Spätzle (homemade noodles), Knödel (dumplings), mashed potatoes
Delicious side dishes, easy to prepare, with a healthy twist
German-style side dishes like bread dumplings and mashed potatoes are traditionally made with less healthy ingredients. In this blog you can find traditional German recipes with healthier ingredients so you can enjoy them without guilt. Especially now, as we are approaching winter time, they are great to complement any stew or roast, even a turkey for Thanksgiving.
In this blog you will find recipes for:
- Spätzle (homemade noodles)
- Käsespätzle
- Bread dumplings
- Fried bread dumplings
- German-style mashed potatoes
Spätzle
I remember my grandmother making Spätzle with the old fashioned metal press or the slider, simmering them and then briefly sauteing them in butter. The results when using a press or slider are different in shape: If you push the batter through a Spätzle press, the result will be longer, round noodles, resembling short, thick and rough spaghetti noodles. A potato press works just as well. The typical slider will result in a shorter version, which is my favorite. Those sliders are available online, but, like the press, make quite a mess (google Spaetzle Maker). There is a product made out of white plastic. It comes in a round or long shape and is very easy to use and clean (available on Amazon). To make these little guys, all you basically need is a silicone spatula and a colander through which you push the batter. I prefer anything made of plastic to metal, because the metal heats up and jams the holes, but by limiting the time the device will be close to the boiling water and letting it not get too close it works just fine.
It is well worth the effort, because the homemade version is better than store-bought, but you can find the long variety at Aldi. If you just want to try out the recipe and do not want to invest in one of these little devices, just use a colander and silicone spatula for starters like shown in this photo:
Here Spätzle are often called dumplings, but the ingredients are those of typical pasta: flour and eggs.
A word to the flour for the Spätzle. I usually mix organic whole wheat flour, organic oat flour and flaxseed meal, ⅓ each. The outcome will be of a light brown color. If you prefer them whiter (I know that the brown food can be an issue with kids), you could use organic unbleached flour or mix the unbleached flour half/half with organic oat flour.
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- ¼ cup water (or more)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- A dash of black pepper
Directions:
In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil like you would for pasta. Mix all ingredients with a wooden spoon until you have a smooth batter. If the batter is too thick, add more water. It should be thicker than a pancake batter and not run through your Spӓtzlemaker, but go through smoothly. Push the batter through your device with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula and boil until they come to the surface. This only takes one or two minutes. Remove them from water. You will have to make a few batches.
For this recipe you do not have to be very precise in measuring. I usually just pour some flour in a bowl, add 2 eggs and then use water until I have the right consistency.
I usually make double the recipe or more, because these can be easily reheated by sauteing them in a bit of olive oil. There are also other uses for these little noodles like the typical Käsespӓtzle or a Farmer’s Breakfast.
For a Farmer’s Breakfast, simply fry the Spätzle in extra virgin olive oil together with coarsely cut onion and any meat or vegetables you like and when lightly browned add one or two seasoned scrambled eggs and stir until egg is set.
Käsespӓtzle
For this dish the prepared Spӓtzle will be baked with cheese and served with crispy browned onions.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups prepared Spӓtzle
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil for the baking dish
- ½ cup chopped or grated hard goat cheese or other high quality cheese
- 1 onion, sliced
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Cilantro for garnish
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease a small baking dish with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Add ⅓ of the Spӓtzle, cover with ⅓ of the cheese and repeat 2 times. Bake for 20 minutes. In the meantime saute the onion in the ¼ cup olive oil until lightly brown.
When the Spӓtzle are done, sprinkle the onions over them and garnish with cilantro.
When I was a child, my grandmother often made this dish with a mixed salad for a light lunch.
Bread Dumplings (Semmelknödel)
My first two attempts at this recipe resulted in inedible bread soups. The trick here is not to overly moisten the bread at the beginning. You will need either stale bread or have a few slices of bread lightly toasted or just left out on a rack for a day or two. Originally, the recipe calls for rolls, but I prefer to use the organic sourdough bread I also eat. It works perfectly and results in a healthier dumpling.
Ingredients:
- 6 slices of sourdough bread, stale or toasted
- 6 organic eggs
- ¼ to ½ c milk, I use hemp or oat milk
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- ½ cup finely chopped parsley or cilantro
- ¼ teaspoon ground organic nutmeg
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Saute the onion in the olive oil until translucent, then put aside to cool. Dice the bread and moisten with ¼ cup of the milk. Add a little at a time until the bread is slightly moistened, but not wet. Let sit for about 15 minutes, then add all the other ingredients and mix very well with your hands. Clean hands and moisten them with water, then form 6 to 8 small balls, pushing them together to help them hold together.
Fill a large pot ⅔ with water and bring to a boil. Add a teaspoon of salt and carefully place the dumplings in the water. Let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. The dumplings must have risen to the top.
Fried Bread Dumplings
A great way to use leftover dumplings is to cut them into a few slices and fry them in extra virgin olive oil until light brown. These make a delicious quick lunch with a fried egg or as a side to any meat or vegetable. These little fried disks have always been a hit with my kids, even back when I used the dumplings from a cooking bag, which are available online and in German stores. I would really encourage you to try to make them from scratch, they are so much better than the prepared version and you can choose the healthiest ingredients.
Healthy Mashed Potatoes
Potatoes are not necessarily bad for us. In a paper I had to write for one of my nutrition classes I had to answer the question if potatoes can be part of a healthy diet for people suffering from Type 2 diabetes. I found out several interesting facts. Potatoes are high in potassium and, using the right variety and preparation, they can be part of a healthy diet.
There are a few ways to make mashed potatoes healthier. It starts with the type of potato used. Russet potatoes have a much higher glycemic index than the waxy types, therefore I usually use Yukon Gold or any other waxy variety. Instead of butter and sour cream I use chicken bone broth, extra virgin olive oil, goat cheese and cashew yoghurt. The result is a creamy rich side dish for any meat or vegetable entree.
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs waxy potatoes, washed, peeled and quartered
- ½ cup organic chicken bone broth
- 2 tablespoons goat cheese
- ¼ to ½ cup cashew yoghurt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Cook the potatoes in salted water until soft. Drain and mash the potatoes in the pot, adding the bone broth, yoghurt and goat cheese. If the potatoes are still too stiff you can add more bone broth or yoghurt, depending on your taste (I prefer the rich taste of the yoghurt). You can also add one or two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to make it even creamier. Season and enjoy!
All the above recipes are delicious and very versatile. When I make a roast or goulash I usually make one of the above sides and vegetables to go with the sauce. I recently found fresh wild Chanterelle mushrooms at a Costco in Georgia and am looking forward to making a creamy mushroom sauce with Spätzle.
As always, happy cooking 🙂