Midwestern Goulash

Midwestern Goulash?

The truth is, I hesitate to call it goulash because the recipe my family has made my entire life looks nothing like other goulash recipes I've read online and in cookbooks.  But, we call it goulash.  So what else am I supposed to call it?

I don't know for sure where this recipe originated, either.  I don't remember either of my grandmothers making it.  Come to think of it, I don't remember either of my grandmothers COOKING.  Except for the corned beef and cabbage or ham hocks and beans my Irish grandmother made with much regularity.  Of one thing I'm sure, it's origins do lie somewhere in the midwest between South Dakota and Illinois, in the many places my mother lived while growing up.  By the time I came along, this dish was well established in my family's rather odd culinary history.


MIDWESTERN GOULASH

Ingredients

• 1 lb elbow macaroni
• 1 lb ground beef (I like to use extra lean 92/8)
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbs sweet Hungarian paprika
• 1 - 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 - 6 oz can of tomato paste
• 1 - 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Prepare macaroni according to directions.  (I start boiling the water for the macaroni, then assemble my ingredients to make the sauce.  My goal is for the macaroni to finish shortly after the sauce is ready.)
2. Spread the ground beef out on a large plate and sprinkle with the paprika.  (You can also add salt to taste at this point.)
3. Brown the spiced ground beef in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the onions and garlic, lower heat to medium and continue to cook until they are soft.
4. Stir the can of tomato paste into the ground beef mixture, cook for 1-2 minutes.  Add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes.  Stir until tomatoes and sauce are well mixed in the ground beef.  Simmer until macaroni is ready.
5. Add macaroni to the skillet and carefully (this spills easy!) incorporate that macaroni into the sauce. Cover and cook over low heat for ten minutes.

This is how my kiddos and I make it today.  I know that my mom added ketchup and Worcestershire sauce, but somewhere along the line we stopped doing that at my house.  We also serve this topped with shredded cheddar cheese, which would never have happened at my mom's table. Maybe because cheese was too expensive?

ENJOY!


Merissa at Little House on the Prairie Living is hosting a weekly Old Fashioned Recipe Exchange every Tuesday.  If you have a recipe to share you can link your blog post or you can post in the comments.  CLICK HERE to go to this week's exchange!

 

Go ahead, you know you want to look!

The Stew that Almost Wasn't

I'm craving chicken stew, specifically the Homey Chicken Stew recipe on Page 44 of  America's Test Kitchen's Slow Cooker Revolution. 


I started out with the best intentions of following this recipe to a T (REALLY!) because the picture looked so incredibly yummy in the book.    And then I realized I was out of onions.


A bag of pearl onions was found in the freezer and substituted for the two chopped onions.  Things were going well, when I went to add the spice.  Thyme.  Everybody has thyme in their spice stash, right?  Wrong.  No thyme left for me...  (heh-heh)


No problem!  A quick internet search turned up that while there is no exact substitution for thyme, oregano will work in a pinch.  Assuming you have oregano.  Yea, that's right.  I used the last of the oregano Saturday making Sunday Gravy.


At this point I'm getting a little slap happy, so I just used the spice I thought smelled like how I wanted my stew to taste.  Enter stage left:  ROSEMARY!  I love the smell and taste of rosemary, couldn't go wrong with this choice, right?


This wasn't the end of it.  The recipe calls for flour.  Crap.  I had planned to make gluten-free biscuits with Pamela's Gluten-free Baking & Pancake Mix to serve this over, for my kid who is trying to eliminate wheat from her diet.  So, why not use that baking mix as a flour double?  I know there are better substitutes, but I had to roll with what I have on hand.

It smells go SO FAR!

Looks pretty good, too!

Elizabeth's Variation of

HOMEY CHICKEN STEW

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
• 1 bag frozen pearl onions
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 T tomato paste
• 1 tsp rosemary
• 1/4 c Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix
• 1/2 c dry white wine
• 4 c chicken broth
• 4 potatoes, cut into ½ inch pieces
• 4 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 c frozen peas

Directions

1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Lightly brown the chicken on both sides. Transfer chicken to a bowl.
2. If needed, add another tablespoon of oil to the pan (I used 2 Tbs butter). Add onions, garlic, tomato paste, and rosemary. Cook until onions are softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in baking mix and cook for one more minute. Whisk in wine, scraping up any brown bits in the pan. Whisk in 1 cup broth, smoothing any lumps.
3. Toss potatoes and carrots with 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil in a glass bowl and microwave 5 minutes on high.
4. Transfer onion mix to a slow cooker along with the potatoes, carrots and remaining chicken broth. Nestle browned chicken with any accumulated juices into the slow cooker. Add the bay leaves.
5. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
6. Transfer chicken to a large casserole dish and allow to cool slightly. Using 2 forks, shred into bite size pieces. Remove bay leaves from the slow cooker. Stir in chicken and frozen peas. Allow to heat through, about 5 minutes. 

Stay tuned!  At this point, I may try to make the biscuits on top of the stew in the slow cooker.  I read another recipe this weekend that does that and I'd like to marry that idea to this stew.  I made the dough for the dumplings according to the recipe for drop biscuits on the back of the Pamela's bag and dropped them into the stew.  The original directions said 35-40 minutes to cook the dumplings but it took about 55 minutes on high for ours to cook on top.

Meanwhile, there is a post about this Homey Chicken Stew recipes on a dash of cinnamon, complete with pics. Her version is much closer to the original than mine, although there is at least one minor change.

~ ENJOY!

Merissa at Little House on the Prairie Living is hosting a weekly Old Fashioned Recipe Exchange every Tuesday.  If you have a recipe to share you can link your blog post or you can post in the comments.  CLICK HERE to go to this week's exchange!

 

Go ahead, you know you want to look!

Escallped Corn

I love discovering new recipes and I was excited to see that Merissa at Little House on the Prairie Living is hosting a weekly Old Fashioned Recipe Exchange every Tuesday.  If you have a recipe to share you can link your blog post or you can post in the comments.  CLICK HERE to go to this week's exchange!

 

Comfort food doesn't get much better than this!

Escalloped Corn

2 cans creamed corn
1 can sweet corn
1/2 stick butter, melted
2/3 row saltines, crushed
2 eggs

Mix together and pour into greased casserole dish.  (I used a 7 x 11 glass pan.)

1/2 row saltines, crushed
1/2 stick butter

Mix together and spread evenly over the top of the casserole.  Sprinkle with paprika, to taste.

Bake at 350F for 40 minutes.


~ ENJOY!

(Almost) Thai-Style Chicken Soup

Thai-Style Chicken Soup
adapted from America's Test Kitchen Slow Cooker Revolution
 
Ingredients

• 1 onion, minced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbs Garden Gourmet ginger
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 - 14 ounce can of coconut milk
• 2 Tbs Garden Gourmet lemon grass
• 1 carrot, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 10 cilantro stems, tied together with twine
• 1 lb bonesless, skinless chicken thigh
• 6 ounces sliced white mushrooms
• 1 1/2 Tbs of lime juice
• 1/2 Tbs sugar
• 2 tsp Thai red curry paste

Directions

1. Microwave onions, garlic, ginger and oil in a bowl, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes and transfer to slow cooker 
2. Stir borth, 1/2 can coconut milk, lemon grass, carrots, 1 tbs fish sauce, and cilantro stems into slow cooker. 
3. Season chicken with salt and pepper and nestle into slow cooker 
4. Cover and cook until chicken is tender, 4 to 6 hours on low. 
5. Transfer chicken to cutting board, let cool slightly, then shred into bite-size pieces. 
6. Discard lemon grass and cilantro stems 
7. Stir in mushrooms, cover and cook on high until mushrooms are tender (5-15 minutes). Microwave remaining can of coconut milk in bowl until hot, then whisk in remaining tablespoon of fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and curry paste to dissolve. 
8. Stir hot coconut mixture and shredded chicken until soup and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

SO...  in the interest of full disclosure, I forgot to add the second half of the coconut milk (I actually added the whole can from the beginning), the additional fish sauce, the lime juice, sugar, and curry.  When I realized I'd forgotten those things, I stirred two tsp of Thai chili garlic sauce into the soup to give it a kick.

Yes, it was still really good, but I can only imagine how much better it would have been if I would have remembered the rest of the ingredients.  Hopefully, y'all won't make my mistake!

~ Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup

My picky eater loves soup.  She especially loves Chuy's Chicken Tortilla soup.  Unfortunately, we don't really like anything else at Chuy's, so she was out of luck until I found this recipe.  It's different from most restaurant tortilla soup and recipes I've seen because doesn't have a thick tomato base.

I adapted this recipe so I could make it with pantry items I already had on hand.  So canned tomatoes and jalapeños for fresh.  This soup is so awesome, my friend Susan blogged about it at Wild Life in the Woods.  She also posted a picture.

Some day I will buy a padlock for my slow-cooker so I can get pictures before my family demolishes the food!

Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup
adapted from America's Test Kitchen Slow Cooker Revolution

Ingredients:

• 1 T. olive oil 
• 1 can tomatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 onion, minced 
• 1 small can chopped jalapeño peppers
• 8-10 garlic cloves
• 2 T. minced canned chipotle chile in adobo 
• 1 T. tomato paste 
• 8 c. chicken broth 
• 10 cilantro stems, tied together with twine 
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken thighs 
• Salt and pepper

Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add tomatoes, onion, and jalapeño and cook until onion is softened and browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, chipotles, and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in 1 c. broth, scraping up any browned bits; transfer to slow cooker.
Stir remaining 7 c. broth and cilantro stems into slow cooker. Season chicken with salt and pepper and nestle into slow cooker. Cover and cook until chicken is tender, 4 to 6 hours on low. 
Transfer chicken to cutting board, let cool slightly, then shred into bite-size pieces. Let soup settle for 5 minutes, then remove fat from surface using large spoon. Discard cilantro stems.
Stir in shredded chicken, and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes.
Top with crumbled queso fresco cheese, tortilla chips, avocado, sour cream, cilantro, and lime wedges.


This was a huge hit with the whole family. Even the one who grumbled about soup for dinner at two full bowls! With the toppings, this is a hearty soup that sticks to your ribs.

~ Enjoy!

Mama's Shortbread Cookies

I love discovering new recipes and I was excited to see that Merissa at Little House on the Prairie Living is hosting a weekly Old Fashioned Recipe Exchange every Tuesday.  If you have a recipe to share you can link your blog post or you can post in the comments.  CLICK HERE to go to this week's exchange!

This is a repost of my mom's go-to cookie recipe for every holiday and occasion.  They are easy to make, don't need eggs, and can be modified easily to fit the season by mixing in or adding on top sprinkles, chips, nuts, or candy.  Most important?  They are melt-in-your-mouth good!

Today I made the traditional short-bread dough and added mini chocolate chips. I dropped them onto the stone using my smallest scoop. Perfect little munchies for my girls' classes at church tonight. :)

MAMA'S BASIC SHORTBREAD DOUGH

Ingredients
4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 lb butter (4 sticks)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla


Directions
Preheat oven to 325F.
Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
Using a mixer, cream butter, sugar, and vanilla to a smooth consistency.
Add flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time to butter mixture - use a low setting on your mixture - until all flour is mixed.
Drop by the spoon/scoopful onto a cookie sheet or baking stone.
Bake for 20 minutes at 325F.

To change things up, stir in any kind of chip, nut, or sprinkle you'd like to use. I mixed in one bag of mini chocolate chips for the batch in the picture. (YUM!) My mama likes to make them with pecans mixed in or with a Hersheys' Kiss pressed into the center. At Christmas time, the kiddos and I make some with colored jimmies mixed in and others we'll roll in sprinkles or jimmies and then bake. Use your imagination!

ENJOY!

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I made these for my niece's baby shower.  I bought a jar of baby blue and white shimmer colored 'pearls' at Hobby Lobby and mixed them in a bowl.  Roll the dough (I used my tablespoon Pampered Chef scoop) and press into the sprinkles, smash with fingers, and then place on the cookie sheet.  The picture on the right is how they look in finished form- beautiful AND yummy!

Indonesian Chicken Curry

I found this recipe for Indonesian Chicken Curry in Saveur's The New Comfort Food: Home Cooking from Around the World.  I love the magazine.  I love the website.  I *really* love this cookbook!

I live in rural Kentucky and finding odd Asian spices isn't going to happen without an hour plus drive, so I made some adaptions to adjust to my pantry.  The original recipe is linked above, what follows is my adaption.

INDONESIAN CHICKEN CURRY in KENTUCKY

• 1 Tbs ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp crushed red chili flakes
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 Tbs Gourmet Garden squeezable ginger
• 3 Tbs coconut oil
• Zest of one lime
• 5 - 4" sticks of cinnamon
• 1 Tbs Gourmet Garden squeezable lemon grass
• 3 lbs mixed chicken legs and thighs
• 1 can coconut milk
• kosher salt (to taste)
• 4 cups cooked brown rice, for serving

Put coriander and crushed red chili flakes into a blender with garlic, onions, and ginger; purée to a paste. Add 1–2 tbsp. water, if necessary.(It was necessary!)
Heat oil in a 5-qt. Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add paste; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 5–7 minutes. Add lime zest, cinnamon, and lemongrass. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cinnamon is fragrant, about 2 minutes. 
Increase heat to medium, add chicken, and cook, turning once, until golden brown, 8–10 minutes. 
Stir in 1 cup coconut milk, 1 1⁄4 cups water, and salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken is tender, 40–50 minutes. 
Add remaining coconut milk; cook for 2 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes before serving with the rice. 


The house smelled DELICIOUS while this was cooking, but the actual curry was blander than we were expecting.  When I make this again (and I will!), I will probably double the ginger, lemon grass, and lime zest.  This is the first time I've tried the Garden Gourmet products and after I'd already cooked dinner I discovered that the paste is milder than the real deal.

In a perfect world, I'd get all of the ingredients fresh and make it EXACTLY as the recipe is written.  Okay... maybe not exactly, but I'd definitely use the Kaffir lime leaves (mostly because that would be easier than zesting a lime!), fresh ginger, and stalks of lemon grass bruised and tied in knots.

~ Enjoy!