BLT Pie #FoodieExtravaganza

Foodie Extravaganza{Party}'s February 2016 event is 'Pie' or as the lovely Wendy Klik of 'A Day in the Life on the Farm' coined it as 'Bye Bye Miss American Pie'. Wendy that song has been playing in my head for a while since your event posting now :D. Thank you whole heaps Wendy for this theme. What came as a challenge in this dish was the Butter Crust that I chose to make and now I am confident of whipping up a fabulous butter crust anytime.

The first 'Wednesday' of every month, Foodie Extravaganza {Party} hosts a theme based cook-off where food bloggers come together to celebrate the food event of the month from the American National Food Holidays. 

I know Wendy said that we need not constrict ourselves to American Pie and the theme title came only as a result of the song. But I wanted to challenge myself to make an All-American Pie and BLT just popped up in my head. Of course the 'L' in BLT stands for Lettuce but to introduce lettuce into a pie filling would just make it mushy. I needed something firm but similar to lettuce. Enter a passing moment at the grocers where a lady asked the vendor whether a cut of leaves were lettuce. He informed her that it was Chinese Cabbage. 

Then I remembered why not Leek too. I also wanted the pie filling to reflect a breakfast meal of bacon, eggs and maybe some potatoes on the side. Egg of course came on top of the pie crust. I then introduced some cheese. In fact I decided it would be two kinds of cheese. 

I have to admit I struggled with my first try of the butter pie crust but then I remembered my Christmas Shortbread cookies and well yes you probably guessed right, the second try was a breeze. 

The only thing I would do next time is if I plan on Bacon or Pork or anything else as fatty as protein, then I would not go with a Butter Crust as it can be quite filling. Well that is why the serving number on this dish went up. Otherwise it would be 4-6 adults. 

The Butter Pie Crust would go well with fruit or nuts or both. 

Well let me not go on and on with the background story and get on to the recipe:


You need:

For the Pie crust:

• 21/2 cups of flour (plus additional for dusting/sprinkling)
• 16 tbsp of cold butter, chopped in cubes *(refer notes)
• 1/2 tbsp salt
• 6-7 tbsp of ice cold water

For the Pie filling:

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 600 gms of bacon, diced
• 2 medium sized potatoes, skinned and chopped into cubes
• 3 large tomatoes, diced into cubes
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, diced
• 2 bulbs of leek, diced (include the edible leaves too)
• 1 cup thick tomato puree
• 1 egg, beaten or 2 tbsp milk
• Mozzarella and Cheddar Cheese - 2 tbsp each
• A good shake of pepper

The Make:

Please take a note of the notes below before attempting to make your Pie.

For the Pie crust:
1. In a large bowl, take the flour, salt and butter cubes*(refer notes) and mash with your finger tips into the flour till combined and no dry flour left aloof in the bowl.
2. Next add the water bit by bit into the flour until well-combined and the dough formed. The water is used as a binder. Wrap in cling film and transfer to the fridge to remain cool till you prepare the table top for the next steps.
3. Prepare the counter top or your silicone baking mat by sprinkling some flour on top. Make sure if you are using your counter top to keep it clean and free off any materials. Preheat the oven at 180°C.
4. Sprinkle some flour on the pie dish as well. You can use any kind of pie dish, I used to bottom shifting, 9.5" pie crust tray that belong to Mummy. Since there is sufficient butter in the pie crust you do not need to butter your pie dish.
5. Take out the pie dough, cut in half and place one half in the center of the prepared mat or on the counter top and with a rotating motion of the fleshy part of your palm, just gentle roll on top.  Return the other half of the pie dough to the fridge.
6. Next press the dough ball down and roll using a lightly floured rolling pin, making sure to turn it over each time you roll flat. Make sure to evenly roll out. Once it has reached about 8" you would need to flip it using the side of your mat.  Since I used a 9.5" pie dish, I needed to roll it to almost 12 inches for the bottom crust to ensure the sides of the pie dish are covered. 
7. If you find that your dough is tearing up slightly while flipping, stop and then mend and then flip over and roll till you reach your desired size. Then flour your rolling pin once more and sprinkle some flour on top the rolled pie dough. Using both hands, gently place one end of the rolled pie dough over the rolling pin and without pressing on the dough lift the dough off the mat and rest it well onto the pie dish, making sure to blanket the sides well and to go over the top edges of the pie dish. Any extra dough hanging off the pie dish can be cut off. You could use the extras to fix any holes of the top crust or can be baked on a tray with some sugar and cinnamon on top as an in-between baking treat ;) .
8.  Blind bake the prepared dough for 10 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the filling of the pie.

For the Pie Filling:
8. Heat a pot and add the butter followed by the potatoes and bacon. Saute for about a minute and add in the remaining ingredients except the puree and saute well for about 5 minutes. Add the puree and cover and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Uncover and allow to cook to room temperature or until warm.

9. Next place the filling inside the prepared pie dish, toss in some pieces of cheddar and roll out the top crust of the pie. Follow the same steps as for the bottom crust and place well over the filled pie dish and seal the edges well. With the tip of your kitchen blade draw a cross on the top of the pie crust. I added a few pieces of mozzarella there.

10. Brush the beaten egg or milk on top of the pie crust, grate some mozzarella on top if desired and place into the oven at 180°C. Make sure to take your oven spill tray and place it on the rack just above the pie rack (only in case you are using an oven with only bottom heat). Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes. Check to see if you have achieved a golden crust or a dark brown one in case you are using milk.

Slice and serve hot with your favourite dips/sauces. Bon Appetit!


Notes:
1. Time to bake will depend on the type of oven you have. In case you have an oven with only lower heat and no upper, this may take up to 1 hour and 20 minutes.
2. For those of you who do not have an upper heat coil in your oven, then you need the spill tray or oven tray to cover your pie dish to get an even colour on your pie crust.
3. The butter used in the recipe has to be cold, which is why once you chop the same please transfer it to the oven to remain cold.

So that is my Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Pie or BLT Pie. This was what was for dinner last night.

Take a look at the gorgeous pies our Foodie Extravaganza Party has brought to the table today:

• BLT Pie by Georgina of G'Gina's Kitchenette
• Cheddar Leek Potato Pie by Lauren at Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Cheeseburger Pie by Kathleen at Fearlessly Creative Mammas
• Grapefruit Pie by Rebekah at Making Miracles
• Ham and Broccoli Quiche by Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Homegrown Blackberry Pie by Carlee of Cooking with Carlee
• No Bake Peanut Butter Pie by Lauren of From Gate to Plate
• Peaches and Cream Pie by Elaine at Cookin and Craftin
• Penne Pie by Terri at Our Good Life
• Red Velvet Pudding Pie by Teri of The Freshman Cook
• Tar Heel Pie by Tara of Tara's Multicultural Table
• The Impossible Coconut Pie by Stacy of Food Lust People Love
• Walnut Crumble-Topped Apple Tart by Caroline at Caroline's Cooking

Comfy Beef Stew Soup

Still post the celebratory weeks of Christmas, New Year, weddings and more,coupled with a cool weather calls for more simple, warm, homemade comfort food. This one stems from such a moment in the recent past. Hope you can enjoy this bowl of comfy goodness with your family. Add some crusty bread loaf and you have a perfect meal! You can try this one with the Crunchy homemade soda bread recipe I posted yesterday.

For my vegetarian friends, please note you can substitute the beef with 200 gms of mushrooms and need only 20-30 minutes to cook this dish when cooked in the pressure cooker. You can also add beans of your choice about 100 gms.

You need:

• 1/2 kg of fresh beef meat, cut into 1" cubes
• 2 medium sized potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 medium sized carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced finely
• 1 cup of tomato puree
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tsp of pepper powder
• 1/4 cup of plain flour
• 2 cups of beef stock
• 1/2 tbsp parsley leaves, finely diced 
• Lime leaves or cilantro for garnish (optional)
• Salt to taste
• Drinking water as required
• 1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce (optional)
• 1 cup of red wine (optional)
• 1 cup of Guinness (optional)

The Make

Serves 4 adults | Preparation time: 10 minutes | Cooking Time: 45-60 minutes

Note: This recipe is best made in a slow cooker however if you do not have the time or a slow cooker, you could opt for the faster option as below. In a slow cooker, this recipe would require a minimum of 6 hours.

1. In a large pressure cooker, combine the beef, garlic, onions, potatoes, carrots and tomatoes. Saute on medium-low heat. 

2. Pour in the puree and season with Worcestershire (optional),bay leaf, parsley and pepper. 

3. Stir the flour and beef stock together in a separate bowl and add into the beef mix. Stir well. Add the optional Guinness and wine.

4. Cover and cook for 45 minutes or for 4 whistles on medium-high and 4 whistles on low heat.

5. Once the pressure has settled, uncover and do a salt check and add salt as required. Check also if you have sufficient liquid for your soup, else add more as required. Remove the bay leaf before serving. Garnish if required with cilantro or lime leaves.

Serve hot with a side of Crunchy Rosemary and honey soda bread ! Bon appetit!

Okra, Drumsticks and Chow Chow in tangy Tomato stew

Chayote or best know in India as Chow Chow is a rich in Vitamin C whether raw or cooked. It has several names (from all over the world) including but not limited to choko, pipinola, ishkus, guatila, sayote, etc.Okra or Lady's fingers adds nutrition in terms of Vitamin A, B-6, C, D, Iron, Magnesium and Calcium. Drumstick (Moringa Oleifera) is yet another vegetable which is a rich source of several vitamins, minerals, protein, etc. This combination of Iron with rich Vitamin C sources ensures higher chances of iron absorption.

Growing up drumsticks were my favourite vegetable be in the form of its pods or leaves. My mom had no issues in my having vegetables unlike some parents who have to fuss over their kids not having their greens. She did have to force my sister though who was a die hard non-vegetarian. Ok before she kicks me (virtually), I better not add to it. I used to refer to the drumstick as 'nyum nyum'. Now my darling little one too is a fan of this vegetable. She enjoys the leaves too. These days it is not sold in the market at metros however my folks give me a good supply when I visit Kerala. It is eaten treasured by us.

There was no shortage of supply of both the leaves and pods owing to the fact that we had a huge drumstick tree growing out in our garden (even though we lived in Dubai, UAE). It also was a source of supply for the neighbours, strangers and such. I remember my mom yelling at strangers picking from our tree who shamelessly went about their business of picking despite the yelling.

There is no source of this recipe, it was been tried due to nutritional factors, tested to improve repeatedly and enjoyed by us several times in our home.

You need:

• 8-10 sticks of drumsticks, peeled and cut into pieces (1 stick makes about 3-4 pieces)
• 3 medium sized chow chow, diced finely
• 1/2 kg lady's fingers, chopped into bite sizes
• 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1/2" ginger, crushed
• 3-4 large tomatoes, finely diced
• 1/2 cup of tomato puree
• 2 green chilies (slit lengthwise)
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp Kashmiri Chili powder or Paprika powder
• 1/2 tbsp Amchur (Dry Mango Powder)
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/2 tbsp Coriander powder
• 2 tbsp tamarind water
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 large onion, diced
• Salt
• 2 - 4 cups drinking water

The Make:

Serves 5 adults | Preparation time: 10 minutes | Cooking Time: 20-25 minutes

1. In a wok, add the oil and splutter the cumin seeds and add diced onion for a minute or until translucent.
2. Next add the ginger, garlic, green chilis and saute for about a minute.
3. Add the lady's finger and saute well for about 5 minutes.
3. Toss in the tomatoes and blend in until softened.
4. Add the dry spices and saute for about a minute. Add in the tomato puree and salt.
5. Next add the chow chow and drumsticks and cover and cook for about 10 minutes on medium-low heat.
6. Add the tamarind water and drinking water as required for the gravy and cover and cook for another 10-15 minutes taking care not to over soften the veggies.
7. Toss well and serve with rice, rotis or your choice of flat bread.

Bon Appetit!

Creole Black Eyed Peas with Ham and Rice - A New Year Special

In bright expectation for the New Year, most Southerns (Southern United States), include Black Eyed Peas in their menu. The reason? It is said to bring prosperity and in some parts of the world it is believed to ward off the evil eye. Hoppin' John is another such Lucky New Year recipe which can be made with bacon or ham and black-eyed peas. Black-eyed peas is said to bring about luck and hence it forms a part of G'Gina's Kitchenette's New Year Lucky food.You can also serve this dish with Pasta if you do not fancy rice much. In other parts of the world like Vietnam, black eyed peas is also used in a sweet dish called chè đậu trắng (black eyed peas and sticky rice with coconut milk).

This recipe is best cooking through slow cooking process over 6-8 hrs in a slow cooker.

 You need:

• 500 gms of black-eyed peas
• 600 gms of ham, diced
• 500 gms of smoked sausage, diced 
• 4 - 6 cups of water
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 large bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup of  fresh chopped parsley
• 1 large shallot, diced
• 4-6 onions, diced
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp Cayenne pepper or Paprika
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp cajun pepper (optional)
• Drizzle of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup of Homemade Tomato Puree
• A shake of dried oregano and dried thyme
• Cooked rice of your choice or pasta of your choice as desired
• Spring onions or green onions to garnish (optional)

The make:

Preparation Time: 20 minutes | Cooking Time: 1 hr to 8 hrs (depending on whether you are opting for slow cooking) | Serves 6-8 adults

1. Rinse and soak the black-eyed peas overnight with 3-4 cups of water more than the level of the peas in a deep bottomed vessel.

2. Drain the peas and place it in the slow cooker or a deep-bottomed pot with 4-6 cups of water. Add the ham to the pot.

3. Add in the remaining ingredients except the rice and garnish.

4. Turn the temperature of the slow cooker on the low (the same with the deep bottomed pot). Cover and cook. If using a slow cooker, cook for about 6-8 hrs and after about 5-6 hours, check to see if more water is required and give in a quick stir. If using the pot, then check in about 20-25 minutes and raise the temperature to medium, cover and cook.

5. If the peas seems too thick, add more water to desired consistency and cook for up to an hour in the deep-bottomed pot or up to 8 hrs in the slow cooker.

6. Serve over hot rice or choice of cooked pasta with garnish (optional).

You can also make this dish without the ham and sausage. It will taste just as good! G'Gina's Kitchenette would like to wish all of its readers a very Happy New Year 2013 in advance.

Veggies in Sweet and Sour Sauce

This recipe goes well with my last Chinese recipe post on Baked Rohu with toasted veggies in Fish Sauce. 

Veggies in Sweet and Sour Sauce served with rice

When Swapna Thomas, a successful blogger mom requested me to write a guest post for her wonderful blog, I decided what best to create than a kid-friendly recipe. Swapna's blog is for all moms and has wonderful tips and tricks for everyday activities with your precious little ones. As you know it can be tricky and troublesome to come up with unique Kid-friendly recipes for young kids/toddlers. 

A mum’s day is never done until she actually experiments recipes suited for her toddler/kid in the kitchen. With my toddler, I notice that she prefers variety be it with food or day-to-day activities. I created this recipe from scratch based on her taste buds. I am sure your toddler would love this and it’s a mom-feel good recipe too as it uses a variety of veggies.

I whipped this one up for my toddler who has off late been quite fussy with her greens and always requiring change with almost anything including her food. This recipe goes well with either Noodles or Steamed rice. I served it both with rice and noodles and there was not much of a fuss from her on this make.

Veggies in Sweet and Sour Sauce served with soft Noodles

I am sure your toddler will enjoy this meal as well. I normally add Kid-friendly recipes under labels such as Kids or Kid-friendly in my blog.

 Hope you enjoy making this one for your little one.

This is a Chinese recipe and would go well with either steamed rice or Noodles. To make this easy recipe,

You need:

·         2 carrots cut into thinly sliced cubes

·         1 potatoes cut into thinly sliced cubes (optional)

·         2 small tomatoes, chopped into cubes

·         ¼ kg French beans, chopped

·         6-8 florets of cauliflower or broccoli (optional) 

·         1 tbsp of ginger-garlic paste

·         2-3 bunches of spinach, chopped finely

·         1 capsicum, chopped into cubes

·         4-6 cloves of garlic, diced finely

·         1 onion chopped into cubes or 2-3 bulbs of spring onions diced finely

·         1 green chilli thinly sliced (optional)

·         1 tsp of paprika

·         1 tsp of black pepper (optional)

·         1 cup of filtered water

·         1 tbsp of cooking oil / olive oil

·         Salt to taste

For the sauce:

·         1 cup Homemade Tomato puree (http://gginaflavorspalatte.blogspot.in/2012/05/homemade-tomato-puree.html) or 1 cup of Tomato sauce

·         2 tbsp of soya sauce

·         ½ cup brown sugar or cane sugar

·         ½ cup vinegar

The make:

Cooking Time: 30 minutes | Preparation time: 15 minutes | Serves 6 toddlers

1.       Heat the oil in a large wok or non-stick deep bottomed skillet. Toss the onions, garlic, green chili and sauté till translucent.
2.       Next add the carrots and potatoes (optional) and sauté. Cover and cook for 10 minutes on low heat. You can also previously parboil the carrots and potatoes separately, in which case you can add it with the beans in the next step.
3.       Toss in the tomatoes and beans (broccoli/cauliflower –optional) to the carrot mix and stir well. Add the ginger-garlic paste, paprika and the salt and sauté.
4.       Cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes until the veggies have glistened with colour and softened.
5.       For the sauce: In a mixing bowl, add the tomato sauce/homemade tomato puree, soya sauce, vinegar and brown sugar and stir well. Over a small skillet, heat the mixed ingredients, stir the mixed ingredients and add half a cup of water and bring to a boil. Take off the flame and add the sauce, to the veggies. If you would like a thicker sauce, you can also add some cornstarch.
6.       Add the spinach and water as required and cover and cook for another 10 minutes until all the veggies have softened and cooked. Add the remaining ½ cup of water as required and stir well.
7.       Uncover and raise the heat to medium and bring to a boil. Turn off and serve hot with noodles or steamed rice.

This is what is for lunch today. Bon Appetit!

Thank you Swapna for the opportunity to feature my recipe in your mom's favourite blog. I appreciate the invite.

Join G'Gina's Kitchenette on Facebook and you won't miss a single recipe!

Tangy Three Pea (Black Eyed Peas, Cowpeas and Pigeon-Pea) in Sofrito (Spanish Tomato sauce)

It has been a while since my last post. This is because I am on vacation and also because I have been experimenting with some of my older recipes in a modern light and with a few new adventurous recipes inspired by some of my favourite popular chefs. That will follow in posts to come. I have had quite a few requests for international vegetarian cuisine. Today I have for you a Spanish inspired dish that I served with white long grained rice and brown rice. You can also accompany it with Spanish Rice.

Tangy Three Pea in Sofrito served with Rice

I chose the Black Eyed Pea, CowPea and Split Pigeon Pea as I thought it would make for a very good combination and I was right it did! Black Eyed Pea is commonly made over New Year's. It is said to ward of 'Bad Eye' and helps kick start the New Year on a clean slate!

You need:

• 2 bell peppers - finely diced
• 2 cups Homemade Tomato puree or 1 cup crushed tomatoes *Note if using commercial tomato puree, you can add just one can
• 2 cups Black Eyed Peas
• 2 cups Cowpeas or Red Lobia
• 11/2 cups Split Pigeon-Pea or Toor Dal
• 1 tbsp ground pepper 
• 1 tbsp paprika (optional - additional 1 tbsp if you like it spicy)
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 large onions diced small
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 cup vegetable stock (or beef or chicken stock. You can also add  2 cups of sliced chorizo if you are opting for the non-veg option)
• 1 bay leaf
• Optional - 1 tsp Asafoetida powder
• 1 bunch cilantro finely diced
• 1-2 dried red chilies

The make:

Preparation time: 8 hrs, Cooking Time: 1 hour, Serves 4-6 adults

Last stir in



Showing off my 3-pea magic



1. Clean and soak the Black Eyed Peas and Cowpeas overnight with at least 2-3 cups more water than the quantity of peas. Drain off before use.
2. Make a sofrito of the tomato puree, bell peppers, paprika, garlic and salt. Sofrito is a basic tomato sauce that is used commonly all over Spain. I have not mentioned this separately in another recipe as I did not make the traditional one made with crushed tomatoes this time. I basically used my Homemade Tomato Puree along with the above mentioned ingredients. To make the Sofrito, heat 1 tbsp of Olive oil and saute the onions and garlic until translucent. Add the bell peppers and saute for another 5 mins. Lower the heat to avoid the veggies from burning and add the tomato puree or crushed tomatoes. Season with salt and paprika. Saute for another 5-10 minutes. Set aside
3. Cook the peas in a deep bottomed pot or pressure cook for 10-15 minutes with Asafoetida(optional) and ground pepper.
4. Saute the dried red chilis in Olive Oil for a minute and add the sofrito. Add the cooked peas to the sofrito and top with cilantro. Serve hot with Spanish Rice or white long grain rice.

Served up!

Goulash Soup (Gulasova Polievka) - (Czech/Slovak "Beef and Potatoes Soup")

I have been anxious to try out this recipe since our trip to Prague(Praha), Czech Republic. We lunched at a wonderfully appealing restaurant in Praha called "Leone and Anna" in Malostranske Namesti, right opposite the "Pillar of Black Plague" dedicated to the "Holy Trinity". The staff were super friendly and we had a good time at the restaurant. We had ordered the Goulash soup as it sounded enticing and filling as well as we had a long walk from the restaurant back to the Charles Bridge and beyond planned for that day. The soup is a traditional Czech soup which I learnt later was also incorporated in Slovak cooking and Hungarian cuisine(with a mild twist here and there). I am not sure whether in originated in Hungarian cooking or Slovak but its delicious nevertheless.

Goulash Soup - Beef and Potatoes - A Czech delight and mine too ;-) - Soul Food!

The soup at "Leone and Anna"...doesn't it look just rich and soulful? You can see from the rim of the soup bowl, the paprika and herbs..:)

Goulash Soup from our visit to 'Leone and Anna', Praha

I made sure to savor every bite at L& A..as I mentioned in my earlier posts that I prefer to taste, experience and try. Of course I made sure to also tap into the knowledge of the server for the day whilst he explained what all the soup contained. I tried this recipe and then checked online later this afternoon to find out the various ways it was made. This is my preferred version as it takes to the Indian palate as well as was savoured by my toddler this afternoon. 

You need:

Onions - finely cubed

Potatoes, Green Pepper and Tomato Puree

• 800 gms of beef (cut into small bite sized cubes with the fat and tendon tissue taken off as much as possible)
• 1 large purple onion (finely diced into cubes) or white 'Boiling Onions'
• Tomato Puree - 1-2 medium sized tomatoes ( http://gginaflavorspalatte.blogspot.in/2012/05/homemade-tomato-puree.html) - (you can also use 2 cups of store bought tomato puree or use 1 cup of homemade puree and in case your puree is thin then add 1 cup of store bought puree. I pre-made my puree and it was quite thick.
• 1 medium sized green pepper/capsicum- finely diced into cubes - I did not see this in the soup I had at L&A but I definitely tasted the same at another restaurant
• 2-3 tsps. of dried Oregano or Marjoram
• Salt to taste
• Cayenne Pepper - 1 tbsp or as per your taste
• Paprika Powder - 1 tbsp or as per your taste (Some people do add a lot of paprika but I was unsure if my toddler would be able to take it)
• Red pepper (optional as per taste) - again since this was for my toddler's lunch as well, I skipped it
• 1 tsp Black or Shahi Jeera (cumin seeds/Caraway seeds)
• 2 medium size potatoes - cubed small *equation of potatoes to beef is 1:1
• 1 cup of Beef Stock
• 5-6 cloves of garlic (crushed/grated)
• 1 tbsp of extravirgin olive oil or butter

 The preparation:

Cooking Time: 2 hrs and 10 minutes| Preparation Time: 1 hour|Serves 4 adults

This is a slow-cooking recipe wherein traditionally the Goulash is prepared in a clay pot over an open fire. It is a dish that is made at events where the beef is allowed to slowly cook in the clay pot whilst the guests enjoy socialising and drinking beer. I chose to go through an initial 10 minute cooking of the beef in a pressure cooker (of course the beef was not even half done in that time) wherein I acquired the beef stock(traditionally you acquire the beef stock during the browning process of the beef and/or you take the stock of beef bullion). I had pre-marinated my cleaned beef with 2 cloves of garlic and a dash of pepper(optional). Since I was using cooking gas, I did not have the option to allow the beef to stew over the pot on an open fire for 5 hrs (as cooking gas is not easily available where I stay at now). Neither do I have an induction based cooking range. The recipe turned out close to what I had tasted at my stay in Praha.

Beef Stock

1. Pressure cook the marinated beef (crushed garlic -2 cloves and pepper - salt was not added at this stage as it tends to harden the meat, even when slow cooking, the salt is added later). Drain the pressure cooked beef over a clean vessel so as to retain the stock. I gathered 2 cups (just in case, you do not have to add both cups in the making of this soup- store the rest in a glass bottle/jar for later use)

Saute onions till lightly brown

 2. This process that I now mention is used both in slow cooking process or the method I follow. Heat a large clay pot or non-stick pan, add some ExtraVirgin olive oil or butter(I added the EVOO as RR says:) ) and saute your onions till slightly brown as shown. Take out the onions and add the beef to the same pot allowing for browning. Then add the onions, green pepper and crushed garlic. Saute well. Cover and allow it to brown for the next 4-5 mins on medium flame.



3. Add the caraway seeds, oregano or marjoram, salt and stock(in the slow cooking process, beef bullion stock is used wherein the cubes are added to warm water and dissolved but I preferred making mine from scratch as its less saltier and I did not want to keep adjusting salt levels. Some cooks also just add water to the beef and allow it to stew thereby creating its own stock). Cover and allow cooking over the next 1-2 hrs on a low flame.

4. Check after the first hour on the status of the beef, stock level, etc. I added the first cup of my tomato puree at this stage. You can also add additional paprika if you like a more punchy/spicy taste. Some also use red peppers and lots of it. So that is optional too as per your family/guests needs. You can also add more oregano here if you like. I did.

Green Pepper goes in!

5. In the last half hour of the 2 hrs, add the cubed potatoes and give it a stir and then close again to allow the potatoes to blend in. You can also mash a few potatoes once cooked and give it a stir. You can also add cubed carrots but as I was trying to follow my taste to see if it turns out as per what I had in Praha, I did not add it this time! Maybe the next time:) I added  half a cup of additional stock here which I later learnt was not required. So next time just 1 cup of stock!

Toss in the potatoes

Some recipes has called for add in flour mixed with water to allow thickening but I certainly did not taste that in my dish. Some recipes also called for an addition of sour cream before serving. I did not add this however mashing of some of the potatoes I understand from experience allows for thickening. Also ensuring you do not add stock more that what is required otherwise the beef and veggies would be floating in clear soup!

Serve with dumplings, noodles or pasta of your choice! I have a few of my vegetarian friends and non-beef eaters - you can try this recipee with chicken, lamb or mutton(only if you get a good cut) or mushrooms/soya. Do let me know how it turns out! You can also try the Goulash with beef and pork!

Goulash soup ready!

This was what was for lunch this afternoon! I read that the Goulash soup gets better in flavour when tried the next day so I will wait and see what my hubby darlin' has to say about his Goulash soup for lunch tomorrow as I have plenty left for the three of us for tomorrow's lunch. Do try this out and let me know what you think my readers! Enjoy...Bon Appetit...