Syria

 Welcome to Syria!  Syria gained its independence from France in 1946 after WWII.  Syria is home to the oldest library in the world -- in 1974, the ancient city of Ebla was discovered along with around 1,800 clay tablets dating from around 3,000 BC. Syrians are some of the lightest drinkers in the world: the average Syrian consumes just 0.1 liters of alcohol per year.  According to Google, the population of Syria is 24.26 million people and the capital is Damascus.  Their national dish is...

Kibbeh!

They look like little footballs!  However, to make kibbeh, you need to use bulger wheat, which I cannot eat. So it was off to the recipes to find something to make with the kibbeh.  We found Batata Harra (which is a spicy potato), Syrian Salad, and Fattet Djaj, which is a chicken and rice dish.  It was a very full, busy kitchen, but the smells were wonderful.  I did the prep over two days, just to make it easier on myself.  Here's what I did:

KIBBEH

For the shell:

1 lb bulgur wheat

1 1/2 C cold water.

1/2 lb ground beef

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1/2 C onion, diced

1 C plus 2 tbsp water

For the filling:

2 tbsp oil

1 onion, diced

1 lb ground beef

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp pepper

1 1/2 tsp paprika

1/3 C pine nuts

Iced water for shaping and forming

Oil for frying

1. 1. In a deep bowl, add bulgur wheat and pour water over, cover and let it soak for 30 minutes.
2. 2. In a large skillet, over medium heat, add oil and sauté onions until translucent.
3. 3. Add the ground meat and stir until it is browned. 
4. 5. Add the seasoning, mix well.
5. 6. Turn heat off and stir in the pine nuts.
6. 7. Add the onion, ground beef, salt and pepper to the bulgur wheat and combine well.
7. 8. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of food processor in batches, adding a couple of tablespoons of water and processing until mixed each time. 
8. 9. Refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes.
9. 10. Fill a measuring cup with cold water and add some ice (this is for when you roll the kibbeh).
10. 11. Prepare a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper and set next to you.
11. 12. Lightly dip your hands in the cold water and take about 3 Tablespoons of the shell mixture then roll into a ball the size of a golf ball.
12. 13. Place the ball in your left hand and using the index finger of the other hand poke a small hole in one end of the ball reaching to the middle of the ball.
13. 14. Gently roll the ball into your left hand while pressing your index finger in a circular motion.
14. Keep doing this until the hole is bigger; make sure not to press too hard on the walls of the kibbeh or it might break or tear.
15. 15. Now take about 3/4 teaspoon of the filling and fill the hole of the kibbeh, do not overstuff.
16. 16. Close the end of the kibbeh by pinching the end together, make sure to dip your fingers in the iced water every now and then.
17. 17. Place the kibbeh on the baking sheet and continue until the whole batch is done.
18. 18. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour,
19. 19. In a deep frying pan add oil enough to cover the kibbeh when put in it.
20. 20. Heat oil on medium-high , between 355F-375F. 
21. 21. Add cold kibbeh and fry for 4 minutes until dark brown.
22. 22. Transfer the Kibbeh to a plate lined with paper towel.
23. 23. Continue until you are done with them all.
24. 24. Serve hot and enjoy!

(Source: Kibbeh)

BATATA HARRA

2 lbs potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes or baby potatoes

3/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper 

1/2 tsp paprika

2 tbsp avocado oil

Cilantro Sauce

2 tbsp avocado oil

1 tsp garlic, minced

1/4 tsp cayenne 

1/2 C cilantro, chopped

1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp lemon juice

1. 
   
2. 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
3. 2. Pat the 2 lbs potatoes dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel until they're completely dry.
4. 3. Mix the onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and paprika in a medium bowl. 
5. 4. Stir in the avocado oil to make a paste.
6. 5. Add the potatoes to the spice mix and coat evenly until every surface is covered.
7. 6. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat the foil with oil.
8. 7. Spread the potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet.
9. 8. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through and golden in color. 
10. 9. Transfer potatoes to a serving dish.
11. 10. In a small saucepan, saute garlic in avocado oil over medium heat. 
12. 11. Turn the heat down to low and add cayenne and stir briefly. 
13. 12. Stir in cilantro, paprika, and lemon juice. 
14. 13. Stir to combine and remove from heat.
15. 14. Add cilantro garlic sauce to the potatoes. 
16. 15. Stir all ingredients together and serve immediately as a side dish or appetizer.

(Source: Batata Harra)

SYRIAN SALAD WITH ZA'ATAR VINAIGRETTE

4 C Romaine Lettuce, chopped

1 C diced tomato

1 C diced cucumber

1/2 C thinly sliced red onion

1/4 C minced parsley

1/4 C minced fresh mint

2 cloves garlic, grated

1/4 C avocado oil

1/4 C lemon juice

2 tbsp za'atar

Salt and pepper, to taste

1. 1. Place the first six ingredients in a large salad bowl (Romaine through mint)
2. 2. Squeeze juice of one lemon around the bowl, carefully holding your opposite hand underneath to catch the seeds.
3. 3. Using a microplane, grate the garlic directly over the salad.
4. 4. Drizzle salad with oil and lemon juice, then sprinkle with za'atar. 
5. 5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. 6. Gently toss the salad together and enjoy!

(Source: Syrian Salad with Za'atar Vinaigrette)

SYRIAN FATTET DJAJ

1 rotisserie chicken, chopped

3 gluten free pita breads, cut into small squares

Vegetable oil, for frying

3 C cooked rice

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 C plain yogurt

1/4 C tahini

Juice of 1 lime

1/2 C toasted sliced almonds to garnish

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Chopped parsley, to garnish

1. 1. Start by heating the vegetable oil, over medium heat, and frying the pita squares until golden and crispy. 
2. 2. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to soak up the extra grease and set aside.
3. 3. Prepare the sauce by combining the mashed garlic and the yogurt and whisk until smooth. 
4. 4. Add the tahini while whisking and, finally, the lime juice. 
5. 5. Season with salt and pepper and reserve.
6. 6. Make sure your shredded chicken and rice are warm before assembling the Fattet Djaj and work quickly so everything is still warm when you serve it.
7. 7. In a big casserole dish or serving platter, start with the pita squares, evenly distributed in a single layer.
8. 8. The next layer is the rice and finally 2/3 of the chicken.
9. 9. Top with the yogurt sauce and the remaining chicken and finish by sprinkling the toasted nuts, the chopped parsley and the cinnamon. 
10. 10. Serve warm and enjoy!

(Source: Syrian Fattet Djaj)

The verdict?  The Fattet Djaj was ok.  It was a very strange combination of flavors and textures.  I think it needed more seasoning and needed more sauce.  It was slightly dry unless you had a spoonful of sauce.  And the combination of the cinnamon and the yogurt made it slightly sweet, but not icky sweet.  Then you had the soft rice and chicken with the crunchy almonds.  It was a party in your mouth!  The fried pita bread at the bottom didn't add much.  I think it would have been better to fry the pitas and used them as chips and eaten the Fattet Djaj as a dip.  It was also a little bit odd that it is supposed to be served lukewarm... I'm sure the health department would have something to say about that!  The potatoes were good, but had a kick to them!  I would recommend roasting them a bit more so they are more crispy - maybe put them under the broiler for the last 5 minutes.  I didn't care much for the salad.  I think it would have been fine without all the different spices in the za'atar mix, but that's what is unique about the salad!  I think more tomatoes would have been good too :-)  I did forget to take a picture of the salad...oops!  I will let Handsome Husband tell you about the Kibbeh!

The Kibbeh was very interesting. It was firm and almost crunchy, and I had no idea that there was actually ground beef in the shell until I previewed the blog post! Very odd, but it worked! It was a little bit dry and crumbly, but the flavor was mild and nice. The savory flavors were a good addition to the rest of the meal.

    

ME

Taste of Kibbeh (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): NA

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): NA

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): NA

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Kibbeh (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 6

ME

Taste of Batata Harra (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 3

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 7

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Batata Harra (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 1

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 7

ME

Taste of Syrian Salad (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 5

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 6

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Syrian Salad (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 7

ME

Taste of Fattet Djaj (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Fattet Djaj (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 6

Hope you enjoyed reading about Syria.  Come with us to Costa Rica next time!

Algeria

 Welcome to Algeria!  Algeria is the largest country in Africa, and the tenth-largest country in the world!  It is also home to the Sahara Desert, which covers 4/5 of the land mass of Algeria!  Their national animal is the Fennec fox, which is the smallest fox in the world, but has 6-inch ears!  They are pretty cute!  According to Google, the population of Algeria is 47.74 million people and the capital is Algiers.  Their national dish is...

Couscous!

I'm seeing a theme with African nations...Their national dish is usually something to do with cornmeal and water, peanuts, stew, or couscous!  Sadly, I couldn't eat the couscous, but Handsome Husband could!  To go along with the couscous, I made a chicken stew and Maaqouda, which is like a potato dumpling.  In looking at the recipes, it didn't look like it would take us much time to cook.  But there were a lot of things I was keeping track of!  Here's what I did:

ALGERIAN CHICKEN COUSCOUS

1 C couscous

4 chicken thighs

2 potatoes, quartered

1 carrot, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 onion, diced

1 can diced tomatoes, liquid included

Small bunch parsley, chopped

1 tbsp butter

1 tsp saffron

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tbsp avocado oil

1. Place a large pot on medium heat and melt butter. 
2. Add chicken, chopped onion, saffron, ginger, turmeric, salt and pepper to the pot.
3. Cook to brown the chicken and mix everything together.
4. Add the tomatoes and parsley to the pot. 
5. Cover with hot water and cook for 10 min.
6. Place the couscous in a shallow dish and add 1/2 tsp of salt and 1tbsp of avocado oil. 
7. Mix it with your fingers. You want to make sure all the grains are nicely coated. 
8. Transfer potatoes and carrots into the pot with chicken and boil for another 20 min or until cooked.
9. Cook the couscous in a separate pot according to the directions (mine said to boil water, put the couscous in the water, and let it stand for 5 minutes). 
10. Serve couscous in a deep-dish plate, add chicken and veggies on top. Pour as much sauce as you like. 
11. Enjoy!

(Source: Algerian Chicken Couscous)

MAAQOUDA

1 lb potatoes

1 egg, beaten

2 tbsp gluten free breadcrumbs

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1 1/2 tbsp finely chopped parsley

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp cumin

Gluten free flour (for coating)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Oil for frying

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the potatoes until tender.
2. When the potatoes are cooked, drain and mash them. 
3. Add the breadcrumbs, garlic, onion, cumin, turmeric, parsley, beaten egg, salt and pepper. 
4. Stir to incorporate all the ingredients. If the mixture is too firm, add some breadcrumbs.
5. Shape 2-inch diameter patties.
6. In a large saucepan, heat enough oil for deep frying to 350F.
7. Drench maaqouda in flour to cover both sides. 
8. Remove excess flour and deep fry on one side, then the other. 
9. Drain on paper towels and serve with freshly squeezed lemon.
10. Enjoy!

(Source: Maaqouda)

The verdict?  Well, first of all, I forgot to take a picture - oops! The chicken stew needed salt - I would double it next time.  The flavors and spices were similar to those of Morocco; this makes sense, since Algeria borders Morocco!  It smelled amazing as it was cooking.  I thought that it would be tricky to cut the chicken while it was in the stew, but it just shredded beautifully.  We ate the stew and chicken with some homemade bread - delicious!  The maaqiudas were really good as well, and it wasn't as labor-intensive as several other frying recipes have been.  I don't think it needed the flour coating - I think it would have been fine with no coating.  They had really good flavor, and were tasty with the lemon squeezed on them!  Handsome Husband will have to tell you about the couscous.

The couscous was quite tasty, and very fluffy.  I was surprised by the light texture of it, even after it had soaked up some of the sauce... and the couscous and sauce was a great combination, they blended very well. It also made a great base for the chicken and veggies.

ME

Taste of Algerian Chicken Couscous (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 7

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Algerian Chicken Couscous (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 7

ME

Taste of Maaqouda (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 8

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Maaqouda (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 6

Join us next time in Indonesia! 

Denmark

Welcome to Denmark!  Denmark is reported to be the happiest country in the world as well as the least-corrupted country in the world, has twice as many bicycles as cars, and has been the invention spot of several common things (Google Maps, Lego, insulin, and dry-cell batteries)!  No place in Denmark is more than 30 miles from the ocean.  Sounds like a dream!  According to Google, the population of Denmark is 6.05 million people and the capital is Copenhagen.  Their national dish is...

Stegt Flaesk!

It is pork belly with potatoes.  What could go wrong?!  The dish traditionally is eaten with a parsley cream sauce, and I found another recipe for a second sauce to make with it.  For dessert, we made Risalamande, which is a rice pudding-like dish with a cherry topping.  This is a meal that you have to plan a bit ahead for, especially if you are going to do the dessert. And there was an ingredient (the Heering liqueur) that I could not find anywhere, so I left it out of the dessert.  Anyways, here's what I did:

STEGT FLAESK

Roast

4 lb pork belly

3 tbsp butter

Handful coarse salt

10-14 whole black peppers

6-8 bay leaves

2 lbs potatoes

Brown Sauce Base

1 C beef broth

1 onion (cut into 8 pieces)

1 teaspoon rosemary

1 teaspoon thyme

Brown Sauce

1/2 c whipping cream

1 tablespoon redcurrant jelly

Salt & pepper, to taste

Parsley Sauce

1/3 C butter

3 tbsp gluten free flour

2 C milk 

2 handful's chopped parsley

Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Score the fat on the pork belly. Be careful not to cut into the meat, which will cause the skin to be soft.
2. Rub the fat with butter and salt. 
3. Put the bay leaves and peppercorns in the cuts spread them evenly on the roast.
4. Curl up some tinfoil, and put it under the roast, so the roast won't tilt to one side. 
5. Put the roast on a rack over a pan. 
6. Put herbs, onions, and broth in the pan under the roast.
7. Roast the pork at 400℉ for 1.5 - 2 hours. The temperature in the center has to be 167℉ before the roast is ready. Make sure that there is always liquid in the pan. You have to use it for the gravy/sauce. 
8. Just before the center temperature is 167℉, pour the dripping from the pan into a saucepan through a strainer, and boil the drippings for about 5 minutes. 
9. Add the cream, jam, and salt to the drippings.
10. Thicken the sauce with corn starch.
11. To make the parsley sauce, melt the butter in a pot. 
12. Once it is melted, add the flour and stir until the butter and flour is a coherent mass. 
13. Add a little bit of milk and stir. 
14. When the milk is mixed in and has reached the boiling point stir for a few seconds and then repeat. 
15. Add milk stir, boil, stir. 
16. Repeat until the sauce has a consistency that you like.
17. Add the parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.
18. While the sauce is cooking, set the oven at 527℉, or start the broiler. 
19. Brown the roast in the broiler for about 5-8 minutes.
20. Cut pork in thin slices and serve with cooked white potatoes.
21. Enjoy!

(Source: Stegt Flaesk and Stegt Flaesk)

RISALAMANDE

2.5 C whole milk

3.5 tbsp sugar

1/2 C risotto rice

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 C heavy cream

1/2 jar pitted morello cherries (in their syrup)

1/2 tbsp cornstarch , mixed with 1/2 tbsp water

1 whole almond

1. Combine milk, 2.5 tbsp of sugar and rice in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until the rice is tender and mixture is thick, stirring often, for about 30-40 minutes.
3. Pour the rice pudding into a bowl and let cool completely.
4. Using an electric mixer, beat the heavy cream and 1/2 tbsp of sugar in a medium bowl until stiff.
5. Add vanilla and cream in rice pudding mixture.
6. Cover and refrigerate for about 4 hours.
7. Drain the cherries and collect the syrup in a saucepan. Add 1 tbsp of sugar (or more or less, depending on the syrup) into the pan. 
8. Add the cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
9. Reduce heat.
10. Add the reserved cherries and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
11. Pour the rice pudding into bowls. Top with warm cherry sauce and one almond.
12. Enjoy!

(Source: Risalamande)

The verdict?  It was good!  Not super, but good. We really enjoyed the pork belly, but the potatoes and both sauces were just plain and not very flavorful.  The parsley sauce tasted a lot like creamed spinach with a lot of flour, too thick and a slightly unpleasant consistency.  The brown sauce had more flavor and was more like a regular gravy, but we didn't think it added much to the meal on the meat or on the potatoes.  The dessert wasn't my favorite, but Handsome Husband liked it.  I don't think that the rice was cooked all the way, so it tasted a little crunchy to me.  He happily ate the leftovers, even though he doesn't usually do that with sugary foods...Overall, not a meal we will likely repeat, but we may use that seasoning on pork belly again!

ME

Taste of Stegt Flaesk (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 7

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Stegt Flaesk (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 6

ME

Taste of Risalamande (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 5

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Risalamande (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 6

Join us next time in Algeria!

Germany

Welcome to Germany!  I've been wanting to do Germany in October, but the last four years haven't allowed me to do that.  This time, we barely made it!  Germany is a bucket list country, and I think that may be the truth for many people.  The country looks beautiful, and the history is fascinating.  According to Google, the population of Germany is 84 million people and the capital is Berlin.  Their national dish is...

 

 

Sauerbraten!

It literally means "sour meat". Sounds appetizing, right?  Along with the sauerbraten, we made Kartoffelpuffer, which is a German potato pancake, Rotkohl, which is a red cabbage slaw, and a German apple cake with streusel topping.  This meal took a while (2 weeks!) to get ready, so if you're going to make it, plan ahead!  Here's what we did:

SAUERBRATEN

Marinade

2 onions, chopped

2 large carrots, chopped

1 large leek, chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 sprigs thyme

2 sprigs rosemary

2 bay leaves

4 tsp gin

6 whole cloves

10 peppercorns, cracked

2 1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

2 C red wine

1 1/2 C red wine vinegar

1 C beef broth

 

Roast

3-4 lb pot roast

2 tbsp avocado oil

10 gluten free gingersnap cookies, crushed

1. In a large pot, combine all of the marinade ingredients.
2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, boil for 10 minutes, then cool completely.
3.  Put the pot roast in a freezer bag and pour in the cooled marinade to marinate for 10 days.
4. Remove the roast from the marinade and pat dry using paper towels.
5. Do not discard the marinade!  Keep it for later.
6. In a dutch oven, heat oil over high heat.
7. When the oil is hot, sear the roast on all sides until it is browned, then pour the marinade into the dutch oven with the meat.
8. Bring the liquids to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer.
9. Simmer for 3 hours, or until the meat is tender.
10. Remove the meat from the dutch oven and set it aside to rest.
11. Meanwhile, strain the marinade, discarding the solids and reserving the liquids.
12. Return the liquids to the dutch oven. 
13. Add the crushed gingersnap cookies to the reserved liquid.
14. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until the gravy has thickened.
15. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.
16. Slice the sauerbrauten into thin slices and serve with the hot gravy.
17. Enjoy!

(Source: Sauerbraten)

KARTOFFELPUFFER

2 1/2 lbs gold potatoes, peeled and very finely grated (raw)

1 onion, very finely grated

2 eggs

1/2 C gluten free flour (or more if needed)

1 tsp salt (more to taste)

Oil, for frying

1. Thoroughly remove the liquid in the grated potatoes by putting them in a tea towel and wringing out the liquid.
2.  Place the drained grated potatoes in a medium-sized bowl with the grated onions, eggs, flour and salt.
3. Use your hands to mix the ingredients together into a tacky mixture.
4. Heat a few tbsp oil in a pan over medium-high heat and place 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the mixture in the hot pan and flatten into pancakes.
5. Fry on both sides for 3-5 minutes, until they are golden.
6. Serve hot and enjoy!

(Source: Kartoffelpuffer)

ROTKOHL

2 tbsp butter

1 onion, diced

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped

1 head red cabbage, sliced very thin

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 C apple juice

1 tbsp sugar

1 bay leaf

2 whole cloves

1 tsp gin

1/2 tsp salt

1. Melt the butter in a large pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add the onion and apples and saute for 7-10 minutes, until soft.
3. Add the cabbage to the onions and apples, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer.
5. Simmer for 1 hour until cabbage is soft.
6. Serve warm or cold.
7. Enjoy!

(Source: Rotkohl)

GERMAN APPLE CAKE WITH STRUESEL TOPPING

Shortbread Crust

175 g gluten free flour

50 g sugar

1/4 tsp xanthan gum

1/4 tsp salt

145 g butter, cubed and chilled

 

Apple Filling

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced

3/4 C unsweetened applesauce

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp lemon zest

1/4 tsp cinnamon

 

Streusel Topping

1 C gluten free flour

1/2 C cold butter, cubed

1/2 C sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper.
3. Add the flour, sugar, xanthan gum, and salt to a food processor and pulse to combine.
4. Add the butter and pulse until fully incorporated and you get a mixture of smaller breadcrumb-like pieces.
5. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and press to compact it into an even layer.
6. Put it in the fridge until later.
7. In a large bowl, combine the apples, lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, cinnamon, and applesauce.
8. Spoon the apple filling in an even layer over the shortbread dough that was in the fridge.
9. In another large bowl, cut the butter into the flour and sugar using a pastry cutter until it resembles coarse crumbs.
10. Squeeze handfuls of streusel topping together to create larger clumps, then sprinkle the streusel over the apple filling.
11. Bake for 45 minutes until lightly golden brown on on top and the apples are soft.
12. Cool completely, and then cut into squares and serve cold.
13. Enjoy!

(Source: German Apple Cake with Streusel Topping and Shortbread Crust)

The verdict?  This was a favorite, for sure. Handsome Husband declared that the gravy for the sauerbraten was the best brown gravy he had ever had!  We will be doing this roast again.  The original recipe called for juniper berries instead of gin, so I will try those next time.  I just couldn't find them in time.  I also couldn't find gluten free gingersnap cookies, so I also made those on my own.  We did have to plan ahead in order to marinate it for 10 days, but I think it was worth it.  That meat was so tender!  I subbed the juniper berries for gin in the rotkohl as well, and it worked well.  I liked the rotkohl, but didn't care for the mushy apples in it.  The textures were strange together.  The kartoffelpuffer were not anything special - typical potato pancake, but they were very good with the gravy.  It almost gave it an apple taste.  We were disappointed in the apple cake.  Usually apples, cinnamon and sugar go great together, but it just wasn't great.  That said, we were compelled to eat it.  Go figure!  We ended up tossing the leftovers.  The sauerbraten was the winner of this meal!

 

 

ME

Taste of Sauerbraten (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 9

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 9

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Sauerbraten (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 9

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 10

 

ME

Taste of Kartoffelpuffer (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Kartoffelpuffer (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 4

 

ME

Taste of Rotkohl (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 6

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Rotkohl (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 7

 

ME

Taste of German apple cake with streusel topping (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 5

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of German apple cake with streusel topping (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 5

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

 

Join us next time in Georgia!