All Nighters and Austrian Gulasch

As it gets colder outside, we all get the craving for soups, stews, and other comfort food. Lately I've had a hankering for gulasch, a type of German/Austrian beef stew. This recipe falls into the "slow and low" category of cooking, calling for at least 2 and a half hours of simmer time. I knew I was going to be having several late nights this week anyhow, so I had the time to let the pot sit there and do its thing.


The last time I made this dish was two Christmases ago. My family's roots are German, so that year my dad wanted us to have a veritable German feast for Christmas dinner. We made gulasch, spätzle (a type of egg noodle), and Linzertorte (apricot tart). It was quite the meal, and definitely worth all the hard work. 


I have to give credit to Bon Appetit magazine for this recipe. Of course, I made a few changes as I went, so I will include my modified version of the recipe here. Also, you should know that this recipe makes a vast quantity of stew. It's a great recipe to make a few days ahead, as well, as it only gets more flavorful with time. Perfect for wintertime get-togethers: you can make it a few days in advance and feed a lot of people. 


Total Prep Time: about 4 hours (for 2 and 1/2 hours of that, the pot is just simmering)


Ingredients:
1/2 cup canola oil
1 1/2 pounds white onions, thinly sliced
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp dried marjoram
1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
4 tbsp paprika
1 cup white wine vinegar
4 cups chicken broth
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 2/3 cups water (room temp)
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 1/2 pounds beef stew meat


Directions:
1. Heat your oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook down until golden and soft, about 30 minutes. Salt and pepper as you go. 
2. Stir in garlic and marjoram. 

3. Wait about 3 minutes, then add the tomato paste, stirring often until the mixture becomes dark red.

4. Add the paprika, then take the pot off heat for a minute or two to allow the flavors to blend.
5. Add the vinegar, and heat the pot on medium heat for a few minutes.

6. Add the broth, the bouillon cubes, the water, the bay leaves, and the lemon juice. Bring to a boil.

7. Salt and pepper the stew meat and add it to the pot. Simmer everything on medium-low heat for 2 1/2 hours. This is what makes the meat so tender and flavorful.
8. Take all the pieces of meat out of the pot and put them in a bowl off to the side. Try to leave all the onions in the pot. If some pieces of beef get left in there or if some onions get out, that's fine. 

9. Boil the broth for 15-20 minutes to reduce it down.
10. Let the broth cool slightly, then, using an immersion blender, puree it until smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, you can puree it in batches in a regular blender or food processor.

11. Season with salt and pepper, then add beef back in. 
12. Heat for about 5 minutes, then serve. Or better yet, pop the pot in the fridge for a day or two before serving. 

Gulasch is best served over mashed potatoes or noodles. If you leave the broth a little thinner (don't reduce it down as much in Step 9), you can eat it like a soup as well. 


This recipe may seem like a big undertaking, but it is definitely worth it. 

Cooking at College: Pasta Bolognese

Hello there everyone! I apologize for the long absence...I was finishing up my internship, then I was on vacation, and now I'm settling in back at school. We have a pretty spacious kitchen this year, albeit one with very limited counter space. My roommate's boyfriend may be building us an island, though, which would be sweet!

Anyhow, I have been eating nearly all my meals at home since I've moved back to school, which is quite nice. I'm sure as my schedule becomes more demanding I will have to eat in the cafeteria more frequently, but for now I am really enjoying cooking at home. It's a lot easier to know exactly what is in the food you're eating when you're cooking it yourself!

I've made quite a few dishes since I've been back, lots of salads, roasted veggies, fresh fruit. Today for lunch I made panko-breaded baked chicken tenders with Greek yogurt dipping sauce. Definitely something a little different, but very yummy. But that's a story for another time.

The weather has been so rainy and gray here that I figured tonight some comfort food was in order. And all things considered, I've been eating pretty healthy lately and getting back in the groove of being active, so a little pasta was warranted. So, tonight was a night for one of my favorites: pasta bolognese. I also had some nearly-stale sourdough from the weekend, so I made garlic bread as well. And of course, a salad. Have to balance out all those carbs!

Pasta Bolognese
Ingredients:
Your favorite pasta (I use Barilla Plus because of the whole grain)
1 pound ground beef (92/8)
1 jar marinara sauce
3 large cloves of garlic
olive oil
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp herbs de Provence (any Italian seasoning will work here also)

1. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan. Chop the garlic and add it to the pan once the oil is warm. Saute for a few minutes, or until the garlic has just begun to turn golden.

2. Once the garlic is ready, add in the ground beef. Use a spatula to break the beef into smaller pieces and incorporate the garlic and oil. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Once the beef is mostly or entirely browned, stir in the entire jar of marinara sauce. Add the basil and herbs de Provence, and more salt and pepper if needed. Sometimes I add some extra garlic here for good measure. Let simmer until your pasta is finished cooking.

4. If you put your pot of water on to boil at the beginning, right about now it should be boiling. At least, if your apartment has an ancient electric stovetop like mine does. Pour your pasta in and cook it until it is just al dente (usually 10 minutes or so).
5. Strain the pasta, pour it back in the pot, and add a little touch of olive oil to prevent congealing. Plate the pasta with a healthy dose of the bolognese sauce, and top it all with parmesan or pecorino romano cheese.

Bellissimo!

The great thing about this dish is that you can really cut the fat. You can get away with using 92/8 beef instead of a higher fat content (like 80/20) because most of the flavor is imparted via the tomato sauce, garlic, and herbs. If you closely monitor how much olive oil and cheese you're using, it is easy to keep this dish low in fat.

Bonus: Garlic Bread! (Great for mopping up that extra sauce on your plate...)

Ingredients:
Artisan bread, on the stale side
Olive oil
Minced garlic
Pecorino romano cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Slice your bread and brush one side of each slice with olive oil.
3. If you are using minced garlic from a jar (such as Spice World brand), take a spoon and press the back of it into the jar to collect a spoonful of "garlic juice." Spoon it over each slice. Then spread a teaspoon of garlic over each slice. If you are using fresh garlic, cut a clove in half and rub it vigorously on each slice.
4. Sprinkle a generous pinch of pecorino romano (or parmesan) cheese over the slices.
5. Pop them in the oven until the edges of the bread begins to brown and the cheese melts, about 6-7 minutes.

Nothing better than garlic bread and pasta bolognese. Enjoy!

What's your favorite comfort food on a rainy day?