Celebrate Oktoberfest!

Held in Munich, Germany at the end of September, Oktoberfest is the largest Volksfest in the world. The event is essentially a mix between a travelling fair and a beer festival, and it runs anywhere from sixteen to eighteen days. To go along with the beer that is served, many people like to cook up their own meals. Get into the Oktoberfest spirit by preparing one of the following recipes.

Chicken Schnitzel

Serves: 4

Total time: 15 minutes

 

Ingredients:

• One pound of skinless & boneless chicken breasts
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 lightly beaten eggs
• 2 cups of fine, fresh breadcrumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Lay a chicken breast between 2 sheets of wax paper. Use a meat pounder to pound it to 1/4 inch thickness. Do this with the rest of the chicken breasts.
2. Place flour into a shallow bowl. Place breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper in another bowl and lightly toss to blend. Place eggs in a separate bowl.
3. Dredge each chicken breast in flour, coating completely in a light layer. Dip each breast in egg mixture, shaking off excess, then dip in breadcrumbs. Check to make sure that each breast is evenly coated.
4. Heat butter and oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Cook until coating is crisp and golden brown. This requires about 2-3 minutes for each side.

Braised Red Cabbage

Makes: 10 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes , Cook Time: 65 minutes

 

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, halved and sliced
• 1 medium apple, sliced
• 1 medium head of red cabbage, shredded (about 8 cups)
• 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup of sugar
• 1/3 cup of white vinegar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of pepper

Directions:

Using a large Dutch oven coated with butter, cook and stir the onion and apple over medium heat until the onion is tender. This takes about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients; cook covered until cabbage is tender, which takes about 1 hour, while stirring occasionally. Can be served warm or cold.

Soft Pretzel Rolls

Makes: 8 rolls

 

Total time: 1 hour & 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2-3/4 to 3 cups of bread flour
• 1 envelope of instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon and 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 cup and 1 tablespoon of hot water (approx. 125°)
• 1/3 cup of baking soda
• 1/2 cup of cornmeal
• 1 egg white
• Coarse sea salt, or flaky salt
• Thick sliced bacon (optional)
• Grainy mustard (optional)

Directions:

1. Place bread flour, yeast, salt and 1 tsp. sugar into a food processor to combine them. While the food processor is running gradually add hot water until elastic dough forms, about 5 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic and allow dough to double in volume. This takes about 30 minutes.
2. Punch down dough on a floured work surface and divide into 8 pieces and shape them into round buns. Slash the tops of each bun with an ‘X’ using a serrated knife. Cover them with a towel and let them rise until they double in size. This takes about 25 minutes.
3. Preheat your oven to 375°. Grease a baking sheet and sprinkle it with cornmeal. Boil a large pot of water with 2 tbsps. sugar and gradually add baking soda . Boil each roll for 30 seconds, then flip and cook for another 30 seconds. Place the roll on a baking sheet, then brush with egg white and sprinkle with salt. Bake until brown, about 25 minutes. Serve these rolls with thick sliced bacon, grainy mustard, or anything else you choose.

Potato Pancakes

Makes: 8 pancakes

Prep/Total Time: 30 minutes

 

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggs
• 1 small onion, halved
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 to 4 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 4 to 6 tablespoons of canola oil

Directions:

1. Use a blender to blend the eggs and the onion. Add potatoes; process until everything is nicely chopped. Put the ingredients into a small bowl and stir in the flour, salt, and cayenne.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a nonstick skillet on medium heat. Drop batter by 1/4 cup into the oil. Fry in batches until both sides are golden brown. Use the remaining oil as needed. Place pancakes on paper towels, and serve with your choice of topping.

Inspiration from:

seriouseats.com (recipes 1 & 3)

tasteofhome.com (recipes 2 & 4)

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