Czech Guláš, Moroccan Tagine, Impossible, and more...

Hovězí guláš s knedlíčky
This is the Czech version of the ancient Hungarian herdsman's dish known in America as Goulash. 

No self-respecting Hungarian or Czech guláš would ever contain the elbow macaroni and tomatoes found in the American version!  This is the Real Deal -- meat, onions, herbs and spices.  This recipe feeds 4.

1/2 lb thick (1/4") slice of rare and lean London Broil
2 large White Onions
3-4 tsp Sweet Paprika, or a combo of Sweet and Hot Hungarian Paprika
1 tsp Caraway Seeds
3-4 cloves Garlic, chopped
1-2 tsp Marjoram
Salt & Pepper to taste
Bread Crumbs for thickening

Cut the beef into strips about 1/2" wide and " long.  I used Deli London Broil as lean and rare as I could get it, to save having to roast a big piece of meat or settle for tougher, cheaper cuts of beef.

Slice the onions and chop the garlic.

In a large-ish pot or deep skillet, saute the onions and garlic until soft and turning golden.  Add the beef.  Reduce the heat, add the herbs and spices, and add water to cover.  Cover, and simmer for at least an hour until everything is "fall apart" cooked, adjusting seasonings as you go. 

At the end, add breadcrumbs to thicken and cook just a few minutes longer.  Plate with a couple slices of dumpling, as seen above.

Dumplings
The s knedlíčky in the title above means "with dumplings" So here's a recipe for plain Czech-style boiled dumplings -- a more appropriate accompaniment for guláš than noodles.

2 cups AP Flour
2 cups "stale" Bread  (I used the "guts" of the Turtle Bread which I had saved)
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Egg Yolk (save the white for something else)
3/4 cup Milk

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.  In a large cup whisk together the egg yolk and milk.

Add the liquid to the flour mix and stir into a dough.  Cover and let it rest one hour.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  While that's happening, flour your hands then work the bread pieces into the dough until well incorporated.  The shape into a  logs 6-8" long and 2-3" in diameter. 

Carefully slip the dumpling log into the boiling water, and nudge it with a soon so it don't to the pot.  Reduce heat, cover and boil for 12 minutes.  

Then remove  and slice in half to check done-ness.  I put mine back for an additional 5 minutes.  When done, slice into 3/4" thick rounds. 

 

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge.  To reheat, put the slices in a steamer for a few minutes, or nuke for a minute with a ramekin of water next to the dumpling to raise the humidity.

Butternut & Lentil Tagine
A tagine is a shallow, covered Moroccan "pot" used for making all kinds of stew like dishes.  If you don't have a tagine (and most Americans don't) you can use a covered skillet or something similar.

This recipe really uses the tagine to bring together the flavors of the cooked butternut squash, toasted pine nuts, and cooked lentils with a little tomato sauce and Ras el Hanut, a quintessential Moroccan spice you can find at Middle Eastern markets and some quality international shops (I get mine at World Market).

1 lb Butternut Squash cut into 1/4" dice
2 cups dry Green Lentils cooked until tender
1/2 cup Pine Nuts, toasted
1/2 cup Tomato Sauce
2 Sausages -- Vegan or Carnivore
1 Tbsp Ras el Hanut

Simple enough....

Cook the lentils according to package direction.  I use my rice cooker for perfect lentils every time.

Toast the pine nuts.  Grill the sausages and cut them into pieces.  Nuke the cubed squash for about 6 minutes until done but firm.

Put everything in a covered skillet.   Add the Ras el Hanut, the tomato sauce, and a cup or so of water.  Stir to combine, and cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes until the liquid reduces about half.

Turtle Bread Presentation

Here's the way the Ninja Turtle Bread looked on the buffet table at the baby shower:

Impossible
I've heard the hype, and so have you.  So I just had to try an Impossible Burger to see what all the shouting is about.

Looks like a Whoppertm.  Tastes pretty much like a Whopper (but then the major tastes of a Whopper have always been the lettuce, tomato and mayo, with the burger tasting "flame grilled" in the background).  Looks like a hamburger patty -- "they" certainly have gotten the texture of ground beef down!  Doesn't look like your average "garden burger" -- even mine!  All in all the same taste experience you get with a regular Whopper.  If you closed your eyes you probably can't tell the difference between Impossible and a regular Whopper.

Would I buy it again?   Maybe.  Probably.  If I go to Burger King again.  It is a bit more pricey than a real Whopper.  We don't normally do that kind of fast food anymore.    But it is really good to see a major player in fast food stepping up to the plate for the growing numbers of vegetarians/vegans out there.