Goulash

goulash: a soup or stew made of meat, pasta, and veggies in a thick sauce seasoned with paprika and other spices, traditionally prepared by herdsmen in Hungary. 

Hungarian stew... hungry yet? 

Pining for fall weather and the heartier dishes (and appetites) that follow?

Have some leftover veggies from that last grill-out, half a box of macaroni you want to use up, or some ground beef that needs to make its way in to something soon? 

Try this, you won't be disappointed! Bonus: kids won't notice all the extra veggies through the oodles of noodles!

Courtney's Goulash

Makes enough for 8-10 

1 lb lean ground beef

1 lb elbow macaroni

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 rib celery, chopped (use the leafy part, too!)

1 large carrot, cut lengthwise into quarters, then chopped

any other leftover veggies you want to throw in, chopped

3 TBS tomato paste

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with juice

1/2 C of red wine (or water or broth)

~2 TBS olive oil

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp paprika 

1 tsp dried thyme, crushed

salt & pepper to taste

1-2 handfuls of shredded cheese (I used cheddar)

In a large, heavy pot, heat olive oil and toss in chopped veggies. Sprinkle with a little salt and saute until tender. Add ground beef and continue cooking (on about a medium heat) until browned. Toss in a splash of red wine (or water or broth) to deglaze the pan. Add tomato paste and stir until paste is dissolved. Add canned tomatoes with juice. Add garlic powder, paprika, and thyme. Bring veggies and sauce to a simmer and cover. 

In a separate pot, bring some salted water to a boil and add macaroni. Cook until al dente, strain, and toss into veggies. Stir until all pasta is covered in meat sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving, mix in a couple handfuls of good shredded cheese. 

Serve hot with bread, cheese, and a nice glass of cabernet sauvignon on a crisp fall evening.

Enjoy!

Pierogis and a Basic Pasta Recipe

Aaah, pierogis, you darlin' dumplin', you crowd-pleasing indulgence, you sweet outlet for using up a giant Tupperware of leftover mashed potatoes.

Tonight, I made pierogis, or at least my version of 'em, using leftover red-skinned mashed potatoes and fresh herbs from my garden. The following is the basic recipe (estimating, because this is something you basically have to eyeball based on what you have), assuming you don't want to make the dough from scratch.

If you do, kudos- and read on- because the basic pasta recipe follows.

Courtney's Leftover Mashed Potato Pierogis

Makes around 20 pierogis, depending on what you have

~3 cups mashed potatoes

(if they're leftover and thus seasoned already, omit following seasonings*)

*1/2 tsp salt

*a few grinds of black pepper

*pinch of onion powder

~1 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese, or cheddar cheese blend

~2 tsp chopped fresh chives

~2 tsp chopped fresh parsley

1 package won ton wrappers, or 1/2 batch of pasta dough, made per following directions

butter for frying (or maybe olive oil, though I'd recommend not cutting this corner)

In a large bowl, combine mashed potatoes (and seasonings if using fresh mashed potatoes), cheese, and herbs

Spoon about 1 TBS of potato filling per won ton wrapper, or 3"x5" rectangle of pasta dough, onto one side

Use water to moisten edges of rectangle (just swipe it around
with your finger), fold rectangle in half, and gently press around
edges to seal completely

Gently drop sealed dumplings into salted boiling water

Dumplings are cooked through when their color lightens slightly and they float

Transfer boiled dumplings directly into preheated (to medium heat) frying pan with melted butter and fry
until golden on both sides

Serve immediately with a dipping sauce of your choice- we did a roasted tomato marinara and it was awesome

Enjoy!

Now, for those of you (I mean us, ahem) who are gluttons for punishment... or maybe you just have extra extra time to kill... try making the wrappers from homemade pasta dough instead of store-bought won ton wrappers, just for kicks...

Basic Homemade Pasta Dough

Makes enough for a huge family... noodles, ravioli, lasagna sheets... 

3 C unbleached all-purpose flour (you can sub whole-wheat flour,

though the texture will be impacted... just don't use whole wheat pastry flour!)

1 tsp Kosher salt

~5 eggs

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Make a well in the center and crack your eggs directly into the well.

With a fork, start whisking the eggs into the surrounding flour, slowly incorporating the walls of the well until a sticky
dough forms. When dough starts coming together, discard the fork and start kneading with your hands. Knead
until flour is fully incorporated (if needed, add a bit of water if you have too much flour leftover, or add
a bit more flour if your dough is too sticky). Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for about 30 minutes.

When dough has rested, tear off balls about the size of golf balls,
roll in flour, flatten into oval disks, and either roll out as thin
as possible with a rolling pin, or pass through pasta machine until
thin enough to see through just a bit (glass of wine optional).

After pasta sheets have been made, you can cut them into the required rectangles for pierogis, use whole for lasagna, cut into ribbons for noodles, or invent something new! This dough is incredibly versatile and forgiving. Unused dough can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in the fridge for a couple of days, and uncooked noodles can be dried overnight and stored in a zip-top bag for a few months in a cool dry place.

Enjoy!

Studio Night Chili

As I may have mentioned before, I am a high school Art teacher. Every Tuesday during the school year, the students in my Advanced Art classes participate in an after school program that we like to call "Studio Night." It's basically an extended time to work on their projects for an uninterrupted span above and beyond their usual daily 50 minute class periods. Seeing as I am a cook and mom as well as teacher, I hated the idea of growing kids munching on chips or other nutritionally empty foods until they could get home for a late dinner. So I started bringing my crock pot. This chili has become a staple in the Art room and, unbeknownst to my minions, it's jammed with good-for-you stuff that even the picky eaters will schoff down. I have never brought leftovers back home.

Jan's Studio Night Chili

You'll need either leftover cooked beef brisket or fry up a pound of ground beef (strain off fat)
Two 1lb. 11 oz. cans of your favorite beans (pinto and kidney here)
1 1/2 C. canned hominy or frozen corn

One 14.5 oz. can of your favorite diced tomatoes plus one large, fresh tomato if you have it
a large bell pepper
a medium onion
2 celery ribs
a good handful of baby carrots or a couple of full sized carrots
a large baking potato
minced garlic, to taste
pickled jalapeno peppers, optional (we like it hot in Texas)
1 TBS cumin
1 TBS chili powder
1 tsp powdered thyme
1 TBS oregano
corn oil

salt to taste
water

Peel the potato and cube. Chop up the other veggies and in a large deep pot, saute all in corn oil on high heat. You want to have some caramelization on the veggies, but not cooked to death. Add the undrained can of diced tomatoes. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. The tomato liquid will deglaze the pan. Add drained hominy or frozen corn and fresh, chopped tomato.

Add spices, jalapenos if you like it hot as we prefer, and salt to taste. Turn off the heat and mix in either the precooked ground beef or chopped brisket (pictured here) and drained beans. 

                                                                             Place mixture into a crock pot. If you need to transport, as I do, don't add any water yet. When I get to school, I'll add about 3 cups of water, set the crock pot to low and let it simmer all day. (The aroma is very motivating for Studio Night attendance!) At times I've added cauliflower and zucchini without any complaints. Imagine teenagers eating healthy--who knew!