A Midsommar Snack
The countdown to Halloween has officially begun! I have seen two pumpkin spice latte posts so that's good enough for me! Plus, I wanted to start a new piece where every Saturday I talk about a favorite horror flick along with a recipe inspired by the film.
So, I am kicking things off with one of my favorite movies, Midsommar. I think I have seen this, about 20 times now, it's basically my background movie and I just love it to pieces.
It's not a huge spoiler as this happens in the first 5 minutes of the film but our story begins when Dani-our main character-anxiously checks in on her sister who we surmise has been dealing with some mental health issues which Dani has in-turn been struggling to cope with as well. For anyone who has experienced this type of a relationship with a sibling you may find yourself feeling less alone to see your life reflected. Sadly Dani's sister dies by suicide and takes their parents with her into death by filling the house with carbon monoxide, and thus Dani is sent forward into the world seemingly alone.
To cope with the death of her family, Dani's boyfriend begrudgingly invites her to travel with their Swedish friend back to his home to celebrate their midsummer festival in Hälsingland, Sweden. And that's where the story begins to take some dark turns.The movie gives some nods to the Wicker Man but I feel mostly deals with the grief of girl who feels alone in the world and finds a new community and a new way to think of family and love.
The feast scenes in this movie are absolutely epic and staggeringly beautiful and I've included some of the shots in this post for artistic inspiration. While I wish I could have made something as awesome as that for today's meal I went with easy comfort food and bring you a recipe for Swedish Meatballs.
As a bonus I’ve added the trailer here for you to check out! This movie isn’t for everyone and that’s ok but for those of you who feel that it’s your jam, enjoy!!
Vegan Swedish Meatballs
1/2 cup (100 g) dry lentils (green or brown)
1 1/2 cup (360 ml) water
1 tbsp oil + more for brushing
1 yellow or white onion diced
4 garlic cloves minced
1 cup (150 g) mushrooms chopped
2 tsp cumin
3/4 cup (70 g) rolled oats
3 tbsp parsley chopped
2-3 tbsp soy sauce (I use Bragg’s Amino Acid)
1/3 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Gravy
1 cup (240 ml) vegetable broth
(1) 14oz can (400 ml) light coconut milk
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot flour
Directions
Meatballs
Cook the lentils in a pot with 1 1/2 cups of water for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onion for 3 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for another minutes, until fragrant. Next add chopped mushrooms and cumin and continue sautéing for 3 minutes or until mushrooms are tender
Place the oats in a blender or food processor and blend into a flour. You can also purchase oat flour if you end up using a lot of it like I do!
Next add into the blender, the cooked lentils, sautéed onions, garlic, mushrooms, parsley, soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Pulse until combined, but not puréed, leaving a little texture. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Then set the mixture aside for 10 minutes (you can refrigerate overnight if you want to continue the next day).
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Form the mixture into balls with wet hands and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Brush or spray the meatballs with a little oil and bake for 25-30 minutes, be sure to turn them halfway through!
Gravy
Add all the ingredients (except the cornstarch and water) into a pot or saucepan and bring to a boil.
In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 2-3 tablespoons of water to dissolve. Then, whisk it into the gravy and bring to a boil again, stirring constantly. Simmer a few minutes until the gravy thickens.
Place the vegan meatballs in the gravy and serve with spaetzle or mashed potatoes!