The German Kitchen

Anyone that has been to a German city, particularly Berlin, will know that you can’t walk a block without finding an Imbiss (food stand or cart) or pub, that serves Currywurst.  It is the best fast food, that only requires a plastic toothpick to eat. And it is also super easy to make at home.

To make this authentic in appearance and taste, knockwurst is the best to use.  However, I have made it with hot dogs to great effect.  As a German vegetarian recipe option, why not try soy dogs?  The typical side dish to serve this with is french fries, or Pommes.  I make my own, but you could also buy bagged for an even quicker meal.

Difficulty: easy.
Preparation Time: 35 minutes.
Portions: 4.

Ingredients:

• 1 package of knockwurst (5 links) OR 1 package of hot dogs
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• 2 8-ounce cans of tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1/2 – 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

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I LOVE these! There are a little bit of work, but well worth it.  Try them with some sugar sprinkled on top or applesauce (my personal favorite). Yum!

Difficulty: normal.
Preparation Time: over 1 hour
Portions: 4.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 – 1 cup flour (if potatoes are dry, use less, wet, use more)
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• vegetable oil or butter, or a mixture of both (for frying)

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I concocted this myself, while attempting to add variety to my list of South Beach Diet (low carb) recipes.  This comes out very good, and is very filling. The great thing is, you can easily adjust seasonings to suit your taste. Like spicier food? Jazz it up with a dash of hot sauce and some paprika.  More Italian? Add some fresh basil and oregano. The possibilities are endless! And a plus is, kids like it. It’s messy, fun, and they don’t know it’s healthy. Enjoy!

Difficulty: Easy.
Preparation time:  1 hour
Servings: 4 – 6.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of dry lentils (I like to use bagged lentils, but two cans should do the trick too.)
• 1 bay leaf
• salt
• pepper
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
• 6 small, or 4 large green peppers
• Optional: You can add chopped tomatoes, peppers, or other veggies into the stuffing mixture for bulk. You can also add rice. I recommend brown, since it blends with the flavor of the lentils nicely.  You can also top with cheese towards the end of baking.

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A popular dish in Northern Germany, with abundant use in Berlin pubs, particularly. Much simpler than one might think based on the ingredients.

Difficulty: Moderate.
Preparation time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4.

Ingredients:

• 1 stale bread roll (in a pinch, use breadcrumbs, 3/4 cup)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 pound ground meat, preferably half pork, half beef
• 1 small, finely chopped onion
• 4 finely chopped anchovy filets
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon butter (unsalted)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 cups meat stock
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 3 tablespoons capers
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Pinch of sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, or light sour cream
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

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This is a tasty way to serve chicken and vegetables. Germans love different variations of gulasch, and this is one of my favorites. This can be served with boiled potatoes or noodles, and a steamed vegetable.

Difficulty: moderate
Preparation Time: 45 minutes
Portions: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 pound chicken breasts (boneless and skinless), cut into small chunks
• 1 onion, small, minced
• 1 red or yellow pepper, large, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 3 tbsp. canola oil
• salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• white pepper
• 3 tbsp. mustard powder
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric
• 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• 3 tbsp. fat free sour cream
• cornstarch for thickening

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This is a fairly simple, yummy dish. It is also forgiving. The picture you see is a version I did with leftover turkey (sloppy looking, but yummy). You can also add mushrooms, or mix peas in the sauce, etc.

This is now a staple in Germany, but was adopted from Hungary.

Difficulty: easy
Preparation Time: 50 minutes

Portions: 4

Ingredients:

• chicken or turkey, 3 breasts cut in chunks, or 2 – 3 cups if using leftovers
• salt
• 1/2 c. butter or margarine
• 1 large onion, minced
• 1 tbs sweet paprika
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 tbs flour
• 1 cup sour cream

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Veal cutlets are a popular way to prepare veal, and usually combined with a sauce, which can vary from region to region. They can also be prepared and eaten on bread, or as an entrée without sauce.

Difficulty: simple.
Preparation Time: 1 h 30 min.
Portions: 4.

• 4 large veal chops boned
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup bread crumbs (plain)
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon powdered thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
• 4 lemon wedges
• 4 parsley sprigs

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A pork roast traditionally served with a mild sauce, red cabbage, and potato dumplings (Kartoffelknödel) in the South, or peas and boiled potatoes in the North-East.

Difficulty: normal.
Preparation Time: over 2.5 h.
Portions: 4.

• 2 – 3 pound pork loin roast
• 4 slices pork bacon
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• salt and pepper
• 1 large onion
• 1 cup carrot slices
• 2 c. white wine (substitute water, beer or broth if desired)
• caraway seeds
• 2 tsp. cornstarch
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube
• olive, canola, or almond oil
• 1 apple (or 1/4 c. apple juice)
• 1 tbsp. sour cream, optional

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This is a very easy dish, particularly popular in Bavaria.  It is a great comfort food, and takes very little work, and few ingredients.

Difficulty: Simple.
Preparation time: 40 min.
Servings: 4.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Fresh egg noodles
• 4 tb Grated Swiss cheese or Emmentaler
• 1/2 lb Ham, diced
• Salt, to taste
• 1 tb To 2 tb butter
• 1 c Sour cream
• 2 tb Bread crumbs

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A nice, comfort meal that is fairly easy to make.

Difficulty: Simple.
Preparation time: 1h 15min.
Servings: 4.

• 1 lb. chicken, boneless
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• water
• 1 small onion
• 4 tbs. margarine or butter (unsalted)
• 1 large can, button mushrooms
• 1 jar, white asparagus
• 4 tbs. flour
• 1/2 c. milk (whole)
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. spanish capers

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