For the Love of Food

Salad:
Ingredients:
200 grams of Lamb’s lettuce, washed
15 Grape Tomatoes, quartered
2 small Red Onions, sliced
100 grams of crumbled Feta cheese
Salad dressing (see recipe bellow)

Directions:
Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl and serve immediately.

Carsten’s Salad dressing (from our friend Carsten of course!):
Ingredients:
1/8 teaspoon of Salt
1/8 teaspoon of Pepper
1 teaspoon of sweet Bavarian mustard (or regular yellow mustard and 1/4 teaspoon of Sugar)
a dash of Nutmeg
a dash of Cinnamon
a dash of Paprika
2 Tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine 6 ingredients and stir together. With a small whisk, whisk in vinegar and then slowly whisk in olive oil. This small amount of salad dressing is enough for the entire salad recipe listed above.

French Mushrooms (serves 6):
Ingredients:
1 Lb. sliced Mushrooms
1/4 Cup minced Green Onion
1 Cup of Creme Fraiche (see recipe bellow or use ready made from store)
3 Tablespoons minced Parsley
Salt to taste

Directions:
In a wide frying pan (non-stick is best) over medium-high heat, simmer mushrooms, green onion, and creme fraiche, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until mushrooms start to give up juices.
Then turn heat to high and boil, uncovered, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes or until liquids reduce to a shiny sauce and bubbles begin to form. Stir in parsley and salt. Serve immediately.

Creme Fraiche:
Ingredients:
1 Cup Whipping Cream
1 Tablespoon of Sour cream

Directions:
In a small sauce pan, warm whipping cream just until it starts to boil. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream, blending well.
Cover and let stand at room temperature for 12-16 hours or until it begins to thicken.
Chill at least 24 hours before using to allow acid flavor to develop and cream to thicken further. Cream should then be almost spreadable consistency. Store in refrigerator up to 2 weeks or as long as taste is tangy but fresh. Makes 1 cup of Creme Fraiche.

Mashed Potatoes:
Ingredients:
500 grams of starchy Potatoes, peeled and cubed
Water
1 Cup of Milk
1 Tablespoon Butter
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Directions:
Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to boil and boil for about 20 minutes or until a fork inserted into a potato chunk breaks it in half. Drain water and mash potatoes with a fork or a potato masher. Add Butter and mix in until it has melted away. Add milk and stir until the milk has been absorbed by the potatoes. Add Salt and Pepper and continue to mix/fluff with a fork. Serve immediately.
Stuffing:
Ingredients:
1 Cup Butter
2 medium Onions, chopped
4 stalks Celery, chopped
2 loaves of Wheat bread, cubed
4 Tablespoons of Parsley
4 Tablespoons of Sage (dried)
2 teaspoons of Salt
1/2 teaspoon of Pepper
1/2 Cup of Broth (see recipe bellow)
1 Cup of sliced Mushrooms
1/2 Cup of chopped Walnuts

Directions:
Set cubed bread out in a bowl in a dry location 48-24 hours before making stuffing to let the bread get stale.
In a skillet cook butter, onion, mushrooms, celery, and walnuts until tender. In a large bowl, combine bread cubes, parsley, sage, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Add broth and celery mixture. Mix.
Stuff in a turkey and cook according to turkey recipe. Or, place in a casserole dish with 1/4 cup of extra broth and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Broth:
Giblets from turkey
1 teaspoon of Sage
1 teaspoon of Salt
1/2 teaspoon of Pepper
1 Stalk of Celery with leaves
1 Onion with peel
Water

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a pot and cover with water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low so that it’s simmering. Cover and cook for 40 minutes. Strain and discard all ingredients other than liquid. Use liquid in Stuffing recipe or to make gravy by adding some corn starch.

Turkey:
Ingredients:
7kg Turkey
Salt
Pepper
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
1 Tablespoon of Butter
1 turkey-sized oven-roasting bag
1 Tablespoon of Flour

Directions:
Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Take out giblets, wash turkey, and then pat dry. Sprinkle turkey with all seasonings. Rub with softened butter. Stuff with stuffing.
Shake flour in oven-roasting bag. Place turkey in an oven-roasting bag and tie. Make 6 slits on the top of the bag to allow steam to escape. Bake 2.5-4 hours or until meat thermometer reads 82°C (180°F). Remove from bag and let sit covered in aluminum foil for 20 minutes, and then carve.

I found an excellent freezing recipe here. In Germany I have trouble finding corn in November in time for Thanksgiving, so this year I decided to buy some in the summer when it was in season and freeze it. It worked very well.

All I did was take my frozen corn, place it in a large pot of water so that all cobs were covered. I turned the temperature to high heat and let it warm up until the corn was heated through. I didn’t actually bring it to a boil.

The pie crust came out too thin…I accidentally told my husband that the recipe was for 2 pie crusts when it was really for one.

Pumpkin Pie recipe from Libby’s:

Ingredients:
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground Ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground Cloves
2 large Eggs
1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY’S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 can (12 fl. oz.) Evaporated Milk
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell (See unbaked pie crust recipe here.)
Directions:
Mix sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.  Pour into pie shell.

Bake in preheated 218°C (425°F) oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 177°C (350°F); bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

Whipped Cream recipe here.

The pie crust came out too thin…I accidentally told my husband that the recipe was for 2 pie crusts when it was really for one.

Pie crust recipe for 1 pie crust from Betty Crocker:
Ingredients:
1 Cup Flour
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/3 Cup plus 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Shorting for baking
2-4 Tablespoons of cold Water

Directions:
Unbaked Pie Crust: Mix flour and salt in medium bowl. Cut in shortening, using 2 forks, until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost leaves side of bowl (1 to 3 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).

Gather pastry into a ball. Place on plastic wrap and flatten, then completely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable. If refrigerated longer, let pastry soften slightly before rolling.

Roll pastry, using floured rolling pin, into circle 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch glass pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side and being careful not to stretch pastry, which will cause it to shrink when baked.

Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1 inch from rim of pie plate. Fold and roll pastry under, even with plate; flute as desired. Continue with directions in pie recipe.

Pecan Pie:
Ingredients:
2/3 Cup Sugar
1/3 Cup Butter, melted
1 Cup Corn Syrup (or 1 1/4 Cup Sugar and 1/4 Cup Water)
1/2 teaspoon Salt
3 Eggs
1 Cup Pecans

Directions:
Preheat oven to 177°C (350°F).
Beat eggs slightly with fork in medium bowl. Add sugar, corn syrup, and butter ; stir until blended. Stir in pecans. Place pie dough in pie pan. Pour pecan filling into pie crust.
Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Corn Bread:
Ingredients:
1 Cup Flour
1 Cup Cornmeal
6 Tablespoons Sugar
4 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Milk
¼ Cup melted Vegetable Shortening
2 Eggs, slightly beaten
½ Cup shredded Cheddar cheese
½ Cup frozen Corn

Directions:
Heat oven to 200°C(425°F). Grease (not oil) a 8 or 9-inch square pan. In medium a bowl, combine first 5 ingredients. Stir in remaining ingredients beating by hand just until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Bacon Wrapped Dates:
Ingredients:
1/2 to 1 strip of Bacon per Date (depending on size of Date)
Dates

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F). Wrap each date in bacon. Place the dates seam-side-down on a baking sheet that has been covered in baking paper or aluminum foil. Bake the dates for 20-40 minutes or until the bacon has completely cooked. The longer you cook the gooier the dates will become and the crispier the bacon.