Cozy January Dinners with Norwegian Flavor Warm the Soul

The cold winds and snow of January just beg for a soul warming meal. This baked cod with dill matched with a vegetable mash wrap browned in butter perfectly fit the bill. Cod and fish of all kinds are a staple in Norwegian homes. Lefse continues to be a staple in these tasty meals. In this blog, both Norsland Lefse and Risengrøt mix were used from Norsland Lefse. The Risengrøt is imported from Norway, but has English directions added for people not fluent in Norwegian!

The Waldorfsalat (Norwegian Waldorf Salad) compliments the cod and lefse vegetable mash beautifully with its assorted readily available fruits, nuts and a light dressing. I had not known that this salad was popular in Norway, but we certainly had it often at our house!

Riskrem, made with Risengrøt from Norsland Lefse and whipped cream makes a perfect ending to the meal and adds a little fun. A blanched almond is traditionally hidden in the Riskrem; the lucky finder wins a small prize!

The Risengrøt that Riskrem is made from reminded me of the rice pudding my family often ate in the winter. My mother would cook up rice pudding in a double boiler and serve it warm with prunes that had been stewed in some water to create a warm, plump prune sauce.

You might notice some visitors in the final meal picture! Norsland Lefse in Rushford had some paper dolls with traditional Norwegian bunads from different regions of Norway. I couldn’t resist getting them and cutting them out just like I used to do as a kid. Christmas gifts for me as a child often included a new set of paper dolls; I think my mother planned those gifts to keep me busy as long as possible in January!

You’ll also notice a Norwegian influenced hot pad/potholder in the picture. My sister Angela made that as a Christmas gift for me to go with all the Norwegian ornaments I’d made for our trees. Our family has always made gifts for each other, adding a personal touch to Christmas. (In case you’re wondering, I made her a shirt that had a Nisse on it and the wording, “Less Uffda; More Lefse!”)

Below you will find the recipes and pictures of each of the components of the soul warming January meal:

Cod & Creamy Dill Bake

Ingredients

• 1 to 1.5 pounds of cod (or any white fish)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• fresh dill
• salt and pepper
• lemon if desired
• lefse to serve on the side if desired

Steps

• Step 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Step 2: Mix sour cream, Dijon mustard, some fresh chopped dill and salt and pepper to taste
• Step 3: Spread a thin layer in a baking dish.
• Step 4: Place cod on top and cover with remaining sour cream mixture. (I used frozen cod loins which I thawed completely before using.)
• Step 5: Bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 to 18 minutes until flaky.
• Step 6: Serve with lefse on the side; you can also wrap the cod in lefse if you wish. (I did not use lefse on the side since I also served the following root vegetable mash wrapped in lefse as a side.dish.)

Lefse Root Vegetable Mash Wrap

Ingredients

• 2 rounds of Norsland Lefse
• 2 cups or more of mashed root vegetables—carrots, potatoes and rutabaga
• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Steps

• Step 1: Peel and cube vegetables; boil until very tender (15 to 20 minutes). When you check for doneness, be sure to check the rutabaga; it takes longer to cook than the carrots and potatoes.
• Step 2: Drain vegetables well; add 2 tablespoons of butter, herbs and salt and pepper to taste.
• Step 3: Mix the veggies with an electric hand mixer until mashed well.
• Step 4: Lay out a round of lefse and spread ½ the mashed vegetables on the lefse
• Step 5: Wrap lefse like a burrito; repeat with the other lefse and vegetables.
• Step 6: Melt the other tablespoon of butter in a fry pan and sear the wraps until golden; serve. (Alternatively, You could spread the mash over the whole lefse and roll the lefse into a cylinder, cut in half and then sear and serve.)

Waldorfsalat (Norwegian Waldorf Salad)

Ingredients

• 3 red apples, cubed
• 3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
• 2 cups red grapes, halved
• 1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped and toasted
• ⅔ cup mayonnaise
• ⅔ cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• pinch of sugar

Steps

• Step 1: In a large bowl. Chop apples (do not peel) and toss with lemon juice to prevent browning.
• Step 2: Add sliced celery, grapes and toasted walnuts to the bowl. (I toast the walnuts in a frypan on top of the stove, stirring constantly for a few minutes; be careful, they can burn quickly!)
• Step 3: Add mayonnaise, sour cream and a pinch of sugar to the fruit and mix well; refrigerate a few hours to let flavors meld.

Riskrem (Norwegian Rice Cream Dessert)

Ingredients

• Rice Cream—3 cups (I used the Risengrøt mix from Norsland Lefse to which I only had to add milk and cook according to instructions)
• 1½ cups whipping cream
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Raspberry Topping Sauce

• 1 ½ cups raspberries (fresh or frozen)
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar (adjust to taste)
• 2 tablespoons water

Optional - one blanched almond

Steps

• Step 1: Prepare the rice pudding (Risengrøt) according to instructions and allow it to cool completely.
• Step 2: Stir cooled pudding to loosen it and set aside.
• Step 3: Whip cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until soft peaks are formed. (Do not overwhip—you want the whipped cream to be fluffy, not stiff.)
• Step 4: Add half of the rice pudding to the whipped cream and fold into the whipped cream with a spatula.
• Step 5: Repeat with remaining rice pudding; the mixture should look creamy with visible rice grains—refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes for best flavor.
• Step 6: Add raspberries, sugar and water to a small sauce pan.
• Step 7: Heat over medium heat until berries breakdown (5 to seven minutes), stirring occasionally. Cool slightly before using. (I actually used some freezer raspberry jam I’d made last summer and stirred in a little water to reach a drizzling consistency instead of cooking the sauce from raspberries.)
• Step 8: Hide a whole blanched almond in the bowl; whoever finds it wins a small prize (traditionally a marzipan pig) and bragging rights!
• Step 9: Spoon Riskrem into bowls; drizzle with raspberry sauce; serve.

I hope you enjoy these easy meals during the cold of January; they will keep you warm with filling dishes! Remember, each day brings us more daylight and one step closer to spring!