I think it’s pretty obvious I haven’t been doing much in the kitchen lately. I am hoping to get back into a cooking routine once the fall and life in general settles down. Over the summer, Mr. BKL made us many awesome dinners. One nice perk to having him home a lot more in the summers. And the tradition has carried on as we have gone into September. When football starts, he is compelled to make game day appropriate foods. The first Sunday was appetizers. This past Sunday was a traditional family recipe called Knoephla soup. Don’t worry, I had never heard of it until I lived in North Dakota, either. The first time I had it though, I was hooked. Knoephlas are sort of like little dumplings made of dough and boiled. You can make them from scratch, or if you happen to be in the right city, can find frozen bags in the grocery store. We have been buying a bag here and there when we make the trip back to the Motherland. Maybe someday soon I will share the recipe with you, as long as I get permission from my Mother in law of course.
In other food news, quick easy dinners have been the theme. You all know I am not in LOVE with fall, but I do enjoy a good gourd. I feel like I am getting away with murder when I make this:
Spaghetti squash spaghetti.
I take the realllly easy approach and cook the squash in the microwave. You can also roast it in the oven but it will cost you about 45 minutes to an hour. The microwave takes about 10. I think the hardest part of dealing with any squash is cutting it open. How I have not lost a finger is a sheer miracle.
Start cooking your sauce and/or browning your meat for the spaghetti. We usually used jarred sauce from Costco.
Once you have your squash halved, scoop out the seeds and the stringy stuff. Pierce some holes in the skin with a fork or knife. (Again, watch those fingers.) Place it cut side down in a shallow microwave safe dish with about ¼ - ½ inch water in the bottom. Cook in high for 10-12 minutes depending on the size of your squash. Carefully remove it from the microwave – it will be hot. Scrape out the spaghetti strings with two forks. Place into bowls and top with your meat and/or sauce. This time we added bell peppers and onions to the meat mixture. I get rather gratuitous with the squash to sauce ratio myself – it’s health and has a nice sweetness to it. It’s also a very filling food and has tons of vitamins and fiber, but not a lot of calories.
Have you ever heard of knoephla? Any secret family recipes that you love to make?
