Potato Dumplings with Mushroom Gravy and Red Beet Salad

Yields about 12 dumplings depending on size. Leftover dumplings can be sliced like fried potatoes and served the next day with a side dish of leafy greens or sauerkraut salad

Dumplings:
1.5 kg (6 cups) raw potatoes, peeled and finely grated
500 g (2 cups) cooked potatoes (one day old), peeled and finely grated
1/2 cup (125 ml) milk
1 tsp (5 ml) salt
dash of black pepper (optional)
garlic croutons (optional)

Mushroom Gravy:
1 large onion, finely diced
1 Tbsp (15 ml) butter
1 cup (250 ml) mushrooms,
thinly sliced
2 Tbsp (30 ml) tamari sauce (soy sauce)
2 cups (500 ml) milk
1 tsp (5 ml) arrowroot powder or cornstarch or potato starch
1/4 tsp (1 ml) dried thyme
herbal salt and black pepper to taste
1 Tbsp (15 ml) freshly chopped parsley
1 Tbsp(15 ml) sour cream (optional)

Red Beet Salad:
500 g (2 cups) red beets, cooked
1/2 medium-sized onion, finely diced
1 Tbsp (15 ml) flax oil
1 Tbsp (15 ml) pumpkinseed oil, hemp oil or other nut oil
pinch sea salt
dash of ground cloves
2 Tbsp (30 ml) rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp (2 ml) apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp (23 ml) freshly ground horseradish (or preserved horseradish)
1 Tbsp (15 ml) chives, chopped
1 Tbsp (15 ml) almonds, blanched and coarsely chopped (optional)

Dumplings:
Fill two-thirds of a large pot with slightly salted water. Place on stove on low heat.

Squeeze liquid from grated raw potatoes until almost dry. Combine raw and cooked potatoes with milk, salt and pepper. Quickly knead to a firm dough. If dough is too soft, add a little flour or bread crumbs. With hands dipped in flour form dumplings approximately two inches (five centimeters) in diameter. If desired, insert four to five croutons in the middle of each dumpling.

Bring water to a rapid boil and place dumplings in pot. Reduce heat and let dumplings simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off heat for 20 minutes until dumplings are done on the inside. Place dumplings on a serving plate and serve hot. If you have to keep them warm for a short time, cover with a lid so they won't dry out.

Mushroom Gravy:
Saut?nions in butter until translucent. Add mushrooms and tamari sauce. Reduce heat and simmer for two minutes. Add milk and let simmer for 20 more minutes. Dissolve arrowroot powder or other thickening agents in two tablespoons (30 ml) of water or milk and stir into gravy. Add thyme and other herbs and spices to taste. Add sour cream just before serving.

Red Beet Salad:
Coarsely grate beets. Add other ingredients as listed, folding them gently into salad. This salad tastes better if it has been refrigerated for several hours.

Source: alive #222, April 2001