Road Trip - Iceland - Skyr

No posts last week because we were in Iceland!

Gullfoss waterfall in Iceland

We got a great deal on a trip and had always wanted to go. There are many beautiful sights to see, but there’s also lots of delicious food so that’s what I’ll report on here.

First, let’s talk about Skyr. Skyr is Iceland’s special dairy treat. It is similar to Greek yogurt but it is actually a cheese. It is very high in protein and low in fat.


“Until early last century, skyr was made on many if not most family farms and homes in Iceland. The process was revered as an art form, even as magic, and numerous words existed in Icelandic for failed attempts at skyr making. With the advent of modern dairy farms, small-scale skyr production in Iceland slowly became less common.” - Skyr.com

Skyr is generally sold in 6oz tubs with a very sensible attached folding plastic spoon. It somes in plain and a variety of flavours. We tried plain, berry, tropical, pear and one with muesli topping. I also had drinkable Skyr, which is my favourite thing ever.

If only we could get this in Canada!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

A lovely side dish for beef, chicken or turkey.  I like these Brussels sprouts brown & crispy on the outside. 

Slice the sprouts in half and season with salt, pepper and olive oil.  

Roast in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes until nice and crispy... 

...flipping them about half way through.  

Short & Sweet Sunday - Be Back Soon!

Gone to Iceland. Be back soon.

Cheesy Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

This is a great side dish with prime rib or any beef dish.

Peel a couple of pounds of Yukon gold potatoes and boil them until tender, about 15 minutes. 

Drain and mash with a few cubes of butter.

Add in some sour cream, horseradish and grated cheddar.  I used horseradish cheddar for extra flavour, but regular aged cheddar is fine too.

Mix it all together and fold in some chopped chives.

Serve with beef and Brussels sprouts. 

Grilled Prime Rib for Two

It was just the two of us for Easter dinner this year and I found a tiny little prime rib roast at a very good price.  I've tried pan searing and roasting a small prime rib before (one bone, about 1kg or 2lbs), but this time we decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and try it on the grill.

We seasoned the beef with kosher salt, cracked pepper.

And placed it on the hot grill to sear for about 4 minutes per side.

Because of all the fat there were some flare ups and char.  We then turned down the heat and let it cook on low for about 12 more minutes until the meat thermometer said 140 degrees.

We let it rest for about 10 minutes, cut out the bone then sliced the meat in half to find it perfectly done!

We served it with cheesy horseradish mashed potatoes (recipe coming soon) and roasted Brussels sprouts for a huge, delicious special dinner with plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day.

Creamy Avocado Pesto

Yesterday I shared my method for making pesto or pistou.  Today I'll share a magic secret for when you've got avocados on hand but no oil and cheese, or when you want a vegan version of pesto.  Here's all you need:

You can do a lot of variations on this using cilantro and lime, mint and lemon, parsley and lemon... basically any herb and citrus combo you like.  The citrus keeps the avocado nice and green and the rich avocado takes the place of both oil and cheese in traditional pesto. 

Add basil, garlic, lemon (strained juice) and avocado to a small food processor or blender.

Blend until smooth.

Toss with cooked pasta.  I always seem to use linguini with pesto - this one is whole wheat - but you can use any pasta, even gluten-free if you must. 

Use a little pasta water to thin the sauce if necessary.

I served a small portion as a side dish to grilled chicken and grilled zucchini because I wasn't sure we'd like it, but we loved it!

A delicious change from regular pesto and very good for you too!

Pesto/Pistou

One of the pleasures of warm weather is delicious, fresh pesto or pistou.  It is so easy and fresh tasting.  In the summer I have a garden full of fresh basil to use up but in the early spring I can get fresh basil from the grocery store for a quick taste of summer. 

This is actually a basil plant grown in a greenhouse for extra freshness.  Pistou is a version of pesto without pine nuts.  Although this time I did add ground pine nuts to the sauce, I sometimes prefer toasted pine nuts on top of the pasta. 

Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan until light golden in colour.  Don't walk away, it won't take long.  

Grind Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano in a small food processor.

Add the basil and garlic cloves to the processor.

Add the pine nuts if desired and once again puree to mix.

Then slowly drizzle in olive oil while the processor is running to create a paste or sauce.

Once it is all mixed together it looks like this:

I like to serve pesto with linguini but any pasta is great.  

Toss the sauce with the cooked pasta and add a little reserved pasta water to thin it if necessary.

Serve on its own or top with grilled chicken and vegetables for a complete meal.