Easy German recipes, please!

[lawchick04]

I lived in Germany briefly as a little kid while Dad was in the Army. I remember the smells and I loved the food.

My friends are pretty unadventurous eaters (Red Robin, anyone?) and they won't venture out to the ethnic eateries that I love...so, that leaves me in my kitchen alone with a huge urge to whip up some easy German dishes.

Any suggestions? The simpler the better. The only food I'm not a fan of is eggplant, and I'm pretty sure that's not a predominant ingredient in German cooking...!

 

[Claire]

Gee, I, too, lived in Germany as a military brat.

Pound some slices of beef until thin and tender (eye of round roast is good and inexpensive)
Roll them around a spear of dill pickle, then secure with a toothpick.
Saute in butter or olive oil until brown, and remove from the skillet

Grind some ginger snaps in your blender, food processor, or in a bag with a rolling pin.

In the skillet, put in some beef broth. I really don't like canned beef broth, my shortcut is to use a package of "au jus" from the spice counter, reconstituted according to instructions.

Now take your ginger snaps crumbs and slowly add until your gravy is the thickness you like.

Serve with potatoes or if you're feeling adventurous, knudel or spaetzel.

A simple salad of thinly sliced cucumbers, dill, and a bit of oil and vinegar (more vinegar-y than oily).

If you drink, serve with a Geman white or good beer. Either can also replace some of the beef broth in the gravy.

 

[lawchick04]

delish!

Thanks so much Claire! These are just the types of recipes I'm looking for!

And who would have thought to thicken gravy with ginger snaps!? Genius!

 

[HappyAvocado]

my friends dad was german and he used to make something that he called german potato salad... though i dont know how german the recipe actually is. he would fry some chopped bacon and onions, and when they were cooked he would pour white vinegar into the pan and then pour the whole thing over sliced red potatos with some fresh pepper on top, and eat it warm. it was heavenly... though im sure that eating that much bacon fat is not too healthy!

 

[Michael in FtW]

That's sounds about like the way Grandma (and Great-Grandpa definately was German) used to make "German potato salad" HappyAvocado. I'm sure that if you wanted to make a "lower calorie - healthier" version you could drain off the bacon drippins before adding the vinegar to deglaze the pan. Of course - you would also be draining off a lot of flavor.

I'm glad this thread came up ... now I know what I'm going to make for supper! Pork chops braised in apple juice with sliced apples and smothered in sweet red cabbage, and hot German potato salad.

 

[texasgirl]

That's sounds about like the way Grandma (and Great-Grandpa definately was German) used to make "German potato salad" HappyAvocado. I'm sure that if you wanted to make a "lower calorie - healthier" version you could drain off the bacon drippins before adding the vinegar to deglaze the pan. Of course - you would also be draining off a lot of flavor.

I'm glad this thread came up ... now I know what I'm going to make for supper! Pork chops braised in apple juice with sliced apples and smothered in sweet red cabbage, and hot German potato salad.

That sounds so good!!

 

[lindatooo]

Spatzle

Though my Swiss MIL swears this is not German - I found it in German Cook Books and I absolutely love it. It's the dandiest little dumpling you ever ate. I strongly recommend you invest in a Spatzle maker (Under $20) as it makes preparation a snap!

Combine
1 1/2 C flour
1/2 t baking powder
3/4 t salt
pinch of freshly ground nutmeg

Beat together
2 large eggs
1/2 C milk

Add to the flour mixture and beat into an elastic batter.

In a large sauce pan boil about 6 cups chicken stock.

Have ready an ice bath with a collandar in it and a sieve.

Place spatzle maker (available at Kitchen Kaboodle) over pot and pour about 1/3 of the batter into the hopper, move the hopper back and forth releasing the little dumplings into the boiling broth.

When the little darlings bounce up to the surface fish them out (I use a spider) and into the ice bath. Put in another batch and while they cook drain the first batch and toss them into the sieve.

Continue until all batches are done then chill the dumplings.

I swear I can do this and clean up in under 45 minutes.

Now, the best part - melt butter in a non-stick pan and add the spatzle - saute untill they are nicely browned on the bottom then turn using a dinner plate to assist. Sprinkle with about 1/4 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese and serve with any kind of gravy.

Your friends and family will think they have gone to heaven!

 

[jennyema]

A member names Susi posted some great German recipes.

Sauerbraten, Roladen etc.
I think they are posted in various places, but a search of her posts would find them.

 

[cara]

Linda, I love Spätzle, just had them last week... you can also use it as a side order with some rouladen ;o)
If you don`t have a special spätzle maker you can scratch it on a board..
I'll try to explain.
you put a ca a spoonful of the batter on a tray and cut small pieces from it into the boiling water...

do you get "Maultaschen" over there?

 

[cara]

Schweinegeschnetzeltes

Schweinegeschnetzeltes - Pork meat cut into slices

1 big onion
1 apple
500 g pork "schnitzel" cut into pieces
300ml plain (?) brooth
1/2 cup crashed pineapple
4 Tblsp. cornstarch (to thicken slighty)
Salt, Pepper, Paprika

clean Onions and apples und cut into pieces.
Heat some oil and fry the meat.
Add the onions and roast with.
Now the spices as you want, brooth, Applepieces, pineapples and 4 tblsp pineapple with it and stew for another five minutes.
Thicken with the cornstarch.
Best served with Curryrice and green salad..


I hope you understand that all.... :sweat:

 

[urmaniac13]

Schweinegeschnetzeltes - Pork meat cut into slices

Best served with Curryrice and green salad..:

Curried Rice!??? That is German??? Well if they go together well that's all that matters...right? I love making some hybrid dinners some times, like Fajitas using italian piadina bread, or Falafel eaten with guacamole...

BTW what do you recommend for a condiment to spatzle?? I am sure it would also be good with any condiments I would use for italian pasta, but to give something more of a german flavour... when I had it once in Austria they were served with something like Goulash and I didn't care for it much... I would be grateful for any new ideas!!

 

[cara]

Farmer pan

Bauernpfanne - Farmer pan

1kg potatoes
5og bacon
1 onion
1 cup mushrooms
2 tomatoes or paprika
3 eggs
instant brooth (for the fast ones)
1 cup sour cream
chives

peel potatoes and onions and cut into pieces, and also do so with the bacon.
Fry bacon and onions until they look glassy (you say that in english, too?)
Add the potatoes and roast until they get brown.
Add the mushrooms and the cubed Tomatoe/Paprika.
crack the eggs with some water and spice it with the brooth, pour it over the potatoes and let it cook until the egg gets hard ( couldn't find the proper word..)
At last add the sour cream and spread with chives.

 

[cara]

Curried Rice!??? That is German??? Well if they go together well that's all that matters...right? I love making some hybrid dinners some times, like Fajitas using italian piadina bread, or Falafel eaten with guacamole...

don`t know, if its special german, but we have it quite often.. just plain rice is boring with some curry it tastes much better.. in my opinion

BTW what do you recommend for a condiment to spatzle?? I am sure it would also be good with any condiments I would use for italian pasta, but to give something more of a german flavour... when I had it once in Austria they were served with something like Goulash and I didn't care for it much... I would be grateful for any new ideas!!

usually there is just salt in it.. but I prefer it with some herbs, like thyme or rosemary or some mixtures like "herbs of the provence" or "cafe de paris"
I can imagine parsley or chives chopped into the batter too...
I`ll think of something real german...

 

[urmaniac13]

Yes, Cara, I understand Spatzle is made simply with flour and egg and very little more what I meant is "what kind of sauce do they usually use in germany to go with spatzel?" I know the Polish pirogies are wonderful simply with butter and sautèed onion, can they be eaten in a similar way? (well I don't mean to confuse Polish food and German food, it is just that I have found lots of similarities between them...)

 

[cara]

just try it, there are sooo many varieties...

but okay... I`ll try to translate some....

300g champignons
20g shallots
20g butter
40ml dry white wine
250ml cream
Salt, Pepper
4 tblsp minced herbs (e.g. parsley, chives, bear's garlic, lovage)

cut the champignons into slices and chop the shallots.
roast the shallots with the butter and add the white wine, let cook for about 2 min
add the cream and salt and pepper and let it boil down a third.
then add the herbs and at the end the champignons

-----------
3-4 apples
some butter
sugar
cinnamon
evtl. apple sauce

peel the apples and cut into slices. Stew in butter.
Roast the spätzle and mix with the apples.
sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and add the applesauce, if you want

-----------------

Wurstspätzle

for the batter:

300g flour
150g pork sausage
1/2cup parsley
1 onion
4 eggs
salt
pepper
water

cut the sausage into small pieces, chop the onion and the parsley and make a batter with the rest ingridients.
scrab them into the boiling water and cook the spätzle till they are ready.

put some oil into a pan and fry the spätzle.
tastes good with green salad

 

[cara]

Himmel und Hölle

Himmel und Hölle - Heaven and h e l l

500g potatoes
salt
100ml milk
50ml melted butter
nutmeg
4 big apples
200g blood sausage
200ml brooth
1/2 teesp marjoram
red wine

peel the potatoes and boil in salted water
heat the milk with the butter and mash with the boiled potatoes. season with nutmeg and salt.
preheat the oven to 420°F
cut the toppings from the apples and cave them.
Put the cubed blood sausage into it and top it with the mashed potatoes.
put the apples into a fireproof casserole and add some red wine.
it should be ready after 20min

boil the brooth with the marjoram and put some butter in.
season to taste with wine.
serve on plates and add the sauce

 

[urmaniac13]

Yeah Cara I do like making something very similar with "pilz", only that I use sour cream instead of regular cream... come to think about it it would be delicious on top of the spatzle!! Also Italians do make sweet recipe for pasta. this apple cinnamon version would be wonderful.... Danke for sharing these recipes!!

 

[cara]

If I wouldn`t have problems with the translation you would get many more.. ;o)

 

[cara]

I will try another one...

Verlorene Eier in Senfsosse - Lost eggs in mustard sauce

50g Butter or margarine
2 tblsp flour
250ml brooth
150ml milk
1 bay leaf
4 eggs (or more if you want)
3 tblsp mustard
pepper, salt


make a roux with the butter/margarine and flour.
Add the brooth and the milk, season with pepper and salt. Put the bay leaf into the sauce and let it bowl slightly for about 15min.
At the end add the mustard, take care it doesn`t flocculate (?) or turns to bitter.
cook the eggs for about 6min, peel them and give into the hot sauce.
best served with boiled potatoes and green salad

 

[lawchick04]

Cara, thanks so much for the recipes. I'm printing them out as we speak. I'm not sure what a championon (spelling) is, though. Can someone help me out here?