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Polish Housewife

Polish recipes served up with tidbits of folklore, customs, and history

Stew

Gulasz Wegetariański (Polish Vegetarian/Vegan Goulash)

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We recently hosted a friend who has become vegetarian for health reasons. She offered to make exceptions for the evening, but I wanted to add some meatless options to my repertoire. Ed suggested that I make potato pancakes, so I did a Gulasz Wegetariański (Polish Vegetarian/Vegan Goulash) — my favorite topping for placki ziemniaczane.

Gulasz Wegetariański (Polish Vegetarian/Vegan Goulash)

with fried potato dumplings

Adding a host of veggies to the familiar paprika and tomato sauce makes a satisfying entree. Try serving it over potato pancakes, buckwheat kasza, mashed potatoes, potato dumpligs, or pasta.

The very best gulasz comes from sauteing the veggie over a very high heat until they begin to brown. I usually saute the ingredients sepearatley. It will look like things are burnig on the bottom of your pan, but the black stuff will come off with a little scraping when you add liquid. It will dissolve and become part of your broth providing rich color and flavor. . . I say the burnt stuff comes off the bottom of the pan, most of it comes off might be more accurate. My dear husband, who is usually the one washing dishes, has complained about my propensisity for high heat in cooking. You could skip this and just toss the raw veggies into the liquid, just know your broth will suffer for it. It will be just a little less wonderful, but I don’t want to scare you off.

Gulasz Wegetariański (Polish Vegetarian/Vegan Goulash) is a tasty way to get more produce into your diet.

Smacznego!

Lois

 

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Gulasz Wegetariański (Polish Vegetarian/Vegan Goulash)

  • Author: polishhousewife
  • Prep Time: 15 min
  • Cook Time: 40 min
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 4 - 6 servings
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

A colorful and tasty vegetable based goulash!

Ingredients

vegetable oil, as needed

6 carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally, no more than 1/4 inch thick

1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into wedges 3 inches x 1/4 inch

4 onions, sliced

2 bell peppers, any color, sliced

1/4 cup tomato paste

1/2 cup red wine

2 – 4 cups vegetable broth, enough to cover the veggies

2 tablespoons paprika

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

5 juniper berries and/or 5 allspice berries

2 tablespoons Wondra flour

Instructions

In a Duth oven, saute carrots, sweet potato, onions, and bell pepper in a little oil until they begin to brown

Add tomato paste, red wine, vegetable broth, paprika, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, juniper and/or allspice berries

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered for 20 – 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender

Sprinkle in Wondra flour to thicken the broth

Notes

In stead of Wondra flour, you might use a little corn starch mixed into a small amount of water

 

 

 

Crab Corn Chowder

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Hot soups don’t normally come to mind during the summer months in Tucson, I’m more likely to make gazpacho or chłodink, but the beautiful selection of fresh corn on sale in all of the supermarkets got me thinking about chowders. I looked through several recipes online and ended up making this crab corn chowder by Rachael Ray.

Crab corn chowder

It’s always interesting to see the reaction you get when you mention Rachael Ray to people, as I did when I took this chowder to work for lunch. She obviously has legions of followers and is the much loved host of a multiple TV programs. I was surprised to hear some of my colleagues are among those who are put off by her persona of over the top enthusiastic, wholesome goodness. My brother, who lives, in New York City, shared some local society/gossip that sheds a different light on her life, but for myself, I’ve always felt that ever since Oprah discovered her, she was overexposed — something I guess she can worry about all the way to the bank.

Enough gossipy chit- chat, back to the cooking. The crab corn chowder comes together quickly and is easy to make. You don’t have to have fresh corn, but I do recommend fresh crab rather than canned. You can find it sold in plastic cups in your better grocery stores, in Arizona that means AJ’s Fine Foods.

Crab corn chowder would be great topped with oyster crackers, croutons, or maybe a sprinkle of chives or green onions for a pop of color.  If you make it, I’d love to hear what you think!

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Crab Corn Chowder

  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 40 mins
  • Yield: 4 servings
  • Category: Soup
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Description

An easy to prepare, hearty seafood chowder, chocked full of yummy vegetables.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 2 ribs celery, chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 small red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt & pepper, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning blend
  • Dash cayenne (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
  • 1 quart whole milk
  • 3 cups corn kernels, cut from the cob or, frozen
  • 8 ounces cooked lump crab meat

Instructions

  1. In a Dutch oven, heat oil and butter over medium heat
  2. Add diced potatoes, cook for a few minutes before adding the chopped celery, stirring occasionally, a flat bottomed wooden spoon is perfect for this
  3. Continue adding vegetables, cooking and stirring for a few minutes between additions
  4. Add bay leaf and season with salt, black pepper, Old Bay, and cayenne if you’re using it
  5. Saute veggies 5 minutes, then sprinkle in flour
  6. Cook for two minutes, stirring constantly
  7. Slowly add broth and milk, stirring to combine
  8. Heat soup until just beginning to boil, add the corn and crab
  9. Reduce heat and simmer for five minutes
  10. Bring soup up to a bubble. Add corn and crab meat and simmer soup 5 minutes
  11. Remove the bay leaf, and you’re ready to serve; smacznego!

If you love the convenience of having a pot of soup, ready to go in the fridge, be sure to check out my Pinterest board, Year Round Soup Ideas. You’ll find a variety of hot and cold options from me and other soup loving pinners.

Duck Sausage Gumbo

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We roasted a whole duck Christmas Day. At the end of the evening when faced with the duck carcass and a few roasted vegetables leftover, I did what any good Polish housewife would do and made duck stock. All of the bones and the veggies (a mix of carrot, onion, parsnip, potato, and Brussels sprouts) went into Dutch oven with enough water to cover everything, probably about 12 cups. I brought it to a boil then turned the heat down as low as it would go, covered it and let it simmer over night. If you’re doing this during the day, a couple of hours should be sufficient. I was just out of steam and couldn’t stay up that long. I had no idea what I would do with this at the time. Luckily, inspiration came the next day, and it turned into some excellent duck sausage gumbo. If you’re not cooking a duck, you could do this with any kind of leftover poultry.

Duck Sausage Gumbo

 

 

After letting the liquid cool to room temperature, I poured it through a strainer to remove the veggies and the duck carcass. After cooking for so long, the duck was disintegrating, lifting it out was not an option. The veggies were discarded. I think any flavor in them had long since cooked out. I picked the meat off the bones and was pleasantly surprised that I had almost three cups. I wanted to remove the layer of fat that was on top of the stock. I could have used a fat separating measuring cup, but mine is small. It would have been a lot of pouring and probably a lot of spilling. Since I wasn’t in a hurry, I popped the pan with the liquid into the freezer to firm up the fat, making it easier to remove. The gelatinous stock became almost solid, and I was able to scrap off the fat with a metal spatula.

After browsing through three recipes in our favorite Cajun cookbook, Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen, I felt ready to take this on. We invited friends over for an impromptu dinner party, and the duck sausage gumbo was very well received.

Smacznego!

Lois

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Duck Sausage Gumbo

  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 40 min
  • Cook Time: 75 min
  • Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
  • Yield: 12 servings
  • Cuisine: Cajun
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Description

Spicy and flavorful, this chock-full of veggies soup will win over die-hard carnivores. With a subtle heat, this is a wonderful use for any leftover fowl.

Ingredients

1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
2 1/2 cups chopped onions, divided
2 1/2 cups chopped bell peppers, divided
2 1/2 cups chopped celery, divided
2 1/2 cups chopped okra, divided
1/4 cup duck fat (add olive oil if more fat is needed)
4 cloves garlic, minced
12 cups duck broth
14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes or 2 large tomatoes, diced
3 cups shredded duck meat
1 pound Polish sausage, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
2 cups rice, cooked according to package directions ( I sometimes use Basmati rice because of the lower glycemic index)

Instructions

Combine the flour, salt, paprika, white pepper, onion powder, cayenne, black pepper, and cumin
On a plate, combine together 1/2 cup each of the onion, bell pepper, celery, and okra, set aside
Heat the duck fat in a large Dutch oven over high heat
Add the flour and seasoning mix, stirring and scraping constantly, cook until dark brown, 4 – 5 minutes, add the reserved mixed vegetables, and continue cooking over high heat for one more minute
Add the garlic, and immediately begin adding the duck broth, one cup at a time, stirring between each addition
Add the tomatoes (including liquid), duck meat, the sausage, and the remaining vegetables
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, loosely cover, and simmer for 60 to 90 minutes, stirring occasionally
Served in bowls with a scoop of cooked rice

I’m sure a Cajun dish isn’t what pops into everyone’s mind. How would you use up leftover duck or other poultry?

 

Ratatouille – French Veg

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Ratatouille

Ratatouille is a traditional French stewed vegetable dish from Provence. We were served ratatouille many times during our trip though France even though we were not in Provence. Similar to Spanish pisto manchego or Italian ciambotta. Ratatouille gets its color from tomatoes and its vivid flavor from the mix of summer vegetables. Its bright taste makes ratatouille the perfect accompaniment for any protein.

Ratatouille Serving Suggestions

If you want to keep the dish vegan, you might sprinkle the ratatouille with nutritional yeast. Serve this along side white beans.

If you’re looking for a vegetarian or Meatless Monday meal, try topping it with a little freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a poached egg.

I made a very small batch, just  to try this out, but it’s a recipe that you could double or triple or. . . you get the idea. If you’re harvesting vegetables or they’re in season and priced right, make a big batch. Ratatouille tastes even better the next day. It will keep in the fridge for four or five days. For longer life, freeze it in small containers.

There is much debate among the experts on the proper way to prepare ratatouille. Should everything be cooked separately or all together? Should it be  finished in the oven or on top of the stove? This is what I did and I can’t tell it apart for what sampled in France.

I hope you’ll bring this taste of the French countryside to your dinner table. Bon appetit!

 

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Ratatouille

  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 mins
  • Yield: 4 - 6
  • Category: Vegetable
  • Cuisine: French
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Description

A bright, colorful side dish from the French countryside

Ingredients

  • 1 eggplant
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • olive oil
  • 1/2 red bell pepper
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 dried tomatoes, diced
  • 1 zucchini, diced (peel on)
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon each fresh thyme and parsley
  • salt, pepper, cayenne

Instructions

  1. Dice the eggplant (I left the peel on) into 1/2 inch (1 cm) chunks
  2. Place in a colander and sprinkle with salt
  3. In a large frying pan, saute the onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until translucent
  4. Add the red bell pepper and cook until the union begins to brown, add a little more oil at any point as needed
  5. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes
  6. Add the tomatoes
  7. Press down on the eggplant to remove any water and add to the dish, along with the zucchini, continue stirring and cook for 5 more minutes
  8. Stir in the tomato paste and water, season with salt, pepper, and a dash of cayenne
  9. You want the texture to be like a thick stew or gravy. If it seems to watery, skip the lid in the next step
  10. Cover and simmer for 40 minutes to 1 hour, until all the vegetables are tender

Notes

I used dried tomatoes because that’s what I had on hand. You certainly could substitute a fresh tomato, diced. In which case, I would probably reduce the amount of water added to 1/2 cup.

If you don’t have fresh herbs, you can substitute 1 teaspoon of dried herbs.

Ratatouille

Dal Fry

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Dal Fry

It’s only a little bit unusual that I went to Poland to learn to cook Indian food. Poznan is such an international city that it isn’t surprising that one of my friends would be from India. Lucky me, that she shared my love of cooking and sharing recipes! When my friend, Prethi, taught me to make dal fry, she said it was a very basic, simple Indian dish.  I can tell you, though, there is nothing simple about the flavor.  This lentil stew or gravy has a rich, complex taste with layers of flavor, finishing with a bit of heat.  I could very happily eat this everyday.

I had dal fry at an Indian restaurant in Houston with my friend, Letha. I didn’t know what it was, but I love it! How nice that I can whip up a batch at home now.

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Dal Fry

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup red lentils
  • 2 tablespoons, clarified butter (for vegan, substitute oil)
  • 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (small black seeds)
  • 1/4 cup garlic, minced
  • 1 chili sliced
  • 1 cup onion, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seed
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • cilantro, finely chopped for garnish

Instructions

  1. Prethi cooked the lentils in a pressure cooker, covering them with just over an inch of water. She had them on high heat until the cooker “rattled” and then simmered for 10 minutes. They were cooked until they were mush-like. I don’t have a pressure cooker, so I will have to boil them until they’re falling apart.
  2. Whisk lentils in cooking liquid and set aside
  3. Add clarified butter and oil to a frying pan over medium-high heat
  4. Add the mustard seeds and cook until the seeds start to pop
  5. Add the garlic and chili, cook 2 minutes, stirring
  6. Add cumin seeds and onion, cook 2 minutes, stirring
  7. Add tomato, cook 3 minutes, continuing to stir
  8. Add salt, cook 5 minutes
  9. Add purred lentils and turmeric
  10. If the texture is thicker than desired (maybe on reheating), just add a little more water
  11. Garnish with cilantro, serve over white rice or peas pulao

 

Green Curry Chicken

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My first attempt at making curry – I’m writing it down here to jog my own memory as much as anything else because I won’t mind being able to duplicate it.

This experiment lead to a delicious meal, actually two meals.  Our supermarket carries all kind of curry products.  I bought the curry sauce and curry paste; never touched the powdered curry I have in the cupboard.  The curry sauce was ready to go, very spicy.  The curry paste needed to be diluted with the coconut milk.  If I hadn’t had the spicy sauce, I might have tossed in a few jalepeno slices.  I was working without a recipe or any kind of authentic instructions.

Inspiration came from three sources;

  1. A meal we shared 32 years ago at the Schwartz home in St. Pete.  It was the first time I’d had curry and it was very good, but so good that I remember what we ate after more than three decades? . . .  It was the day after my husband asked me to marry him.   A lot of that day is etched in my mind like it was yesterday.  <3
  2. A recipe for curry given to me by our friend, Clay, who is an excellent cook.  I’ve read it but never fixed it, and alas, that recipe is in Tucson.
  3. A conversation I had earlier in the day with Brooke, my friend who is getting into wok cooking in a big way.  Brooke told me about the curry soup she’d made the night before, and she made it sound so non-intimidating – as if you don’t need a cookbook or ethnic ties, just do it, like you were putting together a stew!

Ingredients

8 chicken thighs
seasoning salt & black pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 leek, white and light green parts only, sliced
1 small onion, diced
3 carrots, grated
4 stalks celery, sliced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup peanuts
1 1/ 2 cups green curry sauce
1/2 cup green curry paste
2 cups coconut milk
2 roasted red peppers, diced (I used peppers from a jar)
rice, cooked according to directions (I used Uncle Ben’s brown rice)
2 green onions, sliced

Directions

  • Season chicken with salt and pepper
  • In a frying pan, brown both sides of the chicken in 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • In a Dutch oven, heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, cook leek and onion until tender
  • Add carrot, celery and red pepper to the Dutch oven, cooking for about 5 minutes
  • Add cranberries, peanuts, curry sauce, curry paste, coconut milk red peppers, and the chicken to the Dutch oven, bring to a boil, reduce heat to warm-low, and simmer for 75 – 90 minutes
  • Serve over rice and garnish with green onion

Serves 4

Butternut Squash and Barley Soup

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butternut squash and barley soup

Just before I moved to Poland, my friend Charlotte gave me this recipe for butternut squash and barely soup.  She had tasted it at a church dinner the week before, and tracked it down.  She said that she knew I’d like it, and after all, a woman moving to Poland should have a really good soup recipe in her hip pocket.

This soup would have hit the spot when I arrived last March, but butternut squash was not to be found.  It’s now autumn – soup weather again, and I still haven’t come across butternut squash.  Determined to make this highly praised soup, I substituted sweet potatoes.

Butternut squash and barley soup

I was a little worried when I read about adding 2 inch cubes of raw butternut squash.  I was imagining very large cooked chunks of squash that would need to be cut with the side of a spoon as you were eating.  I chickened out and  cut the sweet potatoes into 1 inch cubes.  I shouldn’t have worried.  The sweet potato (and I expect the squash will too) sort of disintegrated becoming part of the broth and adding great flavor, color and texture.  The soup was delicious and one that I know I’ll make often because it was so easy.  Preparing it as I did with 2 sweet potatoes, the soup has 118 calories per cup and over 5 grams of fiber.

The recipe butternut squash and barley soup was submitted by Faye Pietsch and published in the February 2007 issue of Guideposts.

 
For a vegetarian/vegan option, I suggest using vegetable stock instead of water and omitting the turkey. 

Ingredients

1 turkey wing (or leg, I used 3 turkey drumettes)
1 large butternut squash peeled, seeded and cut into 2-inch chunks
4 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 onion, coarsely diced
5 parley sprigs, minced
10 sage leaves, minced
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups barley

Directions

  • Place all ingredients except the barley in a large soup pot with 16 cups of water over high heat and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat to simmer, cook for 45 minutes.
  • Add the barley and cook 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Remove the turkey from the soup and let it cool.
  • Pick the turkey meat from the bones, cutting into bite-sized pieces if necessary, return to the soup.
  • It’s ready to serve.
  • If you’re reheating and find the soup is thicker than you’d like, just add a little water.

PS – Ed took this soup to work, and Major Demel felt that this soup was missing one classic Polish ingredient. . . sausage!!!  I have to admit he’s right; it would be a great addition.  If you’re not counting calories, tossing a little kielbasa in with all of the other ingredients wouldn’t hurt.

Bigos (Polish Hunter’s Stew)

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bigos polish hunter's stew

As Polish dishes go, Bigos is about as traditional as you can get.  You’ll be sure to find it in the food booths at any festival in the old square.  Big flat cast iron pans of simmering meats, wine, mushrooms, and sauerkraut – the perfect thing to warm the heart and the belly, that’s Bigos Polish hunter’s stew!

This Bigos recipe is adapted from Nela’s Cookbook and From a Polish Country House Kitchen.  I left it on the stove overnight on very low heat, I guess that’s the equivalent of putting it in a crock-pot.  With the slow cooking, the flavors mellowed and blended. It was hearty and delicious!

Like any stew, proportions need not be precise. If your package of Polish sausage is 13 ounces rather than a pound, don’t worry. If you happen to have some game meat in the freezer, this is the time to pull it out! Half a pound of diced venison or other game meat would be a very authentic addition. It is, after all, a hunter’s stew.

I remember hearing some controversy about the Bigos served at festivals because the government sanitation inspectors were saying that vendors had to prepare Bigos fresh everyday, that they couldn’t serve leftover Bigos. Polish housewives, the real ones, were up in arms, saying Bigos wasn’t at its best until it had been reheated a few times.

Smacznego!

Lois

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Bigos (Polish Hunter’s Stew)

  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Category: Main
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

A hearty hunter’s stew, a Polish classic!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound pork, diced
  • 1/2 pound beef, diced
  • salt and pepper
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 medium onions, sliced
  • 1 pound slab bacon, diced
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1 container mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 pounds sauerkraut, drained and rinsed
  • 4 apples, peeled, cored and grated
  • 1/2 cup pitted prunes, quartered
  • 2 pounds canned diced tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
  • 12 peppercorns
  • 1 pound Polish sausage, quartered lengthwise and sliced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 pound ham, diced
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine

Instructions

  1. Season the pork and beef with salt and pepper
  2. Add olive oil to a large dutch oven, and saute the meat and onions in batches, cooking until the meat is browned and the onions begin to caramelize
  3. Brown the bacon
  4. Combine all the ingredients, and simmer at least two hours, or overnight
  5. Serve as is, over noodles, or with buckwheat.

 

Gulasz – Polish Pork Goulash

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I wanted to adapt my usual recipe to make it more like Polish pork goulash or gulasz. The paprika we’ve bought in Poznań has been darker and spicier (not smoked), so that took care of part of it.  I also (as the name implies) used pork, the most typical Polish protein, rather than beef.

As I’ve started doing lately with soups, etc., I browned all of the ingredients, not just the meat.  I think it adds to the flavor.

The final difference is that I served this goulash over potato pancakes; in the past, I’ve usually used noodles.

Another typically Polish way to serve goulash would be over buckwheat kasha (toasted groats). I like to cook buckwheat in stock (chicken, beef, or even vegetable broth) to give it a little more flavor.

I hope you enjoy this Polish Pork Goulash as much as we do!

Smacznego!

Lois

Delicious Polish Pork Goulash over potato pancakes!
(Amazon pays me a few cent for purchases made via these links)
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Polish Pork Goulash

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 45 mins
  • Cook Time: 2 hours
  • Total Time: 2 hours 45 mins
  • Yield: Serves 6
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

A delicious, savory stew, the perfect topping for potato pancakes!

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds pork, trimmed and diced
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • Kosher salt
  • Black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 2 bell peppers, cut into thin strips (I used red and yellow)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 14 ounces broth (I used veal reconstituted bullion cubes)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 6 whole allspice
  • 1/4 cup dry red wine
  • 1/3 cup cold water
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • Potato pancakes, cooked according to directions

Instructions

  1. Dredge pork in flour that has been generously seasoned with salt and pepper.
  2. In a large saucepan, brown pork cubes in hot oil. (I did 2 or 3 separate batches.)
  3. Remove pork and brown onions and peppers, add garlic just before they’re finished. (After multiple batches of meat and then the veggies, there was a dark brown crust on the bottom of the pan. Don’t worry, it will loosen and dissolve in the liquids you’re about to add – giving you a dark, flavorful broth.)
  4. Return pork to the pan and add broth, tomato paste, paprika, pepper, allspice and wine.
  5. Simmer covered 60 to 90 minutes
  6. In a small bowl, blend water and 3 tablespoons flour. Add to meat mixture
  7. Simmer 15 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally
  8. Serve over potato pancakes

Notes

I can eat this for any meal of the day, and we often have leftovers for breakfast, topping a potato pancake with goulash and a fried egg!

 Try Full of Flavor Polish Pork Goulash - Gulasz! #polishrecipe #polishfood #pork #polishhousewife PolishHousewife.com

 

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Black and Tan Braised Beef Short Ribs

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For the most tender, falling off the bone meat, start these Black and Tan braised beef short ribs a day in advance or very early in the day.
Black and Tan braised beef short ribs

I started cooking the short ribs on Wednesday night, in honor of the Top Chef DC finale, but didn’t actually eat them until Friday.  They’re braised in Guinness Stout and Bass Ale and served atop polenta and kale (I’ll post these recipes soon).  The whole stack is garnished with strips of fried parsnip.

I can’t take credit for this combination; this is my version of the fabulous main course served at a recent Primavera Cooks! meal at Lodge on the Desert.   Under the guidance of Executive Chef Ryan Clark, this is the plate prepared by the Apprentice Chefs.

I don’t recall ever cooking short ribs before, and I didn’t time this meal to coincidence with a weekly special on ribs.  Paying full price, I was surprised to see that they run over $5 per pound, about the same price as sirloin.  Next time, I watch for a sale.

I sat next to a charming, retired couple at the Primavera dinner.  They’ve both volunteered with the organization for 15 years, and I learned more about the good works at Primavera from them. The gentleman had been a pathologist.  His wife mentioned that they had eaten a lot of short ribs when he was in medical school, because at that time, they were only 29 cents a pound.

Smacznego!

Lois

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Black and Tan short ribs

Black and Tan Braised Beef Short Ribs

  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Yield: serves 6
  • Category: Main
  • Cuisine: Irish
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Description

A hearty, chef-inspired winter dish

Ingredients

  • 6 beef short ribs
  • salt & pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 carrots, sliced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 bottle Guinness Stout
  • 1 bottle Bass Ale
  • beef broth
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  2. Dry ribs with paper towels, season with salt and pepper
  3. Heat olive oil in Dutch oven over medium high heat, brown ribs on all sides
  4. Remove ribs and add carrots and onion to pan, cook, stirring, until lightly browned
  5. Add just a little of one of the beers to deglaze the pan, scrapping up the browned bits
  6. Place ribs on top of vegetables, and add equal parts of the beers until the liquid covers the bottom third of the meat
  7. Bring to a simmer, cover, place in the oven
  8. Bake 3 to 4 hours, basting two or three times every hour
  9. Add stout and ale, as needed to keep the liquid level constant, when the beer bottles are empty, use beef broth to add to the liquid
  10. After 3 to 4 hours, allow the pan to cool, remove the ribs, refrigerate in a covered container, do the same with the carrots, you might serve these on the side or reserve for another use. (The onions seem to have disintegrated and were nowhere to be found)
  11. Refrigerate the broth
  12. The next day, or after the fat has solidified on top of the broth, remove and discard the fat. Return the now gelatinous broth to the Dutch with the ribs
  13. Heat, adding broth until you have enough liquid to over the bottom third of the meat, simmer another two hours, either on the stove top or in the oven
  14. Dissolve the cornstarch in a little water (about 1/2 cup) and add to the broth, continue simmer for about 5 minutes, until the broth thickens
  15. Serve with polenta and greens