Category: Main Dishes

Kartoffelpuffer – German Potato Pancakes

Main Dishes, Onion, Pork, Potatoes, Sour Crea
Potato pancake with homemade applesauce and sour cream. The way they should be.

We celebrated my Dad’s birthday on Sunday with his favorite meal of roast pork, potato pancakes – Kartoffelpuffers to be precise – and sauerkraut.

Kirsten has always been the head kartoffelpuffmisteress in the house.
Dad is always chef #2. (Mom always smartly stays out of the kitchen 🙂 )
Vince: der kartofflepuffer-bursche in training.

German Potato Pancakes (Kartoffelpuffer) – makes 16

Betty Crocker International Cookbook

  • 4 medium potatoes
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 t. salt
  • 1/4 butter or oil

Shred enough potatoes to measure 4 cups; drain.  Mix potatoes, eggs, onion, flour and salt.  Heat 2 T. of fat in skillet on medium heat until hot.  Pour in about 1/4 cup batter for each pancake.  Flatten each with spatula into pancake about 4 inches in diameter.

Cook pancakes until gold brown, about 2 minutes on each side.  Keep warm in oven.  Repeat with remaining batter.  Add more oil/butter if needed.

I like mine with applesauce and sour cream.

Kids table. Penalty points for A-1 sauce with pork. Come on!
Owen fulfilling his duties as official present opener.
Happy Birthday Dad! Connor: bonus points for the sweet mustache.

Northern Italian Beef Stew

Beef, Main Dishes, Mushrooms, Onion, Potatoes

Northern Italian Beef Stew

allrecipes.com

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 pounds lean top round, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 2 large sweet onions, diced
  • 2 cups large chunks of celery
  • 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into large rounds
  • 1 pound crimini mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 2 cups dry red wine
  • 4 large tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 1/2 pounds red potatoes (such as Red Bliss), cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
  • 1 quart beef stock
  • 2 cups tomato sauce

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook beef in batches in hot oil until browned completely, about 5 minutes per batch. Remove browned beef cubes to a plate lined with paper towels, keeping skillet over heat and retaining the beef drippings.
Cook and stir onion, celery, and carrots in the retained beef drippings until just softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir mushrooms and garlic into the onion mixture.
Pour red wine into the pan; bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Continue cooking the mixture until the wine evaporates, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir tomatoes into the mixture.
Return beef to skillet with potatoes, basil, thyme, marjoram, and sage. Pour beef stock and tomato sauce over the mixture. Bring the liquid to a simmer.
Reduce heat to low and simmer until the beef is very tender and the sauce is thick, 4 to 6 hours.

Monday Night Pasta

Beans, Garlic, Main Dishes, Parmesan, Parsley, Pasta, Uncategorized

We have been trying to do meatless mondays for quite a while now.  We have come to perfect this pasta dish over the past few months.  It is quite adaptable and is a good way to clean out the refrigerator on a Monday night.  It is definately worth it to make your own beans instead of using canned.  They are firmer and stand out better with the pasta.

beautiful swiss chard from our garden
the swiss chard wintered over from last year and is growing great
lots of garlic is always a good thing
the beans and greens before putting the pasta in
in goes the pasta and lots of parmesan

Monday Night Pasta (Pasta with Garlic and White Beans)

Serves 4-6

  • 6-8 cloves of garlic or more, sliced very thin
  • olive oil
  • butter
  • bag of cannelini beans, or any white beans  (canned beans work just fine too)
  • bunch of swiss chard, or broccoli, or broccoli rabe or whatever is left in the refrigerator
  • vegetable broth or chicken broth
  • salt, pepper, red pepper flakes if feeling spicy
  • 1 lb of penne, rigatoni or whatever pasta you want
  • parmesan cheese

Soak beans in a pot of water overnight. The next day drain them and rinse them.  Boil in a pot with salt until tender.

In large saute pan, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil and a tablespoon or so of butter.  Saute the garlic on very low heat making sure you don’t burn it.  Take your time and get them nice and soft.  Don’t be stingy on the olive oil.  When the garlic is nice and soft, about 15 minutes, add the greens to the pan and saute them for a few minutes.  Add a few splashes of broth and put a top on the pan to help the greens cook.  After the greens wilt put the beans in and keep the pan on low.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta al dente or even a touch under al dente as it will cook a little bit more with the sauce.  When pasta is done, drain the pasta but keep a cup of the pasta water.  Once the pasta is drained, put it in with the beans and greens.  Mix everything up and add enough pasta water to get it to a nice creamy consistency.  Adding pasta water is a great trick that brings everything together.  Add salt and pepper if you want and last but not least lots of parmesan.  Serve and enjoy.

Fettuccine with Ham, Mushroom and Peas

Cream, Main Dishes, Mushrooms, Parmesan, Pasta, Peas

This is a weekly stand by that we have been making for years and years.  It’s not really much of a recipe, but we base it on a recipe from a cookbook that I think somebody gave us as a wedding present – almost 23 short years ago.  Everybody likes it and it couldn’t be easier to make.  (Jack always gripes about the mushrooms but tough luck Jack.)

We made this last Sunday and made it even better because we made homemade pasta.  We haven’t made pasta in a super long time and me and Sophie had fun doing it together.  I don’t think she ever made it before.

The pasta dough recipe we use is from the New Basics. It makes about the equivalent of one pound of dried pasta:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 eggs

Place the flour in a food processor, and with the motor running, add the eggs one at a time.  Continue processing for 15 seconds.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until it has formed a smooth, firm ball.

Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 30 minutes.

Divide the ball into 5 pieces.  Use pasta maker to roll out each ball for whatever kind of pasta you want.

Back to the ham, mushrooms and peas: in goes the butter:

Adapted from 365 Ways to Cook Pasta, Marie Simmons

Paglia E Fieno

  • 6 T. butter (we usually use much less)
  • 12 oz. mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/2 to 1 cup of frozen peas
  • 1 cup heavy cream (we usually use skim milk because it’s in the fridge and it works fine…but of course tastes better if use use whole milk or half and half)
  • 1/2 cup slivered cooked ham
  • 1 lb fettuccine
  • lots of parmesean
  1. Heat 3 T. butter in skillet; add mushrooms and saute for about 5-10 minutes.  Add the peas and cook for a few minutes.  Add 1/2 cup of cream, heat to boiling and simmer until thickened.  Add the ham and season with salt and pepper.
  2. Meanwhile, cook the fettuccine in boiling water until cooked al dente.  Drain when done.
  3. Throw the fettuccine in the skillet with the mushrooms, ham and peas – put in more butter and cream if you want it.  A scoop or two of pasta water is good also.  Add lots of parmesean cheese and more salt and pepper if you want.

Enjoy

Turkey Meatloaf

Main Dishes, Mushrooms, Parsley, Red Pepper, Turkey

Jane Brody

  • 1 T. vegetable oil
  • 2 t. minced garlic (2 large cloves)
  • 1 cup finely chopped celery (2 large stalks)
  • 1 cup thinly sliced leeks (white and pale green parts) or ½ cup chopped onion
  • 1 ½ cups diced red sweet pepper (2 medium) or 2 roasted peppers diced
  • 2 ½ cups thinly sliced mushrooms (1/2 pound)
  • 1 ¼ lbs. ground turkey
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • ½ t. salt
  • ½ t. freshly ground black pepper
  • dash of nutmeg
  • ½ cup fresh bread crumbs
  • ½ cup minced fresh parsley

In a large skillet, heat the oil briefly, and sauté the garlic, celery, leeks or onions and red pepper, stirring the vegetables until slightly softened, about 3-4 min.

Meanwhile, boil a kettle of water, and preheat the oven to 375.

Stir the mushrooms into the red pepper mixture, cover the pan for a few minutes until the mushrooms start to give up their liquid, then remove the cove, and sauté the vegetables, stirring them, until all the liquid has evaporated.  Remove the vegetables from the heat and set them aside.

In a large bowl, combine the turkey, egg white or whole egg, salt, pepper, nutmeg, bread crumbs and parsley.   Add the sautéed vegetables, and combine the ingredients well.  Transfer the turkey mixture to a lightly greased loaf pan (approximately 8 x 4 inches), and set the pan in a large, shallow baking dish.

Place the pans in the preheated oven, pour the boiling water into the outer pan to a depth of about one inch, and bake the loaf for 1 hour 15 minutes.  Remove the loaf pan from the outer pan and from the oven.  Let the loaf rest for 15 minutes, then remove it from its pan for slicing.

Vegetable Lasagna

Broccoli, Main Dishes, Mozarella, Mushrooms, Parmesan, Parsley, Pasta, Spinach, Tomatoes

Jane Brody

  • 1 ½ cups chopped onion (1 ½ large)
  • 2 large cloves , finely minced (2 teaspoons)
  • 6 oz. mushrooms, coarsely chopped
  • 3 T. sherry
  • 1 T. butter or margarine
  • 2 large stalks broccoli chopped (about 4 cups)
  • ½ lb. spinach, washed well and chopped (about 2 cups)
  • ½ t. low salt alternative
  • 16 oz. (2 cups) low-fat cottage cheese
  • 4 oz. part-skim mozzarella, shredded (about 1 cup)
  • 3 T. grated Parmesan
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley or 1 T. dried
  • 2 eggs
  • ¼ t. freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ t. salt, if desired
  • 3 cups tomato sauce (homemade or canned)
  • 8 oz. lasagna noodles, cooked al dente

In a large skillet, sauté the onion, garlic, and mushrooms in sherry and butter until the vegetables are soft.

Add the chopped broccoli, spinach, and salt.  Stir to combine the ingredients, reduce the heat, cover the skillet, and simmer the mixture for about 5 minutes or until the broccoli is tender-crisp.

In a medium bowl, combine the cottage cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan, parsley, eggs, pepper, and salt.

In a baking pan approximately 13 x 9 x 2 inches, spread ½ cup of tomato sauce on bottom.  Layer the lasagna ingredients as follows: Arrange three strips of lasagna noodles on the bottom.  Spread half of the cheese mixture on noodles, then half of the vegetable mixture, and 1 cup of the tomato sauce.  Repeat, starting from the noodles.  End with a layer of noodles topped with the remaining ½ cup of tomato sauce.  Sprinkle the top of the lasagna with additional Parmesan, if desired.

Bake the lasagna at 375 for 25 minutes.  Let it stand for about 10 minutes before serving it.

Turkey Meatball Stroganoff

Main Dishes, Mushrooms, Turkey, Yogurt

Jane Brody

6 servings

  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • ¼ cup chopped onion
  • ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
  • ½ t. salt, or to taste
  • ¼ t. freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 t. poultry seasoning
  • 2 slices bread, cubed
  • ¼ cup boiling water or broth
  • 1 egg or 2 egg whites
  • Dry bread crumbs if needed
  • 1 T. vegetable oil
  • 3 cups sliced mushrooms
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup plain nonfat or low-fat yogurt
  • 2 T. flour

In a large bowl, thoroughly combine the turkey, onion, parsley, salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning.

In a small bowl, soften the bread cubes in the water or broth.  Add the cubes to the turkey mixture along with the egg or egg whites.  Mix the ingredients well, and shape the mixture into 24 1 ½-inch balls.  If the mixture is too well to form into balls, either refrigerate it for about 1 hour or add some dry bread crumbs

Heat 2 t. of the oil in a large nonstick skillet.  Add the mushrooms to the pan, and sauté them over medium-high heat to brown them.  Remove them with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.  Set the bowl aside.

Reduce the head to medium-low, and add the meatballs in batches of 8, browning them on all sides.  Add more oil if needed.  Transfer the browned meatballs to the bowl containing the mushrooms.

When all the meatballs have been browned, return them and the mushrooms to the skillet, add teh1 cup of broth, bring the liquid to a simmer, cover the skillet tightly, and simmer the ingredients for about 20 minutes.  With a slotted spoon, remove the solid contents of the skillet to the large bowl, leaving the liquid in the skillet.  Cover the bowl, and keep the ingredients warm.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the yogurt and flour, stirring the ingredients until the mixture is smooth, and add the mixture to the liquid in the skillet.  Bring this mixture to a near-boil, stirring it, lower the heat, and cook the mixture over low heat until the sauce thickens.  Return the meatballs and mushrooms to the skillet, and combine them with the sauce

Serve over cooked medium-wide egg noodles garnished with chopped fresh parsley

Stuffed Shells

Main Dishes, Mozarella, Pasta, Spinach, Tomatoes

Evie Davis

  • 2 boxes jumbo shells
  • 16 oz. Grated mozzarella cheese
  • 15 oz. Ricotta cheese
  • Creamed spinach (see recipe below)
  • Ragu sauce

Cook shells according to package directions.  Mix the cheeses and spinach together and stuff the shells.  Arrange in an oiled baking dish;  pour Ragu over noodles.  Bake at 350 for ½ hour.

Creamed Spinach

  • 2 boxes frozen spinach
  • ½ cup butter
  • 2 T. flour
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 pint heavy cream
  • salt and pepper

Cook spinach and drain VERY well.  Melt butter in frying pan and sauté garlic.  Stir in flour, add spinach and gradually add cream.  Cook over low heat for approximately 10 minutes, stirring often.  Season to taste.

Spicy Peanut Noodles with Shrimp

Lime, Main Dishes, Nuts, Pasta, Red Pepper, Shrimp

Cooking Light

Use only 1 t. or less chili paste if you don’t like it spicy.  If the sauce is too thick thin it with a little water.  It should be the consistency of heavy cream.

Peanut Sauce

  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup water
  • 2 T. soy sauce
  • 1 1/2 T. rice vinegar
  • 1 to 2 t. chile paste with garlic
  • 1/2 t. sugar
  • 1/2 t. salt, divided

Shrimp

  • 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

Pasta

  • 4 cups cooked thick udon noodles or linguine (8 ounces uncooked)
  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into julienne strips
  • 3/4 cup chopped seeded cucumber
  • 1/4 cup diagonally cut green onions
  • 3 T. chopped roasted peanuts
  • 2 T. cilantro
  • 4 lime wedges

To prepare sauce, combine the first 6 ingredients and 1/4 t. salt; stir with a whisk.
To prepare the shrimp, toss with 1/4 t. salt.  Saute in nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat for 3 minutes on each side or until done.
To prepare the pasta, combine peanut sauces, shrimp, noodles, bell pepper, cucumber, and onions in a large bowl; toss well.  Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and cilantro.  Serve with lime wedges.

Yield: 4 servings.

Shenanoah Spaghetti with Chicken

Apple, Chicken, Green Pepper, Main Dishes, Pasta

Betty Davis

4 servings

  • 8 pieces of chicken
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 1 ½ t. salt
  • ¼ t. pepper
  • ½ cup oil
  • 1 small green pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 tart apple, chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 8 oz. Tomato sauce
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 lb. Spaghetti

Coat chicken with flour mixed with salt and pepper.  Brown chicken in oil.  Remove from pan and drain off all but browned bits and 2 T. of drippings.  Combine remaining ingredients except spaghetti in skillet with chicken.  Cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes.  Season.  Serve chicken and sauce over spaghetti.