I’ve found myself using a lot of paprika since I moved to Poland – to think I used to only sprinkle it on top of deviled eggs! When La Chinata asked if I would like to sample their smoked paprika powder, I was interested. (The CPA in me feels a need to disclose that I was provided two tins, sweet and hot, of their paprika at no charge and with no obligation on my part. If it wasn’t too my liking, I would have simply conveyed this to the company and not mentioned them here, but that was not the case.)
I’ve only had smoked paprika once before. It was from a top, American purveyor of spices, and I found the smoke flavor overpowering. I was delighted that the smoke is a note in the La Chinata smoked paprika, but the peppers are still the main flavor.
The first recipe I tried with this paprika was a veggie cream cheese spread. I mixed up a big batch; we’ve been eating it on rye crisps, celery; I think it would be great on bagels or crackers too. I love the flavors and the color. Paprika is right up there with garlic in the must have seasonings category.
This is the sort of recipe that you can use as a starting point, adapting to suit your own tastes and what you have on hand – maybe finely diced celery or radish, other herbs. I’d love to hear what you add to it.
Ingredients
1/2 red bell pepper
1 – 2 cloves roasted garlic
1 green onion (white and green parts), finely minced
1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika powder
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
dash pepper
pinch of dried thyme (or the leaves stripped from 2 or 3 small stalks of fresh thyme)
8 ounces (250 g) cream cheese, softened
Directions
- Wanting the mellow, sweetness of a roasted red pepper, I finely diced the pepper and sauteed it in a little olive oil. You could also wrap the 1/2 pepper in foil and toss it in the oven when you roast the garlic, and then dice after it’s cooked. I still had the green onion to add a little bit of crunch to the texture.
- Add the pepper, roasted garlic, green onion, paprika, salt, pepper, and thyme the cream cheese.
- You can stir until thoroughly combined, or if you want a smoother texture, use a food processor.
An accountant by trade and a food blogger since 2009, Lois Britton fell in love with Polish cuisine during the years she lived in Poznań, Poland. As the creator of PolishHousewife.com, she loves connecting readers with traditional Polish recipes. Lois has a graduate certificate in Food Writing and Photography from the University of South Florida. She is the author of The Polish Housewife Cookbook, available on Amazon and on her website.
Julie
Yummmy, I can taste it from here, must be my Polish genes firing up. Thanks for sharing Lois!
Melinda
Oh boy, does this sound GOOD!!