Hungarian Recipes

I am Hungarian and brought up on some different types of Hungarian foods. My grandmother used to make meals such as stuffed cabbage, chicken soup, cabbage noodles, chicken paprikash as well as many other meals and pastries. When I was younger, I took all these yummy dishes for granted. It wasn't until I was an adult that I became more aware of my heritage and more appreciative of the dishes of my youth. I am going to share a few Hungarian recipes with you today so you can enjoy them the way my family does.

Stuffed Cabbage:

1 good size head of cabbage
1 lb of either ground beef, ground turkey or ground pork, or a mixture of them (I use ground turkey and ground pork mixed together)
2 cups of brown rice, not instant
1 small onion chopped fine
1 can of tomato juice
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of pepper
1 tsp of paprika
1 tsp of butter

Put cabbage in a pot of boiling water for about 10 minutes. Pull off one leaf at a time, the larger the better. Set aside on a plate.

Put the butter and chopped onions in a pan and saute for a few minutes. Then add in the rice and cook for about 3 minutes or so. You just want to brown the rice a bit. Put the meat in a bowl and mix in the onion and rice mixture. Add some tomato juice and mix well. Add in your seasonings, salt, pepper and paprika. Mix well.

Scoop a generous amount of mixture onto a single cabbage leaf. Roll and fold in the ends. Put them in a pot of half tomato juice/ half water. Bring to a boil then simmer for about an hour or until meat is completely cooked and rice is not hard.

Even the kids enjoy this meal. My daughter will not eat the cabbage but will eat the mixture and she loves it. My son will eat the cabbage and mixture together. Best if served with a slice of rye bread to soak up the juice.

Cabbage Noodles:

1 small head of cabbage
1 pack of bacon, preferably regular, pork bacon
1 bag of egg noodles, either regular or wheat
1 small onion, chopped fine
salt, pepper, paprika

Chop up the cabbage into small strips. Set aside. Cook the bacon in a pan as you normally would. While that is cooking, cook the noodles. Chop the onion and set aside. When the bacon is done, add in the onion and the cabbage. DO NOT DRAIN THE BACON FAT!! This is what makes the taste so divine!!! Once the noodles are done, add them in as well as your seasonings. Cook for about five minutes to soak in the bacon grease. I know, it doesn't sound too good but trust me, it is delicious!! Even my kids love it and they are quite picky.

Chicken soup:

This is another easy recipe for the beginner.

You can use either a split breast, a few wings or a few legs
carrots
potatoes
onion
spring water
salt, pepper, paprika
orzo, pastina or alphabet noodles
peas

Fill a pot about half to three quarters of the way full of spring water. Add in chicken of your choice. I use four to five chicken wings or a split breast usually. If you feel the need, you can add a little bit of chicken bouillon to add to the flavor. Make sure to use bouillon that is MSG free, it is healthier. Cut an onion in half and throw it in there for flavor. You can also add in celery if you like. Cook for about thirty minutes. Then add in chopped potatoes, carrots, noodles and peas. Cook until noodles are done, usually an additional fifteen to twenty minutes at most. You can add any other vegetables that you enjoy as well. We sometimes add in cheese tortellinis as well just to change it up a bit. The kids just love this homemade chicken soup. They always ask for more!!

Chicken Paprikash:

boneless, skinless chicken breasts
sour cream
salt, pepper, paprika
chicken broth
onion
garlic
flour
noodles

Chop up the chicken and onions and place in chicken broth. Just enough broth to keep everything submerged. Not too much though. Mix in the spices and stir. Simmer until the chicken is done. When the chicken is done, add in the flour to thicken it up. Add in some more broth and sour cream. Mix well.
Usually, Hungarians use homemade dumplings with this meal. If you do not want to do that, you can use regular flat egg noodles instead.

There are many ways to enjoy the Hungarian heritage. Making and eating these meals is a good start for a beginner. I may be Hungarian, but I am not a cook, per say. I enjoy making simple meals that WOW my family. I do not enjoy the hard, time consuming meals and these are not them. My children are picky when it comes to food and they love all of these meals. If my kids will eat them, yours will too.

Make sure to put on some traditional Hungarian music while cooking and enjoy yourself!! It takes a few times and some practice to roll the stuffed cabbage just right. I still have trouble with that. Presentation is not a concern of mine when cooking for my family so I just do the best I can. My mother is a pro though so one day maybe I will be as well. I can dream, can't I??

Hope you all try these recipes and enjoy them as much as I do!!!