A Hungarian Dream

My grandparents on my mother's side are both first-generation Americans. All four of their parents immigrated from Hungary. Every year while I was growing up, my mom made this dish called chicken paprikas and nokedli. Once I became vegetarian, she adapted the recipe for me by making a mushroom paprikas. This meal is one of my all time favorite comfort food meals. The sauce for the heavy flour dumplings (the nokedli) is full of paprika and sour cream. The original recipe does not have any mushrooms in the paprikas, but Adam thinks they should be added to the meat version also. I served the paprikas and nokedli with some steamed broccoli for a little bit of healthiness, and we finished off the meal with Refrigerator Cake. Refrigerator Cake is my grandmother's specialty of graham crackers layered with chocolate and topped with whipped cream. All in all, this meal was a huge hit!


Paprikas csirke

Please excuse the spelling. No one was quite sure how to spell these dishes in my family, so we did the best we could. This is the recipe for the chicken. To make the vegetarian version, simply omit the chicken and add 1 lb. mixed mushrooms, sliced.

1 onion, chopped
1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
1-2 Tbs. paprika
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups sour cream
2 Tbs. flour

1. Brown the onion in a large, deep skillet with a bit of olive oil.
2. Add the chicken and cook until browned as well. Then, add water to cover the chicken, the paprika, and the tomato sauce. Simmer until the chicken is fully cooked, approximately 30 minutes.
3. Mix together the sour cream and flour, and then slowly add the mixture to the chicken. Serve over nokedli.


Nokedli

I have always ended up doubling this recipe. I will give it as my mother has given it to me, but know that you will probably want to make at least two batches.

2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
2 cups flour
water

1. Mix together the eggs, salt, and flour. Slowly add water to the mixture until you can stir the mixture and it is slightly wet. It will be very sticky, but you should be able to portion it with a spoon.
2. Drop small spoonfuls of the dough into salted boiling water. Cook until the nodekli rise to the surface. You may have to do this process in batches if you are making a double batch, depending on the size of you pot.


Refrigerator Cake

I know this recipe sounds really simple, and it is, but it is absolutely delicious. My friend Scott literally thought about it and asked for it again when he came over later that week. I have now promised to make it for his birthday.

3 eggs, separated
6 oz. chocolate chips
1/2 cup sugar
5 Tbs. prepared coffee
1 Tbs. vanilla
graham crackers, at least one package depending on size of dish

1. Separate the eggs. Whip the egg yolks until fluffy.
2. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Temper the egg yolks by adding a bit of the hot chocolate to them, and then add the yolks to the chocolate. Add the sugar, coffee, and vanilla. Cook the mixture over low heat while stirring constantly for 15 minutes.
3. Beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture after adding a bit of the chocolate mixture to the egg whites, tempering them as you did the yolks.
4. Layer the graham crackers with the chocolate mixture so that you have a layer of graham crackers, chocolate, graham crackers, chocolate, and then graham crackers. Refrigerate for at least 1 to 2 hours. Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Spring Dumplings

I love dumplings. In any shape or form, I love dumplings. And, Vegetarian Planet has an entire section on making unique dumplings. We chose one that seemed to fit the springy California weather. They were light and fluffy with a fresh fennel and tomato base. Paired with sauteed chard in garlic, the dumplings were a wonderful spring meal.


Chevre Quenelles in Fennel and Tomato Sauce (Vegetarian Planet, Didi Emmons)

Quenelles
1/2 cup water
3 Tbs. butter
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs. unbleached white flour
2 eggs
6 Tbs. crumbled chevre (goat cheese), about 2 oz.
salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
2 egg whites

Fennel and Tomato Sauce
1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 medium fennel bulb, chopped fine (about 2 cups)
3 medium tomatoes (about 1 lb.), chopped
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp. salt
fresh-ground black pepper to taste

2 Tbs. chopped parsley

1. Make the quenelles: In a heavy saucepan, hea the water with the butter. When the mixture begins to simmer, take the pan off the heat, immediately add all of the flour, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon. Replace the pan over medium heat, and stir constantly until the dough comes away from the side of the pan and begins to form a ball. Remove the pan from theheat again, and add the eggs one at a time, beating hard until the dough is smooth. Add the goat cheese and salt and pepper, and again beat until the dough is smooth. Let it cool for 10 minutes.
2. Beat the egg whites to soft peaks with a pinch of salt, and fold them gently into the goat-cheese mixture. Chill the dough for 1/2 hour to 24 hours, so that it will be easier to handle.
3. Make the sauce: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and fennel, and saute until the onion and fennel soften, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and water, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add the salt and pepper, and remove the skillet from the heat.
4. Bring at least 4 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large saucepan or pot. Spoon the dough, about 1 Tbs. at a time, into the simmering water, fitting as many quenelles into the ot as you can without crowding them. Simmer them for 10 minutes, turning them over after 5 minutes. Remove the quenelles with a slotted spoon, and transfer them to paper towels.
5. Warm the fennel and tomato sauce, divide it among plates, then place the quenelles on top. Garnish with the chopped parsley, and serve.