This is not the prettiest of pictures, in fact its a little hazy (in other words blurry) but I sill share it as it was delicious to eat.
It is Sweet Paprika Mushroom Strogonoff that I made in December after work in the evening, another reason why its not well lit. The sweet paprika made a wonderful change form the smoked variety.
The Hungarian Paprika Mushroom recipe comes from Entertaining Vegetarians by Celia Brooks. Celia's recipe is made with Chanterelle mushroom, but it is not easy to find them fresh in my part of the world, so I used some dried chanterelle mushrooms in the cupboard and rehydrated them. I also added some mangetout to the pot as I felt it needed a bit of crunch and colour, but once it was served up I realised the mangetout was not necessary and the burnished red tones imparted by the paprika gave it a warming glow that only made me feel happy eating it.
The last time I made Goulash was last year around Halloween.
Today, it was an unexpected meal as I decided to pick up some 'beef' style pieces from a health shop. It wasn't my favourite mock 'beef' meat as I found it a little powdery, but it was interesting to try. I adored the tones of lipstick red from the peppers and Merlot from the kidney beans in the bowl, and a warming orange glow from the carrots.
I think Goulash like most stews benefits being cooked a day before before tucking in as the flavours develop.
We had this 'Beef' Goulash simply with plain rice.
I am off work tomorrow - whoop whoop, so I am planning on making Thursday night my Friday night with some junk TV. Have a good evening.
Well make no mistake about its definitely Autumn and there is chill in the air. The big overcoats, snuggly scarves, knitted hats and mitts are coming out of the closet, or winter suitcase in my case.
When we got home a couple of days back, this is what we tucked into - home-made Pierogi - Polish dumplings. I am so pleased with my first attempt ever at making pierogi from scratch at home. I have to admit, there was flour every where and it was also a little fiddly (the crimping part especially), but once I got into the routine, it was pretty plain sailing.
I think the pierogis look very autumnal on the plate, what do you think?!
The pierogis were really really yummy and comforting to eat. I felt like I was getting a big hug from my Nanny (bless her soul). This is not the kind of meal to whip up on the day. It is best made a day or two in advance or even at the weekend when you have more time to potter around. Then when you get back home after long day out, all you have to do is simmer, then pan fry in a little olive oil. I really really enjoyed them pan fried, all golden and crisp, and so did my husband. The Pierogi made a fabulous change from our 30 minute pasta meals. Oh and I mustn't forget the greens on the side, steamed broccoli on the side.
