Tag: dinner

  • Fiskegrateng (Fish Casserole with Macaroni & Garlicky Breadcrumbs)

    Fiskegrateng (Fish Casserole with Macaroni & Garlicky Breadcrumbs)

    Norwegian Fiskegrateng (Fish & Macaroni Casserole with Garlicky Breadcrumbs)Some days you just need something with a bit of depth and a bit of warmth. An all-in-one meal straight from the oven and dished out directly from its hot container. Nothing too fancy or fussy. A good, classic meal that you can always count on. Understated, but gives you that cozy feeling with each bite. For me, that’s fiskegrateng.

    Fiskegrateng is the very definition of comfort food. This is a beloved and popular dish throughout Norway and has had a constant place in cookbooks and homes throughout the 20th and 21st century, possibly even before. It’s an ideal way to use up leftover fish or just serve fish for dinner that everyone is bound to enjoy. It’s almost like a mac & cheese –  just swap out the cheese for the fish. (more…)

  • Hand-Cut Rye Noodles with Beer-Braised Beef

    Hand-Cut Rye Noodles with Beer-Braised Beef

    Hand-Cut Rye Noodles with Beer-Braised Beef Hand-Cut Rye Noodles with Beer-Braised BeefThis is part 2 of my @noodleholicsparty  challenge – where a group of food bloggers shared their favorite noodle dishes from around the globe. If you missed part 1 from last week, I created an elegant version of Juniper Berry & Barley Noodles with Creamy Chanterelles.

    But just to recap, although noodles are not part of the traditional Norwegian food culture, I found this challenge to be an interesting one to take on. I wanted to showcase just what a Norwegian noodle dish might look like. Because, after all, noodles are made with simple base ingredients. The same ingredients that are the building blocks for Norwegian breads, like lefse and flatbrød. So even though there has never been a distinctive Norwegian noodle, there is no reason there shouldn’t have been or should be one now.

    Hand-Cut Rye Noodles with Beer-Braised Beef Hand-Cut Rye Noodles with Beer-Braised Beef (more…)

  • Elggryte (Norwegian Moose Stew)

    Elggryte (Norwegian Moose Stew)

    Norwegian Moose Stew (Elggryte) Norwegian Moose Stew (Elggryte)Following on from my story about Moose Hunting in Norway (Elgjakt), here is a recipe for elggryte, a traditional moose stew utilising the flavors of the forest. Gryte means pot in Norwegian, and what better way to cook in the colder months than with everything stewing together in one pot.

    The mountainous regions of Norway are famous for moose and other types of venison. These meats are used in a variety of dishes such as karbonader (meat patties), kjøttkaker (meatballs), pølser (sausages), and spekemat (cured meats). Stews are a great way to tenderize the meat and concentrate the flavors. They are warming and filling, and easy to make. Best of all, they cook together in one pot and can be made both indoors and outdoors. (more…)

  • Jordskokksuppe (Jerusalem Artichoke Soup)

    Jordskokksuppe (Jerusalem Artichoke Soup)

    Jordskokksuppe (Creamy Jerusalem Artichoke Soup)Jordskokksuppe (Creamy Jerusalem Artichoke Soup)There’s a certain joy that comes from being able to watch another person prepare a dish. Being the student and able to just listen and learn and see the creativity of another person unfold. I am lucky to have many friends and neighbors who are wonderful cooks and who are happy to share their recipes and techniques with me. One such friend is the beautiful and kind Maj-Lis.

    Maj-Lis is already busy in the kitchen when I come through her door. Her hands are dusted in flour and she greets me with a warm hug and smile before she returns quickly to her countertops to carry on kneading the dough.

    She is making a couple of her specialties and dedicating the majority of the day to the kitchen. The menu consists of creamy jordskokksuppe (Jerusalem artichoke soup), homemade valnøttbrød (walnut bread) and her famous Glitreboller (sweet pastry filled with cinnamon, sugar and raisins and topped with almonds). She shares the stories about each recipe and works her way between each dish as I sit back and listen. While the dough rises, she cuts the Jerusalem artichokes. While the soup is on, she prepares the boller.   (more…)

  • Surost (Homemade Farm Cheese)

    Surost (Homemade Farm Cheese)

    Surost (Norwegian Farm Cheese made from Sour Milk)Following a magnificent seter feast filled with Sonja’s homemade products of cheese, cream, jams and cured meat, Sonja shared her recipe for surost.

    Surost is a farmhouse cheese made from fresh cow’s milk which has been left to sit overnight in a warm spot to allow for curdling. The milk takes on a slightly sour taste, hence the name ‘sur’ ost. When it is ready, Sonja takes some of the sour milk from the container into a large pot and places the pot into a water bath on the stove. Within a short time, the curds separate from the whey and are placed in a colander where the whey continues to strain out.

    This process is very simple and very effective. The cheese is similar to cottage cheese, yet with a tad more tanginess that comes from the milk being sour. I debated whether to provide an alternative recipe using pasteurised milk, but this simply would not be the same since pasteurised milk can not be left to sour. True surost must be made out of soured milk. You can, however, make a simple farm cheese with pasteurised milk by adding an acid to it, such as vinegar, while you heat it directly in a pot over the stove. A good recipe for this can be found from the Nourished Kitchen. (more…)

  • Savory Berry Tartlets (Bærpai)

    Savory Berry Tartlets (Bærpai)

    Savory Berry Tartlets (Velsmakende Baerpai)Savory Berry Tartlets (Velsmakende Baerpai)Berry season is nearing its end for the year as the tips of the trees give way to yellow, orange and red hues. Cooler days and the welcome of autumn bring a shift in the kitchen from light fare to more hearty and warm dishes. With more than my fair share of wild berries resting on my countertop, my thoughts are immediately filled with dreams of baked goods and their aroma sifting from the kitchen. Berries paired with dough. Their sweetness nestled in a blanket of creamy cheese surrounded by a hazelnut crust and drizzled with local honey. Just large enough to be handheld, cut into little servings and shared among friends.

    Savory Berry Tartlets (Velsmakende Baerpai) (more…)