Eats

Been hogging it up lately over here.  I'd tell you I was just trying to survive the winter with a little more insulation, but I already admitted that I bought a down coat for that purpose.

Busted.

Here are some things I've eaten or made that account for my extra poundage.  Looking back, I'd say it was all worth it.

Some quick thinking (or rather, a positive attitude!) turned these beet burgers into beet sloppy joes.  Yay!  This photo actually shows the second batch of joes.  Due to a culinary oops (a couple of glasses of wine + a hot handle), the first batch of beet burgers/joes hit the floor in a most gory manner that thankfully left no stains.  Thanks to B for shooing me out of the kitchen and assuming clean-up duties.  And also for always claiming to like what I make, even when it's not what I originally intended.

I'm XL-ing this one for maximum detail.  

Whenever I travel, I find that I'd rather bring back food souvenirs than (inedible) tchotchkes.  Sometimes I go a little overboard (I recently threw out a bunch of dried and flavored squid that seemed like a good idea at that one market in Shanghai.), but now that I don't have to answer to the overzealous customs officials upon entry to the US I love bringing back all sorts of goodies into the good ol' EU.   The last time I was in HK, I hit up the basement grocery of the Japanese SOGO department store.  I came back with some dried kiwi, organic natto (looooove natto more than just about anything), some kimchi radish, and the snack mix pictured above.  As you can see (you're welcome for the XL), it's slivered almonds, the teeniest pink shrimpies, pumpkin seeds, and those delicious silver mini-fishies.  It was the perfect blend of sweet-salty-fishy.  If I opened a bar, this would be my free snack.

These are moose (called ålg) meatballs I made a while back that got NO LOVE on instagram.  Maybe it's the weird shadow I seem to be casting in this photo, but come on people!  Not even one like for the pretty salad??  Whatever.  They were damn good. 

Did I post this one before?  It's another instagram borrow.

This is a warm millet + spinach + roasted veggie salad with a sriracha-balsamic dressing, of which I make a different iteration at least once a week.  I am so into cooking a bunch of quinoa or red rice or millet (often with some amaranth thrown in for good measure) at the start of the week and then adding it to whatever else we're feeling as the week goes on.  I've also been roasting the heck outta some veggies, which makes for quick and healthful dinners--and swell lunches the next day.

But it's not all seeds and veg over here.  Look at these gluten-free semla that B got me for Valentine's day.  These are from the wonderfully old-school Vete-Katten here in Stockholm.  Da-yum... am I right? Eating them is a messy affair, but once you get going you don't even care.  Also, it seems that B and I aren't the only ones around here who like semla.  Cochino had to see what the fuss was about and left with a dot of cream on her nose.  So of course she came begging when we got these out again for round two.  I have created a monster.  A very happy kitty monster.

I am obsessed with this bread from My New Roots.  It's flour-less and full of nuts and seeds and fiber and deliciousness.  I find myself thinking of it while I am at work, craving it and imagining what I will top it with next.  So far, it's great with honey, butter, jam, cream cheese, and mustard + turkey.  We are gunning for a Nutella topper next.  And I won't even feel bad about it because this bread is so healthy to begin with that I could top it with the unhealthiest thing ever and still feel good about myself.

These are some spicy papadums that I brought back from India.  They are from a brand made locally in Bangalore and come dried in a sealed package.  You crisp them directly over a gas flame until they bubble and harden.  The variety shown here is the spicy punjabi flavor.  Noms.

This is a beef brisket (or oxbringa, in Swedish), roasting with lingonberries and orange peel, adapted from the recipe (originally with cranberries) from Mark Bittman's Mini Minimalist cookbook.  (Thanks to Maura and Phil for a great xmas present!)