German style Pork stew

It is getting near to winter, the mornings here in Finland are sometimes below 0, it is windy, raining, just not all that bright. During these times Finns like a good hearty meal that gives them satisfaction even if the outside doesn't. I made this on a particularly wet and overcast afternoon when the missionary sisters were coming to visit. I was inspired by a book I have on German, Russian, Polish and Eastern European cooking. The beer helps flavour and tenderise the meat and is an ingredient often overlooked by many people.

German cuisine has fluctuated from its diverse political and social history, it is known for wholesome, filling foods as well as a large variety. It is a diverse a food place as the 'Greats' such as China, France or Turkey. Germany comes 3rd in the amount of Michelin stars awarded after France and Japan respectively.

To make enough for 6 you will need:-

250g Bacon rashers, sliced
500g Shoulder of pork, cubed about 2.5cm
1 large onion, sliced
1 400ml can of alcohol free beer (see my post on alcohol, cooking and the word of wisdom)
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
500g Cabbage, thinly sliced
50ml Apple cider vinegar
2 red eating apples, cored and sliced (but don't do them until you are going to put them in the pan)
oil
seasoning

Heat up a deep pan (I use my cast iron for this but it is up yours) with some oil and fry the bacon for a couple of minutes then add the pork, brown lightly and then take out of the pan and put to one side. Add a little more oil to the pan and then gently cook the onions and garlic for 5 minutes, take out and put with the pork mix. Now add a little more oil and fry the cabbage lightly for 5 minutes or so, pour the vinegar in and cook for another minute. Put the pork mix into the pan and pour the beer over and season. Bring to the boil, stirring frequently, then turn down to a light simmer and cover for 45 minutes.

Remove the lid carefully and place your apples on top. Replace the lid and cook for a further 30 minutes.Taste for seasoning and check that the meat is tender enough to eat.

I served ours with creamy potato and sweet potato mash and limppu, a tradition Finnish rye bread that is pretty awesome. It is an easy dish, that requires little thought. It is a comforting, warming dish that you need to have for these dark, dreary nights.

Mini banoffee bites

It has been too long since I last posted. Too any distractions and excuses and not enough effective use of my time. Well, no bother.

My son turned 2 the other week and we had a small party for him. We had a mini minion themed party where all our foods were small and bite sized. For one of our sweet ideas, I came up with a mini banoffee bite. It was very simple to make and I think it fitted to the theme of the party very well.

These are great for parties, movie snacks or just for when you have guests round.

To make a 24, you will need:-

120g butter
200g sugar
220g plain flour (plus a little more for dusting)
pinch of salt

1 tin of condensed milk (400g)
100g butter
100g demera sugar

3 bananas sliced
250ml heavy cream
75g chocolate (I used milk chocolate)

Start my beating your sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Add the salt and flour and mix together to form a dough. Wrap up in cling film and place in a fridge for an hour.

Preheat your oven to 175C.

Take out of the fridge and place on a dusted surface. Roll out until about a cm thick and using a small round cutter (you can make any shape you like) cut out as many as you can. Place on a tray with baking paper and put into the oven to bake for 10 minutes. Take out and let cool on a wire rack for half an hour.

Whilst the biscuits are cooling down, put your condensed milk, butter and sugar in a heavy bottomed pan. Slowly bring to a boil, stir continuously so as not to burn the caramel. It will take around 10 minutes to do, this will tire your arms but you will see it get darker and thicker. Take off the heat and leave to cool.

Place your sliced bananas on the biscuit and then spoon the caramel on top. Once you have done them all, place in the fridge until the caramel and cooled completely. Then whip up you cream, place on top and sprinkle some grated chocolate to finish off.