For today's episode of Friday's Feast, I present: Spaetzle!!! This lovable little German noodle is probably something you would only think to order in a restaurant along with the wiener schnitlzel or sauerbrauten, but if you have the right tool it is incredibly easy to make at home and your kids will go nuts for it. My nine year old is always clamoring to help me with this one because the spaetzle-maker is "so fun" to operate. And when the noodles are done and on the table, he can eat over half of what the recipe makes by himself, so it is a complete winner in my recipe box. Plus, the little one (as seen above) can help out with the stirring. I have yet to find a way to mess up the dough, so let the 2 year old have at it. :) Enjoy!I hope you all have a great weekend. I am going to be out of town over the weekend, bringing the kids down to Missouri for my parents' annual Christmas party extravaganza. Every year I grumble about having to spend 18 hours in the car to get there and home again (for a three day weekend!), but the party is always so much fun that I'm happy I made the effort and got there. The boys love the tradition and my parents are overjoyed to have them there, so I perservere. We are off in the Mom Bomb (the bitchin' minivan) bright and early tomorrow morning. Thank God for the DVD player....and wish me luck!
Spaetzle
Makes about 4 cups.
2 cups flour 1 tsp. salt 2 eggs 3/4 cup milk 1. Put a large pot of water, with about a teaspoon of salt in it, on to boil. 2. Whisk the flour and salt together in a large mixing bowl. 3. Combine the eggs and milk and then stir into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon. 4. Working in batches, spoon the spaetzle dough into the spaetzle maker and slowly run the "box" back and forth, over the boiling water. The spaetzle will all float to the surface when finished cooking, about 3 minutes per batch. 5. Transfer finished spaetzle via a skimmer to a non-stick skillet over low heat. For extra-delicious spaetzle add butter to the skillet, turn up the heat a bit and let the noodles get a little brown-y and toasty. Yum! Makes about 4 cups.
World's easiest dough.
The Spaetzle maker in action.
World's easiest, thus UGLIEST pasta....
I don't care how you think it looks, it is delicious and soaks up whatever saucey thing you serve it with.
Looks neat! Too much work for me thouh! Have a safe and fabuloous trip!!
ReplyDeleteI might actually have to try this...if it is noodles, I got a shot the kid might eat it. And he likes helping me cook. And if it can't be messed up, then that is my kind of recipe.
ReplyDelete18 hours in a car? For a weekend trip? Sounds like hell to me. I hope the party is really really really good! And it sounds like it is. Enjoy!
Bye-Bye Noodle lady.
ReplyDeleteI love easy and yummy! Yay!
ReplyDeleteI saw your comment on Ann's Rants about my McDonald's story...it's OK to laugh. I laugh at it now when I look back!!
Hope you have a great weekend!!
That looks good, and I'm sure the kids would love it. My butt might like it a little too much too...
ReplyDeleteWow, you are fancy! I don't think I've ever had spaetzle.
ReplyDeleteThat looks like alot of work.. and I don't do alot of work. Possibly you could just make me some??? yeah.. that sounds like a plan.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE road trips!
ReplyDeleteAnd where's the recipe for the brown gravy?!
Danke!
Pearl
I need to tell Santa to bring me a spaetzel maker! Yumm! Of course, any kind of carb served with butter always works for me!
ReplyDeleteI might have to try that...hmmm looks good!
ReplyDeleteHi there, loving your blog. Moving sounds like and adventure. Were can I get that tool to make those noodles my kids would love it.
ReplyDeleteMy husbands whole entire family is from Wisconsin I can't remember exactly where though. I'll have to find out. I am new to blogging, just started and am so excited about it. I want to learn all the tricks!
You make it sound so easy! But I have no doubt that I can screw it up.
ReplyDeleteThat looks pretty starchy and delicious (everything starchy IS delicious, in my book) and I'd probably try to make it myself if I hadn't already sworn off all things cooking after my last disgusting Crock Pot experience. Might pass it on the hubs, though.
ReplyDeleteOMG, my kids LOVE spaetzel. It is a very common dish in these parts (can you guess no just how NORTH in northern Italy I am?). They seem to always make it with spinach here, so it's green and served just with butter and grated cheese. Fortunately I just have to pick up a pack of the stuff in the refrigerated section (right next to the extra-fat yogurt).
ReplyDelete