mashed potatoes

Hans’ Pork Goulash With Peppers & Pasta Pearls

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Goulash is my favorite meat stew, no matter which protein is used – beef, veal, pork, poultry or game. The texture, color, and flavor have great appeal to me.
While there are of course different ways of preparing goulash, as well as different recipes, the main mark of a good goulash is to use the same amount of onions as protein, a great amount of sweet paprika powder for color and texture (sometimes hot paprika is added), as well as a special season mix of 1/3 thyme, 1/3 caraway seeds, and 1/3 lemon peel (yellow part only), all finely chopped and added to the meat while sauteing, to impart a rich, un-mistaking goulash-flavor. Of course, salt and pepper is a must.
Naturally, as with most dishes that have been around that long, there are dozens of variations,- you can add (or not) garlic, rosemary, bell peppers, potatoes, marjoram, red wine, bell peppers (zigeuner goulash) and even sauerkraut (Szegediner goulash). Also very popular is goulashsuppe (goulash soup). The big difference between preparing goulash and a regular stew is that for goulash, the onions are sautéed first until broken down and lightly colored, THEN the meat is added, and sautéed until all liquid has evaporated.
Because of the collagen in the meat, as well as the large amount of onions and ground paprika, no flour is needed to thicken the sauce.
Best enjoyed with pasta, goulash can also be served with rice, bread dumplings or potato dumplings, mashed potatoes, croquette potatoes, roast potatoes or just plain rustic bread.
Myself, I enjoy any type and version of goulash, paired with any good side dish that’s available 🙂
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Bon Appétit !   Life is Good !
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Click here to read all about “Original Hungarian Goulash”,
as well as its History and Evolution through the Centuries.
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Hans’ Pork Goulash With Peppers & Pasta Pearls

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: remove bone and skin (optional, I like the skin in my pork goulash) from a whole, medium size pork butt

: cut the meat in cubes

: saute the meat and bone (optional), together with 1/3 cup goulash seasoning (1 tblsp lemon peel, 1 tblsp caraway seeds and 1 tblsp thyme, all finely chopped) in 1 tblsp olive oil until the meat is seared

: meanwhile, chop 2 ea med size onions,1 ea large, de-seeded red, green and yellow bell peppers

: add the veggies to the meat, saute until the onions are translucent

: add 1 cup tomato paste, 1 cup sweet paprika, 1 tblsp curry powder, 1 tblsp garlic paste, kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste, saute another minute, add 1 1/2 qt pork,- veggie- or,chicken stock

: bring to a simmer

: cover and slowly simmer until the meat is very tender but NOT falling apart

: meanwhile, cook 8 oz pearl pasta (Israeli couscous) until tender, drain, mix with 4 stalks finely sliced scallions, 2 tblsp melted butter and salt and pepper to taste

: saute banana peppers (optional) until lightly blistered, season with salt and pepper to taste

: saute 1 ea cup of mixed, diced bell peppers, season with salt and pepper to taste, add 2/3 into the goulash, simmer another 3 minutes, remove from heat, check/adjust seasoning

: to plate, top the goulash with the sauteed peppers (and banana peppers if chosen)

: Hans’ Pork Goulash With Peppers & Pasta Pearls

: Hans’ Pork Goulash With Peppers & Pasta Pearls

: Hans’ Pork Goulash With Peppers & Pasta Pearls

: Hans’ Pork Goulash With Peppers & Pasta Pearls

: Hans’ Pork Goulash With Peppers & Pasta Pearls

: Hans’ Pork Goulash With Peppers & Pasta Pearls

: Hans’ Pork Goulash With Peppers & Pasta Pearls

: Hans’ Pork Goulash With Peppers & Pasta Pearls

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Twice Baked Shepherd’s Potatoes

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Shepherds Pie is such great comfort food.
Meat sauce, mashed potatoes, and cheese – who could resist ? 🙂
However, there is one flaw in shepherds pie which diminishes its enjoyment a bit for me – it is entirely soft in texture and usually, the sauce is a bit bland and the whole thing, therefore, often resembles baby food 😦
Let me come to the rescue with this new recipe.
Instead of mashing the potatoes to a puree, just break them up a bit into med-sized chunks. Adding the peppers and lots of onions and garlic to the meat sauce will further increase the taste and texture of the filling of the potato shells, which will result in a dish who’s taste still resembles shepherds pie but at the same time is so much more interesting and TASTY !
Overall, this “fully loaded” baked potato is without a doubt one of the tastiest incarnations of the lowly baked potato as well as the ordinary shepherd’s pie.
While I have prepared and created dozens of variations of twice baked potatoes over the years, some more, some less exotic, some over the top and some down to earth, using all kinds of additions to the stuffing, such as shrimp, smoked salmon, ham, different vegetables, cheese, yogurt, herbs, etc, etc., the ones I prepared today are the very best of the best 🙂
Although very simple and easy to prepare, the texture, taste, and looks are just perfect and go to show that uncomplicated food, if done right, can take the price over complicated and elaborate any time ……..
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Twice Baked Shepherd’s Potatoes

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: in a 400F oven, bake 2 large russet potatoes until cooked through, remove from oven, cut -off the tops, remove the flesh, discard the empty tops

: saute 1 cup sliced onions, 1/2 cup diced bell peppers and 1 cup ground beef in 4 oz whole butter

: when onions are translucent and all meat is seperated, add 1 cup tomato sauce, 1/2 tsp garlic paste and kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated

: coarsely break-up the potato flesh, add the meat sauce, 2 tblsp fres-grated asiago cheese, 1/2 tsp sriracha, 1 eggyolk and kosher salt to taste

: mix until all ingredients are incorporated but make sure the potatoes remain coarse

: fill the stuffing into the half-shells

: sprinkle generously with asiago cheese, bake in a 350F oven until the to is golden crisp

: serves 2 appetizers or one main course; serve with greens on the side

: Twice Baked Shepherd’s Potatoes

: Twice Baked Shepherd’s Potatoes

: Twice Baked Shepherd’s Potatoes

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Beef Kebab With Rainbow Puree

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I was thinking of preparing beef kebab and mashed potatoes – which I did, but the name “mashed potatoes” will not do justice to this tasty and colorful potato dish.
So therefore, “Rainbow Puree” was born 🙂
The addition of the sautéed peppers, sun-dried tomatoes and freshly grated horseradish and lot’s of garlic paste lift’s this basic dish to a whole new level…….
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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More about Kebabs
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Beef Kebab With Rainbow Puree

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Preparation :
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: Cut beef tenderloin head and tips into cubes, cut bell peppers into large dice

: skewer meat and peppers onto water-soaked bamboo skewers, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper

: saute kebabs in garlic oil until rare, let rest for at least five minutes

: while the kebabs are cooking, squeeze freshly cooked, drained potatoes through a potato-ricer

: chop the peppers-trimmings into coarse pieces, chop oil-preserved sun-dried tomatoes coarsely

: saute the peppers in garlic oil

: to the potatoes add the peppers, tomatoes, chopped cilantro, grated horseradish, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, cream and butter, mix all together, check/adjust seasoning,

: plate the rainbow puree

: top the rainbow puree with the kebab, serve with grated horseradish

: Beef Kebab With Rainbow Puree

: Beef Kebab With Rainbow Puree

: Beef Kebab With Rainbow Puree

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Chicken Fried Steak

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The great thing about CFS is that one can utilize an economical (cheap, in plain English) cut of beef, such as top round or cube steak and still get excellent results. However, I happened to have some leftover raw strip loin left from yesterday’s dinner, which I sliced thin, then pounded it even thinner for this CFS.
Usually the traditional side dish would be mashed potatoes, but I am trying to cut down on my starch intake, so I felt the flour from the breading and the “Gravy” was enough of that for the day.
(The rendered fat from the chorizo and the chicken fat made this southern style gravy even tastier than it’s usual version made with bacon fat)
American comfort food at it’s finest ! (Just don’t tell your cardiologist) 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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All about Chicken Fried Steak
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All about Gravy
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Chicken Fried Steak

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: pound your choice of beef steak to 1/4″ thick, season with salt and cayenne pepper

: mix whole eggs with buttermilk (or substitute with yogurt)

: season flour with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, dip steak into it and shake off excess flour

: dip steak into egg/dairy mixture

: dip steak into flour again

: cook in clarified butter

: cook until golden on both sides and steaks have done-ness you desire

: remove steaks to absorbent paper

: add a spoonful of flour to the pan with the clarified butter, saute one minute until flour is “blond” in color

: add milk, chopped thyme leaves, kosher salt and cayenne pepper to the roux, whisk well to avoid lumps, simmer for five minutes, gravy should cover the back of a spoon, check / adjust seasoning

: while gravy simmers, saute diced chorizo, sliced onions and garlic paste in chicken or duck fat

: saute until onions are translucent

: add sliced white cabbage, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, add a cup of chicken stock, cover, simmer until cabbage is heated through but still crisp

: check / adjust seasoning

: plate the cabbage

: top with steaks and gravy

: Chicken Fried Steak

: Chicken Fried Steak

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Korv Med Potatis Mos (Swedish Sausage & Potato Puree)

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One of the most satisfying meals I had in my entire life I had in 1973 at around 3.00 am in Gothenborg, Sweden.
It was certainly not the fanciest or the most beautiful meal, but it was the first food I had in three days and I was starving…….. It was also the first time I ever saw sausage and mashed potatoes served at a roadside kiosk (everywhere else it was sausage and fries) The combination of sausage, mashed potatoes, ketchup and mustard on that cold winter night, together with the satisfaction of a hot meal after nearly starving and the even greater satisfaction of impending hot sex made for a truly exceptional and, as you can see, unforgettable meal 🙂
My friend Heinz and I had finished a short summer season in Torekov, Sweden. After that, we went to Gothenborg, being sure to be able to secure a job working for “Swedish American Line“, which at the time was one of the most famous and luxurious cruise lines in existence. After a few wild weeks enjoying Gothenborgs nightlive, we finally applied for a job at their office.
The HR manager, Helge Swenson, took one look at us and then laughed us out of his office. (Sweden being one of the most conservative countries at the time, I did not look suitable with my shoulder length hair, high platform shoes, skin tight pants and mirrored hippy t-shirt)
So Heinz and I left his office a bit worried, since we had no money left and a hotel bill of considerable heft. (There was money for beer and smoke, but not for food). As we walked down the hallway toward’s the elevator, a very beautiful, sexy brunette passed us. I made some remarks to Heinz in German of the adventures I’d like to have with her. After a few seconds and steps had passed, she turned around and said in perfect German: “Do be careful, you never know who speaks your language in a foreign land”. Turned out she was a manager at the HR office. We started talking and I gave her the address of our hotel. Heinz made fun of me, being sure a hot woman like that would not bother to call a penny-less punk. But low and behold, when we got back to the hotel late that night, there were at least ten messages. I called her back the same night at 2.00 am and invited her out. She said yes and I said wonderful, just one problem: I have no money and if I go out, so does my friend. Well, she agreed, and that’s how Heinz and I finally got food in our belly that night – Korv med Mos.
Needless to say, I held on to that great gal for a while. She got jobs for both Heinz and I on the MS Gripsholm, and so started a long career on cruise ships for me. Unfortunately the stint on the MS Gripsholm lasted only about one month for Heinz, after which he became very ill. He never recovered and was never able to work again. Myself, I lasted about six months before I broke my spine and was unable to work for about a year. After surgery in Germany, I spend most of the year at Bitte’s house in Sweden, a beautiful house on a lake in the woods near Gothenborg, which she shared with her even more beautiful female friend. Great house, fireplaces all over, sauna, right on the lake. These were the wild 70’s, so we all shared a lot more than the roof we lived under. Life certainly was good 🙂
I slowly recovered while she was still working at the HR office of Swedish American Line. She eventually got jobs for both of us at Royal Viking Line, where we soon split up and went our own ways…………
Nevertheless, that first Korv med Mos that night was one of the best meals I ever had 🙂
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Smaklig måltid ! Livet är bra !
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Korv Med Mos – Original Version (Image Property: Peter Linquist)

Korv Med Mos – My Version

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Preparation :
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cook diced potatoes in saltwater until tender, drain, mash

add garlic paste, horseradish, heavy cream, kosher salt, cayenne pepper and lots of butter, wisk

add garlic paste, horseradish, heavy cream, kosher salt, cayenne pepper and lots of butter, mix well

saute onions and sausage, remove sausage when done

saute onions and sausage in garlic oil, remove sausage when done

add soy sauce, garlic paste, cayenne pepper and a bit of chicken stock to caramelized onions

add peppers and cabbage

saute until heated through but vegetables are still crispy

saute until vegetables are heated through but still crisp

plate mashed potatoes, make indention in the center

fill indention with vegetables, top with sausage, drizzle liquid from vegetables over sausage

Korv Med Mos

final inspection…..

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Grilled Pork Tenderloin, Caramelized Apples And Walnuts

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Last night’s dinner was very atypical for me, since I usually don’t like nuts and/or fruits in my savory dishes.
However, in cooking, as in most other things, there is sometimes an exception to the rule, so this is one of the few exceptions where I actually like to add fruit and nuts to a savory dish for my own consumption 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Live is Good !

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