Boller i karry – Curried Meatballs

This is one of my daughter’s favorite meals – and actually I think of all kids in Denmark.
Probably due to the toppings, so everybody can make their own favorite combination.
(Serves 4)

Meatballs:
1 pound (450 g) ground meat – pork and/or veal
1 onion, minced
3 TBSP flour
1 egg
1/2 cup (11/4 dl) milk
1 quart (1 l) bouillon
Sauce:
1 onion, chopped
2 TBSP butter
1 cloves of garlic, minced
1 inch piece root ginger, minced
2-3 tsp curry powder
2 TBSP flour
1/2 cup (11/4 dl) cream or coconut cream
2 apples, chopped
Salt and pepper

Stir 1 tsp salt in the meat and mix it with a wooden spoon for about 3 minutes – until it gets tough or viscous – I don’t know what the correct word is here. Add the minced onion and flour and then the egg. Stir until it is smooth and then add the milk al little at the time. Season with salt and pepper.

Bring the bouillon to the bowling point and turn the heat down to a simmer. Shape meatballs with a spoon dipped in cold water and drop them into the bouillon. Let them simmer for about 10 minutes – depending on size.

Sauté the onions in a casserole with butter until soft. Add garlic and ginger and cook 2 minutes. Add curry powder and cook 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and mix well. Add half of the bouillon from the meatballs – pour it through a strainer. Let the sauce simmer for at least 10 minutes.

Add the apples and cream and cook the sauce for a couple of minutes. Adjust the taste with curry, salt and pepper.

Put the meatballs in the sauce and serve with cooked basmati or jasmine rice.
And some small bowls with toppings: mango chutney, raisins, shredded coconut, peanuts, chopped hardboiled eggs, chopped banana, chili sauce, chopped pickled beets or whatever you feel like.

Muesli

We ran out of muesli yesterday. I have been in a bad habit lately using store-bought muesli
- even I know I make a better and healthier one myself.
So I pulled myself together and actually it doesn’t take that much time.

Muesli
6 cups rolled oats (500 g)
3/4 cup sunflower seeds (100 g)
3/4 cup pumpkin seeds (100 g)
1 1/2 cup of chopped nuts (I use almonds and hazelnuts)(200 g)
1/2 cup maple syrup (1 dl)
1/2 cup water (1 dl)
1 1/2 cup of dried fruit (raisins, apricots, cranberries)(200 g)

Turn the oven on 325 degree F (160 degree C).
Mix all the dry ingredients together except from the dried fruit in a large bowl.
Mix syrup and water and pour it in the bowl. Mix thoroughly in order to distribute the syrup.
Spread the mixture out on two sheet pans and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes.
Stir the mixture thoroughly and bake 15 minutes. And stir the mixture thoroughly and bake 15 minutes again.
Let it cool on the pans and add the dried fruit. Store in a couple of air tight containers.

I eat fresh fruit with yoghurt and muesli almost every morning and Mathilde enjoys yoghurt and muesli as an after school snack.

Spareribs Tikka Masala

I attended a meeting about special ingredients and had the pleasure of listening to the grandchild of the founder of Patak’s , a family owned Indian food company, which has grown into one of Britain's most successful brands. I learned about the special Indian herbs and how to use them, and when I left the meeting, I was given a bag filled with Patak’s products.

So I used one of the products, a Tikka Masala paste this weekend and made
Spareribs Tikka Masala and Coleslaw
(serves 4)

Spareribs
4 pound pork spareribs
1/2 glass Patak’s Tikka Masala Paste
Coleslaw:
1 smallish white cabbage, cored and finely sliced
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
1 tsp salt
Juice of 1 lemon
3 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp finely grated fresh root ginger
1 dried chili
½ tsp black mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp caster sugar
Freshly ground black pepper

Smother the ribs with the Tikka Masala paste and put them in a lined pan. Place it in a cold oven and turn it on 325 degrees F (160 degrees C). Let them bake 1 1/2-2 hours and turn them over a couple of times on the way.

Toss cabbage and carrots with salt and lemon juice.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Sauté the ginger 2 minutes stirring well. Add chili and seeds and fry 3 minutes. Let it cool.
Add the dressing to the coleslaw and mix well to coat. Season with sugar and pepper.

I served the spareribs and slaw with some small red potatoes tossed with 1 Tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper and popped in the oven the last 30 minutes.

The Tikka Masala paste was nice and spicy but not hot. And the leftovers of both ribs and slaw were perfect in Sunday lunch sandwiches.

You can read more about Patak’s and their products here: http://www.pataks.co.uk/