Tomato Parsley Rice Soup

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With colder weather finally on the horizon, I thought it would be a perfect time to share one of our favorite soup recipes. I wasn’t much into soup as a kid because I didn’t think it was a legit meal but this one always filled me up. I remember actually being happy coming home to see my dad standing over a large bubbling pot of his famous Tomato Parsley Rice soup. It’s the same look my husband gives when he comes home and sees it simmering on our stovetop. Pure joy. Because who doesn’t love a warm, hearty soup? The wonderful thing about this soup is that it is super easy to make with just a few simple ingredients you probably already have on hand. Although I call this recipe a tomato soup, it’s not so heavy on the tomato; the tomato paste is more for a bit of color. The real flavor lies in the broth; in the sweetness of the onion and richness of the beef. If you’re not into the meat scene, you can easily make this vegan by leaving the meat out and replacing the broth with a vegetable stock or tomato soup. I’ve made this meal countless times with a tomato soup base and it was a perfectly delicious, healthy, and filling alternative.

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Lately, I’ve been experimenting with boiling meat in advance and storing it with its broth in the freezer and I can happily report that it has not changed the quality of the meat. As long as you boil the meat until it’s tender you can have the base of a great stew or soup at the tip of your fingers. Simply defrost and add whatever flavoring, grains, and vegetables you like and you’ll have dinner ready in no time! This has been a huge time saver for me while my husband and I both navigate graduate school and homekeeping.

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Tomato Parsley Rice Soup

  • Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients:
1 pound beef stew cubes
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1 large bunch parsley, chopped (plus extra for garnish)
1/4 cup uncooked rice ( I prefer long grain like basmati)
2 dry bay leaves
2 tablespoons tomato paste (more if you like it a deeper red)
8 cups water/vegetable/beef stock
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (more if you like it tangier)
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. In a large pot, drizzle a bit of olive oil and brown the beef stew cubes and sauté the onions until translucent.
  2. Add your bay leaves and water/vegetable/beef stock and bring to a boil before reducing the heat. Be sure to skim any impurities that rise to the surface. Then cover and cook on a low simmer until the meat is tender (about 2 hours).
  3. Once your meat is tender, fish it out and shred it with a fork.
  4. To the broth, add in your rice, lemon juice, and tomato paste. Give it a quick stir and let it cook until the rice is tender (about 15-20 minutes). Stir in your shredded beef.
  5. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Take the pot off the heat and add in the parsley, give it a gentle stir and let it sit for a few minutes before serving.
  6. Ladle into bowls, garnish with extra parsley and serve with a side of fresh crusty bread.

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If you do give this soup  recipe a try be sure to share with us. We love seeing our recipes on your table 🙂 And as always, if you liked this post please follow us and share!

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Chickpea soup with tomato pickle salsa (Hummus M’Sabaha)

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Ever since I purchased an Inkwell Press Meal Planner back in January and forced myself to commit to meal planning, we have been pretty consistent about practicing Meatless Mondays. Having a set genre for each day has really helped narrow down the selection for the menu, which is something I had a hard time doing prior because I enjoy making many different things. Today I’m sharing one of our favorite meatless dishes that’s nutritious and simple to make. It’s very similar to another Lebanese dish called foul and hummus except it’s without the foul or fava beans. Foul and hummus is usually eaten for breakfast and while I enjoy it now, I used to HATE it growing up. It was just too heavy for me and it wasn’t nachos or pizza so I was understandably upset when I could smell the distinctive aroma of garlic and fava beans wafting through the air. My father, the negotiator that he is, would allow me to leave out the fava beans as long as I ate everything else and that’s how my love for this dish of hummus m’sabaha blossomed. Traditional Lebanese hummus m’sabaha is much thicker and creamier than what I show here. Usually it’s roughly mashed and a little bit of tahini is added for creaminess. This spin on my childhood favorite is like a mix of hummus m’sabaha and lablabi, a Tunisian chickpea soup. We personally enjoy the combination of the light lemony, garlicky broth with the texture of whole chickpeas.  And speaking of broth, please don’t use canned chickpeas. Technically you can but if you do make sure to drain the chickpeas well and simmer them in a vegetable stock or bone broth. Starting with dried chickpeas is essential for getting flavorful chickpea broth that is not a metallic tasting goop.

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I always soak the dried chickpeas on Sunday evening and boil them first thing on Monday morning. My recipe calls for two cups because that’s what I soak but we don’t necessarily eat all two cups unless I planned to eat leftovers the next day {usually we don’t because it’s Taco Tuesday ;)}. Whatever I don’t use I will freeze for a rainy day. I grew up learning to cook from my father who never measured ingredients so I’m still working on how best to write and share these family recipes. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

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Chickpea soup with tomato pickle salsa (Hummus M'Sabaha)

  • Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients
2 cups dried chickpeas
1 teaspoon baking soda
10-12 cups water
2-4 garlic cloves, minced*
1/2-1 cup lemon juice*
high quality extra virgin olive oil to drizzle
salt & pepper to taste

Salsa:
1 cup diced Lebanese pickled cucumbers
2 cups diced tomatoes
1/4 cup of fresh mint, chopped
1/4 cup of fresh parsley, chopped

To serve:
Radishes
Lebanese pickled cucumbers
Sweet onion, sliced
Pita bread
Lemon
Fresh herbs like mint and parsley

*Note: If you’re not afraid of flavor, you might consider adding more garlic and lemon juice.

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, add your chickpeas and baking soda and cover with water. Let the chickpeas soak overnight or for at least 8 hours.
  2. Drain and rinse your chickpeas and cover with 10-12 cups fresh water in a lidded pot. Bring to a boil then let simmer covered for 30-45 minutes or until tender.
  3. Using a mortar and pestle, mince your garlic cloves with salt until you have a smooth paste.
  4. In the meantime make your salsa by combining diced tomatoes, diced pickles, chopped mint, and chopped parsley.
  5. Once the chickpeas are tender, add in your garlic paste, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. You can use your pestle to give some of the chickpeas a quick mash for thickness if you desire. Let simmer for another 10 minutes then adjust seasoning to your taste.
  6. Ladle into individual bowls, drizzle with olive oil generously and top with sweet onions and salsa. Serve with fresh pita bread and garnishments of your choice.

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Iraqi Eggs in Tomato Sauce (Makhlama)

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We pride ourselves in our diversity as a family so this post will touch on that a little bit. Together, my wife and I, have roots from six different countries including where we were raised: Albania, Iraq, Lebanon, Poland, Sweden, and The United States. This specific recipe has been a breakfast staple in my household growing up and my father used to make it for us as far back as I can remember. Although the ingredient list is simple, this dish is truly a labor of love; from the slow caramelizing of the onions to the bubbling and simmering of the fresh tomatoes with turmeric and pepper. It’s the spiciness and subtle sweetness of the scrambled eggs that really sets it apart from its omelet cousin. Served with warm, freshly-baked samoon or sangak and sweet, mint-infused black tea, makhlama is sure to brighten any morning.

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In 2014, we visited my family in Sweden and my wife was able to taste the epicness (made-up word) of my father’s makhlama for the first time. Since then, it has become a highlight of our weekend breakfasts together. While in Sweden, we would eat makhlama alongside räksallad, a creamy shrimp salad, and knäckebröd (Swedish crispbread) and it was simply delicious. At home in the States, we eat it with buttery croissants, sharp Vermont cheddar or creamy labneh, and arugula. We consider ourselves very blessed that we have such diverse tastebuds and culinary menus to draw from when meal planning. There is never a dull meal. We eat and enjoy dishes from all around the world and we get to share with each other (and hopefully one day with our children) the memories of what those meals conjure up.

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Iraqi Eggs in Tomato Sauce (Makhlama)

  • Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients
4 eggs
1 medium sweet onion
4-5 small ripe tomatoes
1 teaspoon Turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Note: Serves 2-4

Directions
1. Dice the onions very finely and sauté in hot vegetable oil on low until light brown and caramelized. This takes time so be patient and stir often so as to not let it burn.
2. In the meantime, dice your tomatoes and prepare your spices. Once your onions are slightly caramelized, add in the tomatoes and spices and cook off until thickened.
3. Crack your eggs into the pan and scramble them around until cooked.
4. Serve with warm delicious breads, cheeses, and fresh herbs. And of course a nice hot cup of chai!

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What are some meals that remind you of your childhood growing up in a different culture?

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Lebanese Lentil and Rice Pilaf (Mdardara)

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We know we haven’t posted in a while but we have been a bit busy working on some fun DIY projects around the house as well as an exciting project that we will be announcing next week. Although our lives are busy, we wholeheartedly believe in eating healthy homemade meals. It might seem difficult to strive for but there are plenty of healthy and simple meal options that one can make in a pinch. That’s why today I’m sharing one of our favorite vegetarian meal options that we enjoy almost every other week. I didn’t like this meal much when I was a child but it grew on me to the point that I now crave it as an adult. It’s a pilaf made of rice, onions, and lentils topped with more crispy caramelized onions and served with yogurt, crunchy radishes, and a side salad. It is both nutritious and delicious.

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To be honest though, there is one downside to making this dish. ONIONS. Your house will smell like onions, you will smell like onions, your car will smell like onions. The smell of onions will permeate your life for days. But I can promise you that it will all be totally worth it! I look back now and laugh but I remember in my early undergraduate days when I’d be getting ready to leave the house for my evening class and my father would start cooking this meal. I would try to race through the kitchen and out the side door but to no avail. That split second in the kitchen was enough to have me reeking. It’s funny to think that now, as a mom, I will be responsible for ensuring my family has their fair share of embarrassing, onion-filled moments. The circle of life. How beautiful 😉

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Lebanese Lentil and Rice Pilaf (Mdardara)

  • Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients
1 cup brown lentils
1 cup white rice
2 medium yellow onions, diced
3 large yellow onions, cut into half rings (optional)
4-5 cups of water*
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

*Note: I use 2 cups of water to parboil the lentils and 3 cups to cook the onions, lentils, and rice together. Even on the lowest setting our stove gets very hot and cooks very fast. You may find you only need 2 cups of water rather than 3.

Directions

  1. Rinse your lentils under cold water and remove any small debris.
  2. In a small pot, parboil your lentils in 2 cups of water for 10-12 minutes. Drain and set aside for step 5.
  3. Meanwhile in a larger pot, begin caramelizing your finely diced onions in olive oil. This will take time so be patient. Keep the fire on low and stir every so often until you have beautiful golden brown (but not burnt) onions.
  4. Add the remaining 3 cups of water to the onions and bring to a boil. Stir well, reduce the heat, and let simmer for 2 minutes.
  5. Pour the rice, lentils, salt, and pepper into your onion mixture. Stir well, cover, and cook until all the water has been absorbed (about 15-20 minutes).
  6. While your rice and lentils are cooking, heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan and fry your onion rings in batches until crispy and golden brown. Let drain on a paper towel until ready to serve. This part of the recipe is a bit unhealthy and you can skip it though it won’t be the same. Or you can slow caramelize your onions (I have done this many times) but it will take more time and they won’t be as crispy.
  7. Top your mdardara with the crispy fried onions and serve with yogurt (to keep this meal vegan leave the yogurt out), radishes, mint, and a fresh salad.

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What are some healthy meals you hated growing up but grew to love as adults? Let us know in the comment section below.

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Healthy Homemade Butterfingers

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My brother recently brought over a PB&J  Chobani Flip for me because he’s experimenting with “healthier” snacking and wanted me to try it out. Ignoring the fact that it had 18 grams of sugar, the crunchy peanut topping was quite good and reminded me instantly of the popular candy bar Butterfinger; something I haven’t had in a long time. Although we both love all things peanut butter and chocolate, we have chosen to stay away from processed foods especially made by Nestle. Of course I couldn’t leave my sweet tooth hanging so I sought to create a healthier, homemade version of the candy bar. And that is exactly what I did… in the form of a granola bark.

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Plain granola bark without the peanuts or chocolate drizzle on top.  

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Granola and roasted peanut cluster bark

I did look up how to make homemade Butterfinger but all the recipes I found either required a candy thermometer or even unhealthier store-bought candy corn. Ain’t nobody got time for that! All I did for this recipe was create a sweet, nutty, and crunchy granola as a substitute for the crispy textured inside of the candy bar and made it into a bark for easy assembly. At first, I tried making a batch of granola with regular peanut butter but I felt that I could not control the flavor as I desired so I used PB2 instead and experimented with different combinations of maple syrup, vanilla extract, and salt until I felt I achieved that distinctive Butterfinger taste and texture. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how simple this recipe is and the best part is that it has real wholesome ingredients and none of the preservatives! Just know that this bark is addicting but it does store well in the fridge so try to save some for your friends and family. They’ll be happy you did 🙂

Healthy Homemade Butterfingers

  • Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients

Granola
1 1/2  cups rolled oats
1/2 cup coarse crushed salt roasted peanuts
6 tablespoons PB2 powder
3-4 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Butterfinger bark
1/2 cup of quality milk chocolate, melted
1 1/2 cups of crunchy peanut granola
1/4 cup salt roasted peanuts (optional)

Directions
1. In a mixing bowl, combine PB2 and water. Stir in the salt, vanilla extract, maple syrup, and oil until smooth.
2. Add in rolled oats and crushed peanuts and combine until evenly coated.
3. Spread mixture on a thin baking sheet and bake at 250F for 30 minutes stirring every 5 minutes until evenly golden brown and crunchy.
4. In a double boiler or in the microwave, melt your milk chocolate and spread half of it thinly and evenly on a silicone baking sheet or parchment paper.
5. Immediately top with a generous amount of crunchy peanut butter granola and peanuts  (optional) then drizzle with remaining chocolate. Refrigerate until firm before peeling off the silicone or parchment paper and breaking the bark into pieces. If you have extra granola you can store in an airtight container for snacking at a later time 😉

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Have you ever tried to make a copycat candy recipe? Do share in the comments below. And as always…

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Lebanese Stuffed Eggplants (Sheikh al-Mahshi)

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Growing up in a Lebanese household meant that eggplant was no stranger to the dinner table. One of my favorite eggplant dishes was (and still is) Sheikh-al Mahshi; a Lebanese casserole made of golden fried eggplants topped with spiced beef or lamb and cooked in a light tomato sauce. My father, who loved to cook for us, would make this dish using large purple eggplant slices for the base, tender filet mignon chunks and Lebanese pine nuts for the topping, and fresh homemade tomato sauce. Delicious is an understatement.

A few months ago, I was at a local market when I came across these large 11-pound boxes of assorted baby eggplant for only $3. It was a total steal and I ended up taking a box home with me to experiment with the other colorful eggplant varieties. Although I ended up blanching and freezing many of them for a rainy day, I decided to recreate my father’s recipe using baby eggplants for dinner one night. I have always found the Lebanese dishes I grew up with simple to make but with graduate school and a household to tend to, any shortcut that doesn’t jeopardize taste is definitely welcome. While I prefer the taste of homemade tomato sauce, having a quality canned sauce on hand can really speed things up. Cooking with ground beef also saves you the hassle of having to prepare and cut your meat. Some of my modifications, however, are not just to save time but to make the recipe a teeny bit healthier. Instead of deep-frying the eggplants to soften them, I blanched them and then browned the skins in a bit of olive oil. The only issue was that I found the skins of the yellow eggplant variety too thick to eat. I personally would not use them again in a recipe like this even though the flesh had a very nice flavor. With that being said, this version was a huge hit with the family and we hope you’ll consider adding this simple, healthy dish to your recipe box.

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Lebanese Stuffed Eggplants (Sheikh al-Mahshi)

  • Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients

10-12 baby eggplant
1 lb lean ground beef
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce (we use Simple Truth)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground all-spice
1/2 cup chopped parsley
Extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Rinse the eggplants and trim the stems, leaving the hulls.
  2. Bring a large pot of water to boil and blanche the eggplants whole for 8-10 minutes until tender. In the meantime, toast the pine nuts until golden and set aside.
  3. Once the eggplants have cooled, gently make an incision from the hull to the bottom of the eggplant.
  4. OPTIONAL: Drizzle a bit of oil in a deep pan and brown the blanched eggplants in batches for 2-5 minutes then set aside (see step 7).
  5. Drizzle a bit of oil in a deep pan and sauté the diced onions until translucent.
  6. Add in the ground beef, cinnamon, all-spice, salt, and pepper and cook until meat is well done.
  7. Ladle a few spoons of tomato sauce into the bottom of a glass baking dish and lay the eggplants slit side up.
  8. Spoon the spiced meat mixture into each eggplant and cover with the remaining tomato sauce. Top with half of the toasted pine nuts and half of the chopped parsley.
  9. Cover your baking dish and bake in the oven for 30 minutes until the sauce is simmering.
  10. To serve, garnish with remaining pine nuts and parsley next to a bed of steaming vermicelli rice.

Note: If you end up with extra meat, just spoon the remainder evenly on the top of the sauce before baking.

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Potato Kibbeh (faux Lebanese steak tartare/kibbeh nayeh)

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Oh pregnancy cravings. You always have a way of being exactly what I’m not supposed to have. While we don’t eat a lot of red meat in our diet, I repeatedly craved kibbeh nayeh (a Lebanese dish made of fresh raw meat, bulgur, and spices) during my first pregnancy and now find myself craving it with my second. For obvious reasons, raw meat is a no-no but I was determined to see my craving satisfied by creating a stellar vegetarian substitute. When I first attempted to make faux kibbeh during my first pregnancy, I happened to only have yellow potatoes on hand and this turned out to be the biggest blessing in disguise. I have since tried this recipe using your average Idaho potatoes and let me tell you it simply isn’t the same! The waxiness of the yellow potato gives you that authentic meat-like texture and flavor that other potatoes don’t. Just take my word for it and you won’t be disappointed.

We didn’t eat kibbeh nayeh much growing up but when we did it was an absolute treat. For many Lebanese, the highlight is the meat but for my dad the thought of devouring mouthfuls of raw meat was just unappetizing. We ate this meal a particular way: a light amount of meat thinly spread, heavily topped with crunchy bulgur, walnuts, and aromatic spices, drenched in olive oil so rich you could drink it, garnished with fragrant herbs like basil and mint, and served alongside fresh sweet onions, radishes, and other crunchy veggies and treats. This is what I have sought to recreate in this recipe; not just faux meat but an entire medley of exquisite flavors that make for a simple, nutritious, and delicious vegan lunch or dinner. This recipe makes quite a bit because we enjoy it so much that we have it for lunch for a few days. So if you’re looking for a recipe that makes weekly meal planning a bit easier, this is definitely a keeper!

Potato Kibbeh (faux Lebanese steak tartare/kibbeh nayeh)

  • Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients

Faux meat base:
3lbs yellow waxy potatoes
1/3 cup fine bulgur
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 to 2 cups of kammouneh*
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon high quality extra virgin olive oil

*Kammouneh:
3 cups fine bulgur rinsed and thoroughly drained and dried
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon dried ground basil
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes (more or less depending on how much heat you can handle)

**You can also get kammouneh for kibbeh nayeh from your local Lebanese butcher if you live in the Dearborn area. I have some stored in my freezer which I use to make this recipe.

For serving and garnishment:
Scallions
Basil
Mint
Jalapeno peppers
Sweet onions
Radishes
Walnuts
Lebanese pickles and olives
Pita Bread
High quality extra virgin olive oil

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, combine 1/3 fine bulgur and warm water. Set aside for 30 minutes until soft.
  2. Meanwhile, peel and boil your potatoes in a large pot until cooked and tender.
  3. While your potatoes are boiling, make the kammouneh in the food processor by mixing the 3 cups of thoroughly drained bulgur (remove any excess moisture) with the kibbeh spices. The bulgur will stay slightly crunchy and will take on a reddish hue.
  4. Once your potatoes are thoroughly cooked, drain and rinse with cool water.
  5. This step can either be done with a potato masher or handheld mixer in a large bowl or in the food processor. You will want to whip your potatoes while warm and incorporate the 1/3 cup of soft bulgur, tomato paste, kammouneh, olive oil, and salt and pepper until perfectly seasoned. The amount of kammouneh that you add is flexible-start with 1 cup and if you feel it needs a bit more flavor and texture then add a bit more.
  6. Spread the faux meat base on a plate, making grooves with the fork.
  7. Top your base in the following order: 1) kammouneh 2) walnuts 3) scallions and herbs
  8. Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil and serve alongside pita bread and fresh herbs and vegetables.

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Deliciously Spicy Carrot Cake

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I recently kidnapped a juicer from my dad’s house (just kidding, he gave me permission) to juice some carrots and I was surprised by how much carrot pulp was created out of such a small glass of juice! I didn’t want to waste the carrot shavings so I decided I would make a carrot cake out of them. This time, though, I wanted something a bit different than the generic carrot cakes out there. I was craving a deep rich flavor with a little more kick. After several experiments (there was a lot of carrot pulp), I arrived at what I think is the perfect blend of spice and sweetness. Instead of using solely cinnamon as most recipes call for, this recipes makes use of a blend of beautifully aromatic spices including nutmeg, clove, cardamom, and ginger. It’s the perfect springtime cake and your kitchen will thank you for the aroma.

Deliciously Spicy Carrot Cake

  • Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
3 eggs (room temperature)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cups shredded carrot
1 1/4 cup of vegetable or canola oil

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350F and spray your cake pan with a non-stick spray. Set aside.
2. In a small mixing bowl, measure out and sift your flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside.
3. In a larger mixing bowl, beat your dark brown sugar, eggs, and shortening until the batter is smooth and a beautiful caramel color.
4. Slowly add in your dry ingredient mixture while beating on low (or whisking).
5. Once the batter is smooth and free of lumps, add in your shredded carrots and mix well.
6. Pour the batter in your sprayed cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
7. Let your cake cool on a rack and frost with a cream cheese frosting if you like or slice and serve with a cold glass of milk.

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Measure.

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Mix.

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Bake.

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Cool.

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Frost.

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Enjoy!

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Swedish Beetroot Salad (Rodbetssallad)

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As you will come to see, the menu here is very much international. We both come from different cultural backgrounds and have experienced different parts of the world. And because we strive to eat healthy (mostly), homemade meals and a variety of colors, tastes, and textures, I end up experimenting in the kitchen to recreate our beloved childhood meals, vacation eats, and random cravings. I will never forget the first time I had Rodbetsallad while visiting my husband’s family in Sweden. I had eaten beets before but never like this and never on top of a hot dog. Seriously, you must try it (and let us know if you do). With a new sense of appreciation for this beautiful root, I decided this was the perfect way to get more beet in our diet. A few attempts later and my husband will agree that this is pretty darn close to the real thing.

Swedish Beetroot Salad (Rodbetssallad)

  • Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients

3 small-medium pickled or freshly boiled tender beets
1 small white onion
1//2 cup of Mayonnaise (Trader Joe’s Vegan Mayo works nicely too)
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Dice the onion very finely and place in a mixing bowl along with mayo and mustard.
  2. On a cutting board, slice the beets into thin rounds and then shred the rounds into fine ribbons (see images below).
  3. Add the beets to the bowl and mix well, adding salt and pepper to taste. Make sure the beets are cool before you add to the mix as hot beets melt the mayo and alter the consistency of the salad.
  4. Transfer to a pretty serving bowl and chill for 1 hour or more in the refrigerator.
  5. Serve with Knäckebröd (Swedish crispbread) for a scrumptious afternoon snack or generously spoon over grilled hotdogs for sweet creamy deliciousness.

 

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Beetroot salad, dill potatoes, crunchy vegetables, and crispbread make a hearty Smörgåsbord.

 

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