Cucumber Salad

3 cucumbers
3 tbl minced chives or dill
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 tbl lemon juice
1 cup sour cream


Pare and slice cucumbers. Add remaining ingredients and chill at least 10 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.

German Red Cabbage

3 slices bacon, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium head red cabbage, sliced very thin
3 medium apples, cored, pared and diced
1 tbl lemon juice
1 tbl brown sugar
3 tbl vinegar
1/3 c red wine
1 tsp caraway seed
2 tsp cornstarch


In Dutch oven or deep skillet, fry bacon until crisp. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper; reserve for later use. In bacon fat, fry onion until translucent. Meanwhile, soak cabbage in water 15 minutes. Transfer cabbage and water that clings to it to pan with onions. Sprinkle apples with lemon juice and add to pan. Add brown sugar, two tablespoons of the vinegar, wine and caraway seeds. Mix well and simmer, tightly covered, about 45 minutes or until slightly thickened and tender, stirring occasionally. Dissolve cornstarch in remaining vinegar and add to cabbage, stirring until thick. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Black Walnut Kuchen

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tbl baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg


Topping:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbl flour
2 tbl butter or margarine, softened
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup flaked coconut
1/4 cup finely chopped black walnuts or English walnuts




Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all ingredients except Topping; beat vigorously 1 minute. Spread batter in greased baking pan, 13x9x2 inches. In a small bowl, mix Topping. Sprinkle Topping over batter. Bake until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm.

Apfelkuchen

2 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
4 cups apples - peeled, cored and diced


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour one 9x13 inch cake pan. In a mixing bowl, beat oil and eggs with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat well. Combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and ground cinnamon together in a bowl. Slowly add this mixture to the egg mixture and mix until combined. The batter will be very thick. Fold in the apples by hand using a wooden spoon. Spread batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until cake tests done with a toothpick. Let cake cool on a wire rack. Serve with a dusting of confectioners' sugar.

Warmer Kartoffelsalat

3 medium potatoes, boiled in skins
3 slices bacon
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 tbl flour
2 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp celery seeds
1/4 tsp pepper
3/8 cup water
2 1/2 tbl vinegar


Peel potatoes and slice paper thin. Saute bacon slowly in a frypan, then drain on paper towels. Saute onion in bacon fat until golden brown. Blend in flour, sugar, salt, celery seeds, and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in water and vinegar. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute. Carefully stir in the potatoes and crumbled bacon bits. Remove from heat, cover and let stand until ready to serve.

Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese

8 oz dry macaroni, cooked
3 - 4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
12 oz can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients, except 1 cup cheese, in greased crockpot. Sprinkle remaining cup cheese over top. Cover. Cook on low 3 - 4 hours.

Cranberry Almond Bread

2 eggs, beaten
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup water
1 tsp almond extract
1/4 cup melted butter
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 cups sugar
1 cup chopped almonds
2 cups chopped cranberries

Combine eggs, juice, water, almond extract and butter. Sift dry ingredients and blend well with creamed mixture. Add almonds and cranberries. Turn into 2 greased and wax-paper lined loaf pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes. Lower heat to 300 degrees and bake 40 minutes more. Remove bread from pans and peel wax paper before cooling.

Kells Guinness Meatballs

2 pounds ground beef
1/4 cup sweet onions, finely diced
1 Tbl. plus 1 tsp. garlic, finely minced
2 Tbl. plus 2 tsp. fresh basil, finely minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely minced
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. pepper
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 375 deg. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except eggs. Crack eggs in a separate bowl and add to meat mixture. Blend by hand until just incorporated.

Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place on large sheet pans. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until 160 deg. Shake pans occasionally to allow meat to brown on all sides.

Remove pans from oven Pour Kells Guinness Cream Sauce (see below) over meatballs and serve.


Kells Guinness Cream Sauce

14 ounces beef broth
2 Tbl corn starch
3/4 cup Guinness draught stout
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic, finely minced
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature

In a small bowl, mix 2 - 3 ounces beef broth with corn starch. Set aside.

Combine remaining broth and other ingredients, except heavy cream, in heavy saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add heavy cream. When cream is blended, slowly drizzle in cornstarch mixture, whisking until incorporated. Simmer for 10 minutes, whisking occasionally.

(Recipe from chef Ethan Light, Kells Irish Restaurant and Pub, Portland, Oregon and published in a newspaper).

Note: double this recipe uses approximately one can of Guinness beer and fits nicely in a 5 Qt. crockpot.

Death by Chocolate

4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup oil

Beat the above ingredients in a large bowl until thoroughly mixed. Add:

1 chocolate cake mix
1 small box instant chocolate pudding mix

Beat until smooth. Stir in:

1 -12 oz package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Pour into buttered Bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for one hour. When cool, sift powdered sugar on top.

Variation: Replace 1/4 cup water with Grand Marnier.