Fall broth with acorn squash and kale

Soups are a staple in the Hungarian kitchen, for gathering it is expected to have at least a soup and a main course, and all kids love a good, simple soup. I chose to cook Hungarian until the kids were home as for me cultural identity is an equal mix of food, language, books, traditions, music, and more.. and food takes a highly elevated position :). Now that we are "home alone", also known as empty nesters, I can venture to any taste, any time. Having loads of time at disposal, and no worries about schedules and college admission, also gave me the patients to follow recipes, which I notoriously avoided up till now.

First documented trial is an adaptation of a soup recipe from "Sunday Soup", in an attempt to make smaller portions suitable for the two of us, and maybe even for the kids to try.

 Ingredients

1/2 acorn squash, approximately 350 - 400 g peeled, chopped into about 2x2 cm cubes

1 package bacon, anything between 100-150g

1 medium sized onion

1/2 cup pappardelle pasta, about 2 small handfuls

1.5 liters chicken broth (6 cups), or 1 liter broth + 0.5 liter water, aka 4 cups broth + 2 cups water

1 bunch of kale, maybe about 150g, coarsely chopped or torn in stripes (original recipe asked for Swiss chard, I may try it next time) it should loosely yield about 0.5 liter (loosely fill about 2 cups)

paprika powder (you can omit the paprika powder if you prefer a transparent, pale broth)

pinch of cayenne pepper, and a small red chili pepper for spiciness and serving

5 cm x 5 cm piece or1/2 cup coarsely grated parmigiano reggiano

Preparation

Prepare the acorn squash by cutting in half, peeling it, cutting it into 4-5 slices as it is more convenient, and then cut them into about  2x2 cm, or 3/4x3/4" cubes. We will use only half in this recipe, reserved the other half for later.

Slice the bacon and finely chop the onions (you should have about 200-250 ml, slightly shy of 1 cup), and set aside until you prepare the bacon. 

Saute the sliced bacon in medium size pot (about 4 liters / 4 quarts) util golden brown and crisp. Remoce the bacon from the pot, set aside on a paper towel to remove excess fat.

Add the onions into the hot bacon fat and saute until they get that golden, translucent shine. Remove from the heat and add 1 tsp paprika powder. Stir until combined with the fat. Place it back to the heat and add a cup of broth. Let it simmer for 2 minutes.

Add the cubed acorn squash and pappardelle pasta with  the remaining liquid (broth, or broth+water).

Let it simmer for 13 minutes, as it is indicated on the pappardelle cooking instructions.

Add the kale, and boil for another 2 minutes.

Serve with the small red chili pepper and add some freshly grated, or the coarsely grated parmigiano reggiano.

Bon appetite!

Green pea pottage

 

A family favorite, but I never thought about adding it to the blog because I did not have a recipe, as usual. I cook what I ate a child, stick my nose in the pot, and adjust the taste. It's such a simple dish, too... Why would anybody not Hungarian cook it?

The reason it's here now is my BFF, Janine, who asked for the recipe for her kids at our last get together.  While it's been at least two months, I finally have it to share.. 

Traditionally Hungarian, but adjusted to our own taste, as we don't like the white thickening added to it originally, and I definitely add lots of ingredients that are stolen from some international kitchens.

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

cooking oil, I use avocado or sunflower oil

1 medium or 1/2 large yellow onion

3 pounds frown green peas

1 cup bone stock

2 tbsp all purpose flour

paprika powder, salt, pepper

2-3 tbsp of mild or spicy red pepper/tomato/garlic sauce, a kinda salsa. I use pinjur, adjika, ajvar, or just spicy red pepper paste, whatever I have in the fridge. I also prefer the spicy version of each, but whichever works for you.

1-2 tbsp fresh salsa, but again, just chop a tomato and some fresh onion, or leave it out completely. I like the taste of the fresh tomatoes from the salsa in addition to the pepper paste from above.

Sometimes I throw in a tsp of chopped lovage leaves, but it is not necessary.

Additions

Serve with sunny side u eggs, fried bacon, fried sausage, or just plain

The best part? Ready in 30 minutes.

Chop the onions. Heat some oil at the bottom of a 3 quart casserole dish and sauté the onions until golden, with some (or none) browned spots.

Remove from the heat, add a tbsp paprika powder and mix well with the oil and onions. Reduce to medium heat, place the dish back to the heat, add a good dash (2-3 tbsp) of water, and cook stirring continuously until the water evaporates.

Add the frozen peas, let them thaw a bit, then add 1 cup of bone broth (could be water), and  1/4 cup of water. A total of 2 1/4 cups, or 600 ml (250 ml bone broth, 350 water).

Add a tsp of salt, black pepper to taste (I confess, if I cook that's 1 tsp black pepper 😋),  add the adjika, the fresh salsa, and bring to simmer. Cover the dish, and let it simmer for 8-ish minutes.

Meanwhile in a small sauce pan add  2-3 tbsp oil, heat it up, add 2 tbsp flour, and make a light roux. We will use it to thicken the pottage. You can still ad a tsp of paprika 😜 if  you feel the Hungarian gods whispering in your ear "more paprika". Oh, well, or just stick to the roux.

Add the roux to the pea pottage while still simmering, mix it well, and let the roux thicken the pottage while stirring continuously. If you feel like there isn't enough sauce around the peas, just add another 1/2 cup of water (125 ml). If you added some extra water mix it thoroughly until the sauce is evenly covering your peas like a shiny velvety blanket.

Let it sit for a few minutes while the eggs, sausage and bacon is ready.

Voilá!

Serve with fresh bread, it is just heavenly to dip the bread in the sauce and clean the plate with it, instead of licking it.😉

Bon appétit!

OBS.

If you don't have adjuka, ajvar, or salsa, no worries. Just chop 2 medium mild or spicy red peppers, 2-3 medium to large tomatoes, and 2-3 garlic cloves. Add them at the beginning after sautéing the onions, and let them cook thorough before adding the peas. 

Gnocchi with butternut squash and gold beet

It's summer, and a verrrrrry hot one, no good (by Trump :D).
It means we don't really feel like eating all the meaty meals, but would rather stick to a lighter one. 
Speaking for myself, I was also in for something new.
Gnocchi is known as an italian potato dumpling, but it is actually a Hungarian pasta as well that's running under the name of nudli.
It is one of my childhood favorites with nothing but tossed in roasted bredcrumbs and a pinch of salt.
Today I was in for some boost from those beautiful butternut squashes I found, as well as the bunch of fresh golden beets. The outcome got a thumbs up from every family member.

The nudli (gnocchi) could be home made, but I was way too lazy and settled with some store bought ones, more precicely some Costco bought gnocchis. Worth every penny, not to mention that $5.9. A steel..
The topping is also very simple, and could be a side dish on its own.

Butternut squash topping (baked for 30 min at 350F/180 C)
Ingredients
1 medium sized squash
4 garlic heads
salt (about a small teaspoon, but alter based on your taste, try with less and add salt as needed)
freshly grated peppercorn mix
olive oil (2-3 tbs)

Gold beet topping (baked for 20 min at 350F/180 C)
Ingredients
2 large gold beets, peeled
2 garlic heads
salt (a large pinch, but alter based on your taste, try with less and add salt as needed)
freshly grated peppercorn mix
olive oil (2 tbs)

Gnocchi
1 bag (16 oz) home made, or store bough gnocchi

Fresh leaves
Fresh beet leaves, thinly sliced (try other salads, too, I think a rucola could work well)
or pea shoots

Serving
fresh-fried bacon slices

Preheat the oven to 350F, 180 C. Lay parchment paper in two smaller, or one large tray. I used two smaller ones because I removed the beets a bit earlier from the oven, and it was way more convenient to remove the whole tray than scoop them out from the larger one. However, if you have one large tray, go for it, it might be a bit of inconvenience, but all worth it.

Peel the butternut squash, slice and chop into about 1"x1" cubes, maybe a bit smaller, like 2x2 cm.
Slice the gold beets as well into 1/6" thin slices, about 2-3 mm thin.
Place a parchment paper in both trays and spread the squash cubes into one, and the gold beet slices into the other. Sprinkle with salt, ground a little peppercorn on top, and drizzle with olive oil, until they are lightly coated.  Mix with your fingers, or just joggle the trays to coat them.
Place them uncovered in the preheated oven, and bake for 10 minutes.
Turn the beets, mix in lightly the squash, and bake for additional 10 minutes.
Now you can remove the beets, and leave the squash for additional 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven.
Prepare the gnocchi/nudli according to the instructions, and serve while hot, topped with some bacon and beet leaves.
Enjoy!

Bon appétit!

Ham with apples & bacon in Dutch oven

Today is the all or nothing day on my blog :).
I am so dead tired from finishing the grill paving this morning, that I prefer to hit the keys only while enjoying the evening chill in San Diego.
I have a meat eater in the family, and I must share this recipe, because while my kids love my cooking, in general, the youngest confessed with a big sigh that our paving guy might be an even better cook than I am, but quickly continued: "when it comes to meats" :D.
Well, he is absolutely right, I am everything but a meat eater.. But this one, this one was sooo goood...

Ingredients
pork loin (it was that large loin from Costco, maybe 3-4 pounds)
about 6 slices of bacon
2 apples
spice mix (he used Vegeta from Podravka ), I'd advice 1/2 tsp of spice/ pound of meat, but you can use any pork meat spice mix you like. Like Magyaros fuszerkeverek
additional black pepper, 1/2 tsp (only if the mix doesn't have yet)
additional paprika, 1/2 tsp  (only if the spice mix doesn't have it yet)
1/2 cup beer

Recommendations:
Serve baked potatoes and baked yams on the side. Wrap them in aluminum foil, and baked them in the last 60 minutes together with the ham.

The most difficult part of this exercise is poking holes in the meat, and trying to push through the slices of bacon. However, do not skip this move!, the loin by itself is very dry, and you'll be less than satisfied with your end result.
Place the meat in a dutch oven. Luckily I have an oval one, and could fit a 15 inch long meat in it. Pick your size by the Dutch oven size, and your family size, obviously. This portion will fill 5 people easily.
Place the ham in the oven, sprinkle the spice mix on the top, place the bacon slices on the meat, place the apple slices to the sides of the loin, and last but not least pour the beer (optional).


Cover with lid, and bake at 350F for at least 2 hours. The baking time will also depend on the meat size, I usually allow 1 hour / kg, eg. 30 minutes / pound, not counting the first 30 minutes, when I basically warm up both the meat and the oven. Take it out and spoon the juice on top of the meat every now and then, to make it shiny and crispy.
60 minutes before the end of your baking time, place the potatoes and yams on the oven shelf wrapped in aluminum foil, and bake them together with the ham.
Remove lid and let it broil for the last 15 minutes.
Remove from oven, and serve immediately while hot.

I liked it sooooooooooooooo much, that it will be a regular meal on our table. It is easy, filling, and it satisfies a festive table setting, too. If you are not a big meat eater, prepare it at least for Xmas. You won't be disappointed!
Bonn appetite!

OBS: you can make your own spice mix by mixing salt, garlic powder, minced coriander seeds, minced caraway seeds, black pepper, paprika, marjoram, minced nutmeg, dried thyme, or a combination of these..

Bacon bomb

Uhh... I found a video of a guy making this beautiful bacon flower pan and I just couldn't resist.
Unfortunately bacon is one of the reasons I'm not a vegetarian yet, so this was a big temptation.

I made some mistake in the process, and learned what would make it better. In general it was an OK comfort meal, ut believe me, it was so HEAVY, and filling, that it won't be on our table often unless we get some teenagers over :).
Obviously I made it with Costco's golden potatoes, as they are so great for most potato meals with their rich yellow color and flavor.
I also used cheddar cheese, the shredded mild cheddar, but I think a sticky and less fatty mozzarella would be a better match. Next time...

Ingredients
2 pounds (1 kg) bacon
3 pounds gold potatoes
1 pound cheese -
salt, pepper to taste 

Peel and slice 3 pounds of golden potatoes. What I learned from making this dish is, that the potatoes should be sliced as thinly as possible or they'll never cook.In a pan arrange the bacon in a circle, preparing it like a crust :).

Do not start all slices from the middle, offset them with 0.5, even 1 inch, and start every 4th from the middle only or you'll end with a big bump in the middle..

Next arrange the potato sliced circular, with the larges slices on the outside and smaller ones in the middle.Not that it would really matter from the taste's point of view, it is just easier to arrange them.

You can sprinkle a little salt and pepper on the potatoes before adding the next layer of... cheeese!

Grate the cheese and sprinkle a thin even layer on top of the potatoes. I guess I little overdone this layer, it was pretty thick even after it melted :).
Next time thinner layer of cheese and probably one of mozzarella instead of cheddar.
Looks great though, like a sunflower :).

Repeat the layering twice or three times more, and finish with the cheese.
As you go towards the top, make the circles smaller, so it forms a kinda peak at the end.

Now comes the fun part, fold back all the bacon to nicely cover the potato/cheese mountain, and place it on a tray and the preheated in the oven for about 2.5 - 3 hours (yeah, right?).
The temperature can be anything between 400-430 F, 200-225C.
Takes time until it bakes together, so plan ahead if you wish to have this for dinner. Good part though, ones is in the oven there is nothing you should do. Except maybe pour the melted bacon fat out from the pan after about 2 hours, so that the bottom doesn't sit in it.
I ended up turning it at the end to broil the bacon on the bottom as well, 'cause bacon is heavenly if crisp only.

Optionally you can serve it with cold yogurt..
Bonn appetite!

Notes:
Place a plate on top of the potato "cake", pour the fat by tilting it slightly, and with a decided move flip the cake onto the plate, than slid it slowly back in the pot.
Grab the handle with a SILICON glove!!

Baked avocado topped fresh/toasted bread

Fresh bread always brings out the bright side of people, and there it was, waiting for me on the table.
I had a very nice experience last time with the fresh avocado/balsamic vinegar combination, so I thought let's try something new, with avocado, pepper and salt. We live in California, or what? :)
I found a recipe on the California Avocado and decided to give it a try..
It is a baked avocado, with an egg & bacon in the middle, scooped on a slice of fresh bread. I intended to make it for breakfast, but I think I can settle with it instead of lunch too :).
Baked (warm??) avocado would have been weird at first look hadn't I eaten grilled avocado in Helsinki.. Hmmm.. Really good memories.
For a vegetarian meal leave the bacon out and add some semi-hard cheese crumbles on top (Halloumi cheese would be perfect I imagine).

Ingredients (makes 1 or 2 servings, depending on you appetite)
1 large avocado
2 small eggs
salt to taste
fresh ground pepper
2 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled
~4 slices of bread

Preheat the oven to 215 C (425 F). 

Cut the avocado in two, remove the seed,  and scoop (if wanted) some more avocado out to make the hole bigger. Place the avocado in a small, oven proof container to help keep it straight.
Use a plate to crack the egg(s), and with a spoon carefully scoop the egg in the avocado half. Repeat with the other egg and the other avocado half.
You can crack the egg directly in the avocado, I just found it easier to make sure it won't spill all over. Plus, the egg was bigger than the hole, so I had to leave some egg white out.
Sprinkle some salt & pepper on top, and finally add the crumbled bacon.

Bake them for 15 minutes (I even broiled it for 5 minutes, but it might not be needed). You can adjust the baking time depending on how you like your eggs, more or less cooked. This will be a semi-hard egg, with the egg white cooked, and the egg yolk partially cooked, still runny in parts.
Serve immediately on top of a fresh bread slice, or on top of a toast, depending what you have at hand. Salt to taste and sprinkle some more fresh ground pepper if desired.
Bon appetite!