German Lentil Soup

  

German Lentil Soup

This German lentil soup is like a warm hug. A hearty stew - a la Oma - made with lentils, leeks, carrots and potatoes that brings warmth in even the coldest and darkest winter days. The ultimate winter-warmer comfort food.  This basic soup is perfect for meat-eaters and vegetarians alike. For vegetarians and vegans, the bacon and sausages can just be omitted. I have left them in the soup, as my children are almost carnivores!
Nowadays, there are plenty of variations of the classic lentil soup. Many countries have their own version. This is the basic recipe for traditional German lentil soup, just as Oma made it.

Ingredients:

150 g/ 5.2 oz bacon (can be omitted for vegetarians) 

2 onions about 150 g/ 5.2 oz (white or red, it does not matter) 

2 carrots

3 potatoes about 400g/ 14 oz

1 leek

250 g /8.8 oz brown or green lentils 

2 ltr vegetable stock (affiliate link) /broth (alternativly you can also use meat broth) 

1 tsp sugar

4 tbsp white wine vinegar (this will add flavor to the soup) 

3 sausages (Frankfurter sausages or smoked sausages such as Mettwurst, Krakauer or Kielbasa)

Directions:

Dice bacon and onions.  

Peel carrots and potatoes and dice: place is a bowl.

Clean leek and slice lengthwise and slice thin rings.

Sort the lentils checking for foreign materials.

Place bacon in soup pot allowing it to render, add sausages to lightly brown and onions to sauté until translucent.

In the meantime rinse the lentils under running water. Then add the lentils with the stock/broth to the pot. Leave the soup to cook for 

about 30 minutes.

Add the vegetables and cook for a further 10 minutes. Adding vegetables at the end of the cooking process means that they will 

retain most of their vitamins.

Add vinegar and sugar to enhance the flavor.  Enjoy!

Pfeffernusse Cookies

 

                                German Pfeffernusse Cookies

Deliciously spiced German Pfeffernüsse cookies with a sweet icing are perfect for the holiday season. Make them with this simple recipe!
Ingredients:
Cookies:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground anise
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup brown sugar
5 tbsp butter
1/4 cup molasses
4 large tbsp of honey
2 large eggs
Icing:

1 cup powdered sugar
2–3 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
Dough: 

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices. 

In a separate bowl, cream brown sugar, butter, honey and molasses; add egg. Gradually add dry ingredients until a dough forms. Chill for 1 hour.

Shape and Bake:  Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll dough into 1-inch balls, place on a baking sheet, and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Icing: Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Dip tops of cooled cookies in icing and let set.

Gingerbread

• 

  Gingerbread 

  If the holidays excite your culinary skills with organizing recipes, this is a winner.  This recipe will stimulate those tastebuds that tell you it is time to think family, friends and it is time to plan a get-together and a meal!  The original Ginger Bread recipe was developed by Monks in Neuemberg Germany in the 18th century as they were able to get the spices from China.  Today it is a hugely favored item at their Christmas Mart.

  Ingredients:

  1½ cups all-purpose or spelt flour½ teaspoon baking soda1 tablespoon ground ginger1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon¾ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg½ teaspoon ground cloves½ cup cold, unsalted butter, diced½ to ¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar, depending on your preference for sweetness½ cup blackstrap molasses1½ tablespoons finely grated fresh or frozen ginger1 cup milk½ cup honey1 large egg, beatenDirections:
  Preheat oven to 350 F. Sift flour, baking soda and spices into a large bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips or use a pastry cutter until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. 
  
  
  Stir the sugar and milk in a medium-size saucepan and bring to just a simmer. 
  
  
  Remove from the heat and stir in the molasses and honey. Let stand until luke-warm, then whisk in the egg and fresh ginger, breaking up any clumps.
  
  
  Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Pour the batter into a prepared 8-inch by 4-inch or 5-inch by 2½-inch buttered loaf pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted off centre comes out clean. 
  
  
  (As the gingerbread bakes, it will rise, then fall, leaving a large depression. This is good.) Let cool completely in the pan.
  
  Tip:  Freeze Ginger root before grating.  Makes the job a breeze!.

Easy Black Bean Soup

Easy Black Bean Soup

Hearty, healthy, and satisfying without a lot of fuss is this Black Bean Soup. It comes together with simple pantry ingredients and stretches throughout the week, perfect for quick, nourishing meals. 

This Black Bean Soup recipe is warm and earthy, thanks to the spices, with a slightly creamy consistency. A squeeze of lime at the end brightens everything up, and the leftovers taste even better the next day.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup carrot, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, rough chopped
½ teaspoon salt, more to taste
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon chili powder (or smoked paprika, or both)
½ teaspoon salt, more to taste.
3 x 14-ounce cans of black beans, drained and rinsed (4 ½ cups) see notes
3 cups veggie broth
1 lime ( 1-2 tablespoons lime juice) more to taste
Optional Garnishes: avocado, jalapeno, cilantro, hot sauce, chopped red onion or pickled onions, sour cream, or grated cheddar
Directions:
In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots, bell pepper, garlic, and salt, and saute until fragrant, about 7 minutes. Add the spices and cook for 1 more minute.

Simmer. Add the black beans and broth and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until the veggies are tender.

Using an immersion blender, blend the soup halfway. This will give it a rich, creamy consistency. You want some whole beans, so don’t blend it too smooth. Alternatively, blend half of the soup in a blender and return it to the pot. Warm it up gently.

Season. Squeeze with lime juice and season with salt to taste. Feel free to amp up the heat using cayenne, ground chipotle powder, or chili flakes to taste.

Serve. Ladle the soup into bowls, top with sliced avocado, cilantro, or any of the optional toppings.
Notes:
Leftovers will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Freeze up to 3 months.

If cooking dry black beans from scratch, follow this recipe. (Allow 1 1/2 hours). One pound of dry black beans yields 5 ½ cups cooked, so you’ll have a little extra. Feel free to use the flavorful bean water as the broth.

Timothy Pakron's New Way To Cook Beans. ~. Rancho Gordo

Timothy Pakron's New Way To Cook Beans

Author and chef Timothy Patron came to Napa, CA for a book signing of his newest cookbook, "Garden Variety", sharing his new way to cook Beans. The day at Rancho Gordo was a success filled with people. Timothy prepared one of his bean recipes. All of the recipes that are shared and I publish from the owner Steve Sando, are
marked with Rancho Gordo for ease in finding a great bean recipe. Reprinted with permission from "Garden Variety" by Timothy Pakron
Ingredients:
Base Ingredients:
12 to 16 ounces (around 450 g) dried beans, legumes, or pulse
8 cups (1.9 L) water, plus more for soaking

1 large strip kombu (4 inches/about 5 g)
3 bay leaves (fresh or dried)
1 tablespoon sea salt (or less, if desired)
⅓ cup (66 mL) olive oil

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon tamari

½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Optional Add-Ins
2 or 3 shallots or 1 large onion, chopped or sliced
6 fat garlic cloves, thinly sliced or chopped
2 or 3 scallions or 1 bunch chives, chopped or sliced
1 or 2 celery stalks, chopped or sliced
1 or 2 large carrots, chopped or shredded
1 juicy, ripe tomato, diced, or 1 large handful cherry tomatoes, diced
or halved
Few pinches dried herbs (such as thyme or oregano)
Few pinches ground spices (such as cumin or paprika)
Optional Garnishes and Add-ons
Cold-pressed olive oil
Flaky salt
Few cracks black pepper
Lemon wedge
Chopped fresh herbs (such as dill, parsley, basil, scallions, chives, or thyme)
Serves 6 to 8

Directions:

Soak The Beans: Sort through the dried beans and give them a rinse. Transfer to a large bowl and cover with a few inches of fresh water and soak overnight. Drain and rinse them well.

Boil The Beans: In a medium to large pot, combine the beans, 8 cups (1.9 L) water, kombu, bay leaves, and salt. Mix well, cover with a cracked lid (keeping an eye on the pot to make sure it doesn’t overflow), and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, remove the kombu and bay leaves and scrape off any foam that has risen to the surface. Continue to boil for 5 more minutes, then remove any additional foam. Some beans create more foam than others, so you can continue to remove that if it arises, but a little foam in your final beans is totally okay. While the beans are still at a boil, mix in the olive oil, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, rice vinegar, tamari, black pepper, and red pepper flakes, as well as any optional add-ins you’d like. It’s okay to take your time adding the seasonings and letting the beans continue to boil during this step, as the recipe is very forgiving.

Simmer: Once you’ve added the seasonings and optional add-ins, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and let the beans cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for anywhere from 20 minutes to 1 hour or longer. Most beans will be done after 20 to 40 minutes, but some varieties take longer, so you should taste them every so often to check when they are fully cooked and tender. If the beans take longer than 40 minutes, add a splash of water if needed as the liquid reduces. The goal is to end up with a good amount of broth so you can cover the beans when storing them in the fridge.

Enjoy Or Store:  Once the beans are tender, enjoy immediately or let cool and transfer to jars, pouring the broth over the beans to fully submerge them and placing the lid on top. The cooked beans will keep tightly sealed in the fridge for up to 1 week. 

Serve:  If serving immediately, transfer to bowls and garnish with desired toppings, such as a drizzle of cold-pressed olive oil, flaky salt, freshly cracked black pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice, and/or chopped fresh herbs. A hefty sprinkling of the Toasted Breadcrumb-Nut Crunch is also a lovely option. 

(Note from Rancho Gordo: We made a simple salad by draining the beans and tossing with arugula, lemon, and olive oil. We made sure to save some beans and the broth for a soup!)