How To: Making Authentic Swedish Meatballs

I originally published this four years ago. (!)  And it remains one of the most popular posts on this site.  Also, it's still one of my family's favorite recipes.  I still make the meatballs the same way.  The kids eat them as fast I put them on their plates.  Love all around.


I've kept the original post with pictures and directions, you can see it below.  It's fun to look back and see what we were making.

This winter has been truly lovely.  Very little snow and warmer-than-normal days.  The kids have been playing outside on their scooter and bikes.  Our sunsets and sunrises have been beautiful and inspiring.

Since attending Alt Summit a few weeks ago, I've felt a renewed sense of creativity and productivity.  I put this blog on the shelf thinking I was spending too much time on it and not enough time on other things.  Well, I spent time on the other things and now I'm ready to get back to it.

So for days I've been working like mad to create recipes and photograph the results.  I've felt so fulfilled and so exhausted at the same time.  My family had been benefitting from these labors and has very much enjoyed having a mother who cooks dinner for them again.

I take such joy out of cooking for my family.  I love when they love something I've worked hard on.  There is no greater praise, as far as I'm concerned, than my children and husband licking their plates clean.

Swedish Meatballs are comforting.  As they cooked, I felt nostalgic for the days when my kids were little babies and I was cooking my tiny NY kitchen.  Now they're big and I'm cooking in my tiny Utah kitchen. :)

I served these with a delicious Rutabaga Puree and Braised Kale with Gluten-Free Breadcrumbs.  If you've never tried rutabaga, you must!

Oven Baked Potato Chips with Kale-Lemon Pesto for The Super Bowl

Hell has frozen over.  I'm posting a recipe for Super Bowl Sunday.

I honestly could not tell you who is playing and until Tuesday when I Googled it, I had no idea it was this Sunday.  (Does that make you love or hate me a little more?  I still don't know who's playing.)

I whipped up some awesome pesto to use up a little of this and that in my fridge.  I haven't been eating junk food at all lately.  Potato chips definitely have not been passing my lips.  But when they're homemade and dipped in pesto, who I am to refuse?

This isn't your traditional football game fare, but it's good and if you are looking for something to serve to shake things up a bit, give this a try.

If you want, add some of the pesto to mayo or even sour cream for a creamy dip.  I liked it just like this. :)

Kale-Lemon Pesto

Ingredients:


1/2 cup whole raw almonds
1 cup packed kale leaves
1 cup packed basil leaves
1 cup packed spinach or arugula, more kale or basil
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
juice and zest of 2 meyer lemons (or 1 large regular lemon)
1-2 cloves of garlic
extra virgin olive oil
salt, to taste

Instructions:


In a food processor or blender, pulse almonds until finely chopped. Add the greens, zest, juice, and garlic. Pulse, scraping down the sides of the bowl periodically, until everything is finely chopped. Turn food processor on and slowly add the olive oil through the feed hole until the pesto reaches the desired consistency. Stop and scrape down the bowl. Add salt to taste. Transfer to a small bowl and press plastic wrap against the surface of the pesto. Chill until ready to use.

Makes about 3/4 cup.

Oven Baked Potato Chips

Ingredients:
2-3 large russet potatoes, 1/8" sliced
1 Tbsp. grape seed oil or canola oil
salt

Instructions:

Adjust oven racks so one is close to the bottom and one is close to the top. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Toss the potato rounds with the oil and arrange in an even layer (no overlapping) on the baking sheets. (You might have enough for a third pan.)

Place the baking sheets on the racks and bake for about 10 minutes. Remove the baking sheets and turn the potatoes over. Put back in the oven and check every 5 minutes to see if they have turned a golden brown.

Transfer the chips to a cooling rack lined with paper towels (or a paper grocery sack) to remove any excess oil. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes enough for 4-6 people.

**Note, if you're doing this for a crowd, you'll want to make these ahead of time and reheat them to crisp them up again before serving.

Minted Grapefruit Sorbet

Friends, this stuff is it.

My husband, bless his unbelieving heart, raised his eyebrows at the thought of this Minted Grapefruit Sorbet.  I'm sure he was thinking (or maybe it's because he's said this before), Why can't we just eat the fruit?  Why does everything have to be turned into ice cream?

Join with me in giving him a virtual tsk-tsk and slap on the hand.

I repeat:  This stuff is it.

He eventually agreed with me and proceeded to eat more than his fair share.  Ahem.  I guess we'll just be making this again in a few days.  I do have to concede that it would be even better eating it by the metric ton in August.  The effect is a little lost on a cold, January day.  But hey--I'm not going to complain.  I'm going to get more ruby red grapefruit and mint. :)

Minted Grapefruit Sorbet

2 cups freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
juice of 1 lemon
1 recipe mint syrup (see below)
2 tsp. vodka (optional)

Combine grapefruit and lemon juice with mint syrup.  Chill until very, very cold.  Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer directions, about halfway through churning add the vodka, if using.

For mint syrup:

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups water
5-10 fresh mint leaves, torn or thinly sliced (I used spearmint)

Bring sugar and water to a boil and add mint leaves.  Let steep for about 30 minutes.  Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a clean jar or bowl.  Chill until ready to use.

We enjoyed the sorbet with sparkling water.  It was like the most refreshing soda you can imagine.  Good stuff.

Butternut Squash, Cranberry and Apple Bake

It's been a very busy few weeks, and I'm glad to be back over here. I've got so much to tell you. But that will have to wait until tomorrow. :)

This is what I am bringing to the first Gojee Virtual Potluck. (Have you been over to gojee.com yet?  Here I am!)

A few years ago my friend brought something similar to a cooking club dinner.  It was so delicious and I couldn't find her recipe anywhere, so I made it up as I went along.  I brought this to Thanksgiving dinner and then made it again last week.  You'll be eating this like candy, I promise.

The holidays may be over, but that doesn't mean I'm tired of those flavors--orange, fresh herbs, spices.  (Ask me in March.)

Before

After

Feel free to use sweet potatoes instead of butternut or another type of winter squash.  Whatever you have on hand.  Toss in some onions and garlic if you're feeling in the mood for something more savory.  The leftovers are soooo good over mixed greens.  My favorite way was tossed with cooked quinoa with a little chimichurri drizzled over the top.  (It wasn't as strange as it sounds.)

Butternut Squash, Cranberry, and Apple Bake

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 cups (about 1/2 bag) fresh or frozen cranberries, rinsed (don't thaw if frozen)
3-4 apples, peeled and cored, cut into cubes
juice and zest of 1 orange
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil plus more for baking dish
1-2 Tbsp. fresh herbs, finely minced (sage, thyme, rosemary)
pinch of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg
salt and pepper


Whisk together in a very large bowl, orange zest and juice, maple syrup, olive oil, herbs, and spices (if using).  Add the butternut squash, cranberries and apples.  Toss to coat.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Generously grease a 9" by 13" or two smaller baking dishes (I used an 8 by 11" and 8" square) with olive oil.  Spread the squash, cranberries, and apples evenly in the baking dish.  Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

Bake for about 30-45 minutes or more until the squash is tender, the cranberries have split open and released their juice.  Serve warm or room temperature.

Makes enough for 6-8 people.  Use leftovers the next day over mixed greens with your favorite vinaigrette and a sprinkling of toasted pecans.
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Starting on Thursday, January 26, check out other potluck dishes fellow gojee contributors shared. Go to gojee.com and enter “gojeepotluck” into I Crave.  You can also follow #gojeepotluck on Twitter.

I'll be back tomorrow with an Alt recap.  (It was so much fun!)