Easy German Sauerbraten
2 c. water
1 c. red wine
1 c. cider vinegar
1 lemon, sliced
½ large onion, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
10 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
1/3 c. sugar
2 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. juniper berries, crushed (optional)
1 tsp. whole peppercorns
1 (4 pound) boneless beef chuck roast
2 c. chopped onions
2 c. chopped carrots
1 c. diced celery
8 gingersnap cookies, crushed
Heat water, red wine, cider vinegar, lemon, ½ onion, garlic, cloves, bay leaves, white sugar, salt,
juniper berries and peppercorns in a saucepan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved, about 5
minutes. Allow marinade to cool and pour into a resealable plastic bag. Add beef roast, coat with
marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal bag. Marinate in the refrigerator 2 to 3 days, turning the
roast at twice a day.
Place onions, carrots and celery in a slow cooker. Remove roast from marinade and place atop
vegetables. Strain marinade and pour 2 ½ cups over roast; reserve remaining marinade.
Cover and cook roast on low for 8 hours. Turn slow cooker off. Transfer roast to a cutting board
and cover with aluminum foil. Strain cooking liquid into a large bowl and return vegetables to slow
cooker to rest.
Heat about 3 cups cooking liquid and gingersnaps in a saucepan over medium-high heat, adding
reserved marinade as needed, until gravy is thickened, about 10 minutes.
Slice Roast and serve with vegetables and gravy.
Pork with Sauerkraut
(Krautfleisch)
¾ lb. pork
½ lb. sauerkraut
Salt, pepper, paprika
Caraway seeds
1 clove garlic
1 small onion
1 dessert spoon fat
Crush garlic under the blade of a knife with a little salt. Cut onion into rings. Fry onion rings in
melted fat until light golden brown, add salt, pepper and paprika and stir. Throw in the sauerkraut,
the meat, previously cut into convenient pieces and a little water. Add the garlic and the caraway
seeds. Simmer very gently until meat is cooked, adjust seasoning and serve with potatoes or
dumplings.
Cheese Casserole
(Quarkauflauf)
4 Tbsp. butter or margarine
½ c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 (16 oz.) carton ricotta cheese
1/3 c. cream of wheat
3 (5-8 oz.) package vanilla pudding
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
1/3 c. milk
3 medium apples
1/3 c. raisins
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Beat two tablespoons butter or margarine with sugar, vanilla extract, eggs and cheese until creamy.
Mix cream of wheat with baking powder and vanilla pudding. Stir into cheese mixture with the
milk. Peel apples, cut into small pieces, sprinkle lemon juice over them, and fold into the cheese
mixture along with the raisins. Place into a greased casserole (2 ½ quarts) and dot with two
tablespoons butter or margarine. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes.
Serves 4-6
Spaetzle
3 c. all purpose flour
¾ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
3 eggs plus one egg yolk
½ c. whole milk
½ c. water
Sift together flour, salt and pepper. Beat eggs in a medium bowl. Alternately mix in milk, water and
flour mixture until smooth. It should make a fairly thick dough- if it is too thin, add a little more
flour.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Press batter though a spaetzle press into the
water. You may also use a potato ricer, colander or cheese grater. (A spaetzle press can be found
at amazon.com.) When the spaetzle has floated to the top of the water, remove it to a bowl with a
slotted spoon.
Serve with brown or chicken gravy or parmesan cheese.
Apple Bread
2 c. sugar
1 c. oil
3 eggs (beaten)
3 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. soda
2 tsp. vanilla
3 c. peeled and chopped apples
1 c. nuts
Beat together sugar, oil and eggs. Sift together flour, salt, cinnamon, and soda. Add to liquid
mixture. Add vanilla, apples and nuts to mixture. Put into 2 loaf pans sprayed with non-stick spray.
Sprinkle top with sugar. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour or until done.
Sand Cookies
(Heidesand)
2 sticks plus 3 Tbsp. butter
1 ¼ c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. milk
¼ tsp. salt
Over moderate heat, melt the butter in a pot and brown in until it gives off a tantalizing aroma.
Remove the butter from the heat, pour it into a mixing bowl and let it cool for about 1 hour until it
has hardened. Then, using an electric hand mixer, beat in the sugar and vanilla extract until the
mixture is fluffy. As you are mixing, gradually sift the flour into the bowl. Add the baking powder,
milk and salt. Using your hands, knead the dough until all the ingredients are well combined.
Shape the dough into rolls about 1 inch thick and put them in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2
hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Cut the rolls of dough
into rounds about ¼ inch thick and place them on the parchment paper. Bake the cookies on the
middle rack of the oven for about 15 minutes, until they are just slightly browned. Remove them
from the oven and let cool.
German Goulash Stew
(Bayrischer Gulasch)
2 lbs. lean and trimmed stewing beef
2 big onions, peeled and diced
2-4 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. dried herbs (such as thyme, rosemary and marjoram)
3-4 tsp. sweet red paprika
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
4 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 (425 g) can peeled tomatoes
1 Tbsp. tomato puree
2 tsp. garlic powder or 2 peeled crushed fresh garlic cloves
1 tsp. caraway seed
½ bottle red wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sour cream, to serve
Heat olive oil in a casserole, add meat and pan fry until brown. Add onion and heat until
transparent. Then add carrots, potatoes and herbs and stir for a few minutes. Add red wine,
tomatoes, tomato puree, garlic powder and caraway seeds- simmer for about 2-3 hours, adding
some water if necessary.
Crock pot: cook in a crock pot on high for 4-5 hours- reduce the liquid if cooking this way to about ¼
bottle red wine.
German Apple Cake
2 eggs
1 c. vegetable oil
2 c. white sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
4 c. apples, peeled, cored and diced
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour one 9x13 inch cake pan. In a mixing bowl, beat oli
and eggs with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat well. Combine the
flour, salt, baking soda and ground cinnamon together in a bowl. Slowly add this mixture to the egg
mixture and mix until combined. The batter will be very thick. Fold in the apples by hand by using a
wooden spoon. Spread batter into the prepared pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until cake tests done. Let cake cool on a wire rack. Once
cake is cool, serve with a dusting of powdered sugar or with a cream cheese frosting:
2 (3 ounce) packages cream cheese
3 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 ½ c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract