Spaetzle with creamy leeks sauce and Veggies

I didn't know what I wanted to cook for dinner, so I looked and looked and then got out the Better Homes and Garden Cook book and flipped through until I was inspired.  That's how my cooking brain works most of the time.  I look at what I have and then the light bulb goes off.

I don't recall eating Spaetzle even though I grew up in a heavily German part of Minnesota.  But it sounded neat.

I am going to cheat here with what I used and did.

Here is a simple recipe of spaetzle from Allrecipes.com


Now I mixed it all up, had my water going and this is where I figured out my mistake.  I did not have a large enough holed strainer.  I looked it up later and found there are tools made just to make spaetzle.  So as I was forcing to much no avail, the dough would not drop through.  I ended up just ozzing out the stuff from the bowl with my spoon.  It was still tasty.  I crushed up some Hard Tack (very dry crackers) and tossed them together.

The Leek cream sauce - I cooked leeks and butter for a long time on low until they were soft.  Then I added milk and corn starch.  A little S&P and let it thicken up.

The veggies were just cooked simple with little seasoning.

In the end, tasty & Filling.  I doubt I will make spaetzle again, but I would like to try somebody's else's!

Back of the Cupboard Christmas Cookies? YA SURE!

So, your sitting there reading this and thinking, man o man do I want Christmas cookies, but I am ( Blank - You fill in the reason) to make them.  Most of the time we think we need super special stuff to make good foods.

Simple sugar cookies do not.  I bet dollars to doughnuts that you right now have the items needed to make sugar cookies.

How do I turn them into something a little extra special?  If you're like me, then you may still have leftover Halloween candy sitting in a cupboard.  I had a box of Gum Drops, Hot Tomalies,  and a container of jelly beans.

The Boy and I made the dough, and cut the cookies and we used some of the candies as drops on the top, I cut the jelly beans in half and made buttons for the ginger bread man cookies, and even hid jelly beans in side of the cookie dough!

I am not going to post a recipe of Sugar Cookies, for you should have at least one cook book that give you a version, but if not, I will post a link to MY FAVORITE COOK BOOK EVER!  

Seattle Pastry Girl blogs my tour

While I am not shy about what I do for a living, I also like keeping some things in my life separated.  But once in a while I do like to show off a bit.  Plus she is also a food blogger in Seattle, and I wanted to share!

Thank you for enjoying the tour!

seattlepastrygirl.blogspot.com

Potato Chowder

Cold December days just call for a thick warm soup.  Since I had no clams around, and the boy generally does not eat meat that sounds like the animal (clams, chicken, turkey, fish, but pepperoni is ok) todays late lunch was a Potato chowder!

What I used:

• Potatoes
• Parsnips
• Leeks
• Corn
• Milk
• Veggie Stock
• Corn Starch
• Dill weed
• Oregano
• S&P
• Butter
• Oil

How I put it together:

Heat and melt Oil and butter in large pot on medium. Add the veggies and keep building and stirring as you go, giving a little browning to the items, but not much.  Once all veggies in and a little browned, add enough stock to just cover and turn the heat to medium high.  In a separate bowl, mix Cold milk and corn starch together (this get rids of clumpy stuff if you put it in the hot water).

Add milk and bring to slight boil, stirring often.  Bring down to medium (even medium low) and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft.  Add more butter.

Add spices and cook a few more minutes.

The chowder should have thickened up a bit (while it won't be as creamy if I had used cream but thick none the less).

Enjoy!

The Aftermath:

First off, I love soup.  I really do.  This was a hit and a half!  Almost had that richness as a cream based soup, nice flavor (I love dill!)  and belly happy tastes! 

Thousand Island Dressing!

(This is a good way to start a blog)

Wikipedia states : Thousand Island dressing is a salad dressing (a variant of Russian dressing), commonly made of mayonnaise, ketchup, Tabasco sauce and finely chopped vegetables, most often pickles, onions, bell peppers, and green olives; chopped hard-boiled egg is also common. 


(Read the page for yourself)

Ok, now that we got that out of the way.  Luck smiled and got us a free pizza coupon on Thursday, so it is pizza and salad night!

Being a special night, our normal dressing just won't do, so I made my special treat, 1000 Island Dressing! I mean really, look in you fridge right now...go on...I'll wait... ... ... ... I bet you have Mayo, ketchup, and spicy bits in there.  You can make this your self too!


What I used:

• Mayo
• Ketchup
• Cocktail Sauce
• Sweet Pickle Relish
• S&P
• Dill
• Lemon Juice

How I put it together:

• My order in the "What I used" section basically lists out the amounts as well, with the large amount items at the top and the lesser amount items at the bottom.
• Mix it all up
• Watch for a color you like
• Taste along the way

The Aftermath:  I have been making this more and more lately.  I am beginning to think that buying store brand salad dressing is very silly.  This is quick, easy, and keeps me from eating too much heavy dressings because I don't always want to make the stuff.

Zesty, creamy and pretty much the same flavor as the stuff from the store.  

Please try it yourself and tell me about it.  Or tell me about what kind of homemade dressings do you make?

By the way the pizza came from Stacia's Pizza & Pasta in Greenwood.  Best Dang Pizza in Seattle (so says I) 

Also - Second by the way, the salad could have it's own page, but I am having mixed feelings about a post just for the salad, so for now I used just what was in there today - Greens, broccoli,  carrots, leeks, turnips, cheese (Thanks again A & S 3 days now and still cooking with that cheese!) and I boiled and wedged up 2 eggs.  Yummers.

Park Free in Pike Place Market!

Hot diggity Dog!  For those of you who enjoy shopping for great foods and stuff at the Pike Place Market (I often refer to it as my Office) I got some cool news.  The Market is offering free parking in their parking lot on Saturdays from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm when you buy $35 worth of goods and food from the Market (easy to do) during the Holiday Season.

Read more details after the bump



Here's the official text from their email "Freshwire"

Park Free on Holiday Saturdays* 

 

Spend $35 at the Market and Park for Free at the Public Market Parking Garage

 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

* December 4, 11, 18 and January 1
(excluding December 25)

Here's how it works, in three easy steps:
 

1. Park in the Public Market Parking Garage (located at 1531 Western Ave.) and take your garage entrance ticket with you as you shop. 

2. Ask for receipts as you shop from Market businesses, restaurants, craftspeople and farmers (visit our online map and directory for list of Market businesses).

 

3. When you're ready to head back to your car, stop by the Market Information Booth (between 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.) at First & Pike with $35 or more in receipts from Market businesses and your garage entrance ticket, and get a pass for that day's parking. The pass is good for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. that Saturday only, one per customer. 

 

Happy Holidays from the Pike Place Market!

Guest dinner! Veggie Links and Greens

My good friends came over for a visit.  Being those type of cool friends, while I offered to cook them grub, they brought some extra grub for me to use.  It was like a mystery bag of food!

Havarti cheese, Vegan links (think sausage links, but not trying to pretend to be meat, pack with protein and tasty).  I dug into the produce bin to see what I could use.

I came up with Pan Grilled Vegan Links with quick braised Red Chard and rice.

What I used:

• Left over rice, reheated with a little bit of veggie stock and S&P
• The veggies
• Red Chard - large viens removed and chopped, the greens slicked width wise
• leeks - diced
• carrots - diced
• turnips - diced
• stock
• spices - cumin, lemon juice, vinegar, oregano
• Links

How I put it together:

Into my pan goes the "tough stuff"; leeks, carrots, chard ribs, turnips.  Cook a little oil for about 8 or so minutes until slightly soft.  Now add some more stock, and heat that up to steamy, add the spices and the greens and bring medium heat and cover.  Cook for about 10 ish minutes until the greens are soft.

This is not a proper braising, but its quick!

The links, never seeing these types before, I just pan grilled, then added a little water to steam them up a bit.

I plated them and for the non-vegans I added the cheese to the links and the veggies.

The Aftermath:

I thought it was tasty.  Simply, rustic.  My friends found it better if they mixed the rice and veggies together.  I know my friends read this, it would be fun to see their comments below!

BotRG Toddy!

I made drinks for me friend and I (both our wives are both pregnant)  We have some brandy on hand, for it is that time of the year (my word, I could live off brandy eggnog if given the chance)

1oz Brandy, splash of lemon juice, a couple cloves and a cinnamon stick and grated nutmeg.  Into large snifter glass, add hot water.

It tasted much better half way through the glass, the spices came out more by that point.