Fried German Dumplings

Not everybody likes German dumplings, I usually hear it's the texture that throws them off. But for the ones of us that do like them, we looove them. We grew up on german dumplings, being as our mother is german. Every year when we visit Germany we make sure to bring back 10+ boxes of the dumpling mix. Which is why I wasn't sure if I wanted to put this recipe up to begin with, why put up a recipe with an ingredient most people might not be able to find? But Sarah said that she did see the mix in a store here in the states so I decided to put it up. If you can't find it in your local store, look for a European store near you, they will most likely have it.

It was sarah's idea to make these stuffed and fried. We have made fried dumpling before, but usually it the next day you take leftover dumplings and you slice them up and fry them for breakfast. But this time we added chives and cheese (a good combo in any meal) and then fried them, and they were so delicous!

Fried German Dumplings

1 Box Knodel (Pre-made German dumpling mix)

3 cups water

2-3 tbsp chives
1 tbsp garlic pepper
Parmesan cheese
Oil, for frying

In a large bowl, stir together dry Knodel mix, chives, and garlic pepper. Next, stir in 3 cups of water. Wait for dough to thicken- about 5-10 minutes. Roll into 3 inch balls. Cook according to directions (usually, boil about 20 minutes).

Strain water from dumplings, and push parm. cheese through to the center of each dumpling (easier with wet hands).

Roll dumplings with bread crumbs.

Fry in a medium frying pan, until golden brown. Let cool, and eat!

The Everything-Wonderful Fudgy Brownie.

First of all, let me just tell you that these are the best freakin' brownies I have ever had.

With that said, if you like a more traditional, fluffy brownie, you might want to try recipe we got this from: http://www.scharffenberger.com.

But if you're like me, and like the gooey, warm, fudgy stuff, you have GOT to try this.

We weren't trying to divert from the original recipe (and we really didn't that much.), but halfway through when we realized we had no baking powder, we knew we weren't going to get quite the same result.

The Everything-Wonderful Fudgy Brownie

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate (we used 2 ounces cocoa powder, and 2 ounces bakers chocolate, plus 2 tbsp oil)

2/3 cup butter (about 10 1/2 tbsp)

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups flour (but we used 1 2/3 b/c of high altitude)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Melt chocolate and butter over low heat.

Remove from heat and mix in sugar with wooden spoon. Crack eggs into pot, add vanilla, and mix (dirtying a whisk is optional).

Gently lay the flour and salt on top of the gooey chocolate mixture. Gently mix in the flour and salt with a fork without digging into the chocolate (this is important!).
Grab your wooden spoon and stir everything together (still gently) just until all flour is incorporated. Do not over beat.






Pour into greased 9" x 12" (or 8" x 12") pan. Bake for 25 minutes (check at 20). Brownies are done when toothpick comes out pretty clean. Cool for 10 minutes in pan, then cut into squares.

Just wanted to say

Thank you for the comments, we appreciate it!


-Smirks :).

Franks Red Hot Stir Fry

I make this stir-fry alot at home. No, not because it is simple. No, not because it is cheap. No, not because all the ingredients work so well together that it leaves you amazed and wanting more.

But because of the Franks Red Hot Hot Sauce.

Buy me a gallon of Franks and I will love you forever.

In fact, my mother did just that.

Hence why I love her so much.

Of course, even though the hot sauce is best part of the whole recipe, there are plenty of other reasons why this recipe is so good. So it was still good, even when I had to make a batch minus the hot sauce for Sarah.

She is my sister. I love her. Even though she does not like hot sauce.

Whew. That was hard.

But, I've moved on. Once you have too, chop up 1 onion, three bell peppers (colors of your liking), and 1 tomato (seeded and diced).

Heat oil in pan over medium heat and add onions, peppers, and butter (2 Tbsp) . Let simmer till onions are translucent.

While this is cooking up and your kitchen is filling with the amazing scent of cooking peppers and onions, pull yourself out of the trance, and cook rice according to package instructions (about 1/2 cup per person.)

So yummy.

This is what it will look like pre-hot sauce. Notice the vegetarian chicken thrown in. Of course for the meat eaters, feel free to use real chicken. If you absolutely need to. Which you don't.
Trust me.

Then pour over the hot sauce. Now, you are wondering, well how much hot sauce do I use?

I would tell you.

If I could.

But I'm afraid I get so lost in the hot sauce step, I forget to measure.

If I had to guess, I would say 1/2 cup.

But, the average person might want a lil less than that.

I like to smother the onions and peppers in a Franks Red Hot bath.

They appreciate it.

After adding the chicken and hot sauce over the top of the peppers and onions, stir and cover, reducing heat and stirring occasionally.

*if you are not a sane person and do not want to use hot sauce, cook the same way without adding the Hot Sauce, keep on medium and covered till onions are translucent then remove from heat.

When The hot sauce has reduced down slightly, remove from heat. Serve over rice.

And if you are making a double batch because you too are crazy, you will end up with these two plates of amazing food

(the one with hot sauce of course, slightly more amazing...just kidding...no I'm not)
If not, then you have one huge plate of this meal.

And you are sane.

Congrats.

And Enjoy.

Roasted tomato soup

I love soup. I love tomatoes. I love Peppers. I love cheese.

I love tomatoe soup topped with cheese.

Of course, you will be needing 5 tomatoes, cored (if necessary) and quartered. Also, you may use regular bell peppers, but we used 4 mini sweet peppers (We used red and yellow) And of course, 3 medium yellow onions, peeled, quartered.

Hand ingredients to someone else to chop, particulary the onions (I hate crying while chopping, its hazardous).
If you happened to hand them to someone who chops as slow as Sarah, feel free to run a marathon, buy a coffee and a snack on your way home, take a nap, and watch a few episodes of lost, as I did, while you wait.
I meant I watched lost...not ran a marathon.
I could've...but I didn't.


Preheat the oven to 375F degrees and position 2 racks in the middle of the oven. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Arrange the tomatoes, skin side down, on a baking sheet. Give the peppers and onions an olive oil bath and put them on the other baking sheet along with the garlic, place the pepper skin side down as well. Give both sheets a light showering of salt, then bake until the tomatoes start to collapse and the onions start to brown and caramelize, about 45 minutes.

When they look as beautiful as this, and the garlic is ooey, gooey, and the cloves are slightly browned, take them out of the oven.

Peel the garlic, dump all of the roasted vegetables into a big, high-sided bowl, and puree with a hand blender. If you are cool enough to have a hand blender. Then, send the hand blender to me. Thank you.
If you are like me, use a food processor and work in batches. Blend in a cup of the stock, and keep adding the rest 1/2 cup at a time until the soup is the desired consistency. Add the paprika, chives, and sugar.

Oh, so pretty.

See the clumps? That is how we prefer it.

But, if you prefer a smoother soup, feel free to blend longer.

Transfer into a pot over low-heat to heat through. Top with cheese.

We ate with a breadstick on the side.

AKA in the soup.

A.K.A an amazing addition to this amazing dish.

Enjoy.

An Official list of ingredients. Because my scatter-brain explantion of what to do is sloppy.

But you love it

5 tomatoes, cored (if necessary) and quartered
3-4 mini sweet peppers (I used red and yellow)
3 medium yellow onions, peeled, quartered
extra-virgin olive oil
5 plump cloves of garlic, unpeeled
fine-grain sea salt
2 - 3 cups light vegetable stock or water
1 1/2 Tbs. cut chives
1 Tsp. sugar
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika