French Beans & Tomatoes Salad

A great and healthy salad dish to accompany any main dishes.  I am experimenting various kinds of salads involving french beans in order that our younger son eats them.  This time, I mixed cooked french beans with cherry tomatoes and added a simple salad dressing which is made of olive oil, vinegar, salt & pepper.

Ingredients:
500 g french beans, to be cleaned & washed
150 g cherry tomatoes, to be halved
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp vinegar
salt & ground black pepper to taste

Method:
Remove the ends off the french beans and cut into 5 cm lengths.  In a medium-size pot, add beans, enough water and a little salt.  Bring to boil and cook until the beans are almost cooked.

Once done, drain beans and transfer immediately into a bowl which is filled with iced water.  Leave aside for 10 minutes.

Drain beans and transfer to a large bowl.  Add olive oil, vinegar, salt and ground pepper.  Mix well and check seasoning.  Lastly, add in the cherry tomatoes.  Serve with any main dishes.

Bon Appetit!

Cabbage Salad with Minced Beef-Gyros

I prepared this healthy salad for dinner to accompany the grilled veal steaks.  It is simple to prepare and best eaten with baguette or turkish bread.

Ingredients (serves 4):
a small cabbage (about 500 g), to be washed, halved and shredded
salt & pepper to taste
4 tsp fine sugar
6 tbsp vinegar

1/2 cucumber, to be washed, halved and finely sliced
1 small onion, to be peeled and finely sliced into rings
1 red bell pepper, to be washed, deseeded and cut into strips
1 yellow bell pepper, to be washed, deseeded and cut into strips
a few stalks of parsley, to be washed, pat dry and cut into fine strips
4 tbsp olive oil

200 g minced beef
gyros seasoning to taste

300 g greek yoghurt
1 pip garlic, to be peeled and finely minced
salt & pepper to taste

Method:
In a big bowl, add shredded cabbage, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper.  By using your hands, "knead" in order that all the ingredients are well mixed.  Leave aside for about half an hour.

Then, add the cucumber slices, bell pepper strips, parsley and half of onion slices to cabbage.  Mix well.  Check seasoning.  If it is too sour to your taste, add a little more sugar.  Then, add the olive oil and mix well.

In a small pan, heat 1 tbsp of cooking oil over medium heat.  Add minced beef and stir-fry gently. Then season with gyros seasoning to taste.  Once done, remove from heat.

Finally, add the balance of onion rings on top of salad and minced beef.  One may add some olives to further enhance the salad.  Serve with yoghurt sauce.

In a bowl, mix greek yoghurt and minced garlic together.  Season with salt & pepper to taste.  Serve with salad.

Bon Appetit!

Grilled Salmon Filet

Salmon is a great fish to grill and its taste is full of flavour.  It is simple to prepare but the biggest challenge is to flip it on the grill.  Best way is to cut the salmon filet into serving portions.

Ingredients (serves 4):
4 salmon filets with skin (readily portioned)
coarse sea salt
chilli flakes
a little lime juice (optional)
olive oil

Method:
Season salmon filets with salt and crumbled chilli flakes.  Then, sprinkle lime juice if using and olive oil over salmon.  Place salmon with skin side up on the grill.  Grill for about 6 to 8 minutes over high heat.  It all depends on the thickness of the filet - the thinner the filet or steaks, the higher is the heat.  Once a crust has been formed, turn over salmon and grill until the required preference is attained i.e. medium rare or well done.  It is advisable to turn the salmon once only or else it will break into pieces.

Serve hot with any kind of salad.  This time, I served them with a simple Tomato & Cucumber Salad and Boiled Potatoes or Buttered Potatoes.


Tomato & Cucumber Salad
Ingredients:
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeds to be removed and finely diced
6 large tomatoes, seeds to be removed and finely diced
a few stalks of dill
salt & pepper to taste
olive oil

Method:
In a large bowl, add diced cucumbers and tomatoes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add a little olive oil and the dill.  Mix well and serve.

Bon Appetit!

Noodle Salad

This tasty salad is perfect for picnics and is quick to prepare.  It accompanies barbecued meat or sausages very well.

Ingredients (serves 4):
500 g noodles i.e. Cellentani (from Buitoni), to be prepared according to packet instructions
200 g cooked turkey sausage (Geflügel Fleischwurst), to be cut into strips
6 pcs pickled gherkins, to be finely cubed

250 g mayonaise (for salad)
50 to 75 g fresh milk
2 tbsp sugar
freshly ground white pepper to taste
salt to taste
1 tsp mustard (optional)

chopped chives for garnishing

Method:
In a large bowl, mix mayonaise and milk together.  Add sugar, ground white pepper and salt to taste.  Add mustard if using.  Then, add gherkins and mix well.

Add in noodles and mix well.  Lastly, add turkey strips and mix thoroughly.  Before serving, sprinkle with chopped chives.

Bon Appetit!

Kalbsrahmgulasch serviert mit Semmelknödel

Literally translated, Veal Goulash is a typical Bavarian dish which is normally served with Bread Dumplings.  I also prepare Shredded Cabbage Salad (Krautsalat) on the side.

Ingredients (serves 4 persons):
700 g veal (bug), to be cut into cubes
2 big onions, to be peeled and diced
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp Paprika edelsüß (sweet paprika)
1/4 litre beef or vegetable stock
200 ml fresh cream
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tbsp oil

Method:
In a medium-size pot, heat oil and add half the amount of veal cubes.  Brown all sides over high heat.  Once done, remove to a plate and repeat with the other half.

Then, add diced onions to pot and stir-fry over low heat until translucent.  Add tomato puree, flour and paprika.  Stir-fry for about one minute.  Then, add stock and veal cubes.  Bring to a slight boil.  Cover pot and reduce heat.  Cook for about one hour or until meat is tender.

Lastly, add fresh cream and season to taste.  Serve with salad and dumplings.


Krautsalat (Shredded Cabbage Salad)
Ingredients (serves 4 persons):
1 small cabbage (about 700 g)
1 tsp salt

100 g bacon or turkey bacon, to be finely diced - optional (note:  I omitted this ingredient)
1 small onion, to be peeled and diced
1/8 litre beef or vegetable stock
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
4 tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp hot mustard
1/2 tbsp cumin grains (Kümmelkörner)
salt and black pepper to taste

Method:
Quarter, clean and wash cabbage.  Shred cabbage by using a vegetable slicer into a big bowl.  Add 1 tsp salt and mix well.  Cover bowl and leave aside while the rest of the ingredients are being prepared.

In a small pot over low heat, add bacon.  Stir-fry until the fat oozes out.  If not using bacon, heat 1 tbsp oil.  Add diced onions and stir-fry until translucent.  Then, add stock and vinegar.  Bring to a slight boil and keep stirring at the same time.  Add cumin, mustard and oil.  Mix well.

Pour mixture to the shredded cabbage and mix well.  Cover bowl and leave aside for about 3 hours at room temperature.  Season with salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper before serving.


Semmelknödel (Bread Dumplings)
Ingredients (serves 4 persons):
7 Semmeln or Brötchen (bread buns), to be sliced - one can also use ready-made "Knödelbrot" which comes in 400 g bag in the supermarkets
1/4 litre hot milk
1 tsp salt

3 tbsp chopped parsley
1 medium-size onion, to be peeled and diced
1 tsp butter

2 eggs
1 tbsp flour

Method:
In a large bowl, add hot milk and salt to bread slices.  Mix well and cover bowl.  Leave aside for about 20 minutes.

In a small pan, heat butter and add diced onion.  Stir-fry until translucent before adding chopped parsley.  Remove from heat and add to bread slices.  Add eggs and flour.  Mix well.

By using wet hands, make 8 dumplings and leave aside.  Bring a big pot of water to boil.  Add a little salt.  Then, add dumplings and reduce heat to medium.  Cook for about 15 minutes or until the dumplings rise to the surface.  Remove to a serving bowl.

Bon Appetit!

Wiener Schnitzel served with Warm Potato Salad

Wiener Schnitzel or Veal Cutlets is a typical Austrian dish where about 4 mm thin and lightly hammered veal slices are slightly salted, peppered and rolled in flour, beaten eggs and breadcrumbs in that order.  Some restaurants will either serve it alone with a lemon wedge or accompanied with a warm potato salad.  This dish is one of our family's favourites and the following recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:
4 veal slices (about 4 mm thin - tell your butcher that you are making Wiener Schnitzel)
flour
2 eggs, to be lightly beaten
breadcrumbs
salt and ground pepper
enough oil that the Schnitzel can swim in it

Method:
Place veal slices on a wooden board and lightly hammer them.  Lightly season with salt and pepper. Coat the veal slices one at a time in flour, then in beaten egg and lastly, in breadcrumbs.  Fry the veal pieces until golden brown before turning over to brown the other side.

Warm Potato Salad

Ingredients:
500 g potatoes
a little salt
1 small onion, to be peeled and cut in small cubes
50 ml chicken stock
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp hot mustard
salt, sugar and pepper to taste
chives, to be coarsely chopped

Method:
Wash and clean potatoes thoroughly.  Place potatoes (skin on) in a pot and add enough water to cover potatoes.  Cook for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  Strain water and leave aside to cool.

Peel potatoes and cut into slices into a bowl.  Lightly heat the chicken stock in a small pot.  Add in vinegar, oil, mustard and season to taste.  Pour mixture over potato slices and mix well.  Then, add the onion cubes and chopped chives.  Mix thoroughly and season again to taste.  Note:  I didn't add chopped chives to my potato salad.

Bon Appetit!