Chicken Paprikash

This Chicken Paprikash dish is a traditional Hungarian dish.  It is basically paprika chicken.  I made a variation of the many recipes I came across for this dish.   You would traditionally serve Chicken Paprikash with galuska/nokedli (Hungarian dumplings) but I don't have a spaetzle maker.   I served the Chicken Paprikash over egg noodles since I already had them.  I need to buy a spaetzle maker soon!  This would be great over rice too.   The sauce is so delicious that you will want to drink it too.  Chicken Paprikash is a perfect comfort food for fall.  Next time I will try to make a more traditional version of this dish with the galuska.  Enjoy!

Chicken Paprikash

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1½ pounds chicken thighs (and/or chicken breasts)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons paprika, divided

1 onion, diced

1 pepper, diced (I used a hot pepper.)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 cup chicken broth (I used low sodium.)

½ cup plain greek yogurt (or sour cream)

Directions

Season chicken with 1 tablespoon paprika.

Heat a large pan over medium heat and add olive oil and butter.  

Add chicken and cook until lightly browned on both sides.  Remove chicken from pan and set chicken aside.

Add onions, pepper and garlic to pan.  Cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until softened.    

Stir in tomato paste.

Add in chicken broth and 1 tablespoon paprika.  Stir to combine.  

Add chicken back in and cover pan.  Cook on low for 20 to 25 minutes.

Stir in yogurt (or sour cream) before serving.

Serves 4 to 6.

Lasagna Soup

This Lasagna Soup is the best new soup recipe I've tried in a long time so I wanted to post this recipe ASAP.  I absolutely love the flavors of this soup.  The fire roasted tomatoes and hot Italian sausage gives this soup a nice kick.  My friend sent me this recipe from a farmgirl's dabbles, which I did modify for myself.  In case you were wondering, the leftovers are even better.  The flavors in the soup really develop.  Definitely keep the soup and pasta separate so the pasta doesn't get mushy if you store leftovers.   Enjoy this yummy soup - it is a winner! 

Lasagna Soup

Printable Recipe

Ingredients for the Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 to 1½ pounds hot Italian sausage (I used 3 links, casings removed.)

1 zucchini, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 cans (14.5 ounces) fire-roasted diced tomatoes

2 bay leaves

4 cups chicken stock (I used low sodium.)

½ cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

8 ounces campanelle pasta (fusilli or rotini would work well too)

Ingredients for the Cheese Topping

8 ounces ricotta

½ cup parmesan cheese, grated

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

Heat a large pot over medium heat and add olive oil.  Add sausage, breaking it up into bite-sized pieces.  Cook until lightly browned.

Add in zucchini and cook until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes.  Stir in garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and tomato paste.  Cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

Stir in fire-roasted diced tomatoes, bay leaves and chicken stock.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer.  Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes.  Stir in basil before serving.

Cook pasta separately according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, prepare the cheese toping.  In a small bowl, combine ricotta, parmesan, salt and pepper.  

To serve, add pasta to a bowl.  Ladle soup over pasta.  Spoon a dollop of cheese topping over soup.  Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top.

Serves 8.

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

My favorite season is fall and when I think of fall, I think of pumpkin!  These iced pumpkin cookies are so good!  I got the recipes from allrecipes.com (original recipe here) and based on the reviews, I didn't have to change anything.  These cookies are soft and have a cake-like texture, and they are absolutely delicious.  I shared these cookies at work and everyone loved them.  One coworker told me they taste just like Starbuck's pumpkin scones, but I haven't tried those.  However maybe I should make pumpkin scones next?  Enjoy!

Iced Pumpkin Cookies
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 ½ cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon cloves

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup butter, softened (1 stick)

1 ½ cups sugar

1 cup plain pumpkin puree

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

Ingredients for Icing

2 cups powdered sugar

3 to 4 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.  Set aside.

In a stand mixer, beat softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Add in pumpkin, egg, and vanilla.

Slowly add in dry ingredients.

Drop on baking sheets by tablespoon and flatten slightly.

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes.  

Allow cookies to cool on cooling rack.

While cookies are cooling, prepare icing.  In a bowl, combine powdered sugar, milk, melted butter and vanilla.  Add additional milk if needed to obtain drizzling consistency.

Spoon a little icing on top of each cookie and spread with back of spoon or you can drizzle icing with a fork on each cookie.

Makes about 3 dozen.

Buddy wanted cookies too!

Autumn Beef Stew

The weather is getting cooler in DC and this Autumn Beef Stew is perfect for a lazy weekend or a hectic weeknight.  This is a slow cooker recipe so you can put this together in the morning and have dinner when you get home from work.  You can even get it all together the night before, put it in the fridge and just start the slow cooker the next morning.  If you are short on time, you can skip the browning of the beef and that would be fine.   I love the flavors of this Autumn Beef Stew, the wine gives it great depth.  If you aren't into the red wine, just add more stock instead.  I also cut the vegetables into larger pieces so they don't get too mushy.  This is a great freezer friendly dish too.  Enjoy!

Autumn Beef Stew

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 pound beef, cubed

¼ cup flour

1 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil

2 carrots, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 potato, diced

2 cups red wine

14 ounces beef stock

3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon thyme

2 bay leaves

1 cup frozen peas (optional)

Directions

In a bowl, combine flour, garlic, paprika, salt and black pepper.  Add beef and toss to lightly coat with seasoned flour.

Heat a heavy pan over medium-high heat and add oil.  Add beef and cook until lightly browned on each side.  Remove beef from pan.

Add wine and beef stock to deglaze pan.  Stir in minced garlic, thyme and bay leaves.

Place carrots, onion and potato in bottom of slow cooker.  Add in beef.   

Next, pour in wine and beef stock mixture.

Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours or on high 4 to 6 hours.

Optional:  Add in frozen peas 30 minutes before ready to serve.

Serve over rice or egg noodles.

Spinach Artichoke Tomato Puff Pastry

 

I was trying to think of what to make with leftover spinach artichoke dip and this Spinach Artichoke Tomato Puff Pastry is amazing!   I always use Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets, you can find it in the freezer section of the grocery store and they are great for so many recipes.  This recipe is super easy (if you have leftover spinach artichoke dip or if you want to use store-bought).  Enjoy!

Spinach Artichoke Tomato Puff Pastry

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 puff pastry sheet

1 ½ cup spinach artichoke dip (recipe here)

½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 tomato, sliced

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Unfold puff pastry sheet on a baking pan.   Poke puff pastry with a fork to let the steam come out.

Spread a layer of spinach artichoke dip.

Arrange tomato slices.

Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese on top.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until pastry is golden brown.

Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread

This Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread is basically the same recipe as my One Bowl Banana Bread recipe with the addition of the cinnamon swirl.  I love how the top of the bread has a baked cinnamon sugar crust.   The bread is moist and delicious as usual, enjoy!

Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

3 or 4 ripe bananas, mashed

1/3 cup butter, melted (I microwave in a bowl for about 45 seconds.)

¾ cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

1 ½ cup flour

Ingredients for Cinnamon Swirl

¼ cup sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, mash peeled bananas with a fork.

Mix in butter, sugar, egg and vanilla. 

Next, add in baking soda, salt and flour.

Pour half the batter into greased loaf pan.    

Sprinkle a layer of cinnamon sugar mixture evenly on top of batter.

Pour remaining batter over cinnamon sugar layer.

Sprinkle remaining cinnamon sugar mixture evenly on top.

Bake for one hour or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.