Hearty Hungarian Goulash Soup

I don't know about you, but here in Vienna it's freezing cold and after walking a while through the city we were longing for some warm comfort food.

For tomorrow temeratures below -6C are expected, but despite of the weather we will be visting the New Years Trail. Now you might ask - what's the New Year's Trail?

For the last night of 2014 and following a 25 year old tradition, the Vienna News Year's trail offers

12 hours of entertainment - a great way to begin the New Year.

The programe starts at 2pm with children activities and continues  from the late afternoon on with everything from live bands and DJs to free for all waltzing clases and a live broadcast from the Vienna State Opera where traditionally "Die Fledermaus" is performed.

Apart from that, countless stalls around the city offer all kinds of treats from sparkling wine to toast to the New Year to hot goulash soup, sausages and sweets to keep the visitors warm.

Every year there is a beautiful firework at one of the big squares in down town, the Heldenplatz.

At midnight, the big bell of St. Stephen's Cathedral, called the Pummerin will ring to announce 2015.

For the ones who prefere to dance into the New Year, the glittering New Year's Eve Ball in the Imperial Palace "Hofburg" will be the place to be and to enjoy a unique experience.

To keep you warm during walking through the city, Gulaschsoup is the classic  soul warmer from the Austrian-Hungarian cuisine.

Spicy, hearty and restorative, it's the star during the ball season when nights are short and people are dancing and celebrating until dawn.

Before going home, it's tradition that everybody tastes this amazing soup.

It's Hungarian roots makes it spicy and passionate and the Austrian background adds a touch of harmony and perfect balance between the different flavors, light and charming as a Viennese Waltz.

There is a "student version" of Gulash soup - lots of gravy and less meat for a small Budget and the Fiaker (carriage driver) version, adding a hearty sausage.
This dish is easy to cook, can be prepare at least 1 day in advance and is a crowd pleaser on cold Winter days.

This is what you need:

2 yellow onions, chopped

1 clove garlic,crushed

200g bacon, chopped

2 spoonful olive oil

1/2 kg stew beef, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 spoonful flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon oregano

1 1/2 spoonful sweet (Hungarian) paprika 

1/2 spoonful spicy (Hungarian) paprika 

1 spoonful tomato paste

2 beef stock homemade or low sodium beef broth

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar 

3-4 medium size potatoes, quartered

Salt, pepper

Sour cream and freshly chopped parsley for garnish

Method:

Toss beef with salt, pepper and flour.

Heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan over high heat

Add onion and crushed garlic and fry gently until it softens and starts to turn Golden.

Add bacon, fry until golden brown, add beef, sear on all sides.

add beef, sear on all sides.

Add both paprikas, mix well until blended with the other ingredients, add tomato paste, beef stock and vinegar.

Stir thoroughly , leave covered to simmer gently for about 1 hour or until meat is soft.

Add potatoes and continue simmering until soft.

Check seasoning.

Serve warm and top with sour cream and chopped parsley.


Enjoy! Serves 8P.

Happy New Year to everybody!

read more...

Thyme Polenta With Wild Mushrooms

The last suitcase is unpacked, winter cloth are stored and we are enjoying the warm summer climate in Lima.

Sunrise at Schipol Airport, Netherlands where we caught our flight to Lima

Despite of that , I still feel a bit as if my soul has not arrived yet, I suppose that this takes longer than a plane trip lasts.
The first excursion to the beach was fantastic but also literally painful as we underestimated how powerful the ultra violet sunrays can be, even with a clouded sky.

 View over the Yacht port in Lima

Enjoying Sunday at a popular beach

Anyhow now I'm sporting a new sleeping posture: prone position :)
As we had to upgrade our fridge content after a long absence( apart from a forgotten strawberry jam there was nothing else left), the dried Funghi Porcini that you can see in the picture caught my eye at the Super Market.
Since we all at home love Polenta, I though they would pair well.
And they did. The flavorful wild mushroom mix, together with the mild thyme aroma of the Polenta were a match  made in heaven and the only problem was: it all disappeared too quickly once served at the table.
You need:

For the polenta:

2 1/2 cups of vegetable broth (If you want to enhance the mushroom flavor replace 1/2 cup of broth with the water you soaked the dried Funghi Porcini in)

2 cups of milk

1 cup of

1 tblspoon butter

2 teaspoon of tried thyme

Salt to season

For the Mushroom stew:

2 tblspoon of oilve oil

1 tblspoon butter
80g of dried Funghi Porccini (can be replaced by 200g of fresh mushrooms like Portabello, Shitake etc.)

200g of fresh mushrooms (champignons),washed and diced

3 tomatoes. chopped

2 cloves of fresh, crushed garlic

1/2 cup of grated Grana Padano or Parmesano reggiano 

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 1/2 teaspoon of chopped ,flat parsley.

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:

Rinse the dried Funghi under running water to eliminate impurities.

Soak them in 1/2l warm water for about 30 minutes.

Drain the funghis and save the soaking water, squeeze them to  eliminate excess liquid and chop them roughly.

Rinse and dice the fresh mushrooms.

In a large frying pan heat the olive oil together with the butter,

 Add crushed garlic and cook until soft, be careful not to brown the garlic.

Then add chopped tomatoes, fresh mushrooms and the Funghi Porcini.

Stir carefuly and cook about 5 to 8 minutes or until fresh mushrooms are soft.

Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and lemon juice.

Sprinkle with chopped flat parsley.

Polenta:

In a large pot, bring the vegetable broth together with  milk,  thyme and butter to a boil.

Remove the pot from heat and whisk in cornmeal in a regular flow.

Continue to whisk until water comes to a boil again.

Lower the heat to low and continue to cook stirring constantly until Polenta is thickened and creamy or cook according to packet instructions.

Remove from heat and stir in the cheese.

Season with salt if necessary.

You may wish to add a bit of fresh cream to this recipe. It gives extra taste and creaminess but makes the recipe also richer in calories. Up to you :))

Top Polenta with the mushroom mixture and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Serves about 4.

If you enjoyed this post and want to receive the newest updates, do like our page on Facebook. 

Thank you!

https://www.facebook.com/TheAmbassadorsTable

 

read more...

Back To Black- Tagiatelle Nero With Herbed Shrimps

In a few days we will be traveling back to Peru, enjoying summer and the beach.
Right now it's all about packing our suitcases, heavily loaded with all the winter clothes and boots we had to bring over.
It's always a struggle not to exceed the allowed weight and as I feel always tempted to bring along some special goodies which I can't find anywhere else ,packing is all about decisions and priorities.
So many treats, so little space!
I don't know if I'm the only one who has to struggle with fitting everything in a 23kg suitcase when traveling in winter and for a long period of time but it's definitely not an easy task.
Any suggestions are most welcomed :)
But before we started our preparations, I invited family and friends over for a little fare well dinner and had fun cooking this Italian inspired dish which brings a bit of summer feeling in our cold winter.
These beautiful black Taglatielle add a touch of glamor to every table and are very easy to prepare.
Lots of flavor and little time in the kitchen is promised.
They delicate aroma of the black Tagliatelle, combined with the herbed shrimps and just a touch of lemon combines beautifully.
This gorgeous pasta is made of flower, eggs, salt and squid ink.
You can find them at gourmet super markets and /or specialty food stores.
Of course you can make the black Tagliatelle as well at home but the ink tends to stain not only your hands but  also your kitchen furniture and clothes so I prefer to buy the pasta ready made.
You need:

1/2kg (1 pound) Tagliatelle Nero
2 to 3 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 teaspoon butter
1/2 kg (1 pound) peeled and deveined shrimps
1 large tomato
1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
3 cloves garlic,peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Method:
In a large pot bring bring water to a boil, add 1 teaspoon of salt and cook tagliatelle al dente according to package instructions.

Drain pasta and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
In a large pan heat olive oil with the butter.

Add chopped garlic and chopped tomatoes.

 After one minute add shrimps and lemon zest.

Cook until shrimps are opaque and pinkish in color, sprinkle with parsely.

Toss pasta with 1/2 cup pasta water.

Then Ttss with shrimp mixture and parsley.

 Sprinkle with olive oil and serve immediately.

Enjoy!
Serves about 4.

If you enjoyed this post and want to receive the newest updates, do like our page on Facebook. 

Thank you!

https://www.facebook.com/TheAmbassadorsTable

 

read more...

From Rome With Love: Delectable Pumpkin Crostinis

Do you enjoy traveling?

Most people would affirm, I suppose.

The issue is when it comes to unpacking. There are those who let their suitcase "rest" for a few days before they empty their luggage and there are those who have to unpack immediately as soon as they walk over their own doorstep. 

I'm rather a member of the frenetically unpack ASAP club - even when coming home after midnight.

We just returned from a short trip to Rome where we used to live for two years and... we came home after midnight. Guess what I did?

Anyhow, it was a wonderful trip and the memories will stay on.

It was so beautiful to come back, see our friends there and enjoy the charm of La Bella Roma. 

It felt as if we would have never left, walking the narrow streets of the city center, visiting our favorite restaurants and bars (Just want to clarify before you might think that we are totally devoted to alcohol that a bar in Italy is actually a cafe) :)

We also visited an exceptional exhibition about Cleopatra in a lovely old monastery called the Chiostro del Bramante. http://chiostrodelbramante.it/

The queen conquered the eternal city by storm.

Visitors are streaming to the Chiostro to pay tribute to Cleopatra much the same as the Roman emperors Julius Cesar and Marcus Antonius did at the time of the Roman Empire.   

Here are a few of our Roman Impressions I would like to share with you.

Evening light at the Ponte Milvio. Couples in Rome have long been attaching padlocks to the bridge as symbols of love.

A sculpture watching over the bridge

A delicious treat with fresh Carpaccio di Manzo , Ruccola and shaved Parmesan at a restaurant at the Campo di Fiori. http://www.primocafe.it/

Strolling Piazza del Popolo on Sunday afternoon

Any idea how he does this"meditation" trick?

Would H.M. be amused?

And finally a delectable Italian treat, presto and with only 5 ingredients for a surprising, easy holiday appetizer.

For the Pumpkin Crostini you need:

1 small baguette

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cups coarsly shredded pumpkin

1 cup coarsly shredded Parmesan cheese

Salt, freshly ground pepper

basil leaves for decoration

Method:

Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.

Add chopped onions,cook until traslucent.

Add shredded Pumpkin and cook for only 2 minutes or until al dente (do not overcook) 

Season with salt and pepper.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut the baguette into 1/2 inch slices.

Cover generously with the pumpkin mixture.

Spread with shredded Parmesan. 

Bake until cheese has melted (7 to 10 minutes) and turned into a golden brown color. 

Garnish with fresh Basil leaves and serve immediately

Enjoy!

To receive the newest updates, do like us on Facebook. Thank You!

https://www.facebook.com/TheAmbassadorsTable

read more...