Chicken and Dumplings

For the stew:

1 quart chicken stock, homemade or store-bought

3 to 3 1/2 pounds chicken thighs and breasts, skin-on, bone-in, trimmed of excess fat

2 teaspoons butter or extra virgin olive oil, or a combination of both

Salt

1 large onion, roughly chopped (about 2 cups)

2 to 3 ribs celery, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)

3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup dry sherry or vermouth, optional

3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

1 tablespoon heavy cream, optional

Ground black or white pepper

For the dumplings

2 cups (250g) cake flour (see recipe note)

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup minced fresh herb leaves such as parsley, chives, and tarragon, optional

2 tablespoons butter, melted

3/4 cup milk

Bring the chicken stock to a simmer. Salt the chicken. In a separate, deep pan, heat the olive oil and brown the chicken in batches starting skin-side down to render the fat from the skin. Turn off heat. Remove and discard skin from chicken. Simmer chicken in stock over low heat for ~20 minutes. Remove chicken and when cooled, remove meat from bones and chop into 1-2” chunks. Using pan used to brown chicken, saute onions, celery, carrot and thyme until soft but not browned (~4-5’). Add flour to vegetables and cook 4-5’, stirring constantly to prevent it from burning. Add sherry, followed by chicken stock—one ladle-full at a time to prevent the flour from clumping. Add the chicken and simmer while preparing the dumplings. 

For the dumplings: Mix flour, baking powder, salt and option herbs. Add melted butter and melt and mix until just combined. Drop dumplings into chicken broth by heaping teaspoon-full. Cover and simmer for 15’. Do NOT uncover the pan. After 15’, check dumpings with a toothpick and cook and additional 5-10’ if necessary. Gently stir in peas, parsley and cream. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Source.  

Wildschweingulasch

 Source

• 800g Wild boar shoulder cut into pieces
• 2 Onions
• 2 Carrots
• 1/4 Celeriac
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 40 g flour
• 80 ml sunflower oil
• 2 tblsp. tomato paste
• 500 ml dry red wine
• 5 black peppercorns
• 2 cloves
• 3 juniper berries
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 1-2 glasses game stock (or water, until the meat is covered)
• 20 g semi-sweet chocolate (70%)
• 1-2 tblsp. lingonberry jam

Drain the meat and cut into equal pieces, about 4 cm cubes. Cut the onions, carrots and celeriac into 1 cm cubes. Season the meat with salt and pepper and coat with the flour.

Heat the oil in a deep pan. Brown the meat in the hot oil in two portions and drain in a sieve.Cook  the carrots, celeriac and onions in the reamining oil for ~5 minutes

Add the tomato paste and cook for a further 2 minutes. Finally, deglaze with 100 ml of the red wine. Add the meat back to the pan along with the spices (in a cloth sack, if available). Stir through once and gradually add the rest of the red wine of high heat.

Add the stock or water until the meat is just covered, and simmer covered over low heat for around 2 hours. Remove the spices, and season the Gulasch with the chocolate, salt and pepper.Serve with lingonberry jam.

Pad Thai

Probably not authentic, but easy and delicious nonetheless.

Sauce:

• Juice from 1-2 limes
• 2 Tblsp. soy sauce
• 1-2 Tblsp. fish sauce (I use 1 1/2 Tblsp.)
• 1 Tblsp. dried shrimp, finely chopped
• 2 Tblsp. brown/palm sugar

Rest of the ingredients:

• 1 Tblsp. cooking oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 Thai chili, finely chopped
• 1-2 chicken breasts, sliced thin
• 1/2 package (200 g) 5mm-wide rice noodles
• 1 cup soy bean sprouts
• 2 green onions, chopped into rings
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup peanuts (preferably unsalted), chopped

Put noodles in a bowl and pour boiling water over them to cover. Break apart the noodles a bit with a pasta spoon to keep them from sticking together. Let noodles sit in hot water until they are soft (about 10-15 minutes, which should be about enough time to slice/chop/prepare the other ingredients). Mix the ingredients for the sauce in a small cup or bowl. Heat oil in a wok or deep pot over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, crush garlic into it and add chopped chili. Immediately add chicken breast and fry until cooked through. Drain noodles and add them to chicken, stir briefly, and then add the sauce ingredients. Cook sauce until sugar is dissolved and the sauce begins to stick to the noodles. Add green onions and bean sprouts and stir to mix. Lower heat to medium. Then, push the noodle mixture to the side, and break an egg into the free space. Scramble egg, cook until semi-solid, and cut into strips with a spatula. When the egg is cooked through, stir it into the noodle mixture. Finally, stir in the chopped peanuts.

Makes two large servings.

Variations:

• to add shrimp to the basic recipe, omit one chicken breast. If shrimp is cooked, add to noodle mixture with bean sprouts and green onions. If shrimp is uncooked, I would probably fry it with the chicken (but I've never done this).
• if noodles are too spicy, omit the chili.
• if noodles aren't spicy enough, either add more chilis at the beginning or top finished noodles with ground dried red chilis.
• For more color and/or vegetables, add tomato slices to finished noodles and/or add sliced/shredded carrots or leeks to frying chicken when it is not quite cooked through. Alternatively, top with a few sprouts or sprinkle on some chopped peanuts.

Tamales

Filling

• 600g pork roast
• 2 onions (cut in half length-wise)
• 4 cloves garlic, whole
• 2-4 Tblsp. ancho chili powder (to taste)
• ground cumin (also to taste)

Masa

• 3 cups masa harina for tortillas (e.g. Maseca)
• 3/4 cup lard
• ~2 1/2 cups pork broth (reserved from making the filling)
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• ancho chili powder

Day 1:
Put pork roast into a pan with onion and garlic and cover with water (be sure to use plenty of water because you will need it for preparing the masa later. Having a little left over is OK, too--it can be used to make beans.). Lightly salt the water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for >2 hours--until pork can be easily pulled apart with a fork. Remove and shred pork. Remove garlic cloves, smash with a fork and mix with pork. Reserve broth. Discard onions (onions can also be blended and added back to the broth, but we don't have a blender so this isn't an option). Mix pork with chili powder and cumin to taste. Keep in refrigerator overnight.
Soak corn husks in water overnight. You will need ~24 of medium size for the tamales plus several to line the bottom and the top of the steamer insert while cooking the tamales (the latter can be of a more dubious quality, i.e. very large or small or have tears in them).
Day 2:
Masa: mix masa harina, baking powder, salt, and enough chili powder to turn mixture pink. Cut lard into masa harina mixture using fingertips. Add enough of the pork broth from day 1 to give the masa a spreadable consistency (~2.5 cups, considerably more or less depending on how damp your masa harina is).
Assembling the tamales: with the pointed end toward you, spread a thin (1/8"-1/4") layer on the ~2/3 of the corn husk furthest from you (the broad end), also leaving a narrow strip (~1/4") free on the left and right sides of the corn husk. Place a line of meat down the center of the masa-lined husk, fold the left 1/3 over the filling, then fold the right 1/3 over, and finish by folding the empty portion of the husk (the pointy end) up over the filled portion. (This sounds really complicated, but there are lots of videos on YouTube demonstrating this technique.) Place the tamal on a plate with the folded side down to keep it from unfolding and move on to the next tamal.
Cooking the tamales: use a pot with a steamer insert that is large enough to fit the tamales standing on their ends. We used a large IKEA pot with the pasta insert. Fill the bottom of the pot with enough water that it doesn't come through the bottom of the steamer insert. Line the bottom of the insert with corn husks. Place the tamales in the pot, standing on their ends, open end up (if your pot is too big enough or, more likely, you have too few tamales, there are other methods of stacking the tamales so that you won't lose the filling on the internet). Line the top of the insert with more corn husks. Finally, place a damp kitchen towel on top and cover with a lid. Steam the tamales over medium-high heat, adding water when necessary, until the masa easily comes away from the corn husk, around 1 hour and 15 minutes.
This recipe is a combination of the recipes here (mostly for making the masa from mara harina for tortillas) and here (mostly for the filling). Both links contain a number of helpful photos and tips.
Makes: ~24

Cochinita Pibil

• 600-750g pork roast or pork shoulder
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 25g (1/4 bar) achiote condimente
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• juice from two limes
• 1 Tablespoon concentrated white vinegar (4 Tblsp. wine or cider vinegar)
• 1 Habenero or jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Cut pork into large cubes, cover with lightly salted water, and cook for 1-2 hours until pork can easily be shredded. In the mean time, mash the onion some with a mortar and pestle. Mix in garlic and achiote. Then, add orange and lime juice and vinegar, and mix well. (Alternatively, put everything in a blender and blend.) When the pork is done, remove broth and reserve. Shred the pork with two forks, and return to pan. Add the achiote mix and enough broth to barely cover, and cook, partially covered, for 1.5-2 hours--until pork has absorbed most of the cooking liquid.  For spicier pork add habenero or jalapeno to achiote mix.
Adapted from here and here.

Pork fajitas

• ~1 lbs. (400-500g) lean pork cut (e.g. pork loin)
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 large or 2 medium onions
• 2 green bell peppers
• ~1 tsp. olive oil

Cut pork into bite-sized strips. Mix with lime, cumin, and salt, and marinade for 15 minutes-24 hours. Cut onion and pepper into thin strips. Heat oil in frying pan over medium heat. When pan is hot, add pork and fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring once. Add peppers and onion, stir, and fry until done (~5 minutes), stirring occasionally. Serve with flour tortillas and choice of condiments.

Adapted from Eat Better America.

Thai Chicken Soup

Like Tom Kha Kai, but using ginger instead of galangal, and probably there are lots of other things about it that aren't exactly original.

Makes: 6 servings

Cost per serving (Heidelberg): ~€1,95 (includes the cost of chicken to make stock)

Calories per serving: ~253

Ingredients:

• 6 cups (~1½ liters) chicken stock
• 2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced
• 1 stalk lemongrass
• 4 kaffir lime leaves
• 1½ cups shiitake or other mushrooms, sliced
• 2" fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tomato, cut in wedges
• 2 Thai chilies, minced (or substitute crushed red pepper flakes)
• ½ 14-oz. or 400-g can coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• fresh Thai basil leaves (for garnish)
• green onions, sliced (for garnish)
• wheat or rice noodles

Mince the bulb portion of the lemongrass stalk.  Keep the upper part of the stalk.

Bring the chicken stock to a boil over medium-high heat.  Add chicken, mushrooms, lemongrass (both the minced part and the stalk), lime leaves, and chilies.  Boil or simmer until chicken is cooked.

Over medium heat, add ginger, coconut milk, fish sauce, and tomato.  Stir well and simmer 1-2 minutes. 

Meanwhile, cook the wheat or rice noodles in a separate pot according to package directions.

Turn heat to minimum.  Add lime juice and stir.  Taste the soup - if it's too sour, add 1 tsp. palm or brown sugar.  Make other changes as needed.

Put noodles in bowls and ladle soup over them.  Sprinkle with basil and onions.

Thai curry chicken pizza

A recipe of my own invention

Makes: 2 pizzas - 4 servings

Cost per serving (Heidelberg): ~€1,81

Calories per serving: ~541

Crust:

• Basic Pizza Dough

Toppings:

• 200ml (half a can) coconut milk
  
• 1 1/2 Tblsp. red curry paste
  
• 2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced
• 1 Tblsp. brown sugar
• 1 Tblsp. fish sauce
• 1/2 lime
• 1 pkg. (200g) grated pizza cheese
• 1/4 onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 250C.

Topping: heat curry paste and 100ml coconut milk in a pan until a red oily film starts to form over the surface and the mixture begins to simmer. Add chicken and cook just until chicken is white all the way through. Add enough coconut milk to provide enough sauce for pizza but so that the sauce remains somewhat thick. Remove from heat and add fish sauce and brown sugar.
Assembly: Divide pizza dough into two parts. Roll out one crust to fit oven/pan and transfer to baking paper. Spread out 1/2 of the cooked chicken on the crust and add up to half of the sauce and spread over the crust. Sprinkle some lime juice over the chicken and sauce. Sprinkle on 100g of the cheese, then distribute half of the onion and bell pepper. Transfer to a hot baking stone, and reduce heat to 175C. Bake for 15 minutes. Repeat with second crust.

Schweinegeschnetzeltes (Pork...Geschnetzeltes)

I just learned that "die Geschnetzelte" means "meat cut into strips". Huh. This is a recipe that I made up, so my recipe may not be the definitive way to make Geschnetzeltes, but it turns out pretty good.

Makes: 4 servings

Cost per serving (Heidelberg): ~€1,34 (with rice: ~€1,48)

Calories per serving: ~329 (with rice: 534)

Ingredients:

• 1-2 tsp. oil (for frying)
• about 350g boneless pork loin cut into steaks
• 1 onion, chopped
• 300-400g mushrooms
• 300ml stock (chicken, pork, or vegetable)
• 150g creme fraiche
• enough Mondamin or Wondra flour to thicken the gravy (about 2 tablespoons)
• pinch of ground nutmeg
• pinch of ground cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped (optional)

Brown pork in oil over medium to medium-low heat until almost cooked through (still slightly pink in center), cut into strips, and set aside. In the mean time, fry the onions in the oil used for browning over medium heat until translucent (~2-5 minutes). Add the mushrooms and cook for ~2 minutes over medium heat until mushrooms are soft. Add the stock, bring to a boil, and reduce by half over medium-high heat. Add the pork and simmer for 1-2 additional minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in creme fraiche. Thicken the sauce with gravy flour then add the nutmeg, cayenne pepper, and, if desired, the parsley. Serve with rice, egg noodles, or Spaetzle.

Beef & Bean Chili

Makes: 4-5 servings

Cost per serving (Heidelberg): ~1,77€ (if 4 servings, excludes cheese/chips)

Ingredients:

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 500 grams (~1 lb) ground beef
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1½ tablespoons cumin
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup masa harina or other corn flour (masa harina is available in Germany from Amazon)
• 2 14-oz/400-g cans beans of your choice
• 1 14-oz/400-g can tomato pieces
• 2 medium-sized spicy chilis (jalapenos if available), sliced
• pepper
• shredded cheese (optional)
• corn chips (optional)

Brown the beef with the garlic.  Drain the fat, then add the tomato sauce, oregano, cumin, cayenne, chili powder, and salt.  Stir together, then cover and simmer for one hour.  Stir occasionally and add water if the mixture becomes dry.

After one hour, mix the corn flour with half a cup of water until smooth, then add to pot.  Stir, then add beans, chilis, tomatoes, and pepper to taste.  Simmer 10 more minutes.

Optional: Serve with shredded cheddar and crushed corn chips on top.

Frikadellen

These are sort of a cross between meatballs and hamburgers, German-style.

Makes: 12-14 Frikadellen (about 4 servings)

Cost per serving (Heidelberg): ~1,30€

Ingredients:

• 500 grams (about 1 lb.) ground meat (traditionally beef or pork)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• paprika

Mix together the meat, onion, parsley, bread crumbs, mustard, tomato paste, garlic, and salt/pepper/paprika (however much you like) until well-blended.  (Use your hands!)  Beat the egg and fold into the meat mixture.

Heat the oil. Form patties about the size of your palm and fry on each side until cooked through.*  Drain on paper towels.  Eat with bread, salad, potatoes, or whatever you want!

* Of course they can be made into any size - small meatballs, big hamburger patties, or whatever - but this is the size that will yield the number noted above.