The German Kitchen

This is super easy, and a nice accompaniment to schnitzel.   In Bavaria, it is referred to as Pilze in Sahnesoße.

Difficulty: easy.
Preparation Time: 15 minutes.
Portions: 4.

Ingredients:

• 3 tbs butter
• 3 tbs flour
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 large can, 2 small cans, or 2 cups of fresh quartered or sliced mushrooms
• 1 – 2 cups broth, beef, pork or vegetable
• pinch of salt

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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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A yummy variation of sauerkraut.  This is a perfect way to get rid of some not-so-fresh apples!

Difficulty: Easy.
Preparation time:  1.25 hours
Servings: 4 – 6 servings.

Ingredients:

• 1 quart sauerkraut
• 1/4 cup onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp. butter, bacon drippings, or margarine
• 2 – 3 medium sized apples
• 1 1/2 cups white wine
• 1/2 cup beef broth or bouillon
• 1 tsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. celery seeds

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This is a Summer time staple dessert in Germany, and takes advantage of the fresh berries of the season.  Served with a vanilla sauce, this is a wonderful dessert, and lovely change from the usual.

Difficulty: Easy.
Preparation time:  Make 24 hours in advance.
Servings: 4 – 6.

Ingredients:

• 6 cups fresh or frozen, unsweetened berries (raspberries, strawberries, red currants, or a combination of these)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

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Another great comfort food, and very easy to make.

Difficulty: Easy.
Preparation time:  2 hours
Servings: 6.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of dry split peas (1 bag)
• water
• 4 fresh bay leaves, chopped
• 1 cup of carrots, sliced
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4 beef bouillon cubes OR 2 cans of beef or vegetable broth
• 1 cup hot dogs, sliced
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• salt
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

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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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This is a good, staple recipe for cool weather nights. The potato soup is not the creamy kind, but a thinner broth based soup.  You can add sour cream and hot dogs (Würstchen) to make it a bit heartier. This is also good with Wasa crisp bread on the side.

Difficulty: Easy.
Preparation time: 50 minutes
Servings: 6.

Ingredients:

• 7 – 8 medium potatoes
• 2 onions
• 1/2 liter vegetable broth
• 2 Tbs. butter
• 1/2 liter buttermilk
• salt, to taste
• white pepper, to taste
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 2 tsp. marjoram, flakes
• Optional: parsley to garnish
• Optional: hot dogs, sliced

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