Day 72! Hungary - The Last of the "H" countries: Chicken Paprikash and Spaetzle - Up Next, Iceland

Way back in the day, I worked for a foster care agency. At the inexperienced and cocky age of 26, I had the dually awesome and terrifying responsibility of supervising kids placed in temporary foster homes. One of my favorite foster mothers was a Hungarian woman named Ava who welcomed me into her warm kitchen and showed me how to make Hungarian Chicken Paprikash and Spaetzle on one of my many visits. It's been a long time since I've seen Ava, but I have still have her recipe and I hope this does it justice!

Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia. Hungary's capital is Budapest.

Cuisine in this beautiful, ancient country is characterized by the traditions and customs of the Magyar, the primary ethnic group. Hungarians enjoy meats, seasonal fruits and vegetables, fresh bread, cheese and honey.

Hot paprika lends heat and spice to Hungarian food that most European countries do not share. Sweet paprika, garlic, black peppercorns and parsley are also commonly used to season soups, stews and many other dishes.

 Saute green peppers and onions

 Add chicken, lightly dusted with flour. The original recipes calls for bone in chicken pieces, but I didn't have any on hand, so I improvised with boneless chicken breast

 My love affair with sea salt continues...

 Ingredients for the spaetzle - flour, eggs, water, salt, melted butter

And I just really love this old bowl

 My in-house action-shot photographers were MIA, so it was virtually impossible to capture the technique used to form the spaetzle without dropping the knife on my foot or the camera in the pot - but you get the general idea...scrape about a spoonful of dough off the edge of the plate into boiling salted water. These are probably a little bigger than they should have been

The spaetzle are done when they rise to the surface of the boiling water, which they do very quickly and only the require a minute or two to cook through.

Hungarian Chicken Paprikash (Adapted from Ava's original recipe)

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 2 small peeled or canned tomatoes
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 2 Tbsp. Hungarian paprika
• 1 3 pound chicken, or about 2 lbs. boneless breasts or thighs
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• flour for dusting chicken
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Brown onions and add green peppers, pepper, paprika, salt and pepper. 
2. Lightly dust chicken with flour.
3. Add to onions and brown
4. Add tomatoes and simmer till cooked. 
5. Add sour cream, do not allow to boil as sour cream will curdle.
6. Serve atop spaetzle and be sure to ladle plenty of sauce ontop!

Hungarian Spaetzle

• 2-1/2 cups flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 tsp. salt
• Dash of pepper

1. Add flour, salt and pepper to a large mixing bowl.
2. Add water, eggs and melted butter.
3. Mix ingredients together until lumps are gone and dough is elastic, but  not stiff.
4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
5. Spoon batter onto a flat plate.
6. Using a knife or spoon, cut about a spoonful of batter at a time from the edge of the plate into the boiling water. The spaetzle will rise quickly to the surface, and only need a few minutes to cook once they've popped to the surface.
7. Remove spaetzle to a colander, giving them a quick rinse and drain.

Final Assessments:  If my boys could eat this once a week, they would. I, on the other hand, would have an ass the size of Hungary, so this dish shall forever remain a delicious, special treat. A+

Red Wine Pasta with Walnuts: Recipe for World Pasta Day

Pasta is my comfort food. It makes me happy to eat it, to cook it and even to look at it. I love all kinds of noodles from Italian to Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese and even Spanish noodles. I love the texture and the way noodles are chameleon-like, absorbing flavors and reflecting all kinds of cultures. Noodles have something to say, whether lowly instant ramen or handmade fettuccine tossed with butter and shavings of truffle. I have written about noodles many times and am always glad to participate in anything pasta related and this time, it's World Pasta Day!

I would not stop eating pasta for any reason, but it is good to know that pasta is not an "evil starch" but actually is a slowly absorbed carbohydrate, that has a low glycemic index. That means it does not cause sugar in the blood to rise as quickly as many other foods. Studies have shown that when eaten in healthy portions, pasta does not lead to weight gain, may be beneficial for those with diabetes, may reduce the risk of breast cancer, lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes and may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, prostate cancer. You can read more about it and see links to the medical research in Pasta for All.

I was looking for something new to do with pasta and I came across something not so new. It's a recipe that has been floating around in various incarnations for years. In my usual manner I looked at several recipes and mixed and matched until the recipe worked best for me. I don't want to say this recipe is weird, but cooking spaghetti in red wine gives it an unusual color and flavor. In addition to pasta, this recipe features red wine, walnuts, garlic and olive oil in it, so you can eat it for health or eat it because it tastes good! It has a very earthy and slight spicy flavor and is very pretty on the plate. The new plate by the way is from Villeroy & Boch. They sent me a couple of pieces to play with and I just love them.



Red Wine Pasta with WalnutsServes 4

Ingredients

1 pound spaghetti
3 cups fruity red wine
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 small garlic cloves, minced
Pinch of crushed red pepper, or to taste, but don't use too much!
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving

Instructions

Cook pasta in a pot of salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain then return the pasta to the pot and add the wine. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring from time to time, until wine is just about completely absorbed, 7 to 8 minutes.

Meanwhile in a dry skillet, toast the walnuts over medium heat for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Remove toasted nuts from the skillet and set aside. Return skillet and add the oil, heat over medium. Add the garlic and sprinkle with salt. Cook over moderate heat for 30 seconds. Add the parsley, walnuts and stir for a moment or two. Add the pasta and toss then add the cheese and continue tossing until well combined and glossy. Taste for seasonings, serve, passing additional grated cheese at the table if desired.

Enjoy!