I have a similar recipe for veal paprikash posted on my blog but I love this version more as it calls for fresh tomatoes and a dash of hot spice pleasantly overpowered by sweet Hungarian paprika.  There are also less steps to this recipe and once the onion and pepper are chopped, most of the cooking time is spent letting the meat tenderize via a simmer. If you have leftover chopped or diced tomatoes from another recipe, feel free to add those as well!

Cuts of veal

• veal for stew are cut into one or two inch squares.
• The pieces are usually cut from the shoulder, shank, or round, as these are the best cuts for braising or simmering meat for an extended time.
• Meat cut from the front of the shoulder contains connective tissue that breaks down when braised and makes for a great sauce.
• Generally, this is also the most cost effective cut of veal
• Do not use meat made for Scaloppine as its very thin and expensive as the fibers are removed.

 

Veal Paprikas

Ingredients:

• 1-3 lbs veal stew
• 2 TBS butter
• 2 TBS vegetable oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 heaping TBS sweet Hungarian paprika
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 small red pepper, finely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 TBS all-purpose flour
• 1 cup regular sour cream (do NOT use low fat or fat free)
• Egg noodles to serve with veal

Cut the veal into 1-inch pieces. Rinse meat well in a colander and shake off excess water, but do not pat dry. (You want some extra moisture). Melt the butter in the oil in a dutch oven over medium – high heat, add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the paprika and cayenne over the onion, then add veal to the pot; stir until meat is coated with spices. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until meat gives off a fair amount of liquid, about 10 minutes. Stir in the bell pepper, tomato and a generous pinch of salt, cover again and cook until the meat is tender, about 45 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix the flour with 2 TBS water, then stir in the sour cream; stir mixture into pot. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes more. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes to settle flavors. Stir well before serving. (Don’t be tempted to skip this step!)

**Recipe adapted from Braises and Stews Cookbook

MLA – “veal: major cuts”. Illustration. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Web. 27 Feb. 2017. <https://www.britannica.com/topic/veal?oasmId=2913

This is not my favorite goulash recipe, but different in that it has a smokey versus sweet flavor.  I used de-boned, boneless skinless chicken thighs, but you can also use pork or beef.  I also found this recipe more similar to a stew or soup versus the thicker goulash I normally make served with spaetzle.

Ingredients:

• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 1 celery stock, chopped
• 1 small green pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 large potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1-2 lbs chicken, pork, beef cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• 2 TBS smoked paprika
• 1 (14.05 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable, chicken or beef stock
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven or big pot over medium to high heat.

Add the onion, garlic, celery, bell pepper and potatoes and stir. Let cook for 3 minutes, just until the onion softens.

Add the meat pieces, thyme, bay leaf, caraway seeds and smoked paprika and stir. Let cook for 2 minutes.

**Since I used chicken thighs, I browned the chicken first, drained the fat and set aside.  Then I cooked the onion, other vegetables, returning the chicken to the pot once the vegetables softened and it was time to add the spices.

Stir in the diced tomatoes and vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper.

Lower the heat to medium and let cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

**Adapted from 30 minute one pot meals cookbook

For a quick meal to clean out your fridge of leftover veggies, add some pasta and use a jar of pesto from your pantry!  Add pine nuts for extra protein!

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• leftover veggies:
  •  chopped carrots, zucchini, peppers, mushrooms, onion, celery
• fresh or dry pasta
• jar of green pesto
• parsley (garnish, optional)

Chop all veggies, add add olive oil or grapeseed oil to a skillet.  Add all vegetables to skillet, add mushrooms last so they don’t over cook.  Cook for 5-8 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, boil water for pasta and cook according to directions.

Combine cooked veggies and pasta in a bowl; add 4-6 TBS pesto sauce and any extra olive oil desired.  Add pine nuts and parsley as garnish, serve immediately.

Pesto can also be used within the next 5-7 days to add to fresh or frozen ravoli or tortellini for an additional meal!

This I made on a whim, not expecting it to have a ton of flavor but I was pleasntly surprised and loved this recipe!  This will defintley be one of my go to recipes when I need a quick meal!

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Quesadilla

Ingredients:

• 1 TBS olive oil
• 1 medium onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (15.5 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 TBS lime juice
• 1 tsp dried oregano, crushed
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• leftover tortillas (I used refridgerated white corn, but any will work!)
• 2 sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
• 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
• 1 1/3 cups baby spinach (optional, I didnt use these)
• 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup tomato salsa, corn salsa, guacamole or chopped tomatoes

Microwave sweet potatoes for 2-4 minutes (prick with a fork first) then bake in the oven until soft at 400 for 15-25 minutes.

In a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook until onion is tender. Stir in black beans, lime juice, oregano and cumin. Heat through, set aside.

Don’t warm tortillas before; place them on a plate and add the mashed sweet potatoes, black beans, cheese and any other desired ingredients.

Two options for adding the fillings:

1. Add the ingredients to one half of the tortilla and then fold OR
2. Add the ingredients to the entire shell, place another on top

Add tortillas to the skillet and cook on low heat for four minutes, flip and cook another 2-4 minutes until the cheese is melted and tortilla is soft and cooked.

Cut the tortillas in half and or in fourths, serve with salsa, guacamole, avacado and any other toppings.

**Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens weeknight Mexican

This soup is packed with nutrients from the veggies and protein, antioxidants and fiber from the cannellini beans. This also uses the same chopped up veggie base as the sloppy joe recipe.

Pasta Fagioli Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1 small onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 small carrot, chopped
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 (15 oz) cannellini beans (or white kidney beans)
• 1/2 cup uncooked orzo (you can use any pasta, I used elbow macaroni)
• 1 (16 oz) can tomato sauce
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock (I use low sodium)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 TBS chopped fresh parsley (garnish, optional)
• Parmesan cheese, grated (garnish, optional)

Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven or a large soup pot over medium – high heat. Add the onion, garlic, celery and carrot and cook for 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

Stir in the basil and oregano.  Add the bouillon cube (I just used extra chicken stock) and stir well. Bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, making sure orzo is cooked.

**I didn’t use orzo but instead cooked the elbow pasta separately and added at the end.

**Adapted from the 30 minute, one pot meal cookbook.

Great leftover if you buy extra ground beef at the store when making other dishes such as cottage pie or tacos.  Don’t season the meat for the sloppy joes but divide the raw meat before cooking and save a pound of meat to make the next day for these sloppy joes!

Sloppy Joes can use the same base as the pasta fagioli soup, so reuse those chopped up veggies for two meals!

Sloppy Joes (from the book “A Year Full of Recipes”)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef (we used 85% but try grassfed or 90% lean)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped or minced
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• leftover celery, zucchini, carrot, red pepper
• 1 TBS yellow mustard
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1 TBS packed brown sugar
• pinch of chili pepper or paprika (sweet)
• hamburger buns
• salt and pepper to taste

(makes about 4-5 servings)

1. Put the beef, onion, garlic, and green pepper and any other leftover chopped veggies into a nonstick skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently and breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon, for 8-10 minutes, until the beef is evenly browned and cooked through.  Drain fat.
2. Stir in the mustard, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, and chili powder/paprika. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes.
3.  Divide the mixture among the burgers and serve.

Serve with 1-2 cups veggies such as green beans.  Can be served with soup or soup can be made as its own recipe.

 

 

 

This is a quick week night recipe which incorporates veggies, a lean protein and pre-made sauce for a quick 20 minute meal.  Pesto sauce can be refrigerated for 7-10 days and used again the following week for another quick meal.

Ingredients:

• 1-2 boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
• 1 jar pesto sauce
  • I have tried both basil pesto and a walnut pesto depending on ravioli
• 2 bell peppers, cut into strips
• 1/2 sweet onion, 1-2 carrots, 1 celery stock finely chopped
  • ***zucchini and mushrooms can also be added, chop into larger pieces so when you add to skillet they cook evenly with the above
• 2 TBS pine nuts (optional)
• Italian seasoning
• Fresh pasta such as orecchiette or stuffed ravioli
  • Recommend 1/4 LB pasta per person

Heat a skillet over medium heat, add grapeseed or olive oil until pan shimmers.  Add salt and pepper to chicken breast, cook until the chicken is no longer pink (at least 5 minutes), remove from heat and set aside.

Add the vegetable mixture, cook for about 5-7 minutes or until softened, stirring frequently. (Recommend chopping veggies in advance to save time).  Add the pine nuts and italian seasoning, and add the chicken back to the skillet; turn burner to low, stir frequently while the water for the pasta boils.

Cook the pasta according to directions, fresh pasta is done once it has cooked for 3-4 minutes and rises to the top of pan and floats.

Drain the pasta and add 2-4 TBS pesto and 1 TBS olive oil.  Stir to coat the pasta and add vegetable and chicken mixture.  Serve warm.

You can also add an additional vegetable such as green beans or steamed/baked broccoli.

This is the fourth recipe that will use any leftover chopped tomatoes from the stuffed peppers and leftover peppers and onions from previous weeks recipes. The white wine can also be re-used from the tuscan chicken stew, and if you bought a package of chicken thighs, use up any leftover thighs for a new recipe. Sometimes I divide the chicken package evenly between this and the tuscan stew to change up the flavors.  If you just want to make this recipe and have leftover, you can use most or all chicken package.

Ingredients:

• 6-10 chicken thighs (with skin is more greasy, try both)
• 1 TBS paprika (I like the bright, sweet)
• 1 two ounce slice prosciutto, about 1/4 inch thick)
  • **Can substitute bacon, but beaware this will be more greasy
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine such as pinot grigio or dry vermouth
• 1 large can (28 ounces) chopped tomatoes (if not making all the chicken you can use less, make sure you have at least 14oz)

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and paprika. Add oil to a skillet, add chicken in batches, skin side down about 4-5 minutes each side on medium heat until golden brown. Skin should release easily when ready to flip.  I often use a spoon to flip the chicken. The chicken doesn’t have to be cooked all the way through as it will simmer later, but aim for golden brown and only flip once.

While chicken cooks, cut up the prosciutto (dice). Once the chicken is complete, remove to a separate plate and add prosciutto, peppers, onions to the pan to cook, about 3-4 minutes. Once the vegetables have softened, add the wine and work to release the brown bits. Then add tomatoes, let come to a boil and then add the chicken.  Reduce heat, cover, and cook (simmer) about 45 minutes until chicken is opague at the bone.

Remove the chicken from the pot and tint with foil to cool.  Keep the sauce in the pan and bring to a boil, cook 10 minutes longer stirring often until thickened.  Make sure sauce is not too hot and not burning at bottom of the pan. Serve warm with your choice (1 cup) pasta noodles and add additional vegetable choice.  I often add carrots to also cook with this dish.

I adapted this recipe from a Braises and Stews cookbook but often I don’t have fresh sage leaves and instead buy whats on sale or use what dry ingredients I have in my cupboard.  The fresh sage leaves do provide a unique flavor I recommend trying as that is my favorite part of the dish.

Ingredients:

• 4-10 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 2-3 bell peppers (red, orange or yellow)
• 6-8 mushrooms
• 1 sweet onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup marsala, or dry sherry
  • **You can also subsitiute a dry white wine, but recommend trying the marsala wine at least once to see if you like the flavor.
• 1/4 cup finely chopped sage leaves
• **Can substitute sage leaves for whatever you have in the kitchen, but recommend trying it once to see if you like the flavor.

Cut the chicken into 2 inch pieces and cut the bell peppers into quarters and then thin strips removing seeds. Cut up mushrooms into small pieces, set all vegetables aside.

In a dutch oven (or skillet for chicken only), add enough olive oil to cover the pan.  To speed up the cooking, I added olive oil to a skillet and cooked the chicken separate until browned and no longer pink, and added the vegetables to the dutch oven (see below).

Once oil shimmers in dutch oven, add the onion and cook for 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and peppers, be careful not to have heat up too high or garlic will burn. Cover the pot and cook, stirring every few minutes until peppers are soft.

Add chicken to the vegetables and pour in the marsala wine, let come to a boil, add salt to taste. Add the mushrooms, cover the pot, reduce to low and cook until vegetables are tender, 20-35 minutes.

Serve with egg noodles (up to 1 cup), and a side vegetable.

**This should make enough for leftovers the next night if you make enough chicken. I recommend buying the boneless thighs in a package, you usually get a discount versus buying behind the counter.

** Adapted from “Braises and Stews” cookbook