More Oktoberfest Recipes

26 Saturday Sep 2009

Posted by Bob and Robin in Celebrations, Food, Food Prep, Party Time

And continuing with our Oktoberfest theme and recipes from allrecipes.com, here are some more. Enjoy these.

Leeks and potatoes are simmered with a ham bone, then pureed before cream is added to this subtle soup.

German Leek and Potato Soup

Serves: 6
Ingredients:
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup butter
1 cup chopped leeks
8 potatoes, peeled and sliced
6 cups water
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 ham bone
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a large pot over medium heat, cook onions in butter until translucent. Stir in leeks, potatoes, water, thyme and the ham bone. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove ham bone and puree soup with a blender or food processor. Return to pot, stir in cream, salt and pepper, heat through and serve.

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And here is the Grand Daddy of them all –

Sauerbraten

Serves: 6
Ingredients:
4 pounds rump roast
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup red wine
1 cup red wine vinegar
2 cups water
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup sliced onion
2 bay leaves
10 black peppercorns
1/4 cup white sugar
5 whole cloves

Beef Prep:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons bacon grease

Gravy:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 cups sour cream

Directions:
Rub the roast with salt and pepper and place in a large non-metal bowl. In a medium saucepan, combine wine, vinegar and 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Stir in garlic, onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, sugar and cloves and pour the marinade over the beef. Cover and refrigerate 12 hours or overnight.

Beef Prep – Remove the meat from the marinade and thoroughly pat dry. Dredge in 1 cup flour (may use more or less if necessary). Heat bacon grease in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown roast in drippings on all sides. Pour in half the marinade, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until tender, 3 hours.

Gravy – Remove meat to serving platter. Increase heat to medium-high; mix 2 tablespoons flour with 2 tablespoons water and add to pan, stirring until gravy thickens. Stir in sour cream. Pour sauce over sliced meat.

What to Drink? – Zinfandel or a lager that is on the sweet side.

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Black Forest Cake

Serves: 12
Ingredients:
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup kirschwasser
1/2 cup butter
3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon strong brewed coffee
2 (14 ounce) cans pitted Bing cherries, drained

2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon kirschwasser
1 (1 ounce) square semisweet chocolate

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line the bottoms of two 8 inch round pans with parchment paper circles. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt. Set aside.

Cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, until combined. Pour into 2 round 8 inch pans.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool completely. Remove paper from the cakes. Cut each layer in half, horizontally, making 4 layers total. Sprinkle layers with the 1/2 cup kirshwasser.

In a medium bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add confectioners sugar, pinch of salt, and coffee; beat until smooth. If the consistency is too thick, add a couple teaspoons of cherry juice or milk. Spread first layer of cake with 1/3 of the filling. Top with 1/3 of the cherries. Repeat with the remaining layers.

In a separate bowl, whip the cream to stiff peaks. Beat in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1 tablespoon kirshwasser. Frost top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with chocolate curls made by using a potato peeler on semisweet baking chocolate.

What to Drink? – Port or a good TBA (I’d take the TBA) or a good Riesling Ice Wine

1st Course – German Leek and Potato Soup
2nd Course – Sauerbraten
Dessert – Black Forest Cake

There’s a whole dinner for your Sweetheart during Oktoberfest when you were at the Beer Hall! Cheers!!

German Spaetzle

25 Friday Sep 2009

Posted by Bob and Robin in Celebrations, Food Prep, Recipe By: Bob Young, Recipes, Things To Do

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Here is another recipe from allrecipes.com. This one is German Spaetzle.

Traditional German dumplings. You can also mince a few pieces of bacon in a pan, and heat the cooked spaetzle in the bacon drippings-only omit the butter, if preparing recipe with bacon.

German Spaetzle Dumplings

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pinch freshly ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 gallon hot water
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Procedure:
Mix together flour, salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. Beat eggs well, and add alternately with the milk to the dry ingredients. Mix until smooth.

Press dough through spaetzle maker, or a large holed sieve or metal grater.
Drop a few at a time into simmering liquid. Cook 5 to 8 minutes. Drain well.
Saute cooked spaetzle in butter or margarine. Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley on top, and serve.

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Here is a recipe for German Currywurst. Great for football Saturday and a good beer!

Currywurst is a popular ‘fast food’ in Germany. It’s quick and simple and everyone loves it!

German Currywurst

Ingredients:
3 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 pound kielbasa
2 tablespoons chili sauce
1/2 teaspoon onion salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pinch paprika
Curry powder to taste

Procedure:
Preheat oven to Broil/Grill.

Pour tomato sauce into a large saucepan, then stir in the chili sauce, onion salt, sugar and pepper. Let simmer over medium heat, occasionally stirring; bring to a gentle boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer another 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, broil/grill kielbasa sausage for 3 to 4 minutes each side, or until cooked through. Slice into pieces 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick.

Pour tomato sauce mixture over sausage, then sprinkle all with paprika and curry powder and serve.

Yields: 4 servings

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Cheers and enjoy Football Saturday!!

Elderberry Puff Pie

24 Thursday Sep 2009

Posted by Bob and Robin in Dessert, Food Prep, Recipe By: Robin Young, Recipes, Things To Do

≈ 1 Comment

Elderberry Puff Pie before baking. Look at those berries!

Elderberry Puff Pies after baking. YUM-O!

How good do those look?? Here is the recipe.

Elderberry Puff Pie

Source: Robin and Bob Young
Author Notes: Try using huckleberries or blueberries instead of the elderberries. Use your imagination.

Degree of Difficulty: Easy
Oven Temperature: 350°F
Servings: 12

Ingredients:
2½ c Elderberries, fresh
½ c Sugar
1/8 t Salt
2 T Flour
3 T Lemon juice
½ pkg Puff Pastry, cut into 12 squares
12 T Cream cheese
½ c Walnuts, broken
4 T Butter

Procedure:
1. Mix elderberries, sugar, salt and lemon juice. Sprinkle with flour and mix.

2. Using a 12 section muffin pan, or 12 – ½ cup ramekin’s, place 1 square of the puff pastry in each section.

3. Place 1 T cream cheese in the bottom of each section. Fill each section about ¾ full of the elderberry mixture. Place 1 T walnuts on top then 1 tsp of butter.

4. Bake in the oven at 350°F until the pastry is golden brown and the fruit is bubbly. Let cool 10 minutes and serve warm.

Cooking Times:
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Inactive Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Cheers! Do enjoy this treat!

Oktoberfest Recipe – Schnitzel

24 Thursday Sep 2009

Posted by Bob and Robin in Beer and Ale, Food, Food Prep, Main Dish, Party Time, Recipes

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Here is an Oktoberfest Recipe from All Recipes. Have fun with these!!

Schnitzel is the German word for cutlet, usually describing meat that is dipped in egg, breaded and fried. Wiener Schnitzel is a veal cutlet prepared in this manner. Translation of the name: ‘Wiener’ this word comes from the word ‘Wien’, which is the Austrian city called Vienna. ‘Schnitzel’ means basically meat in a crust…Serve the schnitzels with salad, ketchup and French fries.

Wiener Schnitzel

Ingredients:
2 pounds veal
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups bread crumbs
1/8 cup oil for frying

Procedure:
Cut the veal into steaks, about as thick as your finger. Dredge in flour.

In a shallow dish, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon oil, salt and pepper. Coat the veal with egg mixture, then with bread crumbs.

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Fry veal until golden brown, about 5 minutes on each side.

What to Drink: Riesling or a good Lager

PREP TIME – 20 Min
COOK TIME – 15 Min
READY IN – 35 Min

Serves: 8

So there you go for today! How about German Spaetzle Dumplings for tomorrow! Cheers.

Idaho Style "Old Peoples Dinner"

23 Wednesday Sep 2009

Posted by Bob and Robin in Classic Sauces, Food, Food Prep, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe By: Bob Young, Recipes, Things To Do

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Yes, there really is an Idaho Style Old Peoples Dinner! Chicken? Yes, but sauteed and with an Elderberry Sauce. Potatoes? Yes, but smashed and with garlic, not whipped smooth enough to sip through a straw and smooth enough so one may, if so desired, “gum masticate” them. Gravy? Can’t have smashed potatoes without gravy, and chicken gravy at that. Peas? You bet!! And just think, it’s not even Sunday afternoon. But the real clincher to this dinner is the Elderberry Sauce. Sweet yet tart. Smooth yet “chunky”. And fresh elderberries at that. Serve with a 2008 Dahlia Series Indian Creek Winery Pinot Gris. Here’s the recipe. Enjoy!

Elderberry Sauce

5 c Elderberries, de-stamed and fresh
4 whole Cloves
1/2 c Sugar
1/2 c Plum Vodka (Koenig)

Add everything except the sugar to a 4 quart pot. Heat the berries over a low flame until the juices begin to run. Add the sugar and cook the combination until the liquid boils and the crystals dissolve. Use an immersible blender (Motor Boat) and lightly break the berries up – you want some texture. Pour the hot mixture into hot, sterilized jars and let seal. Enjoy with pork, chicken or turkey. Cheers!

Wild Elderberry Jam

21 Monday Sep 2009

Posted by Bob and Robin in Food Prep, Recipes, Side Dishes, Things To Do

≈ 1 Comment

It’s that time of year, folks!! In some of the mountain areas, there has already been frost and that makes the elderberries sweet!! Robin and I returned from 4 days at Wapiti Meadow Ranch (see the link in the sidebar) up near Yellowpine and on the way back to Boise, we went from Yellowpine to McCall through some really awesome scenery and mountains (I will put some photos on here later). But the elderberries are out and ready to be picked. And that we did!! Here is a recipe link for Wild Elderberry Jam. Enjoy!!

Corn Pie

14 Monday Sep 2009

Posted by Bob and Robin in Food, Food Prep, Recipe By: Bob Young

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This is an old, old family recipe for using the “last of the season” corn. That “old” corn is made into an awesome pie. Try it!

Corn Pie

6 med Ears Corn, corn removed from the ear
2 Pie Crusts, 9″
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 pinch Cinnamon
1 t Nutmeg
1/2 c Cream
4 T Butter
1/4 c All-Purpose Flour

Pre-Heat oven to 375F

Bake off one of the pie crusts in the pie pan. Let cool.

In a separate bowl, combine corn, cinnamon, nutmeg, cream, flour, butter and salt and pepper. Pour into baked off pie crust. Cover the top with the 2nd pie crust. Poke small holes in top to release steam.

Place in 375F oven and bake for about 60 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and the corn mixture is bubbly. Remove from heat and let cool. Serve with sliced fresh tomatoes. Enjoy!

Boeuf Bourguignon

12 Saturday Sep 2009

Posted by Bob and Robin in Food, Food Prep, Recipe By: Bob Young

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Ah ha! Try this on for size. It’s a Julia Child wanna-be!

Boeuf Bourguignon III

Ingredients:
1 T Olive Oil
¼ lbs Bacon cut in small strips
2¼ lbs Rump steak cut into 1” cubes
1 T Butter
1 med Red Onion, diced
1 c Baby Carrots
1 T All-Purpose Flour
½ Bottle good Red Wine
2 c Beef stock
1 Bouquet garni (parsley, 1 Bay Leaf, 1 T Thyme)
Salt and freshly ground
½ lbs Button Mushrooms, sliced
1 T Chopped Flat-Leaf Parsley

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Heat oil in an ovenproof casserole dish and sauté the bacon until slightly crisp. Transfer bacon to a plate then brown the meat in the same oil.

Remove any excess oil then add butter and diced onion and sauté a little. Add carrots. Sprinkle flour over the meat and mix in. Pour in the red wine and bring to a simmer. Add the beef stock to cover the meat and add the bouquet garni. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and leave at a simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove any surface scum and cover pan. Cook in the preheated oven for at least 1½ hours. The meat is cooked when it falls apart easily.

When the meat is tender, remove the dish from the oven and place on top of the stove over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and bacon and simmer until the mushrooms are cooked. Remove the bouquet garni, check the seasoning and serve sprinkled with freshly chopped parsley. Serve with steamed rice or boiled new potatoes. Bon appetit!

Per serving:
1136 Calories (kcal) 100g Total Fat; (78% calories from fat)
50g Protein 10g Carbohydrate
159mg Cholesterol 2521mg Sodium

Have fun with this. Serve with a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Syrah. Cheers!

Broccoli Bacon Salad

07 Monday Sep 2009

Posted by Bob and Robin in Food, Food Prep, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe By: Bob Young, Recipes

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OK, so it’s late summer headed for fall and the cabbage family of vegetables is in. That includes broccoli. A great vegetable, but one that I must have at the very least, lightly blanched. So here is a good little recipe from WEcooks, an area of Wildearth. (If you are in to wild life and touring the African bush in real time but from home, this is the site for you!!). So with that said, there is an area on that site for recipes and this is just one of many. Enjoy it and Cheers!!

Broccoli Bacon Salad
Source: Adapted from KimJ on WEcooks, WEcooks

1 med Head of Broccoli- cut up in small pieces
½ Red Onion, cut in small pieces
4 strips Bacon, fried to crisp, crumbled
1 lg Carrot, diced in ¼” rounds
6 med Button Mushrooms sliced
½ c Craisins
Optional- raisins, sunflower seeds, nuts

Blanch the broccoli and set aside to cool. Boil the carrots in salt and pepper and brown sugar until tender. Set aside to cool. Sauté the mushrooms until golden brown. Set aside to cool.

When everything is cool, dice the onion. Place all vegetables, bacon and mushrooms in a bowl and toss lightly to combine. Add the Craisins and toss. Serve as a cold vegetable salad.

What to do today? Wild Idaho Huckleberry Jam

30 Sunday Aug 2009

Posted by Bob and Robin in Food, Food Prep, Recipe By: Bob Young, Side Dishes, Things To Do

≈ 1 Comment

OK, so the storm last night really cooled things off. All doors and windows open. Fresh, cool air all around! So, what will I do? How about making some Idaho Wild Huckleberry Jam? Sounds good to me. (If you can not get huckleberries at $8.00 per pound, try wild blueberries or elderberries.) Here is the recipe I use.

Wild Idaho Huckleberry Jam

Bob and Robin Young, Boise, Idaho
Degree of Difficulty: Moderately difficult
Yield: 12 ½-Pint jars

Ingredients:
5 lbs Huckleberries, fresh
¼ t Baking Soda
8 c Sugar
2 pkg Sure-Jell
12 ½ pint Canning jars and lids, sterilized

Procedure:
1. Pick over the huckleberries to remove stems. Wash. Place in a 12 qt pot and bring level up to 12 cups using water if necessary.
2. Simmer for 35 minutes or until reduced to 10 cups.
3. Measure out sugar and set aside.
4. Add Sure-Jell and mix. Bring up to a full rolling boil and boil for 3 minutes (No Longer) stirring constantly.
5. Add the sugar all at once and stir to mix. Bring up to a rolling boil of 220°F and reduce mixture by ¼.
6. Place a dish in the freezer. Place about 1 t of the liquid on the plate and return to freezer. Check to see if the jam is thickening to your liking. If not, return to freezer for another 3 minutes. Repeat until you are satisfied that the jam is correct.
7. When correct, immediately remove from heat. Pour the jam into sterilized canning jars. Place lids and rings on. Hot pack for 12 minutes. Remove from water and let cool until you hear the lids “pop”.

Cooking Times:
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Inactive Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours and 20 minutes

So, there is the recipe. There is a hot link to the recipe if you want a hard copy. If you have not seen the movie, Julia and Julia, you really gotta see this one. Funny, very funny, informative, although I don’t know how historically accurate it is. But there are parts that are factual – Julia Child’s trying to get published and her stint at Le Cordon Bleu. It’s a very well done movie. Go prepared to laugh! Cheers!