Paleo Swedish Meatballs with Mashed Cauliflower and Ligonberry Jam

I’ve been notably absent from this little space as of late.  The truth is, I haven’t really gotten back into a good cooking and eating routine since I got back from Italy… and that was almost three weeks ago!  Not good, not good at all.  It’s one thing to eat all the food when you travel, but bring these habits home with you and ‘no plan’ will quickly become ‘new pants.’  (To be fair, I’ve been making some of my old favorites for lunches – and they’re vegan!  If you haven’t tried these, you should: Curried Quinoa Wraps with Avo-Citrus Slaw and Spicy Lentil Wraps with Tahini Sauce).

Anyways, to smooth the transition back to home cooked meals, I decided to pull inspiration from some of my earlier travels.  The time I spent in Sweden was definitely one of the highlights of the extended time I spent abroad last winter.  Northern Sweden was like no place I’ve ever been and the food we ate in Stockholm was spectacular, but it was our amazing tour guides were what really made the trip.

Making this dish meant more than a delicious dinner.  It made us think of our adventures with Mike and Alli, roaming the cold streets of Gamla Stan in search of somewhere to duck into for some glogg.

I made a paleo version, replacing the potatoes with mashed cauliflower and using coconut milk instead of cream in the gravy.  I also lightened it up by using light coconut milk instead of full fat, as noted below.  The multiple components of this recipe make it look complex, but it’s really quite simple.  I had it on the table in about 45 minutes.  The only part I did’t make from scratch was the ligonberry jam, which is easy to find on Amazon.  Next time, I think I’ll even add the pickled cucumbers as a side!

Paleo Swedish Meatballs with Mashed Cauliflower and Ligonberry Jam

Adapted from Plated with Style

Ingredients:

For the Meatballs

• 1 lb Lean Ground Beef
• 1 lb Ground Pork
• 2 Egg Yolks
• 1 teaspoon of Sea Salt
• 1 teaspoon of Black Pepper
• ¼ teaspoon of Cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon of Nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon of Ground Cloves
• ¼ Sweet Onion, finely minced
• 1 Garlic Glove, finely minced
• 1½ Tablespoon of Lard or Cooking Fat of Choice

For the Gravy

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• ¼ Sweet Onion, finely minced
• 1 Garlic Clove, finely minced
• 1 14 oz Can of Light Coconut Milk*
• 2 cups of Beef Broth
• 2 Tablespoons of Butter (or Ghee)
• 1 teaspoon of Black Pepper
• 3-4 Tablespoons of Tapioca Flour*
• 1/2 teaspoon Dried Sage
• 1/2 teaspoon Dried Thyme
• Salt & Pepper to taste

*You can certainly use full fat coconut milk, which is what the original recipe called for.  I didn’t want my recipe to contain that much calories or fat, so I used light coconut milk instead.  This meant I had to cook it down longer and add an extra tablespoon of tapioca flour.  It thickened just fine and tasted delicious.

Instructions:

For the Meatballs

1. Combine the beef, pork, egg yolks, salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a bowl.
2. Heat a skillet to medium and add ½ Tablespoon of lard/cooking fat. Add the minced onion and garlic and stir-fry for a minute. Add to the meat bowl and mix well until blended.
3. Form meatballs using about 2 Tablespoons for each; set aside on a plate as you go.
4. Heat a cast iron skillet to medium and add the rest of the lard/cooking fat.  Add about ten balls to the skillet and cook for about 8-10 minutes, continuously rotating each ball, until they are nice and browned. Repeat cooking the balls in a few more batches.

For the Gravy

1. Heat olive oil in a medium sauce pan.  Add the onion and garlic and cook for about a minute.
2. Add the coconut milk, broth, butter, salt, pepper, sage and thyme. Whisk and continue to cook for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the tapioca flour one tablespoon at a time and whisk until dissolved. If the gravy clumps then transfer the contents to a blender and blend. Taste and add salt if desired.

Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

• 2 Large Heads Cauliflower*
• 1 tsp Minced Garlic
• 1 tbsp Butter or Ghee, melted
• Salt and pepper to taste.

1. Remove stems and put cauliflower florets in a large pan of boiling water.  Boil until tender and strain
2. Put cooked cauliflower in a food processor along with garlic, butter, salt and pepper and puree.

To Serve

• Garlic Mashed Cauliflower
• 1 Jar Swedish Ligonberry Jam (Amazon!)

To Serve: Put 1 cup mashed cauliflower on each plate.  Top with 4-5 meat balls.  Drizzle generously with gravy.  Dollop two tablespoons ligonberry jam on the side.

Serves 4-6

Johanna