Breakfast

Beet Apple Ginger Smoothie

April 18, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

I actually own a juicer. It lives in a cupboard in the basement because it takes up a ton of room and there isn’t space for it in the kitchen. And to be honest, I don’t really use it much anymore. I purchased it a couple of years ago when I was working as the catering manager for a vegan cafe and juice bar. For a few months there I was juicing everything in sight….celery, kale, beets, carrots…I loved playing around with different combinations of fruits and vegetables in my own kitchen.

Eventually my love for the juicer faded, but I often still crave the fresh vibrancy of that juice, especially the earthy/sweet concoction of beets, ginger and apples that we made at the cafe. I began wondering if I could translate some of my juice recipes to smoothies instead. It seemed that going the smoothie route would have several advantages: No setting up (and cleaning the juicer), more nutritious fiber in the final product (a juicer strains out most of the fibrous pulp from the fruits and vegetables during the juicing process) and less waste (no extracted pulp to discard). But could I really make a tasty smoothie using raw beets? There was only one way to find out.

Using my go-to recipe for beet juice as a guide, I began crafting a smoothie version. My biggest concern was getting the texture right, but my Vitamix blender did an amazing job of turning a raw beet, apple and knob of ginger into something smooth and luxurious. All I needed was a little water, ice, lemon juice and honey to round everything out. The result? A delicious, jewel-toned smoothie packed with nutrients, including fiber. No juicer required.

Beet Apple Ginger Smoothie

A delicious concoction of raw beet, apple and fresh ginger.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 2 smoothies 1x
Category: smoothie
Method: blender
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian

Scale

Ingredients

1 medium beet, scrubbed, trimmed, peeled and cut into wedges

1 apple (any variety), core removed and cut into wedges

1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

1 cup ice

1 cup water

Juice of 1 lemon

Squeeze of honey, more to taste

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in the jar of a high-powered blender such as a Vitamix. Blend until smooth (because of the density of the beet this may take awhile). Test smoothie mixture for sweetness and add more honey if desired, blending again briefly to combine. Serve immediately or store in a mason jar in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Shake vigorously to recombine before serving.

Notes

*You really need a high-powered blender in order to blend the raw beet properly. I swear by my Vitamix. It seriously blends absolutely anything.

*I find that the amount of honey varies from batch to batch depending on the sweetness of your apple and beet. Be sure to taste the mixture before removing it from the blender jar and add more honey as needed.

*There will be froth on the top of the smoothie from the blending process. You can just leave it (that’s what I do) or you could spoon it off before serving.

Keywords: smoothie, beets, apple, ginger

Roasted Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

March 29, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

It’s gloomy today and the rain falls steadily as I write. The last of the snow has finally melted and the daffodils are peeking up through the earth. My favorite magnolia tree in the backyard is filled with velvety buds, patiently waiting for her all too brief moment of blossoming. Change is afoot, both outside and in my kitchen as we transition to the early days of spring.

We are a ways out from fresh strawberries and rhubarb here in Nebraska, but the displays in the market tell me that somewhere not too far from here they are already bountiful. I can’t think of a better way to kick off this season of rebirth and renewal than with this Roasted Strawberry and Rhubarb Compote. Think of it as that perfect accessory that you can put with just about anything and elevate it from ordinary to extraordinary. Like a favorite scarf or necklace but edible. A batch of this compote will keep for at least two weeks in the fridge and will cheerfully adorn just about anything you choose to pair with it.

*Like Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp for breakfast!*

You may choose to:

Use it in place of jam on your morning toast

Slather it on top of rye crispbread with cream cheese for afternoon fika (don’t forget the coffee!)
Warm it slightly and spoon it over ice cream

Spoon a dollop next to your favorite granola and yogurt (it’s like having strawberry rhubarb crisp for breakfast!)

You get the idea. Enjoy these early spring days, my friends! They are fleeting. Soon it will be hot and humid and we will long for this in between season of fresh earth, cloudy skies and new beginnings.

Roasted Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

A cheerful spring topping for just about anything!

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 1 1/2 cups 1x
Category: sauce
Method: roasted
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian

Scale

Ingredients

1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and halved if small, quartered if large

2 cups chopped rhubarb stalks, fresh or frozen

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup water

Pinch of salt

½ vanilla bean

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine all ingredients except vanilla bean in a 9 x 13 baking dish.
Using a small knife, slice down one side of the vanilla bean lengthwise so that it opens like a book. Using the back of the knife, scrape the black seeds from the inside of the split vanilla bean pod and place in the baking dish. Add the pod as well.
Stir everything together. Roast for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and stir mixture. Return to the oven and roast for another 20 minutes or until fruit is bubbly, extremely soft and falling apart.
Remove the vanilla bean pod. Using a potato masher or the back of a fork, lightly mash the fruit mixture until it is a jam-like consistency. Allow to cool. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Keywords: Strawberry, Rhubarb, Compote, Sauce, Jam, Roasted, Nordic, Scandinavian,

Dill Caper Butter

February 28, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

Compound butters are quite simply butter that has been mixed with flavorful ingredients such as fresh herbs, chiles, capers, anchovies, mustard, lemon juice, garlic or shallots. They offer an easy way to infuse a simple meal with complex flavor and require minimal effort. Wrapped in saran wrap in a cylinder shape, compound butters also freeze like a dream. When you are ready to use it, simply cut off the amount of butter that you need and return the remaining portion to the freezer.

This dill caper butter is one of my favorites. I love it on a piece of rye crispbread topped with a sliced hard-boiled egg and fresh dill…a quick, savory breakfast or snack that tastes like more than the sum of its parts. You might also try it on bread of any kind, stirred into a simple bowl of cooked grains, or dolloped over the top of a piece of roasted salmon. The options are endless!

Dill Caper Butter

Try spreading this savory compound butter on a piece of rye crispbread topped with sliced hard-boiled egg and fresh dill.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1/4 cup 1x
Category: Butter
Cuisine: Scandinavian, Nordic

Scale

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon small capers stored in brine, rinsed and drained and chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Mix all ingredients together. Season to taste with salt and pepper (it may not need salt because of the capers). Store in the fridge for up to two days or freeze in a wrapped cylinder shape for up to 3 months.

Keywords: butter, compound butter, dill, capers, Scandinavian, Nordic

Nordic Wild Berry Almond Smoothie

February 28, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

nordic berry almond smoothie — *Antioxidant-rich berries make a tasty morning smoothie.*

Sugared lingonberries commonly grace the Scandinavian Christmas table. This simple mixture of lingonberries and sugar (sometimes cooked, sometimes not) is enjoyed as a sort of sweet relish. You will find them served alongside Swedish meatballs, potato pancakes and on Christmas morning spooned over buttery Swedish pancakes. But did you know that the lingonberry is considered one of the most nutritious berries in the world? Rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, lingonberries are now touted as a superfood. They are believed to reduce inflammation, prevent urinary tract infections and, according to Dr. Oz, may even reduce the appearance of age spots. Superfood indeed!

Lingonberries are very tart in flavor, much like a cranberry, which is why they are almost always paired with some kind of sweetener before eating. Here in the United States, fresh lingonberries can be very difficult to find. Frozen lingonberries are available, especially if you live somewhere with a strong Scandinavian cultural presence (I buy mine at Ingebretsen’s Nordic Marketplace in Minneapolis). You can almost always find preserved lingonberries or lingonberry jam no matter where you live.

This smoothie is a delicious way to enjoy your lingonberries without pairing them with sugar or something rich and buttery, as lovely as that is! Sometimes after the holidays are over, we crave something fruity, fresh and nutritious to balance out the overindulgence of the last few weeks. This smoothie is just that. Frozen berries, banana, almond milk and a bit of almond butter and honey come together to create a delicious concoction that is sure to get your 2019 started on the right foot.

Nordic Wild Berry Almond Smoothie

A vegan antioxidant rich smoothie made even more delicious with a dollop of almond butter.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 smoothie 1x
Category: breakfast, smoothie
Method: blender
Cuisine: Scandinavian, Nordic

Scale

Ingredients

2 heaping tablespoons frozen lingonberries

1 cup frozen wild blueberries

1 frozen banana

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 tablespoon salted almond butter

1/2 tablespoon honey, more to taste

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a high-powered blender such as a Vitamix and blend until completely smooth in texture. Taste for sweetness and add more honey if desired. Serve immediately.

*Note: If you can’t find frozen lingonberries, use 2 tablespoons of preserved lingonberries and omit the honey.

Keywords: vegan, vegetarian, Scandinavian, Nordic, smoothie, lingonberries, breakfast, almond