The Cookbook

[George K]

Tonight's Dinner: Instant Pot Best Hungarian Goulash

• 4 tbsp (1/2 stick) of salted butter, divided in half
• 1 large Spanish onion, cut length-wise into strands
• 2 tbsp of paprika (regular, smoked or Hungarian is fine – since paprika is a key ingredient of this dish and if you wish to go heavier on it, add 1/4 cup instead)
• 1 tsp of caraway seeds
• 2-3 lbs of chuck roast, cut into bite-sized pieces (use this cut of meat for the best results and make sure it’s marbled – meaning strands of fat are visible)
• 1.5 cups of beef broth (I used 1.5 tsp of Beef Better Than Bouillon + 1.5 cups of water)
• 1/2 cup of a dry red wine, like a Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon (if you don’t wish to use wine, use another 1/2 cup of broth)
• 1 tbsp of white vinegar
• 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup of ketchup
• 3 tbsp of dark brown sugar
• 1 tbsp of seasoned salt
• 1 tsp of pepper
• 2 cups of baby carrots
• 2 tbsp of cornstarch + 2 tbsp of water to form a slurry (I think it’s perfect this way, but use 1/4 cup of each if you want the gravy very thick)
  Egg noodles, to serve the Goulash over (optional, but cook separately on the stove according to package)

Add 2 tbsp of the butter to the Instant Pot. Hit “Sauté” and adjust so it’s on the “More” or “High” setting

Once the butter’s melted and sizzlin’, add the onion to the pot and sauté for 3 minutes in the butter.

Then, add the caraway seed and paprika followed immediately by the other 2 tbsp of butter, stirring constantly so the paprika doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot too much. As the butter’s melting, we will also deglaze (scrape) the bottom of the pot to make sure it’s free and clear of any caked-on paprika

Add the meat and sauté/sear for only for 2-3 minutes, constantly stirring in the pot (it shouldn’t be fully cooked at all, just lightly browned/seared on the edges)

Add all the other ingredients except for the cornstarch slurry and egg noodles (if using, you’ll cook the noodles on the stove separately while the Goulash is pressure cooking)

Hit “Keep Warm/Cancel” and then hit “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” for 30 minutes at high pressure. Once done, allow a 10 min natural pressure release (also known as a “NPR” which means you do nothing for 10 minutes) and then follow it up with a quick release

Once the lid’s off, hit “Keep Warm/Cancel” again and then hit the “Sauté” button again and adjust so it’s on the “More” or “High” setting. Once it comes to a bubble, stir in the corn cornstarch slurry and let bubble for a minute and the sauce will have thickened to the perfect consistency

Serve over egg noodles (boiled on the stove separately), if desired

=-=-=-=-

3.5 out of 5 stars. I didn't have brown sugar, so I used regular sugar, but I doubt it mad much difference.

Made it with some oven-roasted potatoes as a side because Mrs. George is not a fan of noodles.

[Catseye3]

George, I recently redd a recipe that called for paprika, and the cook raved about these two paprikas: Pride of Szeged Sweet Paprika Powder and Pride of Szeged Hot Paprika Powder. She says if you have recipes you love that call for paprika, once you try these you will never have truck with the grocery store stuff again.

I haven't tried them, but she seemed credible, and I pass them along to you FWIW.

As to your recipe, it looks delish. I'm a little skeptical about the ketchup; can't decide if it's maybe overkill. Hard to say without trying it.

[Mik]

Fall is here, so it's time for comfort dishes. French ones, that is. Tonight is Chicken Normandy.

https://www.monpetitfour.com/chicken-normandy/

Ingredients

1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2" wedges
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp apple brandy (or regular brandy)
apple cider (also known as unfiltered apple juice), *see note
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage

Instructions

To a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Pat dry the chicken thighs and a pinch of salt and pepper to both sides of the thighs. Carefully place the thighs into the pot and cook each side until browned.

Remove the chicken thighs from the pot and temporarily set aside on a plate. Add the apple wedges to the pot and sauté for a few minutes until golden and caramelized. Place the apple wedges on a separate plate.

Turn down the heat to medium. To the pot, add the onions and brandy. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan. After a few minutes, when the onion has softened, add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Add the chicken back into the pot and pour in enough apple cider so that the chicken is mostly immersed in the cider, but not completely submerged. Raise the heat to high to bring the cider to a boil. Once it's boiling, turn down the heat to medium and cover the pot with a lid; cook for 5-7 minutes, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.

Remove the lid from the pot and stir in the cooked apples, mustard, cream, and chopped sage. Allow the mixture to simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes longer, until the sauce has reduced and thickened.

Serve each chicken thigh with a few apple wedges and some cream sauce poured over it. Enjoy immediately with French bread.

Notes

Depending on how deep/wide your pot is, you may need anywhere from 1.5 to 2 cups of apple cider.

[Mik]

Twas delicious. Pretty easy too. The sauce doesn’t get reall thick, so I definitely recommend plenty of crusty bread. Flavors were great.

[Mik]

Trying something new with Brussels Sprouts tonight (I love them, but MFR doesn''t. She's out of town)

With Grilled Halibut with prawns and lobster butter.

Smoky Lemony Shredded Brussels Sprout. I always shred mine. Better cooking that way.

https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-smoky-lemony-sauted-shredded-brussels-sprouts-recipes-from-the-kitchn-196909#post-recipe-10685

[Catseye3]

I am also a fan. This week I made a big panful of broccoli-Brussels sprouts-petite carrots medley sauteed in butter. That is how I discovered how tasty is pepper flakes with carrots.

[Mik]

Turned out great. I would probably add more smoked paprika.

[George K]

@Mik I've developed a taste for Brussel sprouts in the last few years. Had some last night (frozen, in a steamer bag, but I was lazy).

This looks like a nice recipe. How did you shred them?

[Mik]

With a knife. Cut ends off then slice them lengthwise. I think they cook better and it brings out the natural sweetness. Don’t think they cook evenly whole.

[Mik]

Tonight's repast, found and requested by My Favorite Redhead. Will use less sausage - that's a LOT for half a pound of pasta. Our servings will be about 1/4 of this recipe, two oz of pasta.

https://www.saltandlavender.com/wprm_print/41612

Orecchiette with Sausage and Spinach

Ingredients

8 ounces uncooked orecchiette pasta
16 ounces Italian sausages see note
1/2 medium onion chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach
2 tablespoons fresh basil optional
Salt & pepper to taste
For serving: freshly grated parmesan cheese optional, to taste

Instructions

Cook the pasta al dente according to package directions.

Meanwhile, crumble the sausage meat into a skillet (take it out of casings if using whole sausages). Add the onion to the skillet as well, and sauté over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes or until it's cooked through and nicely browned. If there's more than about 1-2 tablespoons of fat left in the skillet, spoon out the excess, but be sure to leave some since we're not adding any extra butter or oil.

Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the garlic and Dijon mustard (cook for about 30 seconds).

Pour in the wine and cook until reduced by half (about 1-2 minutes).

Add in the spinach and basil. Toss (using tongs or two large spoons) until the spinach has wilted, then add in the drained pasta and toss again.

Season with salt & pepper as needed. Serve immediately with freshly grated parmesan cheese over top.

Notes

There is quite a lot of sausage in the sauce, so you could definitely get away with using a bit less than the full pound. Here in Canada, Johnsonville sausages come in a 500g pack (that's just over a pound, and I find it easiest to just use the whole thing). Whatever brand you like best will work just fine, and you can either take the sausage meat out of the casings or just use ground sausage meat.

Nutrition
Calories: 643kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 860mg | Potassium: 596mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2164IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 3mg

[Mik]

Pretty tasty!

[Aqua Letifer]

@Mik said in The Cookbook:

Pretty tasty!

Would you mind telling me what that kind of pasta is called? I know the story behind it but couldn't find it in the store, and I sounded like a crazy person trying to explain it.

[George K]

@Aqua-Letifer said in The Cookbook:

Would you mind telling me what that kind of pasta is called?

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=orecchiette&crid=101W1OT5U5X8S&sprefix=orecchiette%2Caps%2C126&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

But none of them look like what's in @Mik's picture.

[Mik]

It's a new pasta, not Italian, called Cascatelli. Interesting story, like below. Right now it's only available from Sfoglini and pretty pricey.

https://www.eater.com/2021/3/22/22344801/dan-pashman-creates-new-pasta-cascatelli-with-sfoglini

[George K]

@Mik said in The Cookbook:

https://www.eater.com/2021/3/22/22344801/dan-pashman-creates-new-pasta-cascatelli-with-sfoglini

OK, so being the philistine I am, is there really a difference in pastas beside the shape?

I mean, I understand how one might want a specific shape to grab and hold whatever sauce you're making with it.

But, spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine....they're all the same, right?

Philistine...

[Mik]

They're pretty much all made out of the same stuff, yeah. I think the variations are in the bite and mouthfeel. I personally don't care much for fettucine, preferring bucatini which is essentially fat spaghetti.

Me, I'm not all that fond of cascatelli, but had to buy some to find out.

[Mik]

MFR again requested a recipe she found. Since I made her eat grilled trout last night, I guess I will make it for her. It does sound good. Using pork tenderloin that has been in freezer for like 3 years. Vacuum sealed so should be fine. Will be substituting agave and maple syrup for some of the honey.

https://www.thereciperebel.com/honey-garlic-pork-tenderloin-recipe/#wprm-recipe-container-28473

[Mik]

This was very, very good. Would make again.

By the way, the Recipe Rebel site l linked above has some really great, fast delicious looking dinners. One more I ordered the stuff for is one George would like. Pierogies and smoked sausage.

https://www.thereciperebel.com/perogies-and-sausage-skillet/

[George K]

@Mik thanks for that link.

Lots of good stuff there, some of which Mrs. George might like. She doesn't like "saucy" things.

I know, I know, Cicero girl....

[Mik]

Thought you might like it. I see a lot of the food blogs, but not many that I think are pretty great.