Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Beer Bratwurst and Sauerkraut



Okay people, a recipe blog is not the right place for a life is funny post? Tough toenails! I had TWO glasses of scotch with honey, and I will post where I darn well please. Or at least where I have access!

Today mom wasn't feeling well, so I called Bob at work, and told him to come home with something simple to cook. I was supposed to go grocery shopping, but wasn't going to leave mom alone when she is sick. I had nothing in the house to cook. Nada. Zilch. Nunzig. Get the picture. I told him to bring home anything he wants that take less than thirty minutes to cook. The man of the house brought home bratwurst. An excellent choice. But did he bring home any side dishes to go with that. NO! HE DIDN't! He just figured we'd eat brats and bread. HELLOOOOOOOO! I'm on Atkins! I don't do bread! So I went to my cupboard, and found an emergency stash of sauerkraut. Who keeps an emergency stash of sauerkraut? Apparently I do, because there it was!
I made my famous (or infamous, depending the source) Microwave Beer Brats!
The recipe is:


Beer Brats with Sauerkraut
1 pound (or more, who cares so long as they fit in the container) fresh bratwurst
1 bottle of beer (the cheaper the better. Who wants to cook with expensive beer?)
1 can of sauerkraut.


Put brats in a microwave container. Pour beer over brats. Cover. Microwave on high for 10 minutes. Stir brats. Microwave on high, covered for another 10 minutes. Add sauerkraut and cover without heating for another 5 minutes. Serve. If your microwave is does not have a turntable, rotate the container about three times during the cooking time.

Why did I post this on life is funny? The fact that I have an emergency stash of sauerkraut is giving me the giggles...since my second glass of scotch and honey...

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Potato Salad

OK, today's recipe is brought to you by my Captain Obvious persona.

You see, during the summer, I NEVER buy Potato Salad. I don't trust the stores to have properly refrigerated it upon delivery. If mayonaisse is left out for a couple of hours during the summer, say goodbye pool, hello salmonella.

My family, however, likes potato salad. They especially like my aunt's who was kind enough to give me her recipe. I trust me and my own kitchen, so I make my own potato salad during the summer.

Potato Salad.
Ingredients
*Six large Idaho Potatos (My aunt boils them. I prefer to bake them. It is easier, and the salad tastes more potatoey.)
Three hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 hard boiled egg, sliced
1 cup of mayonaise (Captain Obvious suggests less if you prefer it drier, and more if you prefer it creamier)
1 Tablespoon of Paprika
*Red potatoes are also good. They give an entirely different flavor, as do Yukon Gold. These are smaller potatoes, so Captain Obvious suggests you use more..

Peal the skin from the cooked potato. Cut it into small pieces. Mix in the chopped hard boiled eggs. Add the mayonaisse, and mix. Place the sliced hard boiled eggs over the potato salad. Sprinkle the paprika over it. Refrigerate until serving.


I hope you enjoy this family recipe. As is true of most of my family recipes, you have to use your own judgement to determine your own family's preferences. But then, isn't that what we all do with any of our recipes?