Deutsch Dinner

Sauerkraut may have been invented in China, but most of us associate it with German cooking. Coupled with pork or sausages, kraut is a mainstay on restaurant menus and in homes throughout that country.

German cooks flavor the fermented cabbage with caraway seeds or other herbs and spices. In addition to meat, they cook it with apples, pineapple or in the juices of those fruits.

This side of the Atlantic, sauerkraut often has a coarser texture and, when cooked directly from the package or jar, a more pungent flavor than the German counterpart. Rinsing and simmering sauerkraut with applesauce tempers the acidity and broadens its appeal.

Other quintessential German foods--potatoes, dark rye bread and gingersnaps used in a topping for baked pears--round out this easy, warming dinner.

MENU ( 30 MINUTES OR LESS)

German Skillet Dinner

Boiled New Potatoes

Dark Rye Bread

Pear Crisp With Vanilla Ice Cream or Yogurt

GERMAN SKILLET DINNER

1 (32-ounce) package or jar sauerkraut

1 cup applesauce

1 (14- or 16-ounce) package smoked sausage with Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Place sauerkraut in strainer or colander and rinse with cold water. Drain and turn into 10-inch skillet.

Stir applesauce into sauerkraut. Nestle sausages in mixture, cover and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.

Sprinkle cheese over skillet mixture. Cover and simmer until cheese melts, 1 to 2 minutes.

4 servings. Each serving:

395 calories; 1,833 mg sodium; 70 mg cholesterol; 29 grams fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 17 grams protein; 2.75 grams fiber.

PEAR CRISP

3 pears

1 teaspoon lemon juice

12 (1 3/4-inch) gingersnaps, crushed

1/4 cup chopped pecans

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 pint vanilla ice cream or yogurt

Core, peel and slice pears. Place in 8-inch-square baking dish and sprinkle with lemon juice.

Toss crushed gingersnaps with pecans and butter. Spoon evenly over pears.

Bake at 400 degrees until pears are heated through, about 20 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or yogurt.

4 servings. Each serving with 1/2-cup ice cream:

394 calories; 237 mg sodium; 53 mg cholesterol; 20 grams fat; 53 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 1.88 grams fiber.

COUNTDOWN

30 minutes before: Rinse sauerkraut. Scrub potatoes.

25 minutes before: Begin cooking sauerkraut, applesauce and sausages. Preheat oven for Pear Crisp. Begin boiling potatoes.

20 minutes before: Prepare Pear Crisp and place in oven.

15 minutes before: Finish preparing Pear Crisp.

5 minutes before: Drain potatoes and keep warm. Add cheese to sauerkraut mixture.

Just before serving: Remove Pear Crisp from oven and let cool.

INGREDIENTS

STAPLES

1 (8-ounce) jar applesauce

Butter

Lemon

Chopped pecans

SHOPPING LIST

1 (1-pound) package gingersnaps

1 pint vanilla ice cream or yogurt

3 pears

12 baby red boiling potatoes

1 (32-ounce) package or jar sauerkraut

1 (14- or 16-ounce) package smoked sausage with Cheddar cheese

1 (1/4-pound) package shredded Swiss cheese

1 loaf dark rye bread

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Cook’s Tips

To cook new potatoes, combine scrubbed potatoes and about 1 1/2 cups water in 3-quart saucepan. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and boil gently until the potatoes are fork tender, about 20 minutes.

To crush gingersnaps, place in a heavy-duty plastic bag and pound gently with a wooden mallet.

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SHORT CUTS

A circular pear cutter cores and slices the fruit in one quick step.

Use already shredded Swiss cheese and chopped pecans.