Next Food Blog Star....still in it!!!

What??  Wow!  Really??  Well OK, here goes...

Project Food Blog Challenge #2

A bit surprised is an understatement.  While looking through the submissions for Challenge #1, I just kept thinking 'Wow, I really need to step it up a notch'.  I am clearly up against some of the best!

Tackle a classic dish from another culture that takes me outside of my comfort zone. Hmmm?

Greek?  Japanese?  Mexican?  Indian? 


Sauerbraten!  Sauer what??  Sauerbraten!  Yep, this here Portuguese girl went German.  Sauerbraten (sour roast) is considered by many to be Germany's National dish.  Beef, onions, carrots, potatoes, sour cream, and ginger snaps?! 

Now let's not forget, I bake.  I DON'T COOK!  Well of course I cook, I do have a family of 6 to feed.  I just don't "cook" cook.  I make tacos from a kit, steaks on the grill, an occasional pasta dish, and if I may say so myself, I make a mean corn flake chicken. So when it comes to comfort zones, trust me, I'm stepping out (as are a couple of the picky eaters I feed).  And c'mon, there are crumbled ginger snaps in this dish! Gingersnaps and beef?  That in your comfort zone?  Not mine.   

I love a challenge, but I still had to make it work with my schedule.  Between my twin 7 yr old nieces visiting from Georgia, my son’s football game, homecoming for my daughter (which involved a nail appointment, hair, make-up, giant photo session, and a lot of taxiing around) my time was limited this weekend.  But I did it!  I found a way to make it work.  A shortcut recipe for Sauerbraten that got rave reviews…thank god for the crockpot!!  Having never made (or eaten) Sauerbraten before, I really had no reference point.  But let me say this…it tasted fantastic!  A nice blend of sweet and sour.

How did it look?






We're being judged on our blogging, not the result of our dish, right?!







The meat completely fell apart, and I was left with what I guess you can call a stew, minus the cubes of meat.  It doesn’t look like any of the pictures I found on the internet, that’s for sure.  I guess I could have dressed it up with some clever garnish, but what for?  Like I said, it tasted fantastic.  The recipe suggested serving it over egg noodles, which would have made perfect sense.  I chose, however, to forgo the noodles (honestly, I just forgot to buy them).  All in all, it’s a keeper, just needs a little fine tuning.  A quick and easy way to enjoy an ethnic dish...works for me!


How did I arrive at my decision regarding what to make?


There’s no story of a trip to Germany, or some distant German ancestry that has always fascinated me.  To be frank, I based it on dessert.  That’s right, dessert.  I’ve always wanted to try a German Apple Kuchen, and what better excuse than to follow up a traditional German meal with a traditional German dessert.  Typically I bake from scratch, but I’ve set a precedent with this challenge, so here it is...



another shortcut...and it's delicious!!!


Crockpot Sauerbraten
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 9 hours
Total Time: 9 hours, 20 minutes

2 lbs. top round beef steak, cut into 2" cubes
2 onions, chopped
1-1/2 cups beef broth
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 bay leaves
16-oz. pkg. baby carrots
2 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
3/4 cup crushed gingersnaps (about 15 cookies)
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 cup sour cream
2-3 Tbsp. flour

Preparation:
In 4 to 5-quart slow cooker, combine beef, onions, broth, vinegar, bay leaves, carrots, and potatoes. Mix well, then cover crockpot and cook on low for 8-9 hours. Then remove cover and turn heat to high. Remove bay leaves. Add gingersnaps and brown sugar to the mixture. Stir well and taste for seasoning (you may want to add more gingersnaps or brown sugar for the perfect sweet/sour balance). Then stir together sour cream and flour and add that to the crockpot, stirring well to combine. Cover and cook for 30 minutes until thickened and heated. Serve with hot cooked egg noodles or spatzele. Serves 6-8

German Apple Kuchen
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1/4 cup margarine, softened
1/2 cup flaked coconut
4 large Granny Smith apples
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup sour cream
1 egg

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. Peel, core, and cut each apple into 8 wedges. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the cake mix, coconut and margarine until crumbly. Pat mixture lightly into prepared pan, building up the edges slightly to form a crust. Arrange the apple wedges on top. Mix together the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over the apples and the cake mixture. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and sour cream. Drizzle over the top of the cake. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until the edges of the cake are golden and the apples are tender.

Enjoy!

Comments

  1. yummy!!on both counts!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This reminds me of stroganoff. I'll have to give it a shot some time!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for being honest and saying that it didn't work out the way you intended. It still looks like a delicious soup. Good luck.

    ReplyDelete

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