Bavarian Bread dumplings

Bread Dumplings (Semmelkloesse)

That is an Bavarian thing. This bread dumbling recipe is in my family over Generations. I don't know for how long. And it will stay in our family since I am teaching my daughter how to do them as well. This bread dumblings are going with almost every sunday dish/Roast. If its pork, beef or just plain with mushrooms in cream sauce, it works.

Thats what you need:

- around 1 lbs of dry and cut bread rolls (I count 2 for 1 dumbling)

- 1/2 -  1 big yellow Onion, minced                                                    

- 1 big bouquet of fresh Parsley, minced                                             

- around 200 ml whole milk                                                                 

- 2 Eggs                                                                                                 

- salt                                                                                                       

Caramelize the onions in butter on medium heat along with the Parsley til both are smooth. In a sauce pan heat the milk, salt and eggs. Don't let it boil or you have scrambled eggs. It should be warm enough that you still can stick your finger it. So make the heat control with your finger. Now pour both, the onion/parsley mix and the milk, over the cut dry bread rolls and let it sit for a couple of min.. You don't want to burn your hands when you start kneading to early. Then, go in with both your hands and knead it well. Now form dublings in your preferred size. In a big pot, cook water with salt. once its boiling, reduce the heat to medium and add the dumblings. They shouldn't really boil. Leave them in the water for around 20 min or when they start floating. Thats when their done. Enjoy them to whatever. You can even cut them in slices, fry in butter and serve it to the dish. Its very yummy as well. 

Guten Appetit 

Greek Gyros

Greek Gyros

Gyros is the greek version of the turkish Doener Kebab I posted before. Since their neighbor countries and in history they belonged together, they have similar dishes. The greek us a little bit different herbs though. When I don't want to eat it in a bread like the Doener, I like to make the Gyros instead. 

Thats what you need: 

- 5 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil             

- 2 TBSP Paprika                                   

- 1 TSP Oregano                                     

- 1/4 TSP - 1 TSP Caraway Seeds          

- 1/4 - 1 TSP Marjoram                           

- 1 TSP Parsley                                        

- 1/4 TSP Salt                                           

- 1/2 TSP white Pepper                             

- 2 cloves Garlic (fresh minced or powder)

- Juice of 1 small Lemon                            

- 2 big Onions, chopped or Onion Powder 

Mix well all the ingredients together. For the meat I usually use Pork loins, cut in nice slices. No cubes. Brine the meat with the herb mix for at least 30 min.. Then add it in a non-stick pan and fry it nicely brown. You will not need to add more oil to the pan since there is enough Oil in the herb mixture. 

I serve Tzatziki with it (I posted the recipe before) and Rice. When I cook the rice, I add a bit Tomato Paste and a handful of peas. I also like to serve a salad with it. In this picture here i cubed cucumbers and Tomatoes, mixed with Feta cheese and a greek dressing. 

Guten Appetit 

Salad with Chicken and Honey Mustard

Salad with Chicken in honey mustard

I use to have this salad from a german restaurant alllllllllll the time. I loved it so much. The creamy Honey Mustard Sauce was just divine. Addictive. I neeeeed to have it. Regulary. I tried all kinds of recipes to make it that good. And failed. Til I found this one here. And...... that was it!!! It was THAT recipe. I am doing it ever since. For at least 15 years now. I love it so much. I am not a big salad eater but this one is unbeatable. 

Thats what you need:

- Salad (Butter lettuce, Iceberg, Mache) .... whatever you find

- 4 TBSP Sour Cream                                                                 

- 4 TBSP Vinegar                                                                         

- 4 TBSP Canola Oil                                                                    

- 2 TSP sweet Bavarian Mustard                                                  

- 2 TSP Honey                                                                               

- Salt and Pepper                                                                           

- Chicken Breast, chopped                                                             

You Mix all the ingredients together til you like the taste. In the meanwhile you wash the lettuce, chop the chicken breasts and fry them on each side til their brown. Then salt and pepper them. Now you can assemble the Salad. You may add Tomatoes, bell Peppers and Onions to it too. I don't. And once the chicken breasts are in the salad, I add the Sauce. Lots of it lol. I serve Toast, cut in triangle, with it. 

Guten Appetit

White Beans with Sausage

                 White Beans with smoked Brats (Kielbasa)

White Beans with smoked Brats is a hearty comfy food. Goes good on cold days but its also a fast dinner. I usually have cut Parsnips and Celery Root (or greens) in my freezer. Makes it a lot easier
and faster then. This dish is a romanian dish (Fasole cu carnati) and one of the plenty I learned to love while being married to a romanian. 

                                                          What you need:

- 1 liter Water

- 2 Bay leaves

- 2 (or more) smoked Brats (Kielbasa)

- 4 cans of white Butter Beans

- 2 Carrots, chopped

- 1 Parsnip, chopped

- 2 stalk of Celery (or same amount Celery Root)

- 2 cloves Garlic

- 1 TSP Paprika

- Butter, Flour

- Salt


Heat the water with the Bay leave and the Sausage and let it simmer for 15-20 min.. Then add the vegetables and let it simmer for another 30 min.. Then you can add the 4 cans of beans. Empty them in a colander first and rinse them good. Now you may salt the stew to your own taste. In a seperate pan, make a Roux (melt butter and add Flour) and let it fry for a couple of min.. Then you add 1 TSP Paprika Powder and the 2 cloves of minced Garlic. Now add carefully spoon by spoon of the liquid of the stew with the Roux and mix it well to avoid clumps. Once its mixed with a good amount of liquid, you can transfer the whole thing into the stew. Mix it well and let it simmer again. If it is not creamy enough (it should be nice creamy like a gravy), mix water with flour and add it to the stew til you have the desired creaminess. 

Serve it with pickles and slices of Bread. 

                                                          Guten Appetit 

Tzatziki

Tzatziki (Greek Garlic Yogurt Dip)

Tzatziki is a big favorite of mine. I like that greek garlic yogurt dip and basically everything. I like it on Steak, Fish, Shrimps, Bread and even Chips. Also goes very good with Vegetables. Try it out, you might like it as much as I do.

What you need: 

- 1 can of Sour cream (use the regular one, not non-fat)

- 2 TBS Vinegar                                                                

- 2 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil                                          

- 2 clove Garlic, minced finely                                          

- Salt and Pepper                                                                

- 1/2 cucumber, chopped and drained in a cheese cloth     

Put the Sour cream in a bowl, add the Vinegar and Oil and stir. Then add the salt and pepper til its tasting good. Now add the minced garlic and stir. Let it sit at least 1 hrs for the garlic to do its magic. You can add the cucumber too but when I don't have one its fine as well. You want to drain your cucumber or otherwise your dip is getting a watery sauce. Cucumbers have a lot water. 

Enjoy and Guten Appetit

Doener Kebab / Shawarma

                    Doener Kebab (turkish fast food)

Today I made Doener Kebab. It's the turkish version of Shawarma. I grew up with this "fast food" in Germany. Therefor, I missed it terrible. My husband, a retired Army soldier, used to eat it after a 
night at the club ;-). The Greek would call it Gyros Pita. It is very similar. Both very delicious. 
So, I started with finding me a vertical Rotisserie oven. I found one at walmart online for a reasonable price. I ordered it and after a week waiting it finally was there. Enough time for me to prepare the ingredients. First of all, I needed a season mix, the Doener season. I found 2 recipes for it and just combined them. I think, it turned out pretty authentic. 

Update: If you don't want to purchase a big vertical Rotisserie oven, you can just slice the meat thinly and pan fry it for your Doener. This is how I usually do for my Gyros. 

For the Doener season you need:

- 1 TBS salt

- 1 TBS black pepper

- 4 TBS Paprika 

- 1 TBS Oregano

- 1 TBS Basil

- 1 TBS Garlic powder

- 1 TBS Rosemary

- 1 TBS ground Coriander

To prepare the meat for the Doener Kebab:

- Doener Kebab season

- Lamb meat

- Chicken breast

- Onion

all prepared as thin as possible.

Season the meat. Now you prepare the stick. Usually the Doener Grill just has one stick to put the meat on but
this Rotisserie oven had more. So I just worked around it (like literally lol). Update: I used the flower lid of a mason jar to fill the gap and removed the sticks around so I ended up with just one stick in the middle. Add half a big onion at the bottom so your meat sits on it.  Continue until there was no spot left. (you can use all kinds of meat as you desire. But I found the Lamb meat giving it a tangy flavor and more authentic. ) make sure that the bottom is a bit narrower then the top. I figured its easier to cut later. Use both your hands to form and press it nicely together while you wrap it in foil and then let it sit in the fridge for couple of hrs..

My vertical grill was set to 500 degrees and rotating. As soon as the outside is done, cut it down vertically. We usually cut the whole meat first before starting eating. Just warm it up again in the microwave. 

For the Doener Sauce you need: 

- 4-5 TBS Sour Cream

- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

- Salt

- olive oil

- Paprika 

- Dill

- 2 cloves Garlic, finely minced  (or pressed through a garlic press) 

It should run smoothly from a spoon. 

Stir that together and let sit for at least 1 hrs so the Garlic can do its magic.

Now it's serving time. For my Doener Kebab you need 

- Pita Bread (for example this one. I had mine for a couple of min at the Panini maker)

heat up your oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle the bread with water and bake it for just a min or 2. It will wake up the bread and you can cut a pocket into it without breaking the bread. 

- Meat

- Sauce

- Tomatoes

- Onions

- Iceberg lettuce (optional)

- red cabbage (optional)

- Feta cheese (optional)

- red pepper flakes (optional)

- Cole slaw (optional) (you find the recipe on my blog)

Now all I can say is..................

Guten Appetit 

German Potato Salad

German Potato Salad with Mayonnaise

Since I posted the recipe for the Schnitzel earlier, I felt like adding the recipe for my regular german Potato Salad with Mayonnaise with it. We basically have different Potato Salads in Germany, depending on the Area. Since I am from the South (Bavaria), we have 2. The regular Potato Salad is with Mayonnaise and then we have what we call the Bavarian Potato Salad which is with Pickles, Onions, Bacon bits and Parsley. 

Today I am concentrating on the regular Potato Salad. It is easy and quick. 

To start this post I want to take a moment to talk about Potatoes. There are 3 different kind of Potatoes:  

High starch Potatoes which are good for mashed Potatoes just like the Russet.

               Medium starch Potatoes which are good for Gratins, baking or if you want them to hold their shape better just like yellow finns and white Potatoes or Yukons.

                Low starch Potatoes which are good for Potato Salads or frying like red Potatoes or Ruby Crescent

What you need:

- Potatoes ( I count usually 3 per person)

- 1 Onion, minced                                     

- hard boiled eggs, optional                      

- hot beef broth (use the Bullion)               

- Mayonnaise ( for here I like plain Mayo)

 - Parsley, optional                                     

                             

- Vinegar (optional)                                  

Now that you have picked the right Potato, boil it in water til their slightly undercooked between 20-30 min depending on their size. Peel them hot and slice them in a bowl. In the meantime you can boil the eggs and water where you can release the beef bullion. Sometimes I am making my own Mayonnaise since this is done really quick. 

Mayonnaise home made: 

- 1 Egg                         

- 1 TBS Mustard           

- 1 Cup good quality Oil

- Juice from a Lemon     

- salt                                 

Add all ingredients in a high, narrow bowl where a hand blender can fit in just perfectly. Now blend it for a couple of seconds, pushing the blender up and your Mayonnaise is done. Now just taste it if  its salted enough.

Back to our Potato Salad. Once the Potatoes are cooked and sliced, add the hot beef broth and Mayonnaise and stir it good. Now you can add the Onions and eggs and Parsley. Stir it good. I like to top the Salad with some Parsley just for the looks. You can eat it warm but also cold. The Mayonnaise will set and the Potatoes are going to soak up the hot beef broth and will cook thru more (thats why they should be slightly undercooked). Be careful at the first with the broth so its not getting to wet. You can add more later anytime. 

Guten Appetit 

Stuffed Bell Peppers

                                   Stuffed Bell Pepper

Stuffed Bell Peppers are one of our favorites. It's simple and fast. 

You will need for the bell pepper:

- nice sized Bell Peppers in any color. Make sure they sit up straight.

- 1 lbs Ground beef

-  1 TBS Tomato Paste

- Italian herbs

- 1 Garlic glove minced

- 1 small Onion minced

- Handful of 5 min. Rice 

For the sauce:

- 1 small can of Tomato Paste

- 500 ml (2 cups) Vegetable Broth

- 1 TBSP Butter

- 1 TBSP Flour

Cut the top of the Bell Pepper and remove the seeds and the stamp. Wash it. 

Fry the minced onion on medium heat until its nice translucend. Then add the ground beef and fry it crumbly. Then add the minced Garlic. Now you add 1 Tablespoon of Tomato Paste. Add season with Italian herbs for your taste. Now add a handful of 5 min Rice and stir.

Fill the Bell Peppers with the meat mix. 

For the sauce, melt the Butter and stir in the Flour for a Roux. Let cook for 1 min., then add the Tomato paste. Now fill it up with the Vegetable Broth and stir well. Let it simmer back up with constant stirring. Now add the bell Peppers into the sauce or all in a oven dish like a dutch oven. 

Cover it and place it in the preheated oven of 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-45 min. or on the stove for 30-40 min..  When the Bell Pepper is nice and smooth, its ready. Traditionally its getting served with rice.

Guten Appetit 

Schnitzel

Schnitzel

Lets talk about Schnitzel............ The famous "Wiener Schnitzel" is often mistaken to be the regular
Schnitzel. There is a big difference between both. Since Pork is used for the regular Schnitzel, it is
Veal what makes the Schnitzel to a "Wiener" Schnitzel. 

Most of the times I am making the regular Schnitzel though. It's cheaper and Pork is always available.

For Schnitzel you need:

- Pork loin (either the thin cut already or the tick cut, where you get bigger pieces)

- Eggs, mixed with Salt, Pepper and a German season called Aromat (you can order that at Amazon)

- Bread crumbs

- Lard or Veggie Oil or, like me, Bacon Fat ( I save it every time I fry Bacon in the Microwave)


Start with "schnitzeling" the meat ;-)  Put it in a zip lock back or between a sheet of Cling Foil and use the meat "hammer" to get it really thin. Be careful, don't make it to thin. You should be able to look thru but without holes. When you used the thin cut, there already pretty thin. They need less work to get thinner. They also stay smaller. When you use the thick cut, it will take a moment and they will get really big.

Now the messy part: Put the Schnitzel thru the Egg wash first and then the Bread crumbs. You can repeat that a second time if you want for more flavor and more crust. 

In the meantime, heat a non stick pan with plenty of the fat of your choice. With Lard, it will get a little bit more of a porky flavor. With Bacon, it will get the Bacon flavor and with the Oil it will stay neutral. Don't heat up to high. The Schnitzel just needs like 2 min on each side tops. So leave the pan on medium high. Just make sure that the meat is surrounded and "swimming" in fat to get it evenly brown. 

Once its done, let it drip on a paper towel and keep it warm in the oven til you serve or, serve right away. We are just 3 people. So its usually pretty fast with the frying process. 

Traditionally you add a slice of fresh Lemon (and yes, we squeeze it over the meat too). You can serve the Schnitzel with French Fries or with Potato Salad. Whatever your heart desire. We like both. For some reason I think rice or noodles are not going good with it. It's not how we eat it in Germany.

Or you can eat it as a nice sandwich.......

Guten Appetit 

Peanut Butter Mouse

Peanut Butter Mouse

I saw that recipe on a cooking show called Sweet Julia. I had to try it right away. But instead 
of using caramelized Peanuts as topping I used dark chocolate. Kinda taste like a Reeses Cup.

Thats what you need:

- 2/3 cup creamy Peanut butter ( I used organic)
- 1 1/2 cups Powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 8 ounces pack of cream cheese, room temperature (I used Philadelphia) 
- 1 1/4 cup cold Heavy Cream (Sahne) 

Just add the first 4 ingredients and mix them well with a blender. In a separate bowl add the Heavy cream and whip it till its medium peaks. It should hold its form. 

Then gently add 1/3 of the heavy cream into the peanut butter mix and fold it in gently. Then you can add the rest and also fold it in gently. 

For the Chocolate sauce I used regular dark chocolate (not the drops) and added hot heavy whip and stirred it til it was melted and thick enough. Then I put some in the bottom of my Glass and then the peanut butter mouse. I then just drizzled some of the chocolate on top. Put it in the fridge til you serve it. It will set a lot once its cooling thoroughly. So if you like it a bit softer, just let it get back to room temperature before you serve.

Guten Appetit