Oma’s Kraut

December 6, 2010December 8, 2012 jachancellorLeave a comment

My Mom cooked this more often than any other German dish. It was an automatic dish for New Year’s Eve and Day, you are to eat some for good luck in the next year. In the South you are supposed to eat black eye peas. I don’t care for those as much.

I crave kraut, almost as much as chocolate, okay maybe not that much – ha.

Oma’s SauerKraut

1 large jar of sauerkraut (rinsed at least 3 or 4 times)

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 of an apple (any kind), chopped

pork bones, or sausage or smoked ham

Caraway seeds

Place the pork or meat choice in large pot. Add rinsed kraut, onions, and apple. Add the caraway seeds. Add water (just to cover the meat and kraut), and bring to a boil. Lower the temperature, and simmer all afternoon, or day, or two days.

Stir, cover with water.

Enjoy!

Recipes · split pea soup

Split Pea Soup

December 5, 2010December 8, 2012 jachancellorLeave a comment

I thought that I had posted something about Split Peas before, and I thought I had cooked it for David —apparently not.

So…I didn’t take during cooking photo’s…

But here is the recipe.

2 medium onions, chopped
4 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 package split peas (dried, rinsed, and soaked-no more than 30 minutes)
2 containers of chicken stock
pork neck bones (the only smoked pork I had)

Place the pork and onions in a dutch oven. Sweat the onions until almost translucent. Add the carrots and the peas. Add the stock next to cover the peas. Bring to simmer and continue simmering until pork is cooked through, and peas are mush. Yes, mush.

I love them this way.

And Dexter (the dog) loves the bones. – ha

Yummy, no blender needed. Chunky carrots, and bits of pork, lots of creamy peas.

Enjoy!

pork ribs · Recipes

Country Pork Ribs

December 5, 2010December 8, 2012 jachancellorLeave a comment

Country cut pork ribs..we had these a while ago when I was MIA…so…

Two packages of country cut pork ribs.

A rub of Morton’s Season All (the sauce is for later).

Place ribs in a large dutch oven, coat in the seasoning.

Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour. Drain off fat (please be very careful when draining).

Pour BBQ sauce over ribs, and place back into the oven for another 2 to 3 hours.

Remove when ribs are cooked through, and still moist.

Serve with whatever you choose, or nothing at all but maybe a

good piece of bread (for sopping)!

Enjoy!

pumpkin seeds · Recipes

Pumpkin Seeds

November 2, 2010December 8, 2012 jachancellorLeave a comment

Every October, we attend a families Fall Festival of sorts. The kids can either color or carve pumpkins,

bob for apples, eat yummy things, and run around like there is no tomorrow.

Carmen had to work, so David, Stephen and I went.

It was a beautiful evening, not too hot or too cold.

Stephen was the oldest in attendance this year, but he still loves every minute.

He immediately went to carving his pumpkin.

He carved his pumpkin, and tried to salvage the seeds for me.

This pumpkin looks bothered to me. Not at all happy about the carving.

I rinsed the seeds when we got home (this did take more than just a rinse
to get all of the strings of pumpkin off).

Patted them dry with paper towels.

I used a Tablespoon of olive oil, and some kosher salt.

Baked for 10 at 350 degrees, then turned or tossed.

Baked for another 10-12 minutes or until dry.

Cool, and they are ready to snack on.

They were really yummy, but David thought they were too dry.

Stephen and I enjoyed them.

So, next time you carve a pumpkin, save your seeds!

Enjoy!

Oven Roasted Potato Fries · Recipes · weekly menu

Chuck’s Oven Roasted Potato ‘Fries’

October 5, 2010December 8, 2012 jachancellorLeave a comment

David and I were watching the Cooking Network the other day, and came across a show by the name of “Chucks Day Off.” The host is Chuck, and he was very down to earth, and cooked some really interesting recipes. One of which we tried tonight.

I am sticking with my menu from October 4th with the London Broil, onions and mushrooms, and my ratatouille. So we normally have rice or some other potato. It has been cooler lately, and we have the windows open. I was working on the broil, onions and mushrooms, and watching Carmen try to cut the vegetables for the ratatouille. David did the potatoes this evening.

Here is the recipe:

4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled
3 – 4 Tablespoon olive oil
a pinch of sea salt
a grinding of black pepper (which we forgot)
a few sprinkles of smoked paprika
a few sprinkles of steak spice or seasoning

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Cut potatoes into nice thick “handcut fry slices.” Place in a large bowl and cover with cold water. It helps to remove excess starch. Drain and pat dry on a paper towel. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil, sprinkle with the salt, pepper and paprika. Bake until tender and golden crispy outside – 35 to 40 minutes.

I forgot to take before pictures.

They turned out really nice and crisp.

And they were an excellent compliment to the London Broil, and ratatouille.

Enjoy!

praline-apple bread · Recipes

Praline-Apple Muffins!

October 4, 2010December 8, 2012 jachancellor1 Comment

I know!
Can’t believe it…I thought about doing this when I first saw the recipe. After making the bread, and Lisa offering it at her home (after I shared a piece of the bread!), it was going to be done.

Same recipe as here:

Praline-Apple Bread

But, I made them into muffins instead. The batch made 18 muffins.

I baked them at 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes.

I used my Pampered Chef muffin stones (I have both

the 12 muffin pan, and 6 muffin pan.)

I sprayed the stones with a non-stick cooking spray, and didn’t use the flour.

I used the foil in between the muffins and cooling rack (gooey mess).

And topped the muffins with the sugar glaze.

I love these.

I like that it is more of a serving size,

and that the bread isn’t too crumbly when sliced.

No slicing here.

My taste testers have agreed.

This is much better than the bread.

Hope you try them as well.

Enjoy!

comfort food · fried noodles · Recipes

Comfort Food

October 3, 2010December 8, 2012 jachancellor1 Comment

Everyone has a comfort food. Many of us have several comfort foods.

Leftover noodles is one of mine, but they have to be fried.

I know not the healthiest, but it is something my Mom always did.

Leftover wide egg noodles (that were served with Rouladen).

Place the noodles in a hot pan, add some butter and season salt.

And cook, leave them alone and hear the sizzle.

After about 8 to 10 minutes, turn over the noodles, browning or crisping the other side.

Add eggs. (I generally use two for a larger amount of noodles.)

Stir quickly to coat the noodles with the eggs.

Cook until the egg is done.

I served this with some leftover Rouladen.

But sometimes just fried noodles are perfect.

Enjoy!

praline-apple bread · Recipes

Praline-Apple Bread

September 28, 2010December 8, 2012 jachancellor1 Comment

Oh my!
You have got to try this!

Praline-Apple Bread

I followed the recipe, although I did add a bit more apple, and pecans.

Mixing the ingredients.

Adding the apples.

I don’t keep pecans well. I normally have them in the freezer for months and months.

Yes, these were in the freezer, but I oven roasted them for about 10 minutes.

They turned out nutty, and yummy.

I followed the instructions!

This is important for me, I normally don’t.

Yes, even this…

Yummy, this is good all by itself or dip some of your leftover apples in it!

I did let it rest in the pan for about 15 minutes.

Then out on a cooling rack (that you can’t see).

I got smart, and decided that the picture showed the gooey stuff

overflowing into the cooling rack (I don’t do well with gooey messes).

So I placed some aluminum foil between the bread and the cooling rack.

Now all the gooey goodness is together.

Try this!!!

Enjoy!

Mother · Oma's Rouladen · Recipes

Oma’s Rouladen

September 28, 2010December 8, 2012 jachancellorLeave a comment

I have said that I would post pictures later. And, I have posted my mother’s recipe without making it. Rouladen is an acquired taste. I love it. It takes way too long to prepare for just a little bit, so when you make it, make a lot of it so you have left overs to enjoy the next day as well.

Oma’s Rouladen

Round Steak (pounded very thin and cut into 3 x 5 strips)
Bacon (cut into 1×2 strips)
Pickles (kosher dills – cut in half)
Onion – slices
Dijon mustard – about 3 tablespoons
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 mushrooms
Oil
Flour
Salt/Pepper
tooth picks

Begin by pounding out round steak until thin.


This is my Oma Anna’s meat tenderizer (pounder thingy).

Then smear some mustard on the inside of the meat pieces.

Lay the bacon piece, pickle and then onion on top.

Roll up tightly, and secure with toothpicks.

Cover in flour, and add to hot oil (vegetable).

Brown, and remove until all the meat is coated and browned.

Once the meat is browned, add the remaining onion and mushroom.

Add a little water and if you like a beef bouillon or even red wine.

Add the cooked meat back into the pot.

Roast in the oven at 350 degrees for 3 to 4 hours or until meat is tender.

I serve this with noodles, but you can do potatoes as well.

Enjoy!

bundt · cake mix · Nutella · Recipes

Nutella Marbled Bundt Cake

September 7, 2010December 8, 2012 jachancellor3 Comments

I had this yellow cake mix, and wanted to make some sort of marbled cake with it. I love my Mom’s bundt pan. So…

I used about 1 cup of Nutella, mixed together with an egg.

Used 3 eggs, 1 stick butter, and 1/3 cup water per the cake mix instructions.

I used 1 egg and about 1 cup of nutella, mixed.

I also added about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the nutella mix.

I added 1 teaspoon of almond extract and about 2/3 cups of mayonnaise, yes mayonnaise!

My Mom used to use it–swore that it made the cakes moist. And, I believed her. I mixed together the cake mix and mayo. Took about 1/3 of the mix and mixed it with the nutella and egg mixture.