Swedish Meatballs-Bev Laumann

serves 3

The Swedes love meatballs in any form. They serve them with and without sauce, made from every meat imaginable, and there are meat ball recipes for every meal and occasion. Most of the American versions of this recipe seem to require sour cream .This authentic recipe uses (bladder-friendly) cream.

meatballs:
1 egg
3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg(if can tolerate)
3/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. salt
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/3 cup quick-cooking oats
1 medium onion, chopped very fine (if can tolerate)
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil, for frying onion
2 Tbsp. butter, for frying meatballs

gravy:
1 14-oz. can Beef Broth(IC friendly)
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg(if can tolerate)
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. dried dill weed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup water, divided
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/3 cup heavy cream

In a small dish whisk together the egg, nutmeg, allspice and salt for the meatballs. Add to the ground beef and quick oats. Mix well and set aside. In a large skillet, fry the onion in a little oil until all the bits are translucent and few are starting to brown. Remove the skillet from the heat. Mix the onion into the meat and form meatballs, about an inch to an inch-and-a-half across. Place on a plate and set aside for the moment.

In a covered soup pot heat the beef broth, nutmeg, allspice, dill, salt to a simmer. Reheat the skillet and brown the meatballs in margarine. As they are browned, add to the simmering soup. Remove the skillet from heat, add 1/4 cup of the water and stir to scrape up the browned bits. Pour into the simmering liquid. Let the liquid and meatballs simmer covered for 8 minutes.

In a small dish add the remaining 1/4 cup water to the cornstarch and blend until smooth. Stir in the cream. Add the cream mixture all at once to the simmering meatballs while carefully stirring. Over low heat allow the gravy to thicken and reheat (but don't allow it to boil). Serve over hot cooked noodles.

NOTE: The one real change I made to this recipe is to fry the onions before using. That's because IC bladders seem to handle cooked onions better than raw ones, and the higher the temperature they are cooked at, the better tolerated they are. If however, cooked onions still bother you, then use chives or onion powder.

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