Mushroom (Gulyas)
Goulash was a main staple in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Goulash was a Hungarian meal, but was loved by Austrians well before the Austro-Hungarian Empire was formed. Austrians created their own version of this wonderful stew. There are many different variations of Goulash. The origin of Goulash can be traced back to the nineteenth century. Farmers used to cut their meats into cubes. Cook it with onions, in a heavy iron skillet. They would add broth, water, or tomatoes. The spice most commonly used in the making of this delicious stew was paprika, although on some occasions caraway seeds were used. The paprika was either hot or mild depending on your taste. At some point in the early 1930's people began to add such items as potatoes, carrots, and other various vegetables. The true Goulash however was originally meat and broth, often times the stew was cooked long enough to remove all its liquids.
The meat was then packed in bag made of an animal's stomach. The meat was either eaten dried or water was added to turn it back into a stew. Goulash was mainly a stew that was meat based. In some areas where meat was hard to come by mushrooms were substituted.
Mushroom Goulash.
· 1 pound of white mushrooms cleaned and sliced thin lengthwise. (Note: You can use any type of Mushrooms that you like, make sure they are fresh).
· 2, 12 oz cans of chicken broth
· 1 large onion chopped fine
· 1/8 cup of canola oil
· 3 table spoons of paprika
· 1 can of tomato sauce
· salt and pepper to taste
Polenta with Tomato Garlic Sauce
Hard polenta
· 3 cups water
· 2 cups milk
· 1 ½ teaspoons salt
· 1 ¼ cups polenta (medium grain)
· pinch of black pepper
· ½ cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese
· 2 teaspoons of olive oil
In a 2-quart saucepan bring to simmer 2 ½ cups of water, the milk, and the salt. Watch closely the so that the ingredients in the pot do not boil over. Place the polenta in a bowl and add the remaining ½ cup of water to the polenta. Stir the mixture slowly, then add it stiring to the simmering liquid. Continue to stir the mixture until it begins to thicken. This should take about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat and cook slowly uncovered for
about 30 minutes, stirring regularly, until the polenta is very thick. Stir in the remaining ingredient, except for the olive oil.
Oil a 9 ½ x 5 ½ inch loaf pan and fill with warm polenta. Smooth out the mixture evenly. Cover the pan and refrigerate for several hours or overnight (preferred time), until the mixture is completely cooled and firm. To serve remove the polenta from the pan and cut into ½ inch thick slices, add olive oil to a frying pan and on low medium heat pan fry both sides until golden brown.
Tomato garlic Sauce
· 4 medium cloves of garlic chopped fine
· 1 cans of diced tomatoes
· 1 can of chicken broth
· Salt to taste
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