Goulash

I'm really proud of this recipe. I created it for my husband's birthday in 2003. I was trying to recreate the goulashes we'd eaten in Prague in the early 1990's. I read through loads of recipes. There are so many types of goulash: Hungarian, Austrian, Czach, German. Some are like beef stew with chunks of carrots and potatoes, some simple and meaty. I knew I wanted a meaty one, with lots of gravy-like sauce.

This is it!

I've made it so many times, so many different ways. I've used lamb or venison instead of beef. I've used white wine or port instead of red wine (for port, use only half a cup and then the rest water). I've left out the lemon.

This goulash is best served with knedliky (steamed bread dumplings) but also good with noodles, rice, potatoes, even bread.

3 Tbsp oil
2 lbs beef, cubed
2 large onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp marjoram
1 bay leaf
1 cup dry red wine
1 Tbsp red wine or balsamic vinegar
1 c water
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbp flour
juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper

Heat about 2 T oil in a large dutch oven. Add meat and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove meat and any juices from pan. Set aside on plate. If there's not much oil left, add an extra T. Add onions and saute until soft, about 5 mins. Add garlic, cook for 1-2 minutes. Add paprika, cumin and marjoram. Cook until fragrant, about 1 min. Stir in red wine and vinegar, scraping the bottom of the pan for carmelised meat bits. Return meat to pan. Add bay leaf and enough water to cover the meat. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, cover and cook until meat is very tender, about 2-2.5 hours.

When meat is tender, create route in a separate saucepan: melt butter and add flour. Cook for 1-2 mins. Stir roue into goulash. Cook for about 5 minutes, until sauce thickens up. Add lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Oat bar II

These were better than my first attempt - but also very different.

SWCC described them as "baklava-esque". Indeed it is an apt comparison - very chewy, sweet and crunchy. More like dessert than a breakfast bar; also good for a sweet but sustaining snack.

1/3 c oil
1/3 c brown sugar
2 Tbsp Lyle's golden syrup (could probably substitute honey or maple syrup)
2 Tbps orange juice

130 g/1.25 cups porridge oats (or 1 c oats and 1/2 c raisin bran)
100g dried fruit (1/3 c sultanas; 6 dried apricots chopped)
2 Tbsp pumpkin seeds, chopped
2 Tbsp sunflower seeds, chopped
2 Tbsp walnuts, chopped
1/2 tsp salt

Mix together oil, brown sugar, gold syrup and orange juice. Mix in all the dry ingredients. Bake in a buttered pan (8-inch square or 7x11) at 160C (fan) for 18-20 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.

Oat bars

I've been meaning to come up with a tasty, healthy-ish oat bar recipe for just about my entire adult life. Here we go - first try...

Result: Not very good. Wouldn't repeat this. Too dense. Not quite flavourful enough - neither sweet nor savoury. But it's a start.

1 cup flour (half white/wholewheat)
2 cups porridge oats
4 Tbsp ground seeds
1 egg
1/3 c oil
1/2 c maple syrup
2/3 c orange juice
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c raisins

Mix dry ingredients in one bowl, wet in another. Add dry to wet. Stir in raisins. Put in greased 8-inch square or 9-inch round pan. Bake at 160C (fan) for 35-40 mins.