Swedish Meatballs

Undoubtedly one of the most recognized meals in Sweden or in any IKEA branches all over the world is the Swedish Meatballs (Köttbullar in Swedish) served with mashed potato, cream sauce and lingonberries.

This is a perfect meal after a day’s shopping at IKEA and based on experience it’s also cheaper when you get this meal during weekdays. Now i’m craving for one. Since a colleague shared this too and it’s also available on the internet, here’s the recipe on how to make IKEA’s Swedish Meatballs.

IKEA’s Swedish Meatballs (Servings: 4)

1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2/3 lb lean ground beef
1/3 lb ground lean pork
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (for frying)
1 (10 ounce) can beef gravy
1/2 cup 10% cream

Directions:
1. Saute onions in first tablespoon of oil until translucent. Set aside and let cool.
2. Combine breadcrumbs and milk, let soak for 10 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, combine onions, breadcrumbs, milk egg, meat and seasonings. Mix thoroughly. Form tablespoon of the meat mixture into balls.
4. Over medium heat, fry meatballs in second tablespoon of oil until brown on all sides.
5. In a small saucepan, combine gravy and cream; heat through but do not boil.
6. Serve meatballs with gravy, boiled potatoes and lingonberry preserves.

Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/ikea-swedish-meatballs-165531

Min Resa I Sverige

Min Resa I Sverige means My Trip in Sweden.

It was actually a business trip and I was blessed to be sent to Sweden. I learned that i’ll be going to Sweden three weeks before the scheduled trip so the processing of visa via the Swiss embassy was done right away. We got no Sweden embassy here in Manila and the nearest is still in Bangkok so the processing was done quickly in Swiss embassy where Schengen visa applications are processed. The consideration too was the weather and lucky that it’s spring time in Sweden so i must say it was the best time to visit.

We got two offices in Sweden, one in Kista in Stockholm and another one in Linkoping, two hours drive from the capital. Most of our counterparts are assigned in Linkoping, so we stayed in this city, the 5th biggest in the whole of Sweden. Very laid back town and with charming old town , Swedish are really nice and friendly people. Also like Filipinos, most Swedes speak English fluently and at least understand it. It was great experience to really engage with the locals in my month’s stay and I could say one of the most memorable trips in my life. We flew Manila to Linkoping via Amsterdam. Luckily KLM flies to Linkoping directly so there was no need to change flights. We arrived there in time for the start of spring celebration so right away our Swedish hosts invited us in the bonfire that signifies the start of spring.

Then the first experience of Swedish beer at the city square makes it more appropriate for an expat. Swedes are beer and coffee drinkers and in this case, a cold beer in 10 degrees spring weather was not totally bad.  People stay the whole day and night outdoors during spring and summer seasons as they usually stay at home for the rest of the year at the end of fall and winter. It’s “depressing weather” for them until the snow arrives where it will brighten the dark atmosphere.

The following days were spent in touring the city. Important sights to visit include St. Lars Cathedral, the Domkyrka, Swedish Air Force Museum and Linkoping Museum.

Linkoping is such a small city and just like most of European cities and towns, it has charming old town, city square, laid back downtown and lovely sights. This was my home for four weeks.

I fell in love with the city and can probably say I can always go back. It’s not only the place but also the people there who were really nice and accomodating.