Chicken in Banana Leaves
We live in Florida. We have Banana Trees in our backyard. Husband and I watch a lot of
cooking shows and they use Banana leaves to wrap stuff in it all the time. Basically everything
you would wrap in Aluminium Foil you can wrap in a Banana leave. Its more economical and
gives it a slight earthy flavor. The meat stays juice too. If you don't have Banana Trees in your backyard or someone with Trees, you can find them in the frozen section of your grocery store.
You can use whatever recipe you like and wrap it in the Leave. For a start, you can try this chicken recipe.
This is what you need:
- Chicken drums
- 1 TBSP Annatto Seeds (or Chili powder)
- 1 TSP whole Peppercorns
- 4 Allspice
- 1/2 TSP dried Oregano
- 1/4 TSP cumin seeds
- 1 TSP finely shredded Orange Peel
- 3/4 cup Orange juice
- Salt
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 cup chopped Onions (1/2 big one)
This is how you do it:
Put all the spices in a spice grinder (like a coffee bean grinder) . Add the Orange juice, peel, onion and garlic along with the chicken drums in a large zip lock bag. Add the spices and marinade it for 6-12 hrs..
Remove the chicken from the marinade and wrap them in Banana leaves. You can put up to 2 in one leave. I put just one in though. Lay them on a oven tray.
Preheat oven to 375 Fahrenheit bake for 1 hrs
I served Peanut Butter sauce with it and rice. Was very tasty.
Guten Appetit
Gluehwein, white
Warm spiced wine is a typical thing us germans do in Winter. Especially at those famous
Christmas Markets. It's easy to make yourself. The one Aldi is offering though is terrible.
If you tried that one and you didn't like it, I don't blame you. But don't take that as they all
taste like this.
Biggest rule in cooking in general is: use the wine you would drink!!!! So, if the recipe says
for dry wine and you like Moscato (like me), use Moscato. When you can't stand sweet wine,
don't use it just because the recipe says so.
Usually for Gluehwein they use dry wine and add sugar. Why not use a sweet wine already?
Again, if you don't like sweet wine, use the dry and add as much sugar as you can tolerate.
For my recipe I use Moscato. It works with red and white wine. But instead of Apple juice for
the white Gluehwein, use Orange juice for the red Gluehwein.
This is what you need:
- 1 bottle of your preferred wine (in my case, Moscato) (add 3 TBSP Sugar to dry)
- 300 ml of organic Apple juice
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 Star Anise
- 3 Cloves
- 2 slices of Orange
This is how you do it:
Combine everything in a large sauce pan. Heat up but don't let it boil. Remove all hard parts
and enjoy your hot Gluehwein on a cold winter day.
Guten Appetit
Pan Vegetables
This is an invention from me. I had this recipe with just eggplant, potatoes and Zuccini but I
thought I can pimp this up a bit. So I did lol.
This is what you need:
- Raw, peeled and diced Potatoes
- Zuccini, diced (if you don't like them, keep them out)
- Eggplant, diced (also, don't use when you don't like them)
- 1 Bell pepper
- 1 glove Garlic
- Chili for the heat (as much as you can take on heat)
- smoked wurst like Kielbasa or Cabanosi
- sour cream with herbs (like Aldi is selling)
- 1-2 peeled tomatoes, seeds out
This is how you do it:
Basically what it is, all Vegetables you like just dice and pan fry them soft with a bit oil. You can add smoked sausage, but you don't need to. The Garlic should be the last thing added since it burns fast.
At the very end, salt and pepper and add sour cream with herbs until its nice and creamy. The Tomatoes are giving it a bit liquid and freshness.
I usually just eat it like this but it's also tasty to steak.
Guten Appetit
Star of Bethlehem
Vogelmilch
This is a very common dish from the germans in Romania. No matter if Siebenbuergen or
Banat. In romanian it's called Lapte de pasare. In german Vogelmilch what literally translates to Bird Milk. It's a semi sweet dessert you enjoy when it's luke warm or cold
This is what you need:
- 1 l (4 cups) of milk
- 3 Eggs, devided
- 4 TBSP Sugar
- 1 Vanilla bean or substitude with a TSP Vanilla extract
- 1 pinch of salt
This is how you do it:
Bring the milk, Vanilla bean and salt to a boil. Whip the Egg whites until they stiff peaks.
When the milk is boiling, use a TBSP and cut little clouds of egg white and put them gently into
the hot milk. Boil for a minute then turn them around for another 30 sec.. Remove from the milk
and put them in a bowl.
Whip the Egg yolk with the sugar until creamy. Add the mixture to the milk and stir constantly until
it's thickening.
Let the vanilla sauce sit for a bit to cool off. Then add them to the Egg white clouds and enjoy.
Guten Appetit
General Tsao Chicken
This Recipe I got from a friend. It was a life saver after a long day outside the house and was
done quick. And soooooo yum. Give it a try. You will never buy this processed sauce again. (I didn't like it at all) I made double portion for mine but I will write the normal portion recipe here.
It's up to you to prepare it upfront and freeze the half for later use.
This is what you need:
- 1/3 cup Rice Vinegar
- 3/4 cup Brown Sugar
- 2/3 cup Water
- 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
- 1 TBSP Ketchup
- 2 TBSP Corn Starch
- 1/3 TSP Ground Ginger
- 1/4 TSP Chili Flakes
-
around 6 Chicken Drums
This is how you do it:
Put all Ingredients in a big bowl and let simmer until it thickens.
Dust the chicken drums with flour and pan fry it brown from both sides. Add the Sauce to it and let simmer on low heat for around 1/2 hrs..
Serve with Rice, Sesame seeds and spring Onions.
My friend made them in the slow cooker. She added the sauce after browning the Chicken and turned it on high for 2 1/2 hrs.. But I couldn't wait , soooo ;-)
Guten Appetit
Farfalle with bell peppers and Eggplant
Farfalle al ragu d'estate
This dish is super easy, healthy and light. I substituted the Eggplant with Zuccini since my Husband doesn't like Eggplant. Feel free to use both if you like it.
This is what you need:
- 350 gr Farfalle Pasta
- 1 Eggplant and or 1/2 Zuccini
- 150 gr Mozzarella
-
1/2 yellow Bell Pepper
-
1/2 red Bell Pepper
-
one small bunch of Basil
-
1 Small bunch of Parsley
- 3 hard ripe Tomatoes
- 5 TBSP Olive Oil
- Oregano, Salt and Pepper
This is how you do it:
Cook the Pasta like Package says.
Cut the Eggplant in stripes and put them in a Colander with salt. The eggplant will start "sweating" and you can wipe off the water. It's the bitterness you remove this way.
Cut the Mozzarella in little cubes.
Cut all the vegetables into little stripes. Cut little crosses on top and bottom of the Tomatoes. Put them in a bowl and add boiling water over them. Let sit for around 30 sec.. Now get them out of the hot water and shock them with ice cold water. The skin will come off easy now. Once you peeled the
Tomatoes, cut them into halves and remove the seeds. Now cut them into stripes as well.
Add 3 Tbsp of the Olive oil and fry the Eggplant in it with a bit salt and pepper. Remove from the pan. If you don't use Eggplant, skip this step.
Now add the rest of the Olive Oil and the Bell Peppers and Zuccini (if you use it) and brown it for 3-4 minutes. Now add the Eggplant and the Tomatoes back into the pan. Season with Salt and Pepper and simmer on low heat for 5-6 minutes. Stir ocessionaly. At the end, add the Oregano, Parsley and Basil.
Add the cooked Pasta straight into the Sauce and mix it well. Serve on a plate and add the Mozzarella cheese at the very end. (if you don't want a hot mess like on my picture because I added it into the cooking sauce lol)
Guten Appetit
Tagliatelle with Salmon and shallots
Tagliatelle con scalogno e salmone
This dish is a from the Tuscany area in Italy. It's very sophisticated yet easy and fast to make.
If you like smoked Salmon, you will love this dish.
This is what you need:
- 350 gr Tagliatelle
- 2 Shallots
- 100 g smoked Salmon
- 30 gr Butter
- 1 TBSP Cognac
- 200 ml Heavy Cream
- 1 TBSP Tomato Paste
- Salt and Pepper
This is how you make it:
Cook the Tagliatelle like Package says. I used green ones for the look but you can use the regular ones.
Peel the Shallots and cut them into thin slices. Cut the Salmon into stripes.
Heat the Butter in a pan and caramelize the Onions on medium heat until soft. Add the Cognac and let it reduce for a minute. Now add the heavy cream and the Tomato Paste and stir good. Season with Salt and Pepper and let simmer for 2 minutes. At the end, add the smoked Salmon.
When the Pasta is done, add it straight to the sauce and mix it. Serve
Guten Appetit
Chicken Cacciatore
This is a recipe I saw on one of the shows of Giada de Laurentis. I made it and we absolutely
love it. I hope she forgives me when I am basically just reposting her recipe. But since yall are
following me so nicely, it might help her getting the recognition for this beautiful dish.
This is what you need:
- 4 chicken thighs (or drums)
- 2 chicken breasts with skin and backbone (optional)
- salt, pepper
- Flour for dredging
- Olive Oil
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic, chopped
- 3/4 cup white wine
- 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes with juice
- 3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 3 TBSP capers
- 1 1/2 TSP dried Oregano
Fresh Basil for garnish
This is how you do it:
Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and dredge the chicken in the flour for a light coat.
Add Olive Oil to a large sauce pan and turn the heat to medium. Fry the chicken for 5 min on each side or until slightly brown. Remove to a plate. Fry in several batches if necessary.
Now add some more oil and saute the onions and the bell pepper for 5 min.. Then add the Garlic and saute for another minute. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the wine and let it reduce by half, around 3 minutes. Now add the Tomatoes, Broth, Capers and Oregano. Add back the chicken and cover it from both sides with the sauce. Bring it back to a simmer and continue simmering on medium heat for around 20- 30 min..
Remove the chicken and let the sauce simmer for a moment until its nice and creamy. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, garnish with fresh Basil and serve.
In Italy, they usually do not eat Pasta with meat. So since this is a secondi , they serve Bread with it to dip the sauce with.
Guten Appetit
Glaze for Fruit Cakes
Tortenguss
For all of you, whom make strawberry cakes and all other Fruit cakes or Torte what needs
a clear Glaze and you don't have the Package of "Tortenguss" on you: This is for you.
I googled it and it's actually pretty easy.
This is what you need:
- 1 TBSP corn Starch
- 1 -2 TBSP Sugar
- 250 ml Water
This is how you do it:
Cornstarch and sugar mixed up with a bit water to a slurpy. Cook the rest of the water. When
hot, add the slurpy to the water. Cook for 1 min.. Let cool for 1 min before pouring it over the
cake.
You can also use fruit juice instead of water, just don't add sugar then (or less). For a red glaze,
use red fruit juice.
Guten Appetit
Germknoedel with Vanilla Sauce
This is an Austrian/South German dish. In Rest Germany they call it Dampfnudel. Usually
the Dampfnudel is without filling though while the Germknoedel has a Plum marmelade
filling.
This is something I usually ate while in Austria. Especially after half day of skiing, at the
Halfway Restaurant on the mountain. It is really not a Dessert because it is to much and
rich to be a Dessert. You can really eat that as a sweet Lunch or Dinner. Its not really
overly sweet though. Just try it and you will see.
This is what you need:
For the Dumpling:
- 2 Cups of Flour
- 1 1/2 TBSP Sugar
- 1/2 TSP Salt
- Zest of 1/2 Lemon
- 1 TSP Dry active yeast
- 1 TSP Sugar
- 1/2 cup warm Milk
- 1 Egg
- 2 TSP Vanilla Sugar and 1/2 TSP Vanilla Extract (or 2 TSP Vanilla Extract)
- 2 TBSP melted Butter
For the Vanilla sauce:
- 2 Eggs
- 1 TBSP Cornstarch
- 2 TSP Vanilla Extract
- 2 TBSP Sugar
- 3/4 cup of Heavy whipping cream
- 1 1/4 cup milk
This is how you do it:
Put the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. The yeast in the warm milk with the TSP sugar should be mixed together and set until it foams.
Now add the foaming yeast with the melted butter and the Egg to the mixing bowl and kneed it for like 5 min on low speed (or with the hands) until a dough forms. Cover and let it rise for 1 hrs at a warm place.
In the meantime, you can make the Vanilla Sauce. In a saucepan add the 2 Eggs and the Sugar and whisk it until its nice and smooth. Now add the Vanilla extract and the Cornstarch and mix it well. Now add the heavy whipping cream and the milk and mix it well.
On medium heat, set the Sauce to cook, constantly stirring for like 6 min or until it sets. Its getting
really nice and creamy. Put aside.
Mix around 4 TSP of Plum Marmalade with a bit of Rum Flavor. Set aside. In a small bowl, mix Poppy Seeds with a bit powdered Sugar. Set aside.
After the 1 hrs the dough should have doubled in size. If not, let it sit a bit longer. Take it out on a floured surface and make a nice little ball. Divide that bowl into 4. Form the 4 Balls into shape and flatten it. Add 1 TSP of the Plum Marmalade. Close it thorough and form it back to a ball. Slightly cover with Flour so they don't stick. Cover it and let rise another 30 min..
In a big bowl, add 1 inch (2,5 cm) of hot water. Put the Dumplings on a oiled steamer insert. Cover and steam it for 15-17 min..
Take them out, pour the Vanilla Sauce over it and garnish it with the Poppy Seeds and serve.
Guten Appetit
Spaghetti Frutti di Mare
Everyone in Italy knows a Pasta dish with Seafood. I really really love Seafood. So I searched and searched for a good recipe. I found one from Ina Garten. She really makes some nice italian
food. Easy and simple.
This is what you need:
- Seafood of your choice. Mussels, Scallops, Shrimps, Calamari
- 1/2 cup Olive Oil
- 4 Gloves Garlic, minced
- 2 TSP Oregano
- 1/2 TSP red Pepper Flakes
- 3-5 peeled and deseeded Tomatoes
- 1/2 cup of seafood water
- 1/4 cup Lemon juice
- Zest of 1 Lemon
- 1/3 cup Limoncello (optional)
- 1 TBSP Salt
- 1 TSP Pepper
This is how you do it:
Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add 1 TBSP Fish seasoning, 1 TBSP salt to it. Cook the Shrimps for 2-3 min., take them out in a strainer.
Toss the water but keep 2 Cups of it. Add 1 1/2 cups white wine to it. Boil the Scallops and Calamari for 2-3 min.. Take them out and put them to the Shrimps. Now boil the Mussels in the same water until their open. Take the Mussels out, toss the water but keep 1/2 cup of the Seafood water.
In a pan, warm up the olive oil and the 4 minced gloves of Garlic for like 1 min.. Add the Rest and simmer it of medium Temperature for around 5 min..
Pour over the Seafood BUT the Mussels.
Cook Pasta like Package says.
Serve the Seafood with the Pasta.
Bon Appetito
Beef Rouladen
So, I tried different recipes for the sauce for a good while. My daughter just never liked it. The
same with the Rouladen, what are cooked in this sauce. But today, I got her. And I got her good.
She licked her plate before she got seconds. Thats a huge success for my picky eater. She usually
just like the instant pack you can buy in Germany. But I can't get it here nor do I want to use it.
So, I basically through together 2 recipes and then added some more for my taste. And, there it is. The perfect Rouladen Sauce for my daughter. Since I started to write this blog here for her to look
at when I am gone (or when I am just not around), I definitely need to write this down.
Just a big advantage for you guys whom follow me lol. Btw, it was really, really good.
For y'all whom don't know what Beef Rouladen is. Its a thin sliced beef steak, you pound even
thinner and then fill it with mustard, bacon, onions and pickles. I also like to add those roasted red bell peppers from the glass. Then rolled up and cooked until its basically falling apart.
This is what you need for the meat:
- thin sliced beef round steak, extra pound really thin (as you can get without making holes)
- Mustard, Salt and Pepper
- Onions, sliced
- Pickles, thin sliced
- Roasted red peppers from the glass, sliced
- Bacon
This is what you need for the sauce:
- 2 Stacks Celery, course diced
- 2 small or 1 big yellow onion
- 2 Carrots, course diced with skin
- 1 big TSP Tomato Paste
- 125 ml Port wine (or any red wine)
- 250 ml Beef Broth
- 250 ml water
- 2 Bay Leaves
- Corn starch for slurry
- 1 TSP Brown Gravy
- Salt to taste (after everything is done. Don't add to cooking process)
This is how you do it:
After pounding the beef steaks, season them with salt and pepper. Just on one side. Then add a good layer of mustard. I use german mustard, but you can use Dijon if you can't find german. Then add 1-2 slices of Bacon. Diagonally, lay down some onions, pickles and the bell peppers. Now roll it up, trying to fold the sides into the middle while rolling to secure the stuff inside. Now close it with a metal stick and set aside. Repeat with the others. My daughter just liked it with the bacon and no other stuff. Yes, she IS a picky eater.
Dice the carrots, celery and onion. Put Ghee or butter in a big stainless steal pan and heat up. Roll the Beef Rouladen in some Flour. Now pan fry them on each side for a couple of min until they nice and brown and seared. Remove them from the pan.
Add a little bit more butter and the vegetables and let them pan fry for a couple of min.. You want to get a little color on them for the roasty flavor. When they are done, add a good TSP of Tomato paste and stir for 1 min.. Then add the Port Wine and stir well and let simmer until you don't smell no alcohol no more. Then add the beef Rouladen back into the pan, the 2 bay leaves and fill it up with the water and the beef broth. The Rouladen should be slightly covered. Bring back to a simmer and let it cook on low, covered for 90 min..
When the 90 min are over, remove the meat and strain the vegetables through a strainer. Try to
remove the fat us good as you can. You can put it in the freezer for an hrs or until the fat on top is hardend and easy to remove. I didn't have time for that today so I just used a ladle. Make a slurry with corn starch and cold water and add to the sauce. 1 TSP of Brown Gravy and bring it back to a simmer. Should be a nice creamy consistency. Now add as much salt as needed for the taste.
I served today Potato dumblings and blue Cabbage with it. But you can also serve it with mashed potatoes or just in saltwater cooked Potatoes and vegetables.
Guten Appetit
Hungarian Gulasch
This recipe is one of those instant product recipes I tried to cook from scratch. I found it on a german page, but since I checked the ingredient list, I added some herbs and I changed some ingredients. I think now its pretty close to the instant product, because my picky eater approved it.
This is what you need:
- 1 lbs beef stew meat
- 1 lbs pork stew meat
- 1 Bell pepper, preferable red, cubed
- 1 Onion, minced
- 1 glove Garlic, minced
- 1 TSP sweet hungarian Paprika
- 1 TSP Paprika hot or smoked Paprika
- 1 TBSP Flour
- 1 TBSP Tomato Paste
- 400 ml Beef broth
-100 ml red wine (the one you would drink)
- 100 ml water
- salt, Pepper
- 1 TSP Marjoram
- 1 TSP ground Rosemary
- 1 TSP ground Caraway
- 1 Bay Leave, ground
This is how you do it:
In a large skillet or pot, pan fry the meat (if necessary in batches) from all sides until they nice brown. Remove from Pan. Add a bit oil or Ghee and on low heat, cook the onions until their soft. Then add the Garlic and the Bell Pepper and cook it for another 5 min or until they have soft brown color. Now add the meat back into it and the Flour and Tomato paste and cook it for a min.. Now add the Broth, Water and Wine and the herbs, cover it and let it simmer for around 90 min. or until the meat is nice and soft. If necessary you can add more herbs and salt at the end. Also, if its to runny, just make a slurry. It's not suppose to be super thick.
Traditionally we serve wide egg noddles with it. But you may also serve it with mashed potatoes, rice or just plain with a bread roll.
Guten Appetit
Kaese Sahne Torte
A very popular Torte in Germany. Especially, because you can add whatever fruit you like.
From Pineapple over Strawberry to Mandarins...... Easy and quick to make, but a huge
impress factor.
This is what you need:
for the Cake:
- 3 eggs
- 2 TBSP lukewarm water
- 100 gr Flour
- 100 gr Cornstarch
- 150 gr Sugar
- 3 TSP Backing powder
for the Filling:
- 500 gr Greek Yogurt
- 500 ml heavy whipping cream
- 1 - 2 boxes of granulated Gelatine
- Lemon extract (or juice of 1 Lemon)
- 125 gr Sugar
This is how you do it:
Separete the Eggs. With 1 TSP of Sugar, whip the egg whites till stiff peaks. (Turn the bowl over. If it doesn't fall on you, you are good lol)
Beat the egg yolks along with the warm water and rest of sugar until its foamy, almost pale in color and doubled in volume. Sift the flour, corn starch and baking powder over the egg yolk mixture and carefully fold it into to get a smooth but airy dough. The same with the egg whites. Fold it now carefully into the dough to not destroy the air bubbles.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake the cake for 20 min in a round form. Line the form on the bottom with parchment Paper. Do not fatten the ring of the baking sheet. The dough will "slip" on the side of the pan and won't rise as good as it could.
After the baking time, let the cake cool completely before you continue. I usually bake the cake the night before so I continue in the morning.
In a seperate bowl, whip the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks. Halfway through the process, add the sugar, the Gelatine and the Lemon juice/extract. When the cream is stiff, add the greek yogurt to it and mix well.
Take the cake out of the form and cut it in half. You can use a sewing string for that to get it nice and
even. Put the bottom part on a nice cake server and add the ring around it again. Now fold the Filling mixture over the bottom cake. You can add fruits within the cream or you can slice them and lay them
nicely on the bottom cake first before adding the filling. That is up to you. When the Filling is on, you put the top cake part back on. Now cool it for at least 2 hrs in the fridge to give the Gelatine time to harden.
Before you serve, remove the ring and put powder sugar on the top. You can also decorate with some more of the fruits you chosen or with some whipping cream.
Guten Appetit
