Pretzel Rolls

Oh pretzel rolls.  I just love them.  Odd because I rarely eat a pretzel....hmm, well maybe that isn't true...darn Auntie Anne's!

Alex and I have made homemade pretzels before, it is fun and pretty easy but these pretzel rolls were even easier. Most of the work is done by the mixer.  You do have to poach them, but it is a simple process and the outcome is quite delicious.  We ate our rolls with currywurst and sauerkraut, then had a couple left over for some sandwiches the next day.  Even the kids got in on the action and absolutely loved them.  Carbs + Babies = True Love.

Pretzel Rolls, adapted from Guy Fieri
1 tablespoon dry active yeast
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup baking soda

To get the rolls going put 1 cup of warm water (about 110 degrees) in the bowl of your mixer.  Put the yeast in and then give it five minutes or so to "bloom".   Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl and once the five minutes are up, turn the mixer on low (using the dough hook!) and add the dry ingredients.  Once they are incorporated turn the speed up to medium and let it go for about 8 minutes.  Check it after about 5, if the dough seems too wet or dry adjust as necessary.  The dough should be elastic and smooth, not too sticky but definitely not dry either.

Once you are done kneading, form the dough into a ball and put it into a glass bowl that has been rubbed with vegetable oil.   Cover the bowl with a towel and set it aside to rise for about 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Punch down the dough and then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.  Knead it a few times.  Now divide it in half, then divide each half into three.  You should have six equal sizes balls.  Line a baking sheet with some aluminum foil then spray it with some cooking spray.  Put the balls on the tray and lightly draw two diagonal cuts across each one with a knife.  Cover them with a towel and let them rise again for about 15 more minutes  (or doubled in size again).

While the dough is rising again, preheat the oven to 425 F and bring 8 cups of water to boil.  

Once the dough is ready add the baking soda to the water, give it a stir and let the foam die down a little.  Then put in two rolls at a time.  Poach them for about 2 minutes per side then remove them from the water and put them back on the baking tray and sprinkle each with some kosher salt.

Bake the poached rolls for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Make sure to eat one hot!  Wow these are good.

Currywurst - German Street Food!

One of my favorite parts of traveling to other countries is eating street food.   In London there are the most amazing curry stands and of course the fish and chips wrapped in newsprint. In Paris it is all about crepes.  My favorite are the crepes au thon (swiss cheese and tuna, yum!).

So even though I haven't yet been to Germany I was excited to make some German street food for our Oktoberfest extravaganza.  Currywurst is sausages cut into slices and served with a curry sauce and either fries or Brotchen (a roll).  We decided to serve ours with pretzel rolls instead since we both love them and have wanted to try them out for a while.  (Pretzel Roll recipe tomorrow!)

I liked the currywurst!  It was simple pub-type fare but it was good with some sauerkraut and some beer.  We enjoyed them and had a nice relaxing Friday night. :)

Currywurst, adapted from JenFen on All Recipes
1 pound bratwurst or other pork sausage
1 (15 oz) can of tomato sauce
2 tablespoons chili sauce (we used Heinz)
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons curry powder

Cook sausages on the grill or a grill pan. Set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium heat combine the tomato sauce with all the rest of the ingredients.  Bring to a gentle boil and then allow the sauce to simmer for 5 minutes or so.

Slice the sausages and then pour over some sauce and enjoy them!

Weiner Schnitzel

I honestly didn't think I'd have, not one, but two "schnitzel" recipes on my blog.  But in our decision on what to make to celebrate Oktoberfest this year Alex and I decided to try Wiener Schnitzel since I have never in my life eaten veal.

Wiener Schnitzel is basically a thin piece of veal, lightly breaded and fried.  The thought of poor little baby cows has made me pass on veal for many years but we decided we would get some humanely raised veal from Whole Foods and give it a shot.  I highly recommend buying meat at Whole Foods for that reason along with a host of others.  It can be pricey but if you can afford  it, it is worth the extra cost.  If you want to pass on the veal though, feel free to substitute pork loin instead.  Just slice the pork into medallions and pound them thin.  Less guilt, lower cost.  Still delicious.

Wiener Schnitzel, adapted from Paula Deen
4 veal cutlets (about 4 oz each, pounded thin)
salt and pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons water
2 cups plain dry breadcrumbs
vegetable oil for frying
1 lemon, cut in wedges

This recipe takes only about 10 minutes start to finish so make sure your sides are ready to go.  (We served pan-roasted carrots and parsnips with some braised red cabbage with our schnitzel.)

First get your breading stations ready.  Put the flour in one shallow dish, the beaten eggs and water in a second, and the breadcrumbs in the third.  Now pat dry the veal and salt and pepper them on each side.

Fill a large skillet with an inch or so of vegetable oil and place it over medium-high heat.  Now you can dredge your veal in the flour, then the egg wash, and lastly the breadcrumbs.  Once the oil is hot put the veal in the pan. Depending on the size of your veal and pan you may need to do these in two batches.  Fry the veal for 2 minutes per side then remove them to a plate lined with paper towels.  Sprinkle them with a bit of salt.

Make sure to give each person a lemon wedge or two for them to squeeze over the schnitzel before that first bite. The lemon adds a nice crisp flavor to the schnitzel.  Enjoy!

How-To Tuesday! Spatzle

How-To Tuesday German Style! For those of you who have never even heard of spatzle....spatzle is basically a German egg noodle.  It's a short little noodle that is generally made of eggs and flour, it's very easy to make and very yummy to eat.  Another good reason to make your own?  Buying boxed spatzle is actually kind of pricey here in the U.S.

Quick and easy directions for the spatzle, then a great recipe to use it in to follow. :)

Spatzle, adapted from Gordon Ramsay (serves 2)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp grated nutmeg
2 eggs, one whole and one yolk beaten together
3 tablespoons of milk
3 tablespoons of water

Bring a large pan of water to boil.  While it is heating, combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl.  Make a well in the middle and pour in the eggs.  Mix together.  Now add the milk and water, stirring to make a thick batter.

To make the spatzle, spoon a small amount of the batter into a colander held over the pan of boiling water.  Use a rubber spatula to scrape over the batter pushing it through the holes in the colander and into the boiling water below.  Let the spatzle cook for about a minute then use a strainer or slotted spoon to scoop it out and into a bowl.

If you want you can make the spatzle early and then reheat it by sauteing it in some butter for a minute or two.

My favorite dish to make with spatzle uses sausage and a creamy mustard sauce.  Even making the spatzle from scratch, the dish only takes about 20 minutes.  A great warm dinner for a crisp fall night.  (Not that we are having any of those here in Vegas yet)  I prefer to use the spatzle recipe I listed above with Robert Irvine's sauce...his spatzle is ok, but we didn't think the extra ingredients really came through in the dish.  The mustard sauce though?  Outstanding.

Spatzle in Mustard Cream Sauce with Sausage, adapted from Robert Irvine
Spatzle, see above
1 lb sausage in casings (sweet or spicy both work!)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small shallot, minced
3 tablespoons white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
2 tablespoon Dijon Mustard (we used the Country Style Grey Poupon)
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons grate Gruyere cheese

Prepare the spatzle as described in the recipe above and set it aside.  Cook your sausages either in a grill pan or in a pot of boiling water.  Once done, slice them into 1/2 inch rounds.

To make the sauce, heat a saucepan over medium.  Add the butter and shallots and cook until the shallots are a nice golden brown.  Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, then add the cream, thyme, and mustard.  Taste and then season the sauce with salt and pepper.  Put the sauce on low and continue to cook until it has thickened, about 5 minutes.  Once the sauce is thick, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheese.

Pour about half of the sauce over the spatzle and toss to coat and reheat it.  Place the spatzle on plates then put the sausage over the spatzle and spoon over a bit more sauce.

Comfort food at its, German-style, finest!

Oktoberfest!

Around this time of year Mr Pears and I always make some German food to celebrate Oktoberfest.  But did you know that Oktoberfest is actually held in September?  The traditional German beer festival actually begins in mid-September and continues through the first weekend in October, so we are a little behind...but better late than never right?

This week all of our posts are going to be Oktoberfest related.  Get ready to learn how to make spatzle on Tuesday, then we'll have some Currywurst (a German street food favorite), Weiner Schnitzel, and even some homemade Pretzel Rolls!

So break out the Oktoberfest beer! Prost!  (psst...that means cheers! :)