Swabian Cheese Spatzle

Swabian Cheese Spatzle (From the Stars and Stripes Newspaper)

Ingredients:
Spatzle Press
3 Eggs
10 oz flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup water
1 tbsp butter
1/4 pound of grated cheese (Gouda, Cheddar or Swiss)

Combine the eggs, water, salt, and flour.  Beat by hand until the dough is thick and smooth.  The dough will create bubbles when done correctly.  Bring 2 to 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add a little oil.
Fill the press with dough and squeeze them into the boiling water slowly.  They are done when they float to the top.  Remove them with a slotted spoon, rinse with hot water, and place on a plate to keep warm as you prepare the rest of the batter.
Now experienced Swabians can do this without the press by streaching the mixture onto a large cutting board and slicing the dough using a sharp knife.  I never tried because we had the press.

Mexican Chip Dip

Thanks to Terri Chylinski for giving this to my wife Monica,

when we lived in San Antonio, Texas.

1 can refried beans
8 oz Mayonaise
8 oz sour cream
1 pkg Old El Paso taco seasoning
Black olives (to taste)
Tomatoes. (to taste)
Onion. (to taste)
Cheese (Shredded - your choice)

Mix the taco seasoning, the mayo, and sour cream together.  Heat the refried means just enough so they are pliable and put the beans on the bottom of whatever container you'll be using for the dip.  Put the mayo combination on top of the refried beans.  The third layer will be the black olives, tomatoes, onions, all topped with the cheese.

Split Pea Soup

You'll need:

6 cups of water (I use chicken broth)
16oz dried peas
.5 lb of bacon
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp thyme









Combine everything in a large microwave container, cover, and cook on high for 12 minutes.  Stir and then cook on medium for 1 hour.  Put the peas through a blender to make a puree out of them and place everything in a large pot and simmer for an hour adding water if/when soup gets too thick.

BLT Eggs

• You can view the YouTube video of how to make this recipe by Pat and Jim by going to this link: 

• https://youtu.be/m2AETKmPNzA

4 slices of bacon chopped

6 eggs

2 tablespoons of sour cream

2 tablespoon oil. You'd be better off using 1/2 stick of butter)

1 tablespoon of hot sauce

3 medium tomatoes chopped

1 avocado peeled, pitted, chopped

1/2 package of fresh spinach (so 3 to 4 ounces)

1/2 cup of shredded pepper jack (or cheddar) cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook the bacon until it's crispy, laying the bacon out on paper towels that when cooled you can fold the towels and crush the bacon.

Using the bacon pan, put the spinach and tomatoes and avocado into the pan and cover, cooking the mixture until the spinach begins to wilt.  Toss the mixture well getting the avocado to mix into the mixture.  Turn off heat and leave the mixture covered as you cook the eggs.

Beat the eggs and sour cream together in a bowl.

In a separate pan, heat the oil on medium-low heat.  Once the oil heats up add the egg mixture to the pan.  Add the hot sauce and bacon and cook stirring frequently for about 5 minutes until the eggs are almost cooked then add the spinach/tomato/avocado mix to the eggs.  Mix everything together, then top it 

off with the cheese. Cover the mixture allowing the cheese to melt.

Roasted Tomato and Chili Bean Soup

(This is adopted and modified from a NYT recipe)

I was following the original recipe that called for white beans or cannellini beans but I did not have any.  Instead, I substituted a can of chili with beans and a can of just chili beans,  It was excellent.  Here's how:

• 2 teaspoons lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)
• 2 (10-ounce) containers cherry or grape tomatoes
• ¼ cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons and more for drizzling (optional)
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
•  Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 2 (15-ounce) cans of chili with beans and one just chili beans
• 1 ½ cups vegetable or chicken broth, or water
•  Flaky salt, for serving (optional)
•  Toasted bread, for serving

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, gently toss together the parsley and lemon zest with your hands until well combined; set aside.
2. In a large baking dish or on a sheet pan, toss the tomatoes with 1/4 cup oil and thyme; season well with garlic salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes until they have collapsed and begin to turn golden around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes.
3. When the tomatoes are almost done roasting, heat 4 tablespoons olive oil in a large (12-inch), deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium. Add the onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook until the onion is softened and the garlic is fragrant about 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the beans (do not drain) and broth and bring to a simmer. With the back of a spoon or spatula, gently smash about ½ cup of the beans so they slightly thicken the broth. If you want a thicker stew, crush some more of the beans. Season with salt and pepper.
4. When the tomatoes are finished roasting, add them directly to the stew along with any juices that have been released. Simmer for 20 minutes more so the flavors become friendly; season to taste with salt.
5. Ladle into shallow bowls. Top each serving with some of the lemon zest mixtures and drizzle with some more olive oil, and season with flaky salt if you like. Serve with toasted bread.
• If you use just chili beans this essentially becomes a vegetarian dish.  But I liked the additional flavor of the chili with beans and it truthfully was an excellent meal.