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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

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

Brown Sugar Skyr Tart

May 7, 2020 by Kristi Leave a Comment

Whether it’s in design, fashion or food, I have a thing for simplicity and elegance. I like things that are the essence of themselves without much need for embellishment or fuss. This Brown Sugar Skyr Tart falls nicely in that category. With an easy, pat-in-the-pan almond crust filled with a brown sugar skyr mixture, it’s like an ultra-creamy brown sugar cheesecake in a buttery almond crust. And it is absolute perfection with an afternoon cup of coffee.

WHAT IS SKYR?

Skyr (pronounced skeer) has become increasingly popular in recent years here in the United States. Although it might be new to us, skyr is a dairy product that has been an important part of Icelandic food culture for over a thousand years. Here in America, it is often marketed as the Nordic answer to Greek yogurt. In Iceland, however, skyr as technically considered a fresh cheese, something like quark, because of the addition of rennet in the recipe. Most commercial brands no longer use rennet to make skyr, just particular strains of probiotics that are unique to the product, and different from those used to make yogurt. Skyr is also strained, much like Greek yogurt is, which helps give it a thick, creamy texture and high protein content. It takes 4 cups of milk to make 1 cup of skyr. If you can’t find skyr in your grocery store, Greek yogurt makes an excellent substitute.

This simple tart comes together in no time at all. The dough is pulsed in the food processor and simply pressed into a tart pan (no rolling pin necessary). While the crust firms up in the freezer, the filling ingredients are whisked together until smooth.

The filling is then poured into the frozen crust and the whole thing slides in to the oven for 30 minutes. And that’s all there is to it! It is absolutely delicious on its own, but it is also nice with a dusting of powdered sugar and a few sugared blackberries scattered alongside.

I hope you give this Brown Sugar Skyr Tart a try! It is your new “little black dress” of fika treats. Looking for more ways to incorporate skyr into your diet? I’ve got a few ideas for you:

Brown Sugar Skyr Tart

A simply delicious tart made with an almond crust and a creamy, cheesecake-like skyr and brown sugar filling.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour + cooling time
Yield: 1 9-inch tart
Category: fika, dessert
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian

Ingredients

For the Crust:

½ cup blanched almonds

¾ cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

½ teaspoon fine salt

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into a ½ inch dice

3 tablespoons ice water

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Filling:

1 ¼ cups skyr, preferably whole milk (Greek yogurt makes a fine substitute)

2 large eggs

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

⅔ cup dark brown sugar

¼ teaspoon fine salt

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Powdered sugar for serving (optional)

Instructions

Make the Crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds out on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until toasted and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Add toasted nuts to the work bowl of a food processor. Process until finely ground. Add flour, sugar and salt and pulse a few times to combine.
Scatter butter over the top of the flour mixture and pulse 8-10 times or until the mixture is the texture of wet sand.
Sprinkle water and vanilla extract over the top and pulse until dough just begins to clump together.
Transfer dough to a 9-inch round fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.
Press dough into an even layer over the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan creating a crust. Flour the bottom of a metal measuring cup and press it over the bottom and sides of the crust to help even everything out. Freeze until firm, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the Filling: Whisk all the filling ingredients except the flour together in a medium bowl. Sift flour over the top and whisk thoroughly to combine. Pour filling into the frozen tart shell and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake the tart until it is set and golden brown, about 30-35 minutes. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison.

Keywords: brown sugar, skyr, tart, fika, creamy, easy, simple

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

Roasted Broccoli Smørrebrød with Whipped Ricotta

April 10, 2020 by Kristi Leave a Comment

Are you familiar with the term “fancy toast”? Essentially, fancy toast is artisan bread that is toasted and then topped with a variety of tasty ingredients. Sounds a bit like smørrebrød doesn’t it? I thought so too! If it’s alright with you, I think we should extend our definition of smørrebrød to include open sandwiches that might otherwise fall into the fancy toast category. This is not much of a stretch, really. There are MANY different types of smørrebrød, and not all of them are served on the traditional rugbrød. I feel no need to limit ourselves to one type of bread as the base for our open sandwiches. And who doesn’t love toast!?

Which brings me to this DELICIOUS Roasted Broccoli Smørrebrød with Whipped Ricotta. This open sandwich is really something special….tender, caramelized roasted broccoli tossed with sun-dried tomatoes and briny olives, and it all sits on a bed of creamy, dreamy whipped ricotta.

Whipped Ricotta Cheese

We’ve all had ricotta cheese in a lasagna or other stuffed pasta, but have you ever had whipped ricotta? Somehow, whirling whole milk ricotta around in the food processor with a little olive oil takes this otherwise slightly grainy cheese to a new level of silky, billowy softness. I’m talking creme fraiche-like in texture.

While you could use part-skim rather than whole milk ricotta cheese here, it won’t have the same rich flavor or creamy texture. My advice? Stick with the real thing.

Whipped ricotta makes a fabulous creamy base for a vegetarian smørrebrød. And trust me, this roasted broccoli and whipped ricotta combination is only the beginning. I’m thinking garden tomatoes in the summer, roasted cubes of butternut squash in the fall…imagine the delicious possibilities!

Roasted Broccoli

If you’ve never roasted broccoli before, you are in for a treat. In only 20 minutes, the high heat of the oven produces crisp tender broccoli that is caramelized and incredibly flavorful. Toss in some tangy, briny flavor in the form of sun-dried tomatoes and olives and you’ve got an easy and delicious topping for your smørrebrød.

I really hope you give this Roasted Broccoli Smørrebrød with Whipped Ricotta a try! It is one of my new favorites and I think it will be one of yours, too.

Roasted Broccoli Smørrebrød with Whipped Ricotta

A delicious open sandwich featuring creamy whipped ricotta cheese, tender roasted broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes and briny olives.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 sandwiches
Category: smørrebrød
Cuisine: Scandinavian, Nordic, Danish
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

For the Smørrebrød:

4 large slices rustic bread, such as sourdough, cut in half

1 garlic clove, peeeled

Whipped ricotta, recipe follows

Roasted Broccoli with Olives and Sun-Dried Tomatoes, recipe follows

For the Roasted Broccoli with Olives and Sun-Dried Tomatoes:

12 ounces broccoli florets, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 6 cups)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Coarse salt and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons chopped good-quality olives, pitted (kalamata or a mix)

3 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes

1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano

For the Whipped Ricotta:

1 ½ cups whole-milk ricotta cheese

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Coarse salt to taste

Instructions

Roast the broccoli: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Toss broccoli on a rimmed baking sheet with the olive oil, salt and red pepper flakes. Roast until tender and browned in spots, about 18-20 minutes, tossing once halfway through. Toss warm broccoli with olives, sun-dried tomatoes and oregano. Season with additional salt to taste.
Meanwhile, whip the ricotta: Transfer ricotta cheese, olive oil and lemon juice to a food processor and whip until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Season to taste with coarse salt.
Make the smørrebrød: Toast the bread and rub each piece with the peeled garlic clove. Generously spread with whipped ricotta and top with roasted broccoli mixture. Serve.

Keywords: roasted, broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, ricotta, whipped ricotta, fancy toast, smørrebrød

Roasted Salmon with Butter and Brown Sugar

December 13, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

My goal with this Roasted Salmon with Butter and Brown Sugar was to come up with an easy and elegant main course that requires little to no effort. I’m talking super easy, pop-in-the-oven kind of effortless. It is my belief that the best kind of entertaining is unfussy and uncomplicated, and this is just that kind of dish. And yet it manages to wow and impress with its good looks and delicious, rich flavor. Who says you can’t have it all?

I know what you’re thinking….what’s the catch? Surely there must be more to it than that. Not really, but I do have a few tips for making sure your Roasted Salmon with Butter and Brown Sugar is perfect every time:

Choose a nice piece of fresh salmon that is about an inch thick. Finding a nice salmon filet is about 75% of what makes this recipe work. I like to buy two center cut filets (usually weighing in at a pound each) rather than using one long, tapered filet. These center cut pieces are relatively even in thickness and skip that skimpy, thin tail end that always seems to overcook anyway. If you are serving a smaller crowd, simply use one center cut filet and half the amounts of butter and brown sugar.
For ease and convenience, leave the skin on, both for roasting and serving. Once the salmon is done to your liking, move the whole filet to a serving dish and let your guests help themselves to the succulent salmon. The skin helps keep everything intact and can easily stay behind on the serving dish as your guests lift the salmon flesh off with a serving fork.
Roast on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The parchment paper will allow you to easily transfer the salmon from the baking sheet to a serving dish without having the skin stick to the pan.
Season the salmon generously with salt and pepper. Since this is such a simple dish, proper seasoning is important.
Serve with a tasty sauce. This salmon is absolutely delicious on its own and needs no embellishment. BUT a sauce is always nice, especially for entertaining. Since we are all about the Nordic vibes here, I recommend this easy Creamy Mustard Dill Sauce. It’s a perfect pair with the salmon and can be prepared a day ahead of time. Simply reheat when the time comes and serve alongside the salmon. A side of Spicy Pickled Beets is nice here, too.

Put this Roasted Salmon with Butter and Brown Sugar on the menu the next time you have people over. It’s an easy and elegant crowd-pleaser that will leave you free to enjoy the time with your guests rather than fussing in the kitchen.

Roasted Salmon with Butter and Brown Sugar

An easy and elegant main course that comes together in about 30 minutes. Perfect for effortless entertaining!

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: Serves 8–10, depending on size of filet 1x
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian

Scale

Ingredients

1 salmon filet (2- 2 1/2 pounds), preferably skin on

1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch cubes

Instructions

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place salmon on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Rub sugar over salmon. Season with salt and pepper. Dot with butter.
Bake salmon until it is firm and opaque throughout, about 20 minutes. Serve.

Keywords: roasted. salmon, easy

Lingonberry Skyr Mousse

December 3, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

The season of entertaining is upon us and I, for one, am always looking for ways to make hosting a festive dinner party easier and more enjoyable. I mean, who wants to be frantically running around the kitchen preparing dinner while your guests sip cocktails without you? We’ve all been there. But let’s resolve this year to enjoy our own gatherings, shall we?

Enter this Lingonberry Skyr Mousse. Creamy, festive and bursting with lingonberry flavor, this easy recipe is COMPLETELY do ahead. As dinner comes to a close, little individual portions of this sublime dessert will be patiently waiting for you in the fridge. There’s nothing for you do to other than maybe toss a few frozen berries on top of each serving and set out some dessert spoons. DONE.

And just because it is easy and make-ahead doesn’t mean that your guests won’t be completely wowed by this gorgeous Nordic dessert. A lovely shade of pink, big lingonberry flavor, and a light and creamy texture keep you coming back bite after bite. When I was testing this recipe I could not walk by the fridge without sneaking a little taste (which often led to an entire cup) of this sublime treat.

I served mine in martini glasses which makes for a lovely presentation, but any small glass or cup will do.

This Lingonberry Skyr Mousse does call for frozen lingonberries. If you live in a larger city or in a place with a strong Scandinavian heritage, you should have no problem finding them. Many grocery stores and specialty Scandinavian stores carry frozen lingonberries. If you can’t find them in your area, you always can order them from www.sturdiwheat.com. You’ll get three pounds of lovely lingonberries delivered straight to your door!

I tried making this Lingonberry Skyr Mousse with a 14.5 ounce jar of lingonberry preserves in place of the sugar and frozen lingonberries. The flavor wasn’t quite the same, and the color of the final product was more of a dusty rose than the soft pink mousse pictured above, but it is an acceptable and delicious alternative if you don’t have access to frozen lingonberries.

You’ve just got to give this Lingonberry Skyr Mousse a try sometime during this holiday season. It’s really something special. And your guests will think so too!

Lingonberry Skyr Mousse

A light and airy lingonberry mousse made with Icelandic yogurt (skyr) and whipped cream. A delicious and impressive make-ahead dessert for easy entertaining this holiday season!

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes + 2 hours cooling time
Yield: 6–8 portions 1x
Category: dessert
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian

Scale

Ingredients

½ cup cold water

1 packet unflavored gelatin

¾ cup granulated sugar

Pinch of salt

1 ½ cups frozen lingonberries, plus additional berries for serving (see note below)

½ teaspoon vanilla

1 cup full-fat skyr or Greek yogurt

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

Place water in a saucepan and sprinkle gelatin over the top. Let sit for 3 minutes. Add sugar and salt. Heat mixture over medium until sugar dissolves. Add lingonberries and remove from heat. Transfer mixture to a blender and puree until smooth.
Whisk lingonberry mixture with vanilla and skyr in a medium bowl until fully combined. Set aside. Whip cream to medium peaks in a mixer. Gently whisk cream into lingonberry mixture until fully combined.
Pour mousse into individual serving cups and chill at least two hours. Serve, garnished with lingonberries.

Notes

Frozen lingonberries are available at some grocery and Scandinavian specialty stores, particularly if you live in an area with a strong Scandinavian heritage. They can also be ordered online through www.sturdiwheat.com. You can substitute a 14.5 ounce jar of lingonberry preserves for the frozen lingonberries and sugar. Should you choose to go that route, simply omit the sugar and add the full jar of preserves to the saucepan with the water and gelatin in step 1. Heat over medium until the gelatin has completely dissolved. Transfer mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Continue with step 2.

Keywords: lingonberries, skyr, mousse, easy, dessert, make ahead, festive, holiday, Christmas

Potato and Pickled Herring Bites with Remoulade

November 25, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

I’ve made it nine months into blogging about Nordic food without mentioning pickled herring. That’s a pretty good run! But we can’t avoid it forever. Love it or hate it, herring in its many forms is an essential staple of Nordic cuisine.

What is Pickled Herring?

Herring are a species of fish belonging to the Clupeidae family (the same family as sardines). They are a silvery fish that often travel in large schools. Herring has a long and rich history in Scandinavia (Stone Age Scandinavian burial mounds have been found to contain herring bones), and has had a surprisingly significant impact on the European economy throughout history.

Herring can be eaten fresh, but in Scandinavia it has traditionally been cured or pickled for preservation. The pickling process generally has two steps: first, the fish are salted to remove moisture. The salt is then removed and the fish is added to a pickling brine. Scandinavian brines generally contain water, vinegar, sugar and salt along with flavorings such as onions, peppercorns and dill. It is also quite common to find pickled herring in a curry, mustard or even a creamy brine.

If you have access to fresh herring where you live, you can easily pickle your own. But for those of us who don’t, there are many grocery stores, fish mongers and Scandinavian specialty stores that carry jarred pickled herring that is ready to eat.

Is Pickled Herring Good For You?

Absolutely! Herring is very nutritious in the same way that sardines are. It is high in Vitamins A, D, B12 and folate, and rich in minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium. Herring is also an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids.

Give Pickled Herring a Chance

If you have Scandinavian roots, chances are that someone in your family introduced you to pickled herring somewhere along the way. My parents would buy a large tub of it right after Thanksgiving and enjoy it throughout the holiday season. Pickled herring is generally served as a first course of the traditional Swedish Christmas Eve smörgåsbord.

If you’ve never tried pickled herring, I’ve got to be perfectly honest with you….it’s an acquired taste for most people. These Potato and Pickled Herring Bites are the perfect place to start. Slices of potato topped with a spoonful of creamy curry remoulade, just a bite of pickled herring and a sprig of dill, these tasty little appetizers are perfect for the pickled herring newbie. If you are someone who loves pickled herring, you’ve got nothing to worry about. These Potato and Pickled Herring Bites will be right up your alley.

All of the components of these Potato and Pickled Herring Bites can be prepared the day before. Simply assemble them a couple of hours before your guests arrive and store them in the refrigerator. They couldn’t be easier. If you are in a pinch for time, save yourself the trouble of cooking the potatoes and swap the potato slices for store bought rye crispbread or crackers instead. Delight your friends and family with a little taste of the Nordic region over the holidays! I think you’ll be surprised by how delicious pickled herring can be.

Potato and Pickled Herring Bites with Remoulade

An easy and delicious Scandinavian-inspired appetizer with sliced potatoes, curry remoulade sauce, pickled herring and fresh dill. A simply elegant beginning to a festive evening!

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 40 appetizers
Category: appetizers
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian

Ingredients

For the Potato Bites:

8-10 small yellow waxy potatoes

1 8-ounce jar pickled herring

Danish Remoulade, recipe follows

Fresh dill for garnish

For the Danish Remoulade:

½ cup prepared mayonnaise

2 tablespoons skyr or greek yogurt

1 heaping teaspoon dijon mustard

1 tablespoon capers, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons dill pickles, finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

¾ teaspoon curry powder

Instructions

Place potatoes in cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and continue to cook for 10-15 minutes, until potatoes are tender but not falling apart. Smaller potatoes will cook more quickly than larger potatoes. Check doneness by piercing a potato or two with the tip of a sharp knife. It should slide in and out easily without much resistance. Drain potatoes and rinse with cold water. Set aside to cool. Potatoes can be prepared up to two days in advance. Store in the refrigerator.
Make the Danish Remoulade: Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Assemble the bites: Cut each potato into ¼ inch slices, discarding the ends. Place a dollop of Danish Remoulade on top of the potato, followed by a small piece of herring and a dill sprig. Serve. (Can be prepared up to 4 hours in advance. Chill until ready to serve).

Notes

Adapted from Eating Well magazine

Swedish Meatball Smørrebrød with Creamy Pickled Beet Salad

November 5, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

So you have some leftover Swedish Meatballs languishing in the fridge? Not a problem. In fact, consider yourself lucky. You have the makings of an easy and delicious Swedish meatball open sandwich. While this sandwich looks unusual and you are probably thinking I just made this up, I assure you, it is one of the classics. I like to think of it as a Scandinavian version of the American meatloaf sandwich, but a lot more beautiful and interesting.

This smørrebrød (or smörgås in Swedish) starts with buttered dense rye bread, as so many of them do. From there you add a handful or two of baby lettuces or arugula and a generous spoonful of a simple creamy beet salad. A few cold sliced meatballs finish it off with perhaps a dill sprig or a little chopped parsley or chives for garnish. Lunch is served.

The Nordic open sandwich has, from its inception, been intended as a creative vehicle for leftovers. This gorgeous and tasty Swedish Meatball Smørrebrød is the perfect example of Scandinavian leftovers done right.

Swedish Meatball Smørrebrød with Creamy Pickled Beet Salad

A classic Nordic open sandwich featuring a creamy pickled beet salad and leftover Swedish meatballs. Beautiful and delicious!

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 2 open sandwiches 1x
Category: Smørrebrød
Cuisine: Swedish, Scandinavian, Nordic

Scale

Ingredients

For the Sandwiches:

2 thin slices dense rye bread

Butter for spreading

A handful of baby arugula leaves or other baby lettuces

Creamy Pickled Beet Salad (recipe follows)

4-8 leftover Easy Swedish Meatballs, sliced

Dill sprigs, chopped parsley or chives for serving

For the Creamy Pickled Beet Salad:

½ cup pickled beets, cut into ½ inch pieces

1 tablespoon prepared mayonnaise

1 tablespoon creme fraiche or sour cream

Instructions

Make the Creamy Pickled Beet Salad: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine.
Assemble the Sandwiches: Transfer bread slices to a clean work surface. Butter the bread. Top with a handful of arugula, a generous spoonful of Creamy Pickled Beet Salad. Artfully arrange meatball slices on top. Garnish with herbs and serve.

Keywords: Swedish, meatballs, smørrebrød, sandwich, pickled beets

Easy Overnight Danish Rye (Rugbrød)

September 24, 2019 by Kristi 24 Comments

*Edited on February 3, 2020 to include affiliate links and to add 10 minutes to the baking time once the loaf is removed from the pan.

In the world of Nordic cuisine, this dense rye bread is an absolute essential. It serves as the base for most open sandwiches, and is an integral part of the Scandinavian diet, not just in Denmark but throughout the region. Rugbrød can be difficult to find here in the United States. Unless you live near a good Scandinavian bakery, it’s likely that the only rye you are able to find is something more like pumpernickel or a deli rye which are definitely not the same thing as rugbrød. If you want an authentic Danish rye, you are probably going to have to make it yourself.

What is Rugbrød?

Rugbrød simply means “rye bread” in Danish. It is a sturdy, dense loaf that is comprised of rye flour, chopped rye grains and is often studded with sunflower, pumpkin and/or flax seeds. It is almost always baked in a 13 x 4 inch pullman pan with a lid. This helps the rye bread bake properly and gives it its characteristic square shape.

Rye breads, particularly those baked here in America, often have a variety of ingredients added to them to enhance their color (making them darker in appearance) and flavor. Common additions include caramel coloring (no thank you), stout beer, cocoa powder, espresso powder and molasses. Rugbrød, in contrast, has very little additional flavoring, perhaps just a little molasses for sweetening. It is meant to be a very straightforward bread so that it can serve as a neutral base for a variety of different sandwich toppings. Sometimes I will come across a rugbrød recipe that calls for flavor enhancers such as caraway, fennel or anise seed in the dough, but this seems to be more of an exception than the rule. Again, simple is the name of the game here.

When it is served, Rugbrød is typically sliced thin (a little less than a quarter of an inch) and buttered liberally with salted butter. There is actually a word in Danish, tandsmør, which means “tooth butter”. It refers to buttering your bread generously enough so that when you bite into it you can see your teeth marks in it. You butter lovers know what I’m talking about. It may be enjoyed as is, simply slathered with butter, or it can be piled with additional ingredients to form the base of smørrebrød, the famous Danish open sandwich.

What Makes Rye So Special?

Rye has many unique qualities that make it quite different from wheat, both as a whole grain and in flour form:

Rye has historically been important for the Nordic region as it is a hearty plant that can tolerate poor soil and weathers cold and wet conditions better than most grains. It was the primary grain relied upon for bread-baking in the north for centuries and is still popular today.
Rye flour has less gluten than wheat flour. Gluten strands form the structure of bread and trap gases produced by the yeast so that your bread leavens properly. Because gluten doesn’t form well when rye flour is mixed with water, rye breads are always more dense in structure and have a closer crumb that wheat breads.
Rye flour holds more water than wheat flour and contains certain enzymes that convert starch to sugar. This can cause rye breads to be overly moist and have a gummy texture if not handled and baked properly.
Rye breads get better with a little age. Unlike wheat breads which are best eaten shortly after cooling, both the texture and flavor of rye bread improves after a rest of 24-36 hours.
An interesting fact: There is a fungus called ergot that can attack rye plants causing the grains to become highly toxic to humans and trigger hallucinations if ingested. Some historians believe that ergot-infested rye was the cause of the hallucinations that led to the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts in 1692. Fortunately, modern industrialization has all but eliminated any risk of ergot-infected rye as any diseased grains are removed prior to processing.

Rye’s unique qualities can make it challenging to use in a bread recipe. When I make Danish rye at home, I use a sourdough starter which is the traditional way to make it. The starter contributes certain acids to the dough which help neutralize some of the negative effects of the enzymes that can cause the bread to have a gummy texture. But I know a lot of people don’t keep starters and may not be up to the commitment that it involves. So I really wanted to find an easy rugbrød recipe, one that relied solely on commercial yeast rather than a sourdough starter for leavening.

I tried several. Some were total disasters and inedible. I’m talking sunken, raw in the center, straight into the trash bad. A few came out okay, but they were not even close to the quality of my sourdough loaf which I consider to be the gold standard. I knew I could come up with something better. I worked my way through several pounds of rye flour, testing and tweaking, until finally finding a consistently successful loaf that had the look and texture of authentic rugbrød. The keys turned out to be a mixture of wheat and rye flour in the dough (in order to help create a gluten structure to hold the bread aloft and keep it from sinking in the center) AND a method of baking that relies on using a few different oven temperatures during the course of the baking time. This helps prevent the enzymes that produce a gummy texture from developing by keeping the bread from spending too much time in the temperature zone where their formation is the most favorable.

If you make your own smørrebrød at home or would like to, please give this bread a try. Bursting with rye, whole grains and a variety of tasty seeds, it is one of the most delicious and nutritious breads out there. And using it as a base for a Nordic open sandwich will give you a true taste of authenticity. If you are new to smørrebrød, there are several open sandwich recipes on the blog to get you started:

Easy Overnight Danish Rye (Rugbrød)

★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews

An easy overnight version of classic Danish rye bread with no sourdough.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 20 minutes plus 12 hours resting time
Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Total Time: approximately 14 hours, largely unattended
Yield: One 13 inch loaf
Category: Bread
Cuisine: Nordic, Danish, Scandinavian

Ingredients

For the Soaker:

2 ½ cups 7 grain hot cereal mix such as Bob’s Red Mill brand or rye chops (see note below)

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup pumpkin seeds

½ cup flax seeds

2 ⅔ cups cold water

For the Dough:

2 cups dark rye flour (I use the Bob’s Red Mill brand), plus more for dusting the pan and loaf

2 cups bread flour

1 teaspoon instant dried yeast

1 ½ cups cold water

4 teaspoons salt

¼ cup molasses

Butter for greasing the pan

Special Equipment Needed:

Stand mixer

13 x 4 inch pullman loaf pan with lid

Instructions

For the Soaker: Combine all the ingredients for the soaker in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature overnight, approximately 8-12 hours.
For the Dough: Combine both flours, yeast and water in a separate bowl. Stir to combine as best you can (mixture will be thick), and then knead briefly with your hands until you have a cohesive mixture. Dough will be very thick and clay-like in texture. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature overnight, about 8-12 hours.
Grease a 13 x 4 inch pullman loaf pan with butter and dust with rye flour, including the lid. Set aside. Combine the soaker, flour mixture, salt and molasses in the bowl of a stand mixer. Fit mixer with paddle attachment and mix on low speed for 2-3 minutes until everything is thoroughly combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl from time to time. Increase speed to medium and mix for an additional 2-3 minutes, stopping to occasionally scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mixture will be quite sticky.
Transfer the dough to the prepared pan. Smooth out the top and sift a thin layer of rye flour over the surface of the dough. Place lid on pan and let the dough rise for 1½ -3 hours at room temperature or until it is about ½ inch from the top of the pan. The time that it takes for your dough to rise will largely depend on the temperature of the dough and your kitchen.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 500 degrees. Bake loaf with the lid on for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 400 degrees and continue to bake, covered, for an additional 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven and carefully slide the lid off. Reduce temperature to 325 degrees and bake, uncovered, for an additional 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately turn loaf out onto a metal cooling rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Return bread to the oven for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool completely before slicing, at least 3 hours. Rye bread is even better a day after baking. If you can wait until the following day, let the bread sit uncovered at room temperature overnight before slicing. The bread will keep at room temperature for 3 days loosely wrapped in foil. Freeze for longer storage.

Notes

Rugbrød is traditionally made with rye chops, uniformly cut pieces of rye grain. They are available through King Arthur Flour’s online store at www.kingarthurflour.com. Because rye chops are difficult to find, I call for using a whole grain hot cereal mix such as Bob’s Red Mill’s 7 grain cereal mix. These mixes contained a variety of coarsely milled whole grains, including rye, and make a fine stand in for rye chops.

Adapted from The New Nordic by Simon Bajada

Keywords: Danish, rye, bread, rugbrød, smørrebrød, Scandinavian, Nordic