Polish Potato Dumplings "Kopytka"

 403.  Every autumn, when the leaves start to change and the air turns cool and everything is frosty in the morning, I start to crave dumplings.  The dumplings are ones my sweet mother would make.  They are Polish Kopytka or Potato Dumplings.  The method was a slight variation from a plain spoon dumpling but has the same fulfilling effect.

I had made a large pot of Squash soup and thought these beauties would be perfect as an accompaniment.

This was a delightful meal and so satisfying!  I lightly chopped fresh sage as a compliment and garnish.

Here is my recipe easy to save by selecting and dropping to desktop and printing as picture.

The best part of these dumplings are to heat them in a pan the next day to toast them.  They will brown on the edges and are so tasty!

"Nie istnieje droga na skróty do miejsca, do którego dojść warto."  "There are no short cuts to any place worth going."   ~  Polish Proverb

Sweet Pumpkin Soup

239. Memories of childhood come flooding back into my mind. It's a Friday night in late October. The air is crisp and chilly. The sounds of whistles blowing and fans cheering our local High School Football team stand out in the distance. Bright lights illuminating the neighborhood from the local stadium. The kitchen windows are steamed up as a hot pot of Sweet Pumpkin Soup gently simmers on the stove.

My mother would always make a pot of Sweet Pumpkin Soup each year in the fall. It is ultimate comfort food for me.

Sweet Pumpkin Soup

4-5 cups raw pumpkin, cubed

1/2 cup water

8 cups milk

2 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup butter, melted

liquid from cooked pumpkin (reserve after draining pumpkin)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup sugar

cinnamon and sugar

Place cubed pumpkin and 1/2 cup water into a stock pot. Bring to a boil and simmer till pumpkin is tender. Drain liquid and reserve. Mash pumpkin to desired texture leaving chunks if you so desire. Pour milk into pot with cooked pumpkin. Bring to a simmer.

Dumplings: In a separate bowl add melted butter, flour, salt and 1 cup drained liquid. Begin to stir together till it forms a sticky dough. If dough is too dry continue to add more liquid until it comes together into a sticky dough.

Once the soup comes to a boil, dip a tablespoon into the soup to warm the spoon, then scoop a spoonful of dough onto the spoon creating a small ball of dough. Then drop into the soup. Reheat the spoon each time and continue till all dough is used. Simmer the soup for about 25 minutes till dumplings are cooked. Stir in sugar.

Soup will thicken.

Ladle hot soup into bowls and sprinkle top with cinnamon and sugar.

"And thank you for a house full of people I love. Amen."

~Ward Elliot Hour

Spätzle Dumplings

61.  One of my families favorite side dishes is a German Dumpling called "Spätzle", meaning "Little Sparrow" in German.  Years ago, we had the opportunity to eat an Amish meal in an actual Amish home.  Three families would prepare a five course meal and serve it family style in their home.  The tables stretched through the living room, dining room and into the library. We were with 25 other people to celebrate a birthday.  The food was outstanding and one of my most favorite dishes was "Spätzle".  The Amish make their dumplings a little bit different, more along the lines of pasta/egg noodles.

My recipe for this delicious dumpling is from 

The New Settlement Cookbook.  

In this cookbook it is listed as "Spatzen" (Egg Dumplings), which is a variation of the name but the recipe is the same.  Basically, the dough is flour, egg, salt and water or milk.  You can either drop them by spoonful into boiling water or force the dough through a Spätzle Hex which is similar to a Ricer.  There are many varieties of Spätzle tools for making these dumplings.  My tool is the Spätzle Sieve purchased in Ohio Amish Country.  The rustic method is to place the dough onto a small board and with a cutting tool or knife, quickly cut off portions of the dough into the boiling water.  If you go onto You Tube and search for "Spätzle", you will be amazed with the variety of methods used and some very hilarious!  It is up to you as to the size, shape or consistency of the dumpling.  Google "Spätzle" as well, there is a variety of sites with recipes, history and tips to follow.

Spatzen (Egg Dumplings)

1 egg

¾ cup flour

⅓ cup water

½ tsp salt

Beat egg well.  Add the flour water and salt.  Stir to make a wet dough.  Drop by teaspoonful into boiling soup (or boiling salted water).  Allow to boil for 10 minutes.  

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With my Spätzle Sieve I have found it difficult to use.  The square box that rests on top of the sieve, that rolls back and forth, sticks and comes off, causing a dangerous scenario, being that it is over boiling water.  So, to remedy this problem, I make my dough a bit more runny so it drips through the sieve freely.  My dumplings are not noodle shaped but mini dumplings.  The shape doesn't matter...it is the taste that counts!

This recipe is a wonderful accompaniment to your meal in place of rice or potatoes. 

I served Spätzle with Baked Pork Chops and Honey Carrots.

"GenieBen Sie Ihre Nahrung"...Enjoy your food!

"Food is our common ground,

a universal experience."

 ~ James Beard

Chicken and Dumplings

19.  When I think of comfort foods, Chicken and Dumplings remain at the top of the list.  I've tasted many variations of Chicken and Dumplings and have compared a variety of recipes.  So here is my recipe that makes my family say "yum"!

Chicken and Dumplings 

4 chicken breasts or 6 thigh/leg pieces

water

7 large carrots, peeled and sliced

3 stalks celery with leaf tops, chopped in pieces

1 medium to large onion, chopped small, separate onion in two portions

1/2 cup butter

4 cups flour  (decrease for less dumplings)

salt / white pepper

1/4 cup parsley, chopped or 2 Tablespoons dry parsley

4 cups hot soup stock  (decrease for less dumplings)

Place chicken in a 6 quart stock pot and cover with water, adding salt.  Bring to a boil and cook the chicken till very tender.  Remove chicken from pot and transfer to a bowl or plate to cool to touch. After chicken cools, pull chicken from the bone and cut in small pieces or leave large chunks.  Discard bones and skin.   If you want your stock to be clear,  strain and return to stock pot.  Bring to a slow boil.  Place carrots, celery and one portion of the onions, salt and pepper into the boiling stock and continue cooking.

Place butter and one portion of onion in a 6 cup microwave safe bowl, cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 minutes till onions are tender.  You may also place butter and onion in a small pan and sauté till onions are clear then transfer to a bowl.

Add flour, salt and pepper to the bowl of cooked onions.  With a 1 cup measuring cup, begin to scoop out hot stock, careful not to catch vegetables in cup, only stock.  Pour hot stock into bowl with flour and onions.  Add 4 full cups of hot stock.  With a large spoon, begin to blend onions, flour and stock together to form a sticky, lumpy dough.  Dough should not be runny or too difficult to mix.  Add or reduce amount of stock to adjust dough.  Once you have incorporated all the flour and the dough is lumpy, you are ready to make the spoon dumplings.

  

Add approximately 3 cups of water or chicken stock to the pot, for volume.  Bring the soup back to a rolling boil.  Using a large spoon, 2 Tablespoon  approximately, (or small spoon if you desire),  heat the spoon in the boiling soup then scrape across the top of the dough and roll the dough in the spoon up the side of the bowl.  You may want to oil the spoon lightly before heating in soup.

(This is a Polish drop dumpling called "knedle", mostly made with potatoes.  My mother would make these for dinner and smother them with fried onions.)

  

Drop dough from the spoon directly into the boiling soup.  Continue to make the dumplings, heating the spoon between each dumpling.  Stir the soup to keep the dumplings from sticking to the bottom.  Once all dumplings have been made, continue to  simmer till all the dumplings float to the top.  

Cook for 20 minutes more.  If the soup sits, it will turn thick, serving immediately, the soup will be lighter.  Sprinkle parsley over the soup right before serving.

I like to serve this soup with crusty bread or flatbread with cheese slices.  Great winter warm up...or when you need a bowl of comfort!!

Enjoy!

John 8:12

 "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."