Herb Spaetzle with Shallot Marmalade & Roasted Carrots

Spaetzle! I was extra excited to make this tonight because I have seen it being made so many times but was always oddly intimidated by the whole- pushing-through-the-colander-into the pot process. It was easy but took a tiny bit of elbow grease because the colander I was using is clearly not intended to make spaetzle with. If you have a flat grater, hold that over the pot and it works even better.


Tiny homemade pasta dumplings tossed with fresh herbs and just a hint of garlic. Served with roasted carrots and sweet shallot marmalade.

Herb Spaeztle
1 tsp ener-g egg replacer
1 tsp water
3 tbl melted earth balance vegan butter
1 1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cup ap flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, grated
3 tbl chopped fresh parsley
3 tbl chopped fresh chives

First, set up your work space.
Get a bowl of ice water ready to the side to put the spaetzle in after they've cooked.
Prepare a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg replacer and water for 1 minute until slightly frothy. Add the butter and water. Mix to combine. Add the flours and salt. The dough should be thinner than bread dough but much thicker than pancake batter. Add more water if necessary.
To form the spaetzle, hold a large holed colander over the simmering water and push the dough through the holes with a spatula. Do this in batches so you don't overcrowd the pot. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until the spaetzle floats to the surface, stirring gently to prevent sticking. Drain from the hot water and dump into the bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process.
Once all of the spaetzle has cooked, drain from the cold water and saute in olive oil and garlic for 3-4 minutes until they get some color and a slight toast. Toss with parsley, chives and season with lots of salt and pepper.

Shallot Marmalade
2 cups shallots, small dice
1/4 cup organic cane sugar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbl water
1/4 tsp salt

Combine the shallots, sugar, vinegar, water and 1/4 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes until thickened and sweet. Season with salt to taste.

Roasted Carrots
5 carrots, halved vertically
1 tbl fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 425. Toss the carrots with the remaining ingredients. Roast in a single layer for 15-20 minutes until tender and caramelized.