November 5, 2024

GCH: What’s on Your Plate? – Norwegian Fattigman “Poor Man’s Cookie”

fattigman

A few weeks ago, I posted a delicious recipe for Scandinavian Spritz and talked about the “syv slag kaker til Jul,” the seven cookies of Christmas. (You can click HERE to go to that post.) I am back this week with a second, and my favorite, Norwegian Christmas cookie… fattigman!

Fattigman is an ages-old Norwegian cookie that translates to “Poor Man,” and was named so either because purchasing all of these ingredients would’ve cost someone in the old country quite a bit of money, leaving them “poor,” or because sugar was so expensive in Norway that even a poor man (or woman) could afford to make these, since there isn’t much sugar used in these cookies. I’ll let you decide which version of the story you like better, but I grew up hearing the first version, and I’m sticking to it 😉

The recipe(s) for fattigman was brought to America by Norwegian immigrants in the 1800’s… my family included. Christmas just isn’t Christmas without these on the table, and they quickly disappear once put out! They’re traditionally rolled out, then cut using a fattigman roller. My grandmother, however, rolled them out and cut them in triangles, so that’s how we’ve always made them… no special cutter required! I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Ingredients:

  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 4 T. heavy whipping cream
  • 3 T. powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
  • 1 T. brandy (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind
  • 1 1/2 – 2 c. flour
  • lard for deep frying

Directions:

  1. Mix all ingredients together, stirring in flour until dough becomes thick enough to knead. Dough will be slightly rubbery.
  2. Chill in the refrigerator for a few hours.
  3. On a floured cutting board, roll out dough (small pieces at a time) to 1/8″ thick.
  4. Cut in triangles.
  5. Fry in lard, which has been heated to approximately 350 degrees (F.) Dough will rise to the top. Turn dough over with tongs and fry to a very light golden brown.
  6. fattigman fryingRemove from lard and place on a cookie sheet covered in paper towels.
  7. Generously sprinkle both sides of cookies with powdered sugar.
  8. Store in airtight container on counter or in pantry.

Notes:

  • This goes much faster with 2 people making the fattigman. One person to roll out and cut cookies, and one person to fry them.
  • The cookies are very fragile (and VERY yummy!)

Praise God! Let’s eat!

Shandy

Be sure to visit Shandy’s personal blog Aprons ‘n Pearls for recipes, crafts, homekeeping tips & more!

GCH:What’s on Your Plate? – Uncle Everett’s Coffee Cake

Note from my Aunt Phyllis:
Everett started making this, several years ago, when our family was small enough that one cake was enough to go around!! Now, he has to make two of them!! Every Christmas Eve, before noon, you can find Everett and I in the kitchen making this recipe.  We have this after Midnight mass, along with Pork Roast sandwiches for the family. Everett wouldn’t think it was Christmas if we didn’t fix a pork roast for breakfast!! That was the tradition in his family and we have continued it into ours.

I asked if my Aunt would mind if I shared her and Uncle Everett’s recipes here on our blog, and she said, “I would be honored!”  So here go…. Uncle Everett’s Coffee Cake!! 🙂  ENJOY!!

Uncle Everett’s Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

For the Dough:
2 pkgs–dry yeast
1/4 cup–warm water
1 cup–scalded milk
1/2 cup–shortening
2 teaspoons–salt
1/4 cup–sugar
2 well beaten–eggs
4 1/2 cups–flour
.
Honey Nut Filling:
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup sugar
grated rind of 1 orange
1 Tablespoon orange juice
1 teaspoon–cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped raisins
1/3 cup chopped nuts
1 Tablespoon melted oleo
.
Glaze:
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoonmelted oleo
1 Tablespoon grated orange rind
.
Directions:
Dissolve yeast in warm water. Scald milk. Add the shortening, sugar and salt. Stir until the shortening is melted. Add the yeast mixture and the eggs. Beat well. Add flour and knead until smooth.(This is a very soft dough). Place in an oiled bowl and allow to double in bulk. Punch down and let rise for another 10 minutes. (Use a generous amount of flour when you roll this, as it is very sticky).
.
Divide the dough in two parts and roll each, to 1/2 inch thickness. Brush with melted oleo and cover with the Nut Filling. Roll like a jelly roll and slice in 1 inch slices. Arrange, in an oiled tube pan, in layers. Allow to rise until doubled. Bake at 350 degrees for 45–60 minutes. Cool in the pan. Remove and pour the heated glaze over the top and a bit on the sides.
.
Bon Appetit,
Christi


If you are interested in joining an Online Bible Study here at Girlfriends Coffee Hour, click HERE to check out what’s coming up in January of 2013!

GCH: What’s on Your Plate? – Rice Pudding

rice pudding

Rice pudding is one of those comfort foods that my family really enjoys throughout the year, but especially at Christmastime. One Norwegian tradition we keep in our home is to serve rice pudding on Christmas Eve. An almond is hidden in one person’s pudding, and the lucky person who gets it, gets a marzipan pig! (Much like the German tradition of hiding a pickle ornament in the Christmas tree – another tradition of ours!) It’s a fun way to create memories, and we get to enjoy eating this yummy dessert at the same time!

Ingredients:

  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • a mixture of ground cinnamon and sugar
  • Reddi Whip or light cream (optional)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F.)
  2. Combine eggs, milk, rice, sugar, salt, and vanilla in a bowl and mix well.
  3. Bake in an 11×7 baking dish for 20 minutes.
  4. Remove from oven. Lightly sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Stir well.
  5. Return to oven and bake for another 25 minutes.
  6. Remove from oven. Put into individual serving dishes. Chill well in the refrigerator.
  7. Before serving, sprinkle the top with cinnamon sugar. You may also top with Reddi Whip or a little bit of light cream.

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas!

Praise God! Let’s eat!
Shandy

Be sure to visit Shandy’s personal blog Aprons ‘n Pearls for crafts, recipes, homekeeping tips & more!

GCH:What’s on Your Plate? – Chicken Shepherd’s Pie with Parmesan Cauliflower Topping

Now that title’s a mouthful, hmmm?  Pun FULLY intended!  My husband loves Shepherd’s Pie—and any variation I can come up with!  And so I indulge him! 🙂  This recipe fits into our healthy but oh-so-yummy category in a couple of ways:

  • it is low-carb (with the absence of mashed potato topping)
  • it  is made with natural ingredients that you can pronounce (as the gravy is made from scratch)
  • it is low in fat/high in protein (using boneless chicken breast as the protein)

This recipe could easily be doubled and baked in an 11 x 13 baking dish.

Chicken Shepherd’s Pie with Parmesan-Cauliflower ToppingIMG_1310

Filling Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1# boneless chicken breast, pounded evenly, cut into 1″ cubes
1 sweet (vidalia-type) onion, chopped in pieces about 1/2 inch
4 ounces baby bella mushrooms, wiped clean sliced chunky
2 tablespoons chopped garlic in oil (from a jar)
16 ounce package frozen mixed veggies (your choice), set out to defrost

1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup white wine (or broth)
1 + 1/4 cups chicken broth

Topping Ingredients:

1 medium-sized head of cauliflower, cored and chopped into small pieces
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/3 cup shredded cheese (sharp cheddar, smoked gouda) *use a flavorful cheese

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375.  Bring a medium-sized pot of salted water to a boil. Chop cauliflower into small pieces and simmer ‘til  soft enough to mash easily (10-12 minutes). Drain cauliflower very well in colander; place back into pot and  use an immersion blender or hand beater to “mash” the cauliflower with the milk and Parmesan. Season very well with salt and pepper to taste.

While the cauliflower cooks, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan and saute the cut-up chicken adding the chopped garlic for the last minute (don’t let garlic burn).  Saute ’til just getting brown but don’t overcook.  Remove pan from stove; set aside cooked chicken.  Wipe frying pan with paper towels to remove bits. Then add 2 additional tablespoons olive oil; heat over medium, and saute chopped onions for 3 minutes.  Add chopped mushrooms and saute for 4-5 minutes more to caramelize.  Reduce heat to low; add 1 tablespoon butter, and sprinkle flour over the mushroom-onion mixture, stirring with a whisk.  Cook this mixture for 3 minutes occasionally scraping the pan.  Then gradually whisk in the wine ’til the mixture is smooth.  Gradually whisk in the  broth and your gravy will come together.  Gently simmer for 5 minutes.  Add back the cooked chicken and the defrosted veggies and heat together for 1-2 minutes.

Spread the chicken-vegetable-gravy mixture in the bottom of an 8 cup casserole dish.  Top with the cauliflower, and spread across the pan almost to the edges.  Bake for 20 minutes, and then top with the grated cheese.  Continuing baking another 10 minutes or so ’til bubbly.  If top is not lightly browned, can be carefully placed under broiler for 2-3 minutes.  Enjoy!

God loves you!  and I do too.  <3 Coleen

GCH: What’s on Your Plate? – Old-Fashioned Scandinavian Spritz

spritz-GCH

No Christmas in our home is complete without Scandinavian Spritz (Sprits.) I’m of Norwegian and Swedish descent, and grew up in a family that was mighty proud of its heritage. As a child, we always had two kinds of Scandinavian cookies at Christmas time – spritz and fattigman – but I’ve learned a lot in my adult years about a “proper” Norwegian Christmas, and to do it right, the hostess must offer the “syv slag kaker til Jul,” the seven cookies of Christmas. Yes, seven! Fortunately, Norwegian housewives know how to take a few basic ingredients and turn them into something delicious, and spritz are no exception. They’re also one of the easiest to make, and don’t require any special tools (like some of the other Norwegian cookies) other than a cookie press.

Ingredients:

  • 2 sticks salted butter, softened
  • 2/3 c. sugar
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. pure almond extract
  • 2 1/2 c. unbleached flour
  • food coloring

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a mixing bowl, cream softened butter and sugar.
  3. In a separate small bowl, whisk the 3 egg yolks.
  4. Mix the vanilla and almond extracts into the egg yolks.
  5. Add the yolk mixture into the bowl with the butter and sugar, and mix well.
  6. Add flour, one cup at a time, into the mixing bowl. Combine well.
  7. Divide dough into smaller bowls. (I wanted to make three different colors of cookies this time, so I divided the dough equally into three separate bowls.)
  8. Add a few drops of food coloring into each bowl to make colored dough. Mix well.
  9. Using one color at a time, put dough into a cookie press and press cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet in the shapes of your choice. (*Tip: I have found that a chilled cookie sheet works best, so I stick mine in the freezer for 5 minutes before pressing the cookies.)
  10. When your cookie sheet is full, bake in oven for approx. 8 minutes, until the cookie is just slightly golden. The cookie will be very soft the touch, but will firm up just a bit while cooling.
  11. Remove cookie sheet from oven, and allow cookies to cool for a couple minutes.
  12. Using a spatula, carefully remove cookies and place on a cooling rack.

*I used a little bit of leftover dough to make the candy canes in the picture, just to see if it would work. If you do make a few cutouts with this dough, you will need to be very careful, as it’s a very soft dough. Using the cookie press is much better, and is the traditional way.

spritz2

I’ll be sharing one more of the syv slag kaker til Jul this month, so be sure to check back!

Praise God! Let’s eat!

Shandy

Be sure to visit Shandy’s personal blog Aprons ‘n Pearls for recipes, crafts, homekeeping tips & more!

GCH: What’s on Your Plate? – Baked Spaghetti

Baked Spaghetti

This is a very simple recipe, but it tastes great!  It’s a nice solution for those weeknights after work when you’re wondering what to make with the pound of ground beef in the fridge.  You probably have all of this stuff in your pantry and fridge already, that’s one reason why I love it!  I found this online and then tweaked it because my husband and I are picky eaters…  I hope you enjoy! 🙂

What you need:

1 – 8 oz package of spaghetti, cooked

2 tbsp of butter

1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese, divided into 1/2 cups

1 – 8 oz package shredded cheddar cheese

1 – 8 oz package shredded mozzarella cheese

1 lb ground beef

1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce (the one I used was 24 oz)

13×9 baking dish

Cooking Spray

Pot or bowl for mixing spaghetti and butter

Spoon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray baking dish with cooking spray.

Brown ground beef, drain and mix with spaghetti sauce, then set aside.

Combine the hot cooked spaghetti with butter and stir until butter melts and coats the spaghetti.  Add 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, stir.

Arrange spaghetti in an even layer in the baking dish.  Then cover with the entire package of cheddar cheese and sprinkle that with 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese.

Cover that layer with the browned ground beef and spaghetti sauce mixture.  Top that with the entire package of mozzarella cheese and then remaining 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil cover and continue baking 15 minutes or until cheese is as brown as you would like.

Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Yum!! 🙂

God is great, God is good… let us thank Him for our food!

<3 Shauna

_________________

PS – you can also find Shauna on her personal blog, www.workhomeplay.net.

GCH: What’s on Your Plate? – Orange Salad

orange salad

No family get-together at my mom’s is complete without her orange salad. She’s been making it for years, and it has become one of those dishes we look forward to whenever we’re there for dinner. My daughter literally jumped up and down with excitement when I told her I was making it this week. She savored every single bite, and asked if she could have it for her fruit in her lunch yesterday. I’m not one to pack desserts in her lunch bag, but I thought I’d treat her this once. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

os2

Ingredients:

  • 3 oz. pkg. vanilla cook & serve pudding
  • 3 oz. pkg. tapioca cook & serve pudding
  • 3 oz. pkg. orange gelatin
  • 8 oz. tub Cool Whip
  • 15 oz. can mandarin oranges
  • 3 c. hot water
  • This recipe serves about 6 people.

Directions:

  1. Pour 3 cups of hot water into a medium saucepan.
  2. Empty the packages of vanilla and tapioca pudding, and orange gelatin into the saucepan. (Do NOT make according to the package instructions.) Turn the heat to medium-high and heat until boiling, stirring constantly.
  3. Once it starts boiling, continue to stir for about 30 seconds, then remove from heat. (The mixture will thicken as it heats, and will continue to thicken as it cools down.)
  4. Empty the mixture into a glass bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or you can make it first thing in the morning and it will be ready to go by dinner time. My rule of thumb is an 8 hour cooling time.
  5. Once it is completely cooled, fold in the Cool Whip.
  6. Drain the juice/syrup from the mandarin oranges, then fold in the oranges, making sure everything is completely incorporated. os3
  7. Serve cold, and enjoy!

Praise God! Let’s eat!

Shandy

Be sure to visit Shandy’s personal blog Aprons ‘n Pearls for recipes, crafts, homekeeping tips & more!

GCH: What’s on Your Plate? – Pesto Provolone Chicken

Pesto Provolone Chicken

Often times, during the holiday season, we are running errands or doing something family oriented . Dinnertime comes fast and I don’t know about you, but I look for quick, flavorful dishes that I can make in a hurry. This recipe for Pesto Provolone Chicken is a life-saver for days when I need just that. Three ingredients and you are set. (yes, THREE !) All four of my sons and my husband love this chicken! My eight year old says it smells like pizza and tastes like heaven.

Pesto Provolone Chicken

Ingredients:

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4-6 T pesto sauce (jarred or homemade)

4-6 slices reduced fat  provolone cheese

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2.  In a glass baking dish, place all of the chicken. Top each breast with 1 tablespoon of pesto and spread to cover the chicken.

3.  Top each piece of chicken with a slice of provolone cheese.

4.  Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

5. *If you like, uncover the chicken the last 5 minutes of cooking time  to brown the cheese.

Enjoy!

Liz

GCH: What’s on Your Plate? – Strawberry-Rhubarb Dessert

This dessert is one of my most requested recipes of all time! I make it for family gatherings, Bible study groups, and parties, and my friends and family absolutely LOVE it. As a bonus, it’s simple to make, and tastes scrumptious whether it’s just out of the oven, or right out of the fridge two days later. Prepare to be amazed! *Disclaimer: Do not expect leftovers. In fact, you better stock up on plastic containers, because your friends will be wanting to take extra home with them. You’ve been warned.

Notes:

  • This is a sweet dessert. I oftentimes use Splenda in place of sugar, or 1/2 sugar & 1/2 Splenda.
  • The cake mix really makes this dessert extra special. I sometimes use 2 boxes of cake mix instead of one, and push the extra into the fruit. I use 2 – 2 1/4 sticks of butter when I do this.
  • This is great with vanilla ice cream in the summer.
  • I think it tastes best after it’s been left on the counter for one or two hours to cool, but it really is delicious no matter when you eat it!

Praise God! Let’s eat!

Shandy

Be sure to visit Shandy’s personal blog Aprons ‘n Pearls for recipes, crafts, homekeeping tips & more!

GCH:What’s on Your Plate? – Roasted Winter Veggies & Broccoli Craisin Salad!

Thanksgiving week!  Oh boy…here we go!  Don’t you just love it?  I do.  My favorite foods on the table are always the side dishes.  So this week I am going to share two recipes.  Maybe one of them might even end up on your table this year!  Both of these recipes also fall into the healthy but oh-so-yummy category, too!

The first recipe is for Roasted Winter Veggies.  I love roasted veggies…the melange of colors, and textures, and flavors; the nicely caramelized bits; the few little pieces that hover just this side of burnt!  Making roasted veggies is a very forgiving recipe, too.  I have the veggies ready to go into the oven the moment the turkey comes out to rest and be carved.* There are a few basic ingredients; but then you can add and subtract to your heart’s content.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil

1 medium butternut squash, halved, seeded and peeled

1 large Vidalia onion, peeled

3 large Yukon Gold potatoes  (or 4-5 medium red potatoes), peeled

1 bag (12-16 ounces) carrot chips (or baby carrots)

1# brussel sprouts, trim end off and remove outer leaves (if large, cut in half)

1 small head of cauliflower, trimmed and cut into 1+1/2″ florets

12 ounce pkg Baby Bella mushrooms, stemmed and cleaned; cut into appropriate size

3 medium red beets, peeled (rinse your hands after handling the beets..unless you like a pink tint to your nails and fingers!)

1 tablespoon each: sea salt,  freshly ground pepper

 

Directions: Prep the veggies, washing anything that needs it. Place two really large low-sided roasting pans (sometimes called cookie sheets with sides) into the oven and preheat oven to 425. Cut everything into approximately 1+1/2″ pieces; don’t cut the veggies too small as all they will shrink a bit while roasting. Just try and have everything fairly close to the same size.

Place all the veggies, EXCEPT for the beets, into a really large bowl (or stockpot). Pour most of the oil over the veggies (add the rest if necessary), add salt &pepper, then gently mix together making sure to thoroughly coat each piece of veggie. Pour onto the heated pans. Then place the cut-up beets into the bowl stirring to coat, and add them to the veggies on the roasting pans. It is important that the veggies are not piled up on one another. You do not want them to steam but to roast.  They should be in a single layer. It might be very snug but they will shrink slightly as they roast.

Roast for 30-35 minutes ‘til the most dense veggies are done when poked with a fork.  I like to <attempt> to turn the veggies over after the first 15 minutes; that way more sides of each piece will caramelize; yum.  Be fairly quick during this turning process as you don’t want to leave the oven open very long!  Once you have determined that they are done, remove from oven.  Turn off the oven.   Carefully taste, adding additional salt and pepper (I always add more!) and place into your serving bowl.  <3

A few other things to keep in mind:

If you are preparing this recipe…and there is nothing else in the oven…follow the directions in the recipe.  HOWEVER, if you are making this on Thanksgiving Day: put the pans into the oven for about 10 minutes before you take the turkey out.  Then while the bird is resting, and being carved, and the gravy is being made, the veggies can be roasting. When the turkey is removed, bump the heat up to 425.  Fill the heated pans, and place them back into the oven.  Roast the veggies for approximately 30-35 minute, check that the densest veggies are done and, if so, remove the pans from the oven and turn off the oven.

At this point, if the meal is not ready to be brought to the table, place the veggies into a serving dish, and place back into the oven ‘til you are ready to go. Other veggies to consider: asparagus, broccoli, parsnips, sweet potatoes, fingerlings, fennel. Leftover roasted veggies?  (Hard to believe, but…) Use them as the key ingredients to roasted veggie lasagna, roasted veggie chowder, roasted veggie omelet or frittata, roasted veggie burritos…the list could go on and on.  These are particular dishes I have made.  How kind would you be to yourself but to have one of these chosen as a quick and easy meal to come home to after Christmas shopping-til-you-drop?

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

And here is the recipe for the second side dish: Broccoli-Craisin Salad.  This is a beautiful raw salad, a very healthy but oh-so-yummy addition to the side dish array on your Thanksgiving Day table.  It has a slightly smoky (from the bacon), slightly sweet (from the honey), slightly tart (from the vinegar), very mellow taste.  I have had MANY supposed broccoli haters be prompted to try just one tiny taste…only to find they enjoy it and come back for more!  We enjoy this salad all year long!  Hoping that your family enjoys it, too!

Ingredients:

2 heads broccoli crowns, cut into small florets*

1/2 pkg Craisins (dried cranberries)

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2  cup sour cream

1/4 cup honey, warmed

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 cup sunflower seeds

freshly ground pepper

 

Directions:

In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, sour cream, honey, and vinegar; set aside. In a large bowl, combine first 4 ingredients. Take mayo mixture and pour over broccoli mixture, tossing gently to thoroughly coat. I pour the dressed mixture into a large zip-top bag to go into the fridge.  Every once in a while, give the bag a flip-over and a couple of squeezes to massage the yumminess all around!

Then when your meal is ready to go onto the table, just pour the salad out into a serving bowl.  Easy-peasy!

Should be prepared at least 4 hours beforehand, up to 8 hours or so. Just prior to serving, stir in the sunflower seeds and ground pepper to taste.

* The biggest hint I can offer to you for this salad is to cut the broccoli florets as small as you possibly can.  I consider it a labor of love and, oh, so worth it!  It is MUCH more palatable to have little florets in your mouth as you munch on this salad rather than a large hunk of broccoli!  Trust me!  You can do the chopping ahead of time, even a day or so, and simply store in the fridge. 😉

Honestly, I have been known to sit in front of the television while doing it! <3

Have a wonderful, thanks-filled Thanksgiving Day! May we each always remember how very much we have to be thankful for and give thanks to the One Who so perfectly and abundantly and graciously provides for our every need!

Psalms 30:12

To the end that my tongue and my heart and everything glorious within me may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever. <3

God loves you!  and I do too.

Coleen <3