Dinner 21: Wisconsin

Menu

Brats and Beer Cheddar Chowder
Potato Pancakes
Spinach Salad and Hot Bacon Dressing
State Fair Cream Puffs

Review

I chose Wisconsin for our next state because my map had pictures of cheese and milk on it, and I wanted to make it a challenge for my mom to find recipes to choose from! We ended up choosing a soup that usually has cheese in it, but we used soy cheese. It also had sausages in it. Then I wanted the potato pancakes because they sounded yummy, spinach and bacon salad, because it had bacon in it, and the cream puffs because they looked really good in the picture.

The best part of dinner was the potato pancakes! I had two extra ones! They were so yummy! I also liked the soup and the salad, but not as much as the potato pancakes. And I liked the salad more than the soup, which is funny, because I usually like soup better than salad! The cream puffs for dessert were really good, too! I had two of them! Yum!

Recipes

Brats and Beer Cheddar Chowder

(original recipe from Midwest Living)

2 tablespoons soy margarine
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, shredded
3 large shallots, chopped
1/3 cup flour
1 3/4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
10 ounces shredded cheddar soy cheese
4 cooked smoked bratwurst, halved lengthwise and sliced
12 ounces ale

In a large saucepan, heat the margarine over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and shallots. Reduce heat to medium low. Cook, stirring frequently for 10-15 minutes until the onion is very soft and golden.

Add the flour to the pan and stir to coat the vegetables. Slowly add the stock, stirring continuously. Add the soy milk, caraway seeds and pepper. Cook, over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens.

Gradually stir in the soy cheese and cook until the cheese is completely melted, but do not allow the soup to boil. Stir in the bratwurst and beer. Cook, stirring frequently, until heated through.

Potato Pancakes

(original recipe from Food.com)

3 large potatoes, peeled, finely shredded and well drained
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
oil, for frying

In a mixing bowl, combine the potatoes, onion and dry ingredients. Roughly stir, smashing the potatoes until tender and until the batter is well mixed.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a preheated, generously oiled skillet. Brown on both sides.

Spinach Salad and Hot Bacon Dressing

(original recipe from The Bratwurst Pages)

1 pound spinach, washed and trimmed
6 slices bacon, sliced crosswise
4 green onions, washed, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Place spinach in a serving bowl and set aside.

Brown bacon in a large heavy skillet until crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add green onions and garlic to the bacon drippings and sauté over low heat for about 2 minutes. Mix in ketchup, vinegar, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Pour over spinach, add bacon bits and toss well to mix.

State Fair Cream Puffs

(original recipe from Taste of Home)

For puffs:
1 cup water
1/2 cup soy margarine
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup bread flour
1/4 teaspoon yeast dissolved in 1 tablespoon warm water
3 tablespoons soy milk

For pastry cream:
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup soy milk
3/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Bring water, margarine and salt to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour all at once and stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from the heat and let stand 5 minutes. Slowly add the yeast mixture and soy milk, beating until a smooth, very thick paste forms.

Drop by 1/4 cupfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks and immediately slice open to allow steam to escape. Cool completely.

To make the pastry cream, whisk together the cornstarch and soy milk in a small saucepan until no lumps remain. Bring to just below a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon. Once it thickens to the consistency of pudding (this happens very quickly once it begins to thicken), remove from heat and stir vigorously until smooth. Set aside to cool.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the shortening and sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and continue to beat while adding the cooled soy milk mixture. Beat for 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides as necessary. Set aside.

Fill the puffs with pastry cream just before serving.