One very hot summer day, my oldest cousin got married. It was the late nineteen hundreds, maybe 1990, the actual date I can’t remember but she was wearing very puffy sleeves on an elaborate dress. Her new husband was kind and friendly and had a very loud laugh. Thanksgiving rolled around and he brought a side dish from Czechoslovakia, his heritage. Most of our family was very used to the usual thanksgiving sides, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce that still has the ridges from the can when you are finally able to shake it onto a plate to slice. James brought sauerkraut. But not the usual sauerkraut that I had eaten in the past, from a plastic bag thing that was heated up and then served with corned beef or brisket. This sauerkraut was good. It was salty, it was sour, it was crunchy, it had little pieces of puffy bread in it. Middle school me was shocked, and ate more than was good for a 12 year old stomach.
I asked him when I was older, how do you make it? He told me to make some pork meatballs, and then some dumplings. You know, just regular dumplings, and then just make the sauerkraut, and put it all in. Clearly this was a passed down recipe that you just learn to cook from mama, who learned from grandmama, etc. So, in searching for the Czech Sauerkraut, I found this recipe from Becky Robins "Travel by Stove" which incorporates a roast pork, instead of meatballs, but makes for a main course or dinner like dish. Its assembled after making all the components and putting the dumplings and sauerkraut together and then the pork on top, or in the center with the rest surrounding it. As a note, this dish and Czech dishes tend to be salty, so adjust this amount according to how much salt you personally prefer.
Veprova Pecene (Roast Pork)
Ingredients:
- '1 tbs vegetable oil
- '1 tbs prepared mustard
- '2 tbs caraway seeds
- '1 tbs garlic powder
- '1 tbs salt*
- '1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- '2 lbs pork roast
- '1 medium onion, chopped
- '1/2 cup beer (or water)
- '1 tbs cornstarch
- '2 tbs butter
Preparation: Make a marinade out of the oil, mustard, caraway seeds, garlic powder and salt and pepper. Rub the pork all over with this mixture and refrigerate for 45 minutes. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Place the chopped onions in a layer on the bottom of the roasting pan and add the beer or water (the only beer I had was Guinness, which really isn't very Czech, so I just went with water). Now put the roast on top of the onions and cover loosely with foil. Roast until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees, turning once. Let rest for 10 minutes. Transfer the juices from the roasting pan into a saucepan and add the cornstarch and butter. Simmer until thick and serve over the sliced meat.
Houskove Knedliky (Yeast Dumplings)
Ingredients:
- '1 1/8 tsp active dry yeast
- '2 cups lukewarm water
- '1 tsp sugar
- '2 tbsp salt
- '4 cups all-purpose flour
- '1 egg
- '1 cubed bread roll
Preparation: Dissolve the yeast in the water and add the sugar. Meanwhile, mix the flour, salt, egg and cubed bread roll in a large bowl. When the yeast is frothy, add it to the bowl and mix well. Knead for 10 minutes. Separate the dough into four rolls and then cover and let rise in a warm place for an hour or so.
Now boil some salted water and add one or two of the rolls to the pot. Cover and let boil for about 20 minutes. When finished, the dumplings should be very light and fluffy.
Cranberry Pecan Sweet Potato Wild Rice Pilaf
Ingredients
- '2 cups chicken broth
- '1 cup wild rice blend
- '1/2 tsp dried parsley
- '1/2 tsp dried oregano
- '1/2 tsp dried thyme
- '1 tbs olive oil
- '1 cup sweet potato, diced small
- '1/4 cup onion, chopped
- '1/3 cup dried cranberries
- '1/3 cup pecans, chopped
- 'fresh parsley, for garnish
Preparation: In a medium sized sauce pan bring the broth to a boil and add wild rice, parsley, oregano, and thyme. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover with a lid. Cook for 30 minutes or until tender. Alternatively, you may follow the liquid/rice ratios and cooking directions according to your particular brand of wild rice blend for 1 cup of rice. a skillet add the olive oil and sweet potato and saute until tender, about 15 minutes or so. Once the potatoes are nearly cooked through, add the onion to the pan and cook until translucent. Add cranberries and chopped pecans and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the cranberries and pecans to the rice mixture and fluff with a fork. Garnish with fresh parsely and serve warm!
Sheet Pan Autumn Vegetables
Ingredients:
- '1 lb of Brussels Sprouts (trimmed and halved)
- '1 Large Butternut Squash (peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces)
- '4 Large Carrots (peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces)
- '2 Large Parsnips (peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces)
- '¼ cup of Food Lion Olive Oil
- '2 tbs of Chopped Fresh Rosemary
- '2 tsp of Food Lion Salt
- '1 tsp of Food Lion Ground Black Pepper
- 'Fresh Parsley (for garnish)
Preparation: Preheat the oven to 400EF. Grease and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix together the brussel sprouts, squash, carrots, parsnips, oil, rosemary, salt and pepper in a large bowl, and toss to coat. Transfer the vegetables to the prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Bake until tender and caramelized, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh parsley.
Zeli (Simple Sauerkraut)
Ingredients:
- '4 slices bacon, sliced into small strips
- '1 lb sauerkraut (with juice)
- '1 medium onion, chopped
- 'salt and pepper to taste
- '1 tsp caraway seeds
- '2 tsp cold water
- '1 tsp cornstarch
- 'sugar and vinegar to taste
Preparation: Fry up the bacon and set aside. Now add the onion to the pan with some butter and saute until translucent. Add the sauerkraut and simmer until tender. Return the bacon to the pan and season with the salt, pepper and the ubiquitous caraway seeds. Combine the cornstarch with water and add to the sauerkraut. Cook for a few more minutes, then remove from heat and add sugar and vinegar to taste.
If you are interested in more traditional dishes, either for thanksgiving or autumn in general, but are getting tired of everything being mush, mashed potatoes, sweet potato, casseroles - these can be some easy sides for some texture change.
