Schwebische Maultaschen a Family Favorite

 

  Every year for Good Friday I cook a special Swabian-German dish it is called; Maultaschen! 

Maul = Mouth, Tasche = Pocket, Mouth Pockets.

  Maultaschen are a Swabian specialty from southwestern Germany. They are akin to Italian ravioli, Chinese wontons and Jewish kreplach. A simply pasta pocket filled with a variety of ingredients. They are popular during the week of Easter. Maultaschen were apparently invented as a conniving way of having meat during Lent, by grinding up the meat with spinach and concealing it in pasta to hide it from God.

Maultaschen Made Easy

(German meat-filled pasta)

6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

•             Spinach, fresh or frozen (I use Stouffers Spinach Soufflé)

•             Onion, minced -- ½                                                    1 lbs. Ground beef & bratwurst

•             Bread, soaked in milk – 2-3 slices                               3 bouillon cubes

•             Eggs, beaten – 2-3                                                     Nutmeg -- 1/4 teaspoon

•             Salt and pepper -- to taste                                           Wonton wrappers, 2 package

•             Egg, beaten with a little water – 1                                2 carrots

•             ¼ cup bacon                                                              Maggi to add flavor (optional)

Method:

1.            Cook the bacon first. Remove bacon from pan when done, let it cool and then chop it up. Keep the bacon grease / fat in the pan.

   

If using fresh Spinach, bring a pot of water to a boil. Drop in spinach and blanch for a couple of minutes. Drain the spinach in a colander and squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible. Then chop. 

2.            Sauté the onions, carrots over medium heat until translucent. Add the ground beef and sauté until just cooked through, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain any excess oil and allow to cool.

3.            Mix the spinach and bratwurst mixture together in a large bowl. Drain the bread and squeeze it dry. Crumble the bread into the bowl and add the eggs, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Mix or knead the filling to form a paste, then add the ground beef meat mixture.

 

4.            Place 1-2 teaspoons of the filling in the middle of a wonton wrapper, moisten the edges with a little of the egg-water mixture. Place the wonton squares on a flat surface. I like to do about 12 at a time. After adding the filling place the second wonton square on top then press down on the edges to seal. Repeat with the remaining filling and wrappers, laying them on a flat surface as they are finished.

5.            Bring a large pot of water to a boil with bouillon cubes added. Let it dissolve, add flavor as needed (salt & pepper). Add the Maultaschen and cook for 5-8 minutes. Serve right away as soup or remove Maultaschen for later to fry.

 

Serving Suggestions:

There are so many ways to enjoy Maultaschen. The simplest way is to serve it in a chicken or beef broth, perhaps two or three large Maultaschen in a bowl of broth with onions (If you like onions).

Another idea is to fry some onions in butter, then add to hot Maultaschen on the plate. You can eat your Maultaschen boiled or fried. Maultaschen goes well with green salad.

" Guten Appetit!" from Stefanie



Do you have leftover wonton wrappers? Then I have the perfect snack recipe for you. 

CINNAMON SUGAR WONTON CRISPS

makes about 8 cups

1 12 oz. package wonton wrappers, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips

vegetable oil, for frying

1 cup sugar

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoons sea salt

Heat oil in a large pot until temperature reaches 350F. Cook wonton strips in batches in the hot oil and fry until all sides are golden brown, about 1 minute per batch. Remove crisps from oil and place on paper towels to drain.

In a small bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon and salt. Transfer fried wonton crisps into a large bowl and toss with sugar mixture until crisps are thoroughly coated. Crisps are best eaten the day they’re made, but can last if sealed in an air tight container for up to 3 days.

I found this wonderful recipe on Pinterest shared by Tracey Benjamin. This yummie delicious snack was a total hit at my house so now I added it to my Tried & True Recipe Board. Feel free to check it out. If you would like to see more awesome recipes in the future make sure to follow me by clicking the "Follow Me" button. 

Other food ideas:
Barely Barley Blueberry Bread

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#Maultaschen

Maultaschen

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