My Beef Paprikash with Rice


     Fresh garden veggies went into this Hungarian-inspired dish that I created for dinner recently. The flavors of both the paprika (made by grinding dried aromatic sweet red peppers) and green peppers are complimented by using a fruity wine as part of the cooking liquid. Sour cream adds creaminess to the dish and helps balance the rich flavor of this dish.
     Barry was impressed so I have transcribed my notes so that I’ll remember what to do in the future.

Beef Paprikash with Rice
3 to 4 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika.
1 to 1½ lbs. beef chuck or round, cut into 1” cubes
1½ cup of a fruity white wine (may need more as cooking time progresses)
1½ cups water (may need more as cooking time progresses)
1½ to 2 cups tomatoes, chopped
1 green bell pepper, cut into thin slices
About 3 cups of cooked rice
Fresh parsley, chopped for serving
Sour cream for serving

1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and some salt and pepper and continue to sauté. Lower the heat (so the paprika won't burn) and stir in the paprika.
Sautéing the onions.
The paprika has been added.
2. Sprinkle the beef on all sides with salt and pepper. Return the pot to medium-high heat, and add the beef cubes to the pot, turning to cover the beef with the paprika-onion mixture, and cook until browned, about 6 minutes.

3. Add 1½ cups of wine and 1½ cups of water to Dutch oven; cover with a lid. Reduce heat to low and stew for 45 minutes.
4. At the end of 45 minutes, add more wine or water if needed + green pepper strips and chopped tomatoes. Cover again and continue to stew until the beef is tender and veggies are cooked, about 30 minutes more; stir several times.
5. Near end of the cooking period, check taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Add about 1 cup of cooked rice at this point to absorb some of the liquid. Lid may also be left off in order to reduce any excess liquid – I like to reduce it to a thick stew-like consistency so that it will not run all over the bowl (see photo following step 6).
Rice has just been added . . . but the stew has not yet reduced.
6. To serve, spoon cooked rice in the bottom of a bowl, add a ladle of beef paprikash. Top with chopped parsley and a dollop of sour cream.

Recipe without photos . . .
Beef Paprikash with Rice
3 to 4 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika.
1 to 1½ lbs. beef chuck or round, cut into 1” cubes
1½ cup of a fruity white wine (may need more as cooking time progresses)
1½ cups water (may need more as cooking time progresses)
1½ to 2 cups tomatoes, chopped
1 green bell pepper, cut into thin slices
About 3 cups of cooked rice
Fresh parsley, chopped for serving
Sour cream for serving

1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and some salt and pepper and continue to sauté. Lower the heat (so the paprika won't burn) and stir in the paprika.
2. Sprinkle the beef on all sides with salt and pepper. Return the pot to medium-high heat, and add the beef cubes to the pot, turning to cover the beef with the paprika-onion mixture, and cook until browned, about 6 minutes.
3. Add 1½ cups of wine and 1½ cups of water to Dutch oven; cover with a lid. Reduce heat to low and stew for 45 minutes.
4. At the end of 45 minutes, add more wine or water if needed + green pepper strips and chopped tomatoes. Cover again and continue to stew until the beef is tender and veggies are cooked, about 30 minutes more; stir several times.
5. Near end of the cooking period, check taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Add about 1 cup of cooked rice at this point to absorb some of the liquid. Lid may also be left off in order to reduce any excess liquid – I like to reduce it to a thick stew-like consistency so that it will not run all over the bowl (see photo following step 6).
6. To serve, spoon cooked rice in the bottom of a bowl, add a ladle of beef paprikash. Top with chopped parsley and a dollop of sour cream. 

Scallops with Herbed Brown Butter: Bon Appétit Recipe


We love scallops so when we ran across this recipe in the August 2013 edition of Bon Appétit magazine we just had to give it a try! While Barry was preparing the scallops, I stirred up a batch of Creamy Corn Polenta it was a great combination!

Our menu (shown below): Scallops w/ Herbed Brown Butter on Creamy Corn Polenta served with Grape DeLight Salad.

Scallops with Herbed Brown Butter — Bon Appétit Recipe
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound sea scallops, side muscle removed
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, cut into small pieces
4 sprigs herbs (such as thyme or sage)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2.  Season scallops with salt and pepper.
3.  Add scallops to hot oil and cook until deep golden brown on 1 side, about 3 minutes.
4.  Turn scallops and add butter and herbs to pan. Continue cooking, spooning butter over scallops often, until scallops are cooked through and butter is brown and smells nutty, about 3 minutes longer.

5.  Add lemon juice.
6.  Serve scallops with brown butter pan sauce.

Recipe without photos . . .
Scallops with Herbed Brown Butter — Bon Appétit Recipe
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound sea scallops, side muscle removed
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, cut into small pieces
4 sprigs herbs (such as thyme or sage)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2.  Season scallops with salt and pepper.
3.  Add scallops to hot oil and cook until deep golden brown on 1 side, about 3 minutes.
4.  Turn scallops and add butter and herbs to pan. Continue cooking, spooning butter over scallops often, until scallops are cooked through and butter is brown and smells nutty, about 3 minutes longer.
5.  Add lemon juice.
6.  Serve scallops with brown butter pan sauce.

Creamy Corn Polenta


     It just seemed logical to add fresh corn to polenta. A simple addition but it adds incredible taste and texture to a simple dish.
     While I was stirring up this dish, Barry prepared Scallops with Herbed Brown Butter — it was a great combination!

Creamy Corn Polenta   2 to 3 servings
1 cup milk
1 cup chicken stock or broth
About a teaspoon of fresh thyme
½ teaspoon coarse salt
½ cup polenta (coarse-ground cornmeal)
1 ear of corn, cooked
2 to 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
  
1. Cut the corn off the cob; set aside.
2. In a medium-size heavy pot, over high heat, bring the milk, stock, and salt to a boil. Add thyme. 
I just added fresh thyme on the stem; as the mixture cooks, the thyme adds flavor & some of the leaves fall off. Remove & discard stems near end of cooking time.
3. Add the polenta gradually, stir or whisk constantly.
4. When the mixture begins to thickens adjust the heat to low. Continue to cook the polenta, stirring often, until thick, smooth, and creamy, about 10 minutes; the polenta will also begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Add the cook and Parmesan, stir and leave on heat to warm ingredients.

5. Garnish with additional Parmesan when serving.
We used the Creamy Corn Polenta as the base for
Scallops with Herbed Brown Butter.
See our complete menu under our MENUS tab at the top of the page.
Recipe without photos . . .
Creamy Corn Polenta   2 to 3 servings
1 cup milk
1 cup chicken stock or broth
About a teaspoon of fresh thyme
½ teaspoon coarse salt
½ cup polenta (coarse-ground cornmeal)
1 ear of corn, cooked
2 to 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish

1. Cut the corn off the cob; set aside.
2. In a medium-size heavy pot, over high heat, bring the milk, stock, and salt to a boil. Add thyme.
3. Add the polenta gradually, stir or whisk constantly.
4. When the mixture begins to thickens adjust the heat to low. Continue to cook the polenta, stirring often, until thick, smooth, and creamy, about 10 minutes; the polenta will also begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Add the cook and Parmesan, stir and leave on heat to warm ingredients.
5. Garnish with additional Parmesan when serving.