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Once again this week I have been let off the cooking duties ( well almost), as the two youngest of the houseguests Sam 6 and Tess 11 decided that they would cook. Sam was desperate to cook meat ball sandwiches and Tess with her copy of “One Tray Bakes” wanted to make the Strawberry Shortcakes.

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I had done my research regarding the meatballs and had saved in my electronic filing system the recipe for IKEA MEATBALLS! IKEA has been making meat balls for nearly 40 years and now have four different kinds. They added the vegetarian version along with the chicken version in 2015, and the salmon and cod version in 2018. In 2019 they started experimenting with a plant based protein version as well. But come what may we or rather Sam was going to make the meat version.

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I rummaged in my freezer and came up with minced beef and Turkey breast. The IKEA meat version called for a combination of pork and beef but Turkey and Beef would have to suffice, after all it was Sunday afternoon and no grocery stores were open. This quantity makes between 35 and 40 meatballs. We actually made 38, which meant Sam having to use his 7 x table to work out how many we each could have! (5 each and three remaining ).

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• 500 grams minced beef
• 500 grams minced pork/chicken or Turkey
• 1large onion finely chopped
• 2-3 minced cloves garlic
• 2-3 eggs
• A splodge of milk if too stiff.
• 150 grams breadcrumbs, I used panko crumbs

• Simply mix all together, it is absolutely better to stick your hands and and mix
• Using a spoon or even an ice cream scoop, scoop out the mixture and roll into balls about the size of a golf ball
• Roll in some flour and put on a baking tray, try not to let them touch as they will stick together.
• At this point they may be placed in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
• Heat some oil in a frying pan and carefully fry them just until light brown on all sides
• Place back onto the baking tray and bake at 180C for 20-30 minutes

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IKEA meatballs are always served with a cream sauce and this can be made easily by

• 40 grams butter
• 1 tablespoons of cornflour
• 300 mls beef stock
• 200 mls crème fraiche or sour cream, or double cream
• 1/4 cup soya sauce
• A good dollop of Dijon mustard

• Melt the butter
• Stir in cornflour
• Pour in the stock and stir, if it goes lumpy, whisk
• Add the cream, mustard and soya sauce,
• bring to the boil
• Taste, serve over the meatballs or as in our case on our meatballs, on French bread.

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Meanwhile Miss Tess was eager to make her dessert. But first things first, we are at altitude, and so the recipe needs adapting, altering the oven temperature, the amount of sugar, the amount of baking powder and liquid. Once that was done, it was easy sailing . She was eager to ‘Do it her way’ but a few corrections to instructions were needed ( like pre heat the oven ). The end result was excellent and much appreciated. Due to the distinct lack of berries ( read absolutely NONE, no strawberries, raspberries,blackberries, red currants, black currants, not even white currants or gooseberries! NADA, ZILCH, NICHTS! ) raspberry jam and whipped cream had to suffice. I would like to say that these delights were much more in the way of American Biscuits than English scones or Shortcakes, but that does not distract from their yummiest! The recipe and instructions are adapted from the book.

• 350 grms flour
• 1tsp baking powder
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 125 grms chilled unsalted butter cut into chunks
• 275 mls milk or buttermilk or sour milk
• To serve
• Cream and berries or jam

The absolute simplest way to make these is to put everything, except the milk into a food processor. Switch on and process and it will form breadcrumbs look-a- like. With the machine running pour in the milk and it will go thump thump and form a ball.

Scrap out onto a floured board, knead slightly to form a ball and roll out gently to about an inch thick. Cut into rounds about 2-3” , place on a greased baking tray ( or a non stick one) and bake at 220 C for about 15 minutes until golden brown. Put on a wire rack to cool.

Best eaten the day they are made, but then again, why would there be any left!

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