Bavarian Bread Dumplings - Semmelknödel

Most countries and cultures put dry, leftover bread to good use.  All forms of bread can be brought back to life with a little liquid and is a great way to stretch a dish.  The first recipe that comes to mind is Thanksgiving stuffing.  You have to have stale bread for stuffing!  Panzanella salad, French Toast and bread pudding are just a few recipes and they all say one thing - soul-satisfying comfort food.  Just the word "dumpling" creates a thought of home style Chicken and Dumplings. 
Growing up, I can remember stale bread on the counter that was usually "for the birds", but the bread was never wasted.  It still reminds me of a simpler time when something like a loaf of bread was sacred and valuable.  
These traditional bread dumplings from Austria and Bavaria are great for sopping up rich gravy from any meat dish.  They are very similar in texture to "stuffing".

Ingredients
5 kaiser rolls - stale and thinly sliced and cubed 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter 1/2 cup onion, minced 2 cups milk 1/4 cup minced parsley 1/4 cup flour Breadcrumbs (if needed) 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg 3 eggs, lightly beaten Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Hot gravy
Directions:
Transfer bread cubes to a large bowl.  Heat butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion, and cook, stirring occasionally until golden brown; transfer to the bowl with the bread.  Add milk to the same saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Pour over bread.  Add parsley, flour, nutmeg and eggs.  Season with salt and pepper and using your hands, mix until evenly combined.  If the mixture is too wet, add breadcrumbs until the mixture can be formed into a ball.
Bring an 8-qt. pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.  Moisten hands with cold water and form bread mixture into 2" balls.  Carefully add dumplings to boiling water.  When dumplings float to the top, lower heat to a simmer and cook until firm; about 15 minutes(uncovered).  Using a slotted spoon, drain on paper towel and transfer to a serving platter.  Serve in bowls with plenty of hot gravy.

Makes about 12 dumplings. ~Adapted from Saveur

Easy Homemade Sauerkraut

I've searched the internet for ways to make homemade sauerkraut the old-fashioned way - in a fermenting crock.  Frankly, I don't have the patience to wait!  It was hard enough waiting for my Naturally Fermented "Crock" Garlic Dill Pickles to be ready!  This recipe is so simple - there is some waiting time - but I think it's worth it.  The kraut is not as crispy as the bagged kraut from the supermarket, but it has the same great "pucker".  I've been eating this straight from the jar.  You can make one jar or 50!

Ingredients: Cabbage Canning Salt Sugar White Vinegar Pint or Quart Ball Jars You'll want to be sure that your jars and lids are sterilized so I always begin by washing and scalding them in boiling water or run them through the dishwasher. Next, set your water on to boil.  How much water you need depends on how many jars of sauerkraut you are preparing While the water is boiling, coarsely chop the cabbage.

Pack the chopped cabbage into the prepared jars.  You want the cabbage to be in there tight but leave an inch or two of head room.  Don't pack the cabbage too tight because you need the water to filter through the cabbage.  

Add 1/2 tsp. canning salt, 1/2 tsp. sugar and 1 Tbsp. white vinegar to each jar. Pour boiling water into jar within 1/2" of the top.  Push down cabbage with a wooden spoon to remove any air bubbles.  Wipe off rim of jar with a clean, damp cloth. FOR QUART JARS, DOUBLE INGREDIENTS.

Place heated lids on top of jar and seal.  Place in a cool dark place for 7-14 days.  Some juice may leak out of the top, but this is ok.  Place the jars on a small tray if you have one.  Cabbage will turn from green to a whitish-yellow.  Once kraut is ready, process in water bath for 20 minutes.  Kraut will be ready to eat in two weeks.

Refrigerate after opening. ~Adapted from Aunt Genny's Sauerkraut Note:  There seems to be some question as to whether this is pickled cabbage or fermented sauerkraut.  According to the dictionary, "Fermentation is the conversion of a carbohydrate such as sugar into acid"  With this definition, this recipe is the fermentation that occurs when you set the jars aside for the 7-14 days.  The combination of the cabbage, sugar, vinegar, salt and hot water causes the reaction, the same reaction you get in a crock, just on a smaller scale. ~The Country Farm Home

Polish Spareribs and Sauerkraut Stew

This is a traditional Polish stew called Bigos or Hunter's Stew.  There are so many variations of this pork dish.
You can go to Hog Heaven and add smoked pork shoulder, pork butt, bacon and kielbasa.  Spareribs and sauerkraut are something I've never had outside of my own home.  This is the way my mother made it, and it's a perfect dish for a cold winter day.  She always served it with simple boiled, mashed potatoes and fried onions.

2 lbs. meaty spareribs (or country style)

2 lbs. sauerkraut 

1 medium onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

2 bay leaves

1/2 cup white wine
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Smashed Potatoes with Fried Onions

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2-1/2 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 medium onion diced
Salt and Pepper

Season ribs with salt and pepper.  In a large stockpot over medium heat, melt butter and olive oil.  Add spareribs and brown lightly on both sides.  Add onion and garlic and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.

 Deglaze with white wine.  Add sauerkraut.  You can drain it and rinse it depending on how sour you like your kraut.  I don't drain or rinse.  Add bay leaves.  Cover with water and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook until pork is very tender, about 2-1/2 to 3 hours.  Adjust salt and pepper.

Cook potatoes in boiled salted water until tender.  Drain. Saute onions in butter until nicely browned, about 20 minutes.

Add fried onions with the butter and mash with an old-fashioned potato masher (if you have one). Season with salt and pepper.  If the potatoes seem a little dry, add a splash of milk.

We always had this in soup bowls.  Place a generous amount of smashed potatoes in your bowl, and cover it with the tender pork and sauerkraut along with the juices.

I suppose if you've never had spareribs and sauerkraut, it might not look very appealing, but they are wonderful.  The ribs are as tender as can be and just melt in your mouth. The sauerkraut is mild and flavorful from the meat juices.  A spoonful of those mashed potatoes with fried onions with all those juices and sauerkraut....hog heaven.

My mom would have never added the wine, or garnish with parsley, it's a peasant dish - one that truly brings me back home to Mom's Kitchen.

 

Golden Potato Latkes

I grew up with my mother making this dish on "no meat" Fridays' during Lent.  We would have these crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside pancakes with chilled applesauce.  They make a delicious appetizer.  A beloved standby at Hanukkah.

Ingredients:

• 4 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
• 1 medium onion, peeled
• Lemon juice
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1 Tb. Baking Powder
• 2 Tb. unsalted butter, melted
• 2 Tb. chopped parsley or chives 
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Applesauce
• Sour Cream
• Optional, Caviar, Creme Fraiche

Directions:

With the large holes of a box grater, shred the potatoes and onion into a large mixing bowl.  Squeeze some lemon juice on the potatoes to prevent oxidation and toss well.  Take a handful of the potato-onion mixture and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

In another bowl, stir together the flour, milk, egg, baking powder and nutmeg.  Stir batter into the potatoes and add the melted butter.

Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Add an even film of light oil, about 1/4" deep into skillet.  When oil is hot, form pancakes about 1 heaping tablespoon and add to skillet, spreading out and smoothing the top surface with the back of the spoon.  Cook about 3 mins. per side until golden brown.  Place on absorbent paper towel until ready to serve.

Serve pancakes as a side dish or an appetizer with your choice of chilled applesauce and/or sour cream.
This can also be a vegetarian main course.

Servings: 12
Total time:  30 mins.
~Adapted from Wolfgang Puck

Slow-Cooker Hungarian Beef Goulash

No need to brown the meat in this recipe.  Instead, the meat is coated in a spicy crust that gives this goulash all its flavor.

Hungarian Beef Goulash

• 2 lbs. beef stew meat, trimmed and cubed
• 2 tsp. caraway seeds
• 2 Tbsp. sweet or hot paprika (or a mixture of the two)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper chopped
• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes (I used fire-roasted with garlic)
• 2 cups reduced sodium beef broth
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 2 Tbsp. water
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley (plus 2 Tbsp. for dumplings)

Place beef in a 4-quart slow cooker.  Crush caraway seeds with the bottom of a saucepan or meat tenderizer.  Transfer to a small bowl and stir in paprika, salt and pepper.  Sprinkle the beef with the spice mixture and toss to coat well.  Top with onion and bell pepper

Combine tomatoes, broth, Worcestershire sauce and garlic in a medium saucepan;  bring to a simmer.  Pour over beef and vegetables.  (You can skip this step and just add the ingredients to the slow cooker).  Place bay leaves on top.  Cover and cook until the beef is very tender, 4-1/2 to 5 hours on high or 7 to 7-1/2 hours on low.

Discard the boy leaves.  Add the cornstarch mixture to the stew and cook on high, stirring 2 or 3 times, until slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes.

Parsley Dumplings

3/4 cup milk

1 large egg

1-1/2 cups flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1 Tbsp. corn meal (optional)

1/2 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Combine all ingredients and mix well.

During the end of cooking time, drop Tablespoons of dumpling batter onto simmering goulash.

Cover and cook 10-12 minutes.

Substitute buttered egg noodles for the dumplings.

~Adapted from EatingWell
Sharing with:  Recipe Round Up - Soups and Stews - Gooseberry Patch

Köttbullar- Swedish Meatballs

Swedish Meatballs were very popular in the 50's and 60's, but they are still one of my comfort food favorites.  My grandfather was Swedish and I hope he would be proud of my version of Swedish Meatballs.

• 2 slices white bread, torn into small pieces
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1/2 lb. ground pork
• 2 slices bacon minced
• 1 cup minced onion
• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 egg. slightly beaten
• 1/4 tsp. ground allspice**
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 2 Tbsp. sour cream

Place bread and milk in a small bowl; let sit until soft, about 5 minutes.  

Add bacon to a medium skillet and cook until crisp.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.  In same skillet, add 1 Tbsp. butter and onion and saute until lightly brown, about 5 minutes.  Transfer onion and bacon to a large bowl.  Add bread, ground beef, pork egg, allspice, nutmeg and salt and pepper and and mix until evenly combined.  Shape into meatballs.

In same skillet that you used to fry bacon and onion, add meatballs and cook, turning as needed until browned all over; about 6-8 minutes.  Transfer meatballs to a plate.  Drain all but 2 Tbsp. drippings from skillet.  Whisk in flour until smooth paste forms.  Stir in 2 cups stock;  bring to a simmer, whisking often.  Return meatballs to skillet.  Cover; simmer until meatballs are cooked through 7-10 minutes.  Remove from heat, whisk in sour cream, and stir to coat meatballs.

Serve with mashed potatoes or potato pancakes and Lingonberry preserves.*
*Whole Cranberry Sauce can be substituted for the Lingonberry
**I like just a little of the allspice and nutmeg, but you can certainly up it to suit your taste.

Sharing with Thursdays Treasures
Adapted from Smorgas Chef, NY

Small Batch Homemade Fresh Sauerkraut

I love sauerkraut.  Those of you who know me...know I can eat a sauerkraut sandwich and be a happy camper.  I do consider myself somewhat of a sauerkraut snob - no tin can sauerkraut - EVER!! See My Mom's way of making sauerkraut.

While European peasants preserved the cabbage with salt in an effort to keep hunger away during the dark months, their preservation fulfilled another need - nourishment.  The process of fermentation used to transform salt and cabbage into sauerkraut increases vitamins and is extraordinarily rich in beneficial bacteria.  

Cabbage is cheap.  With the sales going on now for St. Patrick's Day, I bought a small head of cabbage today for $.18 cents!  What can you buy these days for 18 cents?  With corned beef on the horizon and a good Reuben sandwich in my future, I decided to try and make some homemade sauerkraut.  Kraut is not any more difficult to make than coleslaw.  Everyone makes coleslaw, so don't call me crazy.  You don't need any special equipment and only two ingredients - cabbage and salt.

2 lbs. cabbage

2 Tbsp. sea salt

 Chop or slice the cabbage.  I sliced it as thin as possible.  Toss with salt.

Squish the cabbage with a potato masher (or your fist if it's been a rough day) to start releasing the water from the cabbage.

Wait ten minutes.  Squish down again.

Continue waiting and squishing until there is about 1" of liquid covering the cabbage (about 30 minutes).

If you don't have enough liquid, mix 1 tsp. sea salt with 1 cup of water and stir to dissolve.

Transfer to a clean quart jar.
If you want to get fancy....get some labels  

I saved one piece of cabbage to add to the top of the cabbage to keep it submerged.

Set a small dish under the jar and leave it on the counter for 4 days with a lid on.**  That's when the magic happens.  All the GOOD bacteria comes out to play.  It's safe and people have done this for centuries.

If you see any scum or "bloom" remove.

Refrigerate and store up to 3 months.

Nutrition and Health - Lacto Fermentation 
**It's day 4 of fermentation and I think we need to go a little longer, depending on your taste for tartness.

~Adapted from Wild Fermentation

Makes 1 Quart

Apple & Onion Beer Braised Pork Chops

Granny Smith apples add sweetness to this savory beer-braised pork chop dinner.  You can also substitute pears which would be just as delicious.  This is an old recipe that's marked "Yugoslavian Pork Chops". 

6 center cup pork chops, bone-in (3/4 to 1-inch thick)

1 clove garlic, sliced

1 large onion, thinly sliced

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced

Salt and Pepper

1 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. flour

2 cups lager beer

Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Trim chops of any excess fat.  I cut off the tail of the chop and dice into small pieces.  Brown fat and pork pieces until golden brown and crispy.  Set aside.

In the pan drippings, brown chops and season with salt and pepper.  Set aside.

 Add garlic, onions and apples and saute until golden brown.

Add apple onion mixture to your baking pan.

Top with pork chops.

Melt butter in same skillet and add flour.  Cook for about 1 minute.

Add beer and bring to a simmer, scraping up any brown bits.  Cook over medium heat until slightly thickened.

Pour gravy over pork chops and apple and onions, cover and bake at 350 degrees F. for one hour.

Serve with mashed potatoes and Harvard Baby Beets.

Harvard Baby Beets

(sweet & sour)

1/4 cup sugar

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2-1/2 cups cooked baby beets

1 Tbsp. butter

Salt and pepper

Mix sugar and cornstarch.  Add water and vinegar and bring to a boil until thickened

Add beets and cook slowly stirring occasionally until beets are heated through.

Add butter and season with salt and pepper.

Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Grandma

This is one of those traditional Polish meals that has to be made in certain pots or pans.  You know what I mean don't you?  Certain things HAVE to be cooked in certain pots.  I think that's part of why it tastes so good - but mostly because its tradition and cooked with love.  There are sooo many names for stuffed cabbage.  Golabki, Holubki...as long as it has an "ki" at the end, it all boils down to stuffed cabbage - Eastern European cooking.  We always called it "gawumpki".  From start to finish it takes about an hour to prepare and 3 hours to simmer or bake.  Tastes better the next day and freezes beautifully. Every family has there own version - this is how I remember my mom making them.

You will need:

• 1 large head of cabbage
• 1-1/2 lbs. ground beef
• 1 lb. ground pork
• 1 cup rice
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 tsp. paprika (or to taste)
• 2 cups good quality tomato juice (or enough to cover cabbage rolls by at least 1")
• 2 cans condensed tomato soup

Parboil cabbage in a large pot of simmering water, cutting leaves against the core and pull them off into the water and cook until pliable; about 5 minutes.

Let leaves cool slightly.

With a sharp knife, cut the thick membrane or stem off the back of each leaf, being careful not to cut through the leaf.  Lay the leaf down flat and keep your knife horizontal to slice off the thick part of the leaf.

Continue simmering the cabbage and removing leaves.

Any leaves that cannot be used at the end, reserve for later.

Reserve cooking water (yes, we are being very frugal here!)

Prepare Filling:

 

Saute onions in 4 Tbsp. butter until golden.
Cook 1 cup of rice in 1 cup of water with 1 tsp. salt for about 7-8 minutes.  Just parboil the rice.
Mix ground meats with sauteed onions and add rice.  Add Worcestershire, salt and pepper and paprika.  Add cooled rice and beaten eggs and mix well.  Hands come in handy.
Now we can roll:

Depending how big the leaves are, place about 1/2 cup of filling towards the end of the cabbage leaf.

Roll leaf up and over meat, fold in both sides and continue to roll into a bundle.

Arrange stuffed cabbage snugly in the pot.
Add any leftover cabbage leaves to the bottom of the pot.

If there is any meat leftover, just form them into meatballs and add to the pot. 

  Mix the tomato soup as directed.  Pour the tomato sauce over the cabbage.  Add tomato juice to cover.  Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer.  Simmer, covered 2 to 2-1/2 hours.  If you want to bake them, bake at 325 degrees F. covered, for the same amount of time

Get Grandma's Sauerkraut recipe here!
You can add sauerkraut to this recipe.

Grandma always served her stuffed cabbage rolls with home made mashed potatoes, adding the liquid from the stuffed cabbage rolls to the potatoes! YUMM!

Small Batch Potato & Cheese Pierogi

Melt in your Mouth Monday Blog Hop - Lots of great recipes!  

What the Heck is a Spudnut?

Basically, it's a doughnut made with a potato base which originated in Germany.  The result - a fluffier, more airy version of the doughnut.

What was the first nationwide donut chain?  Krispy Kreme? Dunkin Donuts?  The answer is Spudnuts.  Two brothers invented this recipe in the 1940's.

I don't know how the conversation got started, but my boss was telling me about these donuts that his brother made and that they were the lightest, tastiest donuts he had ever eaten.  So my research began - and the result?
A lighter, almost cruller-type donut that I sooo miss from the bakery.

Spudnuts

• 2-1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Nutmeg
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup mashed potatoes
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1-1/2 quarts oil for frying
• Sugar for coating

Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder and nutmeg.  Set aside.

In a separate bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar.  Add eggs and mashed potatoes to the mix.
Measure out the milk.  Add the flour mix alternately with the milk to the creamed mixture beginning and ending with flour.

**The dough will be soft - almost like a drop biscuit dough.  Cover and refrigerate overnight, if you don't want to make them right away.

Turn dough out onto a well floured surface and knead a few times.  Roll the dough until its about 1/2" thick.

Dip a donut cutter in flour and cut out doughnuts.

I did not have a donut cutter, so I compromised with a small tart cutter.

Heat fat to 365 degrees F.

Fry doughnuts about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.  Drain on brown paper or paper towels.

Not exactly the perfect donut, but I love the crunchy bits on the ends.

While still warm, shake donuts in sugar or cinnamon sugar.

~Adapted from King Arthur Flour
Melt in Your Mouth Mondays
Vintage Recipe Thursday - Joy of Desserts

Oktoberfest Recipes - Frikadellen

Get out your lederhosen, and frost up that beer mug, we're getting ready to celebrate Oktoberfest!

Bratwurst, knockwurst, kraut, potato pancakes, goulash and more!  Get your strudel on let's cook some German Food!  Oktoberfest is running now through October 3, 2011.

Frikadellen

Frikadellen are German, pan-fried meat patties.  These small burgers are usually served to you with mustard and sides of potato salad in pubs.

• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 tsp. oil
• 1 piece of day-old bread, softened in warm milk and squeezed dry
• 1 lb. ground beef (or half beef and half pork)
• 1 egg
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Place chopped onion in a small bowl, drizzle with 1 tsp. oil, cover with plastic wrap and microwave 2-3 minutes, or until onions are softened.  You can add the onions raw if you prefer.

Break bread into small pieces into a medium bowl.  Add meat and the remaining ingredients along with the cooked onion and mix well.

Heat 1 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a medium frying pan.  Form 6-8 small patties and fry over medium-high heat until browned on both sides and cooked through.

Serve with mustard, potato salad and a cold beer.

These are good warm or cold on a sandwich!

German Fresh Peach Kuchen

Kuchen is an open face fresh fruit pie usually served warm from the oven.  In this recipe fresh, ripe peaches are used with a rich biscuit crust, similar to shortcake.  Peach Kuchen is especially delicious with whipped cream or a la mode - Peaches 'n' Cream!

Ingredients:

• Boiling water
• 2 lbs. ripe peaches, peeled and sliced (about 5) or 2 (12 ounce packages frozen sliced peaches, drained
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Kuchen Batter:

• 1-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsps. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp. milk
• 1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Topping One:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Topping Two:

• 1 egg yolk
• 3 Tbsp. heavy cream
• Sweetened whipped cream or soft vanilla ice cream

Pour enough boiling water over peaches in a large bowl to cover.  Let stand 1 minute to loosen skins; then drain, and plunge into cold water for a few seconds to prevent softening of fruit.

With paring knife, pare peaches; place in a large bowl

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Sprinkle peaches with lemon juice to prevent darkening.  Slice into bowl, toss to coat with lemon juice; set aside.

Sift flour with the sugar, baking powder and salt.  In a large mixing bowl, using a fork, beat eggs with milk and lemon peel.  Add flour mixture and melted butter and mix with a fork until smooth - 1 minute - Do Not Overmix.

Butter a 9-inch Springform plan, or 9-inch round layer cake pan (If cake pan is used, Kuchen must be served from pan).  Turn batter into pan; spread evenly over bottom.  At this point, kuchen may be refrigerated several hours, or until about 12 hours before baking.  Combine sugar and cinnamon and mix well.

Drain peach slices, arrange on batter, around edge of pan; fill in center with peach slices.

Sprinkle evenly with cinnamon/sugar mixture

Bake 25 minutes.  Remove kuchen from oven.  With a fork, beat egg yolk with cream.  Pour over peaches.  Bake 10 minutes longer.  Cool 10 minutes on wire rack.  

Serve kuchen warm, cut into wedges, with sweetend whipped cream or soft vanilla ice cream.

~Inspired and adapted from a recipe given to me by Angela Sheedy.

Sharing with Joy of Desserts