German Cucumber Salad (Gurkensalat)

When I was little, I wasn't a big fan of any salad that contained green lettuce leaves. I thought it tasted like grass and was better used as food for rabbits. I ate it, but many times it was very begrudgingly and only the smallest amount my mom would let me get away with. However, there was always one salad I didn't need convincing for and that was my mom's Gurkensalat (cucumber salad). I could happily eat a big bowl in one sitting without complaint.

Gurkensalat is as quintessential in Germany as Bratwurst, Sauerkraut or Schnitzel. Most families have a recipe that has been handed down from generation to generation with a few slight variations depending on the region in Germany. My love for this salad has only grown stronger over the years and I'm happy that my family loves it equally as well. In fact, this is one of my most requested recipes from friends who have tried it at our home. I've always told them "it's a little of this and a little of that", so I guess many of them will be happy that I've finally added it to my blog with a "real" recipe.

Cucumbers are mild and pretty neutral tasting, plus they are very refreshing, especially on a warm day. Making this salad doesn't require a lot of time, but there are a few key points to remember. I peel my cucumber and use a mandolin to get thin, even slices. Salting the cucumbers prior to adding the salad dressing helps remove some of the moisture and prevents the salad from being to watery. Fresh dill will really bring out the freshness in this salad, but in a pinch I've used dried dill before and it will work just fine, but in this case fresh is best. Last, but not least, while I use extra virgin olive oil for every other salad dressing or vinaigrette I make, for this salad I prefer a very neutral tasting oil like grapeseed oil which is a great healthy alternative.

This salad tastes best if it can "hang out" for about an hour before serving. It helps all the flavors meld together and makes it even more tasty. Gurkensalat is a great side dish for any grilled meat, but one of my favorite ways to eat it is the way my mom and grandma served it quite frequently, alongside some freshly made Käsespätzle (Cheese Spaetzle). I really hope you will give this recipe a try and that it becomes a family favorite of yours as well.

German Cucumber Salad (Gurkensalat)
~makes 4 servings~
(Print this recipe)

Ingredients:
1 English Cucumber, peeled and finely sliced
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt


For the dressing:
2 Tbsp. grapeseed oil
2 Tbsp. white vinegar
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. spicy brown mustard
1 Tbsp. honey
1/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup red onion, finely diced
1 Tbsp. fresh dill, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh chives, finely chopped

Directions:
Peel and slice cucumber and place in a strainer over a bowl. Add 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt, mix with the cucumbers and let sit for about 20 minutes to drain.

Meanwhile to make the dressing whisk oil, white vinegar, cider vinegar, salt, pepper, mustard and honey in a small bowl until emulsified. Whisk in sour cream, onions, dill and chives.

In a bowl add your drained cucumber and your prepared dressing. Combine and let sit for about 1 hour in the refrigerator before serving.

Notes: My mom taught me to peel the cucumber from the "flower to the stem" (top to bottom), this way if you have a bitter cucumber end you don't drag the bitterness across the entire cucumber.

Always taste both ends of your cucumber before using, there is nothing worse than a bitter cucumber ruining your salad.

I use a mix of white vinegar and apple cider vinegar for this salad. Over the years I have found that this mix comes pretty closely to the unique taste German vinegar has.

A Susi's Kochen und Backen Family Recipe
 
 

Lemon Risotto with Peas, Proms and a Bake Sale

We've had a few extremely busy weeks and I feel like a broken record repeating it, but it really has been a wild ride here. Between senior proms, my surgery, soccer tryouts and various other functions, it seems almost impossible to find any time in the kitchen, nonetheless take pictures or write something. I might as well apologize already in advance, because until the middle of June I don't see it getting any better. 

To get back to the Proms though, both of them were a rousing success. She looked beautiful to her father and I (and we might be a tiny bit biased on this) and made us both choke up when we realized that our little girl is not so little anymore. The second prom which she attended with her best friend really hit us hard, they all looked so grown up and the little twinge I've been getting in my stomach about her leaving us soon hasn't let up and reality is starting to set in more with each day. Either way, I promised you all a picture, so here it is. Our daughter is the one in the pink dress which fit her personality perfectly and the girl in the yellow is her best friend.

The second thing on my agenda today is to let you all know that I'm participating in an online bake-sale that Becky from "Baking and Cooking, A Tale of Two Loves" is hosting on May 2nd. The bake-sale is going to be in the format of a silent auction and you can bid on some great goodies. Becky is hoping to raise money for a very worthy cause: Relay for Life, that will benefit the American Cancer Society and which she is also participating in. My contribution for this auction will be my Nutella Chocolate Cookies. The highest bidder will be able to pick their choice of bittersweet, semisweet, milk chocolate or white chocolate chips to customize the cookies to their taste. I hope you'll hop on over and check out all of the goodies up for auction and support a great cause that is very near and dear to my heart as well. My own daughter is actually participating in one of the Relay's for Life in our home state and will be walking in honor of her Opa, my dad, who passed away from cancer a few years ago.

Trying to bring this hodge podge of a blog post back to food isn't going to be very easy or eloquently, but here it goes, just pretend I'm doing a fine job. This Lemon Risotto with Peas has been in my recipe files for several years and it truly is perfect for, well Spring. I found this recipe in a Light and Tasty Magazine and besides the fact that it is actually somewhat healthy, it also tastes great. If you've ever cooked a risotto, you know that they are not hard, but they do take a little bit time and quite some stirring. This risotto has a wonderful bright taste from additions of white wine, lemon juice and lemon zest, but also a creaminess that only a well cooked risotto produces, along with the sweetness of peas and the nuttiness of freshly grated Parmesan. I usually serve this risotto alongside grilled salmon, but chicken or even lamb are just as tasty. If you enjoy a good risotto with a nice lemony flavor this is definitely a great recipe to try.

Lemon Risotto with Peas

~makes 8 servings~

(Print this recipe)

Ingredients:

5 to 5 1/2 cups chicken broth

2 shallots, finely chopped

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups uncooked Arborio rice

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/3 cup white wine

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, heat broth and keep warm.

In a large nonstick skilled, saute shallots in butter for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Add the rice, thyme and pepper; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes. Stir in wine and lemon juice. Cook and stir until all of the liquid is absorbed.

Stir in heated broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly. Allow liquid to absorb between additions. Cook just until risotto is creamy and rice is almost tender. Total cooking time is about 20 minutes.

Add the peas, Parmesan cheese and lemon peel; cook and stir until heated through. Serve immediately.

Adapted from: Light and Tasty Magazine

Israeli Couscous with Balsamic Glazed Vegetables

I'd like to thank you all of you for your kind comments, thoughts, prayers and emails regarding my surgery. It meant a lot and I don't say this lightly. My surgery went off without a hitch Thursday and I was back home resting that evening. I had a few days of more pain than I expected, but I'm feeling a little better with each day.  I still have to take it easy for a few more days, but didn't want to leave you all "hanging". I'm not ready to hop back into the kitchen just yet, but I made a few recipes ahead of time before I went in for my procedure. So again, thanks to all of you and your support :o)

I love shopping at Trader Joe's and no, this is not a paid advertisement, it just happens to be one of my favorite grocery stores. It reminds me a lot of the stores I grew up with as a kid. Small, neighborhood stores with a fairly limited assortment of products, but yet everything available that you would need. Trader Joe's is like that. I could spend hours walking through that little store, checking out all of the cool and unique products they have. I always check out their flowers and more often than not, I end up with a bouquet in my basket to brighten up my day. Next up, I always have to stop at the cheese coolers, the glorious, amazingly stocked cheese coolers where I usually stand and have to check out all of the mouthwatering and at times, unique flavors. I also enjoy their wine selection and always seem to walk away with a new find. In fact, they do carry a lot of things that you just can't find at an ordinary grocery store and it is also the place where I buy my couscous among many other things. Israeli couscous that is, because my local supermarket likes to be difficult and won't stock it.

Israeli couscous is just one of those interesting foods, that put a little smile on my face every time  I cook with it. I don't know exactly what it is about it, but I guess I enjoy that the texture is quite unique and unlike regular couscous. Many times I turn it into a salad or simply cook it in some chicken broth for a bit of added flavor. This time though, I wanted to incorporate a good amount of vegetables into the dish and not just any vegetables, but balsamic glazed ones. Red and green bell peppers along with onion and baby portobello mushrooms were my choice for this recipe. To make this a true vegetarian dish, I decided to cook the couscous in vegetable broth to infuse flavor throughout. While the couscous cooks, the cut up vegetables are simply sauteed in a bit of olive oil.  They are seasoned with salt and pepper and a final touch of balsamic vinegar made these vegetables a standout. I also made sure to cook them "al dente" since I wanted to keep the integrity of the vegetables intact. Finally they are folded into the cooked couscous before serving.

The end result was such an incredibly tasty dish, that goes well with so many things. Anything from chicken to fish would be wonderful alongside, but it can certainly stand on its own as well. I served this dish hot right out of the pan, but happened to try it once it had cooled down, and it was equally delicious at room temperature. This turned out so well, that my family has already requested this dish again and with it being chock-full of good for you ingredients, I certainly won't have a problem cooking this in the future.

Israeli Couscous with Balsamic Glazed Vegetables 
~makes 8 servings~ 

(Print this recipe)

Ingredients:

For the couscous:

1 1/3 cup Israeli couscous

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 3/4 cups vegetable broth

For the balsamic vegetables:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 medium red onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, 1/2-inch diced

1 green bell pepper, 1/2-inch diced

1 pound baby portobello mushrooms, cleaned and chopped

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions:

For the couscous: In a 2 quart saucepan, saute 1 1/3 cups Israeli couscous with 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat until couscous is lightly browned (about 5 minutes). Slowly add 1 3/4 cup hot vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cover. Simmer for 12 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

For the balsamic vegetables: In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, peppers and portobellos and saute until vegetables begin to soften. Season with salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar. Continue to cook until most of the moisture from the vegetables has evaporated and the balsamic has glazed them, making sure not to over-cook the vegetables. Fold the sauteed vegetables into the cooked couscous and serve immediately or at room temperature.

A Susi's Kochen und Backen Original Recipe

Asian Inspired Cucumber Salad

We are a family of salad lovers. I know I've said it before, but I'm truly blessed with children who are not picky and always willing to give something new a try. They also adore their "greens" and a meal at our house would not be complete without a salad or vegetable along with dinner. Sure they all have their favorites, but even some of the less liked vegetables get eaten. They are all in agreement though when it comes to cucumbers; every single one of my kids loves them. They enjoy them when tucked into their lunchboxes with a little bit of light ranch dressing, but also love cucumbers with abundance when included in any kind of salad. 

My husband brought home two gorgeous looking English cucumbers a couple of days ago and after snacking on one, I still had one leftover to make a salad. I was looking for an Asian inspired recipe since I was preparing a Thai meal that evening. Checking the inventory of my fridge I also found carrots, radishes and red onion and figured all of them would fit perfectly into a salad. I found a basic recipe on Savory Sweet Life and decided to give it a go. This salad comes together quickly, it's the cutting of the carrots and radishes into matchsticks which will take you the longest. Once all the vegetables are cut, they are combined with the dressing. The vinaigrette is a simple mixture of rice vinegar, sugar (which I reduced from the original), chili garlic sauce and salt. The dressing is added to the vegetables and then everything is refrigerated for a couple of hours. I added two teaspoons of the chili garlic sauce and found it a sufficient heat level, but feel free to add more or less to taste.

This salad turned out great. The kids and us adults really enjoyed this great mix of sweet and sour along with the crunch of the vegetables. This is definitely a keeper and lends itself to so many different meals. I especially loved this salad since it is very light and with no oil in the vinaigrette it is also not too shabby on your waistline and boy, don't we all know that the bathing suit season is approaching!

Asian Inspired Cucumber Salad

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 English cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced (a mandolin works great)

1 large carrot, peeled and matchstick-julienned

4 radishes, matchstick-julienned

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

In a microwavable bowl add rice vinegar, sugar, chili garlic sauce, and salt. Heat the bowl in the microwave for 45 seconds. Stir the vinaigrette until the sugar is completely dissolved. In a medium size bowl add the sliced cucumbers, carrots, radishes, and red onion. Pour vinaigrette over the cucumber mixture and toss. Cool in the refrigerator for 1 hour before serving.

Slightly adapted from: Savory Sweet Life 

Blaukraut (German Red Cabbage)

Remember my last post? The one with the Semmelknödel, where I told you I wasn't an expert in cooking dumplings? Well, I am definitely an expert in cooking Blaukraut (not that I'm gloating here). Blaukraut literally translates into "blue cabbage" and the name is mainly used in southern Germany. Most areas in Germany though either call this Rotkraut or Rotkohl which means "red cabbage". I've been cooking Blaukraut for probably 20 years and by now I don't even need a recipe anymore. I usually don't measure my ingredients and know exactly just what and how much to add to achieve a consistent tasting cabbage each and every time. However, just for you, my wonderful blog readers, I had my kitchen helper (my daughter) write down everything I did as I went along.

Most Americans are familiar with Sauerkraut and while we Germans do tend to eat that a lot (and no, we don't wear "Lederhosen" all day long), Blaukraut is cooked just as often and is another treasured German recipe that most families cook quite frequently. Blaukraut is so versatile and can be served alongside many dishes like German dumplings, Spaetzle, or mashed potatoes. In restaurants it is a given that it is served with Sauerbraten, venison, boar and goose. I've always loved Blaukraut and we had it a lot growing up since red cabbage was bountiful every year from my parent's and grandparent's vegetable gardens. Cabbage tends to be ready for harvest in the fall and we mostly ate this throughout the colder months. My mom would cook several cabbage heads at a time and freeze the leftovers, which works beautifully.

Cooking Blaukraut is fairly easy as long as you consider a few simple steps. You can shred the cabbage by hand, but if your knife skills aren't that great, go ahead and use a mandolin or the shredding blade of a food processor which will always give you consistent results. I find it also very important to "layer" my cabbage while cooking it. 2-3 layers are sufficient and each layer will receive lots of love from the ingredients, which will ensure a great tasting side dish. Not many ingredients are needed, but it does call for vegetable bouillon cubes which impart great flavor. A good tasting sweet apple (like pink lady) is also important, and while I love Granny Smith for most of my baking, they are too tart for this recipe. Last, but certainly not least, a little bit of a good tasting red wine is added (do not use cooking wine!) which along with the vinegar doesn't add flavor, but also helps preserve the beautiful color of the cabbage.

This time around I served the Blaukraut with my German Sauerbraten and Semmelknödel, but it is a wonderful side dish that is tasty alongside all kinds of meals and goes extremely well with a beef pot roast. My family (including the kids) love this recipe and so has every guest that has ever had it served in our house. I know, strong statement, but it is just that good!

Blaukraut (German Red Cabbage)

(Print this recipe)

Ingredients:

1 medium head red cabbage, shredded

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/3 cup red wine

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

1 apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped

2 vegetable bouillon cubes

4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup water

Kosher Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent. Add the 1/3 cup of red wine. Add 1/2 of the shredded cabbage, 1/2 of the apple, 1 bouillon cube, 2 tablespoons vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, 1/2 cup of water, season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper. Repeat the layer adding the other half of the ingredients in the same fashion.

Give a quick stir, cover and simmer for about 20 - 30 minutes or until the cabbage is soft. At this point stir, taste for seasonings and adjust if a little more salt and pepper is needed. 

A Susi's Kochen und Backen Family Recipe

Semmelknödel (Bavarian Bread Dumplings)

 

Let me preface this post by telling you that I'm not an expert on German Dumplings. In fact, I have had a love/hate relationship with them my whole life. As a kid I grew up with a few different versions of dumplings or "Klösse" as we like to call them. I love Semmelknödel, which are made out of stale bread and what this post is about, but hated every time my mom or dad would make the traditional ones that are made with potatoes. Something about the texture and taste used to throw me off and I would spend quite a few Sunday dinners eating a piece of bread alongside my roast while the rest of the family would enjoy their dumplings. These days I will eat them if I visit my mom, but it is nothing I go out of my way to fix myself unless my husband requests them. He seems to be going back and forth between the potato kind and the bread kind and this year he thankfully chose the latter which I enjoy eating.

Semmelknödel, or bread dumplings are served throughout Bavaria in most restaurants. It is a great way to use up stale Semmeln or Brötchen which are similar to Kaiser Rolls here in America and they make for a pretty economic meal this way. My favorite part about these dumplings growing up was the second day, when my mom would use the leftovers, cut them up and fried them in a pan until both sides were nice and crispy. We were always looking forward to that.
Cooking dumplings is actually quite an art and I'll be the first to admit that because of cooking them so infrequently, I'm not as good at making them as my mom or grandpa are. Forming them properly so they keep their shape and being able to cook them is a little harder then you might think. The salt water to cook the formed dumplings in has to be just perfect. It has to be hot enough to cook them through, but it also can't boil or they will disintegrate, the water needs to be right around the simmer point and stay there with a consistent heat.

Since I can't get my hands on great rolls here, I started using a french baguette when I make these dumplings at home. The texture comes pretty close to a traditional German Brötchen and after sitting on the counter for about a day prior, the bread is perfect. The baguette is sliced thinly and soaked in lukewarm milk and some salt for about 30 minutes which will help soften the bread. Meanwhile, onion and fresh parsley are sauteed in a bit of butter. After the bread is nice and soft the sauteed veggies are added to the bread bowl along with seasonings, eggs and flour. Everything is mixed well together (clean hands are your best tool for this) and the "dough" is set aside to rest for another 20 minutes. With wet hands round dumplings the size of a baseball are formed and carefully placed in hot salted water which is where they will cook for about 20 minutes or until cooked through. The easiest way to test for doneness is to take one out and cut it in half to make sure the inside is cooked thoroughly. Once cooked, they are removed with a slotted spoon and served immediately. 

My Semmelknödel might not be the prettiest and they pale in comparison to the way my mom's look, but they are darn tasty and are the perfect side dish for any kind of roast with gravy like my German Sauerbraten. I hope I have intrigued you enough to give another German classic a try and you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

Semmelknödel (Bavarian Bread Dumplings)

 ~makes 6 dumplings~
 (Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 french Baguette (about 10 oz./300 g), cut into 1/4 inch slices

1 3/4 cups lukewarm milk

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon butter

4 tablespoons onion, minced

4 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

3 large eggs

2 - 4 tablespoons flour

Directions:

Cut baguette into slices. Place the slices in a large bowl, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and pour lukewarm milk evenly over the bread. Cover bowl and let the mixture sit for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile melt butter in a small pan, add onion and parsley and saute for about 2 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

After 30 minutes add the sauteed onion and parsley to your soaked bread along with another 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add in the eggs and 2 tablespoons flour. Mix until well combined. If the dough appears really wet at this point add another tablespoon or two of flour.

Cover bowl again and let rest for another 20 minutes. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add about 2 teaspoons of salt. Reduce the heat of the water so it is simmering, but not boiling. With wet hands start forming your dumplings (baseball sized) and carefully place them into the water. After all your dumplings are formed, you might have to bring the water temperature up temporarily, but make sure it won't boil or your dumplings will fall apart. Add the lid to your pot, but keep the lid cracked.  After about 20 minutes the dumplings should be cooked. Remove one and check for doneness. If the inside is still a little "gooey" return the dumpling and cook for another couple of minutes. Remove all dumplings with a slotted spoon and serve immediately.

A Susi's Kochen und Backen family recipe

Guacamole Salad

Avocados go on sale quite frequently in my neck of the woods, and when they do I like to buy a whole bunch. Everyone in our house loves them, and it isn't unusual for my kids to split one for a snack after school. I know they are high in fat, but at the same time it's the "good for you" kind. In case you didn't know, Avocados are a fruit and not a vegetable and have the highest protein content of any fruit. They also contain more potassium than bananas, so all in all, despite the fact that they are high in calories, they are really good for you.

Guacamole is always a popular choice in our home and is prepared very frequently, but last week after an abundance of avocados in the refrigerator (it will slow down the ripening process) and having had guacamole a couple of times already, I was ready to find a different recipe using the green fruit. For a second I thought about making Avocado ice cream, but I couldn't quite get "there" mentally, it sounded just a little bit too strange for the time being. So on the internet I went looking. I didn't have to search very long until I found this recipe for Guacamole Salad from none other than the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten.

The salad sounded like it would be quickly made and I loved that it had a great Southwestern twist to it. Red grape tomatoes, yellow bell peppers, black beans, red onions, green jalapenos and bright green avocados make this salad a colorful feast for your eyes. The salad is dressed with a simple lime and oil dressing which receives a little additional kick from cayenne pepper, and finally diced avocados are added right before serving (to prevent browning) to the mix.

This salad was delicious! Everyone had seconds and this dish will be made over and over again. I served this alongside Southwestern seasoned grilled steaks with some crusty bread. This salad is a beautiful addition to any dinner table and reminded me that I need to look for more of Ina Garten's recipes, which always seem to turn out well.

Guacamole Salad

(adapted from Ina Garten)

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and 1/2-inch diced

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup small diced red onion

2 tablespoons minced jalapeno peppers, seeded (2 peppers)

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)

1/4 cup good olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled, and 1/2-inch diced

Preparation:

Place the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, jalapeno peppers, and lime zest in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper and pour over the vegetables. Toss well.

Just before you're ready to serve the salad, fold the avocados into the salad. Check the seasoning and serve at room temperature.

Grilled Panzanella Salad

In some areas of the country, summer has been quite the mixed bag. Very hot days, but also very cold and rainy days. For us it has just been plain hot and unbearable with very little rain. Summer in Arizona is unfortunately not letting up for probably another couple of months. It will hold a firm grip on us, making us wish for cooler temperatures, even if it just means to dip below 100 degrees F. Yes, most of us Arizonians should be used to it, but are fed up with this terrible heat by early August. Unfortunately, we forget year after year about the temperatures when we are sitting outside enjoying a BBQ-ed meal in January while the rest of the country is freezing.

Since summer is still here to stay for at least a while longer, I'm still on the hunt for great salad recipes to expand my repertoire. This one comes courtesy of "Cuisine at Home" yet again. I really like their approach to recipes which are fairly simple, but wonderful tasting, and most of my magazines from them are covered in sticky notes for dishes to try. Today's post had been on my to-do list for a while, and last weekend I finally got around to it. Panzanella Salad is an Italian dish that is a bread salad. It varies widely depending upon region and ingredients available, however, day old bread is always included. It is also important to use a sturdy bread when making this dish. It is best to use a chewy, rustic bread that can withstand being tossed with a vinaigrette, otherwise your bread will get way too mushy. Ripe, juicy tomatoes are another must, and while any tomato will work, the sweetness of cocktail or grape tomatoes seem to harmonize best with this salad. Cucumbers, red onions, kalamata olives, fresh mozzarella and basil round out this dish.

This is a fantastic salad to serve along side any kind of meat. We had pork chops with it, but steak or chicken would be wonderful as well. Since the bread is grilled on the BBQ, grilling the meat is a logical choice and with that you can leave the stove off, which is always a plus with this heat. We all really enjoyed this unique salad. It incorporated all of our favorite ingredients and so it was kind of a given that we liked it, but nonetheless, I'm surprised by the simplicity of certain recipes that just "wow" you. This is another recipe I'm keeping, and will be making over and over again!

Grilled Panzanella Salad
(adapted from "Cuisine at Home")
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup cucumber, seeded and chopped
1 cup red onion, sliced
1/2 cup fresh mozzarella, cubed
1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves
1/2 a baguette or ciabatta bread, halved lengthwise and brushed with olive oil
2 garlic cloves

Preparation:

Preheat grill to medium-high. Whisk oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper together; set aside.

Toss vegetables, mozzarella, olives, and basil together in a bowl.

Grill bread, cut side down, until golden, 2-3 minutes, then rub with the garlic cloves. Slice bread into cubes, add to vegetables, and toss with vinaigrette.

Creamy Bacon, Tomato, and Avocado Pasta Salad

I love BLT's. I love them even more with the addition of avocado, but then ANYTHING tastes better with some of the green creamy goodness in it. It is also no secret if you've been following my blog, that I love bacon. I think just a little bit of bacon goes a long way in flavoring a dish and making it a standout. Tomatoes are another of my favorites, and I use them almost daily in the summer time when they are ripe. So, when I saw the picture for this salad on Photograzing, I had to click on it. I was not disappointed. All of my favorite things rolled into one delicious sounding salad. I was sold!

This salad is another very quickly made dish, which is great, especially during the week with the dinnertime rush a lot of us experience. Bacon is chopped and cooked until crisp.  Meanwhile, pasta is cooked, and while cooking, you can go ahead and chop the tomatoes and make your dressing. A quick dressing of mayonnaise (you can use light mayo as well) with lots of lemon juice, seasonings, and dill is whisked together and then added to the cooked pasta along with the bacon and tomatoes. The salad is chilled for about 30 minutes (fix your sides during this time), and right before serving you add the cut up avocados (any earlier and they turn brown). Done! I told you it was quick.

This salad was a HUGE hit in our house. We loved the tartness of the dressing along with the creamy avocado and smokiness of the bacon. I served it with grilled chicken, but I could certainly eat a bowl of this all by itself and be happy.  The recipe called for dried dill, and while it was good, the next time I will make sure to use fresh dill. This dish will be making many more repeat appearances in our home, and if you like all these ingredients as well, this is a great salad to fix!

Creamy Bacon, Tomato, and Avocado Pasta Salad

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

6 slices bacon, chopped into 1-inch pieces

3/4 pound (12 ounces) dried Rotini pasta

1 cup mayonnaise

Juice of 1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons dried dill (or 1 tablespoon freshly chopped dill)

1 1/2 cups tomatoes, seeded and diced

2 avocados, pitted and cubed

Directions:

Cook bacon until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Strain. Run cold water over the top until the pasta is cooled.

While your bacon and pasta are cooking, whisk mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, garlic powder, pepper and dill together in a bowl.

Stir cooled pasta, diced tomatoes, and reserved bacon into the dressing. Toss to combine. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Right before serving add cubed avocados.

Adapted from: Life's Ambrosia 

Peas and Carrots "German Style"

Peas and carrots mixed together always bring me back to my childhood. It was my absolutely favorite vegetable my mom prepared, and to this day, it holds a special place in my heart. It is a super kid friendly vegetable mix, and my children have loved it since they were little babies and were able to start eating table food. This is another one of my mom's recipes that I made sure to acquire as soon as I moved out, and it has been a staple in our home ever since.

The dish is reminiscent of creamed vegetables without the heaviness. It starts by sauteing diced onions in a bit of olive oil. Cleaned, chopped carrots are added and sauteed for a minute. A little bit of water is added along with a vegetable bouillon cube, salt, and pepper. Frozen peas are thrown into the mix, and everything is cooked until the carrots are soft, but still have a bit of bite left to them (nothing worse than mushy vegetables). A couple tablespoons of heavy cream along with freshly chopped parsley add the finishing touch. This recipe is certainly not difficult to fix, chopping the vegetables will be the hardest "chore" in this dish. After that, it is finished in no time.

I especially like to serve this along side mashed potatoes or simple boiled potatoes and a protein. Anything from a steak, to chicken or pot roast will be delicious. It is a very mild vegetable that is always incredibly well received, and despite the few ingredients, it tastes fresh and flavorful. So, if you are still guilty of heaving canned peas and carrots in your pantry, go ahead, and try this from scratch version, you might never go back to store bought again!

Peas and Carrots "German Style"

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cups carrots, diced

1 cup water

1 vegetable bouillon

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups frozen peas

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

Directions:

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add onion to the olive oil and saute until the onion turns translucent and slightly soft. Add the carrots and cook for another minute. Add water, vegetable bouillon, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, add the frozen peas, turn down heat and simmer for about 5-10 minutes or until the carrots have the desired consistency. Add the heavy cream and parsley, taste for seasonings and serve!

A Susi's Kochen und Backen Family Recipe

Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole

Cauliflower happens to be one of my favorite vegetables. This is another vegetable that my mom had in her garden in abundance while I was growing up, so it was frequently on the dinner table. My mom had a few different ways to prepare it, but most of the time she just turned it into a simple dish of cauliflower in a white sauce with a hint of cheese. Most of the time she served it along with boiled salt potatoes and Schnitzel or Fleischkuechle (they are a mix between a mini meatloaf and a burger). I still love eating it this way, but I also like to cook today's "kicked up" version.

I found this recipe in my trusty "Ich helf Dir kochen" book which I received over 20 years ago from my parents. I've added a few of my own touches to this recipe over the years, which makes this cauliflower irresistible, at least for my family. I always start by cutting up the cauliflower into florets and soaking them in a big bowl of salt water for about 30 minutes. One reason why I do this is because, growing up and harvesting the fresh crop from my mom's garden (which is completely organic and without commercial fertilizer) it wasn't uncommon to find that a little snail or the like had made its way into the lettuce or cauliflower. The salt water kills them, and lets them float to the top for easy removal. It is probably not necessary to do so today, especially if purchasing the cauliflower at a super market, but sometimes old habits die hard.

The cleaned cauliflower is then cooked "al dente" in a big pot of salted water that has a bit of milk added to it. The milk in the water helps preserve the white color of the vegetable. Make sure you don't overcook the cauliflower as it tends to get a "soapy" taste if it is cooked too much.

A white sauce is then made by making a simple roux. Reserved cauliflower cooking water is added to the roux and seasoned with salt, pepper, cayenne, and nutmeg (very important!). Freshly grated Swiss cheese is added, and the mixture is stirred until smooth. This is poured over the cooked cauliflower into a casserole dish and more Swiss cheese is sprinkled on top prior to baking.

Just like my mom, I love to serve this with boiled Yukon Gold potatoes. Sometimes I add a bit of chopped up ham to the cauliflower casserole for an easy fulfilling meal, but usually I serve it with some kind of protein on the side. Everyone loves this dish, and since cauliflower is on sale quite frequently for less than a dollar, it also makes for a fairly cheap meal. If you haven't had cauliflower in a while or only know it overcooked with a pat of butter on it, you should give this version a try, you won't be disappointed.

Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 large head cauliflower

10 cups salted water

1 cup milk

For the cheese sauce:

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups reserved cauliflower cooking water

1 cup milk

Salt and Pepper to taste

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 vegetable bouillon cube

3 tablespoons heavy cream

6 ounces grated Swiss Cheese, divided

Directions:

Clean and cut up the cauliflower into florets. Rinse or use method described above.

Bring saltwater along with 1 cup milk to a boil in a large pot. Add cauliflower and cook on medium-low heat for about 10-15 minutes or until "al dente". Drain, making sure to reserve 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

For the cheese sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook for about 1 minute. Slowly add your reserved cooking liquid along with the additional cup of milk making sure to whisk constantly as you do so. Season with salt, pepper, cayenne, nutmeg, and bouillon cube and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally or until thickened.

Add heavy cream and 4 ounces of the Swiss Cheese and stir until combined making sure not to bring the mixture to a boil.

Butter a casserole dish and add the cauliflower. Pour cheese sauce evenly over the top. Sprinkle with reserved Swiss cheese. Bake for about 10 minutes in preheated oven, or until the dish is heated through and nicely browned.

Adapted from: Ich helf Dir Kochen

Bacon-Spinach Mashed Potatoes

One of my all-time favorite side dishes, one that I could easily eat every week without growing tired of it, is mashed potatoes. I prefer just plain old mashed potatoes made with milk and butter, but every once in a while when I feel adventurous, I go as far as making them with buttermilk, roasted garlic or other add-ins so the rest of the family won't grow tired of them and thinks I made them something different.

This recipe I found yet again in a Cuisine at Home (love this magazine!), and on first glance it almost reminded me of my Colcannon potatoes which I like to make around St. Patrick's Day. I started this dish by switching from Russet Potatoes (which the recipe called for) to Yukon Gold. I firmly believe that if you start with a great tasting potato to begin with, you can easily reduce the butter without losing flavor. The potatoes are cooked along with the garlic, and right before draining, spinach is added to the water to wilt it down. The potato/spinach mixture is then mashed. Then butter, milk, salt, and nutmeg are incorporated. For the final touch, pre-crisped bacon bits and a little bit of heavy cream are added.

This was a fairly simple dish that was full of wonderful flavors. I served this alongside grilled sirloin steaks and fresh green beans, which made this a wonderful Sunday dinner. My whole family loved this side dish as much as the Goat Cheese Polenta I featured earlier in the week. This recipe is definitely a keeper that I will be adding to our regular dinner rotations!

Bacon-Spinach Mashed Potatoes
(adapted from "Cuisine at Home")
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

6 strips thick-sliced bacon, diced
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
3 garlic cloves, pealed, smashed
1 (9 ounce) bag fresh spinach
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup milk (I used 1 %)
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon fresh nutmeg
Salt to taste

Preparation:

Saute bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

Boil potatoes and garlic in a large pot of salted water until tender when pierced, about 15 minutes. Just before draining, stir in spinach to wilt. Drain potatoes, garlic and spinach; return to pot and cook over low heat 1-2 minutes to evaporate excess moisture, stirring constantly.

Add milk and butter, mash potatoes until desired consistency is reached. Season with salt, nutmeg and add heavy cream. Stir in bacon bits before serving.