Serranía Kitchen - recipes from around the world

German noodle casserole

This is similar to macaroni cheese, but much tastier.

Recipe details

Yield:              4  servings

Time:              Preparation time: 30 mins   Cook time: 20 mins   Total time: 50 mins 

Ingredients

• 500 g pasta (any pasta type goes)
• 3/4 cup butter (1/3 for the sauce and 1/2 for the topping)
• 1/3 cup flour
• 4 cups milk (dairy or non-dairy, eg almond milk)
• 1 whole egg (optional)
• 3/4 cup ham, diced
• 3/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

In a large pot of salted water, cook the pasta al dente according to the package instructions.

Drain, toss with some butter or oil, and set aside.

In a large pot, melt butter and add flour. Mix well and cook for 1 min.

While constantly whisking, gradually add the milk.

Simmer for about 5 mins until the sauce has thickened.

Whisk in the egg, if using.

Season with nutmeg, salt, and black pepper.

Place the pasta in a large baking dish.

Add diced ham and pour the white sauce over the pasta. Distribute evenly.

First, sprinkle the grated cheese, then the breadcrumbs over the dish. Place dollops of butter on top.

Bake in a preheated oven at 200˚C for about 20 mins or until golden-brown.

Variations and substitutions

Pasta: I recommend using rigatoni, macaroni, or other smaller shapes but you can use your favourite pasta.

Flour: you can replace regular all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour or spelt flour.

Milk: you can use any milk, either regular or non-dairy, eg almond milk.

Butter: while butter is best for this recipe, you can also use for example avocado oil, canola oil, or olive oil.

Ham: you can use any ham or prosciutto. Or completely omit it for a vegetarian version.

Cheese: parmesan is the classic cheese for this noodle dish but you can use other cheeses such as gruyere or cheddar.

Additional ingredients: you could replace some of the milk with heavy cream or sour cream.

Extra flavours: Less traditional but very flavourful would be to add ground beef, diced tomatoes, caramelized onion, green beans, or your favourite vegetables.

Accompaniment

Since this dish is pretty substantial, I feel that it is perfect on its own with a green salad on the side for a complete meal.

To drink

A refreshing Hefeweizen (wheat beer) from Germany is perfect. Aldi and LIDL sell it, as do Mercadona and Carrefour/Supeco.

German brands I have bought locally include Erdinger, Franziskaner, Oettinger, Paulaner, and LIDL's own brand Patronus.

Non-German wheat beers include Mahou (Madrid) and Sagra (Toledo).

Prost!

© Rita Whitelock

Translated from the original German by A1 Translations (www.help-me-ronda.com)

Tags: Aldi, almond milk, butter, Carrefour, cheese, egg, Erdinger, Franziskaner, green salad, Hefeweizen, La Sagra, LIDL, macaroni, macaroni cheese, Mahou, Mercadona, noodle casserole, Nudelauflauf, Oettinger, olive oil, pasta, Paulaner, Patronus, Rita Whitelock, spelt flour, Supeco, wheat beer, whole wheat flour

This one-pot chicken cauliflower soup is full of vegetables and protein. Shredded chicken and chunks of cauliflower all in a creamy base that is gluten-free and dairy-free. Made with real food ingredients, this hearty and healthy soup is perfect for a cold winter's night in Iowa, Siberia, the Serrania de Ronda or indeed anywhere on the chilly side.

Chicken Cauliflower Soup

This easy and comforting soup is packed with real food ingredients like chicken, cauliflower, and carrots, plus the flavour of fresh herbs and spices. Perfect for when you're feeling under the weather, or just want to cosy up with a bowl of hot soup.

Yield:     4  servings

Time:      Preparation: 10 mins         Cooking time: 35 mins            Total time: 45 mins

Photo: Goop

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, chopped
• 2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp. dried thyme)
• 1 tbsp. chopped garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground pepper
• 500g chicken breasts
• 4 cups cauliflower florets
• 3 bay leaves
• 4 cups chicken bone broth (or regular chicken broth)

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large suacepan over medium-low heat.

Add in the onion, carrots, and leeks and sautéed vegetables, stirring occasionally, until soft and the onions are translucent (about 10 minutes).

Stir in the thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the chicken breasts, cauliflower, bay leaves, and then the broth on top of the vegetables. Ensure the chicken and cauliflower are submerged in the broth.

Bring to the boil, and then cover, reduce heat, and simmer until chicken is cooked (this should take 10-15 minutes depending on how large your chicken breasts are).

Remove cooked chicken and bay leaves from soup and discard the bay leaves.

Using 2 forks, shred the chicken and set aside.

In a blender, puree some of the soup. If you want it extra creamy, puree for longer. If you want a less creamy base, puree for just a few seconds.

After the soup is blended, add the shredded chicken back to the pan. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Tips

If your chicken breasts are on the large side, you can cut them in half before adding to the soup to reduce cooking time.

After the soup has simmered, taste and adjust seasonings to your preference.

To Drink

A good stout should the trick.

You can find Guinness worldwide, but there are other alternatives. In Spain, Steam Beer (Germany - LIDL) does a nice one for around 1 euro for 500ml. Other good Spanish stouts include Mahou (Madrid) and La Sagra (Castilla La Mancha).

Photo: El Jardin del Lupulo

© The Crazy Guy

Tags: broth, carrot, cauliflower, chicken, dairy-free, garlic, gluten-free, Guinness, La Sagra, leek, LIDL, Mahou, onion, soup, Steam Beer, stout, thyme, vegetables

By Pablo de Ronda

For this hearty dish you can either use left-over potatoes or start from scratch. Ideal for cold Serrania winter evenings.

Photo: Food Network

Recipe details

Makes: 6  servings

Preparation time: 20 minutes   Cook time: 5 minutes              Total time: 25 minutes

Main Ingredients

• 4 medium to large potatoes about 1 kilo
• 3 ounces cream cheese (softened)
• 1 tablespoon butter (softened)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For The Compound Butter

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened)
• 1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove (minced)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For The Fried Mash Potato Cake Breading

• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Peel and quarter your potatoes. Boil the potatoes in salted water until they are fork tender (about 12-15 minutes).

Drain the potatoes and mash or mix them until they are free of any lumps, then mix in the sour cream, cream cheese, butter, and salt and pepper. Beat with a mixer until fluffy.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

To make the compound butter cut or mix in all the ingredients with the softened butter until uniformly mixed. Place the butter on a sheet of plastic wrap and use the plastic wrap to form the butter into a log, about 1 inch thick. Wrap in the plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.

When you are ready to cook preheat your frying pan to medium-high heat, (about 400 degrees).

Mix the breadcrumbs with the crumbled Parmesan cheese in a bowl or pan.

Remove the chilled potatoes from the refrigerator. Scoop about ½ cup of mashed potatoes and form a round ball.

Roll the potato ball in the breading and place on a sheet of aluminium foil. Repeat with the remaining potatoes.

Oil the frying pan and working in batches place the potato ball in the pan and press the ball down gently with a spatula to flatten slightly. Cook for about 1.5-2 minutes then flip the potato cake over.

Cook the other side for about 1.5 minutes then top each fried mashed potato cake with about a tablespoon of the compound butter during the final 30 seconds of cooking.

Remove and serve warm.

These fried mashed potato cakes are the perfect side dish for steaks, along with mushrooms in a cream sauce and broccoli or Brussels sprouts.

     Photo: Healthy Food Guide

Drinks

Serve with a full-bodied oak-aged red from Ribera del Duero or the non-alcoholic drink of your choice.

Enjoy!

    Photo: Vega Seleccion

© Pablo de Ronda

Tags: breading, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, butter, compound butter, herbes de Provence, mashed potato, mushrooms, Pablo de Ronda, potato cake, Ribera del Duero, steak,