Joy of Cooking's Spaetzle

                                                      Joy of Cooking's Spaetzle

Spaetzle are a wonderful base for many different things. I only used to make them to have with chicken paprika because that was the way I first had them. Now I serve them with pipperade and tonight we are having them with a slow cooked shredded beef ragu. Think of them as a pasta to serve most anything over or next to. The last time we had spaetzle was with duck confit. This is a basic recipe that you can add herbs or spices to if you like. I highly recommend that you purchase a spaetzle maker if you find that you like spaetzle. They are fast and easy to make with the proper tool. If you don't have a spaetzle maker you can push the dough through the holes of a quarter inch grater or us a colander with 1/4 inch holes. The old fashioned way is to cut off small bits of dough from a plate with a spoon or a knife into the boiling water. That is the way an old family friend made them to go with her chicken paprika.

Spaetzle
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
a small grating of nutmeg
2 eggs
1/2 cup water.
Mix dry ingredients together. Make a well in the center and drop the eggs into it. Beat the eggs with the water in the well with a fork and then mix in the dry ingredients.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place a portion of the dough in the hopper of a spaetzle maker and force the dough into the boiling water. The spaetzle are done when they float to the top of the water. Scoop them out as they float to the top with a slotted spoon. Toss the cooked spaetzle with a bit of butter to keep them from sticking together.

New Mexico Style Chalupas

                                                           New Mexico Style Chalupas

This is an old recipe from Sunset magazine, from when it was still owned by the Lane family and they had the beautiful home in Menlo Park. To give you an idea of how old this recipe is, Sunset did not suggest using a food processor. This is a great way to use leftover chicken or turkey.

Chalupa Patties
1/4 cup butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups masa harina (corn masa)
1/2 tsp salt
about 3/4 cup water
Mix masa, salt, and butter in the bowl of a food processor or a mixer. Add water and mix until the dough holds together well. Form the dough into balls and then press into 6 circles about 5 inches in diameter. You can do this on wax paper or a silicone sheet. Cook until light brown on both sides using a griddle on medium heat, about 350ºF.

Chicken Topping
2 tablespoons oil
1 medium onion, diced
chopped garlic to taste
1 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup taco sauce or to taste
About 3 cups cubed cooked chicken or turkey
Sauté onion in oil until golden. Add garlic and cook a bit more. Add tomato sauce and taco sauce and simmer uncovered, stirring often, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add chicken or turkey, cover and remove from heat.

Toppings
about 16 oz. refried beans heated. You may top with cheese if heated in oven.
guacamole, use 2 avocados
sour cream
add whatever else you like

Assembly
Top chalupa patties with a layer of refried beans. Next layer on the chicken. Top that with guacamole and finally add some sour cream.