Goulash - Czech Style

As a kid, if my mother said we were having goulash for supper she'd be joking and would have meant there was nothing planned.

But I'd have looked her straight in the eyes, and if there was any doubt she wasn't joking, my bags would have been packed and I'd be threatening to leave home.

Goulash...just the name sent shivers through me. And until I started researching recipes, goulash is not something I would have even considered trying.

Since the Czech cuisine is heavy on meat and starchy foods, I've been challenged finding recipes. And seeing so many recipes for goulash, I finally decided to open one up and give it a look.

Surprising...I was beginning to think I might actually like this dish.



Beef Goulash

1 1/2 lbs beef, cut into cubes (sirloin worked well)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, diced
2 Tbsp paprika (or to taste)
2 Tbsp fresh marjoram or 1 tsp dried
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup water








Heat the oil in a frying pan with a cover on medium high, and sauté the onions until soft. 

Add the paprika, and cook for about one minute.

Add the beef, and begin browning being careful not to burn. Turn to medium heat.

Add the salt, marjoram, and water; reduce heat to low and simmer for about 2 hours.

Add water if necessary during the simmer.








I almost couldn't wait until everything else was ready. As you can see by the portion on the plate it was dwindling...

This is the best darned thing I've made with beef in a long time.

Goulash...goulash...goulash....sends different kinds of shivers now...can't wait to make it again!

5 Stars....

Best served with dumplings....but that is another story!
(Shelley)

Czech Stuffed Mushrooms with Spinach

I love stuffed mushrooms....I guess I'll probably tire of them at some point, but I've made them a few times now since my very first go with them in June.

They will be my new "go to" recipe when I'm asked to bring appetizers. 




For the most part they are a healthy alternative to chips and dip, lower calorie than cheese and crackers, or even replacing veggies and dip which I have gotten used to serving.














Using a tiny button mushroom would be fun, you could eat a dozen and still have room for dinner! 



I'm certain these were on the "Czech" site because of the marjoram. I've come to the conclusion that 75% of the recipes call for marjoram.

I've never used it before now! 

 Mushrooms Stuffed with Spinach
12 large portabello mushrooms
1 ib fresh baby spinach, rough chop
2 slices bacon
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp marjoram (or 2 Tbsp fresh)
2 egg yolks (I used 1/4 cup egg whites)
bread crumbs (I used crushed croutons)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese 

Remove the stems from the mushrooms, and clean around the edge. 

If the mushrooms are extra large, remove the gills with the edge of a spoon. 

Chop the gills and stems together. Set aside.





Fry the bacon, until just turns crisp. 

Drain on paper towel. 

When cool enough to handle, break into small pieces.

Discard all but about a Tbsp of the bacon fat. 

Add the onions, and fry until soft, and just starting to brown. 

Add the chopped stems and a small amount of salt and pepper.

Cook until stems are soft; add the marjoram, cooked bacon, and baby spinach.

The baby spinach will cook down pretty quick. Add the egg, and stir it in while it cooks. 










Remove from heat and add the cheese. 

Taste to see if you need more salt.













Spoon the cooked filling into each of the mushroom caps. 

Sprinkle with either breadcrumbs or the crushed croutons.

Bake 375F for 30 minutes.

Serve warm...or cold the next day!
(Shelley)

My Version, But I Cheated

Shelley and I are on the same wavelength today, but I like potatoes and I'm much lazier than she is. Tonight I was out until after nine, so I didn't have a lot of time to spend on dinner.  As I was looking through recipes, I saw the Bramboraky and decided to make it -- Shelley had sent me some pictures of hers and I thought they looked yummy.

Grating potatoes at 9 pm was just not going to happen in my house, so I substituted a bag of frozen hash browns.  The shredded type, not the little tiny cubes.

Cheater's Bramboraky
1 bag of Frozen Shredded Hash Browns
1 tbsp Minced Garlic (bottled)
Sea Salt
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
1 tbsp Dried Marjoram
2 Eggs
2 tbsp Milk
1 to 2 tbsp Flour
Oil for frying

• Thaw the hash browns in a colander in the sink so they will drain.  Rinse them in warm or hot water if you need to speed up the process.
• Dry the potatoes by dumping them on a clean, dry cotton kitchen towel, then twist it around them to squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
• Dump the dried potatoes into a large bowl then add the garlic and marjoram.  Add salt and pepper to your personal taste.
• In a small bowl, beat the two eggs and the milk.
• Stir the liquid into the potatoes and mix thoroughly.
• Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir it in well.
• If needed, add an additional tablespoon or two of milk.  The batter should be the thick enough for making into small balls.
• Heat several tablespoons of oil in a frying pan with good sides.  I used a flat griddle with no sides and made a terrible mess on the stove.
• Make the potato into little patties about the size of hamburgers.  Fry them in the oil until they are crispy on each side.  It's best to turn them only once as they can be a bit fragile.  I think about 3 minutes each side should do it.
• Make them in small batches of 2 or 3, adding additional oil to the pan as needed.
• Drain the pancakes on paper towel to get rid of an excess oil before serving.

Sweet Potato Pancakes...Well Almost

Seriously...this may be one of my most challenging countries.

I haven't bought a cookbook yet, but may have to have a look and see what's available. Then put Google Translate to the test!

They appear to be a real meat and potatoes people, with a lot of oven made stews and goulashes.

Just the time of year that I'm looking for recipes to use the BBQ, keep the oven off, and the temperature inside the house minimal. Or as minimal as I can get it without A/C.

I found a recipe for Bramboraky, Czech savoury potato pancakes, which I thought I would make for breakfast.

So of course...I started without the recipe....because I knew what I was doing. What I made is a little different from the recipe I found...I forgot a few ingredients.

I'm not a fan of potatoes, but I thought I would give it a shot.

Below is the original recipe I found, and also my creation...which come to think of it isn't really a pancake because there is no flour. Oh well...less calories!



Bramboracky
4 large potatoes
3 cloves garlic, crushed
salt and black pepper to taste (optional)
1 pinch dried marjoram 2 tsp caraway seeds (optional)
2 eggs
1 Tbsp milk
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
oil for frying





Peel and coarsely grate the potato; squeeze out as much water as possible.

Transfer the shredded potato to a mixing bowl.. Stil in garlic, salt, pepper, marjoram, and the caraway seeds.

Beat the eggs and milk. Add the egg mixture to potatoes, and stir well.

Gradually mix in the flour.



Heat the oil in a skillet over media high heat; the oil should be about 1/4 inch deep.

Spoon about 1/4 mixture into the hot oil, flattening it out.

Fry the pancake until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Drain on a paper towel.

Repeat with remaining batter.






Sweet Potato (Flourless) Pancakes
1 small sweet potato, peeled and shredded/
1 clove garlic, minced
1 sprig oregano, chopped fine
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp canola oil
2 eggs

Beat the eggs and add the reining ingredients.








(Best if pan is non-stick) Heat electric frying pan to 350, or a frying pan on medium high heat.










Drop by spoonfuls  and cook each side 3 or 4 minutes.















Serve with a dollop of cream fresh or sour cream, and marmalade.
(Shelley)

Cucumber Salad

When I first saw this recipe, it reminded me of three people.  Shelley for her love of vinegar and rekindling my love of it too, our grandmother who often served cucumber slices in vinegar with dinner ,and my friend Jon who has this knack of making the most delicious dishes and dressings from the simplest ingredients.

While I was researching this dish, I came across many, many versions of it.  Some are simple, plain, and straightforward, others involve more ingredients, marinating, storage, and other complications.  My version is somewhere in the middle, taking elements from various recipes.  The measurements are approximate and should be altered to allow for personal taste.  I prefer my version to have a bit of a bite, so I was heavy handed with the vinegar, however, if I was making this for people other than my family, I think I would increase the sugar and oil a bit and maybe use less vinegar.

Czech Cucumber Salad
1 large English Cucumber
1/2 large Red Onion
1/2 cup White Vinegar
2 heaping tbsp Dijon Mustard
3 tbsp White Sugar
2 tbsp Olive Oil

• Slice the cucumber and onion thinly into a large bowl using either a mandolin or box grater.  Be very careful to not include fingertips when grating as both the tools can be very sharp.
• In a smaller bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, sugar, and olive oil.  Taste and make any needed adjustments.
• Pour the dressing over the cucumber mixture and toss to coat evenly.  Let this sit for a few minutes before serving.
• The dressing is fairly watery, so I used tongs to transfer the salad to the serving plate.

 This would also be good as a more substantial salad, adding other vegetables such as lettuce, carrot, cooked potato, etc.  There is lots of room for experimentation here.

Next Stop...Praha, Česká Republika

After travelling 16,027km from Canberra to Prague, we are rather weary and jet lagged.

Oh wait...maybe that was the wine tasting our last night in Australia or National Tequila Day!

But here we are in the beautiful country of the Czech Republic.

Part of the former Czechoslovakia, and previously known as Bohemia, Czech Republic became it's own country when Czechoslovakia peacefully split in 1993.

Meat dishes play a large part in the Czech cuisine. Pork is common, as well as beef, chicken, and a lot of organ meats like liver, kidneys, brains, and also tongue. Fish is rare except for trout and carp which are served mainly at Christmas.

The first brewery is known to have existed in the 1100s and the Czech Republic has the highest beer consumption per capita in the world.

The famous Pilsener style beer originated in the western Bohemian city of Plzen.

I checked out our Bottle Shop, and we have two different types of Czech beer. I'm looking forward to having a little beer tasting. Oh dear...I see a theme happening here...

So on to goulash and dumplings, potatoes and mushrooms, and apple strudel...
(Shelley)

National Tequila Day

Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy!

Been waiting for this day for months now...ever since National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day when I read the list of National Food Days and realized there was one for tequila!

But on a Thursday? Come on...what's up with that?

There are so many ways to use tequila in cocktails...

My absolute all time favourite would be the Margarita...


Margarita Mondays...

Tequila Sunrise Tuesdays...

Watermelon Margarita Wednesdays...

Long Island Iced Tea Thursdays...

Fantastic Shots Fridays...

Salty Chihuahua Saturdays...



It's been so humid for awhile now, we need a rip-roaring thunderstorm to clear the air. And I needed a cocktail that was cool and refreshing.

A mojito would have been tasty...but since this day is all about tequila I swapped out the vodka bottle.








Cocktail Number 1 - Tequila Sunrise

Tequila Sunrise...Orange Juice, Grenadine, and tequila....nothing to hard about that.

Not quite as refreshing as I expect the Margarita will be...














Cocktail Number 2 - MARGARITA (Sorry just had to yell)

Tequila, frozen lime concentrate and ice cubes...

Really need to get a blender....

The Salty Chihuahua uses lemonade with the tequila, which I didn't have...

but I had lemons,

a small amount of simple syrup,

and club soda...

salt the rim, add a piece of lime and WHAM!

And just to mix it up...added orange peel.


Recipes

Tequila Sunrise
1.5 oz tequila
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 to 1 shot grenadine syrup
orange or cherry for garnish

Shake together the orange juice and tequila. Fill a chilled glass with ice cures, and pour in the orange juice and tequila. Slowly pour in the grenadine and allow it to settle at the bottom of the glass. Garnish.

Margarita
1 (6 oz) can frozen limeade
6 oz tequila
2 oz triple sec
crushed ice

Add all to a blender and whizz.

Rub lime wedge around the rim of the glass, and either sprinkle (if your aim is good) or dip the glass in the salt. Pour from the blender...and fill the glass.

Salty Chihuahua
1 wedge lime
coarse salt
1.5 oz tequila
5 oz lemonade

Rub the lime wedge around the rim of the glass, and either sprinkle (if your aim is good) or dip the glass in the salt.

Fill the glass with ice. Pour in tequila and lemonade. Squeeze and drop in the lime wedge. Add a piece of lime to garnish.

Tequila Shot
1.5 oz tequila
lime wedge
salt

Step 1 - Cut lime in wedges (the number of wedges must match the planned number of shots...
Step 2 - pour shot of tequila
Step 3 - Lick that part of your hand between the thumb and forefinger...
Step 4 - ...add salt
Step 5 - Lick the salt off your hand
Step 6 - down the shot of tequila
Step 7 - suck the lime wedge
Step 8 - Repeat steps 2 thru 7...

I should have taken Friday off....what was I thinking?
(Shelley)

White or Red?

Two of my favourite topics.

We're getting ready to move on but not before a little Australian wine tasting.

Four brands that I have bought multiple times in the past are Jacob's Creek, Yellow Tail, Lindemans, and Wolf Blass. I've probably bought others but don't specifically remember the names.

I don't profess to be a connoisseur of fine wines, but I know what I like.

I flip back and forth between white and red...having a preference for red. But during these hot summer months I must say I prefer a cold glass of white.




Lindeman's Pinot Grigio

Aromas
floral - perhaps
tropical nuances - yes
ripe apple - yes
nashi pear - maybe

Lindeman's Pinot Grigio is one of my favourites of this grape variety. I have another favourite that is produced in Italy

Nice crisp and clean taste for these hot summer days.

White wine has a short shelf life and is usually meant to be consumed in the short term rather than the long. And I'm OK with that.





Lindeman's Shiraz

Medium bodied fruity red...yes I got that.

Aromas
Woody - Possibly
Empyreumatic - (need Google)
Spicy - I think
Fruity - oh yes what else it's grapes is it not?
Vegetal - seriously?

Store between 16 - 18c - yeah that's not happening...its not even that cold in my basement.

Drink now or keep 4 years following the vintage...hahahaha

I guess if you can afford to buy a case at a time, I expect you would be able to leave some on the wine racks for a year or so down the road.

The red was very good...I liked it. I do remember from a wine tasting in Niagara that if you swirl the wine in the glass, without spilling, it should coat the glass similar to an oil. This one had a very good coating.

So in summary. I need to build a cold room in the basement to store the wine I'm going to save for years. And pick up a part time job so I can pay for these cases of wine I'm going to buy. And find a designated driver.
(Shelley)

Potato Salad

Shelley sent me this recipe -- it's from one of her Australian cookbooks.  Although this is for potato salad, I think it's very flexible and can be adapted in may ways.  The potatoes could easily be replaced with pasta, cabbage, iceberg or romaine, rice, or chopped vegetables. I'm also looking forward to experimenting with the dressing itself too -- it is very tasty as it is, but it also has a lot of potential as well.

Aussie Style Potato Salad
2 pounds of Potatoes (about)
1/4 of a Red Onion
3 or 4 Hard Boiled Eggs
1/4 cup of Parsley or Cilantro
1 cup Sour Cream
2 Lemons
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard

• Cut the potatoes into large chunks and boil them until soft enough to eat.
• Chop the red onion fairly finely.  Cut up the eggs into quarters (or so).
• Add the onion, parsley, and egg to the drained potatoes.
• In a separate bowl, mix the sour cream, Dijon, and olive oil.  Add the juice from the two lemons and stir until it is all evenly combined.
• Coat the potato mixture with the dressing and let sit in the fridge for at least one hour or better yet, overnight.

Chilli Chicken Kabobs

I'm always on the hunt for a good BBQ sauce or marinade recipe.

Then I use it once...say "that was awesome"...and never use it again.

Usually I can't find the little piece of paper I wrote it on.

I have a jar of the Kenyan spice rub and have used it a few times. It's good on pork...best on chicken, not a fan of it on beef.

And now I have a new marinade from an Australian cookbook I bought off Amazon.

I was a little skeptical at first since it was only 99 cents, but if all I use from it is the marinade I definitely got my money's worth.

The recipe is listed as a marinade for prawns and scallops, but I decided to "give it a burl" on chicken and pork.

So good...a little spicy but a dipping sauce made of sour cream would cut the heat. I doused the flames with lots of water.

Chilli Marinade

1 garlic clove, crushed or rough chop
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp chilli powder
1 Tbsp lite soy sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in cubes (or pork would work as well)

Mix all the ingredients, add the chicken and marinate refrigerated for an hour.

















Thread chicken pieces onto skewers (soaked in water for 30 minutes if using wooden).

BBQ on high heat, turning every few minutes.

This is definitely a keeper....and I know where to find the recipe for next time!
(Shelley)

Aussie Pavlova and Strawberries

From what I've discovered...you haven't experienced Aussie desserts unless you've had Pavlova.

Out of my comfort zone on this one.

I've made boiled icing...once.

I've made meringue for a pie...once.

I've wanted to make meringue cookies...many times.

But for some reason I think it's too much work...and failure rate will be too high.

And so here I am making Aussie Pavlova...and writing about it.

I've left it to almost the last day that we are discovering Aussie cuisine...the weather is not perfect. Humidity is high...the house is warm.

Most recipes are pretty much the same. I chose to follow the recipe from a site that has "Authentic Aussie Recipes".







Aussie Pavlova with Strawberries

4 egg whites, at room temperature
1 cup castor sugar (white sugar)
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp corn flour
1 tsp vanilla essence

Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, then gradually add the sugar.

Beat until firm.

Add corn flour, vinegar, and vanilla.




When combined, turn out onto a flat tray that has been greased and dusted with corn flour.




Try a circular shape with slightly more mixture at the edges, so that it may be served placing fruit and cream in the centre depression.




Cook in a pre-heated cool 250F oven for 1 hour.

(I'm thinking at this point I have a problem...)









When cooked, turn off oven and leave door slightly ajar. Allow to cool in oven.

The Pavlova should be crispy on the outside and marshmallow like on the inside. It was...just too flat.

Not sure why since I followed the directions exactly. Perhaps the egg whites were old...

Serve cold with fruit and cream.
(Shelley)

Pikelets

I'm not sure if I should call these Pikelets or Piglets, because I certainly made a pig of myself when I made them.

Pikelets are a type of pancake, but like the Scottish pancakes, these can be eaten warm or cold.  They are good with jam, fresh fruit, and either cream cheese or cottage cheese.  I'm sure syrup would also be good, but I think it would hide how nice these little treasures are. (Ross)

Pikelets
1 cup Self Rising Flour
1 tbsp Sugar
1 Egg
Milk
1 tbsp Canola Oil
Butter + Oil for the Pan

• Combine the flour and sugar in one bowl, making sure it is evenly mixed.
• Crack the egg into a measuring cup and add enough milk to make 3/4 of a cup.
• Add the oil to the milk/egg mixture, then mix thoroughly.
• Add the liquid to the dry and beat until smooth.  The consistency should be slightly thicker than heavy cream.  Add milk or flour if needed.
• Let the batter sit for a couple of minutes -- this will allow it to thicken slightly.
• Put a frying pan over a medium heat and add about 1 tbsp of oil and 1 tbsp of butter and let the butter melt.
• Drop the batter into the pan by spoonfuls.
•  When bubbles start to appear in the pikelets or the tops start to dry, flip them over.
• They are done when the pikelet is spongy feeling but firm.
• Add additional oil/butter to the pan as needed.  Also, the temperature may need to be varied slightly from time to time.

Ready to flip.

The pan could stand to be just a bit hotter.

The one with the butter was good. The cream cheese was OK but could have used some jam with it.  The pub cheese was too overpowering.

 I think imagination is the only limit in finding toppings for these pikelets.

Drunken Shrimp

I found this great site with lots of old and new Aussie recipes, and it includes slang and humour.

http://www.oldaussierecipes.com

A lot of the recipes on this website are similar to what we would make here, I found one that used Vermouth.

Not something I would have thought to add to make a sauce, and I don't usually have Vermouth on hand.

I bought it for my "martini" phase which lasted two drinks...the bottle was actually dusty when I got it out. No nasty comments please...

So onto my shrimp and vermouth...it was good. I would make it again and serve it to guests...not on a favourite list. I prefer shrimp with a little tang.








Drunken Shrimp
1 lb shrimp (I used cooked but raw would work as well)
2 Tbsp butter
1 shallot or onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
chopped parsley
1/2 cup Vermouth











Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the onion / shallot and garlic.

Stir until golden being careful not to burn.

Stir in shrimp (if using raw stir until cooked through and pink), parsley, salt and pepper.





Stir in Vermouth. Heat to bubbly. Serve with rice or noodles.
(Shelley)

Aussie Damper Graham Style

Damper...a traditional soda bread cooked in the ashes of a fire.

Yeah...that's not happening at my place. Guess I could have tried cooking it on the BBQ.

Searched through a lot of recipes and settled on one that seemed would produce the best results.

I did adjust to make a smaller round. I omitted the salt since any recipe I found that called for butter, it was unsalted. I never have unsalted butter. Whole milk or 2% would give a richer dough, but I have neither of those, so I used fat free. There were some recipes that used water...fat free isn't far off.

This is also the first time I'm using self-rising flour.

Most recipes tell you to knead the dough for one to three minutes...but being a biscuit maker from way back I know that will make a heavy tough bread. Maybe that's how it's supposed to be.

I didn't knead it much, just mixed enough to hold everything together and form a smooth round.

I did get a little carried away with the knife, and make the "X" cuts a little too deep...oh well...I'll start a Graham Damper Tradition!

Aussie Damper

2 cups self rising flour
2 Tbsp cold butter, broken into pieces
3/4 cup skim milk

Preheat oven to 425F.

Add flour to a bowl, and with your fingers work in the butter. Butter should be very fine before adding the milk. Using your hands, mix the milk into the flour until all flour is incorporated. Turn out and work into a smooth round.





Cut an "X" on the top.

Place on parchment on a baking tray.

Bake 20-25 minutes.







Couldn't help myself...this is what happens when there are carbs around in the form of breads...that is Greek yogurt on top....just so you know...
(Shelley)