A Hot Dish For Election Night

The country is all hot and bothered  with mid term fever. The way to ge through it  - with a hot comforting dish to either celebrate or seek solace . I chose the classic Hungarian chicken paprikash - except mine has a twist - it's semi- vegan.

Paprika is the chief ingredient in this creamy strew of a dish. I used Pereg's Spanish Paprika  for an easy paprikash recipe I found on Jo Cooks - a breezy, fun recipe blog, It starts out with chicken  - well vegan chicken,

The chicken strips and chopped onions are sauteed in olive oil.

Then the chopped pepper. You can use whatever color you want. I wanted color so I used the orange bell pepper.

Then it was two heaping tablespoons of paprika. I know I should have used the Hungarian kind but I used the  Spanish.

It was sweeter and smokier,giving the dish a mellower taste.The dish needs two heaping tablespoons along with a dash of chili flakes.      

            Diced tomatoes are also added.The recipe also call for a half a cup of chicken broth. I used  3/4 's  of a cup of College Inn's vegetable broth instead.

A mix of 1/4 cup of sour cream and two tablespoons flour are also added for thickening and taste.

I had no pots to cook the egg noodles so they were zapped into the microwave - which honestly produced a better and chewier noodle.

The end result?

The picture says it all. More sour cream was added for lusciousness!

I definitely will make this again. To be honest I'd like to try it with Gardein's beef tips for a spin on this classic Hungarian comfort food. 

Now if only our elections were this easy!

The Many Facets Of Egg Noodles

Egg noodles have been a kitchen staple forever. Many of our mother's and grandmother's recipes centered around them. They're still as versatile and delicious as ever. They could be the main dish or part of a side.They can even be used in desserts.Egg noodles are what you make them whether in savory or sweet dishes.

Egg noodles originated in China not in Europe as many would believe. They were first made about  4000 years ago and preserved ones were unearthed at Lajia in Quinghai ,China in 2005. They made their way to Europe where most German and Scandinavian households used them on a regular basis. Egg noodles were in savory dishes, sopping up gravy and providing the carb part of the meal. German Jews used the noodles in sweet dishes such as kugel.They're different from pasta in the sense of whole  eggs or egg yolks mixed with wheat flour and then boiled in water. Pasta can come with or without eggs. Sometimes olive oil and vegetables can be incorporated in the recipe. Noodles are generally one length and shape while the other,as we all know, comes in avariety of shapes and sizes. Like pasta, egg noodles can be bought or made at home. It's just taking two cups of flour and mixing ot with one teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of baking powder . Two whole eggs are added and this is what gives the noodles their rich , sunny color.Half a cup of milk is added as well.It's left to sit for half an hour before rolling out. You can use a pasta machine to make them or a knife.It's then dropping them into boiling waiter for two to four minutes.

Whether they're home made or store bought egg noodles are a great base for so many dishes. The Swabian Germans from southwest Germany cook boiled ones with eggs for Lent. This traditional and delicious dish also has sliced peaches  on the side to cut the intensity of the eggs.Germans also use them with meat and gravy recipes. They can be used instead of the traditional spaetzle, a kind of noodle itself. Another delicious recipe is beef tips and gravy over egg noodles. The noodles' mildness is the perfect foil for the beef's and sauce's strong flavors.Try them with either beef or chicken paprikash, the famed Austrian dish, known for its spicy ' paprika sauce. Of course egg noodles taste their best in chicken soup. Nothing beats a homemade one, thick with those luscious eggy, strands and hearty chicken chunks. You can also think out of the box and put the noodles in a minestrone for a chunkier version of the original recipe. Egg noodles have a sweet side. They give body to cinnamon laced sweet casserole along with providing the base.  A lush one involves egg noodles,cherries and sour cream baked together for  truly rich dessert.

Egg noodles are a versatile staple every pantry and kitchen should have. They're easy to use and easy to create hearty dinners and desserts. Make them, buy them but definitely use them in your next dish.,