Kielbasa and Sauerkraut Skillet Bake

This is the last of that languishing jar of sauerkraut. I actually really enjoyed this dish, it was caramelised and yummy with the crispy potatoes on top.

Kielbasa and Sauerkraut Skillet Bake (from Platings and Pairings)
(Serves 6)

2 tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped finely
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
Pinch of cayenne
salt and pepper
125ml dry white wine or vermouth
2 tbsp chopped parsley
400g kielbasa sausage, sliced
450g sauerkraut, rinsed and squeezed dry
5 tbsp sour cream
1 cup shredded Emmental cheese
2 potatoes, thinly sliced
1 tsp oil

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large oven-proof frying pan over a medium heat. Add the shallot, garlic and red pepper and cook until softened. Add the sliced sausage and saute until beginning to brown. Add the sauerkraut, mustard, fennel seeds, cayenne, and pepper, and stir until heated through, about 4 mins.

Add the wine and parsley and cook for an additional 2 mins. Spread the sour cream over the mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Toss the potato slices with 1 tsp oil and the salt. Arrange the seasoned potatoes in a tight formation over the sauerkraut mixture and bake for 40-50 mins, until the potato slices are browning at the edges and the mixture is bubbling. Serve.

Kielbasa, Sauerkraut and Mushrooms

I have an enormous jar of sauerkraut. They only seem to come in huge jars! Then you have to find things to do with it! So this is one idea, it's actually really scummy, I loved this recipe and the coolness of the sour cream just helps to set all the flavours off.

Kielbasa, Sauerkraut and Mushrooms (from Nigel Slater in The Guardian)
(Serves 2)

1 onion, chopped
200g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
200g kielbasa, sliced
2-3 tbsp oil
200g sauerkraut, rinsed
2 tbsp dill, chopped
2 heaped tbsp soured cream

Heat a tbsp of oil in a large frying pan then add the onion and let it soften over medium heat for 5 mins, then add the mushrooms and kielbasa.

Continue cooking until the mushrooms are starting to turn golden brown. Add the sauerkraut to the pan, tucking it among the mushrooms and onions. Season with salt, pepper and the chopped dill. Divide between 2 bowls and top with the soured cream

Pretzel Dumplings with Mushroom Sauerkraut Gravy

So a stodgy stick to your ribs mushroom dish is exactly what this is, it fills you up and keeps you full. It is originally a vegan recipe, but I unveganised it as my local corner shop doesn't go in for non-dairy milk. However, should you wish to make it vegan again please do! It used up some of my humungous jar of sauerkraut!

Pretzel Dumplings with Mushroom Sauerkraut Gravy (adapted from Vegan Miam)
(Serves 4-5)

For the dumplings
4 medium soft pretzels, chopped into 1 cm chunks
430ml warm milk
1 shallot, chopped
6 tbsp breadcrumbs
5 tbsp whole wheat flour
¼ tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp chopped parsley
salt and pepper

For the gravy
1 tsp oil
½ medium yellow onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
300g mushrooms, sliced
1l vegetable stock
2 tbsp cornflour dissolved in 2 tbsp water
130-195g sauerkraut
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper

Place the pretzel pieces in a large bowl. Add the warm milk to the bowl and stir until all the pieces are submerged. Cover and set aside for 30 mins.

After 30 mins, use a potato masher to mash the pretzel pieces until a little mushier with chunks still remaining. Add the shallots, bread crumbs, flour, garlic powder, parsley, salt and pepper.

While the pretzel pieces are soaking, start the gravy. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is starting to become translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook until tender, stirring occasionally. Add the stock and stir in the sauerkraut, sage, thyme and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 mins, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced. Add the cornflour mixture and stir well.

Measure out a scoop of the dumpling mixture. Gently shape into a ball and place into the gravy. Repeat with the remaining dumpling mixture. Simmer for 15 mins. Gently flip over the dumplings and simmer for 5 more mins. Serve.

Bigos

Lovely Polish stew full of meat and sauerkraut. 

Bigos (from Good Food Magazine October 2015)
(Serves 4-6)

50g butter
1 onion, sliced
1 tsp juniper berries, crushed
½ tsp caraway seeds
300g lean pork belly, cubed
1 tbsp brown sugar
500g sauerkraut
half white cabbage, shredded
200g fresh chopped tomatoes or 400g tin chopped tomatoes
500ml chicken or beef stock
10g dried mushroom
300g smoked Polish sausage, such as kabanos, chopped
1 apple, grated
salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a large casserole. Add the onion and sauté over a medium heat until the onion is softened and translucent. Sprinkle over the juniper berries and caraway seeds, then add the pork. Sprinkle over the brown sugar. Turn the heat up for a couple of mins, turning the meat so it browns well.

Drain the sauerkraut and squeeze out the excess water. Add to the casserole with the white cabbage and tomatoes, then pour over the stock. Simmer for about 30 mins.

Meanwhile, soak the dried mushrooms in warm water. When they have softened, drain, adding their soaking liquor to the meat. Chop the mushrooms finely and add these to the casserole, along with the sausage and apple. Simmer for another 1 hr 30 mins and serve.

Menu Plan Monday

Last weeks Menu Plan Monday got somewhat messed around. I ended up going out for Chinese on Saturday night, so changed Friday night as well to a yummy creamy prawn pasta dish. I am trying my hardest to eat things out of the freezer and the cupboards, this month seems a little lean on the money front and food from the freezer definitely needs eating. The venison steak and chops was delicious last night, and I am really looking forward to the breaded veal with polenta.

On Saturday I sat down and wrote my essay which is due in on 23rd February, for my lunch break I had a bratwurst wrap with onion sauerkraut filling. It was absolutely delicious and really filling. Now all I have to do is check over the essay and send it to a friend to check over it too. I am so glad to have it finished.



Sunday:
Lunch: Sausage Sandwich, Salad
Dinner: Venison Steak and Chips with Mustard Mayo and Grated Courgette with Lemon

Monday
Lunch: Three Mushroom Rice with Vegetable Balls and Sweet Chilli Sauce
Dinner: Spinach Pakora in Pitta Bread with Crème Fraiche

Tuesday
Lunch: Vegetable Biryani, Samosa
Dinner: Out with my Mum and Sister if they get back from Brussels!

Wednesday
Lunch: Salad with Kabanossi, Cheese etc
Dinner: Out with my Dad

Thursday
Lunch: Black Bean Curry, Naan Bread
Dinner: Chicken and Cucumber Sandwich

Friday
Lunch: Chicken Soba Noodle Salad
Dinner: Breaded Veal with Tomato Sauce and Polenta

Menu Plan Monday

Last weeks menu planning went quite well and there were some definite highlights, the Caribbean chicken with spring onion sauce was delicious, much tastier than I was expecting. I still haven't made the vegetable biryani, I really didn't feel like it on Tuesday and got Chicken Kiev and Chips from Marks and Spencer instead! Ultimate easy comfort food for me! On Saturday I was meant to try my hand at pease pudding, but when I went to the cupboard I discovered that the split peas had gone off in August 2008! So instead I had spaetzle with a tomato sauce, sausages, steamed broccoli and sauerkraut, which was a slightly weird combination but seemed to work!

Yesterday I did a sort out of my kitchen cupboards, after finding the gone off peas on Saturday I decided it needed it, and chucked out anything that was out of date, and put things that needed eating near the front of the cupboard, so my Menu Plan Monday this week includes lots of things that need eating! I'm really looking forward to the courgette and blue cheese risotto, which will use up the grated courgette I froze in the summer. I'm also looking forward to the tamarind prawns tonight, as I found the recipe on a packet of tamarind and it sounded interesting.

Sunday
Lunch: Hummus and Pitta Bread, Cheese and Biscuits
Dinner: Out at my sister's for dinner (Chicken and Ratatouille with Pasta)

Monday
Lunch: Mackerel and Avocado in Pitta Bread (Juice Master)
Dinner: Tamarind Prawns and Rice

Tuesday
Lunch: Chicken, Avocado and Mayonnaise Sandwich
Dinner: Out with a friend

Wednesday
Lunch: Asian Chicken Noodle Salad
Dinner: Bratwurst Wrap

Thursday
Lunch: Courgette and Pasta Soup, Cheese Sandwich
Dinner: Black Bean or Lentil Curry, Naan Bread

Friday
Lunch: Chicken and Potato Croquettes, Stir Fry Veg
Dinner: Salmon with Fettuccine and Basil Pesto (Big Book of Casseroles)

Saturday
Lunch: Pitta Bread, Onion Bhaji, Sour Cream
Dinner: Courgette and Blue Cheese Risotto (Leiths Vegetarian Bible)

Sausages with Sauerkraut

The area of London which I have now moved to has a large Eastern European population which means that getting hold of ingredients for this sort of cuisine is really easy. I had a large jar of Sauerkraut which had been lurking in the back of my fridge for ages and really needed using. I love eating sauerkraut with bratwurst, but I found this sausages with sauerkraut recipe in Nigella Express and wanted to try it.



Its the first time that I have tried these sort of smoked sausages before, and they were really tasty, the packet said that I could eat them hot or cold, which is really good for salads and packed lunches. The recipe was really simple just bung everything in the oven and wait! I served it with Pierogis that I bought ready made in the supermarket, and a dollop of creme fraiche, but I found the pierogis disappointing, maybe potato in pasta is just too much carb for me. Nigella recommends steamed potatoes so maybe I'll try that with them next time.

Sausages with Sauerkraut (from Nigella Express)
(Serves 6)

1 large jar of Sauekraut, rinsed in cold water and drained
2 tsp juniper berries
3 dried bay leaves
8 smoked sausages, cut into smaller lengths if wished
1 x 75cl bottle Riesling wine
1 tsp white pepper corns

Preheat the oven to 200C. Cover the bottom of a small to medium roasting tin with the drained sauerkraut.

Add the juniper berries, bay leaves and sausages.

Pour in the wine and sprinkle the peppercorns over.

Bring the tin to a boil on top of the hob, then cover with foil and put in the oven to cook for 30 mins. Serve with German mustard.