Mad Scientist In The Kitchen: Sweet Cabbage With Noodles, Kosher for Passover

[figmo]

I was invited to lisa_marli's family seder this past Saturday. I always enjoy going because I feel like I'm part of the family and because her seders are fun and not stuffy. Lisa asked everyone coming to bring "some kind of vegetable" this year.

Given that there were going to be at least five children in attendance, I figured I'd try making something the kids would like. Last year I tried making this old Slovak favorite using a head of cabbage and pre-made Passover noodles (the wide ones). The flavor was about right, but the noodles were kind of icky and mushy and fell apart. This year I tried making the dish using pre-shredded cabbage (the kind in the bags labelled "coleslaw") and homemade spaetzle.

The spaetzle:

• 2 cups cake meal
• 1/4 cup potato starch
• 3 eggs (next time I'll use 4)
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 2 T margarine (Kosher/Parve)
• around 1/2 tsp freshly-ground nutmeg
• around 1/2 tsp freshly-ground pepper
• around 1 tsp kosher salt

In a food processor, mix all the ingredients until a soft dough forms that you can sort of drop off a spoon. If the dough is too stiff, add more water.

Using a spaetzle maker (or if you don't have one, scrap the dough in 1/3 tsp bits off a small plate), drop the noodlets into boiling water in batches until they float, then quickly pull out with a slotted spoon or small strainer into a bowl. Add margarine to keep the spaetzle from sticking to each other. Repeat until the dough is finished (you'll be best off doing this in 3-4 batches).

As for the cabbage, put around 2T margarine in a large enough saucepan. Add the cabbage, cooking till wilted and slightly browned. Mix in spaetzle, and add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle lots of dill weed on the final dish.

The end result was only slightly off traditional spaetzle in mouth-feel (hence my recommending one more egg) and taste. I had no leftovers. Next time I might double the cabbage (2 bags instead of 1) to get more of a vegetable component into it.

Comments

[capplor.livejournal.com]

Sounds like I missed a good meal.

Robin & the kids were doing girl scout stuff, I was home alone.

Oh well, Next year in Colorado.

[mrlightning.livejournal.com]

Happy belated passover.
Hope to hear from you soon :)