A simple, classic and traditional German recipe, Eier Frikasse is a great go-to meal with minimal ingredients and prep time.
Some of the best recipes are the simplest recipes. The ones that don’t even require you to leave your house and go to the market for additional ingredients. These recipes are some of my favorite. With non-complex ingredients, easy preparation and great taste, they are by far some of the best everyday recipes that every good cook should have in their recipe file.
Here’s the recipe:
Eier Frikasse (Eggs w/ Vegetables & Creamy White Sauce)
4 hard boiled eggs (sliced)
1 c chopped carrots (cooked)
1 c frozen green peas
2 T butter
2 T flour
2 c chicken stock (or veggie stock)
1 tsp lemon juice
salt & pepper (to taste)
fresh parsley (optional garnish)
Preparation:
In a large sauce pot, melt the butter and then sprinkle over the flour and whisk until smooth.
Keep whisking frequently until it turns light brown in color.
Add the chicken stock and keep whisking until smooth.
Bring to a boil and then season with salt and pepper.
Tender ground beef, seasoned to perfection and wrapped in a large cabbage leaf, Kohlrouladen is an edible gift that your tastebuds can unwrap.
This dish is a favorite of mine and I think it is because it is such a simple but delicious German comfort food. The meat is kept tender and juicy thanks to the cabbage and in my version, I season it with spices and a bit of dijon mustard.
It also is perfect for preparing ahead of time and/or making for guests because everyone gets their own individual serving. Paired with some boiled potatoes and steamed veggies, this is the type of meal that makes a great day even better.
I tailored my normal recipe in this case to make Abendessen für Zwei or Dinner for Two. It is perfect for enjoying a meal at home with the one you love.
Here’s the recipe:
Kohlrouladen (German Stuffed Cabbage)
2 large cabbage leaves (about 8-9 inches)
1/3 lb ground beef
1/4 c finely chopped white onion
1 TBSP dijon mustard
2 tsp dried oregano
3-4 TBSP plain bread crumbs
1 whole egg
1/4 c fresh chopped parsley
salt & pepper (to taste)
For the cooking process:
2 T butter
1 T olive oil
3 c beef broth
For the gravy:
2 T butter
2 T flour
remaining beef stock/cooking liquid
Preparation:
Blanch the cabbage leaves in boiling water by placing them in the water for 15-30 seconds and then placing in a cold water bath to immediately cool the cabbage leaves. NOTE: the cabbage leaves should be soft and tender but still quite green.
To prepare the meat: place all of the ingredients (except for the cabbage) in a bowl and mix it together with your hands until it is well incorporrated.
Then divide the meat mixture in half and create two large meatballs.
Lay the cabbage leaves open and place one meatball at the bottom (near the stem) in each of the pieces of cabbage. Fold the sides in on top of the meatball and then roll the cabbage to create a little package for the meatball.
Melt the butter and olive oil in a large pot. Then add the kohlrouladen, seam side down and lightly brown them on both sides.
Then add 1 cup of the beef broth and cover with a lid and allow the kohlrouladen to cook for 15-20 minutes or until the meat is well done, adding more broth as needed.
When they are done cooking, remove from the pan and make the gravy.
Melt the butter, then sprinkle over the flour and whisk until smooth. Then add the remaining beef stock and/or cooking liquid and keep whisking to make a smooth gravy.
Plate each of the kohlrouladen and top with the gravy.
Literally translating as fried potatoes, these German fried potatoes are far from ordinary. Crispy potatoes and onions and topped fresh herbs and spices, they are delicious any time and any day.
Their name says it all “Bratkartoffeln.” “Brat” is German for frying and “kartoffeln” means potatoes. This dish is literally translated means fried potatoes but the potatoes are not simply fried. They are enhanced with onions and herbs to make this a delicious side dish or main meal.
Traditionally, Bratkartoffeln also includes bacon or speck. Although my recipe is the vegetarian version of this classic dish, they are still just as delicious.
Here’s the recipe:
Bratkartoffeln
1 potato (pre-boiled)
2 TBSP sunflower oil (or any neutral oil)
1 scallion (finely chopped)
2 TBSP white onion (finely chopped)
2 T fresh parsley (finely chopped)
1 tsp dried oregano
salt (to taste)
Preparation:
Boil the potato until it is tender. Drain, pat dry and then cut into squares.
Heat a frying pan with oil and then add the potatoes and let them brown for 2-3 minutes.
Then add the white onion and scallion and continue to cook for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Season with the oregano and salt and cook for another couple of minutes or until the potatoes are lightly browned and crispy.
Then plate up the potatoes on a dish, sprinkle with the remaining scallion and the chopped parsley.
Soft and tender, freshly baked pretzels. It is like taking a trip to Germany without stepping foot outside of your kitchen.
Pretzels are one of the first snack foods that I remember eating as a kid outside of my favorites (cucumber & bell peppers — don’t judge me, I’ve always loved my veggies, lol!). My parents would buy these massive five pound bags of pretzels and I used to love to grab a handful of them.
Well, not much has changed from my childhood days. I still love pretzels. Every time my husband and I go to Germany, I always have to get at least one during our trip. Hey, we even had pretzels served during our “Kaffee und Kuchen” (German for “Coffee and Cake”) on our wedding day. After our wedding we were still eating all of the leftover pretzels and you know what, they were still so good (thanks to our lovely local German bakery).
Plus, if you have not seen the episode of Mister Roger’s neighborhood when he goes to the pretzel factory, do yourself a favor and watch it. It inspires me and makes me smile today just as it did when I was a kid. Mister Rogers was a brilliant person, that I am still learning from to this very day. He had such a sincere compassion and love for people and also for pretzels too!
Well, as you can see, I am a pretzel fan to say the least. But without further adieu, aahhhemm, the recipe…
Here’s the recipe:
Homemade German Pretzels “Bretzels”
1.5 c flour
2 tsp dry active yeast
2/3 c warm water
1 T honey
1.5 T oil
1 tsp salt
1 T baking soda
corse sea salt (to taste, sprinkled onto of the pretzels just before baking.
Preparation:
In a large bowl, combine the yeast, honey, 1 T of oil and warm water. Stir well and set aside.
In the meantime, combine the flour and salt in a bowl.
Then add the flour mixture into the yeast mixture and stir thoroughly with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together and stops sticking to the bowl.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead it for about 8-10 minutes.
Then lightly oil a bowl with the remaining half a tablespoon of oil. Place the dough in the bowl and cover with a damp kitchen towel and place the dough in a warm place to rise for one hour.
After one hour, it is time to shape the pretzels.
Take a piece of dough about the size of a golf ball and roll into a ball.
Then roll it out into a long thin rope.
Make a U-shape with the rope and then fold one end over the other to create an “x.”
Then flip this “x” shape over to the other side of the dough and set aside.
Continue until all of the pretzels are shaped.
Then boil a large pot of water and add the baking soda.
Place each pretzel in the water for 20-30 seconds, turing them halfway in between.
Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, sprinkle the course sea salt on top of each pretzel and bake them on 200C/392F for about 15 minutes (or until they are golden brown).
