Hungarian Pork Stew with Dumplings

This is yet another recipe clipped from a newspaper article a couple of decades ago that made its way into regular rotation. I had to halve the recipe though, because if memory serves, the article was about cooking for fire fighters in their station and the recipe was enough food to feed an army. You can cook it in a large cast iron pot with a lid or a slow cooker works too. When chopping your vegetables and meat make everything a large bite size.

Ingredients:

  • 2 potatoes, chopped
  • 1 c rutabaga, chopped
  • 1/4 c flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/ tsp steak spice
  • 1/8 c olive oil
  • 1 – 1 1/2 lbs pork shoulder roast, cubed
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3/4 c red wine
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 can (14 fluid oz) crushed tomatoes
  • 1 large carrot, chopped
  • 1 c mushrooms, quartered
  • 1 c peas

Ingredients for the Dumplings:

  • 1/3 c milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 c + 1 Tbsp flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

  1. Par-boil the potatoes and turnip for about 5 minutes, then drain.
  2. Combine the flour, salt, pepper, cornstarch, steak spice and paprika in a small bowl.
  3. Place the cubed pork in a large freezer bag. Add the flour mixture and shake to coat all the meat.
  4. Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron pot. Brown the pork in batches.
  5. If cooking in the cast iron pot, combine all the rest of the ingredients into the pot along with the leftover flour mixture. Cover and place in an oven that has been preheated to 325 degrees.
  6. If cooking in the slow cooker, combine all the vegetables and the meat into the slow cooker. In the same pot that you browned the meat, combine the red wine, crushed tomatoes and the rest of the flour mixture. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Pour over top of the rest of the ingredients in the slow cooker. Stir and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or low for 7-8 hours.
Hungarian Pork Stew

To Make the Dumplings:

  1. Move the stew to the stove (if it’s in the slow cooker, transfer it to a pot), and bring to a simmer.
  2. Mix together the milk and eggs in one bowl. Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt in a different bowl. Then mix the two together.
  3. Drop the batter into the stew by the spoonful.
  4. Cook on medium-low for about 15 minutes.

Nutritional Information*

  • Servings: 8 (1 rounded cup per serving, with one dumpling)
  • Calories per serving: 483
  • Total Fat: 22 g
  • Saturated Fat: 6.1 g
  • Total Carbohydrates: 42.9 g
  • Dietary Fiber: 6.2 g
  • Sugar: 7.7 g
  • Protein: 30.2 g

*Nutritional Information estimated using MyFitnessPal

Banana Strawberry Buttermilk Bread

I made this recipe two ways – as a loaf and as muffins. I just like the natural portion control that comes with muffins.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 c butter, softened
  • 1/2 c sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 c buttermilk
  • 2 over-ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 c flour
  • 1/4 c ground golden flax seed
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 c sliced strawberries + extra for the top

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar together with a hand mixer. Mix in eggs, buttermilk, mashed banana and vanilla.
  3. In a medium bowl combine flour, ground flax, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Combine with the butter mixture.
  4. Fold in the strawberries.
  5. Fill a greased loaf pan, or muffin cups. Top with sliced strawberries.
  6. Bake 50-55 minutes if making a loaf. Bake 22-25 minutes if making muffins.

Nutritional Information*

  • Servings: 1 loaf OR 12 muffins
  • Calories per serving: 149
  • Total Fat: 9.4 g
  • Saturated Fat: 5.1 g
  • Total Carbohydrates: 15.1 g
  • Dietary Fiber: 1.3 g
  • Sugar: 11.3 g
  • Protein: 2.1 g

*Nutritional Information estimated using MyFitnessPal

Swedish Meatballs

These delicious, traditional Swedish meatballs are great served over garlic rice, mashed potatoes or egg noodles.

Meatballs:

  • 1/2 large sweet onion, grated
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 1/2 c bread crumbs
  • 1/2 c milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Sauce:

  • 1/4 c butter
  • 1/3 c flour
  • 2 c beef broth
  • 1 c half-and-half cream
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:

  1. Heat 1/2 Tbsp olive oil in a small pan and cook the onion until soft. Set aside to cool.
  2. Combine the bread crumbs and milk together in a large bowl. Add egg, cooked onion, ground beef, ground pork and all the spices. Mix together well, then form into 28 1-inch balls and place on a baking sheet.
  3. Heat the remaining oil in a large non-stick pan. Fry the meatballs in batches until about 1/2 cooked (still pink in the center). Set aside.
  4. Make the sauce in the same pan by melting the butter then whisking in the flour and let cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in the beef broth, cream, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.
  5. Add the meatballs back to the pan and allow the meatballs to simmer in the sauce for about 10 minutes.
Swedish Meatballs

Nutritional Information*

  • Servings: 4
  • Calories per serving: 842
  • Total Fat: 60.7 g
  • Saturated Fat: 16.1 g
  • Total Carbohydrates: 26.4 g
  • Dietary Fiber: 1.6 g
  • Sugar: 6.1 g
  • Protein: 43.6 g

*Nutritional Information estimated using MyFitnessPal

Greek Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

  • 2 c dry fusilli pasta
  • 1/2 c cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • 1/2 c chopped sweet onion
  • 1/2 c diced cucumber
  • 1/4 c pitted kalamata olives, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp feta cheese, crumbled

Dressing:

  • 1/3 c olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp plain greek yogurt
  • 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/4 c feta cheese, crumbled
  • 1 tsp dried dill
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • dash ground black pepper

Directions:

  1. Combine all the ingredients of the dressing in a mason jar and shake well, or into a blender and blend well.
  2. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and run under cold water.
  3. Combine pasta, cherry tomatoes, onion, cucumber, olives and feta cheese.
  4. Toss with just enough dressing to coat, save the rest.
Greek Pasta Salad

Amazing Sugar-Free Slow Cooked Ribs (Keto!)

I love ribs but it’s nearly impossible to find a dry rub or BBQ sauce with no sugar in it. These ribs are amazing – crunchy & flavourful on the outside, moist and succulent on the inside, and sugar-free!

You need to prepare for these ribs a couple of days in advance. It’s best to have them sit in the rub overnight, if possible, and they need almost a full day to cook.

Ingredients:

  • 5 Tbsp paprika
  • 3 Tbsp chili powder
  • 3 Tbsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp powdered ginger
  • 1 Tbsp black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 Tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 Tbsp ground thyme
  • 2 Tbsp mustard powder
  • 2 Tbsp garlic powder
  • 3 Tbsp onion powder
  • 1 Tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 large racks of pork back ribs

Directions:

  1. Combine all the spices in a sealed container or jar – can be kept indefinitely.
  2. Pat the ribs dry with paper towel. Take a piece of saran wrap that is twice the length of the ribs, and place on the counter. Place one of the racks on the plastic wrap.
  3. Take small handfuls of the rub and rub it into the ribs. Flip over and repeat.
  4. Wrap the ribs up tightly with the plastic wrap, using a second piece of plastic wrap if necessary.
  5. Repeat with the other rack and place the ribs in the fridge overnight.
  6. Preheat oven to 225 degrees.
  7. Remove the ribs from the plastic wrap and place, bone side down on a baking sheet. DO NOT COVER.
Dry rubbed and ready for the oven
  • Place in oven for 6 to 8 hours, until you can twist off a bone on the end easily.
Amazing Sugar-Free Slow Cooked Ribs

Roasted Italian Vegetables

Roasted vegetables is, in my opinion, the yummiest way to eat vegetables. I bake up a pan then they’re in the fridge for the week to serve on the side of meat, stuffed into a sandwich or thrown in with a salad.

Ingredients:

  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 yellow pepper
  • 2 zucchinis
  • 1 sweet onion
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 c olive oil

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Chop all the vegetables, except the garlic, into about the same sized dice and place in a large baking pan. Peel the garlic and chop in half, add to the pan.
  3. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Pour olive oil over top and stir together.
  4. Place in the oven and cook, stirring every 20 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and browned (approximately 1 hour).
Roasted Italian Vegetables

Nutritional Information*:

  • Servings: 8
  • Calories per serving: 89
  • Total Fat: 7 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1 g
  • Total Carbohydrates: 6.2 g
  • Fiber: 1.6 g
  • Sugar: 3.2 g
  • Protein: 1.3 g

*Nutritional information estimated using MyFitnessPal

Lemon Garlic Roasted Chicken Breasts

I modified this recipe from one that is featured in Frances Mayes’ book “Everyday in Tuscany”. She’s a consummate foodie and likes to include recipes in her many books about life in Italy.

Marinade:

  • 1/2 c olive oil
  • 1/2 c white wine
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar

Rub:

  • 1/2 c chopped italian parsley
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp shaved lemon peel
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper

Ingredients:

  • 4 large chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil

Directions:

  1. Combine the marinade ingredients & set aside.
  2. Combine the rub ingredients.
  3. Wash the chicken and pat dry with paper towel.
  4. Stuff the rub under the skin of the chicken, then place the breasts in a baking dish and cover with the marinade. Cover with saran wrap and place in the fridge overnight, turning the breasts over to the other side in the morning.
Marinating Chicken Breasts
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Heat the oil in a large cast iron pan. Place the chicken in, skin side down and brown well.
  3. Turn the chickens over, and dose with a heavy seasoning of salt & pepper.
  4. pPlace a lid on the pan and place in the oven for 35 – 45 minutes, until juices run clear.