My favored recipes

I like Italian and Mexican food especially! I also like American, German food. What I will try to do here is write down "from scratch" recipes that allow you to make these Italian or Mexican or American/TexMex dishes from scratch! Since they can't be bought in Germany (or not everywhere) I will give you the tools to make some of them yourself! Especially Tex/Mex (Texan/Mexican) food is an interesting combination that makes for great entertainment!


Table of Contents:

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At an office party one of the employees brought a delicious and simple Breakfast Pizza. Here is the recipe for you to enjoy:
Breakfast Pizza

Sausage-Potato Pizza

1 pound bulk pork sausage
1 package of 8 refrigerated cresent rolls
1 cup frozen loose-packed hash brown pototoes, thawed ***
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
5 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
l/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 12" pizza pan (foil is fine...and is throwaway after)

In a skillet, crumble and cook sausage until browned. DRAIN off excess fat. (I used a WOK - was faster and sausage crumbled into small pieces.)

Separate cresent dough into 8 triangles. Place in ungreased 12" pizza pan. Press over bottom and up sides to form a crust.
Seal perforations. (It's easier to work with dough if it is at room temperature!)

Spoon sausage over crust. Sprinkle with potatoes. Top with cheddar cheese. (To keep from running over edge of pan, suggest keeping sausage and potatoes away from edge).

In a bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour over sausage and potatoes. Sprinkle Parmesan over all.

Bake at 375 degree F oven for 25 minutes. Makes 6 to 8 servings if sliced like pizza.....or slice into 2" squares and get many more servings!


**** I have used the frozen diced/potatoes w/onions and have also made home fries from scratch. Saute sliced potatoes, celery and onions in small amount of oil in large, covered skillet...cooked slowly for about 15 minutes. Remember, they continue to cook when in oven. Also have used baked ham in place of sausage (small cubes from a ham cooked earlier in week).

**** Can prepare some things the night before: I take crescent rolls out of container, let them get to room temperature (soften a little) and it makes it easier to spread on bottom of pan. I do this the night before, wrap in plastic wrap and put in fridge overnight. Also cook sausage and homefries from scratch if not using frozen ones the night before. Then just put everything together the next morning with eggs, cheese and bake!

Enjoy!



First of all here are a couple of Italian recipes from a renouned cook who owns a restaurant in NY:


Spagetti Pasta Secco

Ingredients:
Onion, Garlic, Spagetti pasta, Olive Oil, Pork and Beef (&Veal optional!), Eggs, Breadcrumbs, Parmesan, Salt, Pepper, Red Pepper, Oregano
Put the olive oil in a deep pan and heat up, add chopped onions, and minced garlic to it when right temperature. Fry for a few minutes until they give aroma, not brown!
Meanwhile put pork and beef in a bowl, mix, then add:
1 Egg
1/2 cup of parmesan cheese
1/2 cup of breadcrumbs
Oregano (dash)
Salt-pepper (your taste) generous!
crushed red pepper
and the oil/onion/garlic mix and mix all ingredients together well.
Now wet your hands and start forming meatballs of medium size.
Add some olive oil in a medium height pan, heat up, and add the meatballs to it. Let them brown real good and turn them around to each side. Once they are brown add either store bought or your own homemade tomato sauce! Let them simmer on medium heat for about 20 minutes.

Quick tomato sauce recipe for your own Sauce!!
Take about 2 pounds of skinned tomatos, add water until covered, add oregano, basil, salt, pepper and simmer for about 1 1/2 hrs to 2 hrs.

While the Meatballs are simmering in the sauce you have started your Spagetti pasta and cook them "aldente" (if they stick to the wall they are good!)When the pasta is done strain it and add it to the simmering meatballs and sauce. Take a large spoon and fork and lift the pasta under the meatballs. Serve on a place decorated with fresh basil on t. side and grate some fresh parmesan on top~! Bon Appetit!

Penne Pasta Telefono

Ingredients:
Penne Pasta, Tomato sauce, Mozarella, Oregano.
Cook the penne pasta aldente, then strain, add your homemade or bought tomato sauce and cubed mozarella pieces. Add a generous amount of Oregano and lift the mozarella under, letting it heat up for a few minutes. Serve on a nicely decorated plate and enjoy!

Cuban Sandwhich

Ingredients:
On a nice tasty cuban sandwhich you need either cuban bread (medium dry/airy dough), or in europe you will have to take italian bread loaf or french bread! Try to get Italian first! Cooked ham, pork roast cold cut, hard salami, swiss cheese, dill pickle slices, mayonnaise and mustard.

You cut open the french loaf or italian loaf lengthwise. Now put mayonnaise and mustard on it thin, then layer several slices of cooked ham on it, a few slices of cooked pork, several slices of hard salami, and the pickles. Put it together and press it down evenly, then put in the oven to broil for about 5-8 minutes on medium (250 F/180 C) heat. Watch it though, don't walk away from it, it will burn quick. After a few minutes check if brown, and then turn around and broil some more. When finished take it out and press it down flat and even again. ~Voila! Cuban Sandwhich, serve with a nice wine or beer! Enjoy.


Homemade Salsa

Ingredients:
Skinned tomatoes (approx.1 pound), 2-3chili peppers, 1 med/lge onion, 1-2 cloves of garlic.
Chop the tomatoes finely, dice the chili peppers fine (decide how many by strength of the aroma! It is different depending on the season and could be mild or strong!!) if you buy in summer they will be spicey if you buy in winter they will be milder. Mince the onions small, and also the garlic. Mix all well and taste! Serve with favored corn chips or BBQ foods! Leave it up to your imagination to find other ways to serv it!


Duck w/ 2 sauces
Recipe from the Chef (C.Albin)at the 4 Seasons in New York

When preparing this Duck please ensure the Duck was stored in the refridgerator for at least 3 days to ensure dryness. It should be sufficiently ventilated while drying on a rack or hung. Also prepare the marinade two days before preparing this recipe and marinade Duck one day before baking!! (see below)

First start preparing the "stock"(basic sauce) f. the sauces, this takes a while!!
In a large pot or caserole, combine:
1 celery, cubed
1 carrot, chopped
1 onion, chopped
cut all organs from inside Duck into pieces (Neck, Wings)
Remove all insides from the Duck incl. the fat(except t. liver! it is not suitable for use). Put caserole in oven and roast for about 15-20 minutes on 300-350 F.
The Duck: Then chop off the knockles on the legs and wings and marinade the Duck in following mariande after it sat over night.
1 ounce of ginger
2 Tbsp. Honey
1 orange rind (cleaned)
1/2 orange chopped
1 cup soy sauce
Garlic, 2 cloves
Peppercorns, 2 Tbsp.
Store marinade over night!
Then next day strain the marinade into a container and marinade the Duck. Put the Duck back in the refridgerator over night. Next day marinade again! Put the Duck on a flat rack directly in the center of oven with a pan sitting underneath on the bottom rack. This ensures browning the duck all around without soft spots! Plus it catches all the drippings in the container and you can remove it easy to take stock out. Bake at 450 F for 1 1/2-2 hrs
Back to the basic sauce: Take caserole out of oven - and add -
2 cups juice/drippings from the Duck to the stock.
Also add 1/2 TBsp. of flour
1 cup red table wine
1 Tbsp. of tomato paste
Now set that pot/caserole on the stove and simmer everything together for about 15 minutes. When it is done set it aside.

While the Duck is baking we will prepare two different sauces for it with the help of the basic sauce we just prepared:
We will prepare Orange Sauce and Pepper Sauce

First Pepper sauce: Ingredients

Take 2 cups of basic sauce and add:
1 Tbsp. of crushed green fresh peppercorns
5 fresh chopped chalots
Simmer....reduce....add a bit of wine vinegar..about 1/4 cup.(taste)

Now Orange Sauce:

2 peeled oranges, take sections of orange and 1 cup of orange juice.
1-1/2 Tbsp. Orange Marmelade
1-2 Tbsp. Grand Marnier
Simmer ...reduce....add basic sauce stock (2 cups) and a good shot of Brandy. Simmer 3 minutes - take off the stove.
OK, your sauces are ready.

As a side dish you can prepare anything traditional or brown rice w/ chopped almonds/walnuts! Whatever strikes your fancy.


Now it's time to tranche the Duck. Check if it is ready.
Take the Duck out on a large cutting board and carefully "disect" it in 4 pieces, the legs and breasts. To cut the legs carve them out carefully on each side, to cut the breast cut along the center rib cage and carefully guide the knife underneath the meat along the bone!
Now carefully (do not destroy skin) lift the skin w/ knife tip and scratch the remaining fat out underneath.
Arrange each piece on a nicely decorated plate with fresh green vegetables and rice! VOILA! Duck 4 Seasons....bon Appetit!


BBQ Sauces and Marinades


Ingredients:
"Tangy Sauces":
Tomato Ketchup, oil, vinegar, pepper/salt, Oregano, a little curry and paprika, some mustard.
This would be a traditional BBQ sauce that you can use for all meats, Beef, Pork, Chicken, Sausage. It is a classic sauce! Now these ingredients need to be mixed in according to your own taste! I would say though on one cup of Ketchup - use a Tbsp. Oil, Tbsp. Vinegar, couple of dashes pepper and salt, a dash Oregano, dash Curry, dash Paprika, and about two Teesp. Mustard. These ingredients also serve to enhance the taste of store bought baked beans!
If you prefer them (Beans or BBQ Sauce) more spicy add instead of oregano, oil and vinegar (with Beans) or leave Oil and Vinegar in f. BBQ Sauce, and add the other ingredients plus chayenne pepper (chili pepper) and a couple of spritzers of hot sauce!
If you like the BBQ Sauce more sweet and spicy substitute the Oregano with Honey. :)
Bon Appetit!

BBQ Meat Marinades


These Marinades are to be used to marinade the meat over night or at least for a couple of hours before barbequeing!
Basic Marinade:
Oil, Vinegar, Pepper, Salt, Oregano, Curry, Paprika.
Depending on the amount of meat you will need at least 1 or 2 cups of marinade! I would suggest 2 cups average amount!
Mix oil and vinegar to make 2 cups. The proportion is up to you, and depending on taste! Some like it more oily some more sour. Basically I would take one cup of each first, and then add ingredients and taste it! If one or the other is off it is easy to add a little more of either one! (oil/vinegar)
Then mix in the Pepper and Salt in a fairly generous amount, about one Tablesp. each, and also of the Oregano and Curry/Paprika as well. Since I mix my stuff as I go along I have no EXACT measure here. Taste it after you mixed it and then again add a bit more of one or the other that you want more dominant!
Now put meat in a dish or pot and cover with the sauce, and let stand in the fridge for at least a few hours! Turn meat around if not completely covered and put top meat on bottom and vice versa. Then put on grill as usual, and baste with BBQ Sauce or just grill it with the marinade, and keep putting the marinade on the meat while grilling.

Italian Marinade:
Another very efficient and tasty marinade to use for meat has proven to be Italian Salad Dressing! Yes, and it tastes very good on the meat and makes the meat tender! So just poor a bottle of Italian Dressing or mixed Italian Dressing from powder over your meat and let it stand over night or for a few hours.
Bon Appetit!


"Nutty Brownies"


Ingredients:
8 ounces/grams of semi sweet baking chocolate (Kuvertuere)
2 Sticks Butter (8 ounces/grams)
5 Eggs
3 1/4 cups sugar
2 Teesp. Vanilla Extract (good quality!) = McGormick etc.

Mix: Sugar, Eggs and the vanilla extract. Beat it well until foamy.
Then put the chocolate on the stove on low heat to melt!
Meanwhile butter the baking dish, w. soft unsalted butter, put some parchment paper on bottom and butter it too. Then pour a cup of flour in and swirl it around to all sides and poor the rest out. (don't leave it in the dish!)
Now take the chocolate off the oven and add it slowly to Egg/Sugar mix while beating on slow speed! Then slowly add 1 2/3 cups of flower in but only sifting - not beating!! It is important that you do NOT beat the dough when adding the flower! The brownies would not turn out! Add 1/4 tsp. Salt. Last stirr in (slowly) by hand or slow speed 1 1/2-2 cups of either chocolate chunks or Nuts! Preferably Walnuts. It is up to you if you prefer only chocolate brownies or nutty brownies! I use a little of both personally - and it's delicious!
Now bake in preheated (to 125 F) 25-30 minutes at 250-300 F. (Watch it!) When 25 Minutes are up stick a tester in to see if done. If there is a little moisture (not runny dough) on the stick they are perfect! Take them out and cool them on a rack. Take out of the dish and cut into little squares. Serve with Vanilla Ice cream or whip cream! Hmmmmmm!

"Chocolate Delight"
Recipe from Jean Georges (NY French Restaurant)


Ingredients:
First bring water to a boil and put a crome mixing bowl ontop of it.
Now break up 1 bar of semi sweet baking chocolate bars into pieces.
Put into the bowl over boiling water and melt with 1 stick of unsalted butter (4 ounces)
Stirr lightly while melting, do not overdo! When melted take it off the heat.
Meanwhile:
Mix 2 egg yolks (you can try whole eggs, I don't know which it was, and just experiment with this the first time) with 1/4 cup of sugar and mix creamy. Towards the end mix in 2 teespoons (YES!) of flour.
Now add the eggs to your chocolate and fold in lightly (don't mix).
Prepare approx. 6 metal muffin forms or brioche^ forms with butter and a bit of flour (lightly). Poor the chocolate mix into those forms and put in the oven for 8-10 Minutes, at 450 F (approx. 175 C).
Once they are done take a medium plate and turn forms over on it, let cool for a moment and shake the chocolate cakes out. Decorate with either a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side, or some whipped cream (real) and dust with some real dutch cocoa! (You can also add a "sugared" flower or a leaf of mint f. decoration.) Be creative!
Bon Appetit!

Schokoladen Kokos Schnitten (chocolate coconut squares)

(Easy to make and fast and real yummy!!! :))

Ingredients: in metric measurement(prep. time 1 hr, makes approx. 80 pieces)
500 grams unsalted butter or margarine
400g brown sugar
4 eggs
1 pack of rum extract/aroma (or just real rum about 1 teespoon
2 tablespoons of cocoa (real dutch (baking)cocoa)
300 grams of grated coconut (Kokusraspel)
500 grams of flour (all purpose)

Further for later!:
500 grams powdered sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa (real dutch cocoa)
80 grams soft butter
6-7 tablespoons milk
50 grams of grated coconut

1. Mix butter and sugar with an electric mixer or food processor until foamy consistency. Add eggs one by one tot he mix and also the rum or rum extract and the cocoa. Then add in the coconut and flour into the mix (mix lightly and short).
2. Pour the dough on to a buttered or non-stick or parchment papered high rimmed cokie sheet and straighten top. Then put into a preheated stove at 180 C/450 F on middle rack for about 20 minutes. Please check after 15!
Meanwhile prepare second mix:
3. Mix powdered sugar and cocoa in a bowl. Add the softened butter and milk, and mix well to get a thick paste/icing.
4. Take the cookie sheet out of the oven when done and rest on a rack and put the icing on it. Then sprinkle the remaining coconut on it and if you like a dash of powdered sugar. :)
Let it stand and cool for a little while, then proceed to cut into 2.5 x 5 cm large rectangles or diamond shaped cookies!
This is a delight! Bon Appetit!

Linzor Cookies


Ingredients:
Nuts (almonds) grind in food processor, coarse, set aside
2 Sticks of butter (unsalted) (about one cup)
2/3 cup of sugar
2 large eggs
mix all this for 3 minutes.
add 1 Teesp. Vanilla flavor
**** In a separate bowl:
2 cups flower
1 Teesp. Baking soda (Backpulver)
1 Teesp. ground Cinnamon (fresh! ground)
1/2 Teesp. Salt, sift all ingredients!
Add one grinded lemon zest (Zitronen rinde gerieben)
and also add the nuts.
then:
Add this mix to the butter, sugar mix and mix for a couple of minutes. Then split dough in two portions, wrap in saran wrap and put in refridgerator for a few hours.

then:
roll the dough out about 1/5 centimeter thick. Keep turning it over on a flour coated table so it won't stick! Do NOT over-flour either!! Otherwise the cookies will not turn out right.

Now take two heart shaped cookie cutters (Keksformen) about 3" and 1" diameter, and stamp out cookies with the larger form first, set them opposite direktion to save dough. Slide these on a sheet of baking paper.
Now take the smaller heart form and stamp out the centers of half of the cookies.
Bake 8-10 Minutes at 325 F... until light brown (not too dark).
When done take seedless rasperry or strawberry preserve or jam and paste on the cookie without the hole in it. Then sprinkle cut out cookies (w. hole) with powdered sugar and place on top of the other cookie wit the jam. Voila!

If you add spices like cinnamon or ginger, they make wonderful Christmas cookies too!

HINT! Cover counter top with parchment paper to keep it clean!

Drop Cookies

Ingredients: (at room temperature!)
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 lemon zest (Zitronen rinde)
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 Teesp. Baking Soda (Backpulver)
1/4 Teesp. Salt
1/2 Teesp. ground ginger
Add 1/2 cup of "candied" ginger
Then - drop cookies on a cookie sheet with a spoon.
Bake until golden brown about 10-15 Min. at 350 F.

BON APPETIT!
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    • Page created 8/98 last updated 11/7/98

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