Scalloped potatoes

or potatoes au gratin. Same thing in my book. It's been called both in my family and I have no clue why. OK, I found an answer here https://www.thekitchn.com/scalloped-potatoes-au-gratin-difference-261486 .

That makes my recipe, Potatoes au gratin.

My gram made it with ham in it and so do I, sometimes. This recipe makes a 'pan' 8x8 or 9x9 is normal. I have some lovely small pans as well (approx 6.5 x 4.5 inches) that 1/3 of the recipe fits in nicely.

Preheat oven to 400°

3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
3 cloves garlic (minced)
3 Tbsp Onion (very fine)
1 C Broth
2 C Milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4-6 C Potatoes sliced (1/4 in thick)
2 C Cheese (shredded)

Melt the butter, on med low
Saute the onion and garlic
Add the flour and cook for 1 min
Slowly add the broth and milk
Add salt and pepper
Cook until thickened

Butter your pan

Add 1/3 of the potatoes in a layer covering the bottom completely
Add 1/3 of the cheese sprinkled on top. Add grated or thin sliced ham too if you like
Cover with 1/3 of the liquid
Place another layer of potatoes and repeat
Cover with final layer of potatoes, cheese and sauce

Cover with aluminum foil (I butter it so that the sauce/cheese don't stick, Place this on a sheet or another piece of foil
Bake for 1/2 hour
Remove foil, you can add extra cheese if you like
Bake for another 1/2 hour to 45 min

Ham is optional.... never tried bacon though the thought sounds good

Forgotten salad

As a kid, my grandmother made a 3 bean salad. I liked it ok and it was a staple in the house. Almost always a glass bowl covered in plastic wrap was found on a shelf in the fridge. I can picture it still. It was nothing fancy. Canned beans and a simple oil, vinegar, and sugar dressing.I have thought about this salad off and on but one of the components I have just never seen here in Germany. Wax beans. No clue why not, it just seems they don't exist, until last week. Last week I was looking for a jar of roasted red peppers and saw it there, a jar of wax beans (wachsbohnen) and I knew it was time to make salad. I grabbed a jar, even though it was bigger than the typical can size. I grabbed the other ingredients determined to go home and make some salad.

1 can of green beans
1 can of wax beans
1 can of kidney beans

1/2 cup oil (canola or veg oil)
1/2 cup vinegar (white or white wine)
1/2 cup sugar

Tarragon
Salt
Pepper

Rinse the kidney beans well!, Just drain the other ones.
Let sit for several hours before serving. ie, make it in the morning or the day before

I used fresh tarragon because I had none dry and there was some fresh in my neighbors herbs. It is not a flavor I am overly familiar with but it is lovely in this dressing with the beans. This would pair well with dill too or maybe your favorite herb. Keep it singular and keep it light.

Banana Cream Pie

Growing up this was a favorite whenever we went out to a restaurant that had it. A good creamy filling with real banana, and not flavoring, topped with real whipped cream and a sprinkle of mace on top. For years I have been looking for a decent recipe but they have all contained banana flavoring or are the equivalent of vanilla pudding with chopped bananas on the bottom. So I dug into 'The Joy of Cooking' to see what it had to say. What I found is fantastic, a vanilla custard with banana mixed in. Their recipe says to cut the banana and I decided to mash it. They added theirs when the mixture cooled and I added mine while it was still warm. * DO NOT ADD WHILE WARM. (filling didn't set 😢)

The crust varies recipe to recipe, from normal pie crust to graham cracker crusts to cookie crusts (Nilla wafers)  to combo crusts. I normally love a good Nilla wafer crust but not being able to get them here in Germany I have opted to use Leibniz (butter cookies) and add vanilla sugar to the crust.

The filling is simple:
4 egg yolks
1/3 c sugar (I put 2 packets of vanilla sugar and filled up the cup)
1 Tbsp flour
2 cups milk (scalded)
1 tsp vanilla (not needed if you use vanilla sugar)

1 banana (or more if you like, chopped or mashed)

First scald the milk (by bringing to a light boil)
Over a double boiler mix the yolks with the sugar and flour
Slowly add the scalded milk
Stir constantly until thick
Remove from heat
Cool for a bit, add banana

Pour into the pre prepared crust
Cover the filling with plastic and cool completely

Before serving whip some cream and top the pie, sprinkle mace on top (small amount and optional)

If you use a traditional crust you will need to prebake the shell

My crust:
11/2 c crushed cookies
1/4 cup
1/2 c melted butter

Mix the sugar with the crumbs
Add melted butter and stir until all the crumbs are moist
Press into a pie plate
Bake 350°f or 180°c for about 10 min
When It comes from the oven use the back of a spoon to make sure there are no cracks

I hate being sick

Not that anyone I know likes it, but especially right now. I have no one to make me tea, or a snack. My energy is available is quite limited supply and so it is one task at a time to get anything done. Like chicken soup. I started boiling the bones about 830 or so in the morning, drained them around 1030, stripped the meat at 1200. I am currently 'resting again, trying to gain the energy to cut up some carrot and onion to add. Even tea takes a huge amount of energy.

Really the best things when sick are toast, chicken soup and tea. Tea is best with ginger, honey and lemon.

I thankfully don't need to go to the store, not even for ginger ale because I make my own ginger syrup and now have a Sodastream! But it all still takes energy.

So ya, whiney post is whiney and I hate being sick.

It's zucchini time!

I don't have a garden but my neighbor does and it is overflowing with zucchini! so I figured I would talk about what I like to do with them. My neighbor she makes a soup of them ( Not my thing and no I don't have the recipe). I like to make zucchini bread and fritters from them. My zucchini bread recipe is basic, it comes from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, no idea what edition, I've had it since I was 18 though. It gives a list of spices to put in and that is how I used to do it until I discovered Poudre Forte, a medieval spice blend that is fantastic even in modern cooking contexts. It mixes the 'spicy' spices together and produces a beautiful blend that is good in everything from meatloaf, spaghetti sauce, and even to apple pie. You can get it from a place on line called Auntie Arwen's or you can blend your own with the recipe that is on Cariadoc's Miscellany. I buy mine pre made, usually from the Pepperer's Guild, its a slightly different blend than the other 2 but not a huge difference.

I know, I know, make with the recipes already lady, that's why I'm here! lol

Zucchini Bread:

1 1/2 c Flour
1/2 tsp Baking soda (natron in Germany)
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
1 c Sugar
1 C Shredded Zucchini ( just shred it, don't squeeze it)
1/4 c Cooking oil (Canola, Vegetable, Safflower, Sunflower. NOT olive)
1 egg
1/4 tsp lemon zest (optional)

In a medium mixing bowl mix together all the dry ingredients and the zest
Add the zucchini, egg and oil
Mix all together. It will start out dry but get wetter as you mix. If having trouble wait a minute and           stir some more. It will be thick!
Pour into a loaf pan that has been greased and floured
Bake at 350°f (or 170 - 180°c depending on your oven) for 55 to 60 min

You can substitute apples for the zucchini if you like


Now, those fritters I was talking about. I have two recipes I use and will start with my favorite. These are great because they have zucchini, quinoa and cheese! Cheese makes everything better!

Quinoa Zucchini Fritters:

2 c grated zucchini
1/2 tsp salt

1 c Water
1/2 c Quinoa

1 Egg
1/2 tsp Oregano (dry)
3 cloves Garlic (minced, I grate mine with the tiny holes and then give it a bit of a chop)
1 c Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
1 c Bread crumbs
salt and pepper

Oil to fry them in (they are not deep fried, it is just enough to keep them from sticking to the pan)

Grate the zucchini and sprinkle it with salt, set aside in a strainer, you will squeeze it before adding           to the mixture

Combine water and quinoa in a small pot
Bring to a boil, simmer 10 min
Remove from heat and let stand 10 min, fluff with a fork

Squeeze the zucchini dry as you can
Add all ingredients together, mix thoroughly

Fry in a pan for about 4 min per side


Second fritter recipe. This is zucchini and carrot. It is a pretty OK recipe and I am still playing with it a little. If you undercook them though they end up with a 'floury' taste, so make sure the oil is hot enough and you cook them long enough.

Carrot and Zucchini Fritters:

2 C Zucchini ( Shredded and squeezed dry)
2 C Carrots ( Shredded)
2 clove Garlic (minced small)
2/3 c Flour
2 Eggs
1/3 c Scallion ( Optional. I have used 2 Tbsp of grated onion and it was delicious)
Salt and pepper to taste
Oil for frying (Olive oil works fine or use canola, vegetable, etc... These are deep fried so you need enough to deep fry in)


Mix, zucchini, carrot and garlic (onion if using)
Mix with flour, salt and pepper
Mix in the egg
* add scallion here if using

Heat the oil until it is shimmering

Fry in Tablespoons until golden brown

Serve with sour cream (schmand in Germany)

That's it folks, That's all I got right now... later!