Recipe

Spaetzle

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I’m going to continue on this whole German Style Food Kick I’m
on and spend a whole post talking about spaetzle.

Spaetzle is basically a quick and easy to make German pasta.
It is one of my favorite things to make at home because it adds texture and a
little finesse to our usual dinners in the place of pasta, potatoes or rice.

The secret is to sauté it after it has been cooked in the boiling
water. I don’t mention this in my instructions because it’s not necessary, and I
don’t think it’s the traditional way it’s made either, but I really believe a
little sauté in butter or oil to give it
a little brown and crisp a few of the individual noodles makes all the
difference. I have been known to cook the spaetzle this way with a few herbs and
have that for a meal. I just love the textures!

I for some unknown reason always make it with pork, but
there’s no reason to, I just usually do. It can go as a basic side dish for
nearly anything. It’s great for sopping up gravy, from something like say
roulade, or the sweeter drippings from Apple Pork Chops. Just a few ideas for
you.

I don’t know why I’m getting up on my soap box here to try
and talk you into loving spaetzle as much as I do. It really doesn’t need my
enthusiasm but it’s getting it any way I suppose.

Spaetzle

2 cups all-purpose flour

6 eggs

¼ cup milk

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile in a
bowl beat the eggs together with the milk to form an incorporated mixture.
Slowly add in the flour until smooth dough is formed. Either with a spaetzle
maker or a colander (I always use a colander). In small batches lightly press
the dough through the colander into the boiling water. When the spaetzle begins
to float remove it with a slotted spoon and set it aside. Add a drizzle of oil
to keep the pasta from sticking and serve warm, once all the spaetzle has
cooked.

IHello German! Roulade

By Jessica

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I think I’m on a German kick. as evidenced here.

Way back in August when I read My Berlin Kitchen I really wanted to make so many of the recipes but it was far too hot outside to be cooped in my tiny kitchen so I waited patiently, day dreaming about all of her wonderful soups and stews. Since her setting was obviously in Germany, there was definitely a German lilt to my daydreaming.

Growing up I was lucky enough to try a cornucopia of different German dishes, thanks to my step mother, Miss Amy. She spent some time working for a family friend at their German restaurant The Brauhaus in my home town and subsequently learned to cook many them.

Roulade is a dish that I avoided at a young age but learned to love as an adult. I mean warm pickles in gravy? W-E-I-R-D right? Yes. But also delicious.

To many of you this may seem so far out of the realm of good food, but for others it will be something that you must try now. Even if you are on the fence about it allow me to give you a little push by saying that it has a surprisingly mild flavor that I think many pallets can appreciate. I STRONGLY suggest you give it a try.

Besides look how pretty it looks!

Classic German Roulade

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1 lb beef sirloin or eye round steak, sliced thin

4-5 dill pickles

4-5 slices of thick cut bacon

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup beef broth

1 tbsp flour

Fresh Parsley for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Slice the steak into 3-4
inch wide strips, and lay one piece of bacon on each piece of steak, then a
pickle, and roll the meat around the pickle securing with either cooking twine
or tooth picks. In a large oven safe pan melt butter and oil over medium-high
heat then sear the meat rolls for 2-3 minutes per side, or until it has
browned. Remove the meat rolls from the pan and set aside. Add the onion to the
pan and sauté it for 2-3 minutes or until it begins to soften. Add the flour
and cook for an additional minute, then deglaze with broth, stirring thoroughly
until thickened. Return the rolled meat to the pan and toss with gravy. Place
in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the meat has been cooked through. Serve
immediately garnished with parsley.

Classic Venison Stew

By Jessica

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Hunting season is/has been in full swing around these parts.
That basically means that I don’t see hide nor hair from Chuck, my father, my
brother, and many of the other men in my life. I like this time of year because
I get a lot done, I get to have girly dates, and it means that venison is/will
be in the house soon.

I know a number of people have varying feeling on hunting,
its ramifications, and ethics, but I love it. I grew up with it as an
integral part of my life, and couldn’t imagine my life without it. No it is not
necessary for my personal survival, but it holds a place in my heart from the tradition
and the ties to my Native American ancestors. Another bonus is that I really
love most meats. I have eaten elk, pheasant, turkey, deer, rabbit, squirrel, a
plethora of fish and I’m sure a few other animals that I or someone close to me
has killed, and it doesn’t bother me one bit. We are careful with the food that
we catch, and are sure to use as much of it as possible, even saving some of
the furs.

I hope that this honesty doesn’t turn any of you off, but it’s
a part of me, my heritage and is no different from any of the other things I share
on this blog.

This recipe is a basic stew recipe that showcases the
natural flavor of the venison. I know that many people think that the meat can
be gamey, so for those people I suggest adding a little more thyme and just a
teaspoon or two of Worcestershire sauce, while the vegetables are sautéing. In
my experience these little tweaks really change the flavor, and help with the
gaminess. Please let me know if you have any other suggestions, I’d love to
hear them!

Classic Venison Stew

2 tbsp butter

2 large leeks, diced

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped

2 large parsnips, peeled and chopped

3 large celery stalks, chopped

2 tbsp flour

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp pepper

2 cups potatoes peeled and chopped

1 lb venison, cut into 1-2 inch pieces

3 cups low sodium beef or vegetable broth

In a large thick bottomed sauce pan melt butter and sauté
leeks, carrots, parsnip, and celery for 2-3 minutes, or until they begin to
soften. Stir in flour, thyme, pepper and cook for an additional minute before adding
venison meat, potatoes, and broth. Stir well to combine then bring to a boil,
before reducing to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Adjust
seasonings and serve warm. (Serves 4-6)

How do you feel about hunting? I’m interested to know.

German Potato Salad

By Jessica

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I think Luisa Weiss described it best in her book My Berlin Kitchen “There were, as i saw it, two camps of potato salad eaters. Either you were in the camp that bound their potato salad with mayonnaise to make it rich and creamy or you were from the faction that used hot vinegar dressing for a light and sour salad.”

Chuck and I are definitely in two different camps. I LOVE
the decadent creamy texture and slight bite of the vinegar in a warm potato
salad. I grew up eating it, from a recipe that Miss Amy adopted from her time
working at a local German Restaurant The Brauhaus. As I grew up I discovered
the different variations that can be created by swapping chives, or green
onions for herbs even leafy greens like spinach or kale, and using ham or roast
beef instead of bacon, or omitting meat altogether. I have made it turn yellow
with turmeric and mustard, red with tomatoes, and even orange with carrots and
cabbage. All wonderful these, are delicious variations that I would almost
always recreate again in a heartbeat.

Chuck prefers his traditional American version of potato
salad like most things, though I am lucky in that he will eat pretty much
anything I put in front of him without question. I’m sure his bohemian
ancestors would probably roll over in their graves to know this but alas, I’m
working on him.

This recipe is one that I make every once in a while, as I was
taught by Miss Amy. It may not be her exact recipe but its how I have always
made it and it is how I like it. I strongly suggest that you try this, it is so
vary worth it, and if you have any variations please do share, I would love to
try something new!

Basic German Potato Salad

3 cups potatoes, peeled and diced

½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil, or bacon grease

1 small onion, diced

¼ cup cider vinegar

2 tbsp water

4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

Salt & pepper to taste

1/4 cup chopped Green onions, or chives

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the
potatoes for about 10-12 minutes or until they have softened. Then drain and
set aside. In the same pan sauté the onion with oil (or more traditionally
bacon grease) until it begins to caramelize, 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and
add vinegar, water, bacon, salt, pepper and potatoes to the pan and stir vigorously
for several minutes. The potatoes will loosen and create a creamy, sticky
sauce. Serve warm or cold topped with green onions.

What camp are you in? Vinegar or Mayonnaise?

Chicken with Apples and Fennel

By Jessica

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I have really enjoyed cooking with apples
this season, and not just in my traditional deserts, sauces and butters but I
like finding ways to add them to more savory dishes also. This particular
recipe I found while looking for a new chicken thigh recipe and it was
delicious. I usually gravitate to more salty dishes so this vinegar based dish
was a little different than what I was used to and a fun change to our week day
dinners.

You can find the original recipe here. Mine has a few small changes based on our own personal tastes, mainly
less vinegar, I didn’t want it to be too strong, although we do enjoy those
flavors, we prefer them in smaller doses, but those are just our personal
tastes.

Braised Chicken with Apples
and Fennel

4 bone in chicken thighs (with skin)

Salt & pepper to taste

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic chopped

1 fennel bulb, cored and chopped

½ cup dry white wine

1 cup apple cider

1 large tart apple, cored and sliced

2 bay leaves

1 tsp thyme

Season chicken generously with salt and pepper. Heat the oil
in a large skillet and place the chicken skin side down in the pan. Cook
without flipping until the skin is golden and separates from the pan easily,
roughly 9-10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan. You may want to also
drain some of the juices from the pan, though leave some to sauté the
vegetables in. Add onions, garlic, and
fennel to the skillet and cook, stirring regularly until the onions begin to caramelize,
roughly 5-7 minutes. Deglaze with the wine and then add the cider, allowing it
to simmer and reduce to half. Add the chicken skin side up, apples, thyme and
bay leaves to the pan, cover and allow it to simmer until the chicken is cooked
through, roughly 30 minutes. Remove the cover and increase the heat for 5-10 minutes
or until the sauce begins to thicken slightly. Then stir gently and serve warm.
(Serves 4)

Recipe

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