German Fare

This month's theme is German Fare

This theme gave us all an opportunity to branch out and try something new. Our dishes this month include Saurbraten served with Koffelfelouse (German Potato Balls) and a gravy made with gingersnaps (yum), Beef Soup with Dumplings, Beer Sausages, Gurkensalat, Saurkraut Balls (even saurkraut haters like these), Apple Strudel, and German Chocolate Cake.

Thank You Kathy for hosting a warm yummy comfort food evening. What a great theme!! I think this months recipes are all keepers!

Sauerbraten

Prepared by Kathy

A family favorite. We have this every Christmas. Serve with German Potato Balls, red cabbage, applesauce, crescent rolls, salad and some nice wine. Perfect.

Ingredients:

• 3 to 4 pound rump or bottom roast
• 1 ½ cups red wine vinegar
• 1 ½ cups water or 1 cup water + ½ cup red wine
• 12 peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 1 medium onions quartered
• 2 carrots chunked
• 2 celery stalks chunked
• ginger snap cookies crushed very fine

Directions:

• Place roast in a large ziploc bag or glass bowl. In a seperate bowl combine everything else EXCEPT carrots, celery, and gingersnap cookies. Pour over roast and marinate 2 to3 days turning twice a day.
• Place carrots and celery at bottom of crockpot, place meat on top, pour mixture over it. Cook on low about 8 to 9 hours.
• Remove roast and wrap in foil, set aside.
• Strain the liquid into a pot and discard the vegetables & spices. Heat liquid on medium low, slowly add gingersnaps stirring constantly. Do this in batches to give gravy a chance to thicken.
• Slice meat and serve with gravy. YUM

Kalduolphekosse (Kartoffelkloesse) German Potato Balls

aka Grandpa Youngs Potato BallsPrepared by Kathy

We serve this with Sauerbraten every Christmas. It is delicious with the Ginger Snap gravy.

We always make extra since our tradition carries over to the morning after Christmas; we take the left over Katolephekasse (sorry I have no idea how to spell this word, google it will show multiple ways) and slice them. They are then fried in butter or olive oil and served with scrambled eggs. Trust me...you'll have no leftovers.
Ingredients:

• 6 to 8 bags Russet potatoes, peeled and cut in half (I used the whole bag)
• 1 medium onion chopped fine
• 1 stick butter
• 1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 large egg, scrambled
• salt, pepper, nutmeg

Directions:

• Boil potatoes (do NOT overcook). Drain. While slightly warm rice or mash until fluffy. Set aside
• Melt butter. Sauté onions & breadcrumbs.
• Add onion mixture, egg and seasonings to potatoes and blend well.
• Boil a large pot of water.
• Form potatoes into a ball using floured hands. Roll in flour.
• Using a slotted spoon place one ball into boiling water.
• Prepare the next ball.
• Remove the ball that’s in water and set into a glass or ceramic square dish.
• Place the next ball in the water.
• Repeat until done.
• You can serve now or wait and reheat in a 350 oven for 20 minutes.

NOTES: if the balls are in the water too long they will fall apart. They 'float' when they are done, meaning they are not sitting at the bottom of the pot. Should only take about a minute or so.

Royal Bavarian Beef Soup Recipe

Prepared by Kelly

Ingredients:

• 1 beef roast (2 lbs)
• Chopped carrots and onions or leach
• Sliced celery
• Any other vegetable leftovers from the refrigerator
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• some pepper
• any other spice that is available (e.g. thyme)
• some fresh parsley (chopped)
• some fresh chives (chopped)

Directions:

Put the meat in a pot with water (1 gal.) and add the fresh vegetables and spices. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 2 hours (in a pressure cooker: about 1 hour) or until meat is tender. Add salt, pepper and (at the very end) parsley/chives

Griesnockerlsuppe (Semolina Dumplings Soup)

Ingredients:

• 7 oz. semolina (Semolina is a kind of yellow flour that you can get in most natural food stores and some grocery stores in the pasta section; in Germany it is called "Gries")
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons of soft butter
• A little bit of lukewarm milk
• A pinch of salt, nutmeg, pepper, and other spices such as thyme

Directions:

• Stir the eggs with butter, milk, salt and spices and add the semolina little by little until it is a homogeneous mixture
• Cut little dumplings from this mixture with a spoon and put them into boiling broth (I recommend the Royal Bavarian Beef Soup)
• After about 10-20 minutes the dumplings come up to the surface and are ready to eat.

Sauerkraut Balls

Prepared By Debbie

This is what I found about the origin of Sauerkraut Balls .... "These tasty little bites hail from Northeast Ohio where they have achieved cult status. It’s not a football or New Year’s Eve party in Akron, Ohio without these delicious one-bite appetizers with German Mennonite origins that are virtually unknown outside of Ohio."

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. bulk sausage
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 can (32 oz.) sauerkraut, drained well and chopped (I used Silver Frost brand that comes in a bag in the cooler or meat section of the grocery store)
• 4 tbsp. fine dry bread crumbs
• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 4 tbsp. finely snipped parsley
• 2 tbsp. sweet-hot mustard or honey-mustard (I used sweet-hot)
• 1 dash garlic salt
• 1 dash pepper
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp. water or milk
• 2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs
• Cooking oil for deep-frying (I used vegetable oil)

Directions:

• In a large skillet cook sausage and onion until sausage is brown, breaking sausage into small pieces. Drain.
• Drain sauerkraut, pressing out as much liquid as possible. In a large mixing bowl, combine sauerkraut, sausage mixture, bread crumbs (4 tbsp.), cream cheese, parsley, mustard, garlic salt and pepper. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight.
• Put flour in a shallow container. In another shallow container beat eggs and water until combined. Put bread crumbs in a third shallow container. Using about 2 tbsp. for each, shape sauerkraut mixture into balls. Roll balls in flour, then egg mixture, then in bread crumbs. Fry a few at a time in deep, cooking oil (365°F) for approximately 2 minutes or until brown. Remove from fat with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Transfer to a baking sheet with sides; keep warm in a 275°F oven.

Note: I would think you could bake these to make them lighter in fat and calories.

Serve with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

Dipping Sauce used for Sauerkraut Balls

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup German mustard (I used a whole grain mustard)
• 1 tablespoon Chinese mustard
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup light cream
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise

Directions:

• Combine mustards, honey and cream in a small bowl.
• Whisk in mayonnaise last, beating until smooth.

Beer Sausages

Prepared by Theresa

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. cooked Polish sausage
• 1 c. beer
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1/4 c. vinegar
• 1/4 c. prepared mustard
• 1 tbsp. prepared horseradish

Directions:

Cut sausage into 1/2" lengths. Boil them in beer for 10 minutes. Mix brown sugar with cornstarch. Add to vinegar, mustard and horseradish. Add sausages and cook until bubbly.

HINT: Prepare in crock pot and serve with toothpicks at gatherings.

Kathy--Perfect theme as there's hearty fare to chase away the winter cold!

Prost! ("Cheers" in German)

Gurkensalat aka Cucumber Salad

Prepared by Theresa

Ingredients:

• 2 large cucumbers
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
  

Directions:

Peel cucumbers and cut into very thin slices. Mix together vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper and pour over cucumbers. Marinate about 20 minutes. Drain off liquid, toss cucumbers with sour cream. Top with fresh parsley and serve.

German Chocolate Cake

Prepared By Karen

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 4-ounce package sweet baking chocolate
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup buttermilk or sour milk
• 1 recipe Coconut-Pecan Frosting (see recipe below)

Directions:

• Separate eggs. Allow egg yolks, egg whites, and butter to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grease and lightly flour two 9x1-1/2-inch or 8x1-1/2-inch round cake pans; set pans aside. Mix flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
• In a small saucepan combine chocolate and 1/3 cup water. Cook and stir over low heat until melted; cool.
• In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, beating until well combined. Scrape sides of bowl; continue beating for 2 minutes. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition (about 1 minute total). Beat in cooled chocolate mixture and vanilla. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to beaten mixture; beat on low speed after each addition until combined.
• Thoroughly wash the beaters. In a large mixing bowl beat egg whites with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Gently fold egg whites into the batter. Spread batter into the prepared pans.
• Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 20 to 25 minutes for 9-inch pans. 25 to 30 minutes for 8-inch pans, or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool cakes on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool thoroughly on wire racks. Spread Coconut-Pecan Frosting over tops of cakes, stacking layers. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

Coconut-Pecan Frosting: In a medium saucepan slightly beat 1 egg. Stir in one 5-ounce can (2/3 cup) evaporated milk, 2/3 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup butter. Cook and stir over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat; stir in 1-1/3 cups flaked coconut and 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Cover and cool thoroughly.

Apple Strudel

Prepared By Jen

Recipe courtesy Robert Bleifer (Food Network)

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons dark rum
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 2 to 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, halved, and sliced 1/8-inch thick
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup, for sprinkling
• 5 sheets phyllo dough
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds
• Cinnamon, for garnish
• Powdered sugar, for garnish
  

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Pour rum over raisins and microwave on high for 25 seconds to plump raisins (let sit 10 minutes).
• In a large bowl, combine the apples, lemon juice, cinnamon, sugar, and plumped raisins.
• In a medium bowl, melt 1/2 stick butter to phyllo sheets
• Place 1 sheet of phyllo (use 2 sheets & overlap about 2") on work surface and lightly brush with butter. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon each of sugar, panko, and almonds, then top with another layer of phyllo and repeat the process four times. Place the last sheet of phyllo on top of the sugar mixture and brush it with the with butter, but do not top with more sugar, panko, and almonds.
• Place the apple mixture on the lower 1/3 of the phyllo stack, being sure to leave a 2-inch border. Gently lift the bottom edge of the phyllo stack to cover the filling, then fold the side edges over. Continue to roll the stack away from you, until the filling is completely sealed in and the seam is on the bottom.
• Transfer to the lined baking sheet, brush the top with butter and sprinkle with 1 more tablespoon of sugar. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes. Let cool before serving.