Creamy Leeks with Pan Roasted Chicken

When I started this blog I made a calendar where I mapped out the posts for the next few months. Although I'm not quite a planner, I really wanted to make this blog happen, so I had to set myself up for success.

I knew that cooking would not be a problem- that's how I relax after a long day at work and I'd do it anyway. What was scary was the commitment itself- the commitment of taking pictures while cooking, writing down the recipes and following them (instead of just winging it like I usually do), processing the pictures and last but not least, the scariest of all, writing. No matter how confident you feel about understanding and speaking a foreign language, the idea that you're committing to writing in it is intimidating.

Fortunately, I've always loved challenges and I'm adventurous and stubborn enough to think that it is indeed a good idea. Truth to be told, I do have an amazing editor/taste tester to help me.

I post two recipes a week: a simple one, like a breakfast, a brunch or a quick bite, and a second one that's more elaborate and time-consuming. There is a logic to the order in which I post as well, but the problem is that, more often than not, I derail from my own masterplan. I always find good reasons to- let it be my mood, the weather or the delivered veggie box from my the local CSA. 

The ice cubes are homemade chicken stock that I freeze in an ice maker tray. Whenever I need some stock I just pop a few out.

This week was the weather. Initially, I wanted to transition to less hearty meals and more seasonal, lighter dishes like pastas, salads and such. Then the weather started playing tricks on me. Usually May in Austin is already unbearably hot, but for some reason this year it's been very mild and rainy. It’s been raining seemingly nonstop for weeks now. The flash flood alerts on my phone won't stop giving me a heart attack when they go off at random times.

The weather, combined with the leeks that I found in the weekly delivery, made me choose this recipe. I've done this dish several times before, but somehow it always manages to surprise me with its taste. 

When you're roasting the chicken you can go with different aromatic herbs if rosemary doesn't cut it for you. I personally would have used tarragon had my neighbor grown that instead of rosemary. Sometimes I take my dog on a walk with the intention of picking a few branches just to keep the otherwise invasive rosemary population under control. I may be renting, but I care about our neighborhood!

The situation with the green couscous was completely different, though. I had parsley from the CSA and my little herb garden started producing herbs to my surprise. They have to survive the weather and hurricane Popsi (a.k.a. the dog). The mint, sage, oregano and chives all came from there.

The inspiration for this side dish was Jacques Pepin's green couscous. Roni did the mistake of getting me the full edition DVD of Essential Pepin as a birthday gift last year. Ever since, I don't cook with 90's Euro techno music blasting in the background, but with Pepin telling stories with his cute French accent. Aww, I guess I'm getting softer as I grow older.

If you won't be able to get a hold of the same herbs as mentioned in the recipe, worry not! Replace them with what you like or what you have on hand. Whether it's thyme, basil, spinach or kale, it makes no difference. The point is to make the couscous more interesting and pleasant aesthetically by adding extra flavor to the rather bland semolina. Enjoy!

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Creamy Leeks with Pan Roasted Chicken

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Serves 4-6
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes

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Ingredients

Creamy Leeks and Pan Roasted Chicken

• 4 large leeks
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 sprig fresh thyme, oregano or tarragon
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 lbs chicken with skin and bones (thighs and drums)
• 1/2 black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 TBS peanut oil (or canola, or sunflower seed oil)
• 2 TBS butter
• 1 sprig fresh thyme, oregano or tarragon
• 1 sprigs rosemary
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 black pepper, freshly ground
• salt, to taste
• 1 cup heavy cream

Green Couscous

• 1/2 cup parsley, roughly chopped
• 6 mint leaves
• 1 sprig oregano
• 3-4 sage leaves
• 1/4 cup chives
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/4 cup stock, saved from the braised leeks (or 2-3 TBS hot water)
• 1 cup instant couscous
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• salt, to taste
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 TBS butter

Instructions

Creamy Leeks and Pan Roasted Chicken

1. Preheat oven to 425F (220C).
2. Clean each leek by cutting off the dark green woody leaves and the root end. Using a pairing knife slice the leek lengthwise starting from about 1/4 of inch from the root up to the leaves. Rotate the leek, and slice it again starting from the root. Fan the leeks open and place them under cold running water. Rinse out any dirt or sand until the leeks are clean.
3. Place leeks,  garlic cloves, thyme, oregano or tarragon, two sprigs of rosemary and chicken broth in a deep oven proof skillet. Season with freshly ground pepper and a pinch of salt.
4. When the oven heated up, put the skillet in and cook for 30 minutes. Check after 15 minutes and stir leeks so that the ones that aren't completely covered by the stock don't burn.
5. In the meantime, pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
6. Heat up oil in a heavy cast iron skillet at medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, place the chicken pieces in the pan with the skin side down and brown for about 6-8 minutes. Flip the chicken on the other side and repeat the browning process. 
7. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the chicken on the un-browned sides for about 5 minutes total.
8. Add butter, crushed garlic and aromatic herbs (rosemary, thyme or tarragon) and baste occasionally for 3-5 minutes on each side. Check the temperature of the chicken. At this point it should be at around 130-140F (55-60C). 
9. Remove the chicken from the skillet and cover with aluminum foil until the leeks are ready.
10. Deglaze the pan in which you roasted the chicken by pouring in white wine. Sprinkle with a pinch of fresh ground pepper an cook for about 3 minutes. Add the cream and cook for another 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens.
11. Remove pan of leeks from the oven. Remove half of the stock that is left. Make sure you're not discarding it as you're going to use it for the couscous.
12. Mix in the chicken with its juices and the cream sauce. Stir well until the meat is covered in leeks and the white sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.
13. Put the chicken back in the oven for about 10 minutes. 
14. While the chicken is in the oven prepare the couscous. 

Green Couscous

1. Put herbs, garlic and the stock you saved from the braised leeks in a food processor. If you don't have it just, add 2-3 TBS hot water. Puree the herbs until the paste becomes smooth.
2. Pour the herb paste into a medium bowl then add couscous, black pepper and a pinch of salt. Mix well until the couscous is well coated. 
3. Add hot water, mix and cover for about 10 minutes. 
4. Remove cover and add in butter while the couscous is still hot, mixing it thoroughly. Season with more salt to your liking.
5. Serve couscous with the leeks, chicken and french baguette (for dipping). 

Notes

• Do not overload the skillet with chicken. You risk reducing the heat in the pan to the point where the chicken will not brown and will become greasy. Instead, work in batches if you have to.

Cauliflower Risotto with Chicken Schnitzel and Pangrattato

Roni and I got really hooked on MasterChef, specifically season 6. I love cooking shows, but for some reason this competitive cooking shows were never my cup of tea. I generally go for shows like Pepin's Essentials. In the competitive shows,zz drama out-shadows the essence of the show- the cooking itself. It should be about food and preparing interesting dishes and not about how a contestant passes out during cooking and another one cries her heart out because she's being sent home. 

Drama aside, I started watching it and turned Roni into a MasterChef junkie for a week. I found inspiration for a couple of new recipes and overall it was really entertaining up until the Final Five. That is when Roni decided that she needed to find out if a contestant had a food blog or not. Needless to say that when she Googled the name, the first search result was about that person winning the competition.

Her reaction spoiled it for me too, so from then on we just pretended to be thrilled when that cook was in the elimination challenges. After this incident I'm thinking about introducing a house rule where neither of us is allowed to google anything while watching this type of show. 

The inspiration to cook risotto came from the show. One contestant cooked a green apple risotto, and when I saw it I was immediately intrigued. I mean seriously? How did that idea even crossed her mind?

I was set on making risotto but since we didn't have green apples at home I started to think about alternatives. Whenever we go to the grocery store Roni has a funny habit of putting a cauliflower in the cart regardless of if the plan is to cook cauliflower or not. And that's how a great recipe was born! (Roni says, "You're welcome.")

I have cooked risotto several times before, but never with cauliflower. I started searching for recipes and oddly enough not too many of them popped up. The top one was Jamie Oliver's, so I looked there for inspiration and found his idea of using pangrattato (flavored, toasted breadcrumbs) to sprinkle over the risotto to be really smart and creative. For the breadcrumbs, instead of going the spicy route with red chili, I chose to make it more Italian by using basil, oregano, lemon zest and Parmesan cheese.

Schnitzel on the other hand, didn't require much research for this Eastern European. It may not be the healthiest food, but it's definitely one of the tastiest. Who doesn't like meat fried in a crispy and flavorful crust? When cooking chicken breast, I learned from my mom to season the flour with paprika and black pepper to add that extra flavor to the otherwise bland and boring meat. In the breadcrumbs, I like to mix in a bit of crushed nuts--almonds, walnuts or even hazelnuts--and some parmesan for an extra nutty aroma. 

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Cauliflower Risotto with Chicken Schnitzel and Pangrattato

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Serves 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes

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Ingredients

Cauliflower Risotto

• 1 small cauliflower
• 5 cups stock (vegetarian or chicken)
• 4 TBS olive oil
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 5 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup parmesan, freshly grated
• 4 TBS unsalted butter
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• salt, to taste

Pangrattato

• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 5 anchovy fillets and 1 TBS anchovy oil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2-3 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 5 fresh oregano leaves, chopped
• 1 TBS parmesan, freshly grated
• 1/2 black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 tsp olive oil

Chicken Schnitzel

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 TBS paprika
• 2 large eggs, pasture raised
• 3 TBS whole milk or heavy cream
• 1/4 cup parmesan, freshly grated
• 1 cup breadcrumbs 
• 1/4 cup almonds, crushed
• salt, to taste
• 1 cup oil, sunflower seed or peanut

Instructions

Pangrattato

1. Add all the ingredients to a food processor and pulse until the breadcrumbs are evenly coated. Heat olive oil in a frying pan and toast the breadcrumbs until they become golden brown, about 5-7 minuets. Stir and toss often so they don't burn.

Cauliflower Risotto

1. Trim the leaves off the cauliflower and remove the stalk. The cauliflower will naturally fall apart into large florets. Cut these into small florets and save the tender stems. Finely chop the stems into small pieces.
2. Bring stock to a boil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the florets and continue boiling for about 5 minutes. Remove pot from the heat. Do not discard the stock.
3. In a large saucepan sauté the shallots with olive oil over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes and then add the chopped cauliflower stems and continue to sauté for another 10 minutes, stirring frequently until soft. The vegetables should become translucent, not browned.
4. Add rice and turn up the heat to high. Cook for a minute or two until the rice becomes translucent. Add white wine and cook until absorbed, stirring frequently.
5. Reduce the heat to low. Using the stock in which you boiled the cauliflower, add stock to the rice one ladle at a time. Stir until the stock is absorbed to make sure the rice releases the creamy starch. Allow each ladle of stock to be absorbed before adding another one.
6. When the rice is al dente add cauliflower florets with each ladle of stock crushing them into the risotto. Continue until rice is cooked. Taste as you go and adjust seasoning to your preference, but be careful with the salt. You will add parmesan next which will make it saltier. 
7. When the risotto is done, remove from the pan from the heat and stir in the parsley, basil, parmesan cheese and butter. Mix well, taste again and adjust the seasoning. 
8. Cover with a lid and let it rest until you finish the schnitzel.

Chicken Schnitzel

1. Cut the chicken breast into 1/4 inch thick cutlets. Place them between two strips of plastic wrap. Pound the breasts with a meat tenderizer until the breasts become slightly thinner. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
2. Mix flour, pepper and paprika and place mixture on a plate. Beat eggs and add milk or heavy cream in a shallow and wide bowl. On a third plate mix the breadcrumbs, almond crumbs and parmesan.
3. Working with one chicken breast at a time, dredge meat in flour, shaking off excess, then dip into egg mixture, turning to coat evenly and then carefully coat with breadcrumb mixture. Transfer the breaded chicken to a plate.
4. Pour oil into a large skillet and heat over medium flame. When the oil is shimmering- the temperature should be around 400F (200C) if using sunflower seed oil- add the coated chicken breast and fry in a single layer. 2 or 3 breasts should fit into your skillet depending on the size of the schnitzel and skillet.
5. Fry for about 5-6 minutes on each side until the breading becomes golden brown. If you used thicker breasts make sure that the inside temperature is over 155F (65C), but not more than 160F (70C). 
6. Remove schnitzel from the skillet and place them over a paper towel patting off the excess grease.
7. Serve with risotto sprinkled with pangrattato and a lemon wedge. 

Blackened Fish Tacos with Pickled Onions and Mango Salsa →

The warm weather finally arrived. And if you live in Texas like I do, by warm I mean hot. I am personally not a big fan of torrid weather mostly because here in Austin, summers seem to never end. It's always hot and the cold weather seems to last for 2 weeks max. Back home in Romania, I was used to eating hearty food year-round, but it just doesn't feel right in this heat. My appetite diminishes. I crave simple, refreshing and easy dishes like tacos.

I am a taco fan, but my girlfriend is their number one fan. She's a taco groupie. As a matter of fact, she's fairly convinced that tacos are the ultimate food. She will have them for breakfast, lunch, dinner or as a snack. You know how they say that there are seasonal dishes? Hearty and heavy during the colder months, and light and simple during the warmer ones? Well for Roni the taco season lasts all year long (and most Austinites would agree).

And you know what? She's right. Tacos are awesome! What's great about them is that they can be done with minimal effort and cooking skills. Heck, you can build them based on personal preference! If you're a health freak grill your protein, add veggies and go easy on the cheese and salsas. If you're a filthy animal like me, pan-roast your protein and then load your tacos with cheese instead of veggies and top everything with your favorite salsa (a few recipes to come). 

The choices are endless. Next time you plan a trip to Austin, go to Veracruz, TacoDeli, Taco More or Papalote and experience it for yourself. You will find all sorts of tacos from pork or fish to cauliflower or beans.  Put eggs in them and call them breakfast tacos. You can't go wrong with tacos.

I consider myself a newbie to the taco scene. I ate them for the first time 4 years ago when I moved to Austin from Hungary. I clearly remember that moment- I had a Baja Shrimp and a Mr. Pink at Torchy's. From that minute I knew that I had to start making them for myself.

My obsession with tacos escalated to the point where I turned my sister into a taco junkie. Two years ago she visited me and stayed for 2 weeks. I took her to different places so she can experience the Austin food scene, but the one thing she kept mentioning (and still does when we Skype) are the tacos. She became addicted to them. She was so desperate that when she returned to Hungary she packed (read: loaded) fresh cilantro and bottles of salsa in her luggage. Ever since I call her the Pablo Escobar of cilantro.

Over the years I have tried several recipes and experimented with non-conventional ingredients only to come to the same conclusion - keep it simple. As I was playing with the different variations and flavors I became more and more interested in breakfast tacos and fish tacos, as they are the two types of tacos that people are most opinionated about. I've tried several spice combinations for blackening the fish and I can confidently say that after 4 years I found the perfect one.

The combination of flavors in this recipe is amazing. The sweetness of the mango will cancel out the tartness of the pickled onions and the heat of the jalapeños, while the warm tortilla and flakey fish chunks will melt in our mouth. 

Now enough with the talk, let's get down to business. Ladies and gentlemen, I present you with the perfect Blackened Fish Taco! 

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BLACKENED FISH TACOS WITH PICKLED ONIONS AND MANGO SALSA

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Serves 3-4
Prep time: 35 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

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INGREDIENTS

Blackened Fish Tacos

• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp Hungarian paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried oregano 
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 big tilapia fillets (replace with sea bass, flounder, halibut, catfish, cod)
• 1/2 cup peanut oil (or canola oil, or sunflower seeds oil)
• 2 TBS unsalted butter
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 sprigs rosemary or thyme
• 9-12 tortillas (corn, wheat or flour)

Pickled onions

• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 10-15 black peppercorns, whole
• 3 whole cloves, whole
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 big red onion, thinly sliced 
• 1/2 cup carrots, julliened or grated

Mango Salsa

• 1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted and diced
• 1/2 bell pepper, diced
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
• 1 jalapeño, deseeded and diced
• 1/2 poblano pepper, deseeded and diced
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• salt, to taste

Instructions

Blackened Fish Tacos

1. In a small bowl combine smoked paprika, Hungarian paprika, garlic and onion powder, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper.
2. Dry the fillets thoroughly with paper towels then coat each fish fillet with plenty of spice mix. Let them rest for 10 minutes at room temperature.
3. In a large cast iron skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is sizzling, add the fillets and cook for 3 minutes on each side.
4. Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter, crushed garlic and the sprigs of aromatic herbs. Continue cooking the fillets turning them over a few times (so that they brown evenly) and basting with the lightly browned butter. Cook for about 3 more minutes until fish is white and opaque.
5. Transfer the fillets to a serving platter and let it rest for a few minutes.
6. Break up the fish into chunks and assemble the tacos on a warm tortilla (corn is my personal favorite) by adding pickled onions and mango salsa. 

Pickled Onions

1. In a small saucepan mix vinegar, water, brown sugar, peppercorns, bay leaves, cloves and salt.
2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Whisk for about 5 minutes until all sugar is dissolved. 
3. Add onions and carrots to the pan and gently stir to combine. Remove from the heat after 1 minute.
4. Let the mixture cool down to room temperature then transfer it to a mason jar or to a hermetic glass container.
5. I prefer the way they taste after refrigerated for at least an hour.

Mango Salsa

1. In a medium bowl mix mango, bell pepper, green and red onions, garlic, cilantro, jalapeño and poblano peppers. Squeeze the lime all over the salsa and season with pepper and salt to your liking. Toss and combine.
2. Keep refrigerated for an hour before serving. That way the flavors will blend and the salsa (pico) will taste a lot better.

Hungarian Chicken Paprikash With Parsley Nokedli

Ever since I first though about starting a blog I knew that the first post would be my favorite dish  - Chicken Paprikash, or as I know it, paprikás csirke. It's the dish that most vividly reminds me of my childhood- those cold days when my family would sit around the table and eat a big bowl (or two) of this hearty dish. Once the meat and spaetzle was gone, my mom would take out a loaf of freshly baked bread and a huge fight would ensue between my sister and I over who gets the crusty end of the loaf. We would then clean out our bowls better than any dishwasher ever could.

The first time I had a big group of friends over for dinner here in the U.S., I cooked them our family's paprikash recipe. Some of them heard of it before, some of them didn't, but everyone loved it. They loved it so much that I didn't even get leftovers which never happened to me before. And given that Eastern Europeans cook huge portions and a minimum of 3 dishes that’s saying something. The first cooking lesson my grandma ever taught me was that everything tastes better if cooked in big batches.

Many variation of this dish have evolved as it wandered its way out of Hungary, but a traditional paprikash is made with whole pieces of chicken (bones in), Hungarian waxed peppers, onions, sour cream, and of course a lot of Hungarian paprika.

I can't emphasize enough on how important the Hungarian paprika is to this dish. Its name translates to chicken with paprika. So before you ask me if you can substitute the Hungarian paprika with a different type, the answer is absolutely not. Do you think the Hungarians would name paprika their national spice if there wasn't something special and unique about it? It's not that hard to find and if you get to choose, go with the one from the town of Szeged.

Traditionally the paprikash is served with nokedli, the Hungarian variation of spaetzle, but it also can be served with mashed potatoes, boiled potatoes or fresh bread. Hungarians are very proud of their cuisine, so don’t go trying to ask for spaetzle if you find yourself in Hungary.

The secret of a good nokedli is the eggs. My mom taught me to add 1 egg for each cup of flour. That will make the nokedli rich and tasty and it will give it a beautiful yellow color. The parsley is a little twist that I added to the traditional recipe. If you don't like parsley you can omit it, or replace it with finely chopped spinach or kale.

The dish itself is very simple and comforting and it will fill your home with its rich, fragrant aroma on a cold day. So what are you waiting for? Go make it yourself before the warm summer days get here. 

Jó étvágyat (bon appétit)!

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Hungarian Chicken Paprikash with parsley nokedli

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Serves 4-6 
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 75 minutes

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Ingredients

Chicken Paprikash

• 4 TBS canola oil (for best flavor, use duck fat or lard)
• 2 medium yellow onions, coarsely chopped
• 2 TBS Hungarian paprika 
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed and finely minced
• 2 TBS chicken stock
• 3 pounds chicken (thighs, drums, wings, breast)
• 2 sprigs thyme 
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp caraway seeds, ground (or cumin)
• 1 TBS Hungarian pepper paste (Erős Pista or Red Gold), optional 
• 3 Hungarian waxed peppers, chopped 
• 2 tomatoes (or 2 TBS tomato paste), chopped
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped 
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• salt, to taste

Parsley Nokedli(Spaetzle)

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 tsp peanut oil
• 4 eggs (pasture-raised is best)
• 1.5 cups water
• 1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
• 1 TBS butter
• salt, to taste
• 1/2 black pepper, freshly ground

Instructions

Chicken Parikash

1. Heat up a heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat until hot. Add the oil, duck fat or lard and swirl to coat the pan. When the oil is shimmering add the chopped onions and saute for 5 minutes until the onions become translucent. Ensure that the onions don't get burned by mixing them often.
2. Take the pot off the heat and add the paprika, salt and pepper. Stir well.
3. Add garlic to the mix and return the pot to the stove. Reduce the heat to medium and add a 2 tablespoons of stock. Cook for about 5 minutes until the broth evaporates. 
4. Add the chicken to the pot. Mix well and make sure the fragrant mix coats well each piece of chicken. Brown the chicken for about 5 minutes.
5. Add thyme, bay leaves, cumin, Hungarian pepper paste (if using), waxed peppers and tomato. Stir and add the remaining stock. It should almost cover the chicken. If it doesn't or if you'd like more sauce, feel free to add more broth.
6. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid and then reduce the heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for about 45 minutes stirring it gently every now and then.
7. This is the time when you can move on to prepare the nokedli.
8. When the chicken is done you'll see the meat falling off the bone. That's when you temper the sour cream by transferring one spoon at a time of hot gravy from the chicken to the bowl of cream. You want to slowly raise the temperature of the sour cream. This way you prevent the sour cream from curdling when added to the hot chicken. Once tempered, you pour the sour cream mixture into the pot and stir to combine. 
9. Add salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. 
10. Bring everything to a quick boil and then remove from the stove. It's ready!

Parsley Nokedli

1. In a bowl combine flour, salt, pepper, oil and the eggs. 
2. Slowly add water to the flour mix until you reach a smooth and thick consistency for the dough. The dough should flow easily, but shouldn't be runny. I usually use a whisk to avoid lumps in the dough.
3. Mix in the finely chopped parsley. If parsley isn't your thing you can replace it with spinach or greens/herbs of your preference.
4. In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a good amount of salt and 1 tsp oil. Don't sweat too much over the amount of salt you add. The primary reason for adding salt to the water is to reduce the gelation of the starch in the nokedli. Adding flavor to it is just a side effect.
5. Use your choice of spaetzle making tool to drop the dumplings into the boiling water. My mother used to make them with a teaspoon, but I'm lazy and prefer to use a spaetzle maker. A grater or potato ricer will work as well though.
6. The nokedli is cooked when they float to the surface, so use a fine sieve to scoop the cooked ones from the pot. Make sure not to overcook them, because their taste and texture change when overcooked . Normally it shouldn't take more than 2-3 minutes to float to the surface, but then it all depends on their size.
7. Drain well and move to a bowl.
8. Add butter while they are still warm and sprinkle fresh ground pepper and salt all over them.

NOTES

It is important that you add the paprika when the pot is off the heat because it burns very easy and that's when it becomes bitter.