Apfeltaschen
Apple Puff Pastry
In Germany, you can find filled Puff Pastry with Apples everywhere. We love them. It's like a
mini apple pie to go.
This recipe I found at Lorraine. She is from England and she did that one on her show. She added
Ginger in her Original recipe. I didn't. You may want to, if you like. Just give it your own little
twist.
This is what you need:
- 1 sheet of Puff Pastry
- 2 big apples or 4 small ones, cut in little cubes
- Cinnamon
- 2-3 TBSP Butter
- Handful brown sugar
- Egg wash
This is how you do it:
It's actually really simple and fast. Just peel your apples, cut them in little cubes and put them in
a frying pan along with the Butter. Let them fry just for a little bit. Then you add the cinnamon and Sugar (and ginger if you like) and stir and let it softly cook till the apple is nice soft.
Cool completely
Take the Puff Pastry out of the box. Let it thaw just for a bit so you can work it. Roll it a bit thinner
and cut in 6 even pieces.
Brush Egg wash all over the 4 sides. (Egg wash is just a scrambled up egg with a bit water)
Fill the Puff Pastry with the cooled Apples but don't overfill. Fold them together and use a fork
to squeeze around the edges. Just like Ravioli.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake the apple bags for 20-25 min till their nice golden brown.
Let them cool before you dust them with powdered sugar. Enjoy
Guten Appetit
Cauliflower Casserole
with Bacon
This recipe comes from my all time favorite, Giada de Laurentiis. This one is really, really good
and you can use all kinds of vegetables with the same Base.
This is what you need:
- Cauliflower, taken apart and cooked in salt water for around 10 min
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- Gruyere Cheese, grated
- 1 TSP flour
- around 5 slices of Bacon, diced
- fresh made Breadcrumbs ( I used 5 slices of Toast)
- Salt/Pepper
This is how you do it:
Cook the Cauliflower in saltwater for like 10 min.. Set aside.
Fry the diced Bacon crispy. Set aside
Put the 5 slices of Toast into a food processor. Don't cut it too small. You want bigger chunks.
Saute the Breadcrumbs in lots of Butter and the Bacon drippings till its nice and crispy. Set aside
In a bowl, mix the heavy cream, 1 TS{ flour, half of the Gruyere cheese and the salt and pepper
together. (Be careful with the salt. Just a pinch is enough). Now add the cauliflower in the mix and
stir evenly. Also add the Bacon and stir it.
Pour the cauliflower into a oven dish. Now sprinkle the Breadcrumbs on top of it and at the very
last, add the rest of the Gruyere cheese.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Leave the Casserole in for 40-45 min.. If the top is
getting to brown, cover it halfway with Aluminium foil
Add from me: I mixed the Gruyere Cheese with Parmigiano. I also used smoked Gruyere.
Guten Appetit
Buon appetito
Paglia e Fieno
(Straw and Hay Pasta)
As you might already know, I love to watch cooking shows. I like to try to cook after the recipes
I see on TV. This one is from Ina Garden. But I used a bit different things then she did. Anyway,
this is an amazing dish and a keeper.
This is what you need:
- around 10 slices of Bacon (or Pancetta) When you use the thick cut, just around 5, diced
- 1 cup diced Onion, chopped
- 3 gloves of Garlic, chopped
- 1 TBSP Butter
- 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream (or 1 cup cream, 1/2 cup milk like I did)
- 4 ounces of good Gorgonzola cheese (also known as Blue Cheese)
- 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano (grated)
- 1 TSP Salt/Pepper (she used 1 1/2 TSP. It was a bit to salty for us)
- Frozen peas. around 1 cup or more if you like
- handful fresh Basil, roughly cut
- good, fresh Pasta if you can find. You should half the needed amount with green Pasta
Keep some of the Pasta water
This is how you do it:
Fry the sliced Bacon/Pancetta in the pan till its nice and crisp. Put it aside but keep the Bacon
drippings. To them, add 1 TBSP Butter and the onions and fry on medium high till their nice
glassy and soft but not burned. Takes around 5 min.. Then add the chopped Garlic and let sit
for another 30 sec.. Now add your heavy cream (mixed with milk or without) and get it back to
a soft simmer. Cut the Gorgonzola into pieces so its easier for it to melt in the hot sauce. Stir
softly. When the Gorgonzola is melted, add the Parmigiano and let it melt in the sauce. Salt and
Pepper it.
Cook the Pasta like it states on the package al dente. Once its cooked, add right away in
the sauce and stir. Remain some of the Pasta water for the case that the sauce is getting to thick.
Now you add the frozen/thaw Peas and the Basil and the fried Bacon pieces and stir everything
evenly. Serve immediately.
Buon appetito
