Buttery Smashed Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi is a derivative of the cabbage plant, but its flavor is at once milder and slightly sweeter than its kin.

Tip:
For a smoother consistency, use a food processor or blender to mash the kohlrabi mixture.

Recommended Equipment:
Medium to large rice cooker with a steamer basket; fuzzy logic or on/off


Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
1 large kohlrabi, peeled and cut into cubes (about 4 cups/1 L)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup whole or 2% milk (approx.)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
snipped fresh chives

Preparation:

1. Place 4 cups (1 L) water in the rice cooker bowl and set the rice cooker for the Regular or Steam cycle.
2. Spray the steamer basket with cooking spray. Place kohlrabi in the basket. When the water comes to a boil, place the basket in the rice cooker. Set a timer for 15 minutes.
3. When the timer sounds, check to make sure kohlrabi is tender. If necessary, continue cooking, checking for doneness every 3 minutes.
4. Transfer kohlrabi to a large bowl. Add garlic, sour cream and butter; mash with a potato masher or fork, adding milk as needed, until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm, garnished with chives.

Variation:
Buttery Smashed Bacon Kohlrabi: Add 1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped cooked bacon with the garlic.

Makes 4 servings

Recipe courtesy of 300 Best Rice Cooker Recipes by Katie Chin

Germany [ print this recipe for Buttery Smashed Kohlrabi ]

Sauerbraten Recipe

Sauerbraten is believed to have been introduced in Germany shortly after the arrival of the Romans. The Roman practice of preserving meat in red wine was said to have inspired Germans to prepare meat this way. Today, sauerbraten has several regional variations. It used to be prepared using horse meat, however today it is usually made with beef or veal. It is usually marinaded in a vinegar base for several days creating a tender texture and rich flavor. This recipe uses a shorter marinade process combined with low heat over 7 hours using a slow cooker to produce similar results. Try this recipe with red cabbage and garlic mashed potatoes.



Recommended Equipment:

slow cooker

brining bag or large air-tight glass container



Ingredients:

2 1/2 to 3 pound rump roast

1 cup water

1 cup white vinegar

1 1/2 cup yellow onion, sliced

2 tbsp Kosher salt

2 tbsp sugar

1 lemon

2 bay leaves

6 peppercorns

10 whole cloves

14 gingersnaps, crushed



Preparation:

1. Trim any excess fat from the roast. Cut the roast in half lengthwise. Place the pieces of roast in a brining bag or large glass container.
2. In a mixing bowl, mix together the water, vinegar, onion, salt, sugar, juice from the lemon, bay leaves, cloves, and peppercorns. Pour mixture into the container holding the roast.
3. Seal the container and refrigerate for 24 hours, turning the pieces of roast occasionally.
4. Remove the pieces of roast from the container and place them into a greased slow cooker. Pour 1 1/2 cups of the marinade over the roast in the slow cooker and discard the remaining marinade mixture.
5. Place the cover on the slow cooker and cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 7 hours until roast is tender.
6. Remove the pieces of roast from the slow cooker and keep them warm.
7. Strain the liquid that is left in the slow cooker and return it to the slow cooker.
8. Increase the heat to high. Add the crushed gingersnaps to the slow cooker. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 12 minutes. The gravy should be smooth and thick.
9. Pour gravy over the meat and serve.

Germany [ print this recipe ]

Red Cabbage Recipe

Red Cabbage is both sweet and sour and a great compliment to the rich flavors of beef, pork, or potatoes.



Ingredients:

1/4 pound unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 head of red cabbage, shredded



Preparation:

1. In a large pot over medium heat, mix together the butter, red wine vinegar, and sugar and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat to low and add the shredded red cabbage to the pot. Do not cover the pot.
3. Cook over low heat for 1 hour or slightly less time if you like your cabbage crisp.

Germany [ print this recipe ]

All-Natural Whole Grain Breakfast Recipe

This power breakfast is based on a dish that my grandfather used to eat every day. He lived to be 98 years old despite almost losing his life during the First World War (see photos below).

Although longevity has a genetic component, it is also a function of diet and exercise. So I wanted to develop a similar ultra-healthy breakfast dish that was easy and fast to make (10 minutes or less) that could be eaten quickly, before leaving for work.







My grandfather always used Cheerios as the base for his dish. In fact, Cheerios is still considered one of the healthiest cereals that you can choose according to this article on the “A Calorie Counter” website (although it seems to have fallen out of favor with American consumers - Cereals Americans no longer love). The same cereal everyday can be a bit monotonous so we like to rotate the base cereal each day. We use Cheerios, Kashi GoLean (4 types to choose from), Wheat Chex, Total Raisin Bran, and Wheaties. All of these cereals are extremely healthy. They contain no trans fat, no saturated fat, little or no sugar, no high fructose corn syrup, and they provide a good portion of fiber and whole grain (instead of refined grain). The specific comparison data for each of these cereals is listed below courtesy of the “A Calorie Counter” website.

			Total fat	Sat. Fat	Carbs.	Fiber	Sugar	Protein	Contains	Contains
cereal	cups	calories	(g)	(g)	(g)	(g)	(g)	(g)	Trans fat	HFCS
Cheerios	1	100	2	0	20	3	1	3	No	No
Total	0.75	100	0.5	0	23	3	5	2	No	No
GoLEAN	1	140	1	0	30	10	6	13	No	No
Wheat Chex	0.75	160	1	0	38	5	5	5	No	No
Wheaties	0.75	100	0.5	0	22	3	4	3	No	No

From this healthy base, we add either 10 grain or 8 grain cereal and wheat germ. We prefer the Bob’s Red Mill brand grain cereals. For the wheat germ, we use Hodgson Mill brand. You can read about the health benefits of these two key ingredients in more detail below:

Health benefits of eating wheat germ
Health benefits of eating multi-grain cereals

Finally, we add the all-natural sweeteners of honey and fruit (preferably blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries). The health benefits of eating honey and these types of berries are described in more detail here:

Health benefits of eating honey
Health benefits of eating honey and cinnamon
Health benefits of eating blueberries
Health benefits of eating raspberries
Health benefits of eating blackberries
Additional information on all of these types of berries can be found on Oregon State's Berry Benefits Network website.

Top this off with 1% or skim milk and you have already satisfied most of the recommended daily intake of fiber and many other nutrients required for the entire day. You will also have a steady supply of energy to last you well through the afternoon without any cravings for snacks. Try this breakfast every morning for a week and let us know what you think.

Ingredients:
1 cup of cereal
1/4 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup 8 or 10 grain cereal

2 tbsp honey
1/2 cup blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries
1/4 tspn cinnamon (optional)
1% or skim milk

Preparation:

1. In a bowl, add the cereal, wheat germ, and the 8 or 10 grain cereal. Stir the contents so that the wheat germ and grain cereal mix well with the base cereal.
   
2. Next, pour about 2 tablespoons of honey over the cereal mixture. You can also add 1/4 tspn of ground cinnamon to this if you prefer.
   
3. Pour 1/2 cup of the fruit of your choice over the honey and cereal. If I use raspberries or blackberries, I've found that these taste better fresh versus frozen. However, blueberries taste great either way.
   
4. Add milk and enjoy!
   

Germany

German Potato Casserole Recipe

This recipe for German Potato Casserole comes from the Old Farmer's Almanac Garden Fresh Cookbook. It is a tasty and healthy side dish that goes with most entrees. We paired it up with Portuguese Skillet Haddock, (also from the Old Farmer's Almanac Garden Fresh Cookbook) and it turned out to be a great combination. I really liked the potatoes and the rutabaga together and I'm thinking about trying this combo in scalloped potatoes. Overall, this is a very healthy recipe.

Ingredients:
5 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 small rutabagas, peeled and diced

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk, warmed
1/8 tspn white pepper
1/4 tspn salt
1/8 tspn nutmeg
6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Grease a 2-quart casserole.
3. In a stockpot of boiling, salted water, cook the potatoes and rutabagas until tender, but not mushy (they should hold their shape).
4. Drain well and set the vegetables aside in the pot to keep warm.
5. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and stir constantly until bubbly and well blended. Add the warm milk slowly and continue stirring until the sauce comes to a boil. Add the pepper, salt, and nutmeg and stir to blend.
6. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the sauce over the potatoes and rutabagas.
7. Transfer the mixture into the prepared casserole.
8. Sprinkle the crumbled bacon on top and cover.
9. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for 15 minutes more, or until golden.

Makes 8 servings.

Recipe courtesy of The Old Farmer's Almanac Garden-Fresh Cookbook.

Germany

Apple Raisin Farfel Recipe פֿאַרפֿל

Farfel comes from the Middle High German word varveln which means pellet-shaped pasta. It is made from matzo that is ground or cut and used in soups and other dishes. The origin of this dish can be traced back to Ashkenazi Jewish communities in Germany during the middle ages.

Well, enough of the history. This is was the first Kosher dish that I've ever tried to make and I have to tell you that it probably won't be my last. It tasted like a breakfast version of bread pudding. It's a very healthy dish and it's really up to you as to how sweet you want to make it. The apple, raisin, and cinnamon give it a mildly sweet and tart flavor. I added a little pure maple syrup to add to the sweetness and complexity of this dish.

Ingredients:
3 cups milk
3 cups water
¼ cup butter
2 green apples, unpeeled, diced small
1 cup dark or golden raisins
2 tbsp cinnamon
optional: sugar or honey to taste (I actually used pure maple syrup)
Salt to taste
1 pound box Osem Whole Wheat Farfel

Preparation:

1. Bring all but last ingredient to boil in a medium saucepan.
2. Reduce the flame to medium, and stir in the farfel.
3. Cook covered about 5 minutes. If you like it thinner, thin with a little water or milk. Serve hot.

Recipe courtesy of Levana Kirschenbaum

Germany

Walnut Cookie Recipe

With the holidays right around the corner, I wanted to post a few recipes for cookies. This recipe for walnut cookies has its origins in Germany. These cookies have alot of flavor but they're not too sweet. Try them with Cafe Noir.

Ingredients:
dough
10 tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
6 egg yolks
1 tspn vanilla
pinch of salt
50 ground walnuts

glaze
2 tbsp apricot jam
halves of walnuts for garnish
1/8 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tspn vanilla
1 tbsp milk

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
   
2. Using a stand mixer, mix together the butter, powdered sugar, egg yolks, egg, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract.
3. Add walnuts and flour.
4. Make balls of dough that are walnut sized and place them on a greased baking sheet.
5. Bake for 20 minutes.
6. Remove the cookies and brush them with the apricot jam.
   
7. Construct the glaze by combining the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk in a sauce pan. Stir these ingredients over medium-low heat until they form a white, clear glaze.
8. Brush the glaze on each of the cookies and top them each with a half of a walnut.
   

Germany

Fruit Pancake Recipe

This fruit pancake recipe is another old family favorite. My mom used to make layer upon layer for me and my brothers and sisters. This recipe makes about 7 pancakes so if you are cooking for alot of people, you can increase the amounts as needed.

Fruit pancakes are a great choice for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The key is to use the freshest fruit possible. As such, I usually make these more in the summer and fall as you have many great choices for toppings during these seasons.



Ingredients:
1 cup flour, sifted
1/3 cup sugar
1 tspn baking powder
1 tspn salt
2 eggs
2 tspn cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
1 tspn canola oil
2 tspn vanilla
+ fruit of your choice (apples, blueberries, kiwi, banana all work well)

Preparation:

1. Sift the dry ingredients.
2. Mix eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla together in a large mixing bowl.
3. Mix in the dry ingredients.
4. Prep your fruit. Whatever fruit that you decide to use, try to slice it as thin as you can. Small berries can be put onto the pancake whole.
   
5. Heat skillet over medium heat.
6. Pour a little less than 1/4 cup batter onto the skillet.
7. When bubbles start to form in the batter, add a pieces of fruit to cover the pancake.
8. Flip and cook the other side (about another 2 - 3 minutes).
9. Top with confection sugar, fresh fruit, or both.

Related Articles / Posts:
Increase metabolism with breakfast

Germany

The German Dish

The German Dish has been a specialty in my family for as long as I can remember. In fact, I think it has been passed down through several generations and can be traced to the Ruhr Valley in an area known as Westphalia. I love this dish because all of its flavor comes from a few basic ingredients. I also like it because you can prepare a generous portion for between $10 and $15. As an added bonus, when you are cooking, it it will make your house smell great and everyone will think you really know how to cook. Give it a try. You will be amazed at how simple and easy a great dish can be.

Note: This recipe uses Polish kielbasas because the German version of this sausage may be difficult to find in your average grocery store.

Ingredients:
2 Polska kielbasas, cut into 4 inch pieces
2 large potatoes, cut into 2 inch pieces
3 medium carrots, cut in half lengthwise
2 ribs celery, diced
2 medium onions, diced
1/2 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 tbsp black pepper
3/4 tbsp beef bullion
3 cups water

Preparation:

1. Add all of the ingredients to a large pot or Dutch oven. Heat ingredients over medium-low heat for about an hour and a half.
2. If water starts to boil, reduce heat.
3. After potatoes and carrots can become tender, remove the kielbasas and set aside.
4. With a potato masher, mash all of the vegetables together in the pot until they are well combined.
5. Add the kielbasas back to the pot.
   
6. Continue to simmer over low heat until most of the remaining water has been reduced.
7. Serve with hot, spicy or Dijon mustard on the side.

Looking for a wine to pair with this dish? Try this German wine that is produced in Chile:
Cono Sur Gewürztraminer

Germany

Marmorgugelhupf - Marble Cake Recipe

This recipe for Marmorgugelhupf is a modern take on the German classic dessert. It is an excellent complement to coffee and makes a great dessert. Try it with cafe noir.

Recommended Equipment:
tube or bundt pan
stand mixer

Ingredients:
main batter
1 2/3 cup sugar
2 2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tspn salt
2 tspn baking powder
7 eggs
12 oz. unsalted butter, at room temp.
3 tbsp. Kahlua

chocolate batter
2 tbsp whole milk
2 tbsp Kahlua
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted
1/2 tspn baking soda

chocolate glaze
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp dark corn syrup
2 tspn vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Grease a tube or bundt pan.
3. In a large bowl or mixer, mix together the flour, baking powder, sugar, ans salt.
4. Add butter to the mixture and mix until the ingredients form a paste.
5. Mix the eggs and the Kahlua together.
6. Slowly mix the egg and Kahlua mixture in with the main batter paste.
7. In a separate mixing bowl, construct the chocolate batter by combining the milk, Kahlua, and baking soda. Add the melted chocolate to the mixture and whisk thoroughly.
8. Add 2 cups of the main batter to the chocolate mixture and mix until the two have completely combined.
9. Pour half of the remaining main batter to the bundt pan and smooth the batter so that it is evenly distributed.
10. Pour the chocolate batter evenly over the first layer of main batter.
11. Pour the remaining batter evenly over the chocolate layer.
12. Using a table knife, insert the blade into the batter. Move the blade up and down in a spiral motion as you make your way around the cake. Stop when you reach the point at which you started.
13. Bake the cake until it is firm ~ about 1 hour.
14. Remove cake from over and let cool for 5 minutes. Turn cake out onto a cooling rack.
15. Make the chocolate glaze by heating the whipping cream to a boil. Add the chocolate chips, vanilla, and corn syrup. Whisk ingredients together. Remove from heat and let the mixture thicken.
16. Drizzle chocolate glaze over the cake.
    

Germany

German Coffee Cake Recipe

This recipe for German Coffee Cake has been popular in my family for as long as I can remember. It was always baked on weekends when people were in town for a visit. German coffee cake is a great choice for a stand alone breakfast paired with a strong cup of coffee and fresh fruit.

Recommended Equipment:
tube or bundt pan

Ingredients:
cake
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cups butter (softened)
3 eggs
1 1/2 tspn vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tspn baking powder
1 1/2 tspn baking soda
3/4 tspn salt
1 1/2 cups sour cream

filling
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 tspn cinnamon

glaze
1/4 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tspn vanilla
1 - 2 tbsp milk

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Grease a tube or bundt pan.
3. Beat eggs, sugar, butter, sour cream, and vanilla together.
4. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.
5. Mix the mixture from step #4 in with the mixture from step #3.
6. In a separate bowl construct the filling. Mix together the brown sugar, pecans, and cinnamon.
7. Pour a third of the batter into the tube pan. Top this with a third of the filling.
8. Repeat step #7 two more times.
9. Bake for one hour and then remove from oven and let cool.
10. Construct the glaze by combining the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk in a sauce pan. Stir these ingredients over medium-low heat until they form a white, clear glaze.
    
11. Drizzle over cake.
12. Optional: Top with additional chopped pecans.
    

Germany [ print this recipe for German Coffee Cake ]

Potato Pancake Recipe (Reibekuchen)

The potato pancake is a quintessential German dish. Until I lived in Cincinnati, Ohio, however, I did not realize that there were two major types of potato pancakes. Regular potato pancakes, or reibekuchen and Siegerländer reibekuchen.

Here in the Midwest, it is pretty easy to find restaurants that serve at least one of these two varieties. For example, here in Cincinnati, you can get regular potato pancakes at Mecklenburg Gardens or Christy's and Leinhardt's. Siegerlander reibekuchen can be found at Izzy's. If you are ever in Cincinnati, you should try to visit each of these establishments. They are sehr gut!!

Siegerländers differ from the regular potato pancakes in that they are made with wheat flour and yeast in addition to potatoes so they are a less dense and more like a deep fried potato bread hybrid. The recipe that follows is for the traditional regular potato pancake.

Ingredients:
5 waxy potatoes (like these)

1 yellow onion, diced
2 eggs
salt and pepper, to taste
oil or butter for frying

Preparation:

1. Skin potatoes and then grate them coarsely.
   
2. Wrap the potatoes in a clean dish cloth and squeeze out the water.
3. Put the potatoes into a large bowl along with the onion, eggs, salt, and pepper.
4. Mix thoroughly.
5. Pour enough oil in a cast iron skillet to cover the bottom of the skillet.
6. Preheat the skillet over medium heat.
7. Drop spoonfuls of the potato mixture into the pan and pat them down with the back of the spoon to form a pancake.
8. Cook on both sides until golden brown.
9. Serve hot.
   

This dish goes really well with various condiments such as sour cream or apple sauce. If you can find some, they also go well with an ice cold bottle of Hacker-Pschorr Munich Gold.


Germany

Apple Sauce Recipe

This is another easy recipe that you can make in about a half an hour. It can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It is really good with Dutch Babies.

Ingredients:
3 apples, peeled (I used Jonagold)
1 cup water
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tspn cinnamon

Preparation:

1. Peel and core the apples and cut each apple into 8 equal sized pieces
2. In a pot over medium - low heat, add the apples, water, sugar, and cinnamon
3. Partially cover pot with lid
4. As apples begin to soften, stir and crush them with a wooden spoon.
5. After about 30 to 40 minutes, the apple mixture should have a smooth consistency.
6. Serve hot or cold

Germany

Dutch Babies Recipe

The Dutch Baby was originally derived from the German pancake, Apfelpfannkuchen. It is said that it was slightly modified and given the name "Dutch Baby" in the 1930s by Manca's Cafe, a family owned restaurant in Seattle Washington.

If you don't feel like attempting to bake one of these Dutch Babies up in your own kitchen, the Oregon based, Original Pancake House chain serves up a pretty good one. If you get the chance, give it a try. It could change your life.

Recommended Equipment:
Mixer
Cast-iron skillet

Ingredients:
6 eggs
1 cup flour, sifted
1 cup milk
1/2 tspn vanilla
5 tbspn butter, melted
1/2 tspn cinnamon
confection sugar

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2. Put cast iron skillet in oven until hot
3. Mix together eggs, flour, milk, vanilla, butter, and cinnamon.
4. Pour mixture into skillet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown on top.
5. Remove from oven and sprinkle with confection sugar.
6. Optional toppings: maple syrup or fruit such as strawberries, blue berries, etc.

Recommended sides:
Apple Sauce

Germany