Bratwurst Stew

This is a favorite dish in the Schultz household. It's a nice hearty but at the same time light stew. You get the smokiness from grilling the brats, sweetness from the carrots, and creaminess from the beans. It's just good!! And loaded with veggies! Super easy to make and really doesn't take too long.

Bratwurst Stew:
serves about 8

1 box chicken stock ( organic if possible)
4 medium carrots, cut into 3/4" pieces
2 celery ribs, cut into 3/4" pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1tsp dried thyme
1/2tsp dried basil
1/2tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt or to taste
black pepper to taste
dash of red pepper flakes
3c chopped green cabbage
2 cans great northern beans ( drained and rinsed)
1 package bratwurst , fully cooked, cut into 3/4" pieces. ( I still grill mine)

In a large pot, combine first 11 ingredients. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to simmer for 15 minutes. Add cabbage stir, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. ( This is usually when I grill my brats). After 10 minutes, stir in beans, and brats and simmer until heated through. (Also at this point, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Black Beans with Chorizo and Chipotle Cream

Mmmmmmm!!! I love Mexican food!! I just couldn't wait until Cinco de Mayo for a lovely spicy dish. This is a nice easy dish to make, if you don't have the time to use dry beans, I suppose you could use canned beans and a little water with the oregano, maybe onion and garlic powder, and just simmer them for a bit. Should be about the same. This was a nice hearty, spicy(but not too spicy) dish. I hope y'all enjoy it. Much love to y'all, and don't forget if you make any of these dishes, please post on here how you liked them or any adjustments you made!

Serves 6:

1 1/2c dried black beans
2 peeled onions, one halved, one diced.
1 bay leaf
1tsp dried Mexican oregano (or regular is fine)
2TB olive oil
2 links of fresh chorizo(casings removed)
2TB chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnishing
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapenos minced( it called for 2tsp.. hahahaa, not in my house! you can seed if wanted or use less. I like the spice!!)
1tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Chipotle Cream

1/2c light sour cream
1tsp lime juice
1 1/2tsp chipotle flavored hot sauce
Mix all ingredients for chipotle cream, and refrigerate until time to serve.

Beans:
Soak beans overnight (or like me do the quick soak according to the package directions) Drain and rinse.

Fill a large pot with hot water, add the halved onion, bay leaf, oregano, and beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer uncovered for about 1 1/2-2hours, until beans are soft. Drain beans, reserve cooking water, and discard onion, and bay leaf.

In a large skillet, heat the 2TB oil, over medium heat. Add in the chorizo and cook, breaking up with the back of a spoon, until brown (4-5min). Transfer chorizo to a bowl using a slotted spoon. Add chopped onion to the oil, and cook until tender and almost browned (about 10 min). Add the garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, and cumin to skillet and saute for about 1 minute. Then add back in your beans, chorizo and at least 3/4c of the cooking liquid.( I added a little more.) Stir, and lower heat to medium-low. Simmer for at least 5 minutes to let the flavors combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Put on plates and top with chipotle cream, and chopped cilantro. I served it over some jasmine rice, but you could do it in tortillas, or just the way it is.

Eggplant Parmigiano with Grilled Lemon, Garlic Artichokes

Today was a lovely Italian dinner. The eggplants and artichokes looked amazing at the store, so I picked some up. I made my own pasta sauce, but you could always use your favorite jarred marinara sauce. There are plenty of different ways you could make this dish, so be creative. Add your own spin on things! It makes everything so much more exciting. I served this with a lovely fresh organic salad, with a simple homemade balsamic vinaigrette.

Eggplant Parmigiana:

2 28oz cans whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand or in blender( I love San Marzano.)
2TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 small onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper
basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, red pepper flakes (optional) to taste
1/4c dry red wine(optional)
2 large eggplants cut into 1/4" disks (I peel mine)
1c flour
3 eggs, beaten
1c dry breadcrumbs
vegetable oil, for frying
1/2c Parmesan
1/2lb fresh mozzarella, cut into large chunks, or grated is fine

Saute onion, and garlic in EVOO just until soft. Add in the crushed tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, add in wine if desired. Also add in any dry or fresh herbs if desired. Bring to a boil, and reduce to simmer, and simmer for 30 minutes.

While sauce is simmering, slice eggplant and sprinkle with 1 1/2tsp of salt, place in a colander and toss and let sit for 30 minutes. Press eggplant between towel to dry off, dust in flour mixture, then into egg, and then cover lightly with breadcrumbs.

Preheat oven to 375°, pour oil in large skillet, about half way up. Heat oil on med-high heat(when a bread crumb sizzles and floats it's ready). Fry eggplant in batches about 2 minutes per side (until golden brown). Drain on paper towels.

Spread 1c of sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Put down 1/2 of the eggplant, 1/4c Parmesan. Then cover with 1 1/2c of sauce, the remaining eggplant, 1/4 c Parmesan. Pour rest of sauce over evenly, top with mozzarella. Bake until bubbly and brown about 40-45 minutes.

Grilled Lemon, Garlic Artichokes

4 small artichokes
2 lemons
3/4 olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1tsp salt
1/2tsp pepper

Fill a large bowl with cold water and juice of 1/2 a lemon. Trim 1" off top of artichokes, then take and trim stem to 1 inch. Take kitchen shears and snip ends of the other leaves. Cut artichokes in half lengthwise, put in water. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add artichokes and cook for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile start up your grill over medium heat. While they are cooking, mix chopped garlic, remaining lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Remove artichokes from water and drain. Take to grill, and baste with garlic dip, and flip often, basting every turn. Cook about 5-10 minutes, until the tips are a little charred.

Shrimp & Cotija Enchiladas with Salsa Verde & Crema Mexicana

I got this amazing recipe out of the June '09 Bon Appétit magazine. Mexican food is one of my favorite things to eat, by far!!! This is my first time to make this. I made a few adjustments to the recipe. First on the salsa verde, I made it the day before to let the flavors really come together. And in that salsa, it called for 4 poblanos, I substituted one poblano for 4 jalapeno peppers(I like spicy foods). And then I also added the juice of 2 limes. Also making the salsa the day before, cut down on prep time today greatly. Making the enchiladas was simple enough, just make sure not to over cook the shrimp, since they are still going to bake. I baked them, and they came out amazing. I topped them with thinly sliced red onion, avocado, cilantro and the crema mexicana. The way all the flavors came together was delightful. So many different elements, it was amazing!! I hope y'all will try this recipe, and enjoy it as much as we did!! Here's the link to the recipe on Epicurious.

Shrimp and Cotija Enchiladas with Salsa Verde and Crema Mexicana link:
Here

Asparagus, Leek, and Gruyère Quiche

Ahhh! Spring time! Nothing screams spring to me like asparagus. It is so crisp and fresh. Tonight I made this asparagus, leek and gruyère quiche(adapted from Every Day Food). It was so good! It was a nice light dinner, that I served with salad. Quiche is a great way to kiddos (and husbands) to eat veggies. LOL! Hope y'all enjoy it as much as we did!


Ingredients:
1 pie crust (store bought is fine) Put in a 9 inch pie pan, keep chilled until time.
2 TB butter
1 leek (only white & light green part) halved, thinly sliced and washed well.
1 bunch of asparagus tough ends trimmed off then sliced thin on a bias.
4 large eggs
1 & 1/4c half & half
1c shredded gruyère cheese
ground nutmeg
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350°, put the rack on the lowest setting. Take a large skillet and over medium heat, melt your butter. Add in your asparagus and leeks, season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often until just slightly tender, about 6minutes. Set aside and let cool. Mix the 1/2 & 1/2 with the eggs, a pinch of nutmeg, 1/2tsp salt and 1/4tsp pepper whisk well. Take your pie crust and put the pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet. Cover the bottom of the crust with the gruyère. Spread the asparagus and leek mixture on top of the cheese. Carefully pour the egg mixture on top. Bake the quiche until the center is just set, about 50-60 minutes. Turn half way through cooking. Let rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting.

Pork Schnitzel with Mushroom & Mustard Spaetzle

Tonight I made Tyler Florence's Ultimate Pork Schnitzel with Mushroom & Mustard Spaetzle. It was so delish! Since I didn't change the recipe I am just posting the link to the recipes on Food Network. It was a hit! It was very simple to make. To make the Spaetzle I sprayed some nonstick spray in a zip top bag, and put the dough in there. I cut a small hole in the corner, and squeezed out little pieces one at a time into the boiling water. It worked quite well. I also substituted scallions for chives in the Spaetzle(since the store was out of chives). I loved the rustic elegance of this dish. The lemon and Thyme really helped to cut through the heaviness of the dish. Everyone loved it, even my mushroom hating son!! LOL! So has any one else tried this yet??

Here are the links:

Pork Schnitzel:
here

Mushroom and Mustard Spaetzle:
here

The Beginning

I'm starting this blog so that I can post what I'm making for dinner, and share the recipes, so you can cook along as well. This way I can answer any questions or comments. I love to cook, and try new recipes. I always encourage you to make a recipe your own by changing it to your tastes, or improvising when needed. Cooking is an amazing creative outlet. I find it so relaxing to pour a glass of wine and cook away. I hope y'all will join me for the ride. Who knows what we will come up with! Here's to new friends and great food! Bon Appétit!!