Christmas Chocolate Crunch

This is another recipe from my favorite little Taste of Home - Best Holiday Recipe magazine (see also Holidy Peas and Blueberry Sparkling Lemonade). It brings back memories of one of my first Thanksgiving in the US :)

This chocolate-butterscotch treat may not look like much, but if you start snacking it, you sure cannot stop ;) I especially like the salty snacks (popcorn, pretzles). They are a good contrast to the sweetness of the chocolate. Also, you will barley notice the butterscotch. If you prefer a stronger butterscotch flavor than chocolate, add more butterscotch and less chocolate.

Ingredients:

• 1 package (11 oz) butterscotch morsels
• 11 oz (ca. 300g) bittersweet chocolate
• 10 cups slated microwave popcorn
• 3 cups pretzles
• 1 cup toppas
• 1 cup cornflakes
• 1 cup nuts (walnuts, almonds, etc.)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins

Preparation:

Mix the snacks

Prepare the microwave popcorn by following package instructions. Break half of the pretzles in little pieces. Now, combine all snacks (popcorn, pretzles, toppas, cornflakes, nuts, dried cranberries) into a big bowl and set aside.

Melt the butterscotch

You can use the microwave and follow the package instructions. I advise to let it melt for 1 minute and then take it out of the microwave and stir it, squeeze the morzels as much as you can. As the butterscotch morzels stay in form and it does not really melt, it is easy to overmelt and burn the butterscotch. It is important that you frequently stir and see whether it is already done.
 

Melt the bittersweet choclate

This is easier. Put it in the microwave for 1 to 1.5 minutes and stir. You will definitely see it melting. You don't need to wait till all the pieces are comletely melted. Just keep stiring it and the mix will be so warm, that it will melt the remaining pieces while it rests.
 

Finish the chocolate crunch

Mix the melted butterscotch and chocolate. Pour it over the snacks in the bowl. Give the snacks a good stir with a big spoon so that all pieces are covered. Then spread the covered snacks out on a baking tray. Butter the tray or use a baking sheet, so that the chocolate crunch will not stick to the tray. Let rest for a bit till the chocolate dries. Then break pieces apart.

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My Mom's "Rindfleischsuppe" (beef based veggie soup)

The name of this soup is a little misleading. It is called "beef" soup because the soup's broth is beef based. However, that beef is way to fatty to eat (at least to me), so you don't actually have beef to eat in the soup. It is not a beef stew kind of soup.

It is more or less a hearty veggie soup with a beef broth as a base. And it is inspired by our famous family holiday recipe "Cous Cous" :) Everything is just on a way smaller scale, cooks faster and is less a stew than a watery soup.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 teapsoon butter (or margerine)
• stewing beef (very fatty, with bones)
• 1/2 cup finely diced onion (1 onion)
• 2 tablespoons tomatoe paste
• 1 tablespoon harissa
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 clove garlic (optional)
• 1 l water

• 2 cups of leek ringletts (2 leeks)
• 2 cups of small diced zucchini (1 big zucchini)
• 2 cups of small diced potatoes (4 potatoes)
• 2 cups of small cut carrots (2-3 carrots)
• 2 cups of chickpeas (or 1 can)
• salt, pepper, vegeta to taste 
• parsley

• optional: serve with instant cous cous

 

Preparation:

Step 1 - Preparing the broth

Heat the oil and butter in a big pot. Add the stewing beef and fry quickly from all sides. You need to use very fatty beef with bones. The beef is not supposed to be eaten afterwards. You can add a second piece of more tender beef for eating if you prefer some meat in your soup.
Then add the finely chopped onion, tomatoe paste, harissa, salt and pepper. If you want, also add a full clove of garlic, that you just give a quick squash to release the flavor. Stir the mix and let fry for a few minutes till onions are translucent. They should not turn brown. Now, fill up the pot with water till meat is covered. Let simmer at medium heat for 1 to 1.5 hours till the beef is soft.

Step 2 - Adding the veggies

In the meantime, cut the veggies in very small pieces: Cut the leeks lengthwise and then slice it into half ringletts. Cut the zucchini in half lenthwise and then each half additional two times lenthwise, then slice it. Dice the potatoes in small cubes of 0.5cm. Cut the carrot twice lenthwise (so that you have quarters lenthwise) and then slice it.
When the beef broth is ready, add first the carrots and let cook for about 5 minuts. Carrots are the hardest veggies and take the most time. Then add the leek, zucchini, potatoes, and chickpeas and let cook for another 5-10 minutes. The veggies schould be soft. Now, season it with salt, pepper and vegeta to taste. Sprinkle some chopped parsley on top.

You may serve it over a little cous cous at the bottom of the plate or at the side. The 5-minute instant cous cous, prepared according to package instructions, works fine.

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