Boiled Meatballs - Kødboller

Boiled Meatballs - kødboller

Boiled meatballs are used in different dishes in Denmark, one of them is in bouillon type soups like beef soup. Traditionally meatballs are made from ground pork, but can easily be made from other types of ground meats.

The boiled meatballs are pretty much the same as normal danish fried meatballs, much like my Greek-style lamb meatballs. 

Makes 22 meatballs

Ingredients:

• 1  lb. (500 g) ground pork
• rolled oats
• 1 eggs
• 1 medium onions
• 1/4 cup milk
• ½ teaspoons salt 
• pepper

Directions:

Mix the meat with salt. Divide the meat in quarters, lift one quarter up unto the other quarters. Fill the missing quarter with rolled oats. Put in finely chopped or grated onions, the eggs, milk, salt and pepper and mix until you have a cohesive meat mixture. 

Put a large pot of water over to boil. When the water boils add 1 teaspoon salt. 

To form the meatballs, dip a tablespoon in hot water and scoop up a good spoonful meat. Use the hand and the spoon to form the meatball.  The meatball should be oval and the size of a small egg. Place the meatball in the water, repeat until you have one layer of meatballs. Boil the meatballs for about  7-10 minutes.

Use the meatballs in soups or in the classic meatballs in curry sauce (boller i karry). 

Meatball can be frozen.

Supperis - Cold Rice Porridge with Raisins

Supperis - Cold Rice Porridge with Raisins

This is an old old side dish served with classic danish chicken soup or beef soup. I think this dish is known only in some parts of Denmark, it might be from Jutland, where my dad’s family are from. The dish is served cold, and is scooped into your hot soup. 

When I made this for my husband the first time, he was very skeptic. Why would anyone put sweet raisins in their soup? So as the good wife I am, I made two versions one with and one without raisins. Need I say that he happily ate my supperis with raisins?

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 400 g water 
• 70 g rice (danish grødris or aborio)
• 45 g raisins
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Directions:

Bring the water to a boil. Sprinkle the rice into the water, add the salt and let it simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the raisins and let the porridge boil for another 10-15 minutes. 

Pour the porridge into a bowl, and cool it in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve the soup.

Enjoy!

Scalloped Hasselback Potatoes

Scalloped Hasselback Potatoes

My husband send me a link to a recipe for hasselback potato gratin. It looked to be the best of both worlds, a combination of the creamy potato gratin and the crisp hasselback potatoes. 

I thought it would be perfect with a ribeye steak. I changed it up a bit, to what was in my refrigerator.

This is my version.

Serves 4-6 people.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds russet potatoes

• 6 fl oz (5 dl) heavy whipping cream

• parmesan cheese

• smoked gouda

• 2 garlic cloves

• 2 sprigs thyme leaves, leaves only

• salt

Direction:

Preheat the oven to 400℉ (200℃).

Grate the cheeses, and set about ¼ of it a side, and mix the rest with the cream, garlic, thyme.

Peel the potatoes and slice them thinly on a mandolin. Toss the potato slices in the cream/cheese mixture, making sure to cover each slice. 

Stack the potato slices and lay them in ovenproof dish with their edges aligned vertically. Continue to fill the dish with the potatoes until the dish is filled. Pour excess cream/cheese mixture evenly over potatoes.

Cover dish with tin foil, and bake the potatoes for about 30 minutes. Take off the foil and spread the rest of the cheese on top, and continue to bake for 30 minutes.

When the potatoes is done, take the dish out of the oven and let the potatoes rest for a few minutes.

Citrus Salad with Liquorice Vinaigrette

Citrus Salad with Liquorice Vinaigrette

I decided to make a new dish for the christmas dinner. I know that the Danes are really set the their ways, especially when it comes to their christmas dinner. But I love trying new things, so I hope my husband's family will love this citrus salad inspired from "Lakrids i Maden".

When I read that the salad called for a liquorice vinaigrette, my first thought was "how would the salty liquorice syrup taste with the dark espresso balsamic from The Olive bar?" I can only say "faaaantastic" - and on a slice of orange it tastes even better.

Here is my take on the citrus salad.

Ingredients:

Dressing:

• 1 tablespoon salty liquorice syrup
• 2 tablespoons dark espresso balsamic

Salad:

• 3 oranges
• 2 pink grapefruits
• 2 pink lemons
• Tunisian blood orange olive oil
• 1 handful Italian parsley, chopped
• 2 tablespoons shallots, finely chopped

Directions:

Whisk the the liquorice syrup with the balsamic, set aside.

Peel oranges, lemons and grapefruits and slice them thinly. Arrange the slices in a platter and sprinkle with olive oil and salt.

Drizzle the dressing un top, and sprinkle with onion and parsley.

Coconut Cauliflower Rice

Coconut Cauliflower Rice.

December 15th - not feeling very christmasy, maybe because we just got back from a Julefrokost (Danish christmas party). Here's a healthier side for a dinner in december.

After making my Cilantro and Lime Cauliflower Rice, I started thinking on other flavors, I could add to the cauliflower rice. I came up with coconut rice. This could be yummy with a curry dish. 

Regular coconut ice is boiled in the coconut milk, but I don't want to boil the cauliflower, so it becomes soaky. I still want the cauliflower to be crisp.

 Ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 1 shallot, chopped finely
• 1 sprig lemongrass, smashed
• ½ cup coconut milk, the thick part
• ¼ cup toasted shredded coconut
• Salt to taste
• a little lemon zest

Directions:

Break the cauliflower into florets. Grate the cauliflower using a box grater or add florets to food processor and pulse until cauliflower looks like rice. About 10-15 seconds of pulsing.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the coconut oil, melt, then add the onion. Saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the lemongrass, the cauliflower and coconut milk, stirring to combine. Saute the cauliflower for about 8-10 minutes until the coconut milk is adsorbed. Remove the lemongrass.  Season with salt and lemon zest. 

Sprinkle the toasted coconut on top when serving.

The Danish version:

Kokos blomkålsris

Ingredienser:

• 1 blomkålshovede
• 1 tsk kokosolie
• 1 skalotteløg, finthakket
• 1 stilk citrongræs, banket i stykker
• 1½ dl kokoskmælk, den tykke del
• ¾ dl ristet kokosmel 
• salt 
• lidt revet citronskal

Del blomkålen op i buketter og riv den på et rivejerne, eller brug en foodprocessor indtil blomkålen er på størrelse med riskorn.

Opvarm en slipl-et pande og tilsæt kokosolien. Når den er smeltet tilsæt løget og steg det indtil det er bløde, ca. 3 minutter. Tilsæt citrongræs, blomkål og kokosmælk. Sautér i ca 8-10 minutter, indtil kokosmælken er absorberet. Fjern citrongræssen og smag blomkålen til med salt og citronskal.

Drys den ristede kokos på blomkålen, når den serveres.