Scandanavian

From Kitchen of Light Scandinavian cookbook and www.scandcook.com

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Serves 4?

1/2 cup salt

12 large cabbage leaves, trimmed, rough stems removed

2 Tb unsalted butter

1 onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1/2 lb ground pork

1/4 lb ground beef

1/2 cup cooked long grain white rice (Premium White Rice from Whole Foods)

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 tsp ground fennel (we toasted the spices and ground them, I think)

1/2 tsp ground cumin

fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp vegetable oil

1 TB maple syrup (or sugar)

Lingonberry Preserves or whole berry cranberry sauce

In a large pot, bring water and salt to a boil over high heat. Place 6 cabbage leaves in a pot. Reduce to medium-low and cook 3-4 minutes until soft, but not limp. Drain on paper towel. (We had to blanche the whole head of lettuce a few times to get the leaves off) Cook all the leaves. Cut them lengthwise, in half, removing tough center rib (we didn’t do this and just used leaves as is)

Heat 1 TB butter in large non-stick skillet. Saute onion and garlic until golden. Remove from heat.

In a bowl, combine ground meats, rice, onion (set skillet aside to use later) and milk until you have a loose mixture. Season with fennel, cumin, salt, and pepper.

Place one cabbage leaf on work surface. Place 2-3 heaping TB of meat in center and mold into cylinder. Fold and roll, tucking in ends. Repeat till all done.

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease large baking dish with vegetable oil.

Heat remaining 1 Tb butter in the non-stick skillet. Add 4-6 rolls at a time. Sprinkle with maple syrup and cook till golden, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to baking dish. When done sautéing all rolls, deglaze the skillet with 1/2 cup water. Boil down till reduced to 2-3 TB and pour over the rolls.

Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Let cool a little and serve with Lingonberry preserves. (Great brand: Scandinavian Delights from Cost Plus World Market on 28th St, in Boulder)

Bacalao Stew

Serves 6

1 ½ lbs salt cod

2 lbs russet potatoes, cut into ½ inch slices

3 large yellow onions, cut into ½ inch slices

Two 14 ½ oz cans tomatoes, chopped, with their juices

1 lb jarred or canned pimientos, drained and cut into ½ inch slices, or 1 ¾ lbs red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½ inch slices

4-6 garlic cloves, sliced

2 bay leaves

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

1 or 2 dried hot red chiles, chopped and seeded

10 black peppercorns

1 ½ cups olive oil

Place the salt cod in a large pot of water and let soak for 24 to 36 hours, depending on how dry the fish is, until softened. Change the water at least twice during the process.

Drain the fish and cut into 2-inch chunks.

In a large pot, layer the potatoes, onions, and cod. Add the tomatoes, pimientos, garlic, bay leaves, 2/3 of the parsley, the chiles, peppercorns, and olive oil. Gently simmer for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 45 minutes. Shake the pot every now and then, but do not stir.

Gently ladle the stew into six bowls, sprinkle with the remaining parsley, and serve.

Norwegian Pancakes

Serves 2 to 4

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

11/2 cups whole milk

1 tablespoon sugar or honey, plus more for serving

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus butter for cooking

Combine the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Add the eggs, milk, and sugar, stirring with a fork until you have a light batter; make sure there are no lumps. Stir in the melted butter. Let rest for 30 minutes.

Heat 2 teaspoons butter over medium heat in a cast-iron or other heavy skillet. Add 1/3 cup of the batter and immediately tilt the skillet so that the batter spreads out evenly. Cook for approximately 3 minutes, until the batter has set on top, then flip, using a spatula. Cook for 2 minutes, then transfer to a plate. Repeat, stacking the cooked pancakes, until you have used all the batter.

Serve the pancakes warm with berries and sugar, or cheese and ham.