"Try it" Moments aka Green Eggs & Ham...

We’ve had quite a few new “tries” in Germany in the nearly 3 months we’ve lived here and surprisingly, the boys have not only tried, but also “liked” a few of these things.  Some of these discoveries, though, are also purely selfish --I’ve been working away in the kitchen now that I actually have time to hang out in there!  I’m shamelessly addicted to Pinterest and have been reading just about everything I can find about healthy food choices, cooking from scratch (thanks mom for showing me the basics) and nutrition.  Perhaps this is why the pictures still aren’t hung....at least the last box was unpacked the other day!

1.  Cream of Mushroom Soup!  It’s been years since I bought a can of what some call “cream of crap”, so when I found a Pinterest recipe recently for a broccoli rice throwback to the ’80’s, I was excited to see the inclusion of homemade cream soup.  Started the recipe as it was printed, but it was awful!  Scrapped it and went with my limited knowledge of making a creamy base.  see recipe below

2.  Russian MRE!  Meals ready to eat are “delicious, nutritious” individually packaged field ration (meals) for use where organized cafeterias are not available.  Mike was given this “gift” after participating in an International Tattoo in northern Germany....he also received several other nice mementos --including a sombrero!  Was hoping for the real bear skin Russian hat, but no luck.  Nate and Mike researched the translations...basically the whole box was meat.  And really stale crackers. Included the token 1 piece of toliet paper, with a hole in it....(I live around too many boys...)  There was some kind of powdered kool-ade mix --they all drank that!  Sadly, this MRE had no vodka.   Kudos to all of them for trying.....

Actually looks, smells and tastes like......

....catfood!  But, even the cat wouldn't try it.

Prayer that the rest of the evening will not be spent in the bathroom!

3.  Aufschnitt:  (cold cuts) Just about every 2 days I make a grocery run to the local Spar (our little German grocery store.)  About the size of Aldi, they have a meat counter that includes all sorts of interesting things...So, we love, love, love, edel salami. (I like it because it's flower shaped!) Or just about any salami.  Each visit, I try to bring home something new.  Kids enjoy the German equivalent of bologna --but it's not made from the scraps that would normally hit the cutting room floor!  This was a try it night, but I forgot to buy cheese....so the jellied meat was certainly interesting.....(haven't bought it since....)  Still working my way up the brave-o-meter to buy blutwurst!

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Ingredients --ignore the chicken bouillon photo crasher! 

2 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup of chopped fresh mushrooms (don’t resort to the can!)

2 Tbsp cornstarch

2 cup milk, warmed

1 cup chicken stock

Melt the butter and sauté the mushrooms.  Stir in cornstarch to make a rue.  Warm your milk in the microwave for a minute or so.  Add milk slowly to the rue and keep stirring to preserve the thickening.   Once you’ve got the nice thick milky mixture, stir in 1 cup chicken stock (do not use bouillon cubes, crackles, crumbs or anything of the sort--have you ever read those labels???  oy!)   Add salt and pepper to taste.  

before adding the chicken stock...

Use the soup base for your Broccoli Cheddar Quinoa Casserole:

2 c cooked quinoa

1 head broccoli, cooked & drained

2 c Cream of Mushroom Soup

2 c shredded cheese*  (cheddar, colby jack, etc)

Layer cooked quinoa in the bottom of your 8x11 pan.  (no need to grease or spray)

Top with about 1 cup of Cream of Mushroom soup

Next layer: broccoli

Next another cup of Soup

Finally, Top with shredded cheese.  

Bake at 350 until warmed thru and cheese is bubbly/browned.  

Quinoa-Broccoli casserole served with steamed pole beans,
roasted red pepper hummus, & feld salad with cucumbers

This is easy to make ahead --cook up the quinoa in advance.  Pre-cook the broccoli, then all you have to do is assemble!

*My family doesn’t care for the sharp taste of cheddar, so a milder cheese will work as well.