Willi con Carne (Wiener Stew)

I came across a children’s cookbook with this recipe during a Friday ritual visit to the library with my son Tuscan when he was younger (a ritual he was happy to stop when older). The cookbook was called Willi kocht (by Willi Weitzel), and what’s cool is that he divided out the recipes into tasks that younger and older children could help with.

This became another favorite meal for Tuscan, and with the added veggies, I didn’t mind making it. The wieners I buy from our bio delivery service come in a pack of 7 (which is perfect for this recipe) and I feel better knowing they are made organically with a high content of actual pork.

The fusilli pasta wasn’t part of the original recipe. I made them once as a filler when I didn’t have much wiener stew left. Then the next time I made the stew, Tuscan asked where the noodles were. So, ever since they became part of the recipe.

I made this one time for lunch when Tuscan had a friend over, who wrinkled his nose when he saw it. I told him to ‘just try a bite’—he ate two bowls. So if you have kids, this is a fast recipe to get a meal on the table, and one they will likely enjoy (adults too!).

I came across this video from the chef making this recipe with kids. Even if you don’t speak German, you can still see what little hands can help out with.

Ingredients:

• 7-8 wieners, cut in bite-size pieces
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 cup of water (keep by the stove)
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1 can of tomatoes (400g)
• 1 cup of corn
• 1 green pepper, diced
• Salt and pepper (QB)
• Fusilli pasta

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add wieners and brown on middle heat.
2. Add the onions and sauté.
3. Add tomato paste and flour. Vigorously mix and then add the cup of water.
4. Stir in the canned tomatoes.
5. Add the corn and green pepper, stir, and let the stew cook for 15 minutes (regularly stirring).
6. Cook and drain pasta.
7. Add salt and pepper to stew (QB to taste). Add a portion of cooked pasta to a serving dish and top with wiener stew.