Hungarian Goulash
On September 28, 2013 by sixtyacrebakerThe first signs of autumn has meandered on to our ranch. Cool evenings, transitioning to near frosty nights. Just the kind of weather that gets me back into the mood for hearty stews and slow cooked meats
Hungarian Goulash
2 1/2 lbs stew meat (beef or venison)– cut into cubes {at least 1″}
1/2 cup (about) all purpose flour for dredging
olive oil
1 large onion–cut in half then thinly sliced in have moons
10-12 crimini mushrooms–sliced
4 cloves of garlic–smashed and kept whole or near whole
1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp hot paprika
1 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
14 ounce diced tomatoes-with juice
1/2 cup water
2 cups beef broth
salt and pepper to taste (about 1 tsp of each)
1/3 cup sour cream
1 Tbs lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Heat oil in bottom of a dutch oven (just enough to coat the bottom). Dredge the meat cubes in flour and shake of excess. Toss into the hot oil and sear meat on all sides. Do not crowd the pan, work in batches if necessary. Once the meat is seared add it back to the pan with juices (if working in batches) and add onion, mushrooms and garlic. Add a bit more olive oil if needed. allow to cook down for a few minutes. add the sweet paprika, smoked paprika, hot paprika and caraway seeds and give it a good stir, so the spices are evenly distributed. This will also toast the spices a bit. Add the tomatoes and water and use a wooden spoon to scrape all the bits off the bottom of the pan. Add beef broth and cover. place in a 350 preheated oven and allow to cook for about 2 1/2 hours, or until the meat is fall apart tender.
Remove from oven and add lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Allow to sit for a few minutes, then taste again for salt. stir in sour cream and parsley (check one more time for salt). Serve over buttered wide-noodles or dumplings
Beef and Potato Samosas
On January 3, 2013 by sixtyacrebakerOn a trip to India I was slightly obsessed with street food. I had convinced myself, I would find authenticity and flavor only imagined. What i hadn’t considered was how difficult it would be to convince others to stop the car, and dig in. One afternoon, while sitting in the hotel bar. overlooking the Taj Mahal, I inquired if the kitchen could fix us a few snacks typical of what locals might eat. Surprisingly, they couldn’t accommodate unless we took the meal in our room. You see, my request of samosa, pakora and the like wasn’t upmarket enough for the hotel. If we ate it in secret, they would fix it.
fine.
by.
me.
Lounging on our hotel room balcony, watching the sun set over the Taj, while sipping cocktails, is a treat Doing it while enjoying a loaded platter of savory treats with spicy chutneys. is an experience i won’t soon forget.
Beef and Potato Samosas
(while the samosas served did not contain beef, i find it a great addition)
1 lb ground beef (max 15% fat)
1 1/2 cup russet or yukon gold potatoes–peeled and cubed
3 Tbs vegetable oil
1 cup onion–finely chopped
1 tsp garlic–finely minced
1 tsp ginger–peeled and finely minced
1 tsp thai bird chili–finely minced
juice of half a lime
2 Tbs fresh cilantro–finely chopped
square wonton wrappers (small for appetizer size)*
oil for frying
Boil potatoes in salted water. Mash and set aside. Saute onion in vegetable oil until golden. Add ginger, garlic, and chili. Stir for about 3 minutes. Add Masala and continue to stir. Add ground beef and continue to cook until no longer pink. Let cool. Stir in lime juice, cilantro and mashed potato.
Make a cone with the wonton wrapper, sealing sides with water. Again using water to seal, close the cone and set on a cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper and dusted with cornstarch. You may refrigerate for several hours at this point, or freeze for future use.
Heat oil in heavy bottom pot to 350F. Drop samosas in a few at a time, careful not to crowd the pan. Cook until nicely browned. Serve warm or room temperature with raita and a variety of chutney.
Masala
1 Tbs whole coriander seed–toasted and ground
1 tsp whole cumin seed–toasted and ground
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp turmeric
small pinch cinnamon
1 tsp kosher salt
Boil potatoes in salted water. Mash and set aside. Saute onion in vegetable oil until golden. Add ginger, garlic, and chili. Stir for about 3 minutes. Add Masala and continue to stir. Add ground beef and continue to cook until no longer pink. Let cool. Stir in lime juice, cilantro and mashed potato.
Make a cone with the wonton wrapper, sealing sides with water. Again using water to seal, close the cone and set on a cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper and dusted with cornstarch. You may refrigerate for several hours at this point, or freeze for future use.
Heat oil in heavy bottom pot to 350F. Drop samosas in a few at a time, careful not to crowd the pan. Cook until nicely browned. Serve warm or room temperature with raita and a variety of chutney.
Samosa Wrappers
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1/3-1 cup water
sift flour, add salt. add water a little at a time and mix until you have a soft, but not sticky dough. cover and let sit for about 30 minutes. divide dough into 6 portions. flatten each portion into a disk. roll each disk to a 6″ circle. cover and let rest about 15 minutes. roll each circle further into a 12″ circle. heat a griddle and toast each circle slightly (but do not fully dry out). cut each circle into quarters. fashion each quarter into a cone and fill. use water or egg wash to seal the edges and close the wrapper over the filling. fry in 350F oil until golden brown.
you may alternately use wonton wrappers. they are not quite the same as homemade, but work just as well
Cannelloni
On February 16, 2011 by sixtyacrebakerAfter dinner Mike leaned in real tight and whispered; “you make a great lasagna.” This is delicious, but lasagna it is not.
Cannelloni
adapted from mario batali
fresh pasta sheets–boiled and shocked in ice water
For Filling
olive oil
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 generous Tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
1 egg–lightly beaten
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
Glug enough olive oil to just cover the bottom of skillet. Add pork and beef and cook until no longer pink. Drain off excess fat. Stir in flour. Add milk and Parmesan cheese. Cook on low for about 10-15 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat. Let cool a bit, then add egg, nutmeg salt and pepper. Let cool completely while you boil pasta.
For Tomato Sauce
use your favorite recipe or even a bottle sauce…you need only a little for this recipe
For Besciamella
3 Tbs unsalted butter
3 Tbs flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch salt
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook for just a minute or two. do not brown. Whisk in milk and bring to a simmer. As it begins to thicken, add the Parmesan, nutmeg and salt. The sauce is to be thickened, but not gooey. It is a sauce.
To assemble
Place a bit of tomato sauce in the bottom of an oven safe dish. Use a very generous tablespoon of meat for each cannelloni. Place meat in the center of the pasta sheet and spread evenly. Roll the pasta into a tube, leaving the ends open. Place in the prepared dish. Repeat with remaining meat and pasta. Once completed, cover in beciamella, swirl in a bit more tomato sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 until heated through and the beciamella begins to bubble.