Posted on
Monday, May 30, 2011
5/30/2011 03:01:00 PM
| By:
Homemade Chef
Category:
One of my favorite things to do is make different foods from my heritage. Today, I went with my German background and decided to make spaetzle. Spaetzle is similar to a noodle or dumpling. Very simple, but delicious and can be used in so many different preparations.
Ingredients
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup flour
- 1/4 cup milk (Or water, milk just makes it creamier and adds more flavor.)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- pinch of white pepper (Black pepper can be used if you don't have white, the only reason I use it is because it blends in so well and you don't even realize there is pepper in it.)
- pinch of nutmeg (Did you know? A pinch or a dash is approximately 1/8 of a teaspoon.)
- water, for boiling
- 2-3 tablespoons butter or margarine
Directions
Combine eggs, flour, and milk. Add seasonings to taste. Mixture will be thick. Bring salted water to a boil. Using a spaetzle maker (colander, a spoon with holes, or anything you have in the kitchen that has holes in it) press the mixture through the holes into boiling water. Do this in small portions and boil until they float to the top. Then, remove them using a slotted spoon draining off as much water as possible.
In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Saute spaetzle to get some extra flavor and color. Throw some garlic or onions into the butter as well for some extra flavor.
This meal cost about $20-$25 and makes more than enough for numerous meals. You can also freeze leftovers and save for later.When I save soup, I pour some of it into ziploc bags, gently place them in a bowl and place the whole thing in the freezer. Once the soup has stiffened enough, remove the ziplocs from the bowl and return to the freezer. This keeps the soup from rolling around and spilling all over your freezer.
SPICY CHICKEN CORN CHOWDER
1 lb. bacon, diced (You can use any flavor or brand you wish, I prefer thick cut. DO NOT use turkey bacon!!! Yes, it is healthier, but the purpose of the bacon in this dish is the fat that cooks off. Turkey bacon only contains about 3% fat at the most, so it will all cook off and you will have no left over fat.)
1 lb. chicken breast,cooked and chopped (I bake the chicken, covered in spices to add flavor. Chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper, cajun seasonings.)
2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced (Green bell peppers can be substituted to save money.)
2 medium vidalia onions, diced (Any onions would work, personally with all of this spice and heat, I love adding something sweet to add more flavor components.)
6 ears of bi-colored corn (Frozen can be used, but NEVER use canned! If you can get fresh corn on the cob, you will not regret it! In Florida, fresh corn is easy to come by and incredibly cheap. Boil water with a generous sprinkle of salt and any spicy flavors you wish. Add the corn to the boiling water and cook for no more than 5 minutes then turn it off and let it cool. Then slice off the kernels and reserve. NOTE: After the kernels have been removed, using the back of your knife scrape out the remaining membrane and add to the kernels. This will help add a creamier texture and also thicken the soup a little more.)
4-5 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 small jalapenos, seeded and diced
4 red potatoes, washed and diced (Soak the red potatoes in water while you prepare the rest of your vegetables. Then drain off the water, this will remove a lot of the starch.)
64 ounces chicken stock (If using store bought, always make sure to buy the low sodium! The regular stock or broth is pure salt and that is pretty much the only flavor in it.)
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 cups heavy cream (If you would like to try cutting calories, you can always substitute milk for part of the cream. You should use at least part cream as this has a ton of flavor and also thickens the soup.)
salt
pepper
chili powder
cayenne pepper
paprika
Cook bacon in large pot over medium-high heat until crispy and golden brown. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve for topping later. You should have a few tablespoons of fat remaining in the pan. Add onion and pepper and saute until fragrant. Add garlic and jalapeno and saute for about 1 to 2 minutes. Add flour in doses (you may not need all of it) until the fat is pretty much absorbed. You will need to cook for about 2-3 minutes or until you have a blond roux (a roux is an equal combination of fat and flour cooked to get rid of the flour taste...this is then used to thicken many dishes.)
Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil, then drop the heat to low and add potatoes. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Add the corn, chicken, and cream. Cook for about 10-15 minutes and season to taste. Simmer the soup and allow to thicken for at least 30 minutes up to 2 hours. Top with leftover bacon and serve.
