Lardy Cakes

These are very moist, traditional, rich British tea cakes with piles of flavor. Not for those on a diet, says the BBC! This is a traditional British recipe, so you may find the ingredients and terminology slightly different.

Lardy Cakes

Ingredients

• 450g/1lb flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 x 7g packages of instant yeast
• 75g/2½ oz lard
• 300ml/10½fl oz water
• 75g/2½ oz butter
• 225g/8oz mixed dried fruit, including mixed peel
• 50g/1¾ oz soft brown sugar
• extra flour for dusting

Preparation

1. Mix together the flour, salt and yeast in a mixing bowl. Rub in 20g/¾ oz of the lard using your fingertips until there are no pieces of lard visible.
2. Add three-quarters of the water and hand-mix the flour into the water to form a dough. Add as much of the remaining water as you need to get a dough that is soft and leaves the sides of the bowl clean.
3. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth. Place in a clean bowl, cover and leave to rise until doubled in size. This depends on the temperature of the room, but should take 1-2 hours.
4. Tip the dough onto a floured work surface and roll into a rectangle about 8x20 inches and about ½cm thick.
5. Dot a third of the remaining lard and a third of the butter over the surface of the dough. Scatter over a third of the fruit and a third of the sugar. Fold the top third of the dough down and the bottom third up so that the dough is folded in three and roughly square. Turn the dough a quarter turn. Roll out and repeat the out process twice more, to use up all the lard and fruit.
6. Line a 9x9 inch square loose bottomed tin lined with baking parchment. Roll out the dough to fit the tin and place it inside. Cover with cling wrap, or place inside a large plastic bag, and leave to rise for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden-brown.
8. Leave to cool slightly before removing from the tin. Cut into squares and serve warm or cold, with butter.

Taco Tortilla "Lasagna"

Taco Tortilla "Lasagna"

I made this dish for the first time last night, using a bit of ingenuity and improvisation, and once he tasted it, Mike said this is better than a "Taco Tortilla Lasagna," and so the recipe name was crowned.  I was lucky to be able to use some home-made tortillas that a friend gave me from a trip to New Mexico, and that certainly added to the flavor, but the whole thing blended extremely well and tasted delicious. Here's the recipe for anyone who loves Mexican food with a twist:

Ingredients

• 6 flour tortillas (8 inch or so in diameter)
• 3/4 lb lean ground beef
• 1/2  16 oz. jar taco sauce
• 1/2 pkg taco seasoning 
• 1/2  24 oz. jar medium salsa
• 6 oz low fat refried beans (1/2 can)
• 1 lb grated sharp cheddar cheese
• reduced fat sour cream (if desired)
• 3 green onions, chopped

Preparation

1. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Brown ground beef in approximately 1 tbsp oil until no pink shows. Drain, Mix with half the taco sauce and the package of taco seasoning. Simmer until blended and slightly thickened (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat.
3. Place 1 tortilla on prepared pan. Top with half the beef mixture and 1/4 of the grated cheese.
4. Spread refried beans on another tortilla and place it on top of the first tortilla to add to the stack. Top with 1/2 the salsa and 1.4 of the grated cheese.
5. Place tortilla on top and repeat step 3
6. Repeat step 4 with a 4th tortilla.
7. Place the final tortilla on top. Spread with remaining taco sauce, sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and top with the chopped green onions. 
8. Place in preheated oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes, until the tortillas are slightly crisp and the fillings are melted and thoroughly heated.                         
9.  Let rest for 5 minutes. Slice into wedges and serve with reduced fat sour cream, if desired.

Strawberry Fritters

This recipe is delicious with any fruit, from a fascinating website that gives 21st century flair to traditional French and British dishes. This is actually a French recipe, and it looks amazing. I could only imagine the taste! Another one on my 'to do' list!

Strawberry (or any seasonal fruit) Fritters

Ingredients

• 1 lb. all-purpose flour
• 5-8 oz. of white wine
• 2 large eggs
• 2 Tbsp. brandy
• zest of two lemons (approximately 2 tsp.)
• 2 lb. strawberries
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 lb. of lard or peanut oil

Preparation

1. Make a batter with the first four ingredients. Add the lemon zest. The batter is right when it resembles a medium pancake batter and can make a rope or a figure eight in the bowl as it drips from a spoon.
2. Dunk the strawberries in the batter and then set them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. When the pan is full, put it in the refrigerator for about an hour.
3. Melt the lard in a frying pan. When the lard has reached 360 degrees on a thermometer, fry the strawberries in the hot fat.
4. Fry them a nice brown, then dust them with sugar.
5. Put the sugared strawberries under a broiler for a minute or two to melt the sugar.

Chelsea Buns

As this most informative website explains, Chelsea buns are most certainly the forerunner of modern sweet rolls or cinnamon buns. They were enjoyed by commoners and royalty, and were concocted at a bakery known as the Chelsea Bun House, built on Pinlico Road in the Chelsea section of London (makes sense!).

Here is a modern version of the traditional British treat. Another one I will  have to try!

Chelsea Buns

The Dough

• 6 c. flour (unbleached all purpose)
• 3 eggs
• ½ c. butter, one stick (room temperature)
• 1 ¼ c. milk
• 2 packages of dry yeast
• 1 Tbsp. salt
• 3 Tbsp. sugar

The Filling

• 4 oz. currants (fresh or dried currants that have been plumped in warm water and drained)
• 4 oz. brown sugar mixed with 1 ½ oz. white sugar
• 4 oz. softened butter
• 2 Tsp. ground cinnamon (optional)
• grated peel of 1 lemon (optional)

The Glaze

• 1 c. Sugar
• ½ c. Milk

1. Put your flour in a large mixing bowl. Work the butter into the flour thoroughly with your hands so that it is absorbed by the flour. In a separate bowl whip your eggs thoroughly.
2. To the eggs add the sugar, salt, milk (warm, not hot) and the dry yeast. Blend all of these ingredients well.
3. Pour egg mixture into the flour/butter and mix with a wooden spoon until it comes together. Knead it with your hands until it becomes similar to bread dough. If it is a little soft, add a little flour to stiffen it some and to keep it from sticking to the bowl.
4. Cover with a warm damp cloth and set it aside in a warm place to let it proof (rise) about an hour. In the meantime have your currants, butter and sugar put into small bowls to have ready for the filling of the dough.
5. After the dough has risen you are ready to roll out the dough and put in the filling. Start by flouring your work surface so the dough doesn’t stick to it.
6. Gently punch the dough down to let out the air and work it into a ball. Roll it out into a rectangle approximately 18″ to 20″ inches by 12″ to 14″ inches and around a ½ inch thick. Lightly score the dough vertically to create three equal sections.
7. With a table knife, spread half of your softened butter on the left two sections leaving the right section uncovered. Evenly sprinkle half of the sugar over the butter and then half of the currants evenly over that. Add half of the cinnamon, if you choose to use it, over that.
8. Gently lift the right third of the dough and fold it over the center third and gently press it down. Now take those two and gently fold it over onto the left third and press down gently. You now have a rectangle one third the size you started with but three times as thick.
9. Lightly flour your work surface again and center your dough so that it looks like a rectangle again. Roll the dough out as you did before until it is as large as the rectangle size we started with. Now repeat the filling steps, but this time, spread the butter/sugar/currants/cinnamon and lemon peel (if you choose) over the whole surface. Once you’ve done that, start at the edge of the dough closest to you and proceed to roll the dough up into a pinwheel log, sealing the last half inch or so with a little water. The log should be around two inches in diameter.
10. Now take a medium sharp knife and proceed to cut the buns from one end of the “log” to the other at about an inch and a quarter to an inch and a half for each one. Lay them flat side down on a baking sheet no farther than an inch apart. As they rise in a warm place for about a half hour to forty-five minutes they should touch each other.
11. Bake them at about 375° for about 25 minutes or so (depending on the thickness of the buns). Do not bake them too long, they are to be soft not firm and should be rather square in shape. They shouldn’t be dark brown but rather light in color.
12. For the glaze, add the milk to the sugar and gently heat it, stirring until you blend the two together. Lightly spoon the glaze over each bun. This glaze is not to be like an icing but rather a thin glaze to enhance to bun’s flavor. Cool and enjoy.

Scones

Scones are traditionally served at British tea, with clotted cream and preserves (as pictured). Alton Brown's recipe (The Food Network) seems simple, tasty and would serve this purpose quite nicely. Tea anyone?

Scones

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons shortening
• 3/4 cup cream
• 1 egg
• Handful dried currants or dried cranberries

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix well. Cut in butter and shortening. 
3. In a separate bowl, combine cream with beaten egg then add to dry ingredients. Stir in fruit. 
4. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Roll dough out and cut into biscuit size rounds. 
5. Bake for 15 minutes or until brown.

Eccles Cakes

I found a wonderful recipe for Eccles Cakes on a fascinating website. I look forward to preparing this as soon as I get the ingredients together. They look delicious!

The village of Eccles once stood on its own, with the Eccles Cake Shop at its heart. In 1793 James Birch’s shop on the corner of Vicarage Road in Eccles began selling the small, flat,cakes. The once village is now a part of Salford, Manchester and no trace of the original shop remains. Read more on the history of the cakes here.

Eccles Cakes

Prep Time: 20 minutesCook Time: 15 minutesTotal Time: 35 minutes

Pre-heat oven to 425°/220°C

Ingredients:

• 1lb 2oz/ 500g puff pastry
• 1oz/ 25g butter, melted
• Pinch freshly ground nutmeg
• 2 oz/55g candied peel
• 4 oz/ 110g sugar
• 8 oz/ 225g currants

Preparation:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and butter and cook over a medium heat until melted.
2. Off the heat, add currants, candied peel and nutmeg.
3. On a lightly-floured surface, roll the pastry thinly and cut into rounds of about ¼ inch/0.5cm thickness and 4 inch/10cm diameter.
4. Place a small spoonful of filling onto center of each pastry circle.
5. Dampen the edges of the pastry with a little cold water and draw the edges together over the fruit and pinch to seal.
6. Turn the patty over, then press gently with a rolling pin to flatten the cakes. Snip a V in the top with scissors. Place on a greased baking tray.
7. Brush with water and sprinkle with a little extra sugar.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until lightly browned round the edges.
9. Place on a wire rack and allow to cool. Try not to eat them all at once!

Cinnamon apple buns (made with zwieback dough)

Here is a recipe that uses a classic zwieback dough to make the most delectable apple buns with a cinnamon sugar topping ever! Well, at least in my experience :)

Cinnamon Apple Buns

Little bits of deliciousness waiting to go into the oven

1. Using the left-over risen zwieback dough, fold a pinched off piece (about the size of a large egg) around a chunk of peeled and cored apple. 
2. Roll into buns using cupped hand method. Dip in milk, then in melted butter or margarine and roll in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Place on greased cookie sheet. This recipe is easier if you shape all the buns before dipping and rolling in toppings. 
3. Cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place until double (about 1 hour). 
4. Bake in 350 degree oven for approximate 20-25 minutes, until the bottom is golden and the top has a bit of a crust. You should be able to smell the baked apple. 
5. Let stand on cookie sheet for about 10 minutes before gently removing (using a lifter) to a covered surface (I reuse the tea towel that I used to cover the bowl while the dough rises). Let cool slightly before devouring.

Ta da! I can taste them now...  no, really!

Zwieback (double buns)

These little buns have been a tradition in my family for several generations. It just wouldn't be Christmas without them. I remember my mom, all hot and bothered, fussing with these and making Schoenekuchen (nice cookies - a very soft cut-out sugar type cookie) as they rose. Mine are never as pretty and even as hers were - she is a perfectionist - but they still bring up those Christmas memories!

Zwieback

Zwieback

Beware: these make a lot of buns, so be prepared to use a large cookie sheet and small 24-cup muffin tin like I did, with enough left over for the next recipe - apple buns or a fruit square (platz).

The farm method:

• Prepare 1 pkg fast-rising yeast or 1 tbsp dry yeast as directed on package.
• Stir risen yeast and pour into a large bowl. Add 3 c warm water and enough flour for a sponge (puffy soft starter dough) - about 3-4 c flour for this amount of liquid - and beat well. Let stand, covered in warm spot.
• Place in medium saucepan: 2 c warm milk, 3 sticks (1 1/2c) butter or margarine (or half and half shortening and butter), 1/2 c white sugar, 1/4 c salt. Warm on medium heat just until the margarine starts to melt and the sugar is dissolved. Let cool slightly.
• Stir together in bowl containing the 'sponge,' mixing well and adding 4-6 more cups of flour to make a medium-soft smooth elastic dough. Knead flour in on floured surface once you can no longer mix it in with a wooden spoon.
• Grease the bowl and top of dough and let rise til doubled, about 2 hours or so, covered with a tea towel.
• When dough is ready, turn out on to floured surface and let rest, covered with a tea towel for about 10 minutes. Then pinch off (or cut with serrated knife) pieces of dough that you can roll into balls which are about the size of a small egg (equal to the size of 2 walnuts). Use a cupped hand to roll the dough against the palm of your other hand or a floured surface to make smooth balls. When you make enough base pieces, make balls about half that size for the top buns. Press gently together (don't worry if they fall to the side when rising - mine always do).

You can  use a greased cookie sheet:

Little buns - not perfect but sweet all the same

Or greased miniature muffin tins (or both):

A bevy of finished zwieback baked in mini muffin tins

• Let rise for approximately an hour and bake in 350-375 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, until a light golden brown.
• Cool on a covered surface (I usually reuse the tea towels) and then pull apart the top from the bottom and enjoy with a bit of butter and/or jam.

Next recipe: apple buns.

Roll Kuchen

There are many recipes for this Mennonite Cruller, otherwise known as "Rollkuchen" - or rolled cookies. As so many others, it's real farm food with eggs, flour, butter and milk as the main ingredients. As always, it's better when you add just a bit of sugar to it, and of course, most farm families would use either sweet milk or cream to prepare the treats. This recipe seems like a nice compromise:

Roll Kuchen to be served with Arboose (watermelon) 

Roll Kuchen

• 1 tsp salt
• 3 c flour
• 2 tbsp white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 milk warmed with 1/4 c butter to melt

Form quite a stiff dough and roll out as thinly as possible, cutting slits in the middle and pulling one end of the rectangle through the slit. This forms the traditional Roll Kuchen shape. Fry in deep hot fat until golden. Serve with preserves or (in summer) watermelon.

Portzelky (Yeast Fritters or New Year's Cookies) and Apple Fritters

Here is a family favorite that we HAD to have for New Year's, along with Roll Kuchen (please see archived recipe). I can still see my mom slaving over a hot stove making these and I have prepared them myself a few times over the years. This recipe seems closest to the one my mom used:

Portzelky

• 2 pkgs dry yeast
• 2 c milk
• 1/4 c white sugar
• 1/2 c butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 eggs
• 2 lbs golden or sultana raisins - washed and soaked in warm water, then drained
• Enough flour for a soft batter
• Lard or oil to deep-fry fritters

Prepare yeast as directed on package. Warm milk slightly with butter, salt and sugar until slightly warm. Add yeast. Add flour to make a soft batter. Stir in the raisins and mix thoroughly with wooden spoon. Put in a warm place to rise until almost double. Heat lard/shortening (a deep fryer is the safest method) until hot and drop tablespoonsful of dough in. Do not break sponge bubbles. Fry quickly, turning once, until golden and remove with slotted spoon to drain in colander. Serve with a dusting of icing/confectioner's sugar.

Apple Fritters

Mom would make these and fry them in the same fat as the Portzelky, using the fat more efficiently. 

• 1 c flour
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp white sugar
• 1/2 c milk
• 1 1/2 to 2 c peeled, cored and chopped apples

Sift the dry ingredients together. Add eggs and milk and beat well (using mixer if desired). Pare, core and dice apples, adding to the batter and mixing well. Drop by spoonfuls into deep hot fat (as above). Fry until golden brown and dust with white or confectioner's sugar.

Nana's Meat Pie

Nana's Meat Pie

This is a recipe that I have made for at least 30 years. It's an adaptation of a Mennonite recipe which my mom made as a staple in our household while I was growing up. Paired with a good white sauce (recipe to follow), you can't beat it for taste, plus it's a great introduction to sauerkraut and all its health benefits! You can use a commercial pie crust (boxed or frozen) or make your own. I've given directions to making a simple, no-fail crust that holds together quite well while still being flakey and tasty.

INGREDIENTS

Pie Filling

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp vegetable/canola oil
• 2 c sauerkraut
• 1/2 c water
• salt and pepper to taste

Pie Crust

• 2 c all-purpose flour
• 1 c shortening
• 1 tsp salt
• ice water (approx 2-3  tbsp) - enough to make pastry dough stick together

White Sauce

• 2 tbsp flour (approx.)
• half stick butter or margarine
• 1 1/2 - 2 c milk (for calorie's sake, I use non-fat)
• pinch of salt and pepper

PREPARATION

Pie Filling

Heat oil in a large heavy saucepan. Break up ground beef and place in saucepan with onion. Stir and cook til onions are translucent and ground beef is no longer pink inside. Add sauerkraut, water, salt and pepper and cook for approximately half an hour, until ingredients are combined and soft (this is when I like to sneak some to eat - shh).

Pie Crust

Place flour in a medium bowl and chop in shortening using a pastry blender or 2 knives. Add salt. Add water, one tbsp at a time until mixture forms a ball and holds together. Spread 2 tbsp flour on a work surface (covered with waxed paper). Gently roll and knead the pastry until it's smooth. Divide into 2 balls and roll each out into a circle. Place one on bottom of pie pan, put filling inside; cover with the other circle. Crimp sides of crust to hold together. Prick pie top with a fork. Bake pie at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce to 350 degrees for approximately 30-35 minutes, or until the crust is light golden in color and the filling is bubbly. Cover edges with foil if crust gets too dark.

White Sauce

Melt butter or margarine in a heavy non-stick medium saucepan on medium-high heat. Add flour, salt and pepper. Cook and stir constantly for approximately 1 minute, or until a thick roux (base) is made. It will look dry. DO NOT SCORCH. Add milk, 1/4 c at a time, Cook and stir between additions to keep sauce creamy. Add enough milk to give the consistency you prefer. We likes our thick and velvety. 

Voila! Nana's Meat Pie!

Home-Made Traditional Russian Vinaigrette Dressing

This is a recipe passed down through at least 3 generations in my family. I remember my grandmother making it for occasions (as her mother had in the Old Country) and it was my mother's favorite salad dressing. It's still a favorite of mine, too. Not exactly low-cal (but few true vinaigrette dressings are), you use so little of it that it's much more economical and delicious than any packaged or prepared alternative. You will see many "approximates" in the recipe. Let's face it: I just pour sugar into a jar, add the paprika and mustard and salt, then pour in twice the vinegar than I do oil; give it all a shake and it's done! After you try it a few times, you will find out your flavor preferences. I like mine sweet/tart in taste. This is particularly good with leaf lettuce or spring greens, although I prefer mixing my lettuce varieties together.

A real Russian Vinaigrette Dressing

Home-Made Russian Vinaigrette Dressing


Ingredients

• approximately 3/4 c white granulated sugar
• approximately 1/4 c white distilled vinegar
• approximately 1/8 c vegetable or canola oil
• 1-2 tbsp (to taste) paprika
• 1 tsp prepared or dry mustard
• pinch of salt

Preparation

Pour all ingredients into a jar; place lid on the jar and shake until the ingredients are blended and the sugar dissolved. Let chill for a while, to blend flavors and then shake before pouring over salad.

Serving note: Mix lettuce varieties together: Romaine with leaf lettuce; Iceburg with Romaine and Spring Greens or use a bagged selection of greens. Peel and slice cucumbers into thin disks, cutting disks in half and tossing with lettuce. Chop green onions and mix together with the other ingredients. Pour dressing over individual servings so lettuce and other ingredients remain crunchy.

This dressing may be stored for over a week in the fridge. It will darken according to how much paprika you add. You may continue adding to the original dressing. It tastes even better over time (getting thicker and more flavorful). The jar makes it easy to shake it up before serving to ensure the sugar remains dissolved. since it tends to settle to the bottom of the jar.

Yabluchnyk: Ukrainian Apple Cake

Anyone who shares Ukrainian/Russian/Mennonite roots has a Baba, Nana or Babuchka who makes this dish. Some simply call it "apple cake" but the real name is Yabluchnyk.

Yabluchnyk (Ukrainian Apple Cake)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/3 cup cream
• 4 large apple - peeled, cored and thinly sliced

 Streusel Topping

• 2 tablespoons cold butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

1.     Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly butter an 8 inch square baking dish.

2.     Sift together 1 1/2 cups of flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Cut in 1/2 cup of butter until the mixture is crumbly.

3.     Stir together the egg with the cream and gently mix into the flour until a soft dough has formed.

4.     Press into prepared baking dish.

5.       Layer the apples into the dish overlapping, in neat rows.

6.       Prepare streusel by mixing the brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Cut in 2 tablespoons butter until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over apples.

Bake in preheated oven until apples have softened, and topping has browned, about 25 minutes.

May be served with heavy cream, whipped cream or ice cream. Also delicious when served with a mixture of brown sugar and sour cream.

MEXICO: Enfrijoladas

All I can say again is "yum." Experiment with the cheeses you use, experiment with different meats and veggies. However you choose to serve it, this dish is delicious!

Enfrijoladas

Ingredients

·         1 1/4 Pounds Ground Beef Or Pork

·         3 Medium Onion — chopped and divided

·         2 Tablespoons Cilantro — finely chopped

·         2 Medium Jalapeno — roasted and chopped

·         Salt And Pepper — to taste

·         8 Corn Tortillas

·         Oil — for frying

·         3 Cups Refried Beans

·         12 Ounces Sharp Cheddar Cheese — grated (or Mexican cheese blend)

·         2/3 Cup Sour Cream

·         Salsa — to taste

·         Lettuce

Directions

1.     Brown meat and 2 onions. Drain grease.

2.     Add cilantro, jalapenos, salt and pepper. Set aside.

3.     Heat tortillas in a bit of oil to soften.

4.     Roll tortillas around meat mixture and place in bottom of casserole. Top with an even layer of beans. Then cover with cheese.

5.     Bake at 400 degrees until cheese is melted and ingredients are heated through. Serve topped with sour cream, remaining onion, lettuce and salsa.

Note: Vegetarian variation would be to omit meat and dip each tortilla in mild red chili sauce, roll around a bit of chopped onion, cilantro and jalapenos and follow directions as above.

Serves 4

Bangers and Mash with onion gravy

Living up on the Prairies in Canada was an ethnic treat. One set of neighbors may be Sicilian, with their wonderful dishes, while across the street you probably had a Russian, Polish, Eastern European or British family. Growing up experiencing a wide variety of gastronomical experiences really tends to open up your eyes (and your taste buds) in the most wonderful way. Here is a great recipe for the British treat, "Bangers and Mash" which is one of the best-known foods where I grew up. Bangers? The sound of un-pricked sausages exploding! Mash? Mashed potatoes, of course! Note: the gravy will be thin but absolutely delicious! Also, finely chopped green onions may be boiled and mashed with the potatoes for a bit of color.


Bangers and Mash

Ingredients

• 4 links quality pork sausage or bratwurst
• 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons milk (optional)
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Traditional Onion Gravy

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 6 cups beef broth
• 2 cups red wine (most of the alcoholic content burns off while boiling)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C).
2. Cook the sausage links in a skillet over medium-low heat until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per side; transfer to an oven-safe dish and move to the preheated oven to keep warm.
3. Place potatoes into a saucepan over medium heat, cover with water, and boil gently until potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and allow to steam dry for a minute or two. Mix in 1/4 cup of butter, milk, dry mustard, salt, and black pepper; mash until fluffy and smooth. Set aside.

Gravy

Melt 1 tbsp butter in a skillet over medium-high heat; cook the onions until translucent and just starting to brown (for flavor), about 8 minutes. Pour in the beef broth and red wine; boil the mixture down to half its volume, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. 

To serve: Place a sausage on a serving plate with about 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes. Pour the onion gravy over both.