My wife's side of the family is proud of their Swedish heritage and they celebrate this on Christmas Eve by having a "traditional" Swedish dinner. In the past, this has not been universally loved, probably due to the Swedish foods which were selected. These consisted of various odd sausages made of leftover animal parts, pickled herring, cheese, dry bread and meatballs.
This year, we hosted Christmas Eve and since I was cooking, I had a chance to prepare a healthier and more appetizing meal. I have also changed my diet to vegan plus fish which is healthier for me and the environment.
I was able to find a good alternative menu of traditional Swedish dishes that was well received by everyone.
- Poached salmon
- Red cabbage, beet and apple salad
- Cucumber salad (Pressgurka)
- Rosti
- Pickled herring as an appetizer (it seems that only I really like this)
The salmon was poached with lemon and dill and served with a yogurt cucumber dill sauce.
The real find was the cabbage salad:
2 large apples, cored and chopped (Granny Smith)
1.5 cups pickled beets
4 cups red cabbage, finely shredded
3 tablespoons lemon juice
I used the Cuisinart to shred everything. This gets better over time so you can make it ahead. Very colorful and delicious.
The Pressgurka (pressed cucumber salad) was also delicious and fresh.
2 fresh cucumbers, sliced (I used the 2mm Cuisinart blade to slice these very thin)
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1-2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
Mix all of the seasonings together and pour over cucumber slices in a bowl. Place a plate over the cucumbers to squeeze out the liquid. Chill for one hour.
I wasn't able to get a good size plate so my "pressing" was not very effective but I'm not sure that I wanted to treat the cucumbers that harshly and they tasted great.
We also added Rosti which is really Swiss rather than Swedish but they were tasty and a good addition.
Rosti is made from small new potatoes which are first boiled then shredded and finally fried with onions (I also add garlic), salt and pepper until crisp.
All in all, a much improved "Swedish Christmas Eve".
This year, we hosted Christmas Eve and since I was cooking, I had a chance to prepare a healthier and more appetizing meal. I have also changed my diet to vegan plus fish which is healthier for me and the environment.
I was able to find a good alternative menu of traditional Swedish dishes that was well received by everyone.
- Poached salmon
- Red cabbage, beet and apple salad
- Cucumber salad (Pressgurka)
- Rosti
- Pickled herring as an appetizer (it seems that only I really like this)
The salmon was poached with lemon and dill and served with a yogurt cucumber dill sauce.
The real find was the cabbage salad:
2 large apples, cored and chopped (Granny Smith)
1.5 cups pickled beets
4 cups red cabbage, finely shredded
3 tablespoons lemon juice
The Pressgurka (pressed cucumber salad) was also delicious and fresh.
2 fresh cucumbers, sliced (I used the 2mm Cuisinart blade to slice these very thin)
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1-2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
Mix all of the seasonings together and pour over cucumber slices in a bowl. Place a plate over the cucumbers to squeeze out the liquid. Chill for one hour.
I wasn't able to get a good size plate so my "pressing" was not very effective but I'm not sure that I wanted to treat the cucumbers that harshly and they tasted great.
We also added Rosti which is really Swiss rather than Swedish but they were tasty and a good addition.
Rosti is made from small new potatoes which are first boiled then shredded and finally fried with onions (I also add garlic), salt and pepper until crisp.
All in all, a much improved "Swedish Christmas Eve".
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