I am not a breakfast person, but I changed the songs while visiting my Norwegian husband’s relatives. For the first few days I had severe jet lag and thought my stomach was 9am dinner time, so I was attending the beautiful breakfast they presented us every morning. There was cloudberries, delicious sliced cheese, and most of all, muesli loaded with gravlax on thin slices of nut rye bread called ragbrods.
Since we returned, I have since missed that dense rye bread. I believe that Scandi-style breakfasts are destined to be my favorite memories. That is, I’ve seeds bread on my recent grocery trip until I spy on trader Joe’s European grain and bread seeds into the bread section. It is very similar to the delicious breakfast bread we served at Espeval and is now a breakfast staple for us at home.
Trader Joe’s European Grain and Seed Bread
Why I Love Trader Joe’s European Grain and Seed Bread
First, set the record straight. This is not the fluffy, chewy bread that we use to make Reuben sandwiches. The Rugbrød is dense, dark and has much smaller bread.
Breads are made with a high percentage of rye flour, which tends to be very dense, and if you try to sandwich the ingredients between two slices, it will probably break down. It is also often packed with whole grains, seeds and nuts.
However, it is A-okay because it is not made for closed sandwiches, and so is it for the smolgas board style open face sandwiches that the area is known for. Essentially, bread is a raft of a well-crafted array of toppings (eat them with your eyes).
Simply recipe/Trader Joe
Like the rye bread I fell down in Scandinavia, TJ’s bread is made with sourdough starters, whole grain ash flour, flaxseeds and lots of sunflower seeds. Pack 4 grams of fiber into slices and then pack in 4 grams of protein. In other words, it’s very heartfelt and satisfying.
The flavor of ragbrod varies depending on the bakery in Scandinavian countries. This ranges from super tangy, almost black to mild rye bread with more seeds and whole grain spots. Trader Joe’s European grain and seed bread is mild enough for the latter to serve butter and jam, but there is enough soil to support more assertive flavors like seafood and meat.
How to Enjoy Trader Joe’s European Grain and Seed Bread
I like to eat this bread like I had in Norway. Topped with whipped herb cheese, cured or smoked salmon, thinly sliced cucumbers and broccoli buds at breakfast time. But that’s just one way to surpass this delicious rye.
When lunchtime is shaking, the bread is spread out with truffle mustard, stacked up on rare roast beef, and then pickled red onion for lunch, reminiscent of British pub dishes. My husband, the Egg Man forever, lightly toasts in the toaster oven, preferring something covered in egg salad and chopped cornicon. Capers and tuna are another easy thing.
You can also cut thinly sliced bread into small triangles and serve it on a canned fish grazing board. Rye bread is always a good pairing for seafood. And the next time I cook a Nordic dish, I warm up some of my new favorite breads, beat it with butter, served with Swedish meatballs, pork chops with steamed red cabbage, or Matty (pickled herring), which I’ve been paying attention to at Costco.
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