Meals 303-309

10/31this week i'm swapping my "meatless meal" to wednesday....tonight i had dinner with my parents and the breeze and really wanted to try the savory crepes they'd added to the menu. i'm used to crepes that are stuffed with a scant amount of cheese and paper thin slices of meat. but the bruschetta crepe they offered? was ginormous!!! filled with roasted chicken, diced tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. that plus a side greek salad was more than enough for two, possible three meals! very glad i tried something new.

11/01 i always underestimate the pork tenderloin. every time i make one i am struck at the wonderful sweet flavor of the lean meat. and it's versatility pairs so well with many flavors! tonight i butterflied the tenderloin and stuffed it with onions and mushrooms that had been sautéed in butter, thyme, sage and marsala wine. the flavors all married together beautifully! and it was very easy to throw together. a little green salad on the side, and this meal definitely gets a high rating!

11/02 my meatless meal this week was an udon noodle soup with a spicy broth heavily laced with sriracha. the base was a simple vegetable broth mixed with onion, ginger, garlic and tomato. originally i was going to put a soft poached egg on top, but at the last minute decided to bake some tofu and use that instead. with a topping of cilantro and scallion it hit the spot!

11/03 it was just about two years ago that i took an adventure to budapest. one of my favorite things to do in a new place is look for local cooking classes. it offers a great exposure to the local cuisine, history and customs. tonight i harkened back to that class and pulled out my recipe for chicken paprikash and spaetzel. the key to the dish is in the name. good hungarian sweet paprika. and a healthy amount of it too. this bag is from the motherland:

this dish has a wonderful combination of earthy spices with that tangy creamy sauce that central european cuisine is known for. and the spaetzel is one of the easiest ways to make a pasta-type side dish you can imagine!

chicken paprikash

2 lbs chicken thighs, generously seasoned with salt and pepper

1 yellow onion, diced

3 Tbsp sweet paprika

2 Tbsp flour

1 tomato, diced

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup sour cream

-brown the chicken thighs in oil and set aside.

-in the same pan, sauté onions until translucent.

-with the pan off heat, add the paprika and flour, stirring to combine.

-add tomato and broth, whisking until smooth.

-return chicken to pan.

-simmer over medium-low until chicken is done (25-30 minutes)

-add sour cream before serving

spaetzle

1 cup flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

-combine dry ingredients

-whisk milk and eggs

-incorporate milk mixture into flour mixture. stir just until combined.

-let mixture stand for 20 minutes.

-bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

-using a colander or cheese grater, push the dough through the holes into the boiling water (it will create little "dough droplets".

-boil for 3-4 minutes, or until the spaetzle begin to rise to the top of the water. 

-strain and serve!

11/04  a friend of mine hosted a dinner party tonight to show off her newly renovated kitchen (which looked lovely!). she served an impressive spread of food that included bbq chicken, salad, baked beans and macaroni and cheese (my favorite). it was nice to catch up with friend i hadn't seen since i've been back in town!

11/05 i am by no means "southern", but i did spend enough time living in georgia and north carolina to have developed a deep appreciation for southern food! one thing i never thought i would hear myself saying is how much i love good shrimp and grits! it's also something i've never attempted to make. until tonight. it's actually pretty easy! the shrimp are pan sauteed in garlic and butter, and tossed in a sauce of lemon juice, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, cream and just a touch of bourbon. the grits are mixed with gouda and scallions. it all sounds like a strange combination, but somehow it works!

11/06 tonight was another recipe learned from my class in budapest. a classic beef goulash (only i cheated and make this in a crockpot). pieces of chuck roast browned and coated with flour and paprika. slow cooked on a bed of onion, red bell pepper, mushrooms, carrots and tomato paste. covered with a cup of beef broth and left to baste all day. imagine how good the house smelled when i came home! for a side i roasted some mini golden potatoes with garlic and rosemary. meat and potatoes, can't get more classic than that!

one last nod to my time in hungary, i had a bottle of "bikover" to drink with my meal. a strong hungarian red wine. i was told the name literally translates to "bull's blood" (hence the picture of the bull on the bottle). a little morbid, but accurately describes how strong this wine is! though with a dish heavy with meat and paprika, it work quite well!!

it feels good to be back in my kitchen again, making good use of my stove and oven. hopefully there will be more recipes posted over the next few weeks!