Hungarian kolache pastries

1/8 cup hot water
1/6 cup melted butter
3/4 milk, warm
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp yeast
2 1/2 - 3 1/2 cups flour
sugar
cinnamon

In a large bowl, mix together water, butter, milk and sugar. Sprinkle yeast on top and stir once. Wait about ten minutes until the top is foamy.

Add egg and salt, beating well. Stir in 2 cups flour and mix well. Wait ten minutes.

Knead in flour one half cup at a time until smooth and elastic. Don't add in more flour than needed - you want these to be nice and fluffy!

Put the dough back in the bowl (oiled) and cover gently with plastic wrap. Let rise an hour or until doubled in size. Punch the dough down.



Lightly flour a clean countertop. Roll the dough out into a rectangle. It should be about a pinkie finger's thickness. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into eight long strips.



Using a brush, paint oil onto the kolache stick. While one person holds the stick, the second person can wrap a strip of dough around it. Leave a thin space between the strips to where you can just barely see the wood. Keep going, pinching the ends of each strip to make them stick to each other.



Sprinkle sugar onto a cookie sheet and roll the dough to lightly coat it.



Bake the kolache over hot coals, turning slowly the whole time to avoid burning. Once the strips puff up and start to brown, they are done.





Sprinkle cinnamon sugar onto a cookie sheet and roll the hot kolache through it to coat. Eat hot!







This recipe make 2-3 kolache pastries.

Authentic Hungarian Goulash

A recipe from my favorite babushka in Budapest.

1 lb pork stew meat, cubed
1 lb beef stew meat, cubed
1 large onion, chopped
3 Tbsp paprika
salt
2 tsp carraway seeds
1/2 tsp pepper
2 carrots, diced
2 parsnips, diced
2-3 sweet peppers, diced
4 med potatoes, diced
2-3 cloves, crushed
2 tsp beef bouillon
1-2 Tbsp oil

Over high heat in a large pot, brown beef and pork in oil.

In a second pan, sauté the onions to yellow. Add onions to meat. Add paprika, garlic, salt (about 1/4 tsp), carraway seeds, pepper and bouillon. Add 1 quart of water. Simmer for 30 minutes on low heat.

Add carrots, parsnips and sweet peppers. Simmer 30 minutes.

Add potatoes and simmer another 30 minutes.

Taste the liquid and add more spices, salt and pepper as needed. Serve with crusty bread or croutons.

Hungarian apricot bread

Okay, so it's not actually a Hungarian recipe...but I did make it for the first time while in Hungary.

1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup oatmeal
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
2/3 cup peach or apricot yogurt
12 large ripe apricots- peeled, pitted and diced

In a large bowl, combine flour, oatmeal, sugar, salt, baking powder and spices. Add vegetable oil, egg and yogurt; mix well. Fold in diced apricots. Pour into geased loaf pan. Bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Hungarian cherry soup

To answer your question, yes this is served as a main course and not a dessert. But you can do whatever makes you happy.

1 1/3 lb pitted sour cherries
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp lemon zest
cinnamon stick
1-2 cloves
1 Tbsp flour
3/4 cup sour cream

In a large saucepan, combine cherries, sugar, lemon and spices. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick.

Slowly mix flour into sour cream until smooth. Stir into cherry mixture to thicken. Cool completely, then chill in fridge.

Serve in a bowl, topped with fresh whipped cream.

Mood-altering paprikash

I made this the other night after a long day. It looked burned, unappetizing and I was frustrated and hungry. I wanted to toss it in the trash and make PBJs instead, but the voice of reason (Jonathan) seemed to think it would be okay. Actually, it was awesome!! A definite comfort food with a kick. Perfect for a weeknight.

4 chicken legs
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1-2 crushed garlic cloves
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp Hungarian paprika
salt

In a bowl mix the onions, garlic, butter, water and paprika. Place chicken legs in a baking dish and cover with onion mixture. Bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees, stirring occasionally, until internal temperature of chicken reaches 175 degrees and juices run clear.

Remove the chicken legs and set aside. Pour the onion mixture into a frying pan, scrapping the dish to get all the yummy chicken bits. Add cream and milk. Heat slowly, not allowing it to boil.

Once the chicken has cooled a bit, pull meat from bone and add to sauce.

Serve over hot egg noodles.

Hungarian paprika chicken

Truth be told, I actually used halal turkey bosoms rather than chicken. But I think it would be great with chicken and Jonathan wants me to try it on pork.

Marinade:

2 Tbsp paprika (I used half sweet, half hot)
2 Tbsp honey
2 tsp white vinegar
4 cloves crushed garlic
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Mix together marinade and pour over 1 lb thinly sliced chicken strips. Let marinate at least 20 minutes then place chicken on lightly oiled tray. Bake in preheated oven at 400 degree for 15-20 minutes, depending on thickness of strips. No pink is good, over-cooked is not!

Serving suggestions:- as a stir-fry base by adding veggies and sauteeing
- spicy BBQ sandwich alternative (make separate batch of marinade to pour over sandwiches)
- pizza topping
- over salad with honey mustard dressing