Celebrate Oktoberfest!

 

 

 

You can't have an Oktoberfest without Beer Brats and of course steins of beer... German Potato Salad.. Schnitzel ... Strudel and so much more!

  

So What Exactly is Oktoberfest?

In case you were wondering what Oktoberfest is.... it's a 16 day festival held each year in Munich, Germany. This Bavarian festival runs from late September to early October. The festival traditionally ends on the first Sunday in October. It officially starts with the tapping of the first barrel of Oktoberfest beer.  Cities around the world hold Okoberfests modeled after the Munich fest.

Growing up in New York, we attended a yearly Oktoberfest and I loved the foods, the music and the festive atmosphere, I do miss going to it.

The festival in Munich features fabulous German foods, music and, of course, beer. Beer tents everywhere! Some of the foods traditionally served at Oktoberfests are roast pork, potato pancakes, sausages (Bratwurst and Weisswurst, to name two), Sauerbraten (a German style pot roast), spaetzle, red cabbage, pretzels, strudel and many more wonderful German dishes. There is even a tent that serves only veal.

According to Wikipedia,“the original Oktoberfest occurred in Munich, on October 18, 1810, for the commemoration of the marriage between the Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen.”

So to celebrate Oktoberfest... great food for family and friends..... here are some classic German recipes ...








For Breakfast...

Bauernfrühstück is a hearty German Farmer’s Breakfast…

German Apple Pancake - so easy.. light and tasty!

German Apple Cake is a delicious apple-rich coffee cake with a hint of cinnamon.

Main Dishes...

Beer Brats - a quick and easy recipe that you can enjoy anytime ..not only at Oktoberfest

 

Chicken Cutlets with Hunter's Sauce Schnitzel smothered in a brown savory sauce with vegetables

Schnitzel - What Oktoberfest would be without a Schnitzel?

Jagerschnitzel has a wonderful mushroom sauce over the schnitzel. It’s often served with spaetzle (German dumpling noodles) or noodles.

Crock Pot German Red Cabbage and Pork Ribs - a delicious meal perfect for a weeknight... the crock pot makes it so easy.. come home to a delicious dinner!

Side Dishes...

 

Spaetzle are little dough "balls" or dumplings that are boiled.. delicious with sauces, a German tradition.

Roesti Potatoes - a German and Swiss tradition made with shredded potatoes, sauteed onion and grated cheese, all fried in a little butter...

German Potato Salad - served warm in a vinegar based dressing with bacon and onion

Green Beans with Onion and Bacon - the name says it all

German Potato Pancakes - these are pancakes made from mashed potatoes and onion..seasoned and fried in a bit of butter.. serve with applesauce and sour cream.

Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage


And now for the Desserts...

German Cheese Strudel - layers of flaky buttery pastry around a wonderful sweet cheese filling... topped with powdered sugar .. totally divine! ... and easy to make!

Bavarian Apple Tart

German Apple Strudel - another delicious strudel for apple lovers...

Black Forest Cherry Cake - dense chocolate cake, sprinkled with Kirsch, layered with fresh whipped cream and cherry filling

Schweinohren - a delicate flaky pastry, lightly sweet, made with honey and butter

Bavarian Apple Tart

 

This very easy to make tart.. will surely impress family and friends… totally delicious and spectacular to look at… you will not believe just how easy it is to make.

I do have a few tips to make this recipe an easy success.

TIPS

Make sure your butter is softened.. it will need to be very soft (not runny) to make the crust.

The cream cheese is must also be very soft, this will prevent cream cheese lumps in your filling.  You can soften it in the microwave.. click here for instructions and tips.

I personally like to use Granny Smith apples.. Golden Delicious are also very good… but you can use any other types you prefer.

Slice the apples thin… some recipes say to slice them a ¼ of an inch thick.. in my opinion that’s too thick… if you prefer thicker slices… and make them a ¼ inch thick.. you should nuke them in the microwave to soften them up otherwise your cake will bake nicely but your apples will be to stiff…

I slice mine extremely thin ..  if you lice them thinly you will only need a little less than 2 apples… so you will have slices leftover for munching.. nothing wrong with that.

I have some sugar and cinnamon in a small spice jar with a shaker top… after laying the apples on top I sprinkle a little more on top because some apples will have more sugar and cinnamon than others.. I even it out a bit.

Just a side note.. I make up my own sugar and cinnamon and keep it in an old spice jar that I’ve run through the dishwasher.. it’s far cheaper than buying the ones pre-made.  Here is a recipe you can use to make your own sugar and cinnamon.

The original recipe calls for almonds to be sprinkled on top for the last 10 minutes of baking… I don’t do that since not everyone can eat nuts and some people don’t care for the nut itself… instead I use almond extract in the filling, along with vanilla extract… it gives a nice subtle almond flavor.. if you’re not a fan of almond flavor then just use all vanilla instead.

The crust is patted into the tart pan… be careful not to make the bottom corners too thick, that will make the crust a little tough to break with a fork when cutting pieces or eating.

I always use a non-stick tart pan.. they’re worth the extra cost… believe me. 

When the tart is cooling after baking… about 10 minutes after removing it from the oven.. gently take a very thin knife and loosen the sides of the tart from the pan.. yes.. I painstakingly loosen each little curve… it makes removal so much easier.

The cake gets refrigerated… however… you really have to set it out for at least 30-45 minutes before serving otherwise the crust is too hard and cutting is difficult .. not to mention eating it.

I melt about a tablespoon of apple jelly in a microwaveable bowl… and use a pastry brush to lightly coat the top after the tart has cooled.  This gives it a professional look to it.

Recipe:  Bavarian Apple Tart

All you need:

For the Crust:

½ cup (8 tablespoons) softened unsalted butter

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup flour
 

For the Filling:

1 (8 oz.) pkg. Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened

1 egg

¼ teaspoon each of vanilla extract and almond extract

For the Topping:

2 apples, peeled, cored and sliced very thin

1/3 cup sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Sliced almonds (optional – see TIPS)

Extra sugar and cinnamon – See TIPS

1 tablespoon apple jelly, melted

All you need to do:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

You will need a 9 inch tart pan with removable bottom (non-stick is preferred).

To prepare the crust:

Beat the butter and 1/3 cup sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the flour and beat until the flour is completely incorporated and the dough is sticky.  Dump the dough into the tart pan and press it into the pan evenly (bottom and sides).  ** See TIPS

To prepare the filling:

Beat the cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar until well mixed and no cream cheese lumps appear.  Add the egg, vanilla extract and almond extract and continue beating until very smooth (no lumps).  Spread the filling on the crust.

To prepare the topping:

Toss the apple slices in a medium bowl with the 1/3 cup sugar and cinnamon.  Arrange the apple slices in a fan starting with the outside edge.  Use the small slices to fill in any gaps.  Sprinkle a little sugar and cinnamon mixture on any slices that didn’t get coated enough.

Bake at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes.

Then reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F and bake for 25 minutes (the center should be set).

Cool for 10 minutes on a rack, then loosen the tart crust from the sides of the pan with a sharp knife.  **See TIPS

When it is cool enough to handle the pan (about 30 minutes) remove the tart pan sides and cool the tart on a rack.  Lightly brush the melted apple jelly over the top of the tart (I brush the very top of the crust side as well to give it a professional look).

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 2 hours.

***Make sure you remove the tart from the fridge about 30-45 minutes before serving.  ** See TIPS.

 

Great Recipes to Celebrate Oktoberfest!

 

 

 

You can't have an Oktoberfest without Beer Brats and of course steins of beer... German Potato Salad.. Schnitzel ... Strudel and so much more!

  

So What Exactly is Oktoberfest?

In case you were wondering what Oktoberfest is.... it's a 16 day festival held each year in Munich, Germany. This Bavarian festival runs from late September to early October. The festival traditionally ends on the first Sunday in October. It officially starts with the tapping of the first barrel of Oktoberfest beer. The popular festival attracts more than six million people. 2014 is the 181st Oktoberfest. Cities around the world hold Okoberfests modeled after the Munich fest.

The festival features fabulous German foods, music and, of course, beer. Beer tents everywhere! Some of the foods traditionally served at Oktoberfests are roast pork, potato pancakes, sausages (Bratwurst and Weisswurst, to name two), Sauerbraten (a German style pot roast), spaetzle, red cabbage, pretzels, strudel and many more wonderful German dishes. There is even a tent that serves only veal.

According to Wikipedia,“the original Oktoberfest occurred in Munich, on October 18, 1810, for the commemoration of the marriage between the Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen.”

Picture from the Official Oktoberfest website - © Fotostudio Kubinska & Hofmann - to see more pictures from the festivities go to the official website.

For more information about Oktoberfest, go to Wikipedia and the official Oktoberfest site.

I would recommend you go to the official Oktoberfest site… it's a guide to all that there is to experience... the foods, the beer, the rides, the beer, the crowds of people, the beer (I think you get the idea), and information about attending, in case I’ve inspired you to hop a plane and go there. If you do, you can get some nifty official 2014 Oktoberfest souvenirs .... and send me some pictures!

Growing up in New York, we attended a yearly Oktoberfest and I loved the foods, the music and the festive atmosphere, I do miss going to it.

So to celebrate Oktoberfest... great food for family and friends..... here are some classic German recipes ...







For Breakfast...






Bauernfrühstück is a hearty German Farmer’s Breakfast…

German Apple Pancake - so easy.. light and tasty!









German Apple Cake is a delicious apple-rich coffee cake with a hint of cinnamon.







Main Dishes...

Beer Brats - a quick and easy recipe that you can enjoy anytime ..not only at Oktoberfest










Chicken Cutlets with Hunter's Sauce Schnitzel smothered in a brown savory sauce with vegetables










Schnitzel - What Oktoberfest would be without a Schnitzel?

Jagerschnitzel has a wonderful mushroom sauce over the schnitzel. It’s often served with spaetzle (German dumpling noodles) or noodles.

Crock Pot German Red Cabbage and Pork Ribs - a delicious meal perfect for a weeknight... the crock pot makes it so easy.. come home to a delicious dinner!





Side Dishes...

Spaetzle are little dough "balls" or dumplings that are boiled.. delicious with sauces, a German tradition.








Roesti Potatoes - a German and Swiss tradition made with shredded potatoes, sauteed onion and grated cheese, all fried in a little butter...

German Potato Salad - served warm in a vinegar based dressing with bacon and onion










Green Beans with Onion and Bacon - the name says it all

German Potato Pancakes - these are pancakes made from mashed potatoes and onion..seasoned and fried in a bit of butter.. serve with applesauce and sour cream.







Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage









And now for the Desserts...

German Cheese Strudel - layers of flaky buttery pastry around a wonderful sweet cheese filling... topped with powdered sugar .. totally divine! ... and easy to make!








German Apple Strudel - another delicious strudel for apple lovers...

Black Forest Cherry Cake - dense chocolate cake, sprinkled with Kirsch, layered with fresh whipped cream and cherry filling








Schweinohren - a delicate flaky pastry, lightly sweet, made with honey and butter

Beer Brats

 

Whether celebrating Oktoberfest or just watching the game.. Beer Brats are perfect!  You can make everything ahead and stay out of the kitchen and enjoy the festivities yourself!

Wursts or sausages come in a number of varieties… and are part of many recipes… one of which is Beer Brats.  You can buy commercially made Beer Brats… Guinness and Johnsonville make them.. just to name two. 

Beer Brats are bratwursts poached in beer with some butter and onions… then grilled… served with grilled onions and sauerkraut ….really pretty simple.

TIPS

The big question always asked… so what beer to use?… a good question… obviously Guinness is an option.. I have tried their Beer Brats and liked them… so I’m sure their beer would do well.

Some people use a lager beer… some a Pilsner … it really is up to your personal taste.   If you like the taste of beer.. use a stronger tasting beer… if you only want a faint flavor of beer.. use a lighter one.  A dark beer will give it a richer flavor.

Most people agree to stay away from IPAs.. they tend to impart a bitterness to the meat. 

I don’t boil mine.. I simmer them until they’re cooked…. Packages should tell you how long to cook them.. 5 to 10 minutes should do it.   Then grill for about 10 minutes.

Serve with grilled onions and sauerkraut …. German Potato Salad … And of course.. beer!

Recipe:  Beer Brats

All you need:

Bratwursts

1 large sweet onion, sliced

3 tablespoons butter

Enough beer to cover

Toppings

1 large sweet onion, sliced

Mustard

Sauerkraut

All you have to do:

Place the butter and brats in a large pot or Dutch oven.  Cover with beer.  Bring to a boil and immediately turn down the heat.  Simmer until cooked, about 10 minutes.  Reserve beer mixture.

Grill brats until golden in color and charred slightly.  Return the brats to the reserved beer mixture until ready to serve.

Meanwhile, grill onions in a grill pan with a little butter or oil.   Return the brats to the reserved beer mixture until ready to serve.

Serve on buns with toppings and a side German potato salad.

Jagerschnitzel

Today's post is a delicious recipe for a terrific German dish called Jagerschnitzel. Schnitzel is the basis for a number of schnitzel recipes. Jagerschnitzel has a wonderful mushroom sauce over the schnitzel. It’s often served with spaetzle (German dumpling noodles) or noodles.

A perfect recipe .. just in time for Oktoberfest!

TIPS

The recipe is very easy and can be made somewhat ahead if using this dish to entertain. The schnitzels can be kept warm and the sauce kept warm on the stove.

Don’t make the schnitzels too far in advance though as they will dry out in the oven. I wouldn’t keep them for more than an hour in the oven… lay a sheet of foil over them, don’t crimp the sides… you don’t want the warming plate to have steam and take away the crispiness of the schnitzel.

I hope you try this wonderful dish.








Recipe: Jagerschnitzel

All you need:

For the Schnitzel:

Thin veal, pork , or chicken cutlets
Plain bread crumbs (about 1 cup for 4-6 cutlets)
2 eggs with a dash of milk, beaten
Flour seasoned with salt and pepper (amount depends on the quantity of cutlets)… about ½ cup for 4-6 cutlets
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, finely diced
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 ½ cups beef broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ cup sour cream

All you need to do:

To make the Schnitzel:

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Set up 3 bowls (wide bowls, if possible)

In one bowl, mix the flour, salt and pepper.

In another bowl, beat the eggs and milk until well combined.

In another bowl, add the bread crumbs.

Dip the cutlets, one at a time, first in the flour (make sure the entire cutlet is covered in flour).

Then dip the floured cutlet in the egg mixture.

Then dip the cutlet in the bread crumbs, covering the cutlet completely.

Place on a plate and repeat the steps until all cutlets have been breaded.

At this point, you can cover the cutlets and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to fry them.

When ready to fry, heat a large skillet on medium high heat.

Add the butter and olive oil to the skillet. Do not let butter burn.

When the butter is melted, add the cutlets to the skillet.

Cook until the bottom is brown and crispy (about 3 minutes).

Flip the cutlets and cook the other side until brown and crispy (about two minutes).

Remove cutlets from the skillet and lay on paper towels to pat off excess grease.

Put the cutlets on a oven proof plate and keep warm in the preheated oven while you cook the remaining cutlets. Cover loosely with foil…. you don’t want moisture from the steam to make the cutlets lose their crispiness.

When ready to serve… pour a small amount of sauce over the schnitzels.

To make the sauce:

In a large skillet, over medium high heat, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter.

Add the onions and sauté until they’re translucent.

Add the mushrooms and cook an additional few minutes until the mushrooms are soft.

Add the cornstarch to the 1 ½ cups of beef broth (in the measuring cup)… with a fork, beat it until the cornstarch is incorporated.

Lower the heat to medium.

Pour the beef broth into the skillet and simmer until the sauce begins to thicken.

You just want it to gently simmer… adjust heat as necessary.

Lower the heat to low.

Stir in the sour cream and continue to cook over low heat until sauce is thickened.

Do not allow sauce to boil.

Spoon sauce over cutlets and serve.

Crock Pot German Red Cabbage and Pork Ribs

This easy recipe for German Red Cabbage and Pork Ribs is a delicious “all in one” meal that virtually cooks itself. 

The recipe combines my German Red Cabbage Recipe with Pork Ribs… the only difference is that in this recipe I use apple juice instead of water and add apples to enhance the flavors….a very easy recipe and fool-proof.

TIPS

I like to buy the individual servings of applesauce…. It’s great for use in recipes .. since most recipes don’t require much … it’s also good because it’s just the two of us… when I was using the jars of applesauce, I always ended up throwing out a considerable amount left in the jar since it was just two much for two.

Make sure to use natural or original applesauce for this recipe.. not the kind with cinnamon.

Apple cider vinegar is an important ingredient.. while plain vinegar can be substituted.. I don’t recommend it… cider vinegar really adds flavor.

I use Granny Smith apples for this recipe… make sure they are peeled… I peel them and cut them into thick wedges… they essentially disappear during cooking…. they just dissolve.

If you want them still to be there when you serve them, you can add them late in the cooking… put them in about an hour before the end of cooking.

Because the apples “draw” liquid… there can be a lot of liquid at the end of cooking.. it’s really not a problem… just remove the contents of the slow cooker with a slotted spoon.

I like to serve this with Spaetzle or German Potato Pancakes… you could also serve this with noodles or mashed potatoes.

I sometimes reserve some of the pan drippings (after making the bacon and searing the meat)….. and I make pork gravy to drizzle over the meat and spaetzle. 

To make gravy:  Just heat about 2-3 tablespoons of the mixed drippings in a sauce pan and add 2 tablespoons flour… mix well… cook for about 3 minutes to cook off the flour taste…. In a measuring cup combine 1 tablespoon flour… add ¼ cup chicken or vegetable broth … whisk until smooth… add it to the saucepan, whisking constantly.  When it’s smooth and no lumps.. slowly add ¾ cup more broth.. whisk until smooth and thickened.   Salt and pepper to taste.

If you don’t have enough drippings (you should) but if you don’t.. add melted butter to the drippings to make up the shortage.

Because of the slow cooking, meat becomes so tender and infused with all the flavors… a totally delicious meal!

Recipe:  Crock Pot German Red Cabbage and Pork Ribs

All you need:

4 slices thick sliced bacon

6 country style pork ribs

1 small/medium head of red cabbage, thinly shredded

1 medium onion, sliced

½ cup apple cider vinegar

¼ cup apple juice

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced *See TIPS

3 tablespoons sugar

A pinch of ground cloves

Salt to taste

All you have to do:

In a large skillet, cook the diced bacon over medium heat until a good bit of the bacon grease has been rendered… stirring frequently… make sure the bacon remains soft not crisp.

Remove all but about 2-3 tablespoons of bacon grease.

Sprinkle the pork ribs with salt and pepper.  Add the pork ribs to the skillet and quickly sear the meat on all sides over medium high heat.  Remove the ribs from the skillet and place them on the bottom of the crock pot.

Meanwhile, In a large bowl toss the red cabbage, onions and apples to mix thoroughly.  When the pork ribs are in the slow cooker, put the cabbage mixture on top of the ribs in the slow cooker.

Add the cider vinegar, apple juice, sugar, and ground cloves to the skillet you seared the pork ribs in, heat to boiling.   Remove the skillet from the heat and pour the mixture over the red cabbage in the slow cooker.  Use a spatula to get the last bit of the mixture out of the skillet.

Cook on low for 5 hours.

Remove the red cabbage and ribs with a slotted spoon and salt the cabbage to taste.

Serve with Spaetzle, German Potato Pancakes, noodles or mashed potatoes (whatever you prefer).