Swiss And Sauerkraut Crostini Food

MUSHROOM CROSTINI

Steps:

• Heat six tablespoons of the olive oil in a frying pan, fry the chopped garlic and chilli for one minute, then add the mushrooms and fry for a further 2-3 minutes, or until cooked.
• Stir in the parsley and marjoram and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Meanwhile, toast the slices of bread on both sides. Rub each piece of bread lightly with the whole garlic clove and brush with the remaining olive oil, then slice into individual servings if needed. Spoon over the mushrooms and serve.

CORNED BEEF 'N' SAUERKRAUT BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a greased 1-1/2 -qt. baking dish, layer half the sauerkraut, corned beef and cheese. Repeat layers. Drop salad dressing by teaspoonfuls over the cheese. Arrange tomato slices over the top; dot with 2 tablespoons butter., In a small saucepan, melt remaining butter. Stir in crumbs; sprinkle over top of casserole. Bake, uncovered, 30-35 minutes or until heated through.

SWISS SAUERKRAUT CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Cook and drain noodles as directed on package.
• While noodles are cooking, cook beef, onion, salt and pepper in 10-inch skillet, over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain.
• In ungreased 3-quart casserole, mix noodles, beef mixture, sauerkraut, soup and 1 cup of the cheese.
• Bake uncovered 45 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake uncovered 5 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with red onion.

HOW TO MAKE SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Thoroughly wash a large tub or bowl (we used on the size of a small washing-up bowl), then rinse with boiling water from the kettle. Make sure that your hands, and everything else coming into contact with the cabbage, are very clean. It's wise to use a container that will comfortably fit the softened cabbage, allowing several inches of room at the top to avoid overflow.
• Shred the cabbage thinly - a food processor makes light work of this. Layer the cabbage and the salt in the tub or bowl. Massage the salt into the cabbage for 5 mins, wait 5 mins, then repeat. You should end up with a much-reduced volume of cabbage sitting in its own brine. Mix in the caraway seeds and the peppercorns.
• Cover the surface of the cabbage entirely with a sheet of cling film, then press out all the air bubbles from below. Weigh the cabbage down using a couple of heavy plates, or other weights that fit your bowl, and cover as much of the cabbage as possible. The level of the brine will rise to cover the cabbage a little. Cover the tub and leave in a dark place at a cool room temperature (about 18-20C) for at least five days. It will be ready to eat after five days, but for maximum flavour leave the cabbage to ferment for anywhere between 2-6 weeks (or until the bubbling subsides).
• Check the cabbage every day or so, releasing any gases that have built up as it ferments, giving it a stir to release the bubbles. If any scum forms, remove it, rinse the weights in boiling water and replace the cling film. You should see bubbles appearing within the cabbage, and possibly some foam on the top of the brine. It's important to keep it at an even, cool room temperature - too cool and the ferment will take longer than you'd like, too warm and the sauerkraut may become mouldy or ferment too quickly, leading to a less than perfect result.
• The cabbage will become increasingly sour the longer it's fermented, so taste it now and again. When you like the flavour, transfer it to smaller sterilised jars. Will keep in the fridge for up to six months.