Norwegian Meat Cakes with Roasted Root Vegetables

This week, I would like to thank a lovely young lady from Norway that I've had a pleasure getting to know. Tone Marie Berg sent me this recipe to try, and in doing so, I am able to share some classic foods from a different culture with you. This was a very comforting dish to eat, and though it is typically served with boiled potatoes, carrots, and broccoli, I did my own thing as usual. The directions follow after the recipe in case you are a novice at roasting. In any case, I think you will thoroughly enjoy this as much as I did, and I really hope you give it a try!

NORWEGIAN meatcakes in brown sauce:

Meatcakes:

1 lb. ground beef
1 tbsp. potato flour (all purpose will do in a pinch though)
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon pepper
7 oz milk
1 egg
½ onion
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon allspice
butter

Mix ground beef with potato flour, salt, pepper and milk. Add the egg and stir well. Finely chop onions and mash it into the dough. Season to taste with the spices, and add more salt and pepper if desired. Brown butter in frying pan and shape meat cakes with a tablespoon I made them the size of mini-burgers, or sliders) and fry them until nicely browned. Finish cooking meat cakes in the sauce.

Brown sauce:

2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 ¼ cup boiling dark broth (beef broth does fine)
salt
pepper
a little cream (I used about 1 -- 2 TBSP)

Brown butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and mix well. Stir the entire time! Browning does not take long, so pay attention or it will taste burnt! Remove the pan from the heat and add broth. Put the pan back on the heat and bring to a boil while stirring. Add cream, and salt and pepper to taste. Let the sauce simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. Add the meat cakes the sauce and continue to let it simmer on low heat until meat cakes are cooked.

Serve with boiled potatoes, carrots and broccoli as is standard in Norway...OR, do what I did. I roasted mine!

Roasted Root Vegetables:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees

4 medium carrots
2 large russet potatoes
1 medium onion (you know I love Sweet Vidalia, but use whatever you please!)
1-2 TBSP olive oil
2 tsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp dried minced garlic
Sea salt to taste

Cut all the vegetables into large chunk size pieces. Place in a large bowl and drizzle with the olive oil, and add the garlic and rosemary. Mix well with your hands to coat all the pieces. Place in a cookie sheet lined with non-stick foil (LOVE you Reynolds Wrap for making this!!) and then salt to taste with sea salt. Add pepper if you like as well. Roast at 475 degrees for 20-25 minutes, stirring at least twice during this time. If you prefer your vegetable with more or less "char" adjust this time to your individual taste.

The gravy for the meatcakes tastes very nice on the vegetables too, but there are no rules here. New comfort food by any means, and I will be making this often over the years to come. Thanks again Tone for sending me this yummy recipe to share! ENJOY!