Spätzle with Spiced Chicken and Roasted Vegetables

Serves 2

Syn Free on Extra Easy

2 chicken breasts, cut into smaller pieces

150g spätzle

½ red pepper

½ green pepper

½ yellow pepper

½ red onion

1 small leek

1 tbsp fresh sage leaves

1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves

2 tsp bouillon powder

1 tsp celery powder

1 tso dried sage

1 tsp dried oregano

½ tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp paprika

Coriander leaves to serve (optional)

Cook the spätzle for 15 minutes or according to the packet instruction. Meanwhile, roast the vegetables. Chop the peppers, onion and leek in equal sized pieces, about 2cm². Place in an oven dish with the rosemary, sage and bouillon powder. Stir well to coat, then bake for 20-30 minutes according to how well you like your vegetables done.

Place all the spices in a spice grinder or food processor and grind to fine powder. Put the chicken in a large bowl and add the spice mix, stirring well to coat all over. Lay the chicken pieces in a single layer on a grill plate, and grill for ten minutes, turning once, until the chicken is cooked through and beginning to brown.

Mix the spätzle with the roasted vegetables and top with the chicken pieces. Serve with coriander leaves if using.

Spätzle Bake

Wandering around Lidl yesterday, I came across a packet of dried spätzle on special offer. Although I have heard of spätzle, I have never tasted it and was unsure of what to do with it. Internet searches suggested it is mostly used as a side dish to meat dishes, but I wanted something a little more than that and I noticed a dish of spätzle baked with vegetables and cheese. As I had lots of leftover vegetables to use up, and a tub of Low Low cheese in the fridge, that seemed ideal.

Similar in texture to regular pasta, spätzle is a German speciality food which differs in that it is normally scraped off a board or pressed through a grater to create irregular shapes. It seems to fluff up more when boiled.

Serves 2

Syn Free on Extra Easy

a couple of handfuls of spätzle

leftover vegetables such as onions, shallots, Broccoli, red pepper and tomatoes

a few leaves of fresh basil

Low Low cheese

Cook the spätzle according to packet instructions – usually 15 minutes. Fry the onion and red pepper in a little Fry Light until slightly softened, then add the rest of the vegetables and cook for a few more minutes. Soften the cheese for 30 seconds in the microwave, then add to the mix with a little water from the spätzle if necessary. Place in a shallow ovenproof dish and bake on a high heat for 5-7 minutes until nicely browned. Serve with a side salad of your choice.