I
have this a few times a week now and I love it. Peel and slice your
chosen vegetables, put them in a large bowl and pour over one tablespoon
of salt. About an hour later, when the vegetables have wilted, wash all
the salt off and allow the vegetables to sit in a colander to drain. Then make your spiced vinegar. You’ll need a large glass
jar and the following ingredients.
is not preserving/canning, it’s refrigerator pickles that will be eaten
during the following week so your jars don’t need to be sterilised but
they must be clean.
Following is the pickling liquid I use. It
won’t be to everyone’s taste, I love vinegar, but I want you to start
with this recipes and modify it to your taste. I don’t add the water to
mine, I want the full vinegar taste – I drink the left-over vinegar
😍. You may add more or less sugar, different vegetables or spices or no
spices at all. Just play around with it till you find what you like.
It’s a delicious addition to grilled or barbequed meat, chicken or fish
meal.
PICKLING LIQUID
- 2 cups white or apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- pickling spices (optional)
- Bay leaf
Place
all ingredients in a saucepan and heat on the stove. Bring to the boil,
then simmer for ten minutes. When it’s ready, allow it to sit and brew
for an hour or so. I sieve out the spice mix as I’m adding everything
to the jar. Cover the vegetables with the liquid and put the lid on.
Store in the fridge for a week. These are delicious served with any
meat, eggs, fish or on sandwiches.
This German meal is a filling and delicious recipe that everyone will love. It’s great for vegetarians or served with a salad, makes a delicious meal.
KARTOFFEL PUFFERS
Serves 4
- 6 large potatoes
- 2 large onions
- 3 eggs
- ¼ cup flour
- salt and pepper
Put about ½ cup of oil in a frying pan, heat to medium heat then add ¼ – ½ cup circles of the potato mix. When the first side is golden brown, turn it over and cook the other side. Each one takes about 5 or 6 minutes and you can usually fit 4 into the pan at one time. If you’re making a large amount, use two pans.
Drain on a clean cotton cloth or paper towel and use a new paper towel or clean cotton cloth on the base of the glass box for best storage. Leftover cooked puffers
can be stored in the fridge for three or four days and eaten with a
variety of salads or sausages. Reheat in the microwave or in a dry frying pan on low heat.
SAUERKRAUT
I used to grow cabbages in winter and then make enough sauerkraut from them to last about nine months.This is great as a side dish to mix in with salads and for cooked meats. The post I wrote about it is here.
- 2 cups plain/all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder (fresh)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 peeled and grated apple
Place all ingredients in a bowl and beat until it’s a smooth batter with no lumps. Add the grated apple. Allow to stand for 1 hour before cooking. Leftover batter can be stored in the fridge for another day. I cook one large round pancake then cut it into triangles because I can’t be bothered fiddling with the small round shapes.
You can pre-cook the chicken on the weekend or during the week as you prepare that night’s meal. It will take five minutes to start it cooking and just remember to remove it from the heat about an hour later.
Boil a chicken in water, a bay leaf and parsley according to it’s size. About an hour will do most chickens. When it’s cooked, remove it from the broth and when it’s cooled a little, portion the flesh according to your taste – shredded or larger portions, and store it in a sealed container. Pour the broth into a container and store in the fridge. During the week you can make chicken curry, hunter’s chicken, chicken tacos or plain chicken with vegetables. Use the chicken broth for your sauces or make a simple soup by adding sliced vegetables and either rice or small pasta and cook for a further 30 minutes.
DRINKS ETC.
And don’t forget your drinks, snacks, sauces, chutneys and desserts. I always have a jar of lemons or limes in the fridge over summer. When I have a drink I can add a slice of sweetened lemon to the iced water. It’s suitable for iced tap water or carbonated water from a Soda Stream. When you get to the end of the slices, add the syrup to your drinks too, by then it will have a wonderful sharp lemon taste. A one litre jar will take three large lemons.
All you need to do is to add sugar syrup to your lemon slices. Sugar syrup is usually equal parts water to sugar. However, I use light syrup which is 2 cups tap water to 1 cup white sugar. Mix together in a saucepan and heat it on the stove. As soon as the sugar dissolves, add it to the lemon, seal and store in the fridge.
I also should add that if you have your own vacuum sealing system (I don’t but I wish I had one) you could peel and slice your vegetables and store them in the fridge. Put all the mixed vegies in one bag, don’t bother separating them. That would cut down a lot of time in overall meal prep.
HOMEMADE SAUCES AND JAMS
I have this gravy mix made up and sitting next to my stove. It’s so easy to make gravy or sauce after I finish cooking the meat. No more going to the pantry to find the seasonings, flour, spices etc. All you do is add the mix, stir and add water. It’s a real winner.