At certain times of the year, all I’m craving is German food. Now Germany isn’t known for their healthiest foods, in fact every time I travel to Germany I return at least 5 pounds heavier! The German diet is mainly comprised of bread, meat, potatoes, and cake. I’m not joking. And anyone who has a heritage whose diet isn’t the healthiest, feels my pain when reminiscing of the childhood times.
When I was younger my mom would always be fixing all sorts of yummy German dishes. We’d make Knoedel, Spaetzle , and all sorts of other goodies. In Germany, we would get freshly baked cakes and tortes from the bakery around the corner every. single. weekend. Fast forward about 10 years later, and here I am with so many food sensitivities that I can’t look at any of the foods without my stomach turning. It’s quite saddening. But there’s hope!
A friend recently requested that I post more German-inspired recipes so here is my healthy take on a German staple: Bratkartoffeln. Basically since Germany is also known for farming, and has had some very tough economic times, in rough times potatoes were one of the cheapest things to purchase. From those times of poverty these kinds of potato-focused dishes were created. The original version calls for regular potatoes, but I prefer sweet potatoes.
It’s a really simple dish and can be mixed and matched with all sorts of different ingredients. I’ve made an asian-infused version of this dish, but I’ve also just thrown anything from my fridge into it. Hamburger, pineapple, kale, various spices, onions, and more work great in combination!
What is a dish you would wish you could find a healthier version of?
Love,
Maxi
Bratkartoffeln:
(paleo, df, gf, grain-free)
Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes, sliced
4 strips of sugar-free bacon, cubed
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
2 eggs, scrambled
1 sprig of rosemary, chopped finely
salt and pepper
Directions:
Fry the cubed bacon in a large pan. Once nice and brown, add the sweet potato slices, mushrooms, and rosemary to the pan. Keep cooking at low heat until sweet potatoes soften. (The time will vary, but it took me about 45 minutes. ) Lastly, season with salt and pepper and add the scrambled eggs. Stir until everything is cooked. Enjoy!
Tried this recipe with fish instead of bacon and still got great results! I’d say, however, you’re gonna need a bit of spice for the fish in order to make up for the baconless-ness.
The mix of sweet potato, mushrooms, and rosemary feel like they could be their own dish. Though it would be more of an appetizer if anything, it still requires a main dish to fill the palette. Any meat could really work for this, and I think the best part about the whole meal is the long lasting flavor of the sweet potato’s that mix with whatever meat is chosen.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 I’ll have to try it with fish next time and see what it tastes like!