Had a craving for Austrian spinach dumplings last night, a dish that quickly made it on my list of favorites after an austrian friend made them for me. But delicious as they are, you need time and patience to make them, as they require lots of soaking and waiting! I did make them the authentic way once, but last night i wanted to do something that wouldn't take as long. So i tweaked the recipe a bit and i'm happy to say that the results were every bit as impressive!
Here's my quick and easy take on the vegetarian austrian dumplings!
What you need :
400 gms frozen spinach
6 slices bread, chopped into small cubes
2 medium white onions, chopped
1 tsp chopped garlic
2 tbsps olive oil
2 tbsps grated emmental cheese
3 tbsps mozzarella cheese
3 tbsps fresh cream
few twigs fresh basil
salt and pepper
parmesan, parsley and butter to serve
To get started, heat olive oil in a big non-stick pan, add the onion and garlic and sautee till it starts turning golden-brown (defrost the spinach in the meantime). Toss in the bread cubes and sautee another 5 mins. I used white bread but you can easily substitute with brown!
Drain all excess water from the defrosted spinach. Add the spinach to the pan, along with some salt and pepper. Keep the flame low. Add the cream and sprinkle the emmental and mozzarella and fold everything into the mixture as it melts. The original recipe calls only for emmental but i think mozzarella adds a smooth touch to it.
Chop some basil leaves while the water from the mixture disappears. Could be substituted by any other herb depending on your preferences, but try to use fresh herbs if possible instead of the dried variety. Add the basil to the mixture and turn off the stove. Let it cool before rolling into medium-size balls.
Arrange 2-3 balls per plate and top with some melted butter. I used about one teaspoon per dumpling but be generous if you're not watching the calorie-meter :) Sprinkle some grated parmesan and parsley and top off with a few basil leaves and VOILA!
Here's my quick and easy take on the vegetarian austrian dumplings!
What you need :
400 gms frozen spinach
6 slices bread, chopped into small cubes
2 medium white onions, chopped
1 tsp chopped garlic
2 tbsps olive oil
2 tbsps grated emmental cheese
3 tbsps mozzarella cheese
3 tbsps fresh cream
few twigs fresh basil
salt and pepper
parmesan, parsley and butter to serve
To get started, heat olive oil in a big non-stick pan, add the onion and garlic and sautee till it starts turning golden-brown (defrost the spinach in the meantime). Toss in the bread cubes and sautee another 5 mins. I used white bread but you can easily substitute with brown!
Drain all excess water from the defrosted spinach. Add the spinach to the pan, along with some salt and pepper. Keep the flame low. Add the cream and sprinkle the emmental and mozzarella and fold everything into the mixture as it melts. The original recipe calls only for emmental but i think mozzarella adds a smooth touch to it.
Chop some basil leaves while the water from the mixture disappears. Could be substituted by any other herb depending on your preferences, but try to use fresh herbs if possible instead of the dried variety. Add the basil to the mixture and turn off the stove. Let it cool before rolling into medium-size balls.
Arrange 2-3 balls per plate and top with some melted butter. I used about one teaspoon per dumpling but be generous if you're not watching the calorie-meter :) Sprinkle some grated parmesan and parsley and top off with a few basil leaves and VOILA!
Looking forward to dinner.
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