Hungarian Goulash-Midwest Style

Georges Auguste Escoffier ( 1846-1935) was a French chef, restaurateur and culinary writer who popularized and updated traditional French cooking methods.

Goulash is a soup or stew made with meat (mostly beef ), noodles and vegetables, seasoned with paprika and other spices. You can also add potatoes, root vegetables, wine, bay leaf, caraway or thyme. It is the national dish of Hungary.

Cook's notes: I took a traditional recipe and added a Midwest touch. My recipe was inspired by one from BHG Best Comfort Food  2011 Goulash

The stew is loaded with flavor in a hearty broth, tender bits of beef and lots of vegetables. The recipe called for using Hungarian Paprika which is I did not have. I substituted smoked paprika. But it was interesting to note in the recipe that in Hungary, paprika comes in six classes, ranging from sweet (mild) to hot.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 2 TB. vegetable oil 
• 1 LB. beef top round or sirloin cut into bite size cubes
• 1/3 cup flour+3 TB flour
• 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt 
• 1/8 tsp. ground pepper
•  1TB+ 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup onions, diced
• 1/2 cup green and/or red peppers, diced
• 3 (14.5 oz. ) cans chicken broth 
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, basil, oregano undrained
• 2 cups carrots, diced
• 3 cups red potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups tomato basil pasta sauce
• 1/2 tsp. marjoram, crushed
• 1/2 tsp. caraway seeds
• optional adding in green beans, parsnips

Directions:

• In a zip loc bag add 1/3 cup flour, 3/4 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. paprika, salt and pepper 
• Shake bag to mix flour and spices, add in beef cubes to evenly coat
• Heat fry pan with oil, add in floured beef cubes, minced onion and garlic
• Cook beef cubes 5 minutes, stirring constantly so cubes do not stick to pan and onion and garlic do not get too browned
• In a large soup pot add 3 TB. flour and 1 can chicken broth, whisk to blend
• Add in browned beef cubes, onions, garlic, rest of broth, peppers, diced tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, bay leaf, pasta sauce, marjoram, caraway seeds and rest of paprika
• Cover and simmer on low 2-1/2 hours or use a crock pot on HIGH for 5 hours 

Cooking Tip: Be sure to remove bay leaf before serving since my husband found one in his bowl and wanted to know if there was a prize for finding it .  
There was not :)

For rich, creamy dressings made healthy, substitute half the mayo with Greek-style yogurt.

HAPPY APRIL POETRY MONTH 2014