Käsenocken (cheese dumplings)

Ah this one brings back memories!! It's a recipe from South Tirol, a region in the north italian alps where I used to go skiing all the time. They have some absolutely deliscious food, this is one of them. it works well on it's own or with a nice refreshing salad.

The Goods:

1 oz (1 small) onion, diced finely
1 oz butter
3.5 oz hard cheese (Gouda, Cheddar, something like that), finely diced
5 oz old, dry bread,  finely diced
2 eggs
3.5 oz milk
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
4 table spoons chives
1 oz grated parmesan
salt, pepper to taste

The Works

Brown the onion in butter. In a bowl combine the diced bread, onion and cheese. quirl the eggs and milk, season with half the chives, some salt and pepper and then pour over the cheese mixture. Add the flour and knead into a dough. Using moist hands form small dumplings out of the dough and chill while bringing salted water to a boil in a large pot. add the dumplings carefully and cook for approx q0 min, dumplings are done when rising to the surface. Do NOT overcook. Fry the dumplings briefly in butter after you cooked them, sprinkle some parmesan and enjoy alone, with some salad or as a side dish.

Crock Pot Sirloin Roast in White Moscato-Creme Sauce with Roasted and glazed Carrots and Tators

Well. I experimented with my Crock pot..this is not a fully crock pot put it in in the morning and dinner is done when you come home at night, since only the meat was done in the crock pot, but it is yummy, fairly easy and the meat you can pretty much forget all day  long. This one is truly and fully my creation and hubby tested.. hehe.

The Goods:

top sirloin roast (roughly 5 lbs) sliced in 4-5 1inch thick slices

1 large red onion, sliced but not too fine

about 1/2 baby carrots, fresh from the farmer's market (or carrots cut into about baby carrot size, which I prefer cause I do not like the taste of  packaged baby carrots)

about 1 lb small to medium potatoes

1/16 cup balsamic vinegar

1 bay leaf (whole)

2 star anise (hole)

small piece of  fresh ginger (about 1 inch long) also whole

salt, pepper, paprika to taste

olive oil, salt, pepper and sesame seeds for the carrots to roast

For the Moscato Sauce:

 1/4 cup sweet, white Moscato

1/4 cup whipping creme (does not have to be heavy, can be light or normal too)

1 table spoon chilli sauce (Sambal Oelek is my favorite)

salt, pepper, bit of cayenne pepper (to taste, depending how much heat you like)

For the carrot/potato glaze:

1/2 cup honey

1/8 cup ponzu sauce (soy or teriyaki works too)

The Works:

Cut the Roast in 1 inch thick slices and pepper them, Slice your onion.. then layer the meat and onions in your crock pot...drizzle the Balsamic Vinegar over it, season with  salt, pepper, paprika and add the bay leaf, ginger and star anise. Cover Crock Poy and turn on low for 8 hours...walk away.

After about 6 1/2 hours Wash and peel your potatoes (you can quarter them now or after you boil them, I usually do it before boiling to keep myself from burning my fingers). Boil in salted water for about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on size, you want them done but still firm. While they boil pre-heat your oven on  425 and split the racks so that they are even. Wash and peel then cut your carrots. If you have fresh, small carrots from the farmers market it might be better to just wash and scrub them, since peeling will take too much of them. Dry them with a paper towel, then toss in olive oil, salt and pepper them..arranging them on a cookie sheet in one layer.. sprinkle with sesame seeds. Take the meat out of your crock pot to add the creme, moscato, chilli sauce and spices, stir, return the meat and close lid again. Roast the carrots for about 15 min in the pre-heated oven.

Meanwhile you mix your honey and ponzu sauce together. The potatoes should be boiled by now as well..arrange them on a second cookie sheet, slightly salt and pepper them and brush with the ponzu/honey glaze. Get your carrots out of the oven, brush them as well with the glaze and then put both cookie sheets back in the oven for another 20 min.

Once they are done... the meat and the sauce are done too...Serve and enjoy.

Beef Ossobucco

Yes I know, normally Ossobucco is made with veal shanks, however living in the US...well veal is not as easy to come by here than it is in Europe, plus it is extremely expensive to buy here compared to beef. So, I decided to play with a common recipe for Ossobucco and adapt it for beef, gotta say it came out nice, so I figured I share the recipe. This is another recipe that was on the old site and I am happy to say that I know of at least 1 friend who tried it and liked it, hehe.

Ok...then here we go...

The Goods:

1 bone in beef shank piece per person

1 to 2 medium onions

1 to 2 carrots

1/2 can of tomatos (you can choose yourself if whole, diced or sauce since some ppl don't like tomatoe pieces in their sauce, i.e. my husband..lol)

1 cup marsalla wine(chardonnay works too)

2 tablespoons flour

 butter to fry

1/2 lemon sliced

salt and pepper to taste

fresh rosemary

The works:

wash the shank pieces and dab dry with a paper towel. In a large, deep pan, melt some butter and fry the shank pieces for about 3 minutes on each side to brown and give a nice crust. Meanwhile, peel and dice your onions, peel and  cut your carrots. Add the tomatos, onion, carrots, rosemary and wine to the pan, stir, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 25 minutes. Add flour to bind sauce a bit, plate, add a slice of lemon ontop of each piece of meat. Serve with rice, noodles or cooked potatoes and enjoy

Pfannkuchen German pancakes)

Ok this is mainly for my friends that are in the US. Most of the time the pancake you get here is the sweet, fluffy buttermilk pancake, which in itself is not bad, but often clashes with a desire to have something a bit hardier such as eggs and stuff, cause it just don't quite fit (at least in my opinion). If you ever went to IHOP and had the international passport, liek the swedish pancakes, then you have a slight idea what kind of pancake you will be making, thinner, similar to a crepes somewhat hardy and compatible with sweet or savory foods, In short a german pancake or *Pfannkuchen* as we would say.

The Goods (for about 8 to 12 pancakes)

4 eggs
1 1/2 cups of milk
1 cup flour
~ 2 tablespoons salt ( might be more, might be less depending on your taste buds)
butter for frying

The Works:

in a large mixing bowl mix the floour and salt. mix the eggs and milk thouroughly in a medium bowl before adding to the flour and salt (makes the endmixing easier) and then combine in the large bowl, mixing  thouroughly until thin, still liquid batter forms. Heat a frying pan up, add a bit of butter and then 1 laddle of the batter you made, swirl it so that it forms a thin layer, let fry until it slowly bubbles and is mostly solid on top (just like a buttermilk pancake) flip, finish frying to the darkness you like and serve. They are good with syrup, but also with eggs and bacon, or if you truly wanna get fancy.. ham and asparagus for example. Repeat process with rest of batter and enjoy

Rinder Rouladen (braised beef rolls)

This one has been a long time coming, I promised it to a friend and never got around to it, but here it finally is

The goods (for 4 Rouladen)

- 4 large thin slices of beef (about 1/4 inch thick)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1/3 stick of butter
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1/2 cup minced parsley (fresh is best, but dried works)
- 8 thin slices of bacon (do NOT substitute with turkey bacon!!)
- 2 pickles (sliced length wise)
- 3 tablespoons flour.
- toothpicks or string to bind

For the braising sauce:

- 1 stick of butter
- 1 siced onion
- 1 sliced carrot
- 1 to 2 table spoons tomato paste
- 1 small can of beef broth or around 2 cups (if you make it yourself)
- 1/8 cup red wine

The Works:

melt the 1/3 stick of butter in a frying pan and combine the onion and parsley, fry till onion is golden brown, set aside. On your work area, spread out the slices of beef, season each with salt and pepper, spread mustard thinly on each slice,  spread the onion parsley mixture evenly over the mustard. place 2 slices of bacon on each slice of beef. place a pickle piece on the end of each roulade and roll up.Secure the filled rouladen either with toothpicks or string. Roll in flour.

Now to the braising:

In a deep pan melt the butter, quicjkly sear each roulade on both sides, add the onion and carrot to brown, add tomato paste and pour enough broth so that the meat is halfway covered. Cover and cook on low heat for about 60 to 90 minutes. if neessary add more broth. Take the meat out, seting it aside (make sure to take the toothpicks or string out at this point). Blend the saucei n the pot, add wine and about 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour or cron flour to thicken sauce. Plate meat, pouring some sauce atop and serve with mash potatos, boiled or baked potatoes, veggies or salad.

Kohlrouladen (filled cabbage rolls)

Another one I was asked for, so let's get to it, shall we?
The Goods:
- meatfilling (if you click the word it should bring you to the recipe)
- 1 white or 1 nappa cabbage
- 1/2 stick of butter
- 1/2 onion diced
- 4 ounces sour cream
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 pinch crushed caraway seeds
- salt, pepper, paprika to taste
The Works:
Wash the cabbage, cut in half and cook for about 20 min in salt water (nappa cabbage only needs about 5 minutes). Carefully peel the single cabbage leaves, place 1 small leave onto a bigger one add about a tablespoon full of the meatfilling, fold sides in and roll, binding the roll with some cooking twine or close with toothpicks (1 lengthwise, 2 cross should hold everything together). In a medium, deep pan melt the butter, saute onions in it, add the cabbage rolls and brown on each side. Add the tomato paste and broth, put the lid on and cook over medium heat for about 30 min. Take the cabbage rolls out and set aside, bring heat up to cook the liquid down a bit, add sour creme, season with salt, pepper and paprika to taste, pour over cabbage rolls and enjoy