Spaetzle

I grew up on Spaetzle, though I'm not entirely sure my mom made it the right way. It was delicious nonetheless. Hers were doughy noodles dropped by spoonfuls into hot water and ALWAYS served with meatballs and sauce. I love them!

A few Christmases ago she bought all of us "Spaetzle Makers" which make these tiny little drop noodles. From what I have read- the more traditional German way to serve these is pretty simple- brown in butter! Today I made Spaetzle and served with some simple steamed cabbage and pork chops. It was simple, basic and delicious.

German Spaetzle

1 cup flour

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk ( I used skim with fine results!)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

pinch of pepper

Mix together dry ingredients.

Beat eggs well. Add alternately with milk to dry mixture and stir until smooth.

Drop in boiling water (or use spaetzle maker to push through into water) and cook until floats.

Remove from boiling water with slotted spoon, draining well.

Once all cooked- saute cooked spaetzle in a few tablespoons of butter.

Enjoy every buttery, noodley minute of them!

How to Cook a Chicken Sausage

I bought a package of chicken sausage this week- I've wanted to give them a try but have always felt a little nervous about them. I think its the color! So, I went on a little search on a quick way to cook them. Initially I thought about doing a sausage/potato/pepper back kind of thing but wasn't in the mood for potatoes. Stumbled upon a Rachael Ray recipe for Braised Chicken Sausages and loved them!

2 lbs chicken sausage

1 pint chicken stock ( i used vegetable)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp olive oil (I cut back to 1 tbsp to keep it Weight Watchers friendly!)

1 medium red onion, sliced

Put all ingredients in a high sided saute pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high and simmer until stock has evaporated and a glaze has formed.

Unfortunately mine did not get to the 'glaze' point so it was a little watery. I think perhaps I kept the heat too low. But I would try it again. And I would try chicken sausage again- I rather enjoyed it!

Macaroni and Cheese with a Secret Silken Tofu Sauce

At the request of a Facebook buddy- I am posting this recipe here. I am cooking up a storm as usual but just not sharing as I should! I found this recipe in a new cookbook I got for Christmas- The Vegetarian Family Cookbook. One of my goals for the new year was to find new vegetarian meals for our family to decrease how much meat we consume.

Sarah, my 3 year old, is infatuated with Macaroni and Cheese. If you ask what she wants for a meal- the answer is Mac and Cheese. So when I saw this recipe I was eager to give it a try and find a way to give Mac and Cheese some tasty extra nutrients. As opposed to the sodium infused Kraft stuff she knows and loves. It was a big hit! Sarah told me "mommy I like this dinner!"

Macaroni and Cheese with a Secret Silken Tofu Sauce
10 to 12 ounces elbow macaroni (or other short pasta shape such as cavatappi)
1 (12.3-ounce) package silken tofu
2 tablespoons nonhydrogenated margarine
1 1/2 cups firmly packed organic grated cheddar cheese
Salt to taste

Cook the macaroni in plenty of rapidly simmering water until al dente, then drain. Meanwhile, puree the tofu until perfectly smooth in a food processor or blender. Transfer to a medium sauce pan and add the margarine and cheese. Slowly bring to a gentle simmer, stirring often, then cook over low heat until the cheese is thoroughly melted. Combine the cooked macaroni and sauce in a serving container and stir together. Season with salt to taste and serve at once.
Makes 6 to 8 kid-sized servings.

Variation: Bake in a casserole dish at 400°F (205°C) for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the top is golden and crusty.

I baked mine with some bread crumbs and additional cheese on top to make it extra tasty on top :) I think I may add some additional seasonings next time, perhaps some grated onion.

Blackberry Clafouti

I've been interested in trying clafouti for some time-- I saw a recipe online at some point and thought it looked yummy and had a fun name. Well, we had loads of blackberries to use up so today was the day!

Blackberry Clafouti (or Clafoutis)

• 1 tablespoon softened butter
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups fresh blackberries
• 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar (powdered)

Preheat an oven to 350F. Butter a 9-inch by 9-inch square baking dish or a 9-inch deep-dish pie round with the softened butter.

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, cream, flour, eggs, sugar, orange zest, vanilla extract, and salt until it forms a smooth, thin batter. Spread 3/4 cup of the batter onto the bottom of the prepared baking dish and bake it for 2-4 minutes. Watch the batter closely and remove it before it cooks through completely. It should just start to thicken and set when it is removed from the oven.

Transfer the dish to a heatproof surface and arrange the blackberries over the hot batter. Pour the remaining batter over the blackberries and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Sprinkle the confectioners’ sugar over the finished clafouti and serve it warm.

I served it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. Really yummy. Tasted like a custard. I've seen recipes with all sorts of fruit although cherries are supposedly most traditional. I'll have to keep that in mind when cherry season hits in July!

Salsa Eggs a la George

Our friend George always introduces us to great food ideas... if only we lived closer together and could have our food adventures more often! This recipe is so simple- he made it for us for breakfast while camping and I loved it immediately. We often have serrano peppers and cilantro that need to be used- and this is the perfect way. I had it today for lunch- scooping the eggs up with pieces of warmed flour tortilla. Perfection!

Salsa Eggs a la George
makes 1 fairly large serving... multiple to serve as many necessary!

2 eggs
1 tsp milk
2-3 tbsp salsa
1 clove minced garlic
1/2- 1 minced serrano pepper
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 tsp chopped fresh cilantro (more to your taste-- i like alot)

1. Heat nonstick pan on medium heat. Spray with nonstick spray Add salsa, garlic and serrano and allow to cook down until has less liquid.
2. Meanwhile, whisk eggs and milk together.
3. Add eggs, salt and pepper and scramble. Add cilantro near end of eggs cooking through and cook about 1 minute more.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

I'll admit I grew up on mac and cheese made from Velveeta. And its creamy and good and what not-- but I love a nice thick, gooey batch of it made with sharp cheddar, or better yet a mix of a few cheeses!

I first had this recipe while camping in a cabin in West Virginia with our friend George. Whenever we are with George- culinary adventures ensue and we eat ourselves into oblivion.

The recipe comes from Alton Brown on the Food Network. I made a batch tonight with plans to bake and eat on Thursday! I can't wait! (I might have sampled it this evening just a little...)

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon powdered mustard
3 cups milk
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 large egg
12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper

TOPPING

3 tablespoons butter
1 cup panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.

Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.

**Mike and I will argue over whether it is appropriate to use a lesser fat milk in this type of recipe. Being that we routinely have whole milk around for our 2 year old-- I will often use 1/2 and 1/2-- 1/2 whole milk and half 1 percent. Turns out beautifully and just as thick and creamy. And what he doesn't know won't hurt him! **

Grandma's Sweet Potatoes

One of my favorite things my Grammy makes is her Sweet Potato and Apples casserole. She makes it for holidays with me in mind. Easter was no exception today! I loved it and scarfed down multiple servings. I even scaled down the ham and other items on my plate to assure I would have enough of an appetite!

I've made it myself but somehow hers is sweeter and more syrupy and wonderful. Must be the grandma love. Here is the recipe!!

Grammy's Sweet Potatoes and Apples

1 cup sugar
3 tbsp corn starch
1 1/4 cup water
1 tsp salt
cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
5 apples (peeled, cored and cut into wedges)
4-5 sweet potatoes, parboiled, peeled and sliced

In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, water, salt and butter. Cook until thickened. Layer apples and potatoes in a 9X13 dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon between layers. Spoon sauce over casserole. Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour

TIP: I add cinnamon to the sauce too.