HOME MADE SPAETZLI – EGG NOODLES

HOME MADE SPAETZLI – EGG NOODLES

Great side dish for all the saucy paprikas dishes and to use in the Goulash soup.

INGREDIENTS:                                                 

1. 2 and ¾ cup of white flour
2. 4 eggs
3. ½ teaspoon of sea salt or regular salt
4. 1/3 cup of lukewarm water
5. salty boiling water for cooking the noodles
6. 3 tsp. of butter

Mix the flour with the eggs and some salt in a deep dish or food processor (or just play with it with bear hands) and slowly add the water to it.  The consistency should be semi-firm.  Let it rest for 10 minutes while you’re boiling some salt water.

When the water starts boiling cut the mixture off a cutting board in ½ inch long, ¼ inch width with a knife, or use a mandolin with the large holes above the boiling water.  For easier cutting off the pieces dip your knife into the boiling water after each piece.  The dumplings are done when they all float on top and grew some in size.

You can drain them in a strainer; keep them warm and covered until ready to serve with your favorite chicken or veal Paprikas or add them in a Goulash soup.

Some people like to use some melted butter to toss the spaetzli with before serving it.

TRANSYLVANIAN EGG SALAD ALSO KNOWN AS “JEWISH EGGS” – “ZSIDO TOJAS”

TRANSYLVANIAN EGG SALAD ALSO KNOWN AS “JEWISH EGGS” – “ZSIDO TOJAS”

Try this easy and delicious egg salad variety on toasted bread or served over salad for breakfast or lunch.  If you can make it a day earlier it tastes even better.  Great with beer on a game night or a quick snack for your ever hungry teenagers. :)

INGREDIENTS:

1. 8 eggs – hard boiled in salt water, cooled off and peeled.  Separate the egg yolks in a bowl to mix with the following ingredients, and egg whites chopped in tiny morsels with a knife.
2. 2 Tbs. of butter – softened (take it out of the fridge an hour earlier)
3. ½ red onion – chopped or better if you can mash it in a food processor or Magic Bullet.
4. 2 Tbs. of sour cream
5. salt, freshly ground black pepper
6. 1 Tbs. of Dijon Mustard
7. ½ cup of scallion greens –chopped

After peeling the hard boiled eggs, cut them in half and separate the yolks in a bowl, crush them with a fork and add all the ingredients: chopped or mashed onion, butter, mustard, sour cream and the seasonings.  Mix it well together.

Now cut the egg whites in tiny pieces and add them to the yolk mixture, mixing them well.  Adjust the seasonings if needed.  Sprinkle some scallion greens on top and you’re ready to serve it.  For better results, cover it with foil and refrigerate it for a few hours or overnight and let the ingredients play together. :)

Serve it on your favorite breads, toasted buns over some arugola salad or as a center piece of your favorite salads.

Absolutely delicious!

EGESZSEGEDRE!                                                                  BON APPETITE!

REAL TRANSYLVANIAN CHICKEN SOUP

REAL TRANSYLVANIAN CHICKEN SOUP

The Sunday Soup in our house with home made dumplings.

Call it “Jewish Penicillin”, or balsam for your soul but nothing can beat a real home-made chicken soup.  I could be in bed with a cold, half dead and still get up to make my famous chicken soup.  There are millions of recipes, every culture does it in their own way but what I am giving you here is the closest you ever come to heaven.  I guarantee it!

INGREDIENTS:

1. Get one whole chicken, the fatter the better.  If you can ask for an older chick (age matters), you’ve got yourself a winner. J As the old Hungarian saying says: “The old chick and a young carrot make the best chicken soup”.
2. 1 bunch of young carrots (4-5 carrots aprox.) peeled and cut in length.
3. 1 bunch of parsley roots (4-5 if small in a bunch, 3 if they come bigger) peeled and cut in length.   If the parsley roots come with the parsley leaves, just cut them off, wash them and fold them in a paper towel, place it in a Ziploc bag, refrigerate it for further use. The moisture will hold the leaves fresh for much longer.  You can use it to garnish just about anything, or just add it to soups and main courses for presentation.
4. NO PARSNIPS in my soup! It will give a sweet taste to the soup…not good!
5. 1 medium size celery root cleaned, and cut in 1 inch pieces.  NOT CELERY LEAVES or STICKS!  Do the same if roots come with leaves as you did with the parsley leaves.
6. 1 medium size onion sliced in 4 quarters
7. ½  of a long Italian green pepper with seeds and core inside
8. Vegeta, sea-salt or regular salt, about 3 teaspoonfuls
9. Black peppercorns , about 1 spoonful
10. A pinch of paprika (keeps the soup clear)
11. 1 clove of garlic

 

Put a 9-10 quart bowl with water, the whole chicken (cut up, of course), the quartered onion, ½ green pepper, salt, peppercorns, paprika to boil.  Do not fill up the whole pot with water. Always leave a 2 inch space for later when you add the vegetables.  Cover it and let it cook until the chicken is almost tender.  Try to poke the leg or thigh with a fork.  If there’s slight resistance, you may add all your cleaned and cut up veggies: the parsley roots, celery roots and carrots.  Cover it with a slight opening for steam and let your kitchen fill with the aroma of heaven. When the veggies test tender (about 1 hour) you can shut off the flames and let the masterpiece rest for 15-20 minutes.  Now you can strain the soup, and keep the meats and veggies in 2 separate containers. 

You will get the golden broth and now you can dress it up at your delight.  If you would like to boil some egg noodles in the mean time or venture into making my Mommy’s Sunday dumplings, go ahead.  I personally like to keep the broth clear until I serve it.  Vegetables and noodles tend to soak up or alter the flavor.  Starches from noodles change the consistency of the soup. Carrots especially if kept inside the soup will make the soup go sour much faster.  You don’t want anything to spoil the miraculous product of perfection. :)

When you add the noodles, or dumplings to the plate, cut up some carrots or veggies or you can ad a few chicken pieces, some fresh parsley and or scallion greens chopped up for garnish, get out a hottie jalapeno (if you dare), close your eyes and listen to the angels sing.

If you would like the ultimate challenge and impress your guests to unprecedented heights, try my Mommy’s home made dumplings.  That’s what she served us on major Holidays and Sundays. We call it GALUSKA, but you can call it dumpling, it’s still cute.

MOMMY’S HOME MADE GALUSKA (DUMPLING)

So, who is your dumpling? Your son, your daughter, your hubby, boyfriend, puppy or kitten?  You know as well as I do, that you have to take special care of your dumpling, spoil it, and take your time with it.  That’s the lesson I learned from my Mommy. Oh, yes, and about making the successful dumpling.  It requires time, patience and constant supervision.  Your hard work will pay off with the cutest and naughtiest as well as the tastiest additions for your miracle soup.

INGREDIENTS:

1. 7-8 tablespoons of “Farina” Cream of wheat cereal
2. Olive oil 3-4 tablespoons
3. 2 eggs
4. salt (1 teaspoon)

Mix the ingredients in a mixer or Magic Bullet, add more olive oil if too dry, but it should be just a little bit runny not too liquidy.  Now let it rest, don’t touch it, just cover it up and leave it alone for 20-30 minutes.

In the mean time boil some salty water about 2 inches of water in a wide pot.  Remember, you need space when those little suckers start growing. J  When the water is boiling, you can take a teaspoon (for medium size dumplings, shown above) or a tablespoon (for gigantic dumplings) and scoop out a nice round dumpling size from the mixture that should be very thick right now into the boiling water. One by one scoop and let it float. The flame should be at medium high.

 Now comes the cuddling part.  Take a full cup of very cold water and keep it by your side.  Your cuties might be turning on their own but help them out.  Every 5-6 minutes you will pour a few drops of cold water on each dumpling or use a tablespoon.  After you turn them, 5 minutes later, you will repeat the cold shower on the poor souls.  And so on and so on until they grew so much that they want to jump out of the pot. The process has to be slow and turning it often with the cold water drops on them makes them cook and relax, cook and relax so the inside gets done to perfection.  In about 45 minutes you can sacrifice a dumpling and stab it in the middle.  It won’t bleed, don’t worry!  That’s another dish from Transylvania. J If the inside looks white and fluffy, it’s done! If it’s yellow or brownish, you still have some turning and cooling to do.

Told you it’s time, patience, care and love J but the end results are fantastic!  Now you can add those cuties to your chicken soup, stick a good looking carrot in there, garnish it with some scallion greens and parsley chopped up and take a bow!

Here’s another version of my famous medicine with spiral egg noodles, cut up veggies and chicken meat.  We’ll call it the weekday soup.:)

EGESZSEGEDRE!                                       BON APPETITE!

RAINBOW POTATOES

RAINBOW POTATOES

An easy garnish to any meat or fish dish and if you have leftovers, why not save it for the Sunday’s Egg’s Benedict Brunch as a fantastic side dish.

INGREDIENTS:

1. 6-7 Potatoes – boiled with skin on in salty water, peeled after they cooled off and shredded
2. 1 onion – minced
3. ½ red Bell pepper – minced
4. ½ green Italian pepper –minced
5. ¼ cup of olive oil
6. Salt or Vegeta (better with Vegeta), fresh black pepper and a pinch of paprika

Cook the onion, green and red peppers in the olive oil until soft and add the shredded potatoes with the Vegeta, paprika and a tiny bit of black pepper, stir it several times until all the ingredients have mixed well and let it sit covered for 10 minutes.

You can serve it with an ice cream scooper onto the plate for cuteness.

EGESZSEGEDRE!                                                                   BON APPETITE!

CUCUMBER-TOMATO SALAD

CUCUMBER-TOMATO SALAD

Lightweight and refreshing curve friendly salad, excellent with Schnitzels, or deep fried dishes to wash off that extra fat from your digestive tract.

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 onion –red or white –sliced in rings
2. 2-3 larger kirby cucumbers – very thin sliced, salted and squeezed out from the juices
3. 1 tomato –sliced round
4. black pepper, paprika, salt

DRESSING:

1. 1 cup of cold water
2. 1 tablespoon of sugar
3. 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar

First you’ll make the dressing by mixing the water with the sugar until the sugar has melted completely. Add the vinegar and let it mix together. Don’t add the vinegar before the sugar or else the sugar won’t dissolve!

Slice up your onion and tomato and place them in the bowl with the dressing.

Thinly slice up your kirby cucumbers and let them rest with the salt until the juices start flowing out, about 5 minutes. Thank take them in your hands and bunch after bunch, squeeze out the extra juices above the sink and add it to the rest of the salad, mixing it well. Put some fresh black pepper and a pinch of paprika sprinkled on top, and you’re done!

No need to add extra salt because the cucumbers will still release enough NaCl to tickle your cholesterol. :)

                                                                                                                

PAPRIKA POTATOES WITH SAUSAGE

Summer, winter, fall or spring…with this dish you’ve got everything.  Quick to prepare, another comfort food that surely will make your taste buds crave for more.

If you can find some of the optional Hungarian Import Goulash and Red Gold creams, as well as the all spice “Vegeta” mix you are able to give some of these dishes the unique Hungarian flavor that we’re so famous for. Yes!

                                       Heat and spice will enhance your life :)         

INGREDIENTS:

1. 6-7 medium potatoes – cleaned and cut in 1 inch squares (keep them covered in water until used, so they don’t turn brown)
2. 1 large red/white onion – minced
3. 2 cloves of garlic - minced
4. ½ red Bell pepper – minced
5. ½ green long Italian pepper – minced
6. 3 tablespoons of olive oil
7. 1 pair of your favorite sausage: Polish, Hungarian – thinly sliced
8. 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley
9. 1 teaspoon of Paprika (hot or mild) powder, salt to taste.
10. Vegeta (all spice), Goulash (hot or mild) cream and Piros Arany (Red Gold) hot or mild paprika cream (optional)

We start with the base of all Goulash and Paprikas.  If you know this, you’re half way done in becoming a master in your Hungarian cooking.  In a 6qt deep dish start adding your ingredients.  Olive oil, minced onions, red and green peppers, garlic. Stir it frequently for about 2 minutes than add your sliced sausages.  When the sausages start to brown, add the paprika powder and half a teaspoon of salt or Vegeta.  You can always use more salt later if needed.  Stir in the cleaned and cubed potatoes; add enough cold water to cover the potato mixture, stir and cover.  Always cover foods with a lid but leave enough space for the vapors to fill your house with the aroma of good home cooking.

Now, you’re ready to watch your favorite soaps for a while. :) (About 30 minutes)

Cook it on low heat, stir and taste it occasionally and when your knife can cut through a potato with ease, you’re done!  Presentation is everything, so don’t forget to sprinkle that fresh parsley on top.  You can serve it with a healthy dose of cucumber/onion/tomato salad or roasted red pepper and some fresh bread on the side…prepare for applause from your family!

EGESZSEGEDRE!                                 BON APPETIT!

SLOPPY CABBAGE SOUP – “LUCSKOS KAPOSZTA”

SLOPPY CABBAGE SOUP – “LUCSKOS KAPOSZTA”

Talk about a refreshing, herbs flavored, Vitamin C filled, artery opener of a summer/winter every season soup.  In Transylvania we made this a one dish hearty soup accompanied by some fresh bread and hot pepper but you can have it as a soup followed by a lighter dinner dish or just have seconds and it will nourish your body and senses to the fullest extent.  The key is an abundance of fresh thyme if you don't have CSOMBORD or CIMBRU and dill…and I’m talking 4-5-6 tablespoons here :)

Pictures can’t describe the smell and flavor of this wonderful soup:)

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 large onion (whit or red) – chopped
2. 4 tablespoons of olive oil
3. 1.5 Lbs of pork – cut in small cubes and spiced up earlier with salt, pepper and paprika
4. ½ lb of Smoked bacon/ Keiser – cut up in small cubes but keep the smoked skin part to add it to the soup while cooking
5. 1 large head of white or Savoy cabbage – sliced and cut up in 1 inch squares (core removed)
6. 5 tablespoons of fresh or dried thyme, or better with CSOMBORD in Hungarian and CIMBRU in Romanian, called SAVORY in English :)
7. 5 tablespoons of fresh dill
8. 3-4 tablespoons of Vegeta (or salt)
9. black pepper at the end
10. 1 pinch of paprika
11. 1 tablespoon Red Gold HOT paprika paste (optional for those who like it spicy)
12. 8 quarts of water
13. 4 tablespoons of white vine or apple cider vinegar
14. 1 pinch of sugar
15. 2 tablespoons of flour
16. 3 tablespoons of sour cream

Cut up your pork loin or shoulder in small cubes and pre-marinate it in salt, black pepper and paprika and place it in a Ziploc bag in your fridge for a  couple of hours before cooking it.

Get your nice big 8-9 Qrt. Soup cookware and add the olive oil with the chopped onions, sauté them until golden brown then add your pre marinated pork and smoked Keiser/ bacon bits and stir it frequently.  The key here is the making the pork sweat out all the juices and wait until there’s almost no liquid left and the meat starts browning nicely on all sides.  Stir it frequently so it doesn’t burn.  Now you can add your fresh or dried herbs, the Vegeta and some HOT paprika paste, a pinch of sweet paprika and immediately fill it up with 8 quarts of cold water.  Leave some 1 inch space in the bowl for your cabbage later.  Cooking on medium heat will take about an hour, maybe 1h and ½.  Check for seasoning if it needs more salt. 

When the pork is tender you can add the sliced up cabbage and cook the soup until the cabbage is tender but still a bit crispy.  Add vinegar and a pinch of sugar.  In a small cup take out ¾ of a cup of the cooking liquid only, add the flour and the sour cream and mix it well together in a Magic Bullet or food processor.  Now you can pour it in slowly into the soup and cook it all together for another ½ hour.  The taste should be a bit sour but not overwhelming.  If you put too much vinegar, you can always add a bit more sugar to take the bitterness away.  The consistency should be slightly creamy but still fluidic.  Check for condiments add some black pepper on top and some extra fresh dill and you’re done! 

When you serve it in individual cups or bowls, add a dollop of Daisy or in lame terms sour cream for everyone to mix it in before eating it.  Or you can skip that part.

This is one of those soups that likes to rest overnight in your fridge and tastes even better the next day when all the ingredients made friends and decided to overwhelm your palate. :)  Enjoy!

EGESZSEGEDRE!                                                                   BON APPETITE!

TRANSYLVANIAN SOUR CABBAGE GOULASH– “SZEKELY GULYAS”

TRANSYLVANIAN SOUR CABBAGE GOULASH– “SZEKELY GULYAS”

Ah, the magnificence of sour cabbage and its endless possibilities for comfort food creation.  The amount of Vitamin C that sour cabbage contains in a serving can fight colds and the flu for months to come.  This is an all year around kind of a comfort peasant dish that just satisfies the senses with all its combined flavors of pork or veal, smoked sausage, caraway seeds, sour cabbage and a dollop of sour cream to serve it with freshly baked bread and a glass of Zinfandel…There are never any leftovers at my house. :)

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 large onion – chopped
2. 4 cloves of garlic – sliced
3. 1 pair of Kabanosh -Polish or Hungarian- Csabai thin smoked sausage – thinly sliced
4. 3 tablespoons of caraway seeds
5. a good large splash of olive oil
6. 2 Lbs of pork loin, or veal stew cut in small cubes
7.  2 Lbs of sauerkraut – washed through with water several times in a  strainer under the faucet, to get the excess salt out of the cabbage
8. water for cooking (about 4-5 cups)
9. salt, pepper, and paprika
10. sour cream to serve with

Use a nice deep dish with a lid.  Splash in the olive oil with the chopped onions, garlic and sliced sausages and cook them together for 10 minutes.  Add the caraway seeds and the cubed (pre-seasoned if you can, with garlic salt, black pepper and paprika) pork or veal.  Stir it frequently until mixed and let the meat brown on all sides, about 15 minutes.  Now you can add as much water as to fully cover it and let it cook for 45-50 minutes (less time for veal) until the meat is tender.  You need to add more water occasionally.  If you seasoned the meats previously or even before adding it to the dish don’t use any additional salt at this time or your final product will be too salty.  If you would like to add some more paprika for a nicer color and sweet taste, feel free!

Now you are ready to add the sauerkraut and some fresh black pepper with an additional 2 cups of water so the whole mixture is fully covered with water.  The cooking time should take about 30-40 minutes from now on depending on the sour cabbage’s texture.

When it’s ready you can serve it with a tablespoon of sour cream and some fresh bread.

Healthy, nutritious and comforting.

EGESZSEGEDRE!                                            BON APPETITE!

WIENER SCHNITZEL or EGG BATTER VERSION

The veal schnitzel (above) Chicken cutlet (below)

Scrumptious and delicious, a real Sunday meal for the family dinner that doesn’t put Mom in the kitchen for the whole day.  It was my family tradition to have this tasty dish on Sundays and if my Mom didn’t make it for some reason I marched up to the calendar and crossed out Sunday in revolt. Did I mention I was a difficult child?

INGREDIENTS:

1. 6-8 slices of veal ( pork or chicken cutlet) – pound on both sides to ¼ inch thickness
2. salt, pepper, paprika
3. 2 eggs - beaten
4. 1 cup of flour
5. 1-2 cups of bread crumbs
6. olive oil to fry – about 2 cups

Pound the meats in the morning, season them with salt, pepper and paprika and put them in a Ziploc bag in the fridge until you’re ready to cook them.

Get 3 dishes, one for the flour, one for the eggs and one for the bread crumbs.

Heat up the oil in a frying pan in the mean time.

Put each slice through the flour first, shaking off the excess, than the egg batter, letting it drip and than the bread crumbs. Do NOT press the bread crumbs into the meat!!!!!!  That’s the key to fluffy schnitzels!

Cook the schnitzels in batches, 2 at a time for about 3-4 minutes on each side.  The color should be golden brown, not dark brown.

Let them rest on a paper toweled plate so the extra oils get soaked up and you’re ready to serve them with a nice salad like my cucumber tomato salad, or just make your own favorite and as a side dish you can use my rainbow or parsley potatoes recipe.

EGG BATTER VERSION SCHNITZEL

If you want a variation of the schnitzel and are tired of using the breadcrumbs you can totally omit them in this version.

Use 3-4 eggs instead of 2 eggs but the rest is just the same as the breaded cutlets above.

This one you can have as a leftover for next day’s lunch also.

If you really want schmency up your schnitzel you can make this quick and easy grilled mushroom with red wine sauce to put it on top, simply glorious!

MUSHROOM SAUCE

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 small onion or shallot – sliced
2. 5-6 white buttom mushrooms – cleaned and sliced
3. ½ cup of sliced smoked ham, prosciutto or Kaiser bacon
4. olive oil
5. 3 teaspoons of lemon juice
6. salt, pepper, paprika
7. ½ cup of red wine
8. ½ cup of chicken stock
9. 1 tablespoon of sour cream
10. chopped parsley

Place the sliced onions, mushrooms and smoked ham in olive oil and fry them together until the mushrooms are nice and brown on both sides.  Add the lemon juice and wine and black pepper.  Stir it occasionally until the wine evaporates than add the chicken stock. When it starts to boil add the sour cream, salt and a dash of paprika, sprinkle it with freshly chopped parsley and you’re done!

It’s a fancy schmancy addition to your delicious schnitzel.

EGESZSEGEDRE!                                                                      BON APPETITE!

VEAL OR CHICKEN PAPRIKAS

VEAL OR CHICKEN PAPRIKAS

This is the real deal, folks!!!!!!  I know, I know…all these years you have been suffering of insomnia because you couldn’t master the preparation of a real Transylvanian Paprikas.

Now you can finally rest.  I will give you the ultimate gift so you can enjoy the REAL DEAL!

INGREDIENTS:

1. 2 Lbs, of veal – stew meat, cut in small squares and spiced up with garlic salt, black pepper and paprika. It’s great if you do the cutting and spicing earlier and let it all rest in the fridge for a few hours/ or 6 chicken legs/thighs (same preparation)
2. 1 red onion – chopped
3. ½ green Italian long pepper – chopped
4. ½ red Bell pepper – chopped
5. some chopped up hot stuff Jalapeno or hot red pepper, if you dare J
6. olive oil
7. 4-8 oz. of mushroom (optional)
8. 2-3 cups of water initially than adding 2-3 more cups while it’s still cooking to replenish the evaporation, plus to assure a healthy dose of sauce at the end
9. Vegeta,
10. 1 tsp. of goulash and paprika paste (Red Gold) and for the spice loving folks add some chili pepper flakes, paprika
11. 2 Tablespoons of flour
12. 3 Tablespoons of sour cream
13. freshly chopped parsley

Add the chopped onions, green and red peppers with a healthy splash of olive oil into a larger pot and cook them for 5 minutes until translucent.  Add the veal, a teaspoon of goulash paste, chili flakes and some paprika.  Stir it frequently so it doesn’t burn for about 7-8 minutes.  Now add 2-3 cups of water so the veal is totally covered.  Now cook it for about 1 hour (chicken takes a little bit less time), constantly adding water so the meats are always covered with liquid.  You can add some Vegeta or salt at this point to taste.

When the veal (or chicken)  is almost tender you can scoop out ½ cup of the cooking liquid in a cup or mixing container, add the sour cream and the flour and in a Magic Bullet or any kind of mixer, food processor give it a few stirs until a nice thick paste forms.

With a small strainer you are going to introduce this paste into the cooking veal or chicken, submerged so it can easily mix with the cooking liquids.  With a wooden spoon you will stir the paste through the strainer.  Do not pour the paste directly into the cooking veal because the flour will form lumps.  If you work only through the strainer the paste will slowly dissolve and no lumps!

Cook the finished paprikas for another 10 minutes on low heat, sprinkle it with fresh parsley and pat yourself on the shoulder.  You did your first PAPRIKAS but I’m absolutely certain not your last.  Your family will cheer you for weeks J

You can serve this over egg noodles, polenta, mashed potatoes or with a home made spaetzli ( egg noodles – Look at my side dishes section for recipe).

Below is the chicken paprikas with mushrooms served with some happy polenta balls. (Use the ice cream scooper to form the shapes ).

EGESZSEGEDRE!                                                          BON APPETITE!

LENTIL SOUP WITH SMOKED MEAT

LENTIL SOUP WITH SMOKED MEAT

There’s something to be said about the benefits and overall comfort food possibilities of lentils. Oh, lentils… Not only rich in fiber but with all the nutritious vitamins that they contain the recently were declared power food.  According to Old Hungarian tradition lentils are supposed to be served as the first food you eat in the New Year for prosperity and good fortune. Lentils resemble mini coins = MONEY in your New Year.  No resolutions are needed, just have a cup of my famous lentil soup and you will reach for the stars. :)

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 Lb. of lentils – presoaked, change the water 3 times. Unlike beans, lentils just need to be presoaked in water while you are preparing the rest of the ingredients, not overnight.
2. 4 Tbs. of olive oil
3. 1 red onion – chopped
4. 1-1 ½ Lbs. of smoked loin of pork – chopped in tiny cubes
5. ½ Lb. of smoked sausage (Hungarian)
6. 3 bay leaves
7. 20 baby carrots – cut in ¼ inch round pieces
8. ½ Jalapeno pepper – chopped
9. 4 Qts. Of water
10. 1 Tbs. of Hungarian or any sweet paprika
11. 2 Tbs. of Vegeta or salt
12. 5-6 Tbs. of balsamic or apple cider vinegar
13. 1 handful of parsley – chopped
14. Sour cream to serve it with (optional)

TO PREPARE THE ROUX: (OPTIONAL)

1. 3 Tbs. of olive oil
2. 3 Tbs. of all purpose flour
3. ½ red onion –chopped

In a non stick pan heat up the olive oil, add the flour, stirring constantly until the color will become light brown. Now you can add the chopped onion, mixing everything and cooking it for another 2 minutes together, stirring often.  You can set it aside until the soup is half way done when you introduce it to the soup, stirring until all lumps are dissolved and you will see the texture of the liquid changing into a creamier consistency.

In a 6 Qt. soup dish add the olive oil, chopped onions, smoked meat and sausage and cook them together until tender. (About 15 minutes).  Add the water, bay leaves and seasonings and cook them together until the smoked meats are cooked and soft.  Now you can add the presoaked lentils (drained from the last soak) and the baby carrots. In about 30 minutes your soup should be ready. While still cooking, lower the heat to minimum and add the vinegar, check for seasoning and sprinkle it with parsley.

You can let the soup rest a bit and serve it with 1 Tbs. of sour cream in each individual plate or you can omit that if you wish. Sliced red onions and a slice of your freshly baked bread will go along great with this magnificent comfort soup.

This soup is another one of those that settle and thicken overnight so it will taste even better the next day.

My family used a thickening agent called a roux towards the end of the cooking process to give that ultimate creamy texture to the soup. If you are curve conscious you can omit this because it contains flour but if you’re one of the daring ones you can add the separately prepared roux to the soup when the lentils and carrots are halfway cooked, stirring often until the consistency becomes thick and creamy.

EGESZSEGEDRE!                                                             BON APPETITE!

PORK RISOTTO – “RIZSES HUS”

PORK RISOTTO – “RIZSES HUS”

Yes, sweet people, Transylvanians do use rice in their meals not only potatoes. J   This is an easy breezy creation to a quick weeknight meal.  Colorful, tasty and healthy, your doctor will thank you :)

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 and ½ Lbs of pork – cut in cubes, seasoned with garlic salt, black pepper and paprika (if you marinate the pork ahead of time the seasoning will bring out a very special flavor)
2. 1 large onion – chopped
3. ½ long Italian green pepper - chopped
4. ½  red Bell pepper – chopped
5. olive oil- 5 tablespoons
6. ½ hot jalapeno pepper – chopped (if desired on the spicy side)
7. 1 and ½ cup of white or brown rice
8. 1 carton of 32 oz. low salt chicken stock + water
9. 1 can of 15 oz. sweet green peas
10. parsley leaves – chopped
11. salt or Vegeta, black pepper and a pinch of paprika

In a deep dish add the olive oil, chopped onions, green and red peppers and let it simmer without changing color, about 10 minutes.  Add the seasoned pork cubes and stirring frequently browning the meat on all sides, about 10 minutes.  Now add half of the chicken stock and 1 cup of water, season it with salt, pepper and paprika and let it cook for about 45-minutes, adding a bit of chicken stock and water so the meats are covered with liquid at all times.  When the meats are fully cooked, you can add the rice and the rest of the chicken stock with a little water.  Season it with fresh black pepper.  If you’re using Minute Rice it will cook within 5-7 minutes.  Don’t stir the rice too often or else the texture will become mushy.  Make sure that there is always plenty of liquid in the risotto while it’s cooking.  Don’t worry; the rice will soak up all the extra liquid after you’re done cooking it.  When done, add the sweet peas and the chopped up parsley, season it again if needed and let it stand covered for 5 minutes for rest and flavor enhancement.

Now you’re ready to serve 4-6 people with just another healthy and happy meal with a side salad, or some roasted red peppers.

EGESZSEGEDRE!                                                BON APPETITE!

KOHLRABI SOUP – “KARALABE LEVES”

KOHLRABI SOUP – “KARALABE LEVES”

I bet many of you have not even heard about this veggie.  In my New York neighborhood it’s very popular and back in Transylvania you really wanted to get invited for dinner when you smelled the cooking of kohlrabi soup from your neighbor’s kitchen. The flavor and fiber content along with the vitamins in the leaves and in the veggie itself it’s medicine alone.  Just try it out one time and I guarantee that it will become one of your favorites in the summer months.  Traditionally only rice or home made dumplings are present in the soup but my carnivore hubby needed meat so I enticed him with tiny meatballs. Recalling his words: “It was orgasmic”. :)

INGREDIENTS:

1. 2 bunches of kohlrabi (about 7-8 pieces) – peeled and cut in ½ inch cubes. Don’t throw away the green leafy part.  Wash half of the leaves thoroughly then chop them up like you would do with parsley.
2. 1 onion – chopped
3. 4-5 tablespoons of olive oil
4. Vegeta, black pepper and a pinch of sweet paprika
5. water for cooking
6. 4 tablespoons of all purpose flour
7. 4 tablespoons of sour cream

MAKING THE MEATBALLS:

I usually prepare the meatballs first and let the mixture rest in the fridge until ready to be used.  I also prepare a larger portion of the meatball mixture so I can freeze half for another soup that requires meatballs, like my spectacular veggie soup "Ciorba"

1. 2 Lbs of ground pork
2. 1 egg
3. 3 cloves of garlic –finely chopped
4. 1 small onion or larger shallot –finely chopped
5. 1 handful of parsley – chopped
6. 1 full cup of white rice
7. Vegeta or Sea Salt, black pepper and paprika – don’t be stingy with the spices, baby J it makes or breaks a meatball.

Mix all the ingredients thoroughly, dig in with both of your hands and enjoy your creation. Taste it so it’s spicy enough and separate it into 2 halves. You can freeze 1 portion for another occasion.  Label your Ziploc bag with the date and content and place the other half in your fridge covered with plastic wrap until you’re ready to use it in the kohlrabi soup.

Take your soup bowl (9 quarts, you WANT plenty of leftover of this wonderful soup) add the olive oil, chopped onion and the cut up kohlrabies and leaves and cook them until almost soft.  About 15 minutes.  Now add the water but leave enough space for the upcoming meatballs.  Use your spices abundantly. Eva will love you for it.  J

After it reaches boiling point you can take your meatballs out and make tiny, cute balls and drop them in the soup.  After about 20 minutes take some soup liquid out, about a  cup and in a food processor or Magic Bullet, add the flour and sour cream, mix it thoroughly and put it back in the cooking soup.  Check for spices and let it all cook together for another 10 minutes. Sprinkle it with freshly chopped parsley or not because you have all those leaves from the kohlrabi to give you that green feeling.  Pictures can’t tell the extraordinary flavor of this soup so you just have to make it yourself. I’m proud of you!

EGESZSEGEDRE!                                                                     BON APPETITE!

EVA’S CREAM OF SPINACH

EVA’S CREAM OF SPINACH

Quick and easy, delicious and nutritious.  As a side dish for meatballs, steaks, ham, sausage, fried chicken, even fried eggs. Shown here with some Romanian skirt steak done rare.

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 head of garlic –peeled and minced (in a Magic Bullet if you own one) or use a garlic press
2. 3 tablespoons of olive oil
3. 3 tablespoons of all purpose flour
4. Milk (regular or Lactose-free), no Skim milk or 2% about 1and 1/2 large cup but you will have to decide what consistency you need.
5. 1 bag of fresh spinach
6. Salt and pepper to taste

Boil some salted water and add the spinach for a quick boil 2-3 minutes.  Do not overcook it because it looses all the vitamins and minerals. Drain it in a strainer and chop it up on a wooden board.  Now you’re ready to make the most delicious cream of spinach of your life.  Add the olive oil and chopped garlic to the pan, medium heat.  Stir it continuously for about 1 minute, (don’t burn the garlic, when you smell the aroma, it’s ready), than add the flour, stir it, again so no lumps remain.  Add the chopped spinach, stir and mix it a few times and start adding the milk while stirring continuously.  Some people prefer it very thick, some very light.  It’s your choice.  When you’ve reached your favorite consistency you can season it with some salt / garlic salt and fresh black pepper.

Now run and lock your doors and windows from all the hungry neighbors and enjoy your master piece with your favorite steaks, ham, sausage, chicken or fried eggs on top.

EGESZSEGEDRE!                             BON APPETITE!

EGGPLANT SALAD

EGGPLANT SALAD

One of the favorites of this household, a fantastic, and delicious appetizer, dip, eat it alone, enjoy it on sandwiches…..ohhhh, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

INGREDIENTS:

1.     3-4 intact eggplants – roasted on the BBQ or on open flame on your stove, ( a bit messy), cleaned and chopped with a WOODEN spoon not a metallic object or quick chopped in a blender or Magic Bullet.

2.     salt, black pepper

3.     ½ chopped onion or even better using the Magic Bullet or a blender to make an onion paste

4.     1 cup of your home made mayo (see the recipe under “How to Make Your Own Mayonnaise”) or you can skip the mayo. If you’re in a  real rush you can use the Hellmans Real mayonnaise but know that my heart is bleeding :)

5.     2 teaspoons of lemon juice

6.     ½ cup of olive oil –if you skip the mayo

When you start your BBQ it is the best time to use the charcoals to roast your eggplants turning them every 10 minutes until the juices start flowing out of it.  When you poke it with a fork it should be soft all over.  If you are making it on the stove you have a lot of clean up to do unfortunately but this is the only way it will get the roasted flavor. Take them in a bowl and let them cool a bit for about 10 minutes before you clean them. You can use a colander over the sink to put the cleaned pieces in it so the juices can leave the eggplant nice and easy in your sink.  Now you chop them up into a paste using a blender, wooden spoon (NOT A KNIFE, because it will brown the color of your eggplant) or Magic Bullet.  Set it aside in a deep dish while you chop up your onion and add it to the eggplant.

 If you decide to make it with the home made mayonnaise, please follow instructions for the home made mayo and blend it in with the eggplant mixture.  Add salt, black pepper, and lemon juice, mix it well together and put it in the fridge to cool for 30-40 minutes.  You just made an incredible appetizer to serve it on bread, pita or as a side on your salad.

If you want to skip the mayo there’s another way to make it.  After you cleaned and drained and chopped up your eggplants use a mixer and start pouring olive oil slowly into the eggplant and mixing it at the same time on medium. Add the chopped onions, salt, black pepper, lemon juice, and serve it after it’s been in the fridge for 30-40 minutes to cool. You can decorate it with some black olives and chives for presentation.

EGESZSEGEDRE!                                                                 BON APPETITE!

MAKE YOUR OWN MAYONNAISE

MAKE YOUR OWN MAYONNAISE

Have you read the labels on a mayo jar recently?  Do you really need all those preservatives and extra fats they put in your body?

How about making your own?  It’s quick and easy and all you need is a mixer, a bowl and 3 ingredients.  Then you can make some super - duper deviled eggs, potato salad, eggplant salad, salade du boef or just add it to your favorite roast beef sandwich and see the difference.  Your taste buds and curves will thank you for it. :)

INGREDIENTS:

1. Olive or vegetable oil
2. 1-2  egg yolks (depending of the amount of mayo you want)
3. 1 tablespoon of mustard
4. 1-2 teaspoons of lemon juice after all done, not during mixing

THAT’S IT!

Separate the egg yolk/s in a mixing bowl, add the mustard and use the mixer on a high setting slowly adding the oil.  The secret to a successful home made mayo is to add the oil extremely slowly or else it will collapse.  Your mayo should become hard so when turned upside down it would slide out in one piece.  Do not add any lemon juice to it.  You can do that later when mixing it in your favorite salads.  A bit of salt is OK.

Now, wasn’t that easy?

Enjoy!

LECSO - OR VEGGIE/RICE/SAUSAGE STIR FRY

LECSO - OR VEGGIE/RICE/SAUSAGE STIR FRY

A fantastically nutritious and easy summer dish done in a heartbeat.

When the AC is blasting, the temperatures are in the 90-ies and you need a quick fix for a family meal, the Transylvanian Lecso will become your savior.

INGREDIENTS:

1. 3 onions, 2 white, 1 red – generously sliced (if no red onions, try 2 small shallots)
2. 3 long Italian green peppers – round sliced
3. 3 red Bell peppers –round sliced
4. 3 cloves of garlic – sliced
5. 3 large tomatoes, or 10 cherry tomatoes ( the taste is much sweeter) – sliced
6. 1 generous cup of white rice (you can substitute with brown rice if desired) –use Uncle Ben’s 5 minute quick cooking rice
7. Hungarian or Polish dark smoked sausage or hot dogs J – take the skin off for easier digestion, sliced.  If you have kids they will surely appreciate the substitution with some Hot Dogs. (no need to take the skin off)
8. ½ cup of chicken stock and ½ cup of water
9. Salt, black pepper and paprika to taste
10. 5-6 tablespoons of olive oil

Add the olive oil to a 5-6 quart deep dish.  Slice up all your veggies and your sausages. On medium-high flame stirring constantly bring the veggies to a fry, add the sausage, chicken stock, water and rice.  Season it with salt/pepper and paprika, cover it and let it cook for 10 minutes. Stir it a few times, add a bit more water if needed, adjust the seasoning if needed.  Check the consistency of the rice…and you’re done!

For the more courageous and daring tasters I would suggest 1 deadly hot Jalapeno pepper sliced (seeds in) with the rest of the veggies.  If you prefer it milder, just remove the seeds. 

You can serve this dish lukewarm, room temperature also.

EGESZSEGEDRE!                             BON APPETITE