Ramblings and Rhetoric

I am what I am and this is where I'll express my feelings.

I love brats and usually cook them on the stove top in a skillet. I thought I would try something different today so here is my recipe for crock pot beer brats.

Ingredients:

• Onion
• Apples
• Brats
• Garlic
• Brown Sugar
• Paprika
• Bay Leaves
• Celery
• Beer
• Salt
• Pepper
• Beef Broth or Chicken Broth
• Sauerkraut
• Mustard

Preparation:

Remember, I never measure anything so just season to your taste. Slice onions and layer in bottom of crock pot. Then slice apples and layer on top of onions. No need to peel apples, just remove the core. You don’t want your brats to lie on the bottom of the crock pot that’s why they are insulated by the onions and apple slices.

Add your broth and beer, just enough to cover the layers of onions and apples. Turn crock pot on low setting so it cooks for 6-8 hours.

Next add your seasoning. I used paprika, salt, pepper and bay leaves. Add some diced celery and sprinkle generously with brown sugar. Add a little mustard or dried mustard then cover the crock pot.

Now on the stove top you want to sear your brats. Get a skillet nice and hot, best to use a non-stick skillet or cast iron skillet so you don’t have to use any oil. The object is not to cook the brats, just sear them on all sides so they have that nice brown color. Be careful not to break the skins or the juice and flavor will run out of your brats. I use a pair of tongs with rubber ends so the skin isn’t damaged.

I used Johnsonville Beer Brats and Johnsonville Mild Brats, they seem to have the best flavor. If you like a little heat then you can use the hot brats or add some cumin to your spices.

When your brats are browned place them in your crock pot and cover. You can leave it alone just about all day. Just check to see if there is enough liquid to cover everything but the brats. If more liquid is needed add a little more beer and broth. The brats do not need to be covered in liquid.

Just about 20 minutes before serving add your sauerkraut on top of the brats.

I served this with macaroni and cheese and green beans. It also goes well with garlic mashed potatoes.

With the exception of salt/pepper and olive oil, everything here is fresh from our garden.

Cooking with home-grown herbs and veggies taste so much better than store-bought!

Ingredients:

Kosher salt
Ground Black Pepper Corns
Garlic
Onion
Eggplant
Oregano
Rosemary
Thyme
Basil
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Chicken Broth
Cherry Tomatoes
Green Bell Peppers

Instructions:

Remember, I never measure anything so just season to taste.

Eggplant retains a lot of water and can sometimes be tough or bitter. Here’s the secret to cooking with eggplant.

First wash the skin in cold water then slice your eggplant but leave the skin on. It’s full of nutrients, and low in calories. Lay your slices out and sprinkle kosher salt on both sides then stack in collendar. Place the collendar in a pan and then lay something heavy on top of eggplant slices. I use a pot filled with water. This will press down on the eggplant and after about 45 minutes to an hour you will see the excess water has been removed from slices and is in the pan underneath. Remove slices and lay out on paper towels then pat dry. The slices will also be thinner now.

Next cut your slices into small cubes and set aside. Cut your other veggies into cubes also, everything should be uniform in size so it cooks evenly with the exception of the garlic, that can be finely diced.

Heat some olive oil in a skillet and when it’s hot go ahead and start adding ingredients. First in the skillet should be onions. They need to cook for only a few minutes until translucent. Next add the peppers. Again only a few minutes , you don’t want them to burn. Then the garlic is added; be sure to stir constantly so nothing burns. Next add the eggplant.

You will need to add more olive oil because the eggplant will absorb it quickly. I also add just a little chicken broth at this point.

Last thing in the skillet is cherry tomatoes. They should also be cubed like other veggies. Next you can add salt/pepper and fresh herbs (herbs should be finely dice) rosemary, thyme, oregano and basil.

Continue to stir and cook until everything is tender.Best thing to use is flat wooden spoon so you can scrap pith from bottom of pan (lots of flavor there). Depending on size of pan, how thick your cubes are and the heat of your stove top this whole cooking process will vary, but shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes at the most.

Ingredients:
Jumbo Shells
Marinara Sauce (homemade or store bought)
Garlic
Basil
Parsley
Thyme
Salt/Pepper
Egg
Lemon Juice
Ricotta Cheese
Parmigiana Cheese
Mozzarella Cheese
Nutmeg

I make my Marinara Sauce first since it takes a couple of hours to cook. If you are using store bought sauce then you can just heat it up whenever you want to.

Next you need to make your cheese mixture cause this has to sit in refrigerator for an hour or two after you make it.

Cheese Mixture for stuffing:
In a large mixing bowl mix by hand with a wire whisk: egg, mozzarella cheese, parmigiana cheese, salt/pepper, grated garlic, basil, parsley, thyme, lemon juice and a pinch of nutmeg. Then refrigerate for an hour or two.

Cook Shells:
In a large pot boil water and cook your jumbo shells. Only cook for about 8-10 minutes, you just want them to soften up and be flexible. They will finish cooking in the oven.

Drain water from shells and let cool for a few minutes; do not rinse. (The sauce will stick to the shells better if you do not rinse off the starch. This applies to all pasta you cook.)

When shells are cool they are ready to be stuffed. Lightly spray large baking dish and pour a layer of your Marinara Sauce in bottom of dish. Use a tablespoon to stuff cheese mix into shells. Don’t over-stuff, you should be able to close the shell again after it’s stuffed. Line them up in one layer then cover with more Marinara Sauce and top with some mozzarella and parmigiana cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.