Babička’s Simple Czech Goulash


Date Published: May 16th, 2023 | Last Updated: May 16th, 2023
Author: Abby |Category: mains, easy
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 2.5 hrs

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‘Goulash’ is a stew or soup made with meat and vegetables and usually using paprika as the main spice. It originates from Central Europe and there are LOTS of different variations of it between countries and so many different ways to make it. This recipe is Toby’s babička’s (grandmother’s) version of a simple goulash. It’s one of Toby’s favourite dishes so she taught us how to make it when we visited in Czech last summer. When I first made it on my own I had to guestimate the amounts of everything since true to old school universal grandma cooking, everything was made by ‘taste’, ‘feel’, and ‘eyeballing it until it looks right’ 😅. I’m happy to report that this recipe is Toby-approved to be just like his babička’s version.

In Czech Republic a goulash is commonly served with bread dumplings (knedliky) and a few slices of red onion, but you can choose whatever carb you wish. Toby’s favourite way is mixed with pasta noodles so it’s more of a pasta dish rather than a soup/stew – it’s not traditional, but he loves it so that’s how I make it every time!

A goulash can be a great way to use up leftover meat and veg in the fridge. The ingredients are pretty forgiving as long as you use paprika and caraway seeds for the seasoning to give it that Czech touch. Toby’s family friends once made goulash using wallaby meat when they visited in Australia!

This recipe seems long with lots of steps, but it’s actually pretty once all the prep work is done. The hardest part is waiting for it to be done!

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • 500g yellow onion, diced (the ratio of onion to meat is 1:2)
  • 1kg beef chuck or shank or pork, diced into 3-4cm pieces
  • 3 Tbsps paprika (try to get the best quality you can find)
  • 2 Tbsps whole caraway seeds
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp salt (more to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 500g white mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 Tbsp Cornstarch
  • Serve with bread, dumplings, rice, or noodles

Directions:

In a medium pot on MED heat, sauté the onion in a drizzle of oil until it caramelizes/ turns brown then remove from the pot and set aside.

Next, in the same pot, turn the heat up to MED-HIGH and add another drizzle of oil. Splash a drop of water into the pot and if it sizzles, it’s hot enough and ready to use. Add in the diced meat and sear until the sides are browned (~5-8 seconds per side). Do not overcrowd the pot – only add enough meat to fit in a single uncrowded layer. You may have to sear the meat in a few batches. If you add in too much meat at once, the juices will come out and you’ll end up boiling the meat.

Once all the meat is seared, turn the heat back down to MEDIUM and put all the meat back into the pot along with the caramelized onions. Then add in the paprika, salt, caraway seeds, garlic, and mushrooms. Stir until combined and cook until the mushrooms are tender ~5 mins.

After 15 mins
After 2 hours – I didn’t need to add any water in this batch

Once the mushrooms are tender and have released their liquid, put the lid on and simmer everything on LOW heat until the beef is tender and easy to break with a spoon, ~ 2 hours. Check on it and stir every 15 mins. If the sauce is disappearing and getting a little dry, add in enough water to cover half of the meat each time. The amount of water to add will depend on how much liquid gets released by the mushrooms and how much evaporates over this time. Every time I’ve made this the amount of water changes. In some instances I haven’t had to add any water at all!

While you’re waiting for the goulash to cook, prepare your carb of choice to go with the goulash.

Once the meat is cooked, add in the cornstarch by making a slurry of it in a small bowl with a few spoonfuls of the liquid from the pot. Once all the cornstarch is dissolved, pour it into the pot and mix it around. Feel free to add more cornstarch if you prefer a thicker stew. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Done!

Serve with your choice of carb: dumplings, bread, rice, or noodles. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Babička’s Simple Czech Goulash

Date Published: May 16th, 2023 | Last Updated: May 16th, 2023
Author: Abby |Category: mains, easy
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 2.5 hrs

Ingredients:

  • 500g yellow onion, diced (the ratio of onion to meat is 1:2)
  • 1kg beef chuck or shank or pork, diced into 3-4cm pieces
  • 3 Tbsps paprika (try to get the best quality you can find)
  • 2 Tbsps whole caraway seeds
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp salt (more to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 500g white mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 Tbsp Cornstarch
  • Serve with bread, dumplings, rice, or noodles

Directions:

  1. In a medium pot on MED heat, sauté the onion in a drizzle of oil until it caramelizes/ turns brown then remove from the pot and set aside.
  2. Next, in the same pot, turn the heat up to MED-HIGH and add another drizzle of oil. Splash a drop of water into the pot and if it sizzles, it’s hot enough and ready to use. Add in the diced meat and sear until the sides are browned (~5-8 seconds per side).
    • Do not overcrowd the pot – only add enough meat to fit in a single uncrowded layer. You may have to sear the meat in a few batches. If you add in too much meat at once, the juices will come out and you’ll end up boiling the meat.
  3. Once all the meat is seared, turn the heat back down to MEDIUM and put all the meat back into the pot along with the caramelized onions. Then add in the paprika, salt, caraway seeds, garlic, and mushrooms. Stir until combined and cook until the mushrooms are tender ~5 mins.
  4. Once the mushrooms are tender and have released their liquid, put the lid on and simmer everything on LOW heat until the beef is tender and easy to break with a spoon, ~ 2 hours. Check on it and stir every 15 mins. If the sauce is disappearing and getting a little dry, add in enough water to cover half of the meat each time.
    • The amount of water to add will depend on how much liquid gets released by the mushrooms and how much evaporates over this time. Every time I’ve made this the amount of water changes. In some instances I haven’t had to add any water at all!
  5. While you’re waiting, prepare your carb of choice to go with the goulash.
  6. Once the meat is cooked, add in the cornstarch by making a slurry of it in a small bowl with a few spoonfuls of the liquid from the pot. Once all the cornstarch is dissolved, pour it into the pot and mix it around. Feel free to add more cornstarch if you prefer a thicker stew. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Done!
  7. Serve with your choice of carb: dumplings, bread, rice, or noodles. Enjoy!

AbbyLeave a comment

Mushroom Sausage Stuffing Rice


Date Published: March 9th, 2023 | Last Updated: March 9th, 2023
Author: Abby |Category: mains, side, easy
Serves: 6-8 as a main | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 30 mins

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I LOVE stuffing. I know I say I love a lot of foods, but stuffing is definitely top 3 for me and it’s always the dish I look forward to most every Thanksgiving. I could eat stuffing all day every day, but the sad reality is that it’s so full of buttery goodness that I’d probably have heart burn and struggle to fit through doorways if I made it a daily meal. (If you haven’t tried my mushroom stuffing, I urge you to give it a go!). In an effort to make it a more “healthy”, sustainable everyday meal, I experimented with isolating the flavours of the stuffing by swapping the carbs out from bread to rice and halving the amount of butter required and adding protein to make it well-rounded. Thus was the birth of stuffing rice! It turned out way better than expected and much easier to make than regular stuffing. I will admit, I still do miss the buttery bread of regular stuffing, but this is definitely a great alternative for all those days until the next Thanksgiving 😅.

You can also sneak in some veggies such as sautéed asparagus or spinach, which I didn’t think about until after I wrote this recipe and took all the photos. Next time!

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • 1 stick (115g) salted butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 600g mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 medium bunch of celery (~8 stalks)
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, diced
  • 300g sausage, chopped (any will do, my favourite is Kielbasa)
  • 1 tsp poultry seasoning
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1.5 tsps dried sage
  • 0.5 tsp dried marjoram
  • 0.5 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp cooking salt + more to taste
  • 3 cups jasmine rice
  • 3 cups chicken stock + more if needed

Directions:

In a large pot on MED heat, melt 1 stick of butter. Add in garlic, onion, mushrooms, celery, and parsley. Cook until the celery is soft enough to break with a wooden spoon (~5 mins). You can add a lid on to quicken the process.

Next, add in the chicken thighs, sausage, poultry seasoning, thyme, sage, marjoram, black pepper, and salt. Sauté until the chicken thighs are half cooked, then add in the jasmine rice and chicken stock. Mix well.

Put the lid on and simmer on LOW heat until the rice is cooked (~20 mins). Be sure to check on it every 5-10 minutes and add extra chicken stock if the liquid is absorbed too quickly before the rice is done. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to ensure nothing sticks. Once the rice is cooked, turn off the heat, adjust salt and pepper to taste and fluff up with a fork. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Mushroom Sausage Stuffing Rice

Date Published: March 9th, 2023 | Last Updated: March 9th, 2023
Author: Abby |Category: mains, side, easy
Serves: 6-8 | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

  • 1 stick (115g) salted butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 600g mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 medium bunch of celery (~8 stalks)
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, diced
  • 300g sausage, chopped (any will do, my favourite is Kielbasa)
  • 1 tsp poultry seasoning
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1.5 tsps dried sage
  • 0.5 tsp dried marjoram
  • 0.5 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp cooking salt + more to taste
  • 3 cups jasmine rice
  • 3 cups chicken stock + more if needed

Directions:

  1. In a large pot on MED heat, melt 1 stick of butter.
  2. Add in garlic, onion, mushrooms, celery, and parsley. Cook until the celery is soft enough to break with a wooden spoon (~5 mins). You can add a lid on to quicken the process.
  3. Next, add in the chicken thighs, sausage, poultry seasoning, thyme, sage, marjoram, black pepper, and salt. Sauté until the chicken thighs are half cooked, then add in the jasmine rice and chicken stock. Mix well.
  4. Put the lid on and simmer on LOW heat until the rice is cooked (~20 mins). Be sure to check on it every 5-10 minutes and add extra chicken stock if the liquid is absorbed too quickly before the rice is done. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to ensure nothing sticks. Once the rice is cooked, turn off the heat, adjust salt and pepper to taste and fluff up with a fork. Enjoy!

AbbyLeave a comment

Hearty Kielbasa Chili


Date Published: May 7th, 2023 | Last Updated: May 7th, 2023
Author: Abby |Category: main, easy, soups
Serves: 6-8 (1 large pot) | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 2.5 hours

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I’m back! Toby and I have been so busy moving to New York City and settling in to our new place and new jobs that I’ve barely had any time to play in the kitchen. It also doesn’t help that 90% of our kitchen things is still on a boat from Melbourne to NYC 😩. It’s been about 2.5 months, so hopefully they’ll release our items any day now…

This recipe never fails and is always a hearty meal on a cold day. It’s also a great way to sneak in extra vegetables to clear out the fridge. I have made this countless times over the years and it’s very forgiving in terms of extra vegetables you want to add in without affecting the flavour. There’s a big list of ingredients for this recipe, but the actual instructions are quite simple – just brown the meat, cook the veg and let everything simmer for a few hours.

This recipe is adapted from the Boilermaker Tailgate Chili from AllRecipes. I’ve made a few changes and omitted the beans since I’ve never been a fan but feel free to add them back in per the original recipe. You can also add in some chilis to give it an extra kick. The original recipe called for ground sausage meat which I couldn’t find at my local grocery store when I initially made this recipe and substituted for Kielbasa (Polish sausage) and it was amazing! Time and time again the Kielbasa has been my favourite part of this chili and as such I made it a permanent addition to the recipe.

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • 1kg ground beef
  • 500g Kielbasa, chopped
  • 2 (28 oz/800g) cans diced tomatoes with juice
  • 1 (6 oz/170g) can tomato paste
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp minced garlic
  • 500g mushrooms, slices
  • 4 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 4 beef bouillon cubes
  • 1/2 cup beer
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tbsp dried oregano
  • 2 tsps ground cumin
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • Grated cheese for sprinkling on top

Directions:

In a large pot on MED heat, add a drizzle of oil and cook the ground beef until it’s half-browned (~3 mins).

Then add in the onions, garlic, mushrooms, and Kielbasa. Continue to cook until the onions start to soften and turn translucent.

Pour in the diced tomatoes with juices and tomato paste. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pot to ensure nothing sticks.

Add in the rest of the ingredients except the sour cream (celery, green peppers, beef bouillon cubes, beer, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, cumin, basil, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika). Mix everything together then simmer on LOW heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally (the longer it simmers, the better the flavour!).

After 2hrs, taste and adjust salt and pepper and cayenne pepper if needed. Done!

Serve with a sprinkle of grated cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Hearty Kielbasa Chili

Date Published: May 7th, 2023 | Last Updated: May 7th, 2023
Author: Abby |Category: main, easy, soups
Serves: 6-8 (1 large pot) | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 2.5 hours

Ingredients:

  • 1kg ground beef
  • 500g Kielbasa, chopped
  • 2 (28 oz/800g) cans diced tomatoes with juice
  • 1 (6 oz/170g) can tomato paste
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp minced garlic
  • 500g mushrooms, slices
  • 4 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 4 beef bouillon cubes
  • 1/2 cup beer
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tbsp dried oregano
  • 2 tsps ground cumin
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • Grated cheese for sprinkling on top

Directions:

  1. In a large pot on MED heat, add a drizzle of oil and cook the ground beef until it’s half-browned (~3 mins) then add in the onions, garlic, mushrooms, and Kielbasa. Continue to cook until the onions start to soften and turn translucent.
  2. Pour in the diced tomatoes with juices and tomato paste. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pot to ensure nothing sticks.
  3. Add in the rest of the ingredients except the sour cream (celery, green peppers, beef bouillon cubes, beer, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, cumin, basil, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika). Mix everything together then simmer on LOW heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally (the longer it simmers, the better the flavour!).
  4. After 2hrs, taste and adjust salt and pepper and cayenne pepper if needed. Done!
  5. Serve with a sprinkle of grated cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy!

Abby1 Comment