Sauerbraten

This pot roast, with its richly spiced sauce, is especially tender thanks to a combination

of long marinating and slow cooking

makes 4–6 servings

prep 30 mins, plus marinating 

• cook 2–2,25 hrs

freeze for up to 2 months

For the marinade

2 cups hearty red wine

2/3 cup red wine vinegar

2 onions, thinly sliced

1 tbsp light brown sugar

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

4 whole allspice berries, lightly  crushed

4 black peppercorns, lightly crushed

2 bay leaves, crumbled

1/2 tsp salt

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2,25lb (1kg) beef chuck or round roast

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion, sliced

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 tbsp all-purpose flour

1/3 cup crushed gingersnap cookies

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Prepare ahead The beef should

be marinated for at least 2 days

before cooking.

1

Bring the wine, vinegar,2/3cup water, onions, sugar,

nutmeg, allspice, peppercorns, bay leaves, and salt to a boil in a

saucepan. Let cool completely.

2

Place the beef in a bowl and pour in the cooled marinade.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate, turning the meat over

every 8 hours or so, for 2–3 days.

3

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lift the beef from the

marinade, drain well, then pat dry with paper towels. Strain the marinade

into a bowl, discarding the spices.

4

Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole over

medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook about 10 minutes, until

browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate. Add the onion and celery to the

casserole and cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes, until beginning

to brown. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute. Stir in 2 cups of the

reserved marinade and bring to a boil,stirring often.

5

Return the beef to the casserole and baste with the

liquid. Cover tightly. Bake for about 2,25 hours, or until very tender.

6

Transfer the beef to a serving platter and tent with aluminum

foil. Strain the cooking liquid into another saucepan, bring to a boil,

and cook until reduced to about 1,25 cups. Whisk in the gingersnaps

and cook, whisking often, until the sauce is smooth and lightly

thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Slice the beef crosswise,

spread the slices on the platter, and spoon some of the sauce over. Serve

hot, with the rest of the sauce passed on the side.

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Good with potato dumplings

and green vegetables.

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Leftovers can be thinly sliced

and piled into rustic bread with braised

red cabbage and a little spicy mustard.

Marinated Anchovies

  Boquerones en Vinagre are a Spanish speciality,ideal as tapas or as a lunchtime dish

makes 4 servings-prep 20 mins, plus 24–48 hrs marinating

2lbs (900g) fresh anchovies

1 tbsp salt

1/2  cup sherry vinegar or white wine

vinegar, as needed

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, sliced

3 tbsp chopped parsley

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Prepare ahead The anchovies must soak in vinegar for at least 24

hours, then they can be dressed with oil and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

1.

to fillet anchovies, cut off heads and tails. Cut a slit along

the underside of each fish and discard the innards. Open out each fish and

remove the central bone by lifting the tail end and pulling upwards. Wash

the anchovies and remove any stray bones. Pat dry with paper towels.

2.

Place half the anchovy fillets in a single layer in a shallow dish.

Sprinkle with 1,5 tsp salt. Arrange the remaining anchovies at right angles

over the first layer. Sprinkle with the remaining salt. Add enough vinegar

to barely cover them. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.

3.

Pour off the vinegar, rinse the anchovies in cold water, and

pat dry with paper towels. Arrange the anchovies in a shallow serving dish

and pour the olive oil over them. Sprinkle with the garlic and parsley.

Serve chilled.

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Good with lightly toasted slices of crusty bread, rubbed with a cut

garlic clove and drizzled with olive oil.

variation

Lemon-marinated

Anchovies

Cover the anchovies with the zest and

juice of 2 lemons and marinate for 

2 hours, then continue with the

recipe from step 3.

Chicken Pinwheels with Pasta

           Simply prepared, these light rolls of chicken breast have zesty Italian flavor

makes 4 servings-prep 20 mins • cook 25 mins

low fat

freeze the pinwheels for up to 1 month

4 boneless and skinless chicken breast halves

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 garlic clove, crushed through a press

16 large basil leaves, plus more to serve

12 sun-dried tomato halves in oil, drained

olive oil, for brushing

1 cup canned crushed tomatoes

3/4 cup dry white wine

8oz (230g) penne, cooked

●

Prepare ahead Prepare through step 3, then cover and

refrigerate for a few hours until ready to bake. 

1.

Preheat the oven to 400°F(200°C). One at a time, lightly

pound each chicken breast with a flat meat pounder between 2 sheets of

plastic wrap until the breast is about 1/4in (5mm) thick.

2.

Place the chicken breasts,smooth sides down, on a work

surface. Season with salt and pepper.Spread each breast with a little garlic.

Arrange 4 basil leaves and 3 sun-dried tomato halves evenly over each piece

of chicken.

3.

Roll up the chicken to enclose the filling and secure with

wooden toothpicks. Lightly oil a shallow baking dish. Place the breasts

in the dish and brush with oil. Pour the crushed tomatoes and wine

around the breasts.

4.

Bake, basting with the sauce halfway through, about 

25 minutes, until the chicken is opaque when pierced with a knife.

5.

Transfer the chicken to a carving board. Let stand for 

5 minutes. Remove the toothpicks and cut crosswise into

1/2in (13mm) thick slices. Arrange the slices on

individual dinner plates. Add the penne and spoon the sauce on top.

Garnish with basil and serve hot.

Swiss Fondue

Few things bring people together like sharing a meal around a fondue pot.  Whether it's the eye-to-eye contact it brings, the conversations about what to dip and for how long, or perhaps simply the wine that goes so well with so many cheese fondues - conversation and laughter always flow when a fondue pot is at the center of the table.

"Fondue" means melted in French, and there never was a more luscious way to serve melted cheese

makes 4 servings

prep 15 mins • cook 10 mins

fondue set

1 large garlic clove, cut in half

1,5 cups dry white wine

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

7oz (200g) shredded Gruyere cheese

7oz (200g) shredded Emmental  cheese

2 tsp cornstarch

3 tbsp kirsch or brandy

freshly ground black pepper

1 large day-old baguette, cut into

bite-sized pieces

1.

Rub the cut side of the garlic clove inside the fondue pot and 

discard the garlic. Add the wine and lemon juice to the pot and bring it to

a boil on the stove over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low. Toss the

Gruyere and Emmental cheeses in a bowl with the cornstarch. One

handful at a time, stir the cheeses into the wine, mixing until the

cheeses melt before adding more.

2 .

Cook, stirring constantly, until the fondue just comes to a

simmer. Stir in the kirsch, and season with pepper.

3.

If the fondue is too thin, add more cheese or stir in cornstarch

dissolved in wine. If too thick, stir in  a little warmed white wine.

4.

To serve, transfer the pot to its stand on the table. Spear 

the bread cubes onto fondue forks and dunk into the cheese.

Baklava

It was once common for grandmothers to make baklava from scratch, rolling out

 very thin layers of dough to assemble the pastry.

However, modern cooks in Turkey usually buy this classic dessert or snack from the bakery.

 This recipe, which uses ready-made phyllo dough, is relatively easy to make.

A day before making baklava, move the frozen phyllo dough to the refrigerator to

give it plenty of time to thaw completely.

Syrup:

1 c. water

1 lb. sugar

1 tbsp. rose water

Pastry:

olive oil to brush on sheet of

aluminum foil in baking dish

1 16-oz. package phyllo dough,

thawed*

1 c. butter (2 sticks), melted

1/4 c. plus o c. walnuts, pistachios,

or almonds, chopped fine

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. To make syrup, combine water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a

boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add rose water, stir,

and set aside.

3. Line a square baking dish (9_9) with a sheet of aluminum foil. Use

a pastry brush to apply olive oil to foil lining. Lay one sheet of phyllo

dough on top of foil and brush it with a thin coating of melted butter.**

4. Add next layer of phyllo dough. Continue adding layers and

brushing each with butter until you’ve assembled five layers.

5. Sprinkle fifth layer with o cup chopped nuts.

6. Add five more layers of phyllo, brushing each with butter.

7. Sprinkle tenth layer with remaining nuts.

8. Add five more layers of phyllo dough, brushing each with butter.

9. Use a sharp knife to cut baklava into 1-inch squares. Trim any

excess dough that may overlap sides of pan.

10. Bake baklava for 30 to 40 minutes, or until top is golden brown.

11. Remove from oven and brush top with butter.

12. Slowly pour rose water syrup evenly over squares. Allow to cool

before serving. Store leftover baklava at room temperature.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Baking time: 40 minutes

Serves 8

*Thaw frozen phyllo dough in its original package for 24 hours in the

refrigerator. Do not unwrap phyllo until you are ready to use it. Make sure your

work area is cleared, your melted butter and pastry brush are ready, and your

filling is prepared.

**After removing a sheet of phyllo from the package, cover remaining sheets

tightly with either plastic wrap or a slightly damp kitchen towel (not terry

cloth). Leftover phyllo will stay fresh in the refrigerator for one week if

covered well with plastic wrap.

Creme Brulee

                              A classic dessert; its name is French for "burnt cream"

 Creme Brulee is one of the most elegant desserts around and also one of the simplest recipes

makes 6 servings

prep 20 mins, plus standing 

• cook 40 mins

six 6oz (175g) ramekins

2 cups heavy cream

1 vanilla pod, split in half lengthwise

5 large egg yolks

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup demerara sugar, or use more

granulated sugar

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Prepare ahead The custards, without the topping, can be covered

and refrigerated for up to 2 days. 

1

Preheat the oven to 275°F(140°C). Heat the cream and

vanilla bean in a saucepan over low heat until simmering. Remove from

the heat and let stand for 1 hour.

2

Using the tip of a knife, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean

into the cream. Discard the bean or save for another use. Whisk the egg

yolks and granulated sugar together in a bowl. Whisk in the cream

mixture. Strain through a wire sieve into a glass measuring cup. Pour

equal amounts into six 6oz (175ml) ramekins. Place the ramekins in a

roasting pan and add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides.  

3

Bake until the custards are barely set, about 40 minutes.

Remove the ramekins from the pan and cool. Cover with plastic wrap and

chill in the refrigerator at least 2 hours.

4

To serve, position a broiler rack 6in (15cm) from the source of

heat and preheat the broiler. Sprinkle 2 tsp demerara sugar evenly over the

top of each custard. Broil until the

sugar caramelizes. Serve immediately.  

Salsa Verde

             This strong-flavored green sauce is packed with herbs and  very versatile

scallions, white and green

parts, minced

3 tbsp bottled capers, rinsed

and chopped

4 anchovy fillets in oil, rinsed

and minced

1 garlic clove, minced

3 tbsp chopped parsley

2 tbsp chopped basil

2 tbsp chopped mint

2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp sherry vinegar

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

makes 4 servings -prep 15 mins

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Prepare ahead The salsa can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours; let come to room temperature before serving.

1.

Combine the scallions, capers,anchovies, and garlic in a bowl.

Stir in the parsley, basil, and mint. 

2

Using a fork, stir in the mustard, then the vinegar.

Gradually stir in the oil. Season with salt and pepper. 

3

Transfer to a serving bowl. Let stand for an hour or so 

to blend the flavors. Serve at room temperature.

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Good with grilled oily fish, such as mackerel, trout, sea bass or tuna.

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Leftovers can be stirred into hot, cooked pasta for a quick midweek

supper. There is no need to heat the salsa, it will be warmed through by

the hot pasta.