Gulyás; Hungarian Goulash

(6-8 servings)

This was a dish my father made frequently. He liked to vary it by swapping out the beef occasionally for pork. He even made it with pork tenderloin once, which I remember being very good.

The main thing which remained consistent for him was the ratio of onion to meat. He told me it was very important to use equal weights. He liked to add tomato juice to his goulash (considered sacrilege by some) whereas I prefer to add a large can of diced tomatoes instead.

I don't remember if he added caraway seeds or not; I do know my grandmother added them to hers. I used to really dislike the taste of them, and was terribly disappointed if any turned up in a goulash or a nice loaf of rye bread. In recent years they have grown on me and I often find myself adding caraway seeds to my goulash; the flavour just seems to belong there.

1/4 lb bacon, diced
2-3 large yellow onions, chopped (about 2 lbs)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup sweet Hungarian paprika
1-2 tsp hot Hungarian paprika
1/2 tsp caraway seeds, (optional)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 lbs beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2" cubes
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 bay leaves
2 tsp Better than Beef Bouillon, or 2 cubes beef bouillon
2 large waxy potatoes, cubed (about 1 lb)

cooked egg noodles, (optional)
sour cream and chopped fresh parsley, to garnish, (optional)

Fry the bacon in a soup pot until it gets crispy. Remove some of the rendered fat if it looks like there's too much. Add the onions and garlic, reduce the heat a bit and cook until they begin to turn a golden brown. Stir in the paprika, caraway seeds and black pepper. Add the beef and stir until it's well coated with the onion and paprika mixture. Continue to cook, stirring for about 5 minutes until the meat loses it's redness.



Then add the tomatoes, bell pepper, bay leaves, and bouillon. Reduce the heat even further, to the lowest setting, cook covered for about 2 - 2 1/2hrs.

Add the potatoes and cook another hour or until the meat is very tender. Check and adjust the seasoning.

Serve over cooked egg noodles or with bread. Garnish with sour cream and parsley, if desired.

Pesto

(about 1 cup)

This seems to be that time of year when some gardeners feel a bit overwhelmed by an abundance of goodness in their gardens. My neighbour very apologetically dropped off a huge bunch of basil. He told me the plants had taken over his herb garden.

To say the least, I was thrilled to take the basil off his hands. I love the smell of it!

The following recipe can be doubled or even tripled, because pesto freezes really well. Just think, you could defrost some it and add a bit of sunshine to your hot spaghetti, long after those pesky plants took over the garden.

2 cups fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
3 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place the basil, cheese, pine nuts and garlic into the bowl of a food processor. Turn on the motor and slowly pour the oil down the chute. You might have to stop it once or twice to scrape down the sides. Process until smooth.

Adjust the seasoning with the salt and pepper.

Feta & Sun-Dried Tomato Spread

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(about 1 cup)

The jar of sun-dried tomatoes is almost finished. They were so good! I combined the last of them with feta cheese and yogurt for this delicious spread.

I can hardly walk past the refrigerator without stopping, pulling out this spread and having some of it with a multi-grain cracker or two.

1/2 lb feta cheese
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil and drained
1/4 cup greek style plain yogurt, (or sour cream if you prefer it less tart)
1 small clove garlic, chopped
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 green onion, sliced


Place the feta, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, yogurt and black pepper into the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.

Add the green onion and pulse until just mixed.

Serve with bread or crackers.