Tag: noodles

Czech Heritage and Dishes · Pastas

Czech Šunofleky (Ham and Pasta Bake)

cathysmaha1 Comment

Czech Šunofleky (Ham and Pasta Bake) is a traditional Czech pasta casserole. I’ve been wanting to try it for YEARS and finally had all of the ingredients and the motivation to make it. I adapted the original recipe and added cabbage and onions to the recipe. I substituted Spätzle for the noodles since I had a package on hand. I liked the results!

This is not a dish that was served in our family home in Iowa. We had many other Czech dishes, but this was a new, very tasty addition to our family collection.

Note: I realize the photo is bland and looks like scrambled eggs, but it is very tasty. I saw a post recently that the late Anthony Boudin once referred to the Czech cuisine saying, ‘This is the land that vegetables forgot.’ May I just say, I did add onion and cabbage and I think that counts for something!

Czech Šunofleky (Ham and Pasta Bake)

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 pound broad egg noodles or pasta (I used Spätzle)
  • 14- 16 ounces of smoked ham, diced
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 1/3 cups milk or cream
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 cabbage, shredded
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 tablespoons butter for sautéing cabbage and onion
  • Butter or oil for greasing the pan
  • Optional: breadcrumbs or cheese for topping (I used breadcrumbs)
  • Optional: pinch of nutmeg
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Cook the noodles/pasta: Boil pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain and let cool slightly.
  2. Cook the cabbage and onions: Sauté the cabbage and onion in 2 tablespoons of butter until cooked through.
  3. Make the custard: In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk (or cream), salt, pepper and nutmeg (optional).
  4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a baking dish.
  5. Mix and assemble: Add ham, noodles, cabbage and onions, to the egg mixture. Stir well. Pour into the dish and spread evenly.
  6. Optional topping: Sprinkle with breadcrumbs or grated cheese. (I used breadcrumbs).
  7. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown and set.
  8. Cool slightly, then slice and serve.

Recipe adapted from Easyworldrecipes

Home · Pastas · Poultry · Soups and Stews

One Pot Gnocchi (or Noodle) Chicken Pot Pie

cathysmahaLeave a comment

One Pot Chicken Pot Pie, with gnocchi or with noodles, is a taste of home. The dish was so easy to make, but midway through I discovered I was out of gnocchi. Egg noodles to the rescue! I added more broth to allow the noodles to cook through. This recipe is a great way to use leftover turkey or chicken and is a delicious dish to serve on a cold night!

One Pot Gnocchi (or Noodle) Chicken Pot Pie

INGREDIENTS:
  • 4 Tablespoons butter or vegan butter
  • 1 cup sliced carrots
  • 4 oz mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 large or 2 small stalks celery, thinly sliced
  • 1 large shallot or small onion, chopped
  • homemade seasoned salt (I used Lawry’s) and pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
  • 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • pinch dried thyme
  • 3 Tablespoons gluten free flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour)
  • 2 cups chicken stock or broth
  • 1 cup milk (any kind, I use unsweetened almond milk)
  • 12oz package gluten free gnocchi (I used egg noodles)
  • 1-1/2 cups shredded chicken breast (~1/2 lb pre-cooked)
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • optional: extra broth if cooking noodles
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Heat a Dutch Oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, melt butter in pan then add carrots, mushrooms, celery, and shallots/onions. Stir to coat the vegetables in butter then saute until the mushrooms release their liquid and it has evaporated, 3-4 minutes. Season with homemade seasoning salt and pepper then continue to saute, turning the heat down slightly if necessary, until vegetables are tender, another 6-7 minutes.
  2. Add garlic, poultry seasoning, and dried thyme then saute until garlic is very fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
  3. Sprinkle flour over vegetables then stir to combine and cook for 1 minute. Slowly pour in chicken broth while stirring to avoid lumps then add milk and turn heat up to medium-high. Bring mixture to a bubble, stirring occasionally, then add gnocchi and stir combine. Turn heat down to medium then simmer, stirring frequently, until gnocchi are tender, 5-6 minutes. Stir in chicken and peas then taste and add seasoned salt and/or pepper if necessary. Ladle into bowls then serve.

Recipe from IowaGirlEats

Czech Heritage and Dishes · Soups and Stews

Kapustnica: Slovak Christmas Sauerkraut Mushroom Soup

cathysmaha2 Comments

My Father’s ancestral roots are Czech and Slovak. I’ve always been interested in the ethnic foods of these regions and love trying the foods that they may have eaten. Kapustnica mean Sauerkraut Soup and is often served on Christmas Eve as well as throughout the winter months. Imagine the ingredients of these foods were preserved for use during the winter months. The soup is smoky and a bit sour due to the sauerkraut. The broth is delicious. Serve the soup with a nice crusty bread to complete the meal.

While this is a traditional Christmas soup, I prefer this soup in the cold, dark days of January.

Kapustnica: Slovak Christmas Sauerkraut Mushroom Soup

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 to 1.5 lbs. Sauerkraut (Frank’s refrigerated is recommended)
  • 1 tsp. caraway seed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2-3 links of smoked sausage
  • 3 quarts water
  • 1 oz. dried mushrooms (porcini recommended)
  • pasta (I cooked 1 cup of dried Kluski noodles)
  • Roux:
    • 3 tablespoons oil
    • 1 small chopped onion
    • 1 clove minced garlic
    • 3 tablespoons flour
    • 1/2 tsp. salt
    • 1/2 tsp. pepper
    • Paprika to taste
    • 1 cup water
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Add three quarts of water to a large pot. Add sauerkraut, caraway seed, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil.
  2. Soak mushrooms in cold water for 15 minutes. Drain and discard liquid. Add to soup.
  3. Using a fork, poke many holes in the smoked sausages. Add to soup.
  4. Simmer soup for 1-2 hours.
  5. Prepare the roux: Add oil to pan. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute. Add flour and stir until mixture is light brown. Add salt, pepper, paprika and ____. Stir to combine. Add 1 cup water. Whisk and cook until mixture thickens. Add to soup. Continue simmering soup.
  6. Remove smoke sausage from soup and slice into pieces. Add back to soup.
  7. Remove bay leaf.
  8. Cook pasta separately. When cooked, add to soup.

Recipe from YouTube

or

https://tasteisyours.com/slovak-sauerkraut-soup-kapustnica/

Kapustnica ( Slovakian Christmas Stew )

https://cookpad.com/uk/recipes/274784-kapustnica-slovakian-sauerkraut-sausage-soup

Family · Meats · Pastas

Beef & Noodles

cathysmahaLeave a comment

Beef & Noodles is a delicious comfort food that was a new experience for me. The beef broth was deliciously rich and yummy over mashed potatoes. I grew up on Chicken & Noodles over mashed potatoes, a family favorite. This dinner was shared with my daughters and we all agreed, Chicken & Noodles is still our favorite although we enjoyed this dish immensely.

Beef & Noodles

INGREDIENTS:
  • Beef Chuck Roast
  • 1 onion (chopped)
  • 4 large garlic cloves (minced)
  • 8 cups of beef stock
  • 32 oz. frozen egg noodles
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Oil for searing and sautéing. 
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Season chuck roast liberally with salt and pepper.
  2. Add oil (I used Avocado Oil) to pan and sear roast on all sides. Remove from pan. 
  3. Add additional oil and sauté onion until translucent, add garlic and sauté for 1-2 minus (until fragrant). Add roast back to pan and pour 1. 5 cups of beef broth. Turn pan to medium low and cook for 5-6 hours or until chuck roast is tender. 
  4. Remove chuck roast from pot and shred. Skim fat from remaining broth (or run it through a fat separator) then add shredded beef back to pot along with remaining 6.5 cups of beef broth. Once boiling add in the thawed noodles and cook until desired consistency. 
  5. Serve over mashed potatoes.
Chicken and Noodles over Mashed Potatoes…that’s right!
Family Favorites · My Roots

Chicken and Noodles over Mashed Potatoes…that’s right!

cathysmaha22 Comments
Homemade Chicken and Noodles over mashed potatoes

Chicken and Noodles has to be our all-time family favorite.  This is the ultimate comfort food to share with those you love.  The carbs are high but your family will be feeling the love!  My mother would serve this for a hearty supper (evening meal in the Midwest) or for Sunday dinner (noon meal).  It is best made with homemade noodles, although we have found several commercial noodles (such as Kluski style noodles) that work well.

This time, I made my noodles from scratch, like my Mother did.  She could whip up a batch so fast.  I admit I’m slower and not as precise.  After I moved away from Iowa, my Mother would visit and make several batches of noodles for me, always ready in the freezer when I was craving Mom’s chicken and noodles.

This is not your ordinary chicken and noodle soup…Instead, the chicken and noodles are served over mashed potatoes.  Crazy, right?  You won’t think so once you try it.  It is a fabulous medley of flavors that is perfect for a cold, wintry night.  However, daughter Megan has been known to request this for her August birthday dinner.  We served this to her friends when she was a teenager and they thought we were crazy UNTIL they tasted it.  Now her friends ask her when she is making chicken and noodles.  The tradition continues.

EGG NOODLES

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 egg yolks
7 to 8 tablespoons cold water

  • Sift flour with salt into medium bowl.
  • Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Add egg yolks and 4 tablespoons cold water. Beat vigorously with wooden spoon until well combined.
  • Gradually add 3 more tablespoons water, mixing well with your hands. Dough will be stiff. If it is too stiff to knead, gradually add more water.
  • On a lightly floured surface, knead dough until smooth, about 5 minutes. Cover with bowl and let the dough rest for 5 minutes
  • Divide the dough into four parts. Work with one part at a time. Keep remainder covered with bowl until ready to roll out.
Rolling out noodle dough
Rolling noodle dough to prepare to cut noodles
Cut noodles prepared to dry overnight
  • Roll each part, on a floured surface, to about 14″x16″. Dough will be about 1/8″ thick. The shape does not need to be perfect. Work quickly before dough dries out.
  • Make sure each side of the dough is lightly coated with flour. Starting with the long side, roll the dough loosely, like you would for a jelly roll. With a thin sharp knife, cut roll into 1/8″ strips for noodles. Arrange on ungreased cookie sheet to dry. Let dry overnight before cooking.
  • Dried noodles can be stored in a cool place. They also freeze beautifully for use at a later time.

CHICKEN AND NOODLES

Chicken and Noodles simmering in homemade chicken and broth

1 whole chicken
Salt and pepper
Water
Egg Noodles, Uncooked (or make your own)
Parsley to taste
Mashed potatoes

  • Cover whole chicken, in deep pot, with water and boil until chicken is falling off the bone. Remove chicken from broth and cool. Once chicken is cool, pick chicken pieces off the bone and return to broth. Discard bones and skin.
  • Refrigerate broth over night. Before proceeding, remove any congealed fat from top of broth.
  • Heat broth and chicken and add more water to assure enough liquid to cook one package of egg noodles. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 30+ minutes or until noodles are done.
  • Serve with a large bowl of hot mashed potatoes.