Dinner

Grilled Summer Squash Smørrebrød with Basil Mayonnaise

July 9, 2020 by Kristi Leave a Comment

As we are currently hitting 90 plus degrees on a daily basis here in Nebraska AND my garden is about to burst forth with a bumper crop of zucchini and basil, I thought a summer squash open sandwich prepared entirely on the grill might be just the thing we need right now.

Grilling Summer Squash

The high heat of the grill is wonderful way to bring out the best in summer squash. Zucchini are over 90 percent water. The dry heat of the grill coaxes some of this moisture out while giving the vegetables an attractive and flavorful sear. The result is tender and delicious summer squash slices that are in no way soggy or water-logged.

And the process itself couldn’t be easier. Simply brush or rub 1/2 inch thick zucchini slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. A quick 3-4 minutes per side over medium heat, and you will have lovely grill marks and perfectly delicious vegetables.

Basil Mayonnaise

To keep those summer vibes going, I wanted to skip the butter on this open sandwich and opt for something cool and refreshing instead. I tried a few different options and landed on this quick basil mayonnaise. Nothing more than a combination of chopped fresh basil and prepared mayonnaise, this easy summer spread perks up just about anything from tomato sandwiches to hamburgers. It’s a lovely recipe to have on hand all summer long.

Grilled Sourdough Bread

Instead of the traditional dense Danish rye, this open sandwich really shines with a toasted piece of sourdough (or other rustic loaf) as the base. But no need to get out the toaster! Just toss the bread right on the grill and keep a close eye on it. When it’s crisp and has grill marks, it’s time to flip it to the other side. This should only take a couple of minutes, depending on the heat of your particular grill.

While the bread is still warm, rub it with a peeled garlic clove. This imparts the toast with a little garlic flavor that goes a long way in the final result.

Should you also be experiencing high temperatures and more zucchini than you know what to do with, give this Grilled Summer Squash Smørrebrød with Basil Mayonnaise a try! It makes a delightful summer supper….all without heating up the house. If you’ve got some garden or farmstand tomatoes on hand, this Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Soup would be absolutely delicious alongside. Need more ideas for your garden zucchini? Give these recipes a try:

Grilled Summer Squash Smørrebrød with Basil Mayonnaise

A delicious open sandwich featuring grilled summer squash and a fresh basil mayonnaise. Perfect for summer!

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 open sandwiches 1x
Category: smørrebrød, Danish reipes, dinner, lunch
Method: grilling
Cuisine: Danish
Diet: Vegetarian

Scale

Ingredients

For the Smørrebrød:

2-3 zucchini or yellow squash or a mix of the two, cut into ½ inch thick slices

Olive oil for brushing

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

4 slices sourdough or rustic country bread

1 garlic clove, peeled

Basil Mayonnaise (recipe follows)

2 cups of baby arugula or other small lettuces

Fresh basil leaves, sprouts or microgreens for garnish (optional)

For the Basil Mayonnaise:

½ cup prepared mayonnaise

½ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

Instructions

Make the Basil Mayonnaise: Combine mayonnaise and chopped fresh basil in a small bowl. Set aside.
Heat the grill to medium. Brush zucchini and/or yellow squash slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until squash is tender and has grill marks, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from the grill and set aside.
Brush bread with olive oil. Grill until golden brown and crisp, checking frequently and flipping halfway through. Remove the toast from the grill and rub each slice with the garlic clove.
Assemble the Smørrebrød: Transfer toasted bread to a clean work surface. Spread each slice with the Basil Mayonnaise. Top with a handful of arugula or lettuce leaves. Artfully arrange grilled zucchini and/or summer squash on top. Garnish with additional basil and/or microgreens if desired. Serve.

Keywords: smørrebrød, summer squash, zucchini, grilling, vegetarian, basil, mayonnaise

Danish Hot Dogs

July 3, 2020 by Kristi Leave a Comment

Hot dogs are the street food of choice in Copenhagen. They are served with a variety of condiments, but this particular combination is a true classic…a creamy curried remoulade sauce, fresh pickled cucumbers and crispy fried onions. It might sound a bit odd, but all of these condiments are quite common in Danish cuisine and are absolutely delicious together. The curry remoulade in particular is absolutely life-changing (dip your fries into it and tell me I’m wrong). This creamy, crispy, cucumber-y trio of toppings breathes new Nordic life into the humdrum hot dog with its standard ketchup and mustard toppings that we are all so very familiar with.

The homemade Fresh Pickled Cucumbers and Crispy Fried Shallots are delicious here and well worth making, but you can easily substitute dill pickle slices and crispy onions from the store in a pinch.

Hot dogs were a cornerstone of my diet growing up in the 1980s, but have become something of an indulgence as I’ve gotten older. I might enjoy one at a baseball game or the state fair, but that’s about it. While I am all for making nutritious choices when it comes to food, I am also a big believer in balance. And I’m quite sure there is room in a healthy diet for indulgences now and then. So the next time you are hankering for a hot dog, DO IT RIGHT. Mix up this tasty trio of condiments, fire up the grill and do things the Danish way. Your tastebuds will thank you.

Danish Hot Dogs

Grilled hot dogs topped with creamy, curried remoulade sauce, fresh pickled cucumbers and crispy fried shallots. A Danish street food classic!

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4–6 hotdogs 1x
Category: dinner, lunch, summer
Method: Grilling
Cuisine: Danish, Scandinavian, Nordic

Scale

Ingredients

4-6 best quality hot dogs

Crispy Fried Shallots (or store-bought crispy fried onions)

Fresh Pickled Cucumbers (or store-bought dill pickle slices)

Danish Remoulade Sauce, recipe follows

4-6 hot dog buns for serving

For the Danish Remoulade Sauce:

½ cup prepared mayonnaise

2 tablespoons skyr (Icelandic yogurt), Greek yogurt or sour cream

1 heaping teaspoon dijon mustard

1 tablespoon capers, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons Fresh Pickled Cucumbers or store-bought dill pickles, finely chopped

1 tablespoon minced shallot

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 teaspoon curry powder

Instructions

Make the Danish Remoulade: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir until fully combined
Heat grill. Grill hot dogs over medium heat until heated through and nicely browned, about 7-10 minutes
Place one hot dog inside of each bun. Spoon Danish Remoulade over the length of the hot dog, followed by pickled cucumbers and a sprinkle of crispy shallots. Serve immediately.

Keywords: hotdogs, Danish. streetfood, remoulade, crispy onions

Herbed New Potato Salad with Pickled Golden Beets and Capers

June 13, 2020 by Kristi Leave a Comment

Herbed New Potato Salad with Pickled Beets and Capers

It is June and most definitely potato salad season! Whether you are looking for something to pair with what’s coming off the grill or are in need of something to bring to the neighborhood potluck, potato salad is often the side dish we turn to at this time of year. Traditional American potato salad is delicious with its creamy mayonnaise and mustard base, but I was looking for something a little different when I set out to create a Scandi-inspired potato salad for the blog. I began where I always do…researching what is already out there.

Lightening Up

I was pleasantly surprised to find that many of the recipes for Nordic style potato salad were tossed with a vinaigrette rather than a creamy dressing. I liked that idea…something lighter than the potato salads I have had in the past. Many also contained chopped fresh herbs which I definitely wanted in my version as well as capers for their briny punch of flavor. Things were off to a fresh and flavorful start.

Pickled Beets

Some of the older recipes I found called for pickled beets, one recipe an entire 12 ounce jar of them! While I loved the idea of pickled beets in my salad, I wanted to retain the creamy color of the potatoes themselves. That’s the trouble with beets…their brilliant color cannot be contained. They stain everything they come into contact with a lovely shade of pink. Sometimes this is a good thing, and I welcome both the flavor and the rosy hue. But since I didn’t want a pink potato salad, I figured the beets were out. But then I remembered golden beets! Why not pickle those instead of the traditional red variety and toss them with the salad? I whipped up a quick batch of my Spicy Pickled Beets using golden beets in place of the red beets. This worked perfectly. I had earthy and tangy pickled beets that didn’t turn my salad pink and brought their own gorgeous golden hue to the dish.

Tips and Tricks for Perfect Potato Salad

This potato salad is incredibly simple to put together, but I do have a few thoughts for ensuring salad perfection every time:

Slice the potatoes about 1/4 inch thick prior to cooking them. This keeps the slices clean and distinct in the final salad.
Frequently check the potatoes for doneness. This is probably the most critical piece of making this potato salad. The potatoes should be JUST tender, not falling apart. But you don’t want them crunch either. I start checking them after they’ve been simmering for about 5 minutes, and I will actually take a potato slice out, cut into it and taste it to make sure it’s just the right consistency. If they are still too crunchy, I check them again every minute or so until they are perfectly tender.
Don’t forget to save some some potato water! Using a little of the potato cooking water in the vinaigrette for this salad is a great way to bring in more potato flavor and a nice viscosity to the final product.
Dress the salad while the potatoes are warm. They will take on more flavor from the vinaigrette that way.
Toss the salad gently with a rubber spatula. These cooked potato slices are delicate and need a little extra care when tossing them to prevent them from breaking.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Make sure you taste the salad, salt and pepper it if necessary and then taste it again. Keep doing this until you love the way it tastes. Because this potato salad contains quite a few capers which are quite salty on their own, you might need a little less salt than you normally would use.
Serve the salad warm or at room temperature. This salad is just fine straight from the fridge, but I prefer it warm just after I’ve tossed it together or I will take it out of the fridge an hour before I want to serve it so that it can come to room temperature.

The final version of this Nordic new potato salad is a real keeper. Tender slices of new potato tossed in a mustardy vinaigrette with loads of fresh herbs, shallot, capers and golden pickled beets. Pair it with grilled sausages for an easy and stunning weeknight meal or bring it to the neighbor’s backyard barbecue and listen to people ooh and ahh over your unexpected and delicious Nordic-inspired side dish. And please let me know if you give it a try in the comments below! I would love to hear what you think.

Herbed New Potato Salad with Pickled Golden Beets and Capers

Tender new potato slices tossed in a mustardy vinaigrette with loads of fresh herbs, capers, shallots and pickled golden beets.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: Serves 6–8 1x
Category: Salads
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian

Scale

Ingredients

2 pounds small red new potatoes, unpeeled and cut into ¼ inch thick slices

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 ½ tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1 small shallot, minced

½ cup diced Spicy Pickled Beets, made with golden beets

3 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Place sliced potatoes in a large pot. Cover with cold water by 1 inch. Add two teaspoons of salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue to cook for 5-9 minutes or until the potato slices are just tender. Keep a close eye on the potatoes as they cook and check them frequently for doneness. You want them to be just tender. If you overcook them they will start to fall apart and not be as beautiful in your salad.
Carefully remove the potatoes from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a strainer to drain. Save ¼ cup of the cooking water. Lay the potato slices in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
Whisk olive oil, vinegar, mustard, shallot and reserved potato water together in a medium bowl. Drizzle mixture over the warm potatoes and let sit for 10 minutes.
Add pickled beets, capers and herbs. Stir gently with a rubber spatula, taking care not to break the potato slices. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a platter and serve.

Notes

To make in advance, finish the recipe through step 3. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl and cover before refrigerating for up to 8 hours. Bring the mixture to room temperature before continuing with step 4 of the recipe.

Adapted from The America’s Test Kitchen Complete Vegetarian Cookbook

Keywords: new potatoes, salad, vinaigrette, dill, parsley, chives, capers, beets, summer, potato salad, vegetarian, vegan

Easy Grilled Cedar Plank Salmon with Creamy Horseradish Sauce

June 8, 2020 by Kristi Leave a Comment

Have you started to think about your Midsummer plans? It’s just around the corner! If you are looking for a festive and easy main dish that can just as easily be prepared for an intimate gathering or a crowd, I’ve got just the thing. This Grilled Cedar Plank Salmon with Creamy Horseradish Sauce is my go-to recipe for effortless and impressive summertime entertaining. It’s always a crowd pleaser and is one of those dishes that looks complicated but in reality couldn’t be simpler to prepare.

How to Grill Cedar Plank Salmon

The idea of cooking fish on a wooden plank can be intimidating, but the process is actually almost easier than putting your fish directly on the grill. And the rewards are great….the salmon takes on a subtle cedar smoked flavor that is absolutely delicious. There are just a few simple steps to grilling salmon on a cedar plank:

Purchase a package of cedar planks. I like to buy mine in packs of 12 from Amazon because they are a bit cheaper that way, but if you are pressed for time, you can find cedar planks at many grocery, kitchen specialty and hardware stores. Just check the grilling section. I know some people will buy untreated cedar planks from a store that sells lumber, but you need to be careful that what you are buying is indeed untreated cedar. The last thing you want is to have a chemically-treated piece of wood under your salmon! Personally I would rather play it safe and purchase something that is designed for food use.
Decide how much salmon you want to prepare. That’s the great thing about this dish. You can serve just one or two people or many….it’s up to you. I personally prefer to cut my salmon into portions prior to grilling, but you can also do a whole side of salmon if you would rather. Cooking times will vary, of course, depending on how large your piece of salmon is.
Cut your planks to accommodate the amount of salmon you are cooking (optional). Sometimes I prepare this salmon dish for just two people, in which case it seems wasteful to use a whole cedar plank for two portions of salmon. Lots of unused space! Cutting your planks to fit the size of your meal will help extend your package of planks….you’ll be grilling salmon this way all summer long and not have to reorder any!

Soak the plank in water for at least an hour beforehand. I generally put mine in a 9×13 pan and flip it over a few times while it’s soaking (it will float). Soaking helps the cedar flavor from the plank to release and work it’s way into the fish AND provides an added layer or grilling safety as your wet plank will smoke when it comes in to contact with the heat of the grill (which we want) but won’t start on fire (which we definitely don’t want).

Leave the skin on the salmon and place it directly on to the soaked board. This is what I mean about cedar plank salmon being almost easier than putting it directly onto the grill. There is no sticking and no need to remove the skin!

Grill over medium heat until salmon is just opaque all the way through. The time it takes to cook the salmon will depend on the size of your filets and how hot your particular grill is. I start checking mine around 12 minutes, but it might take as long as 20.

Remove the plank from the grill using mitts or a large spatula or two. It’s hot! Be careful.
Slide a thin metal spatula in between the salmon flesh and the skin leaving the skin behind on the plank. The skin will stick to the plank (which is just what we want) so it’s easy to just slide the filet right off the top. Time to serve and enjoy!
Toss the used cedar plank. The plank will have salmon skin stuck to it and be pretty well-spent after one use. I recommend starting fresh each time with a new plank. Should you choose to reuse your planks, it is important that you seal them in a plastic bag and freeze them in between uses for food safety concerns.

See how simple that was!? Once you start grilling salmon on a cedar plank, I promise you won’t want to go back!

A Delicious and Easy Rub

You could easily just season your salmon with salt and pepper and get grilling. BUT a lemony, herby rub really brightens the flavor of this Cedar Plank Salmon, and is well worth a few extra minutes of your time and effort. The idea of for this rub came from a long-ago issue of Fine Cooking magazine, and I have been using it ever since. It contains only three ingredients (lemon zest, fresh thyme and sugar) but the payoff in flavor is huge!

A Cool, Creamy Sauce

Creamy horseradish sauce with chive blossoms

This sauce comes from that same Fine Cooking recipe I mentioned above. I’ve added a bit more horseradish (because I love it with a little bit of a kick) and doubled the amount of sauce. I like to keep things simple and serve this Grilled Cedar Plank Salmon with a side of grilled asparagus and a big bowl of wild rice tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper. Between the flavorful rub and the creamy horseradish sauce, you really don’t need much else.

I hope you give this Easy Grilled Cedar Plank Salmon a try! It’s the perfect thing to serve for a laid-back summer gathering of any size.

Easy Grilled Cedar Plank Salmon with Creamy Horseradish Sauce

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: Serves 4
Category: Dinner
Method: Grilling
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian

Ingredients

For the Salmon:

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

½ teaspoon sugar

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

4 6-ounce skin-on salmon filets

2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

For the Creamy Horseradish Sauce:

½ cup creme fraiche

3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

2 tablespoons prepared horseradish

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Special equipment needed:

Cedar plank designed for grilling

Instructions

Place the cedar plank (one large enough to hold all 4 salmon filets) in cold water and soak for at least an hour.
Preheat the grill to medium. Combine lemon zest, thyme and sugar in a small bowl. Place the salmon filets on the cedar plank and brush with olive oil. Rub the lemon-thyme mixture over the surface of salmon filets. Season the filets with salt and pepper.
Place the cedar plank with the salmon on it on the grill. Cover and cook over medium heat until salmon is just opaque throughout, about 12-20 minutes. The cooking time will vary based on the thickness of the filets and the heat of the particular grill.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Carefully remove the cedar plank from the grill. Lift the filets off of the cedar plank using a thin metal spatula, leaving the skin behind on the plank. Serve immediately with the Creamy Horseradish Sauce.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine.

Keywords: salmon, grilling, cedar plank, lemon, thyme, horseradish, chives,

Simple Roasted Salmon with Cucumber-Radish Relish

May 15, 2020 by Kristi Leave a Comment

Roasted Salmon and Cucumber-Radish Relish

This Simple Roasted Salmon with Cucumber-Radish Relish is just the thing to help us ease our way from spring into summer. Cucumbers, radishes and scallions are tossed with a bit of prepared horseradish to create a delicious and easy relish to serve alongside roasted salmon filets. Seriously elegant and it comes together in less than thirty minutes. That’s my kind of meal!

Cucumber, radishes and scallions on a white table

This recipe is adapted from one that I clipped from an issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine back in 2012. Eight years ago! Normally recipes that I save for that long without trying them would be more likely to get tossed than made. But there was something so delightfully Nordic about this recipe, not to mention it’s simplicity and lovely presentation, I kept it thinking I would eventually get around to making it “someday”.

Last weekend that “someday” finally arrived, and I’m so glad it did! What a lovely salmon supper this is. I’ve made very few changes to the original recipe when adapting it for the blog, but I did double the amount of relish. It is SO fresh and tasty with the salmon, you are not going to want to skimp!

I highly recommend serving this Roasted Salmon with Cucumber-Radish Relish alongside this Warm Barley Salad with Fresh Garden Herbs. They are a perfect match for one another. Add some roasted asparagus and you’ve got a simply elegant meal that is doable any night of the week.

Salmon supper with salmon filets, Cucumber-Radish Relish and barley salad

I hope you’ll add this Roasted Salmon with Cucumber-Radish Relish to your meal rotation sometime soon! I know you’ll be glad you did. If you give it a try, please let me know in the comments below. I always love hearing from you!

Simple Roasted Salmon with Cucumber-Radish Relish

An easy roasted salmon supper with a zesty, fresh relish featuring cucumbers, radishes, scallions and prepared horseradish.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Roasting
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian

Scale

Ingredients

4 6-ounce skin-on salmon filets (skinned salmon filets work just fine, too)

1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 cup diced, peeled and seeded cucumber

½ cup diced radishes

¼ cup thinly sliced scallions

2 tablespoons prepared horseradish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place salmon on a rimmed baking sheet covered with foil or parchment paper. Brush salmon with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until salmon is just cooked through, about 10-13 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine radishes, cucumber and scallions together in a medium bowl. Stir in horseradish and remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Remove salmon from the baking sheet using a thin spatula, leaving the skin behind. Serve immediately with Cucumber-Radish Relish.

Notes

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living magazine, April 2012

Keywords: easy, simple, roasted, salmon, cucumber, radish, horseradish, relish, Nordic, Scandinavian

Warm Barley Salad with Fresh Garden Herbs

May 12, 2020 by Kristi 4 Comments

Warm Barley Salad with Garden Fresh Herbs

This Warm Barley Salad with Fresh Garden Herbs is destined to be your new favorite side dish for the coming months. It’s so simple and delicious and uses all the tender, green herbs that are just coming in to season. If you have an herb garden of your own, you could easily have everything you need to make this on a moment’s notice all summer long.

Barley in Scandinavia

Barley has been an important crop in the Nordic region since the stone age. It was ground into flour to make bread, cooked to make porridge and malted to be used in the beer making process. It was (and still is) commonly used as food for livestock. Barley contains more essential amino acids than both wheat and rye and is higher in fiber (8 grams per ¼ cup). Although its popularity as a bread flour waned as wheat became more available, barley is currently enjoying a bit of a renaissance. The New Nordic Cuisine movement has brought a fresh perspective to this ancient grain, highlighting its healthful properties and various culinary uses.

Note that this recipe calls for pearl barley (sometimes labeled medium barley at the grocery store). When pearl barley is processed, the bran of the grain is removed which shortens the cooking time. If you are using hulled barley, which is more minimally processed, it will take significantly longer to cook.

A few suggestions for making a perfect barley salad every time:

Start with the right kind of barley. As I mentioned above, the difference in cooking time between pearl barley and hulled barley is significant. There is nothing wrong with using hulled barley in this recipe, just expect it to take much longer to cook.
Give your barley a quick rinse before cooking. This removes any dust or unwanted fine particles prior to cooking.
Use the pasta method to cook the barley. I find this to be the easiest and most forgiving way to cook barley. Simply boil a large pot of water on the stove like you would if you were making pasta. Add the barley and some salt and continue to cook over medium/medium-high heat until the barley is tender, about 35-40 minutes. Once it is done, simply drain and enjoy! It couldn’t be easier, and if your barley needs a little more time to cook, there is no concern about the barley becoming too dry and scorching on the bottom of the pot.
Taste the barley to see if it is tender. Don’t rely entirely on my estimation of how long it will take to cook your barley. I’ve made this dish with barley from several different stores, and the amount of time it take for the barley to become tender can vary. Start checking at 30 minutes. If it’s not tender enough, give it 5 more minutes and then check again. Continue checking every 5 minutes until the texture of the barley is to your liking.
Drain thoroughly. This will help the salad from becoming waterlogged.
Dress the salad while the barley is warm and season to taste with salt, pepper and additional lemon juice as necessary. Warm barley will more readily soak up the flavors of the dressing than cool or even room temperature barley. And I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: most people don’t season their food properly. Give your salad a taste and keep adding salt, pepper and/or an additional squeeze of lemon juice until your salad is just how you like it.

Feel free to switch out the herbs depending on what’s available to you. Nearly any combination of soft green herbs would be nice here….basil, dill, parsley, cilantro, tarragon and/or chives. Work with what you have!

I do hope you give this Warm Barley Salad with Fresh Garden Herbs a try! It would be very much at home next to a simple grilled chicken breast or a tender filet of roasted salmon. Keeping things vegetarian? I recommend roasted asparagus with a fried egg on top (optional but SO yummy). This dish is so versatile and delicious I’m sure you’ll find countless ways to vary it over the coming months! Need more barley ideas? Here are a few blog favorites for using pearl barley:

Warm Barley Salad with Fresh Garden Herbs

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

A versatile and delicious warm pearl barley salad with mustard, lemon juice and fresh garden herbs.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: salads, side dishes
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian
Diet: Vegan

Scale

Ingredients

1 cup pearl barley, rinsed in a fine mesh strainer

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons minced shallot

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons lemon juice, more to taste

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup thinly sliced scallion greens or chives

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add barley and 1 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to medium and cook until barley is tender, about 35-40 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, whisk shallot, mustard, lemon juice and olive oil together in the bottom of a serving bowl. Add the warm barley and herbs and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper and additional lemon juice. Serve warm.

Notes

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living, April 2012

Keywords: warm, barley, salad, dill, parsley, scallions, chives, herbs, easy, simple, side dish

Easy Vegetarian Split Pea Soup with Barley

April 24, 2020 by Kristi Leave a Comment

It occurred to me the other day that I don’t have a split pea soup recipe on the site. Given that pea soup is a Nordic staple, I thought it was high time to fix that!

I considered doing something more traditional, with a ham hock or some other pork product added to the soup for meatiness and flavor. But then I decided that it would be nice to have a really good vegetarian version of split pea soup, one that was just as hearty and satisfying as those containing meat.

The inspiration for this Vegetarian Split Pea Soup with Barley comes from Deborah Madison’s indispensable Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. What really caught my eye about her recipe was the inclusion of smoked paprika which gives the soup a smoky quality similar to what you might get with ham or bacon. Another small but impactful ingredient here is a tablespoon of soy sauce added at the end. While this isn’t enough to make your soup taste like soy sauce, it is just the right amount to amp up the umami factor, adding a savory depth that can be hard to achieve in vegetarian cooking. Add some aromatics and chopped fresh herbs and you’ve got yourself a satisfying base for vegetarian pea soup.

You will notice that the recipe calls for a pinch of baking soda. While this might seem odd or out of place, the baking soda actually helps soften the split peas more thoroughly and quickly by changing the pH level of the cooking liquid. But no more than a pinch! Too much baking soda can lead to off flavors in the final product.

Finally, I wanted to add something for textural contrast to give the soup a bit more heft. I immediately thought of pearl barley. I liked the idea of cooking it separately and topping each serving with a generous spoonful or two of hearty barley grains. This was just what I was looking for! I now had a savory, smoky and satisfying version of vegetarian (vegan, even!) split pea soup that could compete with its meaty counterparts any day of the week.

I hope you give this soul-warming soup a try. I know we can all use a little comfort food these days, and this Easy Vegetarian Split Pea Soup with Barley is both satisfying AND nourishing in the best of ways.

Easy Vegetarian Split Pea Soup with Barley

A soul-warming and delicious vegetarian split pea soup featuring smoked paprika and hearty pearl barley.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Yield: 4-6 servings
Category: soups and stews
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian
Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive or canola oil

1 large onion, diced small

2 carrots, peeled and diced small

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 ½ cups yellow split peas, picked over and rinsed

4 cups vegetable or low-sodium chicken broth

4 cups water

Pinch of baking soda

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Coarse salt and pepper to taste

Cooked pearl barley for serving (see note)

Instructions

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, 5-7 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, smoked paprika and rosemary and cook for an additional minute.
Add split peas, broth, water, baking soda and bay leaf to the pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Continue to cook until peas are very tender, about 45 minutes to an hour.
Add soy sauce and parsley and season the soup to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with pearl barley and serve.

Notes

I like to cook barley using the pasta method: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add barley and season with salt. Cook until the barley is tender, about 30-40 minutes. Drain and enjoy!

Keywords: easy, split peas, vegetarian, vegan, smoked paprika, barley, Nordic, soup

Easiest and Best Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup (Dairy-Free)

March 13, 2020 by Kristi Leave a Comment

I love creamy vegetable soups, and I have a few favorites that I rotate throughout the year depending on what is in season. This Roasted Cauliflower Soup is one that I make throughout fall and winter, and it’s definitely something I look forward to when the weather begins to turn chilly.

Cauliflower is definitely having a moment. What was once a boring, bland vegetable for the crudité tray is now the darling of the culinary world. People make it into rice and use it to make pizza crust. Who knew that was even possible? And possibly the most important advancement in cauliflower cookery…..ROASTING. Yes, the high heat of the oven works its transformative magic on cauliflower, coaxing out a toasty sweetness from this otherwise mild-flavored vegetable.

Roasting = Flavor

As I began developing the recipe for this Roasted Cauliflower Soup, I began to wonder if the roasting step was actually necessary. There are plenty of recipes for cauliflower soup that simply call for sautéing aromatics in olive oil or butter and then simmering the cauliflower florets in broth prior to pureeing the soup. This seemed appealing and straightforward so I decided to give it a try.

You’ve probably already guessed the results of my experiment…the toasty depth of the roasted cauliflower was sorely missed and the soups was, well, kind of bland and boring. The takeaway: Roast your cauliflower. And while you’re at it you might was well add the onion and garlic to the sheet pan as well! This eliminates the extra step of sautéing the aromatics prior to adding the broth and roasted cauliflower to the pot. And as we already know, roasting = flavor.

Add Rice for a Creamy Texture

Finally, I wanted my Roasted Cauliflower Soup to be creamy. I tried a few different versions that called for cream or butter to finish the soup, but I just didn’t love the way the dairy muted the flavor of the roasted cauliflower. And then I remembered a little trick I picked up in culinary school for thickening vegetable soups: add a couple of tablespoons of rice to the broth and vegetables as they simmer. After a trip through the blender, this modest amount of rice provided luxurious, creamy body to the soup without any dairy at all. I most definitely had a a winner of a soup at this point, and it was surprisingly dairy-free and vegan!

Keep the Garnishes Simple

But how to garnish it? I tried several options, including a parsley-caper relish (overpowering) and toasted rye breadcrumbs (couldn’t get them quite crisp enough). I finally decided to keep it simple and toss some cubes of sourdough bread in olive oil, salt and pepper and toast them in the oven (it was already on, after all). This, along with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of chopped chives, was just what the soup needed to finish it off with a little something crispy, colorful and satisfying. If you happen to have a loaf of Danish Oat Bread or Chive Ricotta bread, either one would make fabulous croutons!

I hope you give this soup a try! You can probably just squeeze it in before spring arrives in earnest. It makes an excellent light supper any night of the week.

Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup

An easy and delicious roasted cauliflower soup. Creamy, full of flavor and dairy-free!

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Category: soup
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian

Ingredients

For the Soup:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 onion, sliced

1 large head cauliflower, cored and cut into 1 inch pieces

3 garlic cloves, smashed

4 cups vegetable or low-sodium chicken broth

2 cup water

2 tablespoons white rice

1 bay leaf

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Croutons and chopped fresh chives for serving

For the Croutons:

2 cups of bite-size bread cubes (I like sourdough or a rustic country loaf)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss onion, cauliflower and garlic with olive oil and a sheet pan. Season with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables until tender and caramelized, stirring occasionally, about 30-35 minutes.
Transfer roasted vegetables to a dutch oven or large saucepan. Add broth, water, rice and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Continue to cook until rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
While the soup simmers, make the Croutons. Toss bread cubes with olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until toasty golden brown, about 7-9 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Remove bayleaf from the soup. Puree soup in two batches in a blender until smooth (or use an immersion blender if you have one). Return soup to pot.
Bring soup back to a simmer over low heat. Add lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with Croutons, a drizzle of olive oil and a shower of chopped fresh chives.

Keywords: cauliflower, soup, winter, fall, vegan, vegetarian

Roasted Salmon Salad with Capers and Parsley

March 3, 2020 by Kristi Leave a Comment

A fun fact about me…..I used to hate salmon. I kind of thought salmon and I were a lost cause until I came across Jeffery Steingarten’s book, The Man Who Ate Everything. In it he talks about how when he was named the food critic for Vogue magazine, he took it upon himself to eliminate all of his food biases. He felt that it wasn’t fair, as a food critic, to bring his personal dislikes to the table. And how did he do this? By eating the foods he disliked over and over again until he learned to like them. I thought this might be a way in for me with salmon. I found a few relatively enticing recipes and began to frequently include salmon in my dinner rotation. It took a couple of months, but I eventually came to not only like but LOVE salmon. Is there something you wish you liked to eat but don’t? Keep eating it and see what happens.

Thanks to my little experiment, I now have a wonderful repertoire of salmon recipes to draw on when the mood strikes. This Salmon Salad with Capers and Parsley is one of my favorites. It comes together in a flash, and its bright, bold flavors are just the thing to play off of the silky, richness of the salmon. It you are not a salmon lover already, this is definitely one of those gateway dishes that may just help you change your mind.

This Salmon Salad with Capers and Parsley originally appeared in an issue of Everyday Food magazine by Martha Stewart. That original version is very similar to this one except that it calls for poaching the salmon rather than roasting it. You could certainly poach the salmon here if you would rather, but I just love the simplicity and texture of salmon roasted at high heat in the oven. It always comes out perfectly cooked; firm but still silky smooth.

You are going to want something crispy to serve along side this salad, preferably something sturdy enough to scoop a spoonful or two of salad on as you go. A toasted sourdough or rustic loaf would be very nice, but if you want maximum Nordic vibes, I suggest making a batch of Rye and Oat Crispbread to serve with it. It’s perfect for scooping up luxurious bites of salad.

I hope this delicious Salmon Salad with Capers and Parley turns you into a salmon lover if you aren’t one already. Simple, fast and only 6 ingredients means minimal effort for maximum flavor. What are you waiting for? Give it a try and leave me a note in the comments to let me know what you think. I always appreciate your feedback!

Roasted Salmon Salad with Capers and Parsley

A deliciously simple warm salad with the bold flavors of capers and parsley and silky, rich salmon.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: dinner
Method: roasting
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian

Scale

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing on salmon

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

½ small red onion, thinly sliced crosswise

3 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed

½ cup Italian parsley leaves (stems removed)

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

3 6-ounce salmon filets (skin on is fine)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Combine olive oil, vinegar, red onion, capers, parsley and ¼ teaspoon coarse salt in a serving bowl. Let sit while you prepare the salmon.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place salmon filets on top. Rub with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Roast salmon until just cooked through, about 10 minutes.
While it is still warm, flake salmon into bite size pieces (leaving skin behind on the baking sheet) and add it to the bowl. Stir to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with Rye and Oat Crispbread or toasted sourdough or country bread.

Notes

Adapted from Everyday Food magazine.

Keywords: salmon, salad, capers, parsley, easy, simple

Cozy Slow Cooker Chicken and Barley Soup

February 21, 2020 by Kristi Leave a Comment

I’ve tried many recipes for homemade chicken soup over the years, some streamlined and simple, others more complicated and time consuming. This Cozy Slow Cooker Chicken and Barley Soup is most definitely in the easy category and yet it is consistently my hands down favorite; the one I return to again and again each fall and winter when the temperature drops and we are all in need of a little warming up, inside and out.

I call this Cozy Slow Cooker Chicken and Barley Soup for a reason. It’s honestly one of the coziest meals I know. Hygge in a bowl. When we need something soul-warming and comforting for dinner (and BONUS…something I can make ahead), I turn to this easy, delicious and satisfying soup. Add a crusty loaf of bread and dinner is done. What more can you ask for?

One of the things I love about this Cozy Slow Cooker Chicken and Barley Soup is how straightforward the recipe and the flavors are. It is simply a good, old-fashioned chicken soup seasoned with thyme and bay leaf and the aromatics you might expect: onion, garlic, carrot and celery. But far from being boring, this nourishing and comforting soup is a delicious example of why simple is sometimes best.

Tips for Excellent Slow Cooker Chicken Soup

I’ve got just a few tips and tricks fro ensuring that your chicken soup is the very best it can be:

Choose bone-in chicken thighs. This recipe uses bone-in chicken thighs which are an excellent choice for a slow-cooker soup. Thighs can withstand a relatively long cooking time and still remain moist and tender. The meat shreds beautifully and easily. The bones also bring flavor to the broth as it simmers giving the soup a rich, homemade flavor.
Trim any excess skin and fat from the thighs. One of the reasons chicken thighs make an excellent and tender choice for this soup is that they naturally contain a higher fat content than chicken breasts. This is a wonderful thing for both texture and flavor, but to prevent the soup from becoming excessively greasy, trim any excess skin or fat from your chicken thighs prior to cooking.
Sear the chicken thighs prior to adding them to the slow cooker. This not only adds flavor, it also renders some of the fat from the skin prior to adding the chicken to the soup.

Sauté the aromatics prior to adding them to the slow cooker. Cooing the onion, carrot, celery and garlic in a little of the leftover chicken fat before adding them to the soup adds tremendous flavor and is a step worth taking.

Skim any excess fat off of the top of the soup with a spoon. Before you add the shredded chicken back to the pot, take a moment to skim any excess fat off the surface of the soup. Again, this helps prevent the soup from being greasy.
SEASON TO TASTE. I can’t stress this one enough. One of the biggest mistakes home cooks make is failing to season their food properly. TASTE THE SOUP WHEN IT IS DONE. Does it have enough salt? Probably not. Add some and taste again. Continue this process until you are genuinely pleased with the final result. We all have a different idea of how much salt is enough, so it’s important to let your own tastebuds guide you to that perfect amount.

The only special equipment you’ll need to make this recipe is a slow cooker. Mine is the Crock-Pot brand which I’ve found to be relatively inexpensive and reliable. Just make sure yours as at least 6 quarts in size as this makes a large batch of soup. And go ahead and freeze the leftovers if you like! The flavors just get better with time (the barley will expand as the soup cools causing it to thicken up a bit).

I encourage you to give this Cozy Slow Cooker Chicken and Barley Soup a try before spring arrives! I know the groundhog didn’t see his shadow, but I’m betting we still have a few more weeks of soup and stew weather ahead. And remember to leave me a comment if you do! I always love hearing from you.

Cozy Slow Cooker Chicken and Barley Soup

A delicious and easy chicken and barley soup recipe designed for the slow cooker. Nourishing and comforting, this chicken soup is the perfect cozy meal for a cold winter’s night.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours and 30 minutes
Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
Category: soups, winter, fall
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian

Scale

Ingredients

1 teaspoon canola oil

6-8 bone-in chicken thighs (about 2 ½-3 pounds), trimmed of excess skin and fat

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 onion, diced small

2 carrots, diced medium

2 stalks of celery, diced medium

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

¼ cup dry white wine

7 cups low-sodium chicken broth

¾ cup pearl barley

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

Instructions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper and place skin side down in the skillet. Cook until skin is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip the thighs over and continue to cook until golden brown on the other side, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer thighs to the slow cooker.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the skillet. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic and cook over medium heat until vegetables have softened slightly, about 2-3 minutes. Add thyme and wine and continue cooking, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet, until wine has almost completely evaporated, about 1-2 minutes. Add 3 cups of broth and bring to a boil. Transfer vegetables and broth to the slow cooker.
Add remaining 4 cups broth, pearl barley, bay leaf and soy sauce to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 3 hours.
Remove chicken thighs from the slow cooker and, using tongs and a fork, shred chicken into bite-sized pieces discarding the skin and the bones. Skim any excess fat from the surface of the soup. Return shredded chicken to the slow cooker. Add lemon juice and parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve.

Notes

Adapted from Cook’s Country magazine

Keywords: chicken, barley, soup, slow cooker