I have seen many recipes for German red cabbage, and most are absolutely in my wheelhouse and are recipes I would serve any day of the week. This is because they are crunchy, sweet, vinegary and amazing! These are ingredients that are easily found or are in your house already.
Most of the authentic recipes that I have found for red cabbage involve apple, which makes perfect sense. Sweet and salty and sour….who could argue with these flavors? In this recipe, I have substituted butternut squash for the apple.
As I have learned, red cabbage is served in many eastern Eurpoean countries with pork loin, pork chops, pork knuckle, saurbraten and other beef recipes. In my mind, I can serve it with anything, but if I serve pork of any sort, I always have a sweet element. Usually, I go with apple sauce, or sauteed or grilled pears or peaches. For this meal, the Red Cabbage is sweet enough to make the grade! Stick with me, this one is good…
Ingredients
10 Ounce Red Cabbage, thinly shredded
1/2 small red onion, sliced thin
1/2 small yellow onion, sliced thin
5 juniper berries
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 Garlic cloves minced
Optional – depending on your sweet tooth – 2 Tbsp. sweet jam of your choice
2 Tbsp. Butter
1/2 lb. butternut squash cut into 1/2 inch squares
Instruction
SO SIMPLE!
Add butter into pan. When bubbling, add squash. After 3-4 mins when squash is beginning to soften, add onion, juniper, sugar, vinegar and garlic. Keep over middle heat, at a slow bubble.
Add in the cabbage and sautee until cabbage is softened, but still crisp! Enjoy hot, room temperature, or cold. This recipe will taste just as good, if not better, the next day!
This recipe goes amazing well with my recipe for Pork Schnitzel! Pork with a sweet side is always a winner!
I LOVE a German restaurant. In my opinion, there are not enough German restaurants serving genuine German food anywhere here in New England! Years ago there were 2 restaurants in my area of Massachusetts, but unfortunately, both have been closed for years. Incredibly disappointing!! I now live in New Hampshire and had heard about one German place to visit in Hookset, NH, but after discussing gettting there to try the Pork Schnitzel, Saurbrauten, Spaetzle and many of the other menu items that I and my husband love for years, it closed before we ever got there. BOO!
I am always up for a bit of a challenge. So, where to start? Pork Schnitzel, of course! The epitome of the basic German food that draws in the typical first time German eaters that are dipping their toe into a new type of food. I mean, as it is, this is a chicken cutlet, for the most part, and we New Englanders have all eaten that, without doubt (forgive me, Vegetarians and Vegans)!
This recipe is easy, and delivers super crispy chicken cutlets/schnitzel. I kept the recipe very simple, but it turns out amazing! Paired with lemon, like you would be served in Germany or Austria, it is nothing short of amazing! So, let’s get to it!!
Ingredients
1.5 lbs. top loin thin cut pork chops – boneless
2 Eggs
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1.5 Cups Panko Bread Crumbs, Plain
4 tsp. Kosher Salt
4 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Instruction
Lay out large piece of parchement paper over a cutting board. Fold parchment in half and lay 3-4 of the pork cutlets in between, covering with other half of parchment. Pound out using a meat tenderizer. If you do not have a tenderizer, grab a heavy pan and use the bottom side to pound out the meat. Pound, starting at the middle of each pork cutlet, moving out to the edges, until you have a uniform thickness of just under 1/4 inch. I know this sounds too thin, but go with it! It will cook quickly, will be tender and will not be too dry or thin once cooked! Set aside on a plate.
You will need 3 containers to contain seasoned flour, beaten egg and seasoned panko break crumbs. Set out your containers. In the first, combine flour with 2 tsp of the salt and 2 tsp of black pepper. Beat the 2 eggs into the second container, being sure to beat until it is fully combined. Put the remaining salt and pepper in with the Panko crumbs and toss to combine.
Dredge the pork cutlets in the flour on both sides, shaking off excess. Place into the egg container and fully coat both sides. Again, shake to ensure there is no excess egg remaining on the pork. Press into the plate of panko and then turn over and press backside to ensure a fully coated cutlet on both sides. Transfer to a plate. Continue for all of the cutlets. Set aside. If you are needing some time before heating the oil to fry the cutlets (I sometimes want to clean up the kitchen a bit before moving to the next step, as example), put the plated, coated cutlets into the refrigerator while you prep.
Breaded pork cutlets
Heat a large frying pan on med-high heat with 1/4 cup of grapeseeed oil. When oil is shimmering, begin placing the cutlets into the pan. These are so thin, they will cook in mere minutes, so do not walk away. Once you check the bottom side and it is fully browned and deliciously crispy looking, turn over. Fry 1-2 more minutes. Pull out the pork shnitzel cutlets once both sides are browned and place onto a cooling rack. Cook in batches, in order to not crowd the pan. If after the first batch, you need to add more oil, remove the pan from the heat, use an old rag and carefully wipe out the remaining oil and crumbs into the sink. Add new oil, wait until hot and start again!
When all are done, place the cooling rack on a sheet pan and let sit in a 275 degree F oven, while you cook some of my other German specialties, such as Red Cabbage and Squash or Spaetzle.
This recipe is one that I have dreamt about doing for years! I have had Spaetzle in Switzerland, Germany, Austria and France, and it has NEVER disappointed me. I will admit, I was a bit intimidated to try making my own Spaetzle, but with an assist from my husband, John, it turned out pretty amazing!!
Spaetzle is actually a pretty simple side dish. It is a dough that is torn into small pieces, boiled in salted water and then either served directly, or dried and then sauteed in a hot pan with butter to borwn the outside and make it even more delicious!
Tools required
Large pot to boil water. The spaetzle pieces will rise to the top of the pan when cooked, so you want a pan that has some diameter and room
A spaetzle maker, such as this one. Most commonly, you can use a stainless steel hand grater to push the dough through into the boiling water, if you do not have a spaetzle maker (I am not sure who does have one!). A hand grater is something used in most kitchens and is what I use. A good example would be this hand held grater.
Note/Tip: The key to using the hand held grater is to press the dough through the flat side of the grater, scraping the dough pieces as they come through the back, into the boiling salted water. Honestly, this is really a 2 person job. I would not have been able to do it without my husband, John. One person can scrape the dough through the grater, and the other to use a knife on the backside to release the dough, as well as use a strainer or spider to pull the cooked noodles out of the water as they are ready.
A hand held spider or mesh strainer
Ingredients
2.25 cups of all purpose flour
1.5 tsp. fine sea salt
4 eggs
6 Tbsp. reduced fat milk (not skim)
Instruction
Set a very large dutch oven or other large vessel on the stove on high with 4 quarts of water and 2-3 tbsp of kosher salt
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl or into your mixer. Mix until fully combined. If the batter is too wet to pick up with your hands, add more flour until it is a workable dough that you are able to hold and manage. Do not overwork!!
Once dough is ready, cut into quarters and push through the backside/flat side of your grater, directly into the boiling water, one quarter at a time, removing the cooked spaetzle as it rises to the top of the water with your spider/strainer
Serving
Serve spaetzle hot, directly after draining, or, allow to cool a few minutes and sautee in butter in a pan, to allow for some delicious, amazing browning on the outside!
I served this spaetzle with my recipe for Pork Schnitzle, but I could see this being served with pork chops, pork loin, steak tips, for a breakfast with something sweet! There are so many options!! Make double the recipe and store some in the freezer safely for a few months to add a little European flair to your future recipes.
I love looking for recipes that are both tasty as well as, at least somewhat, healthy. And with summer in swing, using ingredients that are in season is also a win. These strawberry yogurt pops are a great treat. They make use of the many deals on strawberries at the markets now, are not too sweet, and can be altered to your taste.
Required Tools
To make these pops, you will need a popsicle mold such as this one from Tovolo. Some molds require the addition of popsicle sticks, while others come as a full kit with tops that already have the handle built into the kit. If you are buying, I do recommend the ease of the latter!
You will also need a blender or food processor
Simple Ingredients
2 Cups Strawberries
3 Tablespoons Agave Nectar (or honey if you do not have agave on hand)
2 Cups of lowfat Greek strained yogurt
Instruction
Add strawberries to food processor and process until smooth. Add in the Agave (or honey), and pulse only a few times to combine.
Pour into large bowl and gently blend in the yogurt. This recipe calls for 2 cups of yogurt. Greek yogurt is a bit tart, so add 1-1.5 cups of the yogurt and taste. This is where your preference comes into play. I prefer a little less sweetness, so use the entire 2 cups. Adjust to use the amount that suits you or your family.
Pour into popsicle molds and freeze for 4-6 hours. Note that you will need to run the individual molds under water to get the pop out and enjoy!
Substitutions
You can use just about any fruit that suits your fancy! Banana, blueberry, peach or raspberry would be great options!
I always have mint on hand, whether in plant form in summer, or in the refrigerator in winter. Strawberry and mint is like pork chops and apple sauce in my mind! I love the idea of pulsing in a small handfull with the strawberries before combining with the yogurt. This is on my list for the next batch that I make!
If you like this recipe, try my recipe for frozen bananas! YUM!
My husband and I spend a lot of time in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. There is a seasonal restaurant called Inn Kitchen and Bar located at the Squam Lake Inn in Holderness, NH. It took years of us visiting the area before we finally bucked up, made the ride and reservation.
If you are in the area, I highly recommend giving this place a go! It is an old house, converted to beautuful inn and restaurant. The bar is inviting and the indoor seating cozy, but modern. There is also a lot of outdoor seating, but the indoor was so quaint, any return visit we made was either at the bar or at a table in the bar area.
The menu is small, but powerful. I was surprised when my husband, of all things, decided to start with the beet hummus that was on the menu on our first visit. I rolled with it and am so glad that I did! It was amazing! If you love hummus, which we both do, the addition of the beets adds just enough sweetness to make this a somewhat obnoxious step sister to your usual lemon hummus. You know, the one that is a little too high spirited, but loved, nonetheless for her spunk and ability to stand out!
Anyhow, I got home and got down to figuring out how to make this something that we could enjoy at home, when the ride to Holderness, NH might not be in the cards for us. I think I have nailed this one. Perhaps not the exact recipe, but one that I can definitely live with and am proud of!
The glory of this recipe is that it is fast and easy. The longest bit of work is waiting for it to chill in the refirgerator. I looked at many recipes trying to get to one I liked, most of which called for roasting beets and waiting for them to cool before using. I have skipped all of that nonsense and used canned beets, that can be used directly into your food processer. Food hack for the win!
Ingredients
1/2 of a 15 oz. can of whole beets drained, 1 15.5 oz. can of chickpeas drained, 1 lemon zested and juiced, 1-2 fairly large garlic cloves, 2 tsp, cumin, 1 tsp. black pepper, 2 tsp. kosher salt, 3 heap Tbsp. of tahini. 1/4 – 1/3 cup olive oil.
Instruction
This is as simple as it gets! Add all ingredients, with the exception of the olive oil into a food processor. Pulse until smooth, stopping to use a silicone spatula to scrape down sides of the processer to make sure all is getting incorporated. If you are not getting a smooth consistency, taste and then add either more lemon juice or more tahini, pulse and check for consistency and taste. Once mostly smooth, pulse while drizzing in the olive oil. Add until fully smooth and incorporated. You can use more or less, based on your taste. I tend to add only what I need to get the thin/thickness that I like.
Chill before serving
Once you have tasted and seasoned to your liking, let the hummus cool in the refrigerator for an hour before serving.
Toppings
I like to serve out what we will be eating for a particular meal and top only that amount. Cover the rest to be saved in the refrigerator topping only when being served. My favorite accompaniments would be Zaatar Spice, Sumac Spice, Olive oil and toasted pine nuts. All can be found at most grocers, or ordered online.
To serve
This beet hummus goes with just about any bread, vegetable or meal! I like to serve with carrot and cucumber sticks, pita bread, crispy crackers, definitely red onion and any charcuterie or pickles/cornichons that you have at hand! Have fun with it!! This beet hummus can definitely be the centerpiece of any appetizer board for entertaining.
If you like this recipe, you might also like my recipe for Dilly, Minty tzaziki!
In the summer, I am always looking for recipes that will leverage all of the fruit that is in season. I was never one for baking, but over this past year, I have become obsessed with finding recipes that are not only a little bit of a challenge for me, but taste and look amazing. This recipe for Angel Food Cake was fun to make, goes great with just about any fruit you have in the house and was definitely husband approved!
One of my go to resources in the kitchen is the America’s Test Kitchen website. There are endless recipes, helpful hints and reviews of kitchen gadgets (another one of my obsessions). They have multiple versions of Angel Food Cake, of which this recipe is a bit of a simple spinoff.
Required Tools
Food Processor
Mixer
Angel Food Cake Pan (tube pan)
Rubber Spatula
Sifter
I used a food processor, as well as a mixer, but a blender and/or hand mixer could be substituted in. A fine mesh sieve can be used in place of the sifter.
There are only 6 core ingredients in this recipe, making it quite manageable.
1.5 tsp Almond Extract (you can substitute Vanilla, if desired)
Optional Ingredients
Any type of berry, banana, or other fruit, confectioners sugar for dusting, whipped cream or mascarpone to top
Instruction
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Set rack to middle position in oven
Using a food processor or blender, pulse all of the sugar until it is a very fine consistency. Remove 1 cup of the sugar from processor and set aside
Add the salt and flour to the processor and pulse only until combined
Add the egg whites and cream of tartar to mixing bowl. Set mixer to medium high and slowly incorporate the 1 cup of sugar that you had set aside. Mix until you have soft peaks. This should take about 5 mins. Feel free to stop and check the mixing attachment to ensure you are not over mixing. Once you have soft peaks, add in the Almond Extract and mix for only the seconds it requires to be completely distributed
Here is where you need some patience. To avoid creating a dense Angel Food Cake, sift the flour mixture into the egg mixture very slowly, using your spatula to fold in the dry ingredients. Slowly work out any pockets of flour, but the name of the game it to not overwork the batter and work slowly getting it combined
Once batter is ready, pour into ungreased Angel Food Cake pan. Use spatula to lightly spready out the batter evenly
Bake for 40-50 mins, beginning to check for a golden brown top at the 40 min mark. The top should feel springy to the touch
Invert cake, in the mold, upside down onto a cooling rack and allow to cool in the mold for 2 hours. Once cooled, carefully run an icing spatula (if you have it) around edge of cake to release cake, with the bottom of pan from main part of pan. If you do not have an icing spatula, a flexible knife will do the trick. Carefully remove the bottom of pan and turn cake over, bottom side up on your platter.
Finish with confectioners sugar and fruit, as desired!
Recipe for Homemade Whipped Cream
Ingredients – 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream, 1 Tablespoon confectioners sugar, 1/2 tsp pure almond extract
Instruction – Using stand mixer, hand mixer or a bit of resilience and a hand whisk, add all ingredients into bowl and whisk until peaks are smooth and the consistency looks like you would serve it. If using a stand mixer, be sure to pay attention to ensure you do not over whisk. Whipped Cream can be stored for up to a day in the refrigerator in a tightly covered container
Tips
Do not skimp on the Almond Extract. Only use pure
When separating the egg whites from the yolks, use a separate bowl and separate each on its’ own, before adding to the rest of the whites. This is to ensure there is NO yolk in the mixture of whites. If some yolk does get into your whites, use a shell half to fish it out and remove
If you decide to use Vanilla, rather than Almond Extract, also adjust the recipe for whipped cream to also use
Do not substitute in flours other than Cake Flour
Be sure to use an Angel Food Cake pan, and not a Bundt Cake pan. It will be too difficult to get the Angel Food Cake to release
This is the absolute simplest of summer treat recipes, and it is actually quite healthy. Frozen bananas are covered with dark chocolate and rolled in nuts, for a cold, sweet, bitter and crunchy treat. They have it all!
Simple Ingredients
2-3 large bananas, 1 tbsp. peanut or almond butter, 1/4 cup dark chocolate (chips or broken bar, for melting), 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, 4 wooden craft sticks
Instruction
Cut bananas in half. Insert the stick into the cut part of the banana, ensuring it is in about half of the length. Freeze bananas on a tray for 3-5 hours. Melt chocolate and peanut butter in double burner. Stir to combine until completely smooth. Remove from heat. Note: the double burner is a pan of boiling water with a bowl placed over that has no contact with the water. The chocolate is then melted slowly in the bowl and not over direct heat. For this recipe, you will want a rather large bowl in order to be able to roll the bananas in the chocolate, once melted
Here is where you need to work quick. Have your nuts spread on a large and shallow enough plate that you can roll the banana, with the stick into the nuts. Roll each banana into the chocolate and VERY quickly into the nuts. If you work too slowly, the chocolate will harden and nuts will not stick
Freeze until nuts and chocolate are completely set on the bananas, roughly another 1 hour. Then, ENJOY!
A couple weeks back, the local grocery store had a deal on strawberries. 2 pounds for $5, which is a pretty darn good price! They were a rich, deep red color and looked too attractive to leave at the store! I immediately pulled out my phone to scroll around looking for recipes that I could use this yummy looking fruit in. I landed on strawberry muffins. Muffins seemed easy and practical, because they can be eaten with coffee in the morning or as dessert after dinner. As well, they can be frozen and used another day.
The recipe that I found and used, just about to the letter, was from a blog called Inspired Taste. The recipe is for Perfect Strawberry Muffins and it definitely was one worth keeping!
Things that I loved about this recipe:
There is just a little hint of black pepper added to the batter to add some interest
The topping is a simple mix of vanilla and white sugar, giving the finished muffin just a bit of crunch on top. I am looking forward to trying this recipe again, substituting in apple or apricot and using almond extract, rather than vanilla
It was rather flexible. After hulling and cutting my strawberries, I had 2 extra ounces of fruit. I used it all, and the finished product was still light, but very, very moist!
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with standard muffin liners
Whisk all dry ingredients in large bowl until well combined
Using 1+ cup measuring cup, measure the oil. Add the egg and then fill with the milk until it reaches the 1 cup line
Add the vanilla extract to the oil/egg mixture and stir to combine
Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and slowly combine with fork. Do not overmix
Fold in strawberries gently, until evenly distributed
Divide the batter across the 12 muffin cups
Combine topping ingredients in small bowl and then distribute across 12 muffins
Bake for 15-25 mins, checking with toothpick for doneness at the 15 min mark. When slightly crumbly crumbs come out with toothpick, they are done. The top should be nicely browned with bits of crisp sugar yumminess!
Set aside on wire rack to cool. Do not remove from muffin liners until completely cool, or serve directly in liners
I love when I stumble on something on the sale rack at my local grocery that I have never used to cook with. I am a huge fan of capers, regularly going for the picatta if I am splurging on a pasta meal. However, when I saw jarred caperberries, such as these from DeLallo marked down at 50% off, I simply had to buy and try! I immediately started a search for recipes that could use this unusual ingredient and found a chicken leg tray bake that would fit the bill.
Not only did this recipe have a cut of chicken that my husband loves and is incredibly inexpensive (chicken legs), it also is a tray bake, which is one of my absolute favorite types of easy, weeknight meals. A one pan wonder, with the addition of bread, which adds a heartiness to the meal, but also the glorious crunch when the bread takes on the fat from the chicken while roasting in the oven.
I am a lover of the lemon. If you give me a recipe that roasts, toasts, warms or broils a lemon, I am all about it!! The original recipe that I found is called Chicken Roasted on Bread with Caperberries and Charred Lemons, from Food and Wine. The ingredients are simple and include my ever loved lemon, as well as these mystical caperberries! I have made this recipe a couple times now and have added my own spin and can provide some advice. I also make this for 2, which is roughly (I went heavy on the bread) half of the original recipe, but you can double to make 4 servings. My adusted ingredients and instructions below:
Ingredients
2 large whole chicken legs
2 medium red onions – slice off the top just enough to allow the onions to sit flat. Leave root end intact, but peel outer layer off and discard. Sit onions up and cut into 4 quadrants, just leaving a about a quarter to a half inch left at bottom, so it appears as an onion flower. See pic below as example of cooked red onion:
1/4 – 1/2 pound of crusty bread. Original recipe calls for sourdough, but a day old French baguette or Ciabatta could do the trick. Rip the bread into 1 inch square pieces (roughly). Do not go too small on these. You want them to crisp on the outside, but leave a little bit of moisture in.
1/2 cup of jarred caperberries, drained. If you are buying this item to simply try it, do not be tempted to add all of them to use up the jar. It will cause the chicken dish to be too briney in the end. Put aside the others and use on a charcuterie board for your next hosted gatheting. If anything, these caperberries present themselves well. Any tray is sexier with them on it!
2 lemons, cleaned and halved
3 Tbsp. cup of grapeseed oil – stick with me on this one. If you are not buying this amazing oil, go out and get it. EVOO is only made for low temp cooking. We are going to blast the fire in this recipe, so go with the tried and true grapeseed. If you do not have this on hand, vegetable or canola will do!
8 garlic cloves, in the skin, but smashed a bit to let out flavor
Salt, Pepper, and if desired, a dash or 2 of rosemary or thyme
Instruction
This is where the simplicity comes in. Everything goes into one tray! Limiting the mess is always a benefit!
As well, I learned that this can make a heck of a mess on your baking tray, so a layer of parchment will be your savior. Aluminum foil, if you do not have parchment
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Toss the caperberries, bread, onions, garlic and lemons in a large bowl with roughly a tsp. of salt and pepper and other spices you may want to add. Especially ensure that the bread is fully coated. If you need a bit more oil, drizzle more on and mix it all up.
Put mixture on baking tray and arrange the chicken legs on top. Brush legs with a bit more oil, season generously with salt and pepper
Roast until the chicken leg is registering 160 degrees at the thickest part of the thigh. Start checking temp at about 40 mins, but expect anywhere between 40-60 mins, depending on your oven. You will have a crispy skin on the chicken, tender, juicy meat, sweet red onions, crunchy bread nuggets, briney caperberries and lemons that, when squeezed over top, are like candy on the dish!! Enjoy!
If you like this recipe, you may also like my recipe for Rotisserie Chicken!
Puff pastry is one of those items that I keep in the freezer at all times. In a pinch, you can do all sorts of fun and yummy things with it. Think sweet, such as rolling up a cinnamon and nuts mixture for cinnamon rolls, or savory, such as this heirloom tomato Caprese Tart recipe. Spinach and feta, cream cheese and roasted tomatoes. Any and all combination of fruits or veggies that you and your family enjoy.
I use Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry sheets. They defrost quickly and puff up nice and flaky. They can be cut into any size or shape that you want, so there is potential for some crazy cute desserts. Fourth of July is around the corner. I could imagine cream puff stars would be pretty snazzy at your cookout! For this recipe, I went as straight forward as possible and used the entire sheet.
Ingredients:
1 large or 2 smaller heirloom tomatoes, 5-6 ounce fresh mozzarella, such as Galbani, 1 sheet puff pastry, 3 ounce shredded parmesan or asiago cheese, dried oregano, salt and pepper and some fresh basil leaves for serving
Simple Instruction
Defrost the pastry per the package instructions. Using a sharp knife, score the pastry about 1/2 inch from each side, careful not to cut all the way through. This will create a defined box for layering in the ingredients. Slice the mozzarella and the tomatoes into roughly 1/4 inch thick chunks. Pat both as dry as you can get them. Create an overlapping layer of tomato and mozzarella to cover the base of the Caprese Tart. Do not layer too heavily, to ensure the puff pastry will crisp up and not sog up on you.
Sprinkle oregano, salt and pepper over ingredients. Lastly, sprinkle the parm or asiago cheese over entire tart, allowing some to land on the 1/2 inch edge of the pastry. This will give a crunchy cheesy crust.
Cook in pre-heated 400 degree oven for 15-20 mins. Crust will be nicely browned and cheese will be bubbling! Let cool and eat!
An alternative ingredient tart
Cream cheese base with pre-roasted cherry tomatoes
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