Pot Roast Paprikash and Hungarian Pilaf

Joe whipped up some Hungarian-style rice pilaf to go along with this. Though we cooked this in the oven, it would work well in a slow cooker, too. When you get home from work, the house will smell amazing, and the rice takes less than 30 minutes to make. It's a Sunday dinner kind of dish for a weekday timetable!

Ingredients

2 pounds beef rump roast
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes
14 1/2-ounce can beef broth
2 cups yellow onions, halved and cut into 1/2-inch slices
3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch coins
1 cup red bell pepper, cored and cut into 1/2-inch strips
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
8 ounce carton low-fat sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste

For the Rice

1 cup long grain rice

2 cups vegetable stock

1/2 cup onions, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced 

1 tsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp sweet paprika

Directions

Trim the fat off the meat and cut it into quarters.

If using a slow cooker, place the meat in the cooker and sprinkle with the paprika. Top with tomatoes, broth, onions, carrots, and sweet peppers. Cook for 10 hours on low heat or 4-6 hours on high heat.

If using the oven, preheat it to 350 degrees. Brown the meat on all sides, then sprinkle with the paprika. Add the  tomatoes, broth, onions, carrots, and sweet peppers. Bring to a boil, then cover, and place in the middle rack of the oven. Cook at 350 degrees for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

To make the rice, heat the oil in a saucepan, then add the rice and stir until it turns white and slightly toasted. Add onions and garlic and saute until tender. Add the stock, parsley, salt, pepper, and paprika. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, 20 minutes or until the rice is tender and the liquid is evaporated.

When the meat is tender and flaky, put it on a cutting board and shred it with two forks. Skim any fat from the sauce, put the meat and sauce into a saucepan. Whisk together the water and cornstarch, then bring it to a boil and cook 15 minutes, until thickened. Stir in the sour cream and heat on low for 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, then serve over the rice.

Serves 4-6.

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Polish Mushroom Soup (Zupa Grzybowa)

Now that we live in a heavily Polish neighborhood of Chicago (Jefferson Park/Portage Park), we're trying to learn about traditional dishes. One of the most exciting Polish traditions is the paczki (PUNCH-key), a heavenly jam-filled donut you see everywhere at the beginning of Lent. This soup is another popular one - and we'll be learning how to make Dill Pickle Soup soon. 

Mushroom Barley soup is a classic Polish dish usingdried or fresh mushrooms, and sometimes a dollop of sour cream and barley grain. In Polish, it is called Zupa Grzybowa, and its filling, healthy, and satisfying. The soup can be made quickly, or it can slowly simmer all day in a crock pot. Either method is flavorful, hearty, and easy. Add some cornbread, hot crusty bread, or a salad for a solid filling meal.

We recommend using a several kinds of fresh mushrooms for maximum flavor. The soup can be made with vegetable broth for a Meatless Monday or a fasting holiday, or it can be made with beef stock for extra flavor.

Ingredients

2 tbsp oil 

1 cup chopped onions

1/4 cup dried Polish mushrooms (borowiki)

1 cup chopped portabella mushrooms

1/2 cup sliced shiitake or porcini mushrooms

1 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

5 cups vegetable or beef stock

1 cup pearl barley or quick-cooking barley (use quick-cooking barley if you're going to make this in a crock pot)

1 1/2 cups sour cream (optional)

Instructions

Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water until soft, then drain and chop them.

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large frying pan. Add onions and mushrooms and fry until slightly browned, about 10 or 15 minutes. 

If using a crock pot, transfer to the crock pot, add the rest of the vegetables and the beef stock and cook at low heat for 6-8 hours or high heat at 4-6 hours. Fifteen minutes before serving, cook the quick-cooking barley separately according to package directions, then stir into the soup. 

If cooking in a soup pot, add the rest of the vegetables and the beef stock and heat to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the pearl barley and simmer for 30 more minutes, or until the barley is tender.

Remove the bay leaf. Serve in bowls with a dollop of room-temperature sour cream, if desired.

Serves 4-6.

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Romanian Chicken Paprikash

This gorgeous dish comes from Joe's high school friend Pam Friel Swan, who learned it from her mother-in-law. When she sent it to us, she labeled it Marie's Puppedykash. We are still trying to find out what puppedykash means; Joe wonders if it's a way of saying the meal in Romanian, and I'm guessing it was how kids pronounced it and it stuck. For example, my daughter Jenn used to call muffins "nuppins"; the silly middle-schooler in me is still tempted to call beef stroganoff "beef strokin-off".

I'm so sorry I said that. Should I have kept that between me and Joe? Yes, a silly eighth-grader's humor pops into my mind at awkward times. Most of the time I'm able to keep it from popping right out my mouth, but I thought maybe you ought to get to know me a little better. :)

So, chicken paprikash. This is one of Hungary's signature dishes, along with goulash. But many other Slavic countries in Eastern Europe have a similar dish, and this particular one is more like a Romanian preparation than a Hungarian one. Who wouldn't love a nice cut-up chicken simmered with vegetables and paprika and broth, then finished in a velvety sour cream sauce?

These Central and Eastern European countries have Slavic roots.

Now you get a mental image of those Central and Eastern European countries - which I've heard are stunningly beautiful, inexpensive to visit, and friendly to strangers - aren't you in the mood to whip up something authentic that those immigrants brought with them to America? This supper is wonderfully hands-off: 15 minutes on the front end, about an hour of cooking, and then sauce prep at the end. You can very easily convert this to all all-day crock pot recipe and mix up the sour cream at the end so it doesn't curdle.

We served this with basic German spaeztle noodles, but Joe's friend recommends serving "with thick crusty bread. We use French or Italian, or some kind of thick peasant-y type bread." Soak up every last bit of this luscious gravy. This is also a great recipe for a crowd; you can make it a day in advance and I promise you the flavors will be even better on Day 2.

Ingredients

2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp butter

1 cup onions, chopped

2 tbsp Hungarian Paprika – Marie uses half regular and half hot

8 pieces of skinless chicken – We use chicken leg quarters, but Marie uses 6 boneless breasts and thighs

48 oz. chicken stock

16 oz sour cream (We use low-fat sour cream)

¾ cup flour

Instructions

Melt the butter and oil in a very large pan. Add the onions and paprika to the butter. Cook until the onions are soft. Add the chicken and brown on each side. Add the chicken stock and simmer on low for 60-90 minutes - or cook all day in a slow cooker on low heat. Remove the chicken and onions and set aside. Pour the remaining broth into a separate bowl.

Whisk together the warm water and flour. Pour into the pan, turn the heat on low, then add the sour cream to the flour mixture and fold it in; keeping it warm but not simmering.

Use a large soup ladle to add the hot pan juice to the sour cream mixture, one ladle at a time, whisking it to prevent it from curdling (this is much easier with 2 people, one ladling and one whisking). Once all of the mixture is incorporated, return it to the pan and add the chicken and onions back in. Heat for about 30 minutes more to temperature but don’t boil.

Serves 6-8.

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Pick-A-Filling Pierogi

Pierogi, also called vareniki, perogi, perogy, piroghi, pirogi, piroshki, pirozhki, pyrohy, pielmieni, pierogies, pierogie, piroggen, and pelmeni. Whew!

Why would Joe and I try to cook pierogi when we can get them frozen in the store any day? Well, we had a couple reasons. First, we knew that  the Polish celebrate Christmas and Easter with special types of dumplings, and we wanted to get into the spirit of Easter by celebrating some other country's customs.

Second, Joe has been experimenting with different kinds of pasta dough, as you may have seen in our recipes like gnudi with wild mushrooms, gyoza dumplings, ricotta and chard gnocchi, and bacon-filled ravioli. Pierogi was a logical step.

Third, we all know that everything tastes better when you make it fresh, and when you customize it to your own tastes. That's why we've included some rather traditional pierogi recipes, along with our own variations. The wonderful thing about dumpling filling is you can throw in whatever you have or whatever you like - just make sure it's well chilled or stuffing will be difficult.

Our fillings for pierogies (below the photos):

Potato-Mushroom	Berries and Cottage Cheese
Potato-Cheese-Onion (Pittsburgh or Ruskie style)	Apricot Compote
Beef and Vegetable	Sweet Prune (Lekvar)
Mushroom-Sauerkraut (Uzska)	Peanut Butter and Banana (not traditional!)
Bacon-Swiss-Caramelized Onion	Kielbasa and Cabbage (Haluski-style pierogi)

Traditionally, Polish Catholics forsake meat products on holy days, especially in the 40 days of Lent before Easter, so potato, cheese, mushroom, sauerkraut, and fruit are often the favorite stuffing.

I also read that people (perhaps in smaller villages) would bring their foodstuffs to the church before Easter and have the priest bless them. Then they would share their dishes with each other. I love the idea of a community getting together to share their foods and celebrate together. It reminds me of the community breakfast my church serves on Easter Sunday.

Priest blessing food baskets (Swiecone) the day before Easter
(thanks to http://www.polamjournal.com for the beautiful photo!)

While Joe and I did quite a bit of experimenting while making these, we got some initial help from the time-tested pierogi recipes of Tasting Poland. The writer shares her family pierogi recipes, along with all sorts of tips and tricks.

Ingredients - Pierogi Dough

3 cups white flour
1 tsp.salt
1 cup warm water
1 egg
2 tbsp sour cream
1 tsp. vegetable oil

Instructions - Pierogi Dough

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Pour in the water while mixing vigorously.
Whisk together the egg, sour cream, and oil. Make a well in the middle of the flour, then pour in the egg mixture. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, blend the liquid into the flour mixture.

Turn out onto a floured work surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic - about 5 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, add a little flour; if it is too dry, sprinkle it with a bit of water.

Now sprinkle some more flour on your work surface and roll out the dough until it is about 1/8" thick. Try not to overwork the dough, or it will be tough after it's cooked. Cut out circles with a cookie cutter or cup.

Step 1: Roll out your dough and fill the dough circles. These are potato-cheese and meat-veggie pierogi.

Place a heaping tablespoon of filling onto one half of the circle, then wet the edge with a little water so the dough will stick together. Fold over the other half of the dough and pinch the edges shut.

Step 2: Boil the pierogi 5-8 minutes

Heat a large pot of boiling water, drop in 1/3 of the dumplings, and give them a gentle stir. Boil 5-8 minutes - the pierogi should pop up to the top about halfway through the cooking time. If you're watching the pot, you can time the second half of the cooking by the time they bob to the surface.

While they're cooking, if you'd like to toast them before eating, heat up a little oil in a pan on medium heat. Drop in the pierogi after you've strained them out of the water, and cook 2 minutes on each side, or until nicely browned.

Step 3: Brown the pierogi in some oil or butter. These are Haluski-style pierogi, with kielbasa and cabbage.

Whether you want to fry the pierogi after cooking or not, we really like serving these with a dollop of sour cream, regardless of the filling. Some people pour melted butter over them, and top with fried onions. Delicious.

 Makes about 30 stuffed pierogi.

Pierogi Filling Recipes

Potato and Mushroom

2 cups diced potatoes

1/2 cup milk

2 cups chopped mushrooms

1/2 cup chopped onions

1 tbsp butter or oil

1 tsp powdered garlic

Salt and Pepper to taste

Boil or steam the potatoes until tender, then mash with the milk until smooth. In a skillet, saute the vegetables until tender, then stir in the garlic, salt and pepper, and potatoes. Chill until cold, then stuff into pierogi.

Potato-Cheese-Onion (Pittsburgh or Ruskie pierogi)

2 cups diced potatoes

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese, cubed, or fresh Farmer's cheese (more traditional)

1/2 cup chopped onions

1 tbsp butter or oil

1 tsp powdered garlic

Salt and Pepper to taste

Boil or steam the potatoes until tender, then mash with the milk until smooth. Stir in the cheese cubes, cover with a lid, and let sit for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted. In a skillet, saute the onion until tender, then stir in the garlic, salt and pepper, and potatoes. Chill until cold, then stuff into pierogi.

Mushroom and Sauerkraut

2 oz. dried mushrooms, rehydrated, or 2 cups chopped fresh mushrooms (porcini, morels, or chanterelles are very good here)
1 onion
1/2 tsp dill
2 cups sauerkraut, rinsed and well-drained
1 tbsp butter

Chop the onion and mushroom well, then saute in the butter until tender. Chop the sauerkraut and dill and stir into the mixture. Chill until cold, then stuff into pierogi.

Beef and Vegetable

1/2 lb ground beef
2 carrots
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1 leek
1 celery stalk
1 onion
butter or oil for frying
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup water or broth
Salt and Pepper to taste

Brown the ground beef in a large skillet. Set aside. Finely chop the vegetables, then saute in the oil until soft. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, then transfer to a blender or food processor. Process until the mixture has a uniform texture similar to large crumbs. Chill until cold, then stuff into pierogies and cook away!

Bacon-Swiss-Caramelized Onion

1/2 lb bacon

1 cup chopped onions
1 cup Swiss cheese

1/4 cup melted butter

1/3 cup bread crumbs

Salt and Pepper to taste

Fry the bacon until crisp, then drain on paper towels. Cook the onions in the bacon grease, then drain and place in a bowl. Chop up the bacon and add it to the onions. Shred the cheese, then add the cheese, butter, bread crumbs, salt and pepper to the mixture. Chill until very cold, then stuff the pierogi.

Kielbasa (Haluski-style Pierogi)

1/2 pound Polish Kielbasa sausage
1 tsp oil

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup chopped onions

1/3 cup chopped celery

2 cups shredded green cabbage

Dice the kielbasa. Heat the oil in a large skillet, then add the kielbasa and cook until warm and slightly browned. Remove to a mixing bowl, then melt the butter in the skillet. Add the rest of the ingredients, and cook over low heat until tender. Add to the kielbasa and stir well. Chill until cold, then stuff into pierogi.

Berries and Cottage Cheese

4 cups raspberries, blueberries, sliced strawberries, bilberries, or other fruit
1 cup small curd cottage cheese
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Put the cottage cheese in a colander and press out the liquid. Stir together all ingredients, then chill until very cold. Stuff into pierogi.

Apricot Compote

12 oz. dried apricots
1 cup water
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp almond extract
2 tbsp brandy
1 tbsp melted butter

Place the apricots, water, and lemon zest in a small pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, then simmer until soft - about 20 minutes. Drain the water, then transfer to a blender or food processor. Add the rest of the ingredient, then process into a thick chunky jam. Chill well before stuffing into pierogi.

Sweet Prune (Lekvar)

2 cups dried, pitted prunes
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Put the prunes in a pan and cover with hot water. Let them soak 1/2 hour, then drain them. Add the lemon juice and sugar and simmer, stirring occasionally,  until it forms a chunky paste. Chill until cold, then stuff the pierogi.

Peanut Butter and Banana

2 ripe bananas
1 cup peanut butter
2 tbsp cocoa powder (optional)

Slice the bananas into disks, then place one or two disks onto each dough round. Top with a few teaspoons of peanut butter. After boiling, fry these in butter and then sprinkle with the cocoa powder.


Make lots of pierogi - and then freeze them for later!

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Parjoale - Moldavian Meatballs

This hearty meatball recipe is fragrant with vegetables, spices, and a tangy sauce. We first tried it at the Russian Tea Time restaurant in Chicago, though I understand it is actually a Romanian recipe called Parjoale. Though it contains a lot of ingredients, it is a great recipe to make up for a party or let simmer in a crockpot all day when you're at work. The meatballs make great party appetizers. They taste even better when made a day ahead.

Ingredients

For the Sauce

1 large red bell pepper
1 large onion
1 large carrot
1 stalk celery
4 garlic cloves
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp flour
1 cup beef stock
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 cup plum tomato, finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp Hungarian paprika
1 tsp salt and pepper
2 tablespoons low fat sour cream

For the Meatballs

1 lb. pork, finely ground
1/2 lb. beef, finely ground
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves
¼ cup fat-free milk
1 large egg or 1/4 cup egg substitute
3 tablespoons bread crumbs
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped dill

Directions

Chop onion, carrot, celery, and bell pepper. Saute in oil in a large saucepan until slightly tender. Add minced garlic. Add tomato paste and flour and stir until mixed. Stir in stock, wine, tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, vinegar, paprika, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in the sour cream and reduce heat to low.

Mix together all meatball ingredients. With your hands, form into 1 or 2-inch balls (the size of a golfball, or if you don't play golf, the size of a pingpong ball). Saute in a separate skillet until well-browned on all sides, and then add to the sauce mixture. Simmer 45-60 minutes until tender if serving immediately, or place meatballs in a crock pot, and simmer on low until ready to serve.

We think it tastes best over a bed of pearled barley.

Serves 6-8 as a main dish, or 10-12 as an appetizer.

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Haluski (Pan-Fried Cabbage and Noodles) with Kielbasa

Here's another comfort food from Eastern Europe. Poland, Romania, Hungary, and a couple other countries have a a few variations to the basic fried cabbage, pork, noodle, and butter combination. Haluski (Ha-LUSH-key, ha-LOO-skee or HA-loo-skee, depending on your origin) is also very popular around the Pittsburgh area, where locals have made this dish their own.

Those Eastern Europeans, like all us Americans in the northern regions, have perfected solid hearty foods for cold winter nights. This homey dinner will feed a crowd, and it's cheap, filling, and utterly craveable.

I've made a couple changes to suit my taste and to cut down on the fat - feel free to update it the way you like it, too This is fabulous with juicy Polish sausages.

Ingredients

1 pound sausage or bacon, cut into serving-size chunks
1 pound egg noodles
3 cups cabbage, shredded
2 cups onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
4 tbsp butter
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 tsp ground pepper
2 tsp Hungarian paprika (sweet or hot, your choice)
2 tsp salt

Directions

In a large frying pan, brown the sausage or bacon on all sides until cooked. Remove to a platter and keep warm.

Boil the egg noodles according to the package directions. Drain well and toss with a bit of olive oil to prevent sticking.

In the pan used to cook the kielbasa, melt the butter with the olive oil. Add the cabbage and onions and saute over medium-low heat until tender and a little browned. You can boil or steam the cabbage before frying it if you prefer, but we like the way the onions and cabbage caramelize together.

Add the noodles and combine well. Stir the pepper, paprika and salt into the broth, then stir it into the noodle mixture. Place the sausages on top. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

Serve on a big platter, and dig in! 

Serves 6.

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