German Tomato-Cucumber Salad

German Tomato-Cucumber Salad
1 large, peeled English cucumber. Thinly sliced
3 ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1-2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Place all ingredients in bowl; set aside.

Dressing
1/3 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons whole milk or cream
Salt to taste, about 1/4 teaspoon
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Whisk together all the ingredients until smooth.
Place dressing into bowl with tomato-cucumber mixture. Toss gently.
Place in cover bowl in refrigerator for at least two hours.

Basic Sauerkraut

The crock I used is a European style fermenting crock. There are other methods found on You tube which can be used. I only have experience with the European style crock with water seal lid.

The crock can be found online on Amazon and through this link:

https://www.lehmans.com/p-3058-european-style-fermenting-crocks.aspx

Basic Sauerkraut for 5liter crock

5 lbs shredded cabbage, removed larger outer leaves and set aside.

3 tablespoons sea salt

a mixture equivalent to 2 teaspoons of

dillseed

caraway seed

celery seed

1 tablespoon juniper berries or whole peppercorns

4 oz. buttermilk

Toss the shredded cabbage, salt and seasonings together in a large bowl. Add to the crock. Using very clean hands , a potato masher or sauerkraut stomper, which I recommend: stomp and smash down the cabbage mixture , packing tight in the crock. Leave at least 1/5  head space in crock as the carbon dioxide produced in the fermentation process needs room .

Continue to stomp cabbage mixture until juices are released . Ideally you want enough juices from cabbage to cover the top of the packed mixture.

Make sure mixture is firmly packed.

Once the mixture has produced all the liquid it can, add the buttermilk. Sometimes the cabbage does not create enough juice. In that case make a brine of  salt water the strength of sea water, boil it allow to cool before adding to cabbage mixture.

Place the reserved large cabbage leaves that were removed prior to shredding over the top of the cabbage mixture. Put the weight stone, which in my case came with the crock on top of the whole cabbage leaves. Press down firmly so that the liquid covers the stones at least 1-2 inches. Add cooled brine water to compensate ,if need be.

Place the lid on top of crock and fill basin with water. This creates the air tight seal needed to begin the fermentation process. Set the crock in a cool place out of the way undisturbed for anywhere between 2-6 weeks or longer. Do not open the lid during this time. With the crock I used , you do have to add water to basin as evaporation occurs to maintain airtight seal. The time spent fermenting depends on your taste preference. It’s something you must experiment with.

After the desired fermenting time has elapsed, remove lid.

There may be a whitish scum floating on top. Don’t be concerned. It’s perfecting normal yeast formation. Carefully using a spoon , spoon it out and discard.

You may not get all of the yeast scum, that’s okay. It won’t hurt you.

Remove the weights and large cabbage leaves from the top.

Begin placing you sauerkraut in sterilized jars that seal air tight. Top off each filled jar with the liquid in crock. Make sure the sauerkraut is covered with the liquid and seal jars.

You could seal jars in a water bath and store on shelf. I did not do this however I store mine straight into the refrigerator. It will last up to 6 months in the refrigerator providing its in a air tight container and the juice is over the top of the sauerkraut.

 

Making sauerkraut, week one.

Making homemade sauerkraut. It takes 6-8 weeks to ferment. Mine is currently on week one. It’s talking to me by making bubbling sounds. That’s supposed to be a good thing. It means it’s doing it’s fermenting magic.

Low Carb Cabin Quiche

One of my sons asked me to develop some Low Carb recipes. This is one of them with more to come.

Low Carb Cabin Quiche

Make 2 nine-inch deep dish quiches
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Low Carb Crust

3 cups Soy Flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/3 cups cold shortening

about 8 tablespoons ice cold water

Filling:

1 lb. diced bacon, cooked crisp, removed to paper towel lined plate

8 oz. sliced baby bellas/cremini mushrooms

1 bunch green onions,sliced

1 bell pepper, diced

5 oz. baby spinach

2 cups grated Gruyere cheese

2 cups grated Emmentaler cheese

salt and pepper , to taste

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

16 eggs, room temperature

3 cups heavy cream, room temperature

Crust:

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours and salt. Cut in the cold shortening until pea sized. Add cold water and combine gently until dough comes together. Divide dough in half . Roll out and place each half into the deep dish pie plate or deep fluted tart pans. Set aside.

Filling:

Saute the mushrooms and bell pepper until tender in the remaining bacon fat. Remove to a colander on a plate using a slotted spoon to drain and cool. Add the spinach to the pan and sauté just until wilted and place in colander to drain well and cool. Place the cooled bacon, mushrooms, bell pepper, green onions and wilted spinach in a bowl; toss to combine. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, nutmeg and salt and pepper.

Divide the bacon, vegetable mixture between the lined baking dishes; spread evenly on bottom. Divide grated cheeses evenly between the two baking dishes. Carefully pour the egg mixture between the two baking dishes.

Place each quiche on a baking sheet. Lightly tent the baking sheet with foil. Place in oven and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until golden and set. Remove to rack to set at least 10 minutes before serving.

Pulled Pork BBQ Pizza

Pulled Pork BBQ Pizza

Beer Pizza Crust:

1 cup beer

1 tsp. salt

2 teaspoons sugar

3 1/4 cups bread flour

1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

Toppings:

About 2 cups BBQ pulled pork with BBQ sauce added to taste

about 1 1/2 cups favorite BBQ sauce

1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella

Cole slaw:

one 1lb. bag shredded cabbage mix of red, green cabbage and carrots

1 bunch green onions, sliced

1 red bell bell pepper , diced

3/4 cup mayonaise

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoon chipotle mustard or your favorite

1/2 teaspoon salt

Crust:

Add all the ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer and blend with dough hook attachment until smooth. Place in a oiled bowl , cover and allow to rise until doubled. Form into a thin round pizza crust.

This crust can also be made in a bread machine on the dough setting , placing ingredients in the order as stated with the machine.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Preheat with pizza stone if using one.

Spread 3/4 of the BBQ sauce over the rolled out crust. Sprinkle half the cheese evenly over the crust. Evenly scatter the pulled pork and drizzle the remaining BBQ sauce over the pork.  Sprinkle remaining cheese and bake. Bake until topping are hot and bubbling and crust in golden and done; about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile make the Cole slaw. Combine all the ingredients and toss well to combine.

When pizza is cooked, add the some of the Cole slaw on top. Use the extra as a side dish.

 

South West Black Bean and Chicken Salad

This salad can easily be converted to a fantastic vegetarian salad simply by omitting the chicken and cooking the quinoa in vegetable stock.

South West Black Bean and Chicken Salad

6 cups cooked shredded chicken

Two 15 oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 green bell paper, roasted , peeled, seeded and julienned

1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and julienned

1 jalapeno seeded, minced

2 cups, chopped Roma tomatoes

1 cup sliced green onions

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn

1 cup quinoa cooked in 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth as directed on package

Lettuce greens

Dressing:

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

2 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon lime zest

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

salt and pepper; to taste

In a large bowl add all the ingredients for the salad and toss. Line the serving bowl/platter with lettuce greens; set aside.

Combine all the dressing ingredients and whisk until combined. Pour over the salad and toss. Place on greens lined serving dish.

Potato Tacos

Potato Tacos

ingredients

Potato and Pepper Filling:

• 3/4 lb. red potatoes, unpeeled
• 3 fresh poblano chili peppers, roasted peeled and seeded
• 2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded
• 1/2 yellow onion , diced
• 1 cup shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
• 1/2 cup grated, Cotija cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Ancho Sauce:

• 1 Tomato
• 4 dried ancho chili peppers, stemmed and seeded
• 2 cups hot tap water
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 ground black pepper
• 1/2 yellow onion , diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. white vinegar
• 2 tsp. dried oregano, crumbled
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• directions

  • 1

    1/2 cup Vegetable oil for frying

  • 2

    12 corn tortillas

  • 3

    Garnish

  • 4

    Grated cotija cheese

  • 5

    shredded cabbage

  • 6

    sliced tomatoes

  • 7

    lime wedges

  • 8

    To make filling, in a saucepan, combine the potatoes with water to cover. Bring to boil until fork tender. Drain and let cool, then cut potatoes into 1/2 inch dice. Place in bowl. Add the poblano chilies, bell peppers, onion and both cheeses, cilantro and stir to mix well. Set aside.

  • 9

    To make the sauce, preheat a broiler. Place the tomato in a small shallow baking pan. Place under broiler 4-6 inches from heat source. Broil turning occasionally, until charred on all sides. Remove from broiler, let cool slightly and cut out core. Set aside.

  • 10

    In a small, dry frying pan over medium heat, toast the chilies, turning once, until fragrant and the skins begin to blister. Remove from the heat and let cool, then place chilies in bowl, add hot tap water and let soak for 15 minutes to soften.

  • 11

    Transfer the chilies and their soaking liquid to a blender and add the salt, pepper, onion, garlic, cumin, vinegar, oregano and roasted tomato. Puree until smooth, then strain through a sieve into shallow bowl. Add chopped cilantro and set aside.

  • 12

    In shallow heavy bottomed pan heat oil. Meanwhile, take tortillas and fill each with potato filling and fold over. Place in batches the filled tortillas in hot oil and fry until golden on each side, about 3 minutes total.

  • 13

    Garnish with cabbage, tomatoes and cheese. Squeeze on lime juice and add ancho sauce to taste.

Cinnamon Spiced Pumpkin Bread

Cinnamon Spiced Pumpkin Bread

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon nutmeg

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar

4 eggs

1 cup canola oil

one 15 oz. can pumpkin puree

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

one 10 oz. package cinnamon chips

1 cup toasted chopped pecans

1 cup bourbon soaked and drained raisins * see note at bottom

Crumble Topping:

1 1/2 cups toasted chopped pecans

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of salt

3 tablespoons butter,melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9X5X3 inch pan with nonstick spray; set aside.

Sift the flour,soda,baking powder, cinnamon , nutmeg and salt into a bowl; set aside.

In a separate bowl whisk together the sugar,eggs,oil,water,vanilla and pumpkin puree until combined.

Stir in the raisins into the pumpkin mixture and stir in the nuts and cinnamon chips into the dry mixture. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir until combined. Pour batter evenly into the prepared pans.

Prepare the crumble by combine all ingredients and stir to combine. Sprinkle with the crumble topping evenly over each pan.

Bake for about 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center.

*If you do not have bourbon soaked raisins, simply soak raisins in a jar which can be sealed at least overnight or place in a small pan and heat raisins needed in recipe with some bourbon. Bring to just boil , remove from heat allow to cool.

Chicken Strawberry Wraps

Chicken Strawberry Wraps

Dressing:

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup honey

juice and zest from 1 lime

salt and pepper; to taste

Filling:

1 roasted chicken, skinned and meat shredded

7 oz. soft goat cheese

1/4 cup slated and roasted sunflower seeds

1 lb. strawberries, sliced

5 oz. diced pancetta, cooked crisp and drained

1/2 lb. pencil thin asparagus

Roasted on foil lined baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil , salt and pepper ; to taste. Bake until tender, Cool. Squeeze lime juice over the top of roasted asparagus.

5 oz. baby spinach

5 green onions, sliced

package of 6 count spinach wraps/tortillas

Combine the dressing ingredients and whisk. Adjust seasoning , if needed.

Place wraps out and divide and spread evenly the goats cheese over the top.

Divide the roasted asparagus among the cheese covered wraps. Divide evenly the baby spinach among the wraps .

In a bowl combine the cooked chicken, cooked pancetta, onions and sunflower seeds; toss. Pour dressing over the top of the chicken mixture and toss until combined. Divide evenly among the wraps. Place the sliced strawberries evenly among the wraps. Roll and wrap in plastic if not serving right away.

Cremini Mushroom Turnover Appy’s

Cremini Mushroom Turnover Appy’s

4 Tablespoons butter

1 shallot, finely,diced

1 head roasted garlic

8 oz. sliced cremini (baby bellas) mushrooms

1 1/2 cups baby spinach, chiffonade

3 oz. Gruyere cheese, grated

1/2 cup white wine

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 package frozen puff pastry containing 2 sheets

1 egg plus 1 tablespoon water- for egg wash

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the sliced mushrooms until finely chopped. In a large saucepan place the butter, diced shallot, chopped mushrooms, and chiffonade baby spinach. Saute until liquid is evaporated and vegetables are tender. Pour in the white wine and reduce down to about 1 tablespoon. Pour in heavy cream and reduce down to nearly to the point that no liquid is present. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Stir in the grated cheese once mixture is cool.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Defrost the puff pastry sheets as directed on box. Cut each sheet into 9- 3 1/3 inch squares for a total of 18 squares .

Divide evenly the filling between the 18 squares.

Whisk together the egg and water. Using your finger, lightly wet edges of filled squares with egg wash. Fold meeting the corners into a triangle. Place each turnover on lined baking sheets, 9 on each baking sheet. Lightly brush egg wash over the top of the filled turnovers. Lightly sprinkle sea salt or kosher salt over the top along with fresh cracked black pepper.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and serve warm or at room temperature.