[null, null, null, null, {"document_url": "http://www.stepfordwives.org/diary/category/recipes/", "unformatted_src": "http://www.stepfordwife.com/images/stepfordwives.org_Amish_Wiggler.jpg", "src": "http://www.stepfordwife.com/images/stepfordwives.org_Amish_Wiggler.jpg", "formatted_filename": "stepfordwives"}, null]
Archive for the ‘Recipes’ Category

Oktoberfest Recipes 2014 at the Stepford Wives Organization

Thursday, October 2nd, 2014 Oktoberfest has been in full gear at the Stepford Wives Organization. We recommend a mix of Spatzle, Red Cabbage, and Bockwurst (simply because the leek / scallion taste is delicious). Try googling a local butcher in your area using the keywords “German / Polish sausage.” Or you can call them up. We recommend buying them fresh. From that point on, you can just cook them in boiling water between 5 to 10 minutes (to get the insides cooked), then drain, and pan fry (or grill). Or you can buy them pre-cooked.

If you make Spatzle, remember to spray or brush the collander/spatzle maker with olive oil to ensure the dough will slide off the holes easier!

You can also make Semmelknodel in place of Spatzle. (recipe for Semelknodel)

You want to wash all this down with an ice cold glass of Augustiner Beer, made in Munich where Oktoberfest is celebrated. Of course, it won’t taste as grand and fresh as if you were there (we’ve tried both), but it’s the next best thing. A Picture of Augustiner Beer

Fresh Herb Spaetzle
(source: Epicurious )

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
8 teaspoons minced assorted fresh herbs (such as parsley, thyme, rosemary, and chives), divided
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, divided
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
8 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced
3/4 cup (or more) low-salt chicken broth


Blend flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in large bowl. Whisk in eggs and milk, forming soft batter. Mix in half of herbs.

Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Butter large bowl. Working with 1/3 cup batter at a time and using rubber spatula, press batter directly into boiling water through 1/4-inch holes on coarse grater, strainer, or wide ladle. Stir spaetzle to separate and boil 2 minutes. Using fine sieve, scoop spaetzle from pot, drain well, and transfer to buttered bowl. (Can be prepared 3 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

Melt 2 tablespoons butter with 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms; sauté until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add onion; sauté until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon oil, and spaetzle. Sauté until spaetzle begin to brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add 3/4 cup broth. Simmer until broth is absorbed, adding more broth if dry. Mix in remaining herbs; season with salt and pepper.

Red Cabbage & Bacon
source: Chow


1 medium head red cabbage
6 thick slices applewood-smoked bacon or other smoked bacon, cut into lardons (about 1/4-by-1/4-by-3/4-inch pieces)
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth


Slice cabbage in half lengthwise. Use a sharp knife to cut a V-shaped notch around the white core and discard it. Slice both pieces in half again so you have 4 quarters, then thinly slice each piece crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Set aside.
Place bacon in a large Dutch oven or other large, heavy-bottomed pot with a tightfitting lid over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and most of the fat has rendered.
Add onion and stir to coat in the bacon fat. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook until the onion softens and the edges begin to brown, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the reserved cabbage, stir to coat in bacon fat, and cook until the cabbage begins to wilt, about 4 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar and mustard.
Deglaze the pan with the cider vinegar, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a spatula. Add the chicken broth and season with a few pinches of salt and more freshly ground pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium low and cover the pan tightly. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is soft and soupy and the bacon is tender, about 45 minutes. If the cabbage begins to look dry, add more broth or water.

Tags: bockwurst, bratwurst, octoberfest, octoberfest 2014, oktoberfest 2014, spaetzle, spatzle
Posted in Domestic Tranquility, Recipes, Recommend | No Comments »

Happy St. Patty’s Day: Guinness Stew Recipe with cabbage & traditional white soda bread ( gluten OR gluten free)

Monday, March 17th, 2014 Happy St. Patrick’s Day! You may consider trying out this delicious classic Guinness Beer beef stew. Don’t worry, the alcohol is evaporated and the Guinness stout flavor is mild and faint, but oh what a unique taste it is! Try it with some traditional Irish soda bread (recipe and instructions below) or Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread as a great meal for the last of the cold winter days!

There are a variety of Guinness Stouts. The bottled “Guinness Extra Stout” is the long time import into America, so we like using that. However, the newer canned, draught versions approximate the smoother, draught Guinness Stout you can drink in many an Irish pub in Dublin, just down the road from the Guinness brewery.

Stepford Cooking Tip: Use a leave-in oven thermometer for all your cooking needs. Your oven’s temperature knob is NOT your actual oven temperature!

Beef and Guinness Stew ( from Irish Central).

We recommend adding cabbage to give it the multi-dimensional taste that cabbage so often introduces in stews.

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 tablespoon butter, divided
2 pounds boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
5 cups chopped onion (about 3 onions)
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
1 (11.2-ounce) bottle Guinness Draught
1 tablespoon raisins
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 1/2 cups (1/2-inch-thick) diagonal slices carrot (about 8 ounces)
1 1/2 cups (1/2-inch-thick) diagonal slices parsnip (about 8 ounces)
1 cup (1/2-inch) cubed peeled turnip (about 8 ounces)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Optional: 1/2 head of cabbage, shredded


1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons butter to pan.
2. Place flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle beef with 1/2 teaspoon salt; dredge beef in flour.
3. Add half of beef to pan; cook 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove beef from pan with a slotted spoon.
4. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons butter, and beef.
5. Add onion to pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.
6. Stir in tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.
7. Stir in broth and beer, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Return meat to pan.
8. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, raisins, caraway seeds, and pepper; bring to a boil.
9. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
10. Uncover and bring to a boil. Cook 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrot, parsnip, and turnip.
10. Optional: Add cabbage
11. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
12. Uncover and bring to a boil; cook 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with parsley.

White Soda Bread
( Soda Bread recipe from Epicurious )

3 1/2 cups all purpose white flour
2 tablespoons caraway seeds (optional)
1 teaspoon baking-soda
1 1/2 cups (about) buttermilk


Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly flour baking sheet. Mix flour, caraway seeds, if using, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Mix in enough buttermilk to form moist clumps. Gather dough into ball. Turn out onto lightly flour surfaced and knead just until dough holds together, about 1 minute. Shape dough into 6-inch-diameter by 2-inch-high round. Place on prepared baking sheet. Cut 1-inch-deep X across top of bread, extending almost to edges. Bake until bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on bottom, about 35 minutes. Transfer bread to rack and cool completely.

Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread ( from Carol Fenster’s excellent book: 100 Best Gluten Free Recipes

1/3 cup Potato Starch
1/3 cup Tapioca Flour
1 Tb Honey or Sugar
2 tsp Xanthan Gum
1/2 tsp Unflavored Gelatin
1 Egg, lightly beaten
2/3 cup Buttermilk
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
2 tsp Whole Caraway Seeds
1 cup Brown Rice Flour

Grease two 5 x 3-inch nonstick pans or a 9 x 5-inch nonstick pan. Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl and mix well with electric mixer on low speed.

Spoon into prepared pan(s), smooth tops with wet spatula and bake small pans for 45-50 minutes, large pan for 50-55 minutes or until top is deeply browned and loaf sounds hard when tapped. Cool completely on wire rack before slicing with serrated or electric knife.

Makes 1 loaf (12 servings).

Tags: beef stew, cabbage stew, guinness stew, guinness stout, Irish, irish soda bread, st patrick, st patrick's, st patty's
Posted in Cooking, Recipes | No Comments »

Recipe: The Amish Wiggler

Friday, March 15th, 2013

We always look to the Amish for new ideas and inspiration. Here is a casserole-styled dish they call The Wiggler. Our husbands affectionately refer to it as “Das Wiggler.” Keep in mind that traditionally, the Amish have a tendency to overcook their dishes. So if you want the genuine item, you’d want to overcook it a little. This is a modified recipe of which the original can be found in the most trusted source of Amish cookbooks Amish Cooking by the Committee of Amish Women 5 slices of bacon
1.5 lbs hamburger
1.5 cups diced potatoes
1.5 cups celery
2 cups peas
1.5 cups diced carrots
1.5 cups mushroom soup (see notes)
1 can (28 ounces) of diced tomatoes
1.5 cup spaghetti
1 cup shredded cheese


Cut the bacon into small pieces and fry it with hamburger and sliced onions until brown. Onions should be transparent.

Cook the potatoes, celery, peas, and carrots before combining with bacon, hamburger, and onions.

Add the cooked spaghetti, then stir in mushroom soup and canned tomatoes.

Sprinkle with chees and put in oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour, uncovered.

Notes: Mushroom Soup

You can opt to use cream of mushroom, but we make ours fresh. Combine 1/4 cup of diced onions with 1 cup of fresh white button mushroom with 1 cup of chicken stock. Bring to a boil, add a pinch of salt, black pepper, and a sprinkle of Herbes de Provence. Add a 1/4 cup of light cream, heavy cream, OR half and half. Cook for 5 more minutes in medium heat to reduce, then use as recipe dictates.

Tags: Amish cooking, casserole recipes, recipes, Wigglers
Posted in Recipes, Recommend | No Comments »