Green Bean Salad

The French Dressing serves as a dressing or base for quite a few recipes in 300 Salads. To pair with the Lemon Meat Balls, I wanted something fresh and crisp. Since we both really like green beans, this seemed like a good option.

Green Bean Salad

3 C cooked green beans

1 small onion, minced OR 1 tbsp chopped chives

1/3 C French dressing

1 canned pimiento, cut into strips OR ½ C sliced radishes

I flash-cooked the green beans and then blanched them because I wanted them to still have a bright green color and a little snap to them in the salad. Combine beans and onions with French dressing. Chill for 1 hour. Drain, add pimiento and toss.

Again, so simple, but sometimes I feel I just need the hint of a recipe to remind me, “Oh, yeah, I could pair those things together…” Since I only just barely cooked the green beans, this was light, refreshing, and a good texture contrast for the meatballs.

Have a question or a request? Put it in the comments below and I’ll be sure to respond. Fröhe essen!

French Dressing

Ready for a whole new recipe book? I needed something to pair with the Lemon Meat Balls, and we were looking for interesting vegetable options, so I turned to 300 Delicious Salads. Big promise, right? Apparently the half-size booklet was originally marketed at $0.35, but a sticker on my copy of the book shows that it was sold for $0.19. Let’s see if it’s worth what it cost!

I picked a salad out of the book, but then realized that the salad called for one of the dressings in the back of the book as part of its construction, so we’ll start with the dressing.

French Dressing

1 C olive or salad oil

¼ C vinegar

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp cayenne

¼ tsp white pepper

2 tbsp chopped parsley

Combine all ingredients and beat or shake thoroughly before using. Simple, right? I made a double batch and added some extra chopped tarragon I had lying around.

Variations using 1 C French Dressing as a foundation:

-       Add 2 tbsp anchovy paste and 1 tbsp chopped pearl onions

-       Add 1/3 C minced capers

-       Add 1 tbsp each of chopped beets, chopped chives and chopped hard-boiled eggs

-       Add 1 tbsp chopped chive, minced shallot, onion or garlic

-       Add 3 tbsp cottage cheese and 1 tbsp chopped chives

-       Add 3 tbsp grated cucumber and 1 tbsp chopped chives

-       Add 1 tbsp each minced parsley, watercress, chervil and basil

-       Use 2 tbsp each vinegar and ginger ale

-       Add 1 tbsp prepared horseradish

-       Add 2 tbsp prepared chutney, 2 chopped hard-boiled eggs and ½ tsp curry powder

-       Add 2 tbsp chopped pearl onion

-       Add 1/3 C soft crumbled Roquefort or bleu cheese

-       Use ¼ C tarragon vinegar

-       Add 1 C tomato juice, ½ clove minced garlic and 1 tbsp confectioner’s sugar

-       Add 1 tbsp each of chopped chives, chopped sweet pickles and chopped capers

Have a question or a request? Put it in the comments below and I’ll be sure to respond. Fröhe essen!

Lemon Meat Balls

On the prowl for something new and different (and that would make ample leftovers during a busy set of work weeks), I cracked open a hardly-used cookbook: The Ground Meat Cookbook. I know, the title sounds a little sketchy. That’s partially why I hadn’t braved it yet (except for the Petit Ham Puffs). But my friends and relatives will tell you that the quickest way to my heart is by flavoring something with lemon, so when I found this recipe, I decided the time had come to give this book another chance.

Lemon Meat Balls

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground pork

½ C grated cheddar cheese

½ C plain bread crumbs

1 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tbsp lemon zest

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp salt

½ tsp MSG

¼ tsp pepper

1 ½ C tomato juice

1 ¼ C hot water

2 tbsp flour

2 tbsp water

Combine meat, egg, cheese, bread crumbs, and seasonings in a large bowl. Shape into balls. Here the recipe says to coat the meatballs lightly in flour and fry them in fat in a pan, but that seemed excessive. Instead, I just recommend browning them in the pan – the meat has enough fat on its own for a nice carmelization.

Add meatballs to skillet and brown over medium heat, turning occasionally to brown on all sides. Remove from heat and slowly add a mixture of tomato juice and hot water. Return to heat, cover and simmer about 40 minutes, turning meatballs occasionally. That was the end of the recipe. No, really, the book says nothing whatsoever about serving suggestions or what to do with the runny cooking liquid. Not wanting to waste it, I devised my own plan. I removed all of the meatballs from the cooking liquid with a slotted spoon and left them on a plate. I mixed water and flour together in a screw-top jar and then mixed that into the cooking liquid with a whisk, heating until the sauce was thick. I re-added the meatballs and heated them through, then served them with the sauce over rice.

My husband’s review of this was: “Oh, this is good. We could totally have this again. We could even make this if we have people over.” ‘Nough said. The lemon and parsley gave the meatballs a delightful freshness, and the sauce was very tasty with the tomato juice base. Like he said, we will definitely enjoy this again, and you should try it, too!

Have a question or a request? Put it in the comments below and I’ll be sure to respond. Fröhe essen!

Ochsenschwanz-Eintopf

Remember my friend Andrea from Three Maples Farm? While I was there picking up an absolutely delicious duck, I also grabbed an odd ingredient that I knew I would struggle to find in the local grocery store: oxtails! It seems odd in our Western culture to think about eating the tail of an animal, but there are a lot of animal parts that we wind up wasting. Tails have bones, which are good for making stock, and a little meat, which made this recipe very tasty.

Ochsenschwanz-Eintopf/Oxtail Stew

3 lbs oxtail, disjointed

½ C flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp MSG

¼ tsp pepper

1 ½ C chopped onion

3 tbsp butter

1 can tomatoes

1 ½ C hot water

4 medium potatoes

6 medium carrots

2 lbs peas

1 tbsp paprika

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

¼ C water

2 tbsp flour

Wipe oxtails clean with a damp cloth. Mix flour and seasonings together in a deep bowl or bag. Coat oxtail pieces in flour mixture.

Put butter and onion in a large pot and cook over medium heat until onion is transparent. Remove onion with a slotted spoon and set aside. Put meat into pot and brown on all sides.

Drain tomatoes and set liquid aside. Make sure tomatoes are cut into small pieces. Return onion to pot along with hot water and tomato liquid. Cover tightly and simmer 2 ½ to 3 hours or until meat is nearly tender.

Use a melon-ball cutter to cut potatoes and carrots. I’m proud to say I did not waste the time, energy, or vegetables that this recipe suggests. While making potato and carrot balls would certainly look cute, it would also waste a lot of the potatoes and carrots, plus it would take forever, so I opted with normal cuts. When meat is tender, add potatoes, carrots, and peas, along with seasonings. Cover and simmer 20 minutes, or until vegetables are nearly tender. Add tomatoes and cook 10 more minutes. Remove meat and vegetables from broth.

Put water in a screw-top jar with flour. Cover jar tightly and shake until flour and water are combined. Pour mixture slowly into soup broth, stirring constantly with a whisk. Bring to boiling and cook until of desired thickness. Return meat and vegetables to pot and heat through before serving.

We had mixed feelings about this dish from The German & Viennese Cookbook. While it was very tasty and we loved the idea of trying something new, the oxtails were a little difficult to eat. Like I said, the tail is a bit of bone with some morsels of meat on it, but when it came time to get the meat off the bones this stew (which one normally assumes to eat with a spoon) became a fork/knife meal, with occasional finger eating as well. That said, I love the idea of using every part of the animal, so I would say our first attempt at eating oxtails was a successful experiment.

Have a question or a request? Put it in the comments below and I’ll be sure to respond. Fröhe essen!

Schnecken

My German grandmother would be so pleased today: I made cinnamon rolls called Schnecken from The German & Viennese Cookbook. The reason this is funny is that “Schnecken” is the German word for snails, and my grandmother really hates snails and slugs and other slimy gastropods. However, these turned out so well that I’m sure she wouldn’t mind these gooey snails!

Schnecken/Nut Snails

1 C plus 24 nuts (either pecans or almonds), divided

1 C brown sugar

¼ C currants

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 C milk

1 pkg OR 2 ½ tsp yeast

¼ C warm water

½ C sugar

1 tsp salt

5 C flour, divided

2 eggs

½ C butter, softened

2/3 C butter, melted

Set the 24 nuts aside and coarsely chop the 1 C. Mix chopped nuts together with brown sugar, currants, and cinnamon and set aside.

Scald milk. Soften yeast in warm water and let stand. Put sugar and salt in a large bowl. Pour scalded milk over sugar in bowl and stir until blended. Mix in softened yeast, then blend in 1 C flour until smooth. Add approximately 2 C of flour to dough and blend until very smooth, then add eggs. Vigorously beat in ½ C butter 2 to 3 tbsp at a time. Add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn dough onto a lightly floured board and let stand 5 to 10 minutes.

Knead dough until smooth. Form into a tight ball and place in a deep greased bowl. Allow to rise until doubled. Punch dough down with fist and re-form into a ball. Allow to rise until doubled.

Meanwhile, melt 2/3 C butter. Put about 1 tsp of butter in the bottom of each muffin pan well. Instead of putting the mixture straight into my muffin pans (because I hate greasy dishes), I put cupcake liners in my pan wells first, then put the butter in the cupcake papers. Sprinkle about 2 tsp of the nut/sugar mixture in each muffin well. Gently press one nut into the sugar mixture in each well.

Form dough into 2 balls. Roll each ball out into a 8”x12” rectangle. Brush top surface of dough with melted butter and sprinkle evenly with nut/sugar mixture.

Starting with a long side of the rectangle, roll dough up tightly and press edges together to seal. Cut each roll into 12 slices. Place one slice in each muffin well. Allow to rise until doubled. Bake at 375^oF for 15 to 20 minutes. I recommend closer to 20, because this allows the interior of the rolls to bake so they are not quite so soggy. Invert muffin pans on cooling rack for 5 minutes. Remove Schnecken from pan and cool on racks, glazed side up.

What can I say? These were fantastic! We enjoyed them for dessert, and again for breakfast! The dough was wonderful – a nice basic soft dough that baked up airy and fluffy and yummy. Although the nut/sugar mixture is very tasty, we decided that the glaze on the bottom wasn’t necessary, so in the future I think I will put all of the filling inside the rolls instead of underneath. All in all, however, these little “nut snails” were a delightful version of cinnamon rolls that we will surely enjoy again and again.

Have a question or a request? Put it in the comments below and I’ll be sure to respond. Fröhe essen!

(Welsh) Rarebit

So, I thought I'd crack open a brand new book today. It promises 230 Tasty Sandwich Recipes. A lot of the things I saw as I flipped through didn't look very inventive or different from sandwiches I already know, but as I moved toward the back of the book I found rarebit. I had eaten rarebit once before, but I had never made it. Now, I know it's not really a sandwich, but it's in there anyway.

Unfortunately, the rarebit recipe in this book is really wrong. Like, really. They said to use American cheese (which doesn't melt well), and it didn't say anything about using beer (rarebit is traditionally made with a dark beer). So, after a bit of internet research and some trial-and-error, this is what we get:

Rarebit - Essen Girl Style

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp mustard (Dijon or spicy brown)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 C dark beer (porter or stout is a nice choice)
1/2 - 3/4 C whole milk or cream
2 C cheddar cheese

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook until thick. Mix in mustard and Worcestershire and cook until very thick. Whisk in beer and mix until smooth. Add milk and cheese, stirring until cheese is completely melted. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

A lot of recipes I found, including the original from the cookbook, call for pouring rarebit over a slice of bread (hence, "sandwich," I guess). But I served my rarebit to friends during a game night, so I figured dipping would be better than pouring. Homemade soft pretzels and some sliced summer sausage went very well in this tasty, cheesy dip.

Have a question or a request? Put it in the comments below and I’ll be sure to respond. Fröhe essen!

Gurkensalat mit saurer Sahne

GURKENSALAT MIT SAURER SAHNE

Cucumber Salad with Sour Cream

The third part of our Vienna Shrimp meal was the vegetable: cucumber salad. We decided that the salad didn’t need the egg garnish, but other than that we enjoyed it!

Gurkensalat mit saurer Sahne/Cucumber Salad with Sour Cream

1 egg

2 cucumbers

½ C thick sour cream

1 ½ tbsp vinegar

1 tbsp chopped chives

¾ tsp salt

1/8 tsp white pepper

Hard-cook the egg and set aside.

Rinse and pare cucumbers. I usually don’t bother to pare my vegetables, even when the recipes call for it, because the skins on most vegetables contain extra vitamins and nutrients – plus it’s less wasteful! Cut cucumbers into thin slices. Put in a bowl and set aside.

Mix remaining ingredients together, pour over cucumber slices, and toss gently to coat evenly. Chill in refrigerator.

When ready to serve, cut the peeled egg in half, remove the yolk and chop finely. Garnish salad with chopped egg yolk.

Like I said, the salad doesn’t really need the egg garnish, but other than that, it was delicious! The vinegar gives the salad a bright, refreshing taste, and the white pepper brings a wonderfully earthy background flavor.

Have a question or a request? Put it in the comments below and I’ll be sure to respond. Fröhe essen!

Kartoffelbällchen mit Petersilie

KARTOFFELBÄLLCHEN MIT PETERSILIE

Parsley Potato Balls

Before we go any farther with this recipe, I have a confession to make: I didn’t follow the directions. The recipe calls for the cook to cut the potatoes into balls using a melon-baller. I didn’t do it. Using a melon-baller would have wasted a terrible amount of potato, so instead I just cut them into normal pieces.

Kartoffelbällchen mit Petersilie/Parsley Potato Balls

2 lbs potatoes

¼ C butter (or bacon fat)

2 tbsp minced parsley

½ tsp salt

Few grains paprika

Wash, pare, and cut potatoes into balls using a melon-baller. Like I said, I just cut them into normal pieces.

Melt the butter in a skillet. Add the potato balls, cover and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Occasionally turn and move the balls gently with a spoon to brown all sides evenly.

Toss potato balls with a mixture of the remaining ingredients and serve.

I know, I know, this is incredibly simple and most of us have already made some version of this recipe on our own. But simplicity does in no way detract from the tastiness of the dish.

Have a question or a request? Put it in the comments below and I’ll be sure to respond. Fröhe essen!

Skampi auf wienerische Art

SKAMPI AUF WIENERISCHE ART

Viennese-Style Shrimp

I wasn’t really expecting too many seafood dishes in The German & Viennese Cookbook, let alone a shrimp recipe. But, as luck would have it, this surprise turned out to be quite pleasant!

Skampi auf wienerische Art/Viennese-Style Shrimp

2 lbs fresh shrimp with shells

1 qt water

¼ C lemon juice

1 tbsp salt

1 bay leaf

¼ C butter

2 tbsp green onion, chopped

½ C white wine

1 tbsp tomato paste

¼ tsp sugar

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp MSG

Few grains cayenne pepper

A word on shrimp: fresh raw shrimp can taste very fishy if you don’t rinse them in anything first. I recommend 15 minutes or so in lime or lemon juice – the acid will help break down the fishy taste, plus the shrimp will be nicely marinated. Be careful not to let them sit much longer: too long and the acid could actually cook the shrimp (ceviche)!

Rinse shrimp in cold water. Bring water, lemon juice, salt, and bay leaf to boiling. Drop shrimp into boiling mixture. Cover tightly and simmer 5 minutes or until shrimp are pink and tender. Drain and cover with cold water to chill. Drain again. Peel and de-vein shrimp. Rinse again in cold water and drain.

Heat butter in a skillet. Add shrimp and green onion and cook until onion is tender.

Mix together remaining ingredients. Blend mixture into shrimp in skillet. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Heat 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp flour in a saucepan to create a roux. Gradually add 3 tbsp of the shrimp sauce, stirring constantly. Immediately blend the rest of the liquid into the sauce. Bring to boiling and cook 1 to 2 minutes or until of desired thickness. Add shrimp and cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

We liked this. A lot. No, really, this was really good! I’m not going to lie and say that I love peeling and de-veining shrimp (it’s a lot of work), but the sauce was very tasty! I served these Viennese shrimp with Parsley Potato Balls and Cucumber Salad for a refreshing, yet filling dinner. The flavors all complemented one another. I especially liked the crispness of the cucumber with the shrimp.

Have a question or a request? Put it in the comments below and I’ll be sure to respond. Fröhe essen!

Kohlrabi in Rahmsosse

KOHLRABI IN RAHMSOSSE

Kohlrabi with Sour Cream

I had never cooked kohlrabi before – I didn’t even know what it was! I mean, I had seen it in the produce section of the grocery store, but I had no idea what to do with it. A little research on the Internet discovered that kohlrabi is related to broccoli, but is a human cultivar. It has a strange bulbous stem, which is the part I cut up for us to eat. The kohlrabi reminded me of something between a potato and an apple in terms of texture.

Kohlrabi in Rahmsosse/Kohlrabi in Sour Cream

2 lb kohlrabi

3 tbsp butter

¼ C hot water

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp MSG

1 C sour cream

1 tbsp flour

¼ tsp MSG

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Trim off stems and leaves from kohlrabi, wash and pare off outer green skin. I accidentally did not remove the green skin, which was not a total disaster, but the skin does have some weird fibrous bits in it. Cut kohlrabi into ½ in cubes. Heat the butter in a skillet and cook the kohlrabi for about 2 minutes. Add water and seasonings. Cover and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, mix together sour cream and seasonings. Remove kohlrabi from skillet and set aside to keep warm. Add sour cream mixture to skillet, stirring constantly. When well blended, stir in the kohlrabi and cook, constantly stirring, until sauce becomes thicker.

This was very interesting. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but we actually really liked the kohlrabi. It was creamy but still crunchy and paired very well with the meatballs.

Have a question or a request? Put it in the comments below and I’ll be sure to respond. Fröhe essen!

Königsberger Klops

KÖNIGSBERGER KLOPS

Koenigsberg Meat Balls

Cold winter days call for warm, comforting food – what better comfort food than meatballs? I found this delightful recipe in The German & Viennese Cookbook.

Königsberger Klops/Koenigsberg Meat Balls

Meat Balls                                         Stock                                           Sauce

1 C bread crumbs                              3 C water                                     2 tbsp butter

¼ C milk                                            2 tbsp chopped onion                   2 tbsp flour

1 onion, chopped                              1 bay leaf                                      2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp butter                                      1 whole clove                               1 tbsp capers, chopped

1 lb ground beef                                2 peppercorns

¼ lb ground veal or pork                   ¼ tsp salt

4 anchovy fillets, mashed

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp salt

½ tsp MSG

¼ tsp pepper

Cook onion in butter in skillet until golden. Combine in a bowl with bread crumbs and remaining ingredients. Mix gently but thoroughly by hand and shape into 2 in balls.

Mix together the ingredients for the stock and bring to boiling in a saucepan. Carefully put the meatballs into the liquid. Bring to boiling; reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove meatballs with a slotted spoon and set aside to keep warm.

Strain the stock. Heat butter in saucepan and blend in flour to create a roux. Heat until bubbling. Gradually add 2 C of the cooking liquid along with the lemon juice and capers. Bring rapidly to boiling, stirring constantly. Cook 1 to 2 minutes longer. Return the meatballs to the sauce and heat thoroughly.

As I hoped, these were quite warm and comforting. I was a little nervous about the anchovies, but they added a deeper level of flavor to the meatballs, and I adore the taste of capers in anything! I served these with kohlrabi, another first for me, and we enjoyed this German meal on a cold autumn evening.

Have a question or a request? Put it in the comments below and I’ll be sure to respond. Fröhe essen!

Blumenkohl mit Senfsasse

BLUMENKOHL MIT SENFSASSE

Cauliflower with Mustard Sauce

As I have said before, I love the flavor of mustard, so when I needed a side dish to pair with my Wiener Schnitzel, this seemed like a great choice.

Blumenkohl mit Senfsasse/Cauliflower with Mustard Sauce

1 head cauliflower

1 C heavy cream, divided

¼ C sugar

2 tbsp dry mustard

2 tsp cornstarch

½ tsp salt

1 egg yolk

¼ C cider vinegar

Clean cauliflower and break into bite-sized pieces. Rinse, then cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until tender.

Scald ¾ C cream. Mix dry ingredients in a small saucepan. Add remaining ¼ C cream to dry ingredients while stirring. Gradually add scalded cream, stirring constantly. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, and cook for 3 minutes. Lower heat and cover, cook for another 10 to 12 minutes. Temper beaten egg yolk with 3 tbsp of the cream mixture, then blend back into saucepan. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until relatively thick. Add vinegar while stirring.

Drain cauliflower and mix into mustard sauce.

We really liked this. The sauce was pleasantly sweet with a good mustard flavor and a nice tang from the vinegar. As an added bonus, this side dish looked very pretty. I would definitely make this again, and it paired very well with the veal.

Have a question or a request? Put it in the comments below and I’ll be sure to respond. Fröhe essen!

Wiener Schnitzel

Happy New Year! ESSEN GIRL will now return to the regularly scheduled posts about meals!
I hope everyone enjoyed the parade of holiday-themed desserts, but let's get back on track with some actual meal recipes for lunches and dinners.

WIENER SCHNITZEL

Breaded Veal Cutlets

This was another first for me: I’d never cooked veal before. But, this classic recipe from The German & Viennese Cookbook was something I couldn’t pass up.

A word on veal. I know that a lot of people have concerns about how veal is raised, if not how all food animals are raised. While I share these concerns – we need to know where our food comes from, we need our food animals to be healthy and well-treated so we can be healthy while eating them, and we need to treat our fellow creatures with respect – I also grew up as the daughter of an agricultural educator. I learned that food animals are the livelihood of the farmers who own them. While this may be a “no, duh” moment for us all, the part we forget to remember is that since farmers rely on these food animals for their livelihoods, most farmers treat their livestock very well. I mean, it makes sense, right? If you treat your veal calves well, then you make a good profit, so your life is better. I hope that made sense. That’s why I don’t mind eating veal. (Please remember: this doesn’t mean that I love CAFOs or other terrible things about the American meat industry. It just means that I like food, and I’m not going to avoid trying a good recipe just because it calls for a baby animal instead of an adult animal.)

This recipe calls for a deep-frying pot filled with lard. However, I didn’t feel like I needed to deep-fry my dinner. Instead, I filled a deep skillet with peanut oil just enough to give a good crisping to the cutlets.

Wiener Schnitzel/Breaded Veal Cutlets

2 lbs veal round steak

½ C flour

1 ½ tsp salt

1 tsp MSG

¼ tsp pepper

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1 ½ C bread crumbs

Pound meat on both sides with tenderizer until ¼ in thick. Mix flour and seasonings together. Coat meat with flour mixture, then dip in egg, then coat in bread crumbs. I added some salt, pepper and garlic powder to my bread crumbs so the veal didn’t seem so bland.

Fry cutlets until browned on both sides. Drain over absorbent paper. Serve with lemon wedges.

I paired these very tasty, tender cutlets with Cauliflower in Mustard Sauce. It was a wonderfully German dinner that we enjoyed very much. 2 lbs of veal wound up being a lot for just a 2-person dinner, but we were able to enjoy the schnitzel as leftover meals and on sandwiches.

Have a question or a request? Put it in the comments below and I’ll be sure to respond. Fröhe essen!