Spicy Vegetable Goulash

Whenever I try a new recipe I always like to change or tweak something about it to make it my own. Quite often for my own personal taste that involves adding some spice!! The base for this goulash recipe I got from a little student's cook book years ago when I was at university, and I have altered a few things to mold my own recipe. Its an economical dish as it can be made using practically any vegetable you have available to you in your kitchen. For anyone who is unfamiliar with goulash, it is a dish that comes from Eastern Europe and is very common in countries like Hungary, Czech Republic and Poland etc. My own little version of a vegetable goulash is to add some paprika and cumin.

As with most of my recipes I like to keep ingredients simple, and for the most part to consist of things that most kitchens will already have.

For four people you will need:

1 onion
2 medium sized potatoes
2 carrots
half a cauliflower
1 tbsp of olive oil or vegetable oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tsps of paprika
2 tsps of cumin
2 tbsps of plain flour
2 cups of vegetable stock
14oz can of chopped tomatoes
1 tsp of mixed herbs or dried basil
pinch of salt and pepper

Start off by peeling and chopping up the onion, potatoes and carrots into little cubes or chunks, however you like. Clean up the cauliflower by pulling any leaves off and rinsing it in water. Cut off the florets (the top bits that look like mini trees) and throw away the stalk.

Gently heat the onion and garlic on low in the olive oil for about 5 minutes. Once the onions have softened sprinkle in the paprika, cumin and flour and stir well.

Pour the vegetable stock into the saucepan then add the potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, chopped tomatoes, and pepper and give it all a good mix. Turn up the heat so that the goulash can come to the boil. When it does boil reduce the heat so that it simmers. Put the lid on the pan and leave to cook for around 25 minutes (until the vegetables are cooked).

Serve straight away with a little bit of creme fresh and some rustic bread and you have yourself a nice Eastern European meal with a little spiced twist!!