Cheese Buttons (Kase Knepfla)

My grandmother did wonderful German cooking.  One of her specialties was Kase Knepfla (Cheese Buttons).  My mother loved them, and so we were invited over when my grandma made them.  When I was a child I did not like cottage cheese, and still today do not like it.  (OK I can eat it in lasagna!)  So when my grandma made cheese buttons I would not even taste them.  Years later I worked in Bismarck within a block of White Drug.  They have a cafeteria and make Kase Knepfla on Fridays.  So one day I tried them and they were amazing. They are still a treat on trips to Bismarck.  To make them you need dry curd cottage cheese.  I was lucky to find some at the Food Co-op in Rochester.  If you can not find dry curd cottage cheese you could rinse and dry creamy cottage cheese, but you have to dry it well.   If the cheese mixture is too wet it has a tendency to leak out of the dough pocket. 

Kase Knepfla are boiled, and then can be fried, eaten with fried onions and cream, or fried bread crumbs.


Cheese Buttons (Kase Knepfla)

1 1/2 cups cottage cheese, dry
1 small onion, diced in small pieces
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
3 cups flour
2 eggs
water

Mix cottage cheese, onion, egg, salt and pepper in a bowl.  Set aside.
Mix flour and eggs with enough water to make a stiff dough. Mix to make into a smooth ball. You may have to work it on a flour dusted board for awhile.  On a flour dusted board roll out dough as thin as you can.  If it does not roll easy, cover it, let it set a few minutes and try again.  Cut into squares and fill each square with the cheese mixture.   Fold in half and press edges together.  Put 3 quarts of water and 2 tablespoons of salt in a large kettle and bring to a boil.   Put cheese buttons in the boiling water and boil for 5 minutes.  Drain.

To fry melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large fry pan.   Add the cheese buttons and fry on each side until lightly browned.

For onion/cream gravy:  Saute some diced onion  in 2 tablespoons butter until soft.  Add as much cream as wanted, maybe about 1/2 to 1 cup.  Heat cream with onions and serve over browned cheese buttons.

For bread crumbs:  Melt 3 tablespoons butter in pan.  Crumble a slice or two of bread and brown in butter. Pour over boiled or browned cheese buttons.

Sour Cream Chocolate Cake

When I was a child my mother got a quart of cream every week, from a farmer.  My father enjoyed it on cereal all week, and it was often used for whipped cream on a dessert for Sunday.  Sometimes we made home made ice cream with it.  And of course the best thing to make with the cream was kuchen!  But occasionally the cream would become sour, and then we would dig out the recipe for sour cream chocolate cake.  Back then I do not remember seeing sour cream in the store as we see it today.  Or maybe my mom just never bought any, as we always had cream in the fridge.

Sour Cream Chocolate Cake

3 eggs, beaten well
2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 cups flour
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
2/3 cup cold water, can use cold coffee or a mix of water and coffee

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Generously grease and flour a 9 x 13 in cake pan.  Set aside.

Beat eggs and sugar.  Add sour cream and melted chocolate. Mix flour, soda and salt together and add to the mixture.  Stir in the water/coffee.

Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake 40 minutes or until top of the cake springs back when lightly touched.

Chocolate Frosting for Cake

6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

Combine butter, milk and sugar in a medium saucepan.  Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat; cook for 1 minute.  Remove from heat.  Add chocolate chips; stir until well blended.  Cool slightly; beat until mixture thickens to a spreading consistency.  Frost cake.  

Halupsie (Cabbage Rolls, Pigs in the Blanket)

This has been a family favorite for years.  I grew up having this dish quite often.  Les also had cabbage rolls growing up and loves them.  Whenever I get a nice head of cabbage this is on the menu! Right now they are in the oven and they smell wonderful.

HALUPSIE (Cabbage Rolls, Pigs in the Blanket)

1 small firm head cabbage

1/4 cup vinegar
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork (all ground beef can be used)
1 small onion
1 cup raw rice
2 tsp. salt and pepper
2 cups tomato juice
1 cup water
1 can tomato soup
1/2 cup whipping cream

Cut the core out of the cabbage.  Put cabbage in a large pot and cover with water.  Add vinegar.  Bring to a boil and simmer until the leaves come off.  This will take 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the cabbage.  Peel off the leaves of the cabbage, they should be soft and pliable. 

Mix ground beef, ground pork, rice, onions, salt and pepper.  Put about 2 tablespoons of filling in a leaf, more or less depending on size of leaf, and roll up folding ends in.  Place in a greased roasting pan.  Mix the tomato juice and water and pour over the rolls in the pan.  

Bake covered for  2 hours at 325 degrees.  Mix the cream and tomato soup and pour over the rolls.  Continue baking for 30 minutes.

Sassy Baked Beans

Do you need a recipe for baked beans for a summer cookout, to go with ribs or brats?  I found a recipe with a great flavor profile.  But it needs to marinate at least 4 hours, so prepare it early.

Sassy Baked Beans

2 (28 oz) cans Bush's baked beans
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced green pepper
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 tsp. red pepper (cayenne)
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1/2 tsp fresh basil
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup hot mustard, or mustard of your choice
Sliced bacon

Mix all ingredients except bacon slices in a large casserole dish and marinate in refrigerator at least 4 hours or overnight.
Top casserole with bacon slices and bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. 

Adobo (Chicken and Pork)

I have tried a few adobo recipes and never found just the right one.  Today I tried a new one and it is family approved, so it is a saver!

Adobo
(Chicken and Pork)

1 (2-pound) chicken, cut into serving pieces
1  (1-pound) pork butt, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes or pork chops
1/2 cup vinegar
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 laurel leaf (optional)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns

Mix all ingredients in a pot.  Let stand an hour, a few hours or even overnight.  Cook covered on medium high heat until mixture boils.  Reduce heat to medium; turn meat and cook, covered for one hour or until meat is tender and only a small amount of liquid is left.

After meat is cooked, it may be browned by heating a tablespoon of oil until hot, then browning the drained meat. Take meat out of pan with tongs or a slotted spoon.

The remaining liquid (you may want to degrease the liquid if pork butt is used) can be concentrated a bit by cooking at a high temperature a few minutes.   It can then be poured over the cooked meat before eating.

All chicken or pork may be used.  

Serve with plain boiled rice.

 Serves 6. 

Quinoa Almond Pilaf

I needed a side dish the other day and found this yummy recipe. 

Quinoa Almond Pilaf

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 cups cold water
1/2 tsp salt
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
16 almonds, coarsely chopped
2 small tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup raisins or craisins
1/4 tsp each salt, black pepper, dried thyme, dried oregano
pinch of sea salt

Directions:
Combine quinoa, cold water and salt in saucepan; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, place a cover on the saucepan and cook until the liquid is fully absorbed, about 15 minutes.  Check occasionally as more water may be needed.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Cook and stir celery, onion and carrot  in the hot oil until the onion is translucent, 5-7 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute.  Stir almonds, tomato, raisins, salt, pepper, thyme and oregano in to the vegetable mixture;  cook and stir 1 minute more.

Fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork and stir into the mixture in the skillet;  cook and stir until evenly mixed and hot, about 1 minute.

Top each serving with a few sprinkles of sea salt granules if wanted.  Serves 6 and should be ready in 45 minutes.