Tag Archive for 'spinaci'

Spinach spätzle

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I FINALLY got round to using the spätzle maker that my German friend Beate had kindly given me (see picture below for what it looks like). After literally YEARS! HURRAH! Better late than never,eh? Good things come to those who wait, and all that! Anyway, I can see I will be using it again real soon as it was really a very straightforward and simple affair. What are spätzle? They are a German/Austrian speciality. Basically they are little gnocchi (dumplings) made with flour, eggs and water. Uneven, worm shaped pasta, basically. You make the mixture, then you put it in what looks like a potato press and squeeze it on top of a pan of boiling water. They cook instantaneously as they drop in the water. Traditionally they are eaten with a cheese and fried onion sauce.  I made the spinach version. I thought they were very tasty and easy. I simply dressed them with a sage and butter sauce and sprinkled them generously with grated parmesan. Delicious! The recipe comes from the Giallo Zafferano blog, slightly adapted. Continue reading ‘Spinach spätzle’

Canederli agli spinaci

canederli agli spinaci

As I promised on my return from my summer holidays in the Dolomites here I am blogging a typical dish from that area ( which I finally got round to making) : the legendary canederli. What are they? I hear you ask…. Well, the best way to describe them is they are big bread dumplings which are cooked in boiling salted water. A bit like gnocchi. They were originally a peasant dish. I have made the vegetarian version (with spinach and cheese) but the traditional ones contain speck which is a smoked ham from those mountains. I tried both versions when I was in Italy, as well as those made with beetroot. All delicious,  and a great way to use stale bread. They are not difficult to prepare and are very tasty (as well as VERY filling). Recipes on the internet vary but here’s what I did. It worked first time. Continue reading ‘Canederli agli spinaci’