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KPTree Recipes
Recipe Links
Stollen:
- The spice house Old-Fashioned Christmas Stollen
- The Spruce German Christmas Stollen
Kaesekuchen - German Cheesecake in Diana's Recipe Book
German Cottage Cheese Cheesecake
Quick German recipes, German Recipes made Just like Oma
Stuffed Peppers in Tomato Sauce, Paprikaschoten
Equivalent Terms and Measures
Recipes
Ratatouille
Ingredients
- 4 tomatoes, medium to large, diced (or 2 cans of diced tomatoes, 2 x 400gr cans)
- 1 tbsp tomato puree (if not using canned tomatoes)
- 2 onions, chopped
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 1 egg plant, large, diced
- 2 yellow capsicums, diced
- 2 red capsicums, diced
- 1/2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped (just the leaves, no stork)
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp torn fresh basil
- 1 bunch fresh parsley (3 tbsp), chopped
- 2 tsp salt
Preparation
Using large saucepan
- fry the diced egg plant in 3 tbsp oil, for 5 - 6 mins
- set aside the pan fried diced egg plant
- fry the chopped onions in 2 tbsp oil for 3 mins
- (use same pan as for set aside egg plant)
- add garlic and capsicums to onions, fry for 5 mins
- add previously cooked egg plant, salt, parsley and thyme
- cook and simmer for 15 mins
- add torn basil
- salt to taste
Like most stews, this meal tastes better after 1 or 2 reheats
Bee Sting Cake
This is for a not filled version, the cottage cheese base makes up for this.
Ingredients - base
- 250gr cottage cheese
- 1 egg, large
- 1-2 tbsp cooking oil
- 125gr Sugar
- A pinch of salt
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract (or 1 sachet vanilla sugar)
- 200gr SR Flour
Ingredients - topping
- 200gr butter, unsalted
- 150gr Brown sugar
- 50gr White sugar
- 230gr Almonds, sliced
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract (or 2 sachet vanilla sugar)
- 2-4 tbsp milk or cream
I prefer natural, not blanched almond. Hand sliced is the best, but takes some time. A machine can be used, if so ensure that the final product is consistent and not too much fine almond meal is produced.
For the topping brown sugar tends to work better than white sugar, easier to fully dissolve and gives a less sweet topping.
Preparation - base
Using large cookie flat pan (about 27 x 38 cm)
- Mix cottage cheese, oil, egg, vanilla essence and sugar together
- Slowly mix in flour, allowing flour to fully blend in to form a smooth consistent mix
- Keep slowly mixing in flour until a dough of correct consistency is formed, with the ability to stretch and pull without being too tacky.
- Place baking paper on cookie tray, use 5-10cm overlap between paper sheets, if necessary
- Stretch and kneed and roll out the dough to reasonably evenly cover tray.
- Set aside and prepare topping
The dough is normally a bit tacky, so use some flour on your fingers to rub off any sticky dough and also on top the dough when kneading / rolling out to reduce further sticking.
Preheat the oven to 200deg.C (180deg.C in fan force oven)
Preparation - topping
Using a medium saucepan
- Melt the butter in the saucepan
- Add the sugar into the molten butter
- Cook the butter sugar mixture until sugar is fully dissolved, the mixture should be cooked until it has frothed. (Ensure well stirred during cooking to prevent burning at base and over frothing.)
- Add 2 tbsp cream, mix and heat to froth again
- Turn down heat and add the sliced almonds (Ensure the sugar is fully dissolved and frothing before adding). Then heat to frothing again.
- Add more milk, if too sticky/tacky (The final mixture must be reasonably easy to spread upon the base, but not to runny that it flows by itself when spread.)
- Turn off heat and add vanilla sugar/essence and mix in.
- Spread the final mixture on the base
Take care when heating the hot butter for spraying and also not to froth to overflow
Bake
Bake at 200deg.C (180deg.C in fan force oven) for 20 - 30 minutes.
After 20mins check that the almond topping is medium to dark golden, ensure that no dark to burning occurs
This cake is delicious when still warm after baking, but still very nice when cool.
Pancakes
I prefer the use of butter to pan fry (cook / bake) the pancakes. I like the taste of the browned butter. When using butter care must be taken no to over heat and burn the butter, while ensuring sufficient heat to allow the correct bake of the pancake. Use of a high burn temperature oil, such as sunflower oil can help, but in my opinion does not taste as nice. Ensure the use of quality ingredients to ensure final product enjoyment.
Plain Pancakes
The dough should rest at least 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes (preferably in the refrigerator) Can give 5-6 pancakes from 26cm diameter pan.
Ingredients
- 150 g self-raising flour
- 250 ml whole milk
- 3 eggs - medium or large
- A pinch of salt
- 5 tsp vegetable oil or butter (used in the pan for cooking)
Procedure
- Mix the flour and milk with hand whisk or food processor until well mixed and almost no lumps left.
- Then add the 3 eggs and a pinch of salt. Mix everything into a smooth dough.
- Now let the pancake batter rest in the fridge for 10 to 30 minutes, so that the flour can swell up nicely and the batter thickens a little. NOTE: Since the ingredients do not combine quickly, the dough should rest to develop and become stable. This helps to prevent the pancake from shrinking and bubbling in the pan.
Apple Pancakes
Get good size pancakes from a 24-25cm diameter pan
Ingredients
- 400 g self-raising flour
- 525 ml whole milk
- 4 eggs, medium size
- 100 g of sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla essences or sachet vanilla sugar
- A pinch of salt
- 2-3 apples - cut into small pieces
- 5 tablespoons vegetable oil or butter - for pan cooking
Procedure
- Add the flour, milk, sugar and vanilla essence as well as a pinch of salt and eggs in the bowl. Mix everything well with a hand whisk or food processor.
- Peel the apples and cut them into small pieces. (Or leave unpeeled)
- Mix the apple pieces in to the pancake mix. Now let it rest in the fridge for about 10 minutes.
- Put some vegetable oil or butter in a coated pan and cook the apple pancakes in portions at a medium setting. Add the butter or oil to the pan before to cooking each pancake. If using butter careful not to make too hot and burn the butter.
NOTE: The dough is much thicker than normal pancake batter. It is best to spread the mass in the pan with a spoon or spatula.
The best thing to serve with the apple pancakes is powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar. It also goes well with homemade apple sauce.
I remember when my mother made breakfast how much I enjoyed if the insides were still slightly gooey. Also the bread at the end was delicious. (The dough in the bowl is wiped clean with a slice of bread before being pan fried in butter! The pancake bread!)
Banana Pancake
Ingredients
- 3 ripe bananas - only slightly ripe to very ripe - anything is possible
- 1 egg - medium size
- 1 tsp of vanilla essence of packet vanilla sugar
- 80 g brown sugar
- 200 g self-raising flour
- 150 ml milk (not skim, full cream acceptable)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- A pinch of nutmeg
- A pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil or butter - per pan batch
Preparation
The riper the bananas are, the more fluid the dough becomes.
- Crush the bananas in a bowl, preferably with a fork, and season them with a pinch of nutmeg.
- In another bowl, whisk the egg with the sugar, vanilla sugar, cinnamon and salt.
- Pour the egg mixture into the bowl with the crushed bananas and stir with a hand whisk or food processor
- Then mix in the self raising flour and milk gradually.
- Leave the dough to stand / rest for a few minutes, until the dough becomes thicker.
- heat about 1 tablespoon of oil or butter per pan batch of pancakes on a medium setting. Take out some dough with a small ladle / sauce spoon (about 30 ml capacity) and put some pancakes side by side in the pan. Bake about a minute per side.
Serving Suggestion
- 2 bananas - young and firm, cut on top, or
- Cinnamon sugar to taste, sprinkled on top.
Easy Apple Strudel
Ingredients
- 2 large apples (Granny Smith); peeled, cored, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp flour (plain or self raising)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground cardamon
- 2 tbsp raisins
- 1 (or 2) sheets (25cm x 25cm) frozen ready-rolled puff pastry, thawed
- Extra flour, to dust
- 1 egg
- icing sugar to dust
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 190°C. Combine sugar, flour and cinnamon in a bowl. Add apples and raisins. Toss to coat.
- Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Place the pastry on a lightly floured sheet of non-stick baking paper. Dust the pastry lightly with flour. Roll the pastry lightly in one direction to form a 30cm x 40cm rectangle. With one short side facing you, spoon the apple mixture over the bottom half of the pastry, leaving a 2cm border around the edges.
- Roll the pastry into a large log. Place, seam side down, on the baking tray. Tuck the ends under the roll.
- Combine the egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush with the egg mixture. Cut several 2cm-long slits, 2cm apart, into the top of the roll. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a wire rack lined with baking paper for 30 minutes to cool. Dust with icing sugar and serve.
Baked Cheese Cake
Still trying on this one
Bratkartoffel - Pan fried Potatoes
Is also known as German style sauteed potatoes
Ingredients
- 4-6 medium potatoes, any type, lightly peeled, sliced 2-4 mm thick to your preference, but reasonably consistent
- 2 medium to large onions, cleaned and sliced, 3-4mm thick
- 1 large shallot (optional, shallots add a nice taste)
- 3-4 tbsp cooking oil, or butter
- 3 cloves of garlic, cleaned and diced (less if you don't much like garlic).
- 50gr Speck or similar smoked bacon, diced (omit for vegetarian, kosher, halal, etc.)
- 3-4 slices of cheddar cheese (omit for vegan)
- Salt and black pepper
- 2 heaped tsp Paprika (optional)
Some recipes suggest addition of caraway seeds, I don't use them.
If you use speck or bacon you can use less oil. Also if the speck is very salty be careful with adding salt.
Preparation
Using a medium to large frying pan
- Heat the oil (and speck) in the fry pan
- Add the onions and fry on medium heat for about 5 minutes or until starting to brown. Turn over regularly to prevent burning.
- Add 1 tsp salt and grind in a lot of black pepper - 1 tsp
- Add the paprika, if used
- Add all the sliced potatoes and stir well with onions
- Add the garlic (I add the garlic later to prevent burning it, it is added for flavour, not to caramelise, burning it makes it unpleasantly bitter)
- Cook for a further 10-20 minutes, until all potatoes are cooked through and a lot of potatoes and onion is caramelised, turning over regularly to prevent burning and ensure even cooking of all the potato. When turning over check pan surface to ensure no material build up sticks, if so scrap off with spoon to clear before it burns. Cooking time is also dependent upon how thick the potatoes are sliced.
- Add more salt and pepper as required to taste
- Place 1/2 cooked on to plate then add 2 slices of cheese then add remainder to plate and 1 or 2 additional slices of cheese on top. The cheese will melt into the fresh hot kartoffelbrei on the plate. Ready to serve.
Be careful with the salt and cheese, you can easily add more, but can not take it out.
Onion Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbs butter
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 5 large onions thinly sliced
- 5 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 tbs brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1 bay leaf (optional)
- 1 tsp sage (optional)
- 2 tbs plain flour (optional for thicker soup)
- 125 mL dry white wine or red wine
- 2 L chicken stock (or beef stick or vegetable stock for vegetarian)
- 2 tbs brandy (optional)
- 8 thick slices of French bread, toasted
- 340 gr grated gruyere cheese (Plain cheddar cheese can be substituted, but is not as nice)
Preparation
Using a medium to large frying pan
- Heat the butter and olive oil in large sause pan over medium high heat
- Add onions and cook for 10-12minutes until soft and start to brown
- Add the garlic, sugar, thyme, bay leaf and sage and continue cooking for 30 minutes, until the onions are well browned, stirring frequently
- Sprinkle in flour and stir until well blended. Stir in the wine and stock and bring to boil.
- Skim off any froth that rises to top. Then reduce heat and simmer gently for 45 minutes. Stir in brandy, if using.
- Preheat grill, rub both sides of toasted french loaf slices with garlic clove. Place soup bowls on a baking sheet and 3/4 fill with hot soup.
- Float a piece of toast on each bowl and top with grated cheese.
- Grill until cheese has melted and bubbling
Ensure bowls used ceramic / stone ware that can handle grill heating
Macaroni Pizza - Simple, but not prepackaged
Pizza Base
Ingredients
- 340g (3 cups)Self Raising Flour
- 60ml of olive oil
- 120ml warm water
- 1/2 tsp salt
Method
- In a large bowl empty the dry mix then slowly mix in the warm water and olive oil.
- Mix for a few min's to form a dough ball.
- Knead for five minutes and roll out to form a pizza shape on a floured surface.
Macaroni Cheese - Classic
Ingredients
- 400g macaroni
- 50g butter
- 2 tablesp plain flour
- 2 cups (500ml) milk
- 1-1/2 cup (200g) grated cheese (gruyere, tasty, vintage)
- 1/2 cup (75g) grated cheese (parmesan)
- 1 tablesp chopped parsley
Method
- Cook the macaroni in a large pan of boiling water according to packet instructions (different brands may vary in size & cooking times) until al dente.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan and add the flour. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute over medium-low heat.
- Gradually add the milk, stirring until smooth. Stir gently until the mixture comes just to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the grated cheese and stir until melted and smooth.
- Drain pasta and return to the pan. Pour cheese sauce over the pasta and stir until well coated. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Stir in finely chopped parsley or use course chopped as garnish.
Macaroni Cheese Pizza
Ingredients
- Pizza base
- Macaroni cheese
- pizza sauce
- 1/2 cups (75g) grated cheese (mozarella, tasty, vintage)
- 1 teasp fine chopped Basil
Preheat Oven to 200deg.C (fan forced) or 220deg.C)
Method
- Spread out pizza dough on pan
- Spread pizza sauce on top of dough
- Spread macaroni cheese on top of dough
- Spread basil on macaroni cheese
- Spread cheese on top
- Bake for 12-15 minute in oven at heat
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Paprikaschoten
Ingredients
Stuffed peppers
- 4 large red bell peppers, Note 1
- 75g brown rice
- 60g white bread (or optionally add more rice)
- 1 large onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 500gr ground beef, Note 2
- 2 medium eggs
- 2 heaped teaspoons sweet paprika powder, Note 2
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, Note 3
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
Tomato sauce:
- 2 large onion finely chopped
- 3 large garlic cloves finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 heaped tablespoon sweet paprika powder
- 2 bottle of tomato passata 700g
- 1 can of tomato 400g
- 2 heaped teaspoons sweet paprika
- fine salt and black pepper
- 4-6 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
Stuffed peppers
- Cook the rice, drain well, and let it cool until you prepare the rest.
- 75g brown rice
- Prepare stuffing ingredients:
- Cut and remove the tops of the peppers, discarding the seeds and the membranes.
- Soak the white bread in some water for a few minutes, and squeeze it in your hand to remove the excess water.
- Chop the onion very finely and grate the garlic cloves.
- Stuffing:
- Mix the ground beef, soaked bread, cooled rice, sweet paprika powder, egg, onion, garlic cloves, chopped parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix with your hand
- Fill the peppers with the stuffing mixture.
- Excess filling can be added as meat balls in to the sauce
Tomato sauce
*Sauté: Heat the olive oil and cook the onions until translucent. Add the garlic and the sweet paprika and stir for one minute more. *Tomato sauce: Pour the tomato passata into the pan. Add canned tomato, paprika, salt, and pepper, and stir well and combine everything. Place the stuffed peppers into the sauce. *Add water if too thick. *Simmer on medium-low heat, covered, for about 45 minutes or until the peppers are soft.
*Check: It might take longer if the peppers are large, poke them with a fork to see how soft they are and prolong the cooking time accordingly; you want them to be soft but still holding their shape. *Adjust the taste with more salt and pepper, stir most of the chopped parsley in the sauce, and sprinkle the rest on top. *Add 4-6 tablespoon chopped parsley
Notes
- Ground meat: You can use a mixture of beef and pork or only pork as well.
- Sweet paprika powder: use a good quality sweet paprika, some lower cost products are poor with little flavour. It has to be sweet for an authentic flavor, hot or smoked paprika is unsuitable for this dish.
- I use fresh parley has it grows wild around the house. Many recipes call for dill. I have not previously used dill in my cooking.