YES IT'S REALLY SNOWING!

One of the things I love about homeschooling is that my kids are home all day.  Yes, it's also one of the things that drives me crazy, but today I loved it.  In the middle of the afternoon, Princess shouted from her bedroom, "Look outside!  Look outside!  It's starting to snow!"  I'm sure if she'd done that in a traditional classroom, the teacher would have been less receptive.

And indeed there were lots and LOTS of big white slushy flakes, sailing through the air, landing in the grass, and actually sticking and staying...

So tonight we need something really warm - some ultimate comfort food.  Enter June Mayer's Authentic Goulash Recipe.  June's recipe is the real deal, using real paprika.

A few years ago, Hubby went to Hungary.  He was told before he left, "Come home with REAL paprika or don't come home".   So being a good hubby, he did.  Two kinds - spicy and sweet.  The sweet ladies at the grocery store over there told him that the two should be used in proportion:  1 part spicy to 2 parts sweet.

I've made some tweaks to her recipe, and here's what's in the cast iron pot tonight:

SPH Goulash
1 pound beef stew meat
Salt and pepper (both to taste)
1/2 cup Glutino Gluten Free All Purpose Flour (you can use regular APF if you'd like)
Olive oil (about 4 turns of the pan)
1 package Simply Potatoes Diced Potatoes with Onion, thawed
1 quart Pacific Brand Organic Beef broth
2 bay leaves
1/2 tablespoon HOT paprika
1 1/2 tablespoons SWEET paprika (if you have paprika in your pantry, use 2 tablespoons)
1 cup orzo (I omit now, although I used to use it before we discovered the gluten issue)

Make a dredge for the stew meat with the flour, salt and pepper in a bowl.  Add stew meat, and stir to coat.

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a cast iron pot or large soup pot.  Add floured meat, then brown.  When meat has been browned on all sides, add potatoes.  Allow potatoes and onions to heat for a few minutes, stirring carefully.  Add broth, bay leaves, and paprika.  Cover tightly.  Bring to a simmer, and allow to cook for at least an hour.  Add orzo, if using, and bring back up to a boil.  Continue to cook for about 10 more minutes until orzo is cooked through.  Serve hot, with sour cream if desired.

This is such a hearty dish.  It warms you through and through.  The orzo takes the place of the dumplings, and by using prepackaged, prepeeled, and precut potatoes, you can save a lot of time in the kitchen.

Give it a go!