Recipes
Below is a complete collection of all recipes found within my memoir. I hope you feel inspired to try some of these recipes for yourself. Do let me know how your efforts turn out!
Shu Jiao
- 1/4 pound ground pork
- 1/2 pound finely chopped green cabbage
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 tsps. sesame oil
- Some finely chopped ginger (optional)
- Store bought round gyoza wrappers (skins)
Directions
1. Mix all of the above until it holds together nicely
2. Place a wrapper in the palm of your hand
3. Wet the rim of the wrapper with a wet finger
4. Place about 3/4 tablespoon of the meat mixture in the middle of the wrapper, fold it over to make a half-moon, press the rounded rim tight to seal and pleat the rim
5. Bring a large pot of water to boil
6. Add as many dumplings as you can without overcrowding the pot
7. Bring to a boil
8. Add 1/2 cup cold water to the pot. Do this three times and serve with a dipping sauce.
Dipping Sauce
- Place small containers of soy sauce, Chinese vinegar, and some fine sliced red chili peppers on the table and allow guests to combine sauce ingredients to their liking.
Note: In the old days, we made our own skins, but now it is much easier to use store-bought.
Tea Eggs
- 6 eggs
- 4 cups water
- 3 tbsp tea leaves (oolong is reccomended)
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp five spice powder
Directions
1. Boil eggs for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove and roll them on the counter to crack the shells.
2. Add tea leaves, salt, and five spice powder to water.
3. Return eggs to pot and simmer for at least 30 minutes.
4. Cool, peel, and serve.
Risengrøt
- 3/4 cup short-grained rice
- About five cups whole milk
- Pinch of salt
Directions
1. Prepare the rice as you would rice porridge.
2. Divide rice porridge into bowls.
3. Sprinkle cinnamon, sugar, and raisins on top and serve.
Krumkaker
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup butter
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- Water to thin if neccessary
Directions
1. Whisk eggs and sugar together.
2. Melt butter and let cool slightly. Add to the egg and sugar mixture.
3. Mix in flour and spices. Stir until smooth.
4. In a separate pan, heat milk.
5. Let rest for about 30 minutes.
6. Spoon about 1 tbsp dough onto a krumkake iron. When cooked, carefully roll the cooked cakes into a cone and store in an airtight container.
Surkål
- 1 medium cabbage
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup vinegar
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 1/2 cups of beef broth
- 2 or more tbsp of caraway seeds
Directions
1. Quarter cabbage. Discard outer layer and remove thick core.
2. Using a mandoline slicer, cut the cabbage into thin strips.
3. Caramelize sugar in a pressure cooker. When sugar is done, remove from heat. Add beef broth and stir to dissolve. Add butter. Remove from pan to a bowl. Stir in vinegar and taste for balance.
4. Put an inch or so of the sliced cabbage into pressure cooker. Sprinkle with caraway seeds. Continue layering cabbage and caraway seeds until all the cabbage has been used. Pour sugar and vinegar mixture over cabbage.
5. Bring pressure cooker up to pressure. Remove from heat and cool completely. Remove lid and stir cabbage. Bring to pressure for a second time. Remove pot from burner as soon as pressure is reached. Cool, remove lid, and serve.
White Lady (a Bergen specialty)
- 4 eggs (medium)
- 124 grams sugar
- 125 grams flower
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp vanilla extract (divided)
- A few tbsp 7-Up
- 1/4 cup raspberry jam (or strawberry)
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 pound marzipan
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Whip eggs, vanilla extract, and sugar until soft peaks form.
3. Fold in flour and remaining 1 tsp vanilla extract.
4. Pour batter into an 8" parchment paper lined springform pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.
5. Take cake out of oven and let it cool.
6. Remove from springform and cut in half.
7. Spoon 7-Up over bottom of cake.
8. Top with jam and whipped cream.
9. Place on top of cake.
10. Cover with whipped cream.
11. Roll out marzipan as thin as you can and drape over entire cake.
12. Decorate with fruit and dollops of whipped cream.
Betty's Grape Leaves
- 400 grams ground beef
- 200 grams uncooked rice
- A blend of a generous amount of dried parsley, salt, pepper, and nutmeg
- 200 grams grape leaves
- Tomato paste diluted on a one to two ratio
Directions
1. Season meat generously with with the parsley, salt, pepper, and nutmeg mix.
2. Add the rice to the seasoned meat and wrap the grape leaves around mixture.
3. Place in an oiled pot.
4. Dilute the tomato paste and pour the sauce over the leaves.
5. Place a plate over the leaves and cook for 35-40 minutes on medium heat.
Tomato Egg Stir-fry
- 2 tomatoes
- 2 to 3 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- Four stalks of green onions
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
Directions
1. Slip the skins off two tomatoes which have been dipped in boiling water (this loosens the skins)
2. Quarter the tomatoes and remove seeds. Set aside.
3. Beat two or three eggs in a bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
4. Chop four stalks of green onions into 1/2 inch slices. White and light green parts only.
5. Heat two tablespoons of canola oil in a wok.
6. Add the eggs and stir-fry until almost done but still quite runny. Remove from wok. Add the green onions and the tomatoes. Stir-fry continually. Add the eggs and a pinch or two of sugar. Serve immediatley.
Rømmegrøt
- 1 pint sour cream (the best is seter rømme, which is hard to find. It should have 35% fat content)
- 1 1/4 cup flour, divided
- 2 cups whole milk, heated
- A pinch of salt
Directions
1. Heat sour cream for about 15 minutes.
2. Stir in 1/3 of the flour.
3. Sift in remaining flour and stir constantly.
4. In a separate pan, heat milk.
5. Slowly add milk to sour cream mixture.
6. Add a pinch of salt.
7. Stir until smooth.
Pappa's gravy from scratch
- 3 tbsp flour
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 quart of beef broth
- A bit of sage
- Couple slices brown goat cheese (geitost) if using gravy for kjøttkaker
Directions
1. Put the flour in a frying pan over low heat. Keep stirring with spatula until it turns light brown.
2. Add the butter and take pan off heat. Keep stirring until butter is incorporated with the flour
3. Slowly add the beef broth and keep stirring until it is fully incorporated and free of lumps.
4. Put the pan back on the heat and stir until it comes to a gentle simmer. Add a bit of sage
5. Add the goat cheese if using gravy for kjøttkaker.
Kjøttkaker
- 2 pounds lean ground beef (preferably twice ground)
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
- 2 tbsp potato starch
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup milk
- Butter for frying
Directions
1. Mix meat with chopped onion. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg and mix well.
2. Add potato starch and flour. Mix well.
3. Add milk and egg and mix until well incorporated.
4. Heat butter in frying pan. Form meat mixture into 2-inch balls. Brown on all sides in butter.
5. Transfer meatballs to pot with prepared brown gravy (see Pappa's gravy from scratch). Simmer until thoroughly cooked.
6. Serve with steamed or boiled potatoes, lingonberry preserves, Norwegian sauerkraut and buttered peas.
White Gravy
- 3 tbsp flour
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 quart of chicken broth
- a bit of nutmeg
Directions
1. Essentially the same technique as brown gravy, however this time start with the butter and melt it before adding the flour.
2. Take off heat and add chicken broth. Keep stirring until fully incorporated.
3. Return to heat and let it come to a slow simmer.
4. Add a couple grinds of fresh nutmeg if desired.
Blueberry Pie
- 2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup European style butter
- 3 tbsp cold water
- 2 tbsp potato starch
- 1/2 cup sugar (or less depending on sweetness of berries)
Directions
1. Make pie dough. Measure out the 2 1/2 cups of flour and crumble 1/2 cup cold European style butter into flour until it resembles coarse sand.
2. Work about 3 tablespoons of cold water into the mixture. Be careful not to overwork. Press the dough into a pie pan and prick the bottom. Refrigerate while making the filling.
3. Heat oven to around 380 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Rinse blueberries and let dry slightly. Mix berries with 2 tablespoons of potato starch and about 1/2 cup sugar depending on the sweetness of the berries.
5. Place the filling in the prepared pie tin and bake for 30 to 40 minutes.
