Authentic German Potato Salad

There are a few recipes that I have learned here in Austria that have completely replaced foods that I have grown up with, and this is one of them. While potato salads in the United States are usually creamy and smothered in mayonnaise, the potato salad here is vinegar based and a bit lighter. I have come to really love the flavor and simplicity and will forever make my potato salads this way.

Serves 8

6 cups diced peeled potatoes
2 small onions, diced
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Boil potatoes until soft (about 10 minutes) and then drain water and set aside to cool. Once cool peel off skins with a butter knife. Some prefer to peel the potatoes before they are boiled and that is ok too. Then slice them into bite sized chunks.

In a large pan big enough to hold everything, saute onions in olive oil until soft. Add vinegar, water, sugar, salt and pepper to the pan. Once this mixture is boiling, add the potatoes and heat everything through. Serve warm or cool.

You could also add crumbled bacon for a little extra flavor. Guten Appetit!

Broccoli Bacon Salad

Ok, with the new baby I haven't been cooking much. I've tried to keep everything I make both very healthy and very easy so as to keep life simple. During Christmas I tried out this salad and it was delicious. Tons of flavor and totally easy to make. You could experiment a little bit by adding tomatoes and cheese but it's great as is.

1 head broccoli

6-8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup almonds, toasted

Dressing:

1 cup Mayonnaise

1/4 cup white sugar

2 Tbsp white wine vinegar

Place bacon in a skillet and cook over medium high heat. Once browned, drain grease on a paper towel and crumble. Rinse the broccoli and cut it into small, bite sized florets. Toast almonds in olive oil in a pan on the stove and sprinkle with salt until golden. Toss bacon, broccoli, raisins, almonds and onion together in a large bowl.

Whisk dressing in a bowl until smooth. Pour over broccoli mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Baba Ghanoush

From Nia's dad, Clive

Baba Ghanoush is a Lebanese dip made from eggplant - it can be used as a dip for bread or veggies or as a tasty base for a sandwich. I love this stuff but was always mystified as to how it was prepared, until last summer when I was schooled in the ways of roasting eggplant by my friend Nia's dad. It's so easy and fresh tasting, I couldn't believe it took me so long to try it!

Serves about 6

1 large eggplant
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup tahini
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1/8 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (200 C) Lightly grease a baking sheet.

Place eggplant on the baking sheet, and pierce the skin with a fork. Roast for 30-40 minutes, turning occasionally until soft. Remove and let cool. Once completely cool, peel skin off.

Place eggplant, lemon juice, tahini, and garlic in a blender and puree. Season with salt and pepper to taste and slowly mix in olive oil. Sprinkle on paprika as a garnish. Enjoy!

Indian Butter Chicken

adapted from From Away

I love Indian food. It's so spicy and completely exotic. I would love to travel to India someday and go on a food tour - just to try out the range of spices and new flavors. Ahhh... someday! 

This recipe was good and easy to make. If you are into Indian food at all, or are wanting to try something new - give it a whirl! It could easily be made vegetarian as well by substituting the meat with eggplant or another veggie.

Serves 4-6

2 lbs chicken, cubed
8 cloves of garlic
2 tsp fresh ginger
2 Tbsp coriander powder
2 tsp cayenne pepper
salt (to taste)
vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 onion, chopped
2 cups water
1/4 cup cashews
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 fresno chile, seeded and diced (If you like spice!)
1/2 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup or 112 grams)
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup cream
1 Tbsp garam masala
1/4 cup parsley, chopped, for a garnish

In a large bowl, toss chicken cubes, half of the garlic, 1 tsp of ginger, 1 Tbsp of coriander, 1 tsp cayenne pepper and a pinch of salt. Toss until well coated and set aside.
Heat a slash of oil in a wok, then add the marinated chicken. Cook for about 5 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
In the same skillet, add the cumin seeds, the onion, remaining garlic and ginger and saute for 20 minutes on low until the onions are soft. Then add water and stir. Add cashews, remaining coriander powder, remaining chili powder, tomatoes, the chile and stir well.
Let the sauce cook slowly over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes, until everything has mingled. Transfer the sauce to a blender (CAREFULLY!) and blend until smooth. Pour the sauce back into the wok, add the butter, tomato paste, sugar and stir will.
Finally, add the cream and reserved chicken to the sauce. Cook the chicken for a few more minutes, making sure it is cooked all of the way through. Add the garam masala and stir well. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve over rice.

Missy's Favorite Turkey Dressing

from Simply Recipes

I have made this recipe for every holiday party in the last three years and it is always my favorite! It's got a great blend of fall flavors and is so easy. It's a perfect side when you want to feed a lot of people.

Serves 8-12

1 loaf day old French bread, cut into 3/4 inch cubes (about 10-12 cups bread cubes)
1 cup walnuts (I have also used hazelnuts)
2 cups onion
2 cups celery
6 Tbsp butter
1 green apple, peeled, cored and chopped
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped olives (martini olives, the ones with the pimento)
1-2 cups turkey or chicken stock
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp ground sage
salt and pepper to taste

Toast the nuts on medium high heat until browned, about a minute or two. Let them cool and then chop them roughly.

Heat a large saute pan on medium heat. Melt 3 Tbsp (about half) of the butter in the pan and then pour in the bread cubes, coating them with melted butter. Let them toast; only turn them when they begin to turn brown. (It's best if the bread is already a bit dried out. If it's still moist, lay the cubes in a baking pan and put them in a hot oven for 10 minutes or your stuffing will turn out mushy.)

In a large pot, saute onions and celery on medium high heat with the other half of the butter (about 3 Tablespoons) until cooked through, about 5-10 minutes. Add the bread, chopped nuts, apple, raisins, olives and parsley. Add one cup of stock, the rest of the seasonings and salt and pepper.

Cover. Turn the heat to low and cook for an hour or until the apples are cooked through. Check every 10 minutes or so to add water if the stuffing starts to dry out and stick to the bottom of the pan.

Spanish Rice Bake

Adapted from Allrecipes

I don't know about you, but sometimes I get into a cooking rut. I get comfortable with a few recipes and after a month or so I stop and realize I have been eating the same 3 things for weeks! Anyway, I wanted something new and easy, with not too many strange ingredients that I would have to hunt around for. This was just the ticket. Familiar flavors, hearty and with a little hot sauce it really sings.

Plus, I imagine you could add all sorts of beans and veggies to this and even make it vegetarian if you so desired.

Makes enough for 4-6 people

1 lb lean ground beef
1 onion
2-3 bell peppers
1 can (14 oz or 400g) canned tomatoes
1 can corn
1 can kidney beans
1 cup water
1 cup rice
1/2 cup chile sauce (or salsa)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C)
Brown the meat and onion in a large skillet. Drain excess fat and stir in peppers, tomatoes, water, rice, chilie sauce, salt, sugar, and spices.
Let simmer for about 30 minutes covered, stirring occasionally. Check to see that the rice is cooked through, and if it is pour entire contents into a large casserole dish. (if not, wait a little longer, add water if needed and then pour it into the dish) Press down firmly and sprinkle with cheddar cheese.
Bake at for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

How to make Pumpkin Puree

Instructions from Allrecipes

I now live in a place where it is difficult to buy canned pumpkin. And with the holiday pumpkin pies coming up I thought I would try making my own this year instead of getting it shipped from America (it makes for a rather expensive pie).

As usual, making it from home is very easy to do and it tastes better and of course is much cheaper. So here is how to do it:

1. Choose a small pie pumpkin, not more than 3-4 pound (the smaller ones tend to be sweeter)
2. Rinse the pumpkin well, removing any dirt or debris
3. Cut the pumpkin in half. Then scoop out all the seeds and guts. Set aside seeds for baking later!
4. Then lay the pumpkin pieces face down in a baking dish and add about a cup of water.

5. Bake at 350 F for 45-60 minutes, or until the flesh is soft and can be punctured easily with a fork.
6. Remove from the oven, and let cool. At this point, the rind should just peel right off, though you may have to do a little scraping to get some of the flesh off.
7. Puree it in a food processor until smooth. Now the pumpkin is ready to be used in a pie, muffin or soup! Anything that requires pumpkin puree. If you don't need it right away, feel free to freeze it until you need it.

Simple Greek Salad

This is one of my favorites, such great flavors all mingled together and it is so easy. It's perfect for summer.

Serves 4

5-6 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 cup olives

1 cucumber, chopped into small pieces

1 small red onion, sliced thinly

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1-2 tsp lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

2 tsp basil

In a bowl, mix together tomatoes, olives, cucumber and onion. Mix well. Then toss in Feta, lemon juice, salt, pepper and basil. It's best if you make it a few hours before dinner so you have time for the flavors to mingle. Enjoy!

Carrot Soufflé

adapted from Simply Recipes

This is a very tasty side dish, easy to make and very interesting way to use carrots. I didn't read very carefully and accidentally made enough for a small army, but it was no bother. The leftovers were just as good.

serves 8

2 lbs carrots

1 cup whole milk

2 cups cracker crumbs

3/4 cup cheddar cheese

1/3 cup minced onion

1 Tbsp (13 grams) butter

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp black pepper

salt to taste

3 eggs

Turn on the oven to 350 F (175 C). Butter a 2 quart baking dish and set aside.

In a large pot, bring water to a boil and let the carrots boil 10 min, or until soft. Then puree carrots until smooth with a blender.

In a bowl, slowly mix the carrots with the milk, stirring slowly between pours until smooth and even. Then stir in one cup of crackers, cheese, onion, butter and spices.

In a separate bowl, whip eggs to a froth, then whisk them into the carrot mixture. Spoon entire bowl into prepared baking dish, sprinkle one cup of cracker crumbs on top

Bake 40-45 minutes when the soufflé is puffed up and golden.

Creamy Leek Soup

Adapted from Sister's Cafe

As a rule, I try to buy what is on sale (ie: in season) at the grocery store. It's generally cheaper and tastes better too so it's a win-win situation. And last week these long, green leeks were calling my name. I've never really cooked with leeks before, but when I saw this recipe on the blogs everything fell into place. This soup was warm and creamy and the flavor was wonderful.

Serves 4

1 Tbsp butter

6 potatoes, diced

2 leeks, washed and sliced, including the white and green parts

1 large onion, chopped

1 carrot, sliced

1 stalk of celery, sliced

2-3 garlic cloves

4 cups chicken broth

1 cup dry white wine

1 Tbsp parsley

1/2 cup cream

bacon

salt and pepper to taste

Cook leeks, onion, celery, salt and pepper in 1 tbsp butter over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until soft. Add potatoes along with wine, stock and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in parsley and simmer 5 additional minutes. Add cream and stir until smooth. Top with cheese or chives as a garnish.

Basil Chili

It's been cold since we moved to Austria. And I finally got a pot big enough to make soup in. So in celebration I made Ben and I a bowl of chili. And it was good.

Serves 4-6

1-2 tsp oil

2 medium onions, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup carrots, diced

2 cups chopped tomatoes

1 cup tomato sauce

2 cups kidney beans

1 cup corn

1 cup mushrooms

1 lb ground beef

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cayenne

2 cups beef broth

salt and pepper to taste

1 bunch fresh basil, chopped

cheese (to garnish)

Saute garlic and onion in oil until starting to soften. Then add carrots and mushrooms and saute until carrots are starting to soften. Then add ground beef, stir occasionally until browned. Add in tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, corn, chili powder, cayenne powder, half of the bunch of basil and beef broth. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve warm with cheese and fresh basil on top.

Healthier Fried Rice

adapted from Bella Eats

I love fried rice, but always feel bad eating it at restaurants because it feels so greasy. This recipe uses a little drop of oil, but the rest is a bit of egg, colorful veggies and rice so it doesn't feel heavy going down. This is also a perfect dish to whip up if you ever have a lot of leftover rice to use.

Serves 4

2 Tbsp peanut oil (I used rapeseed oil)

1-2 large carrots, peeled and chopped finely

1 red bell pepper, chopped finely

1 cup peas

2 Tbsp fresh chive or scallions, minced

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

4 cups steamed brown rice, cold

3/4 tsp salt

1-2 tsp Asian sesame oil (optional)

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Saute the carrot and bell pepper and peas until tender, then remove to a separate bowl and set aside.

Wipe the skillet clean and put back on the stove with the heat on high until it is hot enough to vaporize water upon contact. Add the remaining 1 Tbsp oil, swirling to coat evenly and heat until hot and just starting to smoke.

Add eggs, tilting pan and swirling eggs to form a thin and even layer and cook for about 30 seconds. Add rice and stir-fry, breaking up the eggs and letting rice rest for several seconds between stirs, until rice is hot (about 2-3 minutes).

Add the vegetables, chives, salt and sesame oil to taste, stir-frying until well combined. Serve warm.

Carrot Salad

From Kari and Emmi Koivisto

Ok, this recipe is so simple, but I thought it deserved a post.

I love carrots, but had never enjoyed them like this before:

Finely grated, with pineapple, raisins or great with salad dressing.

Grating the carrots really brings out their sweet, juicy flavor. It is a perfect side dish for those nights where you don't have time to put a lot of time into dinner, but still want something healthy and delicious.

serves 4

5-6 large carrots

pineapple (or raisins)

Peel the carrots and finely grate them into a bowl. Toss in the pineapple (or raisins. or both) and serve.

Cannellini Bean Dip

adapted from Jenn Cuisine

I have been having a love affair with beans. They taste so good and are so good for you and are so filling! Unfortunately they don't take a very good picture. This bean dip was terrific and very hearty, I served it with toast and salad and it was great. The recipe calls for tuna, but I think it would be better without it. I also think it would be great with some cheese mixed in and maybe even heated up... so experimentation is recommended.

4 cups white cannellini beans, canned (drained and rinsed) or already cooked

1/2 lemon, juiced (about 2-3 Tbsp)

olive oil, as needed (I used a little more than 1/4 cup, taken from the sundried tomatoes)

1/2 cup chopped sundried tomatoes

1/2 cup canned tuna

1 tsp basil

1 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp rosemary

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp sage

salt and pepper to taste

Add beans and lemon juice to a food processor, and pulse until it is all smooth. If too thick, slowly pour in olive oil until it is the consistency of scoopable dip. Mix in tomatoes, tuna, herbs salt and pepper. Serve with pita bread or chopped vegetables.

White Bean and Lentil Stew

Adapted from Dana Treat

This was a great stew. It's vegan and healthy and so tasty. Pour it on top of brown rice and be prepared to feel good about your diet.

Olive oil

1 large onion

3 garlic cloves

3 Tbsp tomato paste

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp caraway seeds

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 cups vegetable broth

2 cups water

1 cup dried lentils

1 15-oz (about 425 grams) garbanzo or white beans, rinsed and drained

3 carrots, peeled and chopped into matchsticks

1 Tbsp dried parsley

10 oz (about 275 grams) spinach

1/2 head cabbage, finely chopped

Lemon wedges

salt and pepper (to taste)

Heat a large pot, add oil and saute the onions and garlic until soft. Add tomato paste and spices and keep stirring until fragrant (about 1 minute). Stir in broth, water and lentils and increase the heat to bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and let cook for about 15 minutes (or once the lentils are almost tender).

Add garbanzo beans, carrots, cabbage and parsley. Cover and simmer until the carrots are very tender. Stir in spinach slowly and allow for it to wilt. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls of rice and garnish with parsley and lemon.

Sweet and Sour Green Beans and Onions

adapted from Tracey's Culinary Adventures

1 lb green beans, trimmed

1 Tbsp butter

2-3 large red onions

1 chili pepper (1/2 tsp dried crushed red pepper)

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

3 Tbsp dark brown sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Steam beans until just tender, about 5 minutes. Then transfer to a plate and set aside.

Melt butter in a lager heavy skillet at hight heat. Peel the onion, chop in half and chop again lengthwise leaving you with larger pieces of onion. Saute until onions begin to soften (3-4 minutes). Add vinegar and sugar and stir until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Add in beans; toss to coat and heat through, about 1 additional minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Hearty Cabbage Soup

Adapted from Cate's World Kitchen

Cabbage soup is the ultimate diet food. It is filling and cheap and low in calories. The potatoes and beans add a little more heft, but still this is a great way to stick to those new year's resolutions. My estimate is about 200 calories per bowl.

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, medium

3 potatoes, diced

4 cups stock

salt

pepper

1 cup pinto beans

1/2 head cabbage, thinly sliced

3 carrots, julienned

1 tsp parsley

grated parmesan for a garnish (omit for vegan)

Heat oil in a large soup pot. Add garlic and onion and saute until onions are soft. Add the potatoes and 2 cups of stock along with a little salt and pepper. Bring the water to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes, covered. Once potatoes are very tender, carefully puree with and immersion blender until very smooth. (You may want to let the soup cool a bit!) Add 2 cups of stock and stir in cabbage, beans, parsley and carrots and bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer for about 10 minutes or until the cabbage is tender.

Serve hot and garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Ants Climbing on Branches

Adapted from First Look, Then Cook

After bingeing during Christmas I was feeling very lethargic and unhealthy and I wanted to try a few recipes that tasted good but were still fairly light. This is the carb friendly version to the Chinese food "Ants climbing on Trees" which is ground pork with thin noodles. Here the noodles are replaced with green beans, making it much lower in calories while still being delicious.

1 lb green beans

1/2 lb lean ground pork

1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced

1 Tbsp fresh garlic, minced

1 medium onion

1-2 chilies

1/3 cup chicken broth

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp rice vinegar

1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

1 red pepper, chopped

1/2 cup chopped cashews

Heat oil and saute garlic, onion, spices together for a few minutes until fragrant. Then add pork and brown, then add beans and red pepper and cook for a couple of minutes until the beans are beginning to soften. Meanwhile in a small bowl combine broth, soy sauce, cornstarch, and whisk together until smooth. Stir broth mix into pork and cook until thickened. Top with cashews and serve with rice.

Karelian Stew

from Mandi

Karelian stew (Karjalanpaisti) is a traditional meat stew from Karelia, the eastern part of Finland where Ben's mother is originally from. It is hearty and uses tasty root vegetables found in Scandinavia. I would love to try this in a dutch oven sometime, it seems like perfect camp food.

Serves 4

1-2 lbs of beef, pork or lamb chunks

1 Tbsp butter

1 rutabaga, chopped

3-5 carrots, chopped

4 small onions, chopped roughly

4-5 cups water or beef broth (enough to cover food in the pot)

15 peppercorns

4 bay leaves

salt to taste

6-8 potatoes

Heat the oven to 275 F. Wash and chop all vegetables except potatoes (set them aside). Brown the meat in the butter in a sauce pan and layer meat cubes, onions, and vegetables in a lidded casserole dish. Pour water or beef broth over the meat and cover.

Bake in the oven, stirring occasionally until meat is tender (about 5 hours). While the stew is in the oven, boil the potatoes. Once 5 hours is up, take out the stew, remove bay leaves and peppercorns and serve over boiled potatoes.

Christmas Beet Salad

from Nordic Recipe Archive

This is a traditional Finnish dish at Christmas time and goes well with ham, turkey or other meat dishes. It reflects the local produce available this time of year in Scandinavia. It is even better the next day so feel free to prepare it in advance.

2-3 potatoes

2-3 carrots

2-3 beets

2 pickles

1 apple

1 very small onion

1 cup sour cream

Peel and cook potatoes and carrots until soft, remove from heat and let cool. In a different pot, do the same with peeled beets, once soft reserve 1 tbsp of the water. Cut the potatoes, carrots, beets, apples and pickles into small cubes. Mince the onion and mix all of the vegetables together in a bowl. Cover the bowl and put in the refrigerator for the flavors to mingle together. Mix together sour cream and 1 tbsp beet water to dye it pink. Serve the cream on the side.