Norway 16: Vid + Yum Detox: Khashayar’s Beet Hummus + Bye Bye Oslo

Everywhere I look, people are pinching their bellies and lamenting all the eating they did during the early winter holidays. We’ve all resolved to exercise more regularly and to eat healthier, maybe even shed some excess weight.

Of course, everyone—writers included (click here for more on my books to-be-published)—still needs to eat, right? So why not make something that warms our homes with mouth watering aromas and fills our tummies with great tastes that are wonderfully nutritious? Lucky for us, Khashayar has been busy in the kitchen. And he’s taken the time to dictate his latest recipe that’s as healthy as it is delicious.

After we slobber over the instructions that follow, we’ll take a final look at our amazing tour of Norway…

Khashayar’s Beet Hummus (a.k.a. Red Bean Spread)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups red beans (kidney beans are a great alternative)
• 2 small beets (or 1 large)
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt (divided use)
• 1/2 cup olive oil (divided use)
• Salt and Pepper
• 1/3 cup walnuts, quartered
• Smoked paprika

Instructions

1. Soak the beans: Rinse beans under cold water. Add beans to a container with 3 cups of water and soak overnight. (This significantly reduces cooking time. It does not need to be refrigerated).
2. Sauté: The following day, in a large pot, sauté the chopped onions until medium-golden.
3. Simmer: Add the beans and their soaking water to the pot with the onions. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Add Beets: While the beans simmer, peel the beets and cut them into chunks. Add the beets to the pot.
5. Finish Cooking: Cook together for another 30 minutes or until soft. Keep an eye on the water level; add a little more if the pot looks dry.
6. Cool: Once the beans and beets are soft, remove from heat and let cool. Drain the extra liquid, but don’t throw it away—reserve it for the next step.
7. Blend: In a blender, puree the bean/beet mixture with 1/4 cup of the olive oil and only 1 cup of the yogurt. If the mixture is too dense, thin it by adding the reserved cooking water a little at a time until you reach the consistency of hummus. Add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Plating: Transfer into a serving bowl. Use a spoon to smooth it flat and create a shallow well in the center. Spread the remaining 1/2 cup of yogurt across the middle.
9. Garnish: Sprinkle the walnuts over the yogurt layer, drizzle the remaining olive oil on top, and finish with a dusting of smoked paprika.

Serve with toasted lavosh crackers or your favorite chips!

Our Last Days in Norway…

(Note: all posts about our visit to Norway are here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here.)

The last few days were bittersweet. I didn’t want to tear myself away from Norway—beautiful at every turn and boasting an impressive government that honors citizens in all phases of life. At the same time, I was eager to cuddle our dear doggie, spend time with good friends, and return to the cozy life my husband and I enjoy in Los Angeles.

We admired beautiful Oslo neighborhoods…

…until we arrived at Oslo’s largest park, Frogner Park. It features expanses of green and over 200 sculptures by Gustav Vigeland. The art depicts the myriad life experiences, culminating at a fountain, a spire, and finally, the circle of life…

A welcoming childhood friend of Khashayar’s who grew up in Iran and now makes Norway his home, gave us a tour of Oslo that included a stop at a ski lodge with a magnificent view of the city and fjords…

The lodge featured a traditional menu, including Rømmegrøt (Sour Cream Porridge)…

Nearby, we visited the Holmenkollen Ski Jump, built for the Olympics…

It is one heck of a plummet!

On the very last night of our vacation, we walked home after a lovely dinner cooked by a family member, another proudly Iranian and grateful transplant. The view near his flat includes the fjord where the Edvard Munch Museum is located. (Munch is the artist most often recognized for his painting, The Scream).

The next morning, we woke early to catch a train to the airport. With all the excitement and running around, by the time I reached home and picked up our dog from the dear friends who lavished her with TLC while we were gone, I hadn’t slept in 28 hours! The next day, finally “back to earth,” I rested, unpacked, caught up on cleaning, and enjoyed plenty of doggie cuddles.

A question for you:

Returning home always feels like closing the back cover of a great book—satisfying but a little sad. What is the one meal or comfort you crave most when you return from a long trip? And if you try the hummus, let me know!