<>*<>* GERMAN GOODIES
German Goodies Archives | Turn on some German Music!    | Sept June 28, 2025

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Summer is Here
Let's Cook without Fear!

Cucumber Watermelon Salad

Brewmeisters Chicken

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Baby Kale Greens Salad
with Hot Bacon Dressing

German Style Chicken Salad

Smoked Bratwurst
Braised Cabbage and Kraut
(done outdoors)

 

As the Summer starts into full swing, I thought I would throw some suggestions
your way to enjoy the season.

I like to think about my German heritage, my great grandpa Heirich,
and Katherine, and the big family
in Baden Wurtemberg,

German's love picnics with BBQ and Salads. Fresh in season produce, blending the flavors of sweet and sour.
This combination is something I have always observed about our cuisine.


For instance, the famous dish called Sauerbraten it isn't Sauerbraten without
adding some gingersnaps or raisins to the gravy to balance the flavor and make it German.

More Sweet and Sour Ideas from Germany:

For 100's of years, Germans have used all kinds of fruits as well as sugar
to give their signature sweet and sour flavor to a food.

Whether it is Duck with cherries,
Chicken with Prunes
Sauerbraten with raisins



Or Sauerkraut with Apples


This week I am doing this outdoors on the bbq
in a cast iron Dutch Oven using apples

Smoked Brats
with Braised Cabbage and Kraut

(On the BBQ, and seasoned with fresh apple)

She cooked the apples with onions and bacon, to balance the tart Sauerkraut.

Then add the kraut and cabbage and a nice bottle of German beer.

Add the smoked Brats and simmer for another 30 minutes and were ready for a nice outdoor meal


A pretzel bun works nice for this and a German potato salad goes well!

Go here to make Smoked Brats
with Braised Cabbage and Kraut
with Step by Step Pictures

 

 

Baby Kale Greens Salad
with Hot Bacon Dressing

Summer brings back memories of grandma in the garden picking,
and cooking, but I didn't hang
around much as I was playing baseball and in the park.

Although when I got back from the park,

and when I went out to the kitchen to see about dinner,
there was always 5 wooden bowls stacked up 3 in a row
then 2 on top,
and usually a simple sweet and sour hot bacon dressing was concocted in her frying pan,
and poured over the greens in the bowl.

 Hot Bacon Dressing
has a long history in Germany and it had more of a purpose than just flavor.
When you have bitter greens like Kale  which is a reliable green that grows well in cold climates. 

You can harmonize the bitter flavors with a bacon dressing,
Cook bacon and onions with some sugar and vinegar
to balance the flavors to make it so much better than a boring salad with Ranch.

 

You can use any stiff greens for this from Romaine, Mustard Greens, Butter lettuce, or even Iceburg
which my grandma used a lot as it was the most available.

Another option is to make a
Hot German Potato Salad
and blend it with the Dandelion Greens or other lettuce.

Go here to make Baby Kale Greens
with Hot Bacon Dressing

Brewmeisters Chicken

This is a German version of beer can chicken that is popular in the U.S.
This recipe shows how to put just a little German spin on it.

There is nothing more fun on a sunny day than doing a Beer Can Chicken
on the BBQ with some interesting cool salads.
it makes a perfect meal for a hot summer evening!

German's are absolutely famous for roasting chickens.


For Oktoberfest they are spit roasted.
Many Germans have a rotissere set up on their BBQ.

Here is a recipe for
Oktoberfest Spit Roasted Chicken
(Hanchen)

A great Alternative to Spit Roasting;

Placing it on a stand with a beer can filled with spice is a great alternative.
I add some techniques to insure a wonderful moist meat.

We like to do this now instead of bringing home a rotissere chicken from the Grocery store,
because somehow the texture is often grainy and tastes of funny additives to us.

Go here to make
Brewmeisters Chicken with
Step by Step Pictures

Cucumber Watermelon Salad

A perfect addition to the Brewmeister's Chicken or the Smoked Brats
is a nice cool cucumber and watermelon salad.

German's love their "Gurkensalat"
this is a version that adds a nice sweet and sour effect that helps beat the heat in summer.

Go here to make
Cucumber Watermelon Salad
with Step by Step Pictures

German Style Chicken Salad

A great way to use the leftover Brewmeister's Chicken is to make
a German style Chicken Salad.
With the German theme of sweet and sour,
this is different than an American tuna or chicken salad that more often than not
is a savory spread with celery and pickle relish.
This adds oranges, apples and cranberry raisins for a nice balance.

You can also make a nice sandwich

Or lettuce wraps with this chicken salad

Go here to make
German Style Chicken Salad
with Step by Step Pictures

 

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

(Erdbeer Brezel Salat)

This is more like a dessert but also reminiscent of the
Jello salad molds of the 70's with a crunchy pretzel base.

Sweet and salty pretzels make a great contrast to the sweetness of the salad.
Again German ingenuity to give a great crunchy salty contast to strawberries
and creamy filling.

Go here to make
Strawberry Pretzel Salad
with
Step by Step Pictures

 

 

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German Music

Through modern technology we can enjoy music from Germany at the touch of your computer, there are many venues now, Pandora, Amazon music, and Youtube is free.

I love my noise canceling headphones that are completely wireless and give incredible sound!

Bose Headphones

over 2500 perfect reviews, it is a bit of an investment but worth every penny.

I have always thought this was a fun song.

 

Stoakogler Trio -

Steirermen san very good

This is a song about Arnold Schwartzneggar, He is the Steirman
Who did very good for Hollywood!

 

 

Music of the Zillertal

The Zillertal is a valley in Tyrol, Austria that is drained by the Ziller river.
They have their own style o music and Iove it!

 

Medley of Songs

- Die Mayrhofner - Musikanten aus dem Zillertal -
Ursprung Buam - Grande Canale -
Die Jungen Zillertaler - So a schöner Tag (Fliegerlied)
- Zillertaler Haderlumpen - 1,2 oder 3000 Jahre -
Marc Pircher - Sieben Sünden - Zillertaler Hochzeitsmarsch

 

 

 

Hansi Hinterseer -
Tirol Medley & Komm mit Mir (in die Berge) 2009

 

 

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Karin Elliot born and raised in Germany
is a chef and wonderful friend giving me encouragement through the years here and donated her recipes for our newsletter. She also does wonderful volunteer work like providing meals for school children in need in Tuscon, Arizona.

Many German-Americans and German immigrants are interested in Native American items from books and movies to jewelry and arts and craft supplies. Karin will take care of you personally with her online store Native Rainbows

 

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