Sauerkraut Soup

This is a traditional Slovak soup which is served commonly with Christmas dinner. But of course can be eaten any time really, especially nice on a cold winter night.
This soup can be served as a starter or as main in a larger portion. Either way It's always a big hit!
This year was Marek's first Christmas with my (British) family in Canada. My Mum doesn't like Sauerkraut but she liked this soup! That sort of outcome feels great.

(Feeds 4-6 people)
1 large bottle sauerkraut (approx 700g)
5 cloves garlic (sliced)
1 medium onion (sliced)
2 mushrooms (sliced)
Smoked ham (500g)
2-6 smoked sausages (Eastern European SMOKED sausages, such as Slovak or Hungarian etc. If you can't find these types Spanish chorizo also works really well)
3/4 tsp caraway seeds
10-15 peppercorns
1 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp marjoram
salt to taste
6 cups water (approximated) - add more if necessary, as long as the soup has flavour and isn't too thick

Cooking instructons:
- Cut ham into thinck steak-like sliced
- poke holes in sausages with a fork (this is to allow the flavour from the sausages leak out into the soup - yum yum!)
- Put all ingredients together in a large pot, but adding water bit by bit through the cooking process (do not let the pot get dry at all!).
- Cook on low-medium heat for 2.5-3 hrs
Stir soup occasionally while cooking

You can serve the sausages and ham in the soup or on the side. Look at these beauties!

Serve soup hot on a cold winter night, mmmmmm!!

Marek's favourite Beef Stew

Jamie Oliver is a great inspiration to most of us, in the UK. Am I right?
I love beef stew and could easily make it up as I go along (which I have several times), but this time I wanted to get some professional advice. I came across Jamie Oliver's "Jool's favourite beef stew".
I didn't have all the ingredients so I just ended up improvising a little, while using the basis of Jamie's recipe. I also came up with an amazing secret ingredient to create the most delicious stew....and this can be supported by my sweet man's words to describe this stew, and I quote "this is the best stew I've ever had!". I'm not lying, he really said that! And he really meant it! :)

(Feeds 4 people)

• 500 g stewing beef
• olive oil
• knob of butter
• 1 large onion - largely chopped
• half a butternut squash - cubed
• 1 large sweet potato - cubed
• large handful of baby carrots - largely chopped
• handful of fresh parsley - chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato paste 
• 1 tbsp dried French herbs (I used herb provencial)
• 4 cloves garlic - pressed but not chopped
• 1/2 bottle of red wine
• 1/2 litre (300ml) beef stock
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (not too much salt, remember your stock may be salty enough)

and for my secret ingredient...........ooouuuuu I don't know if I should tell you....uummm.....uuuhhh, ok, here it is.....drum roll please... drrrdrrrrdrrrrdrrrdrrrr.....

• 4 tbsp of maple syrup (sshhhh, don't tell anyone. it's our little secret)

Instructions :

1. In a large stew pot, heat olive oil and butter. Once butter is melted add the onions and saute with dried provencial herbs for about 7 minutes before adding the beef and all remaining ingredients
2. Once all ingredients are mixed well in the pot bring it to a boil, then reduce heat
3. Simmer on low for roughly 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally

That's all there is to it!

It's not necessary, but if you're a dumpling lover like me you can add these simple dumplings to your stew about 30minutes before it's finished. Beef stew and dumplings, yumm!!

Otherwise some nice crusty french bread along side your stew is also perfect!

Dumplings:

• 150g self raising flour, sifted
• 75g shredded vegetable fat
• warm water (just enough water to bind the dough, but not making it sticky)
• pinch or two of salt
• some chopped parsley - optional

Mix together the sifted flour and vegetable fat with your fingers until mixture is a cornmeal like consistency. Then add salt, parsley (if using) and water. Mix all together with your hands until it forms a large dough ball.

Tear off spoonful size pieces and roll each one to form a small ball (about half the size of a golf ball).

Drop each ball into the stew. The dumplings will expand while cooking. Cook for about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Beef Steak and Dumplings with Onion Gravy

An ultimate creation! I had plenty of odds and ends left in my fridge from my New Year's Eve feast. Isn't it wonderful how the same ingredients (plus a couple others) can create a completely different yet super delicious meal!

So check this out. I whipped it together in less than 20 minutes!

(Feeds 2 people)

1 small sirloin steak (my steak on New Year's Eve was actually half of 1 large steak) - cubed

3 tbsp flour

1/4 onion - chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

3/4 cup mushrooms - sliced

3 spring onions - sliced

3/4 cup beef or onion stock

1/2 cup beer

Some potato dumplings (use whatever kind of potato dumplings you have or prefer, I had some gnocchi in my fridge)

pepper to taste (no added salt should be necessary as the stock will be salty)

2 tbsp mascarpone (optional but strongly recommended for added richness)

small handful of fresh basil - chopped

Instructions:

- Saute onions with butter and olive oil

- meanwhile coat beef cubes with half the flour and some pepper

- add beef to the pan with the onions. brown the beef then add remaining flour, spring onion and mushrooms. Cook for another minute then gradually add the beef stock and beer.

- Simmer and stir occasionally for 5-10 minutes, or until sauce reduces and starts to thicken, then stir in the mascarpone and basil

- toss in the dumplings

Serve with crusty french bread (unless you're eating allot of dumplings, but I'd recommend to eat only a few dumpling so you have room in your tummy to soak up the gravy with warm crusty bread).

Yum!!!!

Sekeli Gulas (Croatian Sauerkraut Stew)

I'm sitting at home, anxiously awaiting for my guy to get home from being away on business for a week. I try to always have a nice meal waiting for him whenever he comes home from a trip away from me. No matter how late he'll be getting home, there's always that possibility of 'tired from travel' hunger strike.

This time I thought I'd attempt at making the dish his Mum often makes for our arrival when we visit her in Slovakia. One of our favourites! We call it the 'white goulash'.

This isn't a Slovak dish, but a Croatian dish, which is broadly enjoyed in Slovakia and other Eastern European countries.

I don't have the recipe from my guys' Mum but knew most of the ingredients that goes into it, and after some web research I was inspired and confident to go at without following any recipe at all. I 'eyeballed' it and judged texture and taste as I went along.

It's very difficult, if not impossible, to re-create the 'Mum's touch' taste, but I have to say I'm pretty proud of this one :)

(Feeds 4-6 people)

2 rump steaks (fat removed and cubed)

1 cup smoked bacon lardon (cubed)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion (chopped)

500g sauerkraut

2 tbsp ketcup

1 tbsp peppercorns

2 tsp paprika

1 tbsp caraway seeds

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 cup white wine

1 cup single cream (I always use soy cream)

1/2 cup milk

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

2 tbsp flour

salt and ground pepper to taste

Instructions:

- In a large stew pot saute the onions with olive oil. Once they are softened add the bacon. Once the bacon in cooked remove onion and bacon, setting aside. Brown the beef in the pot then throw the onion and bacon back in. Stir in the flour, paprika and caraway seeds.

Now add the white wine. Leave cooking on medium for a few minutes then add the sauerkraut and peppercorns. Continue cooking on low-medium for about 10 minutes, stirring every couple minutes.

Stir in the cream, milk, vinegar and ketcup. Add the bay leaf and turn down to a simmer.

Allow to simmer, covered, for a couple hours, stirring occasionally and adding salt and pepper to taste.

In Slovakia this is a delicious stew (gulas) to serve with knedliky - traditional Slovak bread dumpling.

Since I don't have any and haven't attempted to making my own yet, a good replacement is simple sliced bread. I found ciabatta to be a good match.

Pour the stew over top of the bread (dumplings) and allow the stew to be absorbed. yummm!!

I think my guy (recipe guines pig) will be very pleased with this one, for sure!!

Food is the way to a man's heart. Especially if you attempt at making food from his home country!

Hungarian Chicken Goulash

As my boyfriend is Slovak getting the hang of cooking Eastern European cuisine is obviously called for. This certainly doesn't bother me :))) I love Eastern European foods and nothing beats a wholesome goulash.

When looking around for different recipe ideas I hadn't realized actually how simple making a goulash is. It takes few and very simple ingredients.
Seeing as we're getting into summer season I figured I'd leave the potatoes out of this goulash, so it's not too heavy.
Goulash has the same concept as a bolognese sauce or stew....it's taste better and even more heavenly a day or two later.

(FEEDS 4 PEOPLE)
8 chicken thighs
1 large onion (chopped)
1 red pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 x can 14 oz (400 g) tomatoes
1/2 pint (285 ml) chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
- Remove skin from each chicken thigh. In a frying pan cook skins with 1 tbsp olive until crispy, then remove and discard. Add chicken thighs and cook chicken thighs until they are brown all over
- In a large stewing pot cook onions with some of the oil from the chicken pan, caraway seeds, paprika, salt and pepper. Cook until onions begin to soften then add the tomatoes and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Now allow to simmer and add the chicken and red pepper. Cover and simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally

Serve with egg noodles of your choice

note: for an even healthier choice discard chicken skins completely and brown chicken pieces in a pan with olive opil instead.

Beef & Ale Stew with dumplings

I have tried making stew a few times and always ended up disappointed, until now! I'm not sure why they didn't turn out well in the past but 'hello!' I'm not letting this recipe go!

Funnily enough I found it in my cooking bible "Good Housekeeping Cookery Book". Well I didn't follow the entire recipe and instruction to the 'tee' but pretty close.

You'll have to try this hearty dish for yourself to find out how satisfying it really is, trust me!

(Serves 4-6 people)
STEW
800g stewing beef
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 tbsp oil
1 1/2 cup bacon lardons or pancetta
1 large onion (chopped)
2 stalks celery (chopped)
1 large carrot (halved and sliced)
4 cloves garlic (crushed)
3 cups whole baby button mushrooms
2 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp flour
2 cup ale
1 cup beef stock
2 tbsp wine vinegar
Bouquet garni
1 tbsp steak seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

DUMPLINGS (courtesy of recipesource.com)
1 cup flour, well sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening (or butter)
1/2 cup milk
Instructions:
- Have the beef cut into large bit size pieces. Cover beef pieces with steak seasoning and 1 tbsp of flour. Melt butter with oil in a frying pan and brown the meat on high heat (do not cook beef through). Transfer beef to a bowl, including all the juices, and set aside
- Turn heat down to medium-high and add the bacon (or pancetta) and cook for about 1 min then add onion, carrot and the celery. Cook until all begins to soften. Now add the garlic and sugar. Cook all together for a further 10min, until they begin to brown and caramelize a bit. Stir in the remaining flour and stir
- Transfer onion mixture and beef to a large stew pot. Heat together for a few minutes then gradually add the ale while continuing to stir. Bring to a boil, scraping up sediments from the bottom of the pot if any
- Add the stock, vinegar, bouquet garni and salt & pepper to taste (salt may not be needed since bacon is already quite salty). Bring down to a simmer, cover tightly and cook on low for 2 hours. Add mushrooms then cover and simmer still for another 30 min

- In the mean time prepare dumpling batter....
- Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture is of corn meal consistency. Add milk and mix lightly until soft dough is formed

- Drop in tbsp amounts of dumpling dough (you should get about 10-12 dumplings). Cover again and simmer for another 30min. Add more liquid if necessary

Serve and enjoy! Oh and don't feel you need to eat it all in one go. It tastes even better the next day! :)