One-Crust Pie with Onions: Zwiebelkuchen

When days are getting darker and colder it is time for some autums recipes. One of the most popular recipes in Germany is the 'Zwiebelkuchen'. It translates as 'German Onion Cake', but it is more or less a one-crust pie made with onions. You may change the ingredients as you wish - at least it is all only a question of taste.

It's the perfect dish if you have guests coming and like to enjoy some wine. All sorts of wine go down well with it - it's originally made in those regions where wine is being produced. Enough of the talking now. Let's get ready for some easy cooking. Read through the recipe and you will learn that it is a no-brainer - something for beginners.

Ingredients:

• Ready made yeast dough (or you prepare one by yourself)
• 2 lb Onions
• 2 oz Bacon (cut into small cubes or pieces)
• 2 Eggs
• 2 Tablespoons of Sour Cream
• Salt, Pepper, Sugar, Caraway
• Butter
• Some strong tasting cheese (optional)

This is how you do it:

• Spread the dough in a baking pan, so that there is sufficient space for the filling.
• Stir two eggs and two tablespoons of sour cream together, add salt, pepper and the caraway. You may also use some nutmeg and/or a teaspoon of instant broth ... it is not really needed, but i like it.
• Peel the onions, cut them into cubes, put them in a pan and bake them with butter until they are starting to become brown. Add one tablespoon of sugar and keep on baking for about 2 to 5 minutes.
• Cut Bacon into small pieces or cubes.
• Mix the baked onions with the sour cream & eggs, add the bacon and fill it all into the baking pan - onto your dough.
• Grate a little bit of cheese (whatever cheese you like, it should be one with a very intense taste) and spread it on top.
• Put it in the oven for about 45 minutes and enjoy the whole thing while it is still warm.

Mix Onions, Eggs & Sour Cream and Bacon and fill the dough with it.

This how it looks alike: German one-crust Pie with Onions or Zwiebelkuchen.

Cut it into pieces like a cake and serve with white Wine.

Ehhhmmmm .... No. It was not meant like this. Since when do Cats eat Onions?

Smörgastarta - An Update

Referring to my original post about swedish party food I have prepared a nicer one. See the recipe here: Recipe for Smörgostarta and be creative about it.

You may use whatever you like - meat, cheese, prawns, salad and other ingredients.

Instead of the healthy version in the older post I am using other ingredients here:

500 g Frischkäse - 1.1 lb Cream Cheese

400 g Naturjoghurt - 0.8 lb Yoghurt

200 g Mayonaise - 0.4 lb Mayonnaise

1 Strauss Petersilie - Parsley

200 g Käse (z.B. Schmelzkäse oder Camembert) - 0.4 lb Cheese

Knoblauch, Salz, Pfeffer - Garlic, Salt, Pepper

The topping is made with cucumber, salad, cheese, bacon and pepper. Choose whatever you like - there is no limit to your fantasy here. Eggs and prawns are also very common and they look spectacular.

As the swedish bread is usually not available, the layers are simply made by baking pizza dough.

Cutting out three large circle shaped layers will keep a large family happy. The more cheese you use, the more it is going to fill people. Don't forget to prepare it early (best: the day before your event is going to happen) and keep it in the fridge. It does not work, if you serve it shortly after preparation.

Swedish Party Food: Smörgastarta

As I plan a holiday in Sweden I was looking up some traditional recipes. Not an easy task if you do  not speak swedish. At least I found something very interesting: The swedish Smörgastarta. It is a "Sandwich Cake" and it seems that everyone in Sweden knows it. It's really easy to prepare and it tastes good after remaining in the refrigerator for a day. So it is the ideal party food.

Swedish people use whipped cream and mayonnaise. I did it differently and created a healthy and tasty version of it. Be creative - just use whatever you like. And here is how it works:

• Prepare a basic spread. I used a can of chickpeas (purréed) and yoghurt, garlic, salt and pepper. To make it taste better I added one tablespoon of mayonnaise.
• Split the spread in three portions. Add whatever you like to two of the portions. I prepared one portion with arugula and fresh oregano. The second portion was with very small cut cubes of tomato. The third portion remains the way it is.
• Spread four slices of toast (cut away the edges before) in one layer. Put the spread on top of the layer and prepare a second layer with four slices of toast. Now you put on the second spread and prepare another layer of bread.
• In the end you use your basic spread and coat the complete thing with it. Decorate with cucumber, olives, sausages, cheese, shrimps or whatever you like.

If you like to see an original recipe, look it up here: http://www.squidoo.com/smorgastarta.