Osso Buco with Red Cabbage, Spätzle, and Asparagus
During our time in Germany, we were treated to red cabbage and spätzle at several different restaurants and in several different cities. We really enjoyed it as it was very different from what we had eaten here in the United States. So, when we came across Osso Buco with red cabbage and spätzle on a menu at a restaurant here in Scottsdale, Arizona, we decided to give it a try. It was certainly very good, but not quite as good as what we had while we were in Germany. They did their red cabbage with pears, which was fine, but we got used to having ours with apples and cinnamon that was just a little sweeter and not as tart. The spätzle was almost like gnocchi and didn’t look quite like what we used to, but again, it was still very tasty.
Sauerbraten with Red Cabbage and PotatoesOur First Dish with Spätzle in Frankfurt
One of the realities of travel is that you get spoiled by the authentic food of the places that you visit. Then when you return to home, wherever that is, you can never quite get the same things. Even if the chef is authentically from the region or country, they likely can’t get the same exact quality or freshness of the ingredients and something is lost in the translation. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t or won’t continue to try and replicate the taste experience by cooking or ordering here in the US, but we’ll temper our expectations.
One of the dishes that we truly enjoyed while we were staying in Europe was Moussaka. Although we went to Athens, Greece, it was in Frankfurt that we ended up trying Moussaka for the first time. Most of the staff at our favorite restaurant were actually Greek and although it was a French Bistro, they sometimes put something Greek as their special of the day. We are not typically big fans of eggplant, but this is one recipe that makes us forget that it is even in there. We are attempting to recreate some of our favorite meals from our time in Europe and this is one of our first attempts. We modified a recipe that we found on the internet and the biggest difference is that it didn’t put sauce on top of the moussaka. It may not be quite as good as what the Greek chef at the restaurant made, but it was really delicious. Because it is just the two of us, this is a smaller recipe, but you can easily increase the amounts to make a larger batch.
The Original Moussaka from Frankfurt
INGREDIENTS
2/3 lb Ground Lamb
1 Large Eggplant
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 Medium Red Onion – chopped
2/3 Clove of Fresh Garlic – minced
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1/8 Lemon – sliced into thin rings
1 Small Handful of Fresh Parsley – chopped
1/8 tsp Ground Cinnamon
2 tbsp Tomato Paste
8 oz Crushed Tomatoes
3 oz Feta Cheese Crumbles
1/3 cup Fresh Parmesan – grated
1/3 cup Bread Crumbs
Salt and Pepper
Right out of the OvenOur Finished Product
INSTRUCTIONS
Cut the stem off of the eggplant and peel the skin with a vegetable peeler. Cut the eggplant lengthwise into 1/2 inch slices (You should have 6 slices). Salt and pepper both sides of the eggplant slices. Heat about 2 ounces of olive oil in a large skillet and heat to medium-high heat. Cook the eggplant slices in the skillet until golden brown, about 3 – 4 minutes per side. You will likely need to do this in a couple of batches as you don’t want to crowd the slices in the pan or they won’t fry properly. Remove the slices from the skillet and let them rest on a paper towel to drain. Add some more oil to the pan and add the onion, lemon, garlic, oregano and parsley. Cook for about 3 minutes on medium heat until the onions are translucent. Add the ground lamb, making sure to break the meat up, and season with salt and pepper. Add the cinnamon, tomato paste, and crushed tomatoes and continue to cook until the lamb is brown and the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat.
Sliced EggplantThe Meat Mixture
Pre-heat an oven to 350 degrees. Select a casserole dish that is about the size of two of the eggplant slices laying side by side. Spray the bottom of the small casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and layer two of the eggplant slices on the bottom, trying to cover as much of the bottom of the dish as possible, but ensuring that there are no gaps between the eggplant slices. Add half of the meat mixture, then half of the feta cheese, and finally half of the parmesan cheese. Layer two more eggplant slices and repeat layering the meat and cheese. Place the final two slices on top and sprinkle with the bread crumbs. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes and the bread crumbs have turned golden brown.
Throughout our time in Europe, we had many different variations of pork and potatoes together. Whether sausages or pork roast, potatoes pair perfectly with any type of pork dish.
Bratwurst
We decided to take some leftover ham and combine it with scalloped potatoes and cheese for a quick and easy dinner. It isn’t a fancy dish by any means, but it is delicious and hearty. Perhaps pork and potatoes are combined because they are both inexpensive and easy to cook. We hope you enjoy our version of a ham and potato casserole.
Ham and Potato Casserole
INGREDIENTS
3 to 4 Medium Russet Potatoes
1 cup Diced Cooked Ham
1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
1/4 cup Milk
1/2 cup Shredded Cheese – We used a Monterey Jack Cheddar Blend
Dash of Freshly Grated Nutmeg
1/8 tsp Granulated Garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste
Baked Casserole
INSTRUCTIONS
Peel and wash the potatoes. Slice the potatoes using a mandolin or by uniformly slicing them into 1/8 inch scallops. Place the potatoes into a pot with cold salted water and then turn the heat onto medium-high. Once the water comes to a boil, continue boiling for 5 minutes until they are slightly blanched, but not fully cook as they will finish cooking in the casserole. Drain the potatoes. Whisk the milk and flour together with 3/4 of the cheese, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and garlic. Layer the potatoes and ham in a casserole dish adding some of the cheese and milk mixture as you add each layer. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top of the casserole and bake for another 10 minutes until the cheese is golden brown.
