Czech Please! and more...

Bringing home the flavors that Sally and Holly experienced during their Eastern European excursion last month.

Czech Beef Goulash – Cesky Guláš
As a kid growing up we heard about Hungarian Goulash.  Lots of Hungarian folks in Toledo, OH.  But other folks make goulash too.  This recipe comes from the Czech Republic.

This is the simplest of goulashes – beef and onion and spices. No peppers, no tomato. I did it in the crockpot to get the beef falling-apart tender. Simply wonderful – slightly sweet, rich and flavorful

2 lbs Beef, cubed

4 large White Onions, sliced – I used Valdosta sweet onions

3 Tbsp Czech Goulash Spice Mix

Wondra tm to thicken

Put everything in your crockpot and cook for 6-9 hours on Low. In the last hour or so, add a tablespoon or two of Wondra sprinkled on top and stir, to thicken.

Don't have a premade spice blend handy like the one the ladies brought me? Try this combination:

2 Tbsp sweet Paprika (more if desired)

1 Tbsp hot Paprika
2 tsp of ground Caraway seed
1/2 tsp Marjoram

2 cloves Garlic, minced

The resultant flavor is definitely sweet-ish not hot spicy. Simple Czech guláš does not have any added tomato or bell peppers or anything else. It is simply beef, onion and spices. This would be equally fabulous served over mashed potatoes, or even on English muffins. Next time I may try it with pork as well. Chicken would be good this way too, I suspect.

Sweet-and-Sour Red Cabbage – Červene zelī

Some version of this cabbage dish is served all across northern Europe from Western France to Moscow. This recipe is Czech in origin.  Just like the name says, it's sweet and sour -- and a really good thing to do to a head of red cabbage. Goes well with pork or beef.

1-½ pound Thinly Sliced Red Cabbage.  If you have a mandolin slicer, use it!

1 whole Onion, Chopped

1 Tablespoon Shortening

1-½ cup Water

½ cups White or Apple Cider Vinegar

½ cups Sugar

1 teaspoon Salt

¼ teaspoon Pepper

1 teaspoon Caraway Seeds

Wondra tm as needed

Saute onion until golden. Add water, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper, and bring the liquid to a boil.

Place cabbage in the liquid. Slightly crack and grind caraway seeds before sprinkling them over the cabbage. This helps release the maximum flavor.

Simmer for approximately 30 minutes until the cabbage is wilted and soft. Stir occasionally.

Sprinkle with Wondra to thicken the remaining liquid slightly and boil for a few more seconds until desired “doneness” is achieved. Should be wilted and soft, but not mushy.

Bean & Veggie Stoup

It's finally cooled off enough here in SW Florida to making and eating soup worth considering. Sally wanted something 'beany and veggie', and that's what she got. 

 Stoup? Oh yeah... that depends on how much liquid (water or broth) you add. You could end up with a thin soup – or a thicker stew – stoup. You can use any dried white-ish beans you please. Blackeyed Peas would go well here too. I used up a handful here and there from the cupboard.

1/2 cup dry Anasazi beans

1/2 cup dry Great Northern beans

1/2 cup dry Garbanzos

3 sticks Celery

1/2 Red Onion, diced

1 cup Sweet White Onion, diced

3/4 cup Carrot coins

1 can Ro*tel tm Tomatoes, original, no-salt-added

2 small Turnips, peeled and cubed

To taste:

Marjoram

Sage

Thyme

Black Pepper

Smoked Paprika

Old Bay Seasoning

Cook the beans together in a significant amount of water until they are just al dente. Remove to a stock pot, with their cooking liquid.

Add the other ingredients, stirring occasionally to distribute the items. Add additional liquid as you see fit (stoup). To help things along, I also par-cooked the carrots and turnips, which would normally take a long time. Bring your stoup to boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the veg are as 'dead' as you want them. Serve with nice crusty bread to mop up the juices.

Avocado-Chocolate Dessert #2

The Avocado-Chocolate Pudding is back!! This time with lots of caloric (but tasty) additions. If you use one of those LARGE smooth-skinned avocados, this recipe makes about 8 ramekins of dessert.

2-3 ripe Haas or or 1 large smooth-skin Avocado

1 large Banana

1/2 cup unsweetened Coco Powder - the darkest, 'most chocolaty' you can find.

1/2 cup Peanut Butter, creamy or crunchy

1/2 cup sweetener – honey, cane syrup, mild maple syrup, agave

1/4 cup Almond milk, regular milk or half & half

Put everything in a food processor and take for a whirl until smooth and creamy. Too thick. Add a bit more milk. Add more cocoa if the banana or peanut butter flavor is too strong. Add more sweetener. The pudding is best fresh, but it can be stored a couple days in the fridge – place clingfilm on the surface to prevent a skin from forming.

We like ours topped with whipped cream and accompanied by an Italian Wafer Roll cookie.