October 2, 2012.
This month, Diva N hosted an Oktoberfest gathering. There was beer. There were German drinking songs. There was crazy delicious German food. Basically the only thing missing were the costumes. Maybe next year.
Cabbage Salad
- _1 1/2 cups finely chopped green cabbage
- 1 1/4 cups finely chopped green bell peppers
- 1 1/4 cups finely chopped red bell peppers
- 1 cup plum tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
- 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
- 2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- 1 teaspoon mustard seed
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
In a large non-reactive bowl, combine the cabbage, peppers, tomatoes, and onions.
In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, honey, celery seed, mustard seed, and red pepper flakes, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour over the vegetables and stir to combine. Season with the salt and black pepper.
Let cool, then cover and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, for at least 12 hours and up to 2 days.
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse and the Food Network.
Beer-Braised Bratwurst with Sauerkraut
Ingredients
With a sharp knife or kitchen fork, prick each sausage several times. In a saucepan, combine the red onions and beer and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the sausages and poach until almost cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove the sausages from the liquid and set aside, reserving the liquid.
In a large pot, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Add the yellow onions to the fat in the pan and cook, stirring, until very soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the apples and cook, stirring, until starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the bay leaf, peppercorns, and juniper berries and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the sauerkraut and reserved beer cooking liquid (without the onions), sugar, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered until tender and aromatic, stirring occasionally, about
1 1/2 hours.
Preheat the grill. Grill the sausages until cooked through, about 5 minutes, turning to cook evenly on all sides. Remove and place on a platter.
Remove the sauerkraut from the heat and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the cooked bacon and adjust the seasoning, to taste. Arrange the sauerkraut on the platter with the sausages and serve with mustard. Serve with cold beer.
- 8 links bratwurst sausage
- 2 cups julienned red onions
- 4 (8-ounce) bottles dark beer
- 6 ounces bacon, chopped
- 2 cups julienned yellow onions
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 3 large red or golden delicious apples, cored and cubed
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon juniper berries, crushed
- 2 pounds sauerkraut, rinsed well under cold running water and drained
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Assorted Mustards, accompaniment
With a sharp knife or kitchen fork, prick each sausage several times. In a saucepan, combine the red onions and beer and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the sausages and poach until almost cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove the sausages from the liquid and set aside, reserving the liquid.
In a large pot, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Add the yellow onions to the fat in the pan and cook, stirring, until very soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the apples and cook, stirring, until starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the bay leaf, peppercorns, and juniper berries and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the sauerkraut and reserved beer cooking liquid (without the onions), sugar, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered until tender and aromatic, stirring occasionally, about
1 1/2 hours.
Preheat the grill. Grill the sausages until cooked through, about 5 minutes, turning to cook evenly on all sides. Remove and place on a platter.
Remove the sauerkraut from the heat and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the cooked bacon and adjust the seasoning, to taste. Arrange the sauerkraut on the platter with the sausages and serve with mustard. Serve with cold beer.
Octoberfest German Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 3 pounds potatoes, peeled and sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley
- ground black pepper to taste
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add peeled and cut potatoes; cook until tender but still firm, about 10 minutes. Drain, and transfer to a large bowl. Add onions.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, oil, vinegar, sugar, parsley, salt and pepper. Gently stir in the potatoes and onion. Let stand for 1 hour before serving to enhance flavors.
Apple-Bavarian Torte
Vanilla Crust:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup (1 stick) well chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Cream Cheese Filling:
2 8oz packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs, at room temperature
Apple Topping:
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly slices
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts
For crust: Preheat oven to 350F. Combine flour, sugar and vanilla in medium bowl.
Cut in butter using pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Press evenly into bottom and sides of 10-inch springform pan. Bake until golden, about 5 to 8
minutes. Cool on rack to room temperature. Increase oven temperature to 450F.
For filling: Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer until smooth.
Beat in eggs, one at a time. Spoon into baked crust.
For Topping: Mix apples, sugar, cinnamon and nutmet. Spoon over cream cheese layer
evenly and sprinkle with nuts. Bake 15 minutes at 450F. Reduce oven temperature to 350F
and continue baking until tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
Cooltorte completely in pan on a rack. Refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 30
minutes before serving. Serves 6-8.
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup (1 stick) well chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Cream Cheese Filling:
2 8oz packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs, at room temperature
Apple Topping:
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly slices
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts
For crust: Preheat oven to 350F. Combine flour, sugar and vanilla in medium bowl.
Cut in butter using pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Press evenly into bottom and sides of 10-inch springform pan. Bake until golden, about 5 to 8
minutes. Cool on rack to room temperature. Increase oven temperature to 450F.
For filling: Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer until smooth.
Beat in eggs, one at a time. Spoon into baked crust.
For Topping: Mix apples, sugar, cinnamon and nutmet. Spoon over cream cheese layer
evenly and sprinkle with nuts. Bake 15 minutes at 450F. Reduce oven temperature to 350F
and continue baking until tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
Cooltorte completely in pan on a rack. Refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 30
minutes before serving. Serves 6-8.