HUNGARIAN PORK STEW RECIPE

Servings: 8 to 10 Prep Time:1 hour Cook Time:1 hour

Serves: about a million people. Okay, definitely enough for 8, maybe with leftovers! So cut this recipe in half for less and you can save time on the preparation too, because making this much does take us quite a bit of time. But we LOVE the leftovers!

ingredients:

8 medium yellow onions, chopped to medium dice1/3 cup canola/vegetable oil, plus more for frying9 3/4-inch thick boneless center cut loin pork chops, trimmed of fat, sliced in half length-wise, pounded 1/4 inch thin (if you’re lucky enough to find the thin loin chops, you’ll only have to pound them thin)1 tablespoon salt1 tablespoon pepperflour for dredging3 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika6-8 cups water, or enough to fully immerse all ingredients in the potVegeta to taste, approximately 1 tablespoon (but if you can’t find it, just use vegetable/chicken soup seasoning packets)1 cup sour cream

directions:

1. In a large pot (6 qt) over medium to medium-high heat, add onions and canola oil. Saute onions until they are translucent, but not browned. Add more oil when necessary to keep them slick in the process. When the onions have finished cooking, turn down heat to low, add paprika to mixture and stir to mix well.

2. Season each side of the pork slices generously with salt and pepper. Dredge the slices in flour on each side.

3. In a frying pan over medium-high to high heat, heat about an inch of canola or vegetable oil. Fry each slice of pork until just barely golden brown around the edges, about 1-2 minutes, flipping halfway through. If they are thin enough, this will be enough to cook them fully. Lay them between sheets of paper towel on a plate to catch excess oil.

4. Cut each of the pork slices in half and place them back in the pot with the onions. Add enough water to the pot to cover the pork and onions. Cover pot and simmer on medium heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir occasionally.

5. When the stew is thickened up a bit from the flour and the onions are starting to disappear, it is ready for the final seasoning. Add salt, pepper and Vegeta seasoning to taste. Add sour cream and stir until the stew is a rich, thick consistency.

COFFEE & VANILA BEAN LAYERED CAKE

Summary: Light as air vanilla and coffee layers of cake sandwiched with delicious whipped coffee cream make for a perfect dessert. Make a day ahead if you like. The tastes mature beautifully!

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:

• Vanilla Bean Sponge
• 3 eggs
• 75g raw sugar / bura {or powdered sugar}
• 75g plain flour
• 1tsp baking powder
• pinch salt
• 2tsp extra virign olive oil
• 1tbsp 2% milk
• 1/2 vanilla bean scraped
• Coffee Sponge
• 4 eggs
• 100g raw sugar / bura {or powdered sugar}
• 1/2 vanilla bean scraped
• 1 1/2 tbsp instant coffee powder
• 20ml warm water
• 100g plain flour
• 1tsp baking powder
• pinch salt
• 2tsp extra virign olive oil
• 1tbsp 2% milk
• Simple Coffee Syrup
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tbsp instant coffee
• 2tbsp raw sugar {or powdered sugar}
• Coffee Whipped Cream
• 800ml low fat cream, chilled
• 150g raw sugar / bura {or powdered sugar}
• 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp instant coffee powder {as per taste}

Method:

1. Vanilla Bean Sponge
2. Preheat oven to 180C. Line the base and sides of a 8″ round cake tin with baking parchment. 
3. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Reserve.
4. Beat the eggs with raw/powdered sugar and scraped vanilla bean in a big bowl over a pan of simmering water until tripled in volume and mousse like, about 7 minutes. {Thermomix: Butterfly insert, Speed 4, 37c, 7 minutes}
5. Gently add the flour mix and fold through, followed by the olive oil and milk.
6. Transfer batter to prepared tin and bake for 25-30 minutes in conventional oven until light golden brown.
7. Cool in tin for 5 minutes, and demold and cool completely on cooling rack.
8. Slice into 2 layers.
9. Coffee Sponge
10. Preheat oven to 180C. Line the base and sides of a 8″ round cake tin with baking parchment. 
11. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Reserve.
12. Stir the coffee into the warm water. Leave to mature flavours.
13. Beat the eggs with raw/powdered sugar and scraped vanilla bean in a big bowl over a pan of simmering water until tripled in volume and mousse like, about 7 minutes. {Thermomix: Butterfly insert, Speed 4, 37c, 7 minutes}.
14. Add the coffee  mixture and beat to incorporate.
15. Gently add the flour mix and fold through, followed by the olive oil and milk.
16. Transfer batter to prepared tin and bake for 25-30 minutes in conventional oven until light golden brown.
17. Cool in tin for 5 minutes, and demold and cool completely on cooling rack.
18. Slice into 3 layers.
19. Simple Coffee Syrup
20. Stir together all ingredients, heat gently if required. Cool and reserve in bowl. 
21. Coffee Whipped Cream
22. Make sure the cream is well chilled. {You can use whipping cream if available. Life just becomes a lot easier and quicker, but make sure you don’t over whip it and get butter}
23. Whip the cream and sugar {reserve a little to add later once you taste the sweetness} to stiff peaks. Low fat cream available in India takes quite a while to beat up if the weather is warm. It sometimes even fails to oblige. Feel free to use whipping cream if you like.
24. Assembling
25. Divide the coffee cream into 2 bowls, one for filling and the second half for frosting.
26. Place a layer of vanilla sponge on your cake plate/ dessert platter. Paint lightly with coffee syrup. Put a generous dollop of coffee cream and spread uniformly to the sides.
27. Top with a layer of coffee sponge. Repaet until you use all layers, alternating between vanilla & coffee.
28. Frost the sides and top of the cake with the remaining coffee cream. Pipe some rosettes on top if you like, garnish with chocolate flakes. Finish the cake with a piped chocolate lace border if desired.
29. Chill until ready to serve. Leave out for about 30 minutes prior to cutting.

BOK CHOY

 This bok choy recipe made with just 3 fresh ingredients. Steamed to tender crisp perfection with a touch of garlic, this recipe make a delicious side to anything on your menu.

Ingredients

• 4 baby bok choy
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Preparation

Trim base of each bok choy; cut in half lengthwise.

In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat; fry garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add bok choy and 3 tbsp (50 mL) water; cover and steam until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes.

Additional information :

Variations:
Balsamic Bok Choy: Add 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt along with garlic. After steaming, drizzle with 1 tbsp (15 mL) white or regular balsamic vinegar. Turn to coat.

Ginger, Soy and Sesame Bok Choy: Fry 1 tbsp (15 mL) minced gingerroot and pinch hot pepper flakes with garlic. After steaming, drizzle with 1 tbsp (15 mL) soy sauce and 1 tsp (5 mL) sesame oil. Turn to coat.

Tip: A member of the cabbage family, bok choy has a slightly bulbous base, crisp white stems and crinkled, spinach-like forest-green leaves. 

Bok choy comes in three sizes: standard at about 12 inches (30 cm) tall; smaller baby bok choy; and tiny heads that are 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) tall. 

A similar choy with pale green stalks is often called Shanghai bok choy and is an excellent alternative to baby bok choy. 

Bok choy is usually stir-fried with other ingredients but can also be steamed or sauteed for a side dish.

Source : Canadian Living Magazine: January 2005

GRAND MARNIER POPPY SEED CAKE

This is a great cake to bake for a special occasion. Use a little higher ratio of Grand Marnier to orange juice for a more "spirited" flavor.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all purpose flour, sift before measuring
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest
• 1 cup softened butter
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 6 large eggs
• 1/3 cup poppy seeds
• -
• Syrup:
• 1/3 cup Grand Marnier
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar

Preparation:

Butter and flour a 10-inch tube pan. Heat oven to 350°.

In a large bowl, measure the sifted flour, baking powder, salt, soda, and orange zest; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with 1 1/2 cups sugar until creamy; beat in cream, vanilla, and eggs until light. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until well blended. Stir in the poppy seeds.

Spread the batter in prepared pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.

Meanwhile, about 5 minutes before the cake is done baking, combine Grand Marnier, orange juice, and 2/3 cup sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Lower heat and simmer for 1 minute.

Take the cake from the oven and place on a rack; poke all over the top (dozens of times) with a long skewer or cake tester. Spoon the hot syrup mixture over the cake. Let stand for 10 minutes then remove pan sides. The syrup should have soaked in completely. Let the cake cool before carefully loosening and removing the tube section.

ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP

Serves 6-8

Soup ingredients:
2/3C carrots, sliced
2/3C celery, chopped
3/4C onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 pkg onion soup mix
7 1/2C chicken broth
6oz baby spinach, chopped
1 1/2C pasta

Meatball ingredients:* (see note)
1lb ground chicken
1/4C Parmesan cheese
1/2C seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/2 – 1 tsp red pepper flakes* (see note)
1 egg

Add prepared vegetables, seasonings, onion soup mix and chicken broth to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.

Meanwhile, prepare meatballs. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine all ingredients, shaping small meatballs. (See this post for size reference). Place meatballs 1 inch apart. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Set aside.

Add meatballs to slow cooker in the last hour of cooking. When 30 minutes remain, add chopped baby spinach and pasta. Gently stir and replace cover.

Divide among bowls and enjoy.

SAVORY CURD CHEESE PASTA

Traditional ingredients, a traditional recipe: túrós csusza.

Ingredients for about 4 servings:
300 g pasta squares
500 g curd cheese
20 ml sour cream
Bacon
Salt
Oil (instead of fat from the bacon)

Preparation time: 40 minutes

Difficulty: ☺


Preparation:

Dice the bacon, fry them, and drain on a paper towel.

Cook the pasta in a generous amount of salted water. When cooked, rinse with warm water. Add a drop of lard or a splash of oil to keep the pasta from sticking.

Mix 3/4-th of the curd cheese and 10 ml sour cream, salt to taste, and then mix with the pasta. Serve the hot pasta with the crumbled curd cheese, sour cream and the fried bacon cubes - separately in small bowls, so that everyone can fix their own pasta to taste.


Hint:
Use pappardelle, cut into squares, or knead a firm dough from 300 g plain flour and 2 eggs, rolled out thinly. When it is almost dry, cut into squares.

Enjoy!

MILK PIE FROM HUNGARY

Tejes pite. If you like palacsinta (Hungarian pancakes, crepes), you'll love this pie.


Ingredients for about 4 servings:
1 liter milk
250 g flour
100 g sugar
10 g vanilla sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
Butter or margarine to grease baking pan
Apricot jam, confectioner sugar for decoration

Preparation time: 15 minutes + 60 minutes baking time

Difficulty: ☺

Preparation: Heat oven to 280 °C.

In a large bowl, mix flour, salt, sugar and vanilla sugar. In a small bowl combine well beaten eggs and milk. Add egg and milk gradually to flour mixture, beating to a smooth pancake-like batter, just a bit thicker. Coat the bottom of the baking pan with margarine or butter and pour the dough into it. Bake it for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

When the pie is done, cool for a few minutes, then cut into 8-10 bars. Sprinkle with confectioner sugar and add a spoonful of apricot jam or/and bottled apricot.


Hint:
Use hand mixer to get smooth batter.
Do not add baking powder or baking soda.
Do not make a thick pie, because the dough will remain raw inside.
To create a more provocative flavor, add 1-2 teaspoon apricot-brandy to the apricot jam.

Enjoy!

HUNGARIAN PIE

This cake looks like we spent hours in the kitchen to make the custard and the top, but it is really simple to make it. It all happens in the oven, by itself; no professional baking skills are necessary.
It is easy to make and delicious. I made it a few time  and the whole family likes it. It is a keeper.


Ingredients:

5 egg yolks
30 g vanilla sugar
150 g sugar
100 g margarine
250 g flour
1 liter milk
5 egg whites
salt
zest of 1 lemon
margarine to grease baking pan
breadcrumbs

Preparation time: 1.5 hours

Difficulty: ☺

Preparation:

In a large bowl mix egg yolks, vanilla sugar, sugar, pinch of salt. Add margarine and the lemon zest. Add flour and milk gradually to sugar mixture, beating to a thin smooth batter.

Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt, until stiff peaks form, then add it carefully to the pancake dough.

Coat the bottom of a 26 cm baking pan with margarine, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and pour the dough into it. Sprinkle the top with small pieces of margarine. Put into a cold oven, then turn on the heat to 150 ºC and bake it for 1 hour.

When the pie is done, cool for a few minutes, then cut into 8-10 bars. Serve it with apricot jam, but it tastes delicious by itself as well.


Hint:
Use hand mixer to get a smooth batter.
Do not add baking powder or baking soda.
Cool the egg whites before beating.
Add a pinch of salt or a few drops of lemon juice to the egg whites, to make it easier to beat.
Mix only half of the beaten egg whites to the dough, then carefully fold in the other half, without breaking it up much.

Enjoy!

GARLIC-SAUTEED RAPINI

This recipe is from Canadian Living magazine. This is the first time I am making rapini. I know is very healthy, however we will see after eating it that is a recipe to stay or a "never-make-again".

Nutritional Info
Per each of 8 servings: about	-
cal	63
pro	2 g
total fat	5 g
sat. fat	1 g
carb	3 g
fibre	2 g
chol	0 mg
sodium	97 mg
% RDI:	-
calcium	8
iron	11
vit A	18
vit C	18
folate	21

• Portion size: 6 to 8

Assertive yet pleasant, rapini looks like thin broccoli with clusters of buds. When cooked and then tossed with garlic, it becomes a truly flavourful dish. You can add more hot pepper flakes to taste.

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 bunches rapini, (about 1-1/2 lb/750 g)
• 3 tbsp (45 mL) extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
• 1/4 tsp (1 mL) hot pepper flakes

Preparation

Trim bases of rapini stalks. In large deep skillet of boiling water, cover and cook rapini until stalks are tender, about 2 minutes. Drain and chill in ice water; squeeze and pat dry. Chop coarsely; set aside. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate rapini in airtight container for up to 24 hours.)

In same skillet, heat oil over medium heat; cook garlic, salt and hot pepper flakes until garlic begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Add rapini; cook, stirring, until hot.

Source : Canadian Living Magazine: September 2008

BANANA BREAD

INGREDIENTS

*   3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
*   1/3 cup melted butter
*   1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
*   1 egg, beaten
*   1 teaspoon vanilla
*   1 teaspoon baking soda
*   Pinch of salt
*   1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
*   Chocolate and butterscotch chips

METHOD

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour and chocolate/butterscotch chips last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.