Schnitzel

Schnitzel is just about one of the best, quickest, and easiest dishes around. My version is the traditional, simple variety with a splash of fresh lemon juice on top. If this seems too bland for you, feel free to pick up more flavor by adding in some herbs or spices to the flour and bread crumbs. Any way you do it, it will be great. Plus, pounding out those cutlets releases a lot of aggression at the end of a work day.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons canola oil, olive oil or shortening
3 (4-5 ounce) veal cutlets or boneless pork chops
¾ cup flour (superfine if you have it)
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 teaspoon pepper, divided
1 large egg (or 2 small), well beaten
¾ cup bread crumbs (panko is great here)

Garnish:
Lemon slices
Fresh parsley

Directions: Get out a large skillet and add the oil. Heat the skillet and oil on medium heat.

Put each cutlet or chop between two pieces of wax paper and pound them very thin (oh, about ¼ to ½ inch thick. Lots of people pound them super thin, but I like a little more meat coming through). Using three large, shallow bowls, add the flour, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper to the first bowl. Mix well. Add the beaten egg to the second. In the third bowl, mix the breadcrumbs and remaining salt and pepper. Dredge each cutlet into the flour and shake off the excess. Then place it in the egg to coat and then dredge in the breadcrumbs, again shaking off any excess. Fry for about 3 to 6  minutes per side or until golden. Drain on a paper towel lined plate. Serve with lemon slices and parsley.

Mashed Potato Pancakes

This is what my mom would do to make good use of leftover mashed potatoes and they are pure comfort—crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside. These would make a lovely simple supper all on their own.

Ingredients-makes about 15:

4-6 Tablespoons canola oil, divided
3 ½ cups leftover mashed potatoes and room temperature (make sure they are nicely seasoned)
2 eggs
1 ½ cups seasoned bread crumbs

Directions: place the mashed potatoes in a large mixing bowl and add the eggs. Stir until well combined. If the mixture is really sticky, add some instant potato flakes or a little flour. You want cakes that hold together. Form the mashed potato mixture into balls a little bigger than golf balls, using damp hands.  Spread the bread crumbs in a shallow bowl and coat each cake in the bread crumbs (don’t discard the leftover bread crumbs yet). Place on a plate and flatten slightly with you palm. Let rest in the fridge 30 minutes. Heat 2 Tbs. of oil in a large skillet on medium. Then, put the cakes back in the bread crumbs, shaking off any excess and add the pancakes in batches to the skillet. Cook for about 6-8 minutes per side or until nicely golden.  Add more oil as you need it. Note: you may want to clean out your skillet and add more oil between batches, especially if you have lots of browned crumbs in the pan.

Keep the first batch on a baking sheet in a warm oven until you are finished.

Serve with one or all of the following:

·        Applesauce with cinnamon sprinkled on top
·        Horseradish sauce: 1 cup sour cream and 1-2 Tablespoons fresh prepared horseradish
·        Smoked Salmon
·        Sweet and Sour Braised Red Cabbage
·        Sausages like kielbasa or bratwurst

Sweet and Sour Braised Red Cabbage

What would fall be without a great warm side dish? This cabbage goes with brisket, pork, sausages, potato pancakes…everything.

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon bacon drippings (or canola oil)
½ cup chopped red onion (or any onion you have)
6 cups shredded red cabbage
1 large or two small apples, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped (about 1 ½ to 2 cups chopped)- Jonathans are nice here, but any kind will work
2 Tablespoons to ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup apple cider (if you don’t have apple cider, just use water)
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
Tiny pinch of ground cloves (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Heat the bacon drippings in a dutch oven on medium. Add the onion and cabbage and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes-you want the veggies soft but not brown. Add in the apples, vinegar, apple cider, brown sugar, cloves, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce to a low simmer. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 1 ½ hours. Taste about halfway through cooking-need more vinegar? Need more salt? Remove to a serving bowl using a slotted spoon.

French Onion and Roast Beef Soup/Casserole

So easy, so quick, so wonderful on a cool fall night. In a way it is a casserole, but it is also almost a soup. Anything you want to call it is fine by me!

Ingredients:
3 cups torn bread, packed tightly (any kind—use up that leftover bread you have stashed)
1 can condensed French onion soup
1 soup can of water
1 egg
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 ½ cup deli sliced roast beef
1 ½ cups shredded gruyere, nicely aged Gouda and/or swiss cheese (hey, do a combination here-it’s your comfort meal!)

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 2 ½ quart casserole with cooking spray. Place the torn bread in the bottom of the casserole. In a mixing bowl, combine the soup, water and egg. Pour over the bread. Layer the mushrooms and roast beef over the bread and soup mixture and top with the shredded cheese. Bake for 55 minutes until bubbly and golden brown.

Bananas Foster Oatmeal

I can’t wait to curl up on the couch with a bowl of this oatmeal this evening!

Ingredients for 4 servings:

3 cups water
1½ cups milk
1 cup steel cut oats

4 Tablespoons light butter

1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
2 bananas, sliced
2 Tablespoons walnuts

Directions:

Boil the water in a medium saucepan. Add in the milk and then the oats. Stir and let boil until thickened (about 3-4 minutes). Reduce the heat to low and simmer-uncovered- for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a large skillet, melt the butter and then add the brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Stir and then add the bananas and walnuts. Cook for a few minutes until the bananas and walnuts are well coated and then spoon a serving of oatmeal into a bowl. Add a spoonful of the banana walnut mixture over the top.

Rye and Beer Flatbreads

I love anything rye-hearty rye bread, pumpernickel, rye crackers-you name it. This is a great little flatbread recipe that pairs beautifully with Liptauer or Obatzda cheese spreads. Perfect for Oktoberfest, tailgating, whatever!

Ingredients:

1 cup rye flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup to 1 ¼ cup beer
1 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
2-3 Tablespoons caraway salt (recipe below)

Directions: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Stir the flours and salt together and then stir in the beer, starting with ¾ cup and adding more gradually until the dough forms a firm ball in your hands. The dough shouldn’t be sticky or wet. Mix until thoroughly combined and then dump onto a floured work surface. Knead for a few minutes until the dough forms a smooth ball. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes.

Roll out the dough as thin as you can get it (I run mine through a pasta machine to get it extra thin). Cut the dough into oh, about 3 inch strips and put the dough on the baking sheets and coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle the caraway salt over the entire surface of the dough and press down lightly with your hands so the caraway salt sticks to the dough.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the baking sheets half way through, until the flatbreads are golden brown. Watch these carefully near the end of baking, because they can burn quickly. You may need to bake these in batches to fit your baking sheets. Let cool slightly and break into pieces.

Caraway Salt

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon caraway seeds

1 teaspoon celery seeds

1 teaspoon dried parsley

½ teaspoon onion powder

6 Tablespoons kosher salt

Directions:

Add the caraway and celery seeds to a dry skillet and heat to medium low. Cook until just fragrant (about 6 minutes), stirring frequently. Remove from heat, cool and place in a small sealable bag. Crush the seeds lightly with a rolling pin and place in a small container. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. This salt is best if it has a few hours to hang out before use.

Obatzda

Obatzda is a traditional Bavarian beer garden cheese spread. Like so many other things that I like to make, each person’s recipe is their own-the basic elements are just camembert, butter, beer, onion and paprika. Where you go from there is up to you. Since I am having this with rye flatbreads, I’m skipping the caraway and I’m not using the garlic, but you can do what you like.

Ingredients:

8 ounces camembert at room temperature, rind removed and chopped
2 Tablespoon butter, at room temperature
2 Tablespoons good beer
2 Tablespoons finely chopped shallot or onion
2 to 3 teaspoons (3 t=1 Tablespoon) paprika (sweet, hot or smoked-your choice)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)
1 clove of garlic, mashed (optional)
Finely chopped chives or more onion for garnish

Directions: Mash everything together in a bowl with a fork. Garnish with chives or finely grated onion.

Honey and Spice Applesauce Cake

(3rd Place Winner in the Apple Dessert Category at the St. Charles Builders Home and Remodeling Show 2013 sponsored by the Suburban Journals)

I look forward to making this cake every year when the weather turns a touch cooler. This is a super moist cake that is low fat and has tons of fiber. But enough about that-it tastes amazing! The glaze just melts into the warm cake and the entire house smells wonderful. Give this one a shot-you won't be disappointed.

Ingredients:

Pan:

Cooking spray
1 Tablespoon flour

Cake:

1 large apple, cored and diced (Granny smith or Jonathans are nice)
1 Tablespoon flour

½ cup egg substitute

¼ cup canola oil
3 Tablespoons honey
¼ cup apple cider
1 ½ cups unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup light brown sugar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ cup wheat germ
¼ cup ground flax seed

Glaze:
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
2 to 2 ½ Tablespoons apple cider

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13 by 9 baking pan with cooking spray and add in the 1 Tablespoon of flour and shake to coat all the inside surfaces of the pan. Discard any excess flour.

In a small bowl, toss the apple with the flour and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg substitute, oil, honey, apple cider, applesauce and vanilla. Add inn the brown sugar and mix again. Add in the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger. Mix again until thoroughly combined. Add in the wheat germ, flax seed and apples. Mix one more time and then pour into your pan. Bake in the center of the oven about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, stir together the glaze ingredients, adding enough cider to get a drippy (not stiff) glaze. While the cake is still warm, poke holes in it with a skewer and slowly drizzle the glaze over the top. Let cool and cut into squares.

Pasta Con Broccoli

St. Louis is really just a big smorgasbord. We have wonderful traditions in barbecue, our own style of pizza, a strong German presence, our own kind of cheese, Sweetie Pie’s for soul food and then we have The Hill—the most remarkable Italian town you would ever want to visit. Pasta con Broccoli is one of our favorite Italian dishes and, just like everything else here, everyone does theirs a different way. Here’s my take:

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons kosher salt
8 ounces (1/2 package) of large or medium shell pasta
2 cups chopped fresh broccoli
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 ½  cups thinly sliced white button mushrooms
1 ½ cups fat free half and half (or regular, or cream, whatever you want here)
½ cup marinara sauce (jarred or home made)
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add the salt and pasta. Cook until about halfway done, say 5 minutes or so and add the chopped broccoli. Continue cooking until the broccoli is bright green and still crisp and the pasta is done (another 4 to 5 minutes).

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the garlic and the mushrooms. Cook for 4 or 5 minutes until the mushrooms are done and the garlic is fragrant but not browned. Add in the half and half and the tomato sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for about 4 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken.

Drain the pasta and broccoli and toss into the sauce. Add in the parmesan and then adjust the salt and pepper, toss once more and serve.

St. Louis Style Barbecued Pork Steaks

There are as many ways to barbecue pork steaks in St. Louis as there are people who enjoy barbecue. The great thing is, no one’s is ‘the original’ or ‘the best’; we love them all the same. My mom and dad worked in tandem to do the pork steaks at our house. Mom would prep the meat and sauces, Dad staffed the grill. All of us kids loved having our turn to flip, baste or sauce because a piece of the pork steak might ‘accidently’ come off and go into our mouths. Try this with Fast and Easy Coleslaw and Mom’s Garlic Biscuits and you’ve got a terrific meal.

Ingredients:

2 handfuls hickory chips

Baste:

2 teaspoons bacon grease or canola oil
¼ cup finely chopped onion
1 can beer
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Meat:

6 pork steaks (if you can’t get pork steaks where you are, get a 4 or 5 pound pork shoulder (butt) and slice it lengthwise into steaks)
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauce:
1 bottle Maull’s barbecue sauce (that’s straight up St. Louis, but you can use anything that you like)
½ can of beer

Directions:

First, put the hickory chips in a container and just cover with water. Let them soak for an hour or so before you start the charcoal fire.

Make the baste by heating the bacon grease or oil in a saucepan on low heat and sweating the onions in it. Add the beer and Worcestershire and let simmer for 30 minutes or so. Keep warm until ready to use.

Prep the meat by lining a baking sheet or 13 x 9 cake pan with foil. Lay out the pork steaks and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Get a charcoal fire going by lighting about 25 briquettes. Let the coals completely ash over. Spread out the charcoal to make one side with a lot of coals and one with less (this will be your ‘hot’ side and your ‘cooler’ side. Throw on a handful of drained hickory chips over the hot coals and put the grill on. Lay the meat evenly over the grill. Cover the grill and cook (flipping once halfway through) for about 10 minutes. Start basting every 10 minutes and cook until the meat is done (about 2 hours). During cooking, add the second handful of hickory chips about 1 hour in. You may also want to add a few more coals-up to you. Keep moving your steaks from the hotter portion of the grill to the cooler side if they appear to be getting too dark brown on the edges.

Make the sauce while the pork steaks are cooking by bringing the bbq sauce and beer to a low simmer and holding it until you are ready to use. Then, just slap on some sauce over the pork steaks. Turn and sauce the pork steaks every ten minutes or so until the outside is caramelized.

Remove the foil lining from your baking sheet/cake pan and pile the steaks in there.

If you need to hold the pork steaks for any reason (late guests???) Just cover with any extra sauce and put clean foil on top, sealing around the edges and keep the steaks warm either on the cool side of the grill or in a 225 degree oven until you are ready to eat.