Hungarian Goulash

Ingredients

600 g beef sheen or shoulder, or any tender part of the beef cut into 2x2 cm cubes
2 tablespoons oil or lard
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic
1-2 carrots, diced
1 parsnip, diced
1-2 cellery leafes
2 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped, or 1 tbs. tomato paste
2 fresh green peppers
2-3 medium potatoes, sliced
1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika powder
1 teaspoon ground caraway seed
1 bayleaf
ground black pepper and salt according to taste
water

For csipetke (Pinched noodles added to goulash or bean soup in Hungary. Csipetke comes from the word csípni, meaning pinch in English, referring to the way of making this noodle):

1 small egg,
flour,
a pinch of salt,
cc. 1 teaspoon water
Goulash is hearty enough without csipetke, especially if you eat it with bread, so you can leave csipetke out.



Instructions

Heat up the oil or lard in a pot and braise the chopped onions in it until they get a nice golden brown colour.


Sprinkle the braised onions with paprika powder while strirring them to prevent the paprika from burning.


Add the beef cubes and and sauté them till they turn white and get a bit of brownish colour as well.


The meat will probably let out its own juice, let the beef-cubes simmer in it while adding the grated or crushed and chopped garlic (grated garlic has stronger flavour), the ground caraway seed, some salt and ground black pepper, the bayleaf, pour water enough to cover the content of the pan and let it simmer on low heat for a while.


When the meat is half-cooked (approx. in 1,5 hour, but it can take longer depending on the type and quality of the beef) add the diced carrots, parsnip and the potatoes, the cellery leaf and some more salt if necessary (vegetables tend to call for more salt). You'll probably have to add some more (2-3 cups) water too.


When the vegetables and the meat are almost done add the tomatoe cubes and the sliced green peppers. Let it cook on low heat for another few minutes. You can remove the lid of the pan if you want the soup to thicken.


Bring the soup to the boil and add the csipetke dough, it needs about 5 minutes to get cooked.



How to make the csipetke: beat up a small egg, add a pinch of salt and as much flour as you need to knead a stiff dough (you can add some water if necessary).

Flatten the dough between your palms (to about 1 cm thick) and pinch small, bean-sized pieces from it and add them to the boiling soup. They need about 5 minutes to get cooked.

Breakfast Omellete for 2

Ingredients

1/4 pound good thick-cut bacon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup medium-diced Yukon gold potato
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno pepper or slices
5 extra-large eggs
2 tablespoons milk or cream
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped green onions (use tops & bottoms)
1/4 cup finely diced bell peppers
1/4 lb ground sausage
4 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar or cheese of your choice, diced, plus extra grated cheese, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut the bacon crosswise in 1-inch slices. Cook the bacon iover medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned. Drain the bacon on paper towels and discard the fat from the pan.

Add the butter to the pan, and then add the sausage, potato yellow onion and bell pepper. Cook over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the onion starts to brown and the potato is tender but firm.

Add the jalapeno pepper and cook for 30 seconds.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper together with a fork.

Stir in the scallions and diced cheese.

When the potato is cooked, add the bacon to the pan and pour over the egg mixture.
Place the pan in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the omelet puffs and the eggs are almost cooked in the center.

Sprinkle with a handful of grated cheese and bake for another minute. Serve hot directly from the pan.