If you are into experimenting with unlikely food combinations for magnificent results, this traditional Scandinavian salad is definitely the one for you.
Simply fabulous as a side dish with meat or seafood, it is also tasty and filling enough to be enjoyed in its own right.
And best of all? It's packed with vitamins and omega oils.
Since cold and gloomyJanuary is upon us now, why not bring back some of that holiday warmth with this ravishingly red salad?
Here's what to do.
Ingredients:
3 medium to large potatoes
3 medium cooked beet roots and their juice
2 medium pickled cucumbers
1 large apple
1 small onion
2 medium pickled herrings
4 rashers of bacon cut to small pieces
a pinch or two of salt
1-2 tbsp sugar
Dressing: 2 dl (just under one cup) of whipping cream and a little bit of beet juice
Instructions:
1. Boil the potatoes with the skin on. Let them cool, then peel.
2. Fry the bacon strips until thoroughly cooked, but not quite crispy. Put to one side to cool.
3. Chop the other ingredients up. The best way to get your taste buds going is to cut everything into small cubes. Your guide size
should be approximately 1 square centimetre pieces (or roughly 1/2
inch).
4. Mix everything together.
5. Season with a pinch of salt, 1-2 tbsp sugar and some beet root juice (leave a tiny bit of juice aside if you are planning to make the dressing). Keep tasting and adding more seasoning as required. Place in a bowl and serve.
6. In the Nordic countries Rosolli salad is traditionally dressed with a little bit of whipped cream. This is optional, but it does add a softness to the taste. Whip the cream until it forms peaks, but stop before it hardens. Right at the end, fold a tiny bit of beet juice into the cream to give it a delicate pink colour. Serve dressing in a separate bowl - usually a tablespoon of it is heaped on one helping of salad.
Happy New Year!
The tortilla de patatas or tortilla española - Spanish potato omelet - is probably about the most nourishing and filling food I know.
Made with yummy cooked potato, this weighty, juicy omelette is good to eat hot, cold, on its own, in a sandwich, on a cocktail stick dipped in mayonnaise or ketchup, or cut into cubes and thrown into a salad.
It is surprisingly tricky to get right though. Here, my first blog guest Jose, the tortilla ninja, shares how to make a tortilla perfecta.
Ingredients
3 Large potatoes
1 Large onion
4 Eggs (medium size)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt
Utensils
Non-stick frying pan (approx. 25 cm diameter)
Sieve
Knife and chopping board
A large plate that will cover the frying pan
Instructions
1. Peel and chop the potatoes and the onion, mix in a bowl with two pinches of salt.
2. Fry the potato and onion in 2-3cm olive oil, medium heat, stirring constantly until they are soft and have sunken into the oil. Never let them fry crispy.
3. Once cooked, drain the oil from the potato and onion mix using a sieve. (Make sure you collect the oil in a bowl and dispose of it safely - never pour cooking oil down the sink.)
4. Whisk the eggs. Put the cooked potato and onion into the eggs, mix well.
5. Wash and dry your pan, place it on medium heat, pour in a about a table spoon of olive oil.
6. Pour in the tortilla mix and cook for 2-4 minutes, or until the bottom half is cooked. The idea is for the tortilla to be moist (not over cooked and dry), yet the bottom needs to be sufficiently solid to hold the tortilla together when it's flipped.
7. Once tortilla has cooked on one side, flip it over. For this, take a large plate. Put it over the top of the pan. Holding the plate firmly in place with one hand, tip the pan upside down so the tortilla ends up on the plate. Slide the tortilla back into the pan, soggy side down. (This can be difficult. If it goes wrong, be prepared to eat your tortilla scrambled, it'll be just as tasty.) Cook for a further 2-4 minutes, or until firm. Again, don't be tempted to over cook.
And there we are. Tip onto a plate and tuck in. ¡Buen provecho!
* * *
Rock musician by night, hard working family man by day and the world's best dad 24/7 - that's my husband José.
Although his roots are in Malaga, José spent his childhood in Cadiz. He loves to reminisce about the long drives from Cadiz to Malaga to see family during the holidays, with mum, dad, his two brothers, baby sister and grandma all stuffed into in a Renault 5. And one occasion, a live turkey in the footwell. (The feathered passenger ended up on the Christmas table.)
When not working or spending time with Felix and me, Jose can be found in his "cave" playing guitar, preparing for a gig.
For this month's guest post, Jose answered a few questions for our readers:
Q: If you had to cook for Gwyneth Paltrow, what would you make her?
José: Tortilla, of course! And rabo de toro.
Q: When would you say it's OK to lie?
José: It's a very deep question. I'd need to think about it.
Q: If you were a character from ‘Lost,’ which one would you be?
José: Said.
Q: What are you wearing right now?
José: Pyjamas.
Q: If you could have any super power, what would it be?
José: Time travel.
You can find out more about Jose and his music on shamrockspain.yolasite.com.
If you are into experimenting with unlikely food combinations for magnificent results, this traditional Scandinavian salad is definitely the one for you. 
