Browsing Tag

dinner

Dinner, Lunch, Pasta, Soups

Kartoffelschnitz und Spätzle (Potato and Spätzle Stew)

Comfort food.

We’re heading into January, the worst month of the year, and I am already seeking solice in comfort food. And this, for me, might be the most comforting of all the comfort foods out there in my opinion. Kartoffelschnitz und Spätzle (Potato and Spätzle Stew) It was a soup / stew that my Oma used to make when I was a child. It is winter food. Ward off the chills food. Very Swabian and regional to the Stuttgart area of Germany. It’s a rich, hearty, homemade beef broth, homemade spätzle (freshly made, frozen, or if you live in an area that has them, in the deli cases; avoid the dried) and not only spätzle, but doubling up on the carbs, also potatoes. Just what I needed today.

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Appetizers/Starters, Dinner, Lunch, Soups

“Cheater” Simple Chicken Noodle Soup

I’ve started to feel a little under the weather (and the actual weather isn’t helping!) but hopefully nothing that a hearty bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup won’t solve. And of-course, I made Chicken Noodle Soup from scratch, but it is a bit of a “cheater” recipe: a rotisserie chicken from Whole Foods, meat removed and then the broth made from the carcass. Used little spaghetti-o pasta just because they are cute. Best soup that I have had in ages.

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Dinner, General Reference/Tutorial, Lunch, Sides

Cranberry Apple Rhubarb Chutney

As we get closer to Thanksgiving, I usually find myself wanted to make a variation on the “cranberry sauce” theme, and this is the 5th variation of a “sauce”, “preserve” or”chutney” that I have made. It’s not really like “the stuff from the can” but is very fresh, very flavorful and is a great combo of cranberries, apples and rhubarb. Yes, rhubarb. It’s nearly impossible to find right now and definitely not “in season” but I had stashed some in my freezer, for occasions just like this. It’s got a little bit of a kick with hot pepper flakes and a little bit of warmth from just a smidge of clove. Quite nice, actually. Will keep in the fridge probably through Christmas.

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Breads, General Reference/Tutorial

Pumpkin-shaped Sourdough Boule

This is a trend that I’ve been seeing recently on some of the bread-baking sites that I follow: shaping a regular loaf of bread (a standard boule) into a pumpkin loaf. There is nothing pumpkin or pumpkin-spice flavored about this bread: it is just a regular loaf of my standard artisan sourdough bread. But to make it a little festive, you can imprint the loaf by loosely tying cooking twine around it before baking. I used a cinnamon stick as the “stem” just to complete the look. Makes a nice presentation for a harvest / autumn / Thanksgiving meal.

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Dinner, Lunch, Pasta

Sprinkles & Curls: Slow-Cooked Cherry Tomatoes
with Garlic and Basil

The other day, we had Peas & Pearls! Now we have Sprinkles & Curls. Ok, so it’s just a cute way of saying tiny cherry tomatoes marketed as “sprinkles” and curly spaghetti, but I think that it’s funny. And if you don’t have either, you can make this recipe with cherry tomatoes and regular spaghetti as well. A super quick mostly hands off meal but also super delicious. The tomatoes are just bursting with flavor!

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