1998 Valentine’s Dinner

Germany

Potato Pancakes (Kartoffelpuffer)

Beef & Cabbage Turnovers (Beirocks)

Stuffed Cornish Hens, Hamburg Style (Gebratene Hahnchen)

Red Cabbage with Apples

Overbaked Spinach with Cheese (Berbackener Spinat mit Kase)

Little German Noodle Dumplings (Spaetzle)

Dark Pumpernickel Bread

Enchanted Forest

Strawberries in Chocolates

Cappuccino

Stuffed Cornish Hens, Hamburg Style

(Gebratene Hahnchen)

• 6 slices bacon
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine
• 1-3/4 cups bread cubes
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 2 Tbsp snipped parsley
• 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
• 3 Rock Cornish hens, about 1-1/4 lbs each
• butter or margarine, melted
• 1 Tbsp flour
• 1 cup water
• 1-1/2 tsp instant chicken bouillon
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Fry bacon until crisp; drain on paper towels. Crumble bacon. Drain fat, returning 2 Tbsp to the skillet. Cook and stir onion until tender. Add butter; heat until melted. Add bacon, bread cubes, celery, parsley, poultry seasoning, and pepper; toss.

Stuff each hen with about 6 Tbsp stuffing. Secure opening with skewer. Fasten neck skin back with skewer. Tie legs together with string. Place hens breast side up on rack in shallow roasting pan. Brush with butter. Roast hens uncovered in 350 degree oven, brushing with butter 3 or 4 times, until golden brown and done, about 1 hour.

Remove hens from pan; keep warm. Spoon 2 Tbsp pan drippings into 1 quart saucepan; stir in flour. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in water and bouillon. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in sour cream.

To serve, cut hens with kitchen scissors, cutting through the breast and along the backbone from tail to neck. Serve with dressing and gravy. Makes 6 servings.

Red Cabbage with Apples

• 2 tart red apples, sliced
• 3 Tbsp butter or margarine
• 1 medium head red cabbage, coarsely shredded (about 8 cups)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Cook apples and cabbage in butter in Dutch oven over medium heat 5 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until cabbage is tender, 35 to 40 minutes.

Potato Pancakes

(Kartoffelpuffer)

• 4 medium potatoes (about 1-1/2 lbs)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup bacon fat, butter, or margarine

Shred enough potato to measure 4 cups; drain. Mix potato, eggs, onion, four, & salt.

Heat 2 Tbsp bacon fat in 12″ skillet over medium heat until hot. Pour in about 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Flatten each with spatula into pancake about 4″ in diameter. Cook pancakes until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter. (Add remaining bacon fat as needed to prevent sticking.)

Makes 16 pancakes.

Overbaked Spinach with Cheese

(Berbackener Spinat mit Kdse)

• 1-1/2 lbs fresh spinach leaves
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp paprika
• 4 oz grated Gruyere-type cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a large saucepan boil some water. Plunge the spinach into it and boil for 5 minutes. Drain, dry, and coarsely chop the spinach.

In a saucepan melt the butter. Fry the onion and garlic until the onion is soft and transparent. Add the spinach and saute lightly until most of the moisture has evaporated. Season and add nutmeg and paprika. Grease an oven-proof dish, level the top and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the cheese melts. Serve hot.

Beef & Cabbage Turnover

(Beirocks)

Dough:

• 1 pkg active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water (105 to 115 F)
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 3 to 3-1/2 cups all purpose flour
• butter or margarine, softened

Filling:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 4 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup water
• 1-1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp caraway seed (optional)
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Prepare Dough: Dissolve yeast in water. Stir in sugar, oil, salt, egg, and 1 cup flour. Beat until smooth. Mix in enough remaining flour to make dough soft but easy to handle. turn onto well-floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up. Cover; let rise in warm place until double, about 1 hour. (Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.)

While dough is rising, prepare filling: Cook and stir beef in 10″ skillet until light brown; drain. Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until cabbage is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Punch down dough. Roll into 16″ square on well floured cloth covered board; cut into sixteen 4″ squares.

Place about 1/4 cup filling on center of each square. Bring corners up and together; pinch to seal. Place seam sides down on greased cookie sheet. Shape into rounds. Let rise until double, about 1 hour.

Heat oven to 375 F. Bake until light brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Brush tops with butter. Makes 16 turnovers.

Little German Noodle Dumplings

(Spätzle)

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• dash of ground black pepper
• 2 quarts water (see note)
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted

Mix eggs, milk, flour, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper (batter will be thick). Heat water and 1 tsp salt to boiling in Dutch oven. Press batter through colander (preferably one with large holes), a few tablespoons at a time, into boiling water. Stir once or twice to prevent sticking.

Cook until dumplings rise to surface and are tender, about 5 minutes; drain. Pour butter over dumplings. Makes 4 to 6 servings. Note: Spätzle can also be cooked in beef or chicken broth.

Dark Pumpernickel Bread

• 3 pkg active dry yeast
• 1-3/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 F)
• 1/2 cup dark molasses
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp caraway seed
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 2-1/2 cups dark rye flour
• 1 cup whole-bran cereal
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1 to 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• cornmeal
• butter or margarine, softened

Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl. Stir in molasses, oil, caraway seed, salt, rye flour, bran cereal, and cocoa. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough all purpose flour to make dough easy to handle.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Cover; let rest 10 to 15 minutes. Knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up. Cover; let rise in warm place until double, about 1 hour. (Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.)

Grease cookie sheet; sprinkle with cornmeal. Punch down dough; divide in halves. Shape each half into a round, slightly flat loaf. Place loaves in opposite corners of cookie sheet. Brush tops with margarine; let rise until double, 40 to 50 minutes. Heat oven to 375 F.

Bake until loaves sound hollow when tapped, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Makes 2 loaves.