment to waffles and fresh berries.

Nordic Buttermilk Waffles

Buttery heart-shaped Nordic waffles with just a hint of cardamom and vanilla. Perfect with whipped skyr cream and fresh berries!

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6 waffles
Category: Breakfast
Cuisine: Scandinavian, Nordic

Ingredients

For the Waffles:

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon fine salt

¼ teaspoon cardamom seeds, ground in a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder (or ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Whipped Skyr Cream:

1 cup plain full-fat skyr or Greek yogurt

½ cup heavy whipping cream

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons sugar

To Serve:

Fresh berries, sliced peaches, jam or fruit compote

Special Equipment Needed:

Heart-shaped waffle iron

Instructions

Make the Waffles: Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cardamom together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Whisk buttermilk, butter, egg and vanilla together in a large bowl until fully combined. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until the mixture just comes together (It will not be entirely smooth).
Heat up waffle iron according to manufacturer’s instructions. Cook waffles one at a time until golden brown and crisp. Transfer to a wire rack to cool or to 200 degree oven to keep warm.
Make the Whipped Skyr Cream: Combine skyr and whipping cream in the work bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whisk on medium speed for one minute. Add vanilla and sugar. Continue whipping on medium high until mixture is light and fluffy, like a loose whipped cream. Serve waffles with fresh berries, sliced peaches, jam, fruit compote, Whipped Skyr Cream and/or other toppings of your choice.

Notes

Adapted from marthastewart.com

Keywords: waffles, Nordic, Scandinavian, skyr, berries

Nordic Morning Granola

June 17, 2019 by Kristi 2 Comments

High summer fruit season in nearly here, and I want us to be ready. Ready for easy, delicious breakfasts topped with peaches, plums, nectarines, berries…whatever sweet abundance is available where you live at this time of year. Enter my Nordic Morning Granola, summer fruit’s new best friend.

I have made this recipe so many times, I can practically do it with my eyes closed. This granola is a pantry staple around our house, perfect with milk, yogurt and/or fruit for a quick breakfast, or by the handful for an afternoon snack. It is easy, delicious and nutritious. And, fair warning, slightly addictive. If you are currently in the habit of buying granola at the store, this recipe will most certainly ruin that experience for you. It’s nearly impossible to consider going back to the store-bought stuff once you start making your own granola at home.

Lucky for us, homemade granola is super easy to make. It comes together in less time than it takes to heat up the oven and bakes for a short 30 minutes. The ingredients themselves are simple, straightforward and wholesome. It’s perfectly crunchy and contains just the right ratio of nuts, seeds and oats. It’s also vegan and gluten-free (assuming you use gluten-free oats) if those things matter to you. And of course I’ve added a little Nordic touch in the form of freshly ground cardamom, sliced almonds and almond extract. The result is a simple and straightforward granola that is easy enough to whip together once or twice a week.

Granola Making Tips and Tricks

A few things to keep in mind for ensuring that your granola is the very best that it can be:

Stir the dry ingredients well before adding the oil, syrup and extracts. This will help distribute the salt and spices evenly throughout the mixture.
Heat the maple syrup slightly. Because the coconut oil solidifies when it comes into contact with cold ingredients, I’ve had greater success with my granola when I take the time to warm the syrup. This helps the oil remain liquid and coat the dry ingredients more evenly.
Stir the granola half-way through the baking process to redistribute everything on the baking tray.
Firmly press the half-baked granola back into the pan in an even layer with the back of a metal spatula. This is a really important step if you want your granola to clump together.
Let it cool completely before removing from the pan. If the granola is still warm when you package it, you run the risk of soggy granola.
Freeze for long-term storage. Granola keeps well in an air-tight glass container at room temperature for about a week. For longer storage, freeze in zip-loc freezer bags. When we are really on top of it around here, we will make four batches of granola on a Sunday morning and stash it away in the freezer for a month’s worth of breakfast and snacks. And granola straight from the freezer is oddly delicious, especially in the warmer months of the year!

So go ahead and bake up a batch of homemade granola, and buy that box of ripe peaches, those pints of fresh berries! You’re set for easy and healthy breakfasts all summer long.

Nordic Morning Granola

An easy, delicious and healthy recipe for homemade granola with a Nordic twist!

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 6 cups 1x
Category: Breakfast
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian

Scale

Ingredients

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup sliced almonds

½ cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon cardamom seeds, ground to a powder in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder

1 teaspoon fine salt

½ cup extra-virgin coconut oil, warmed until liquid

½ cup real maple syrup, warmed slightly

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon almond extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Combine oats, almonds, pepitas, cinnamon, cardamom and salt in a large bowl. Stir well, ensuring that the salt and spices are evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
Add coconut oil, syrup and extracts. Using a rubber spatula, stir well to combine.
Transfer granola to prepared pan. Pat down with a rubber spatula to distribute the mixture in an even layer. Bake for 15 minutes.
Remove granola from the oven and stir with a spatula to redistribute on the baking sheet. Firmly press down on the mixture using the back of your spatula, creating an even and tight layer of granola. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until granola is toasty and golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on the baking sheet.
Use a spatula to transfer the granola to glass containers for storage (or freezer bags if freezing). Granola keeps for about a week at room temperature, several months in the freezer.

Notes

Adapted from Cookie and Kate’s The Very Best Granola.

Keywords: granola, healthy, easy, vegan, vegetarian, nordic, oats, breakfast

Danish Egg Cake with Potatoes, Bacon and Chives (Æggekage)

June 14, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

I love recipes that are so practical that they appear in a similar form in a variety of different food cultures. This Danish Egg Cake, for example, bears a striking resemblance to an Italian frittata, Spanish tortilla or a French omelette. I’m quite sure this dish transcends international boundaries not only because it is delicious, but also because of its simplicity and versatility…eggs baked together with leftover vegetables and maybe a little meat and/or cheese. It makes for a quick and easy brunch, lunch or dinner, and comes together with everyday staples that you are likely to have on hand in the fridge. Everyone needs tasty and resourceful recipes like this one in their back pocket!

Most of the recipes I found in my research contained bacon, one calling for a whopping 24 slices! I’ve whittled that down to a more reasonable four. Some included potatoes while some didn’t, and a few added a tablespoon or two of flour, which didn’t prove to be all that useful or necessary, so I left the flour out entirely. This recipe is most certainly a template. You could easily switch up the filling ingredients, eliminating or increasing the amount of bacon or adding cooked sausage instead, or maybe switching out the potatoes and/or chives for other seasonal vegetables and herbs that you might have on hand. Perhaps adding a little cheese. Once you have the technique down, the sky is the limit!

Speaking of technique, I’ve got a few tips for ensuring your Danish Egg Cake success:

Use a medium (10 inch) nonstick skillet. You don’t want your cake sticking to the pan when you try to slide it out.
Position your oven rack approximately 8 inches from the broiler heating element. In my oven this means that the oven rack is in the lower-middle position. If the egg cake is too close to the heating element, the top will brown before the inside finishes cooking.
Be sure to stir the eggs constantly with a heat-proof rubber spatula, scraping the bottom of the pan while the cake is cooking on the stove top until large, wet curds form. This will help ensure that the eggs cook evenly all the way through and that the cake doesn’t get too brown on the bottom.
Pat down the top of the large curds of eggs with the rubber spatula and let it cook on the stovetop for 30 seconds without stirring the mixture before sliding it into the oven. This helps it develop on the bottom and form into a cohesive cake.
Let the cake rest in the skillet for 5 minutes after it comes out of the oven. This will help the eggs finish cooking all the way through.

In her book, Scandinavian Feasts, Beatrice Ojakangas writes that the Danish egg cake is usually served as a lunch dish, “after a tray of cold herring, salmon, bread, and salads has been enjoyed.” This sounds delightful, of course. But feel free to just opt for a simple side salad to round out your meal if you aren’t feeling that ambitious. Or if you are feeling brunchy about it, maybe a big bowl of seasonal fruit and a batch of Strawberry Rhubarb Barley Scones. This is a recipe that you can turn to again and again, in any season and at any time of day.

Danish Egg Cake with Potatoes, Bacon and Chives (Æggekage)

A quick and easy Scandinavian style omelet with potatoes, bacon and chives. A perfect meal for any time of day!

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Category: Brunch, Lunch, Dinner
Cuisine: Scandinavian, Nordic, Danish

Scale

Ingredients

10 eggs

3 tablespoons half and half

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, additional chives for serving if desired

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

4 slices of thick cut bacon (or 6 regular slices of bacon), chopped into ½ inch pieces

1 ½ cups cooked new potatoes, cut into half-inch pieces

Instructions

Set oven rack so it is about 8 inches from the heating element. Turn on broiler.
Whisk eggs, half and half, chives, ½ teaspoon salt and a few grinds of freshly ground pepper in a large bowl. Set aside.
Fry bacon over medium heat in a 10 inch nonstick skillet until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon from the skillet and drain on paper towels.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat from the pan. Add potatoes and cook until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Add reserved bacon and stir to combine.
Pour egg mixture into the skillet. Using a rubber spatula and being sure to continuously scrape the bottom of the pan, stir eggs constantly until large curds begin to form, about 2-3 minutes. Shake the skillet and use the spatula to arrange eggs in an even layer in the pan, patting down the top (eggs will still appear quite wet at this point). Allow the eggs to cook without stirring for 30 seconds to set the bottom of the cake.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and broil until surface is just beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Carefully remove the skillet from the oven and let the egg cake rest for 5 minutes. Using a clean rubber spatula, loosen the cake from the sides of the pan and gently slide onto a serving plate. Sprinkle with additional fresh chives if desired. Serve.

Keywords: Danish Egg Cake, potatoes, bacon, eggs, omelet, baked omelet, Æggekage, brunch