Szegedin Goulash

Tonight, let’s go old school European with this famous Hungarian dish made with pork, paprika, caraway, and sauerkraut. I have found many variations of this recipe and this one from the Daring Gourmet is the one I found most interesting (and easily adaptable to Cooking for One and a Half). I like the simplicity of this dish and really doesn’t take much time to put together before it is slow simmered until done. Now this isn’t fast food either, it does take 45 minutes or more to simmer until done…

Mangú

Today’s recipe is a delicious Dominican staple made from mashed green plantains, served with cooked onions, fried cheese, and/or a fried egg or fried salami. My wife makes this amazing dish for me, but today I made it for myself since she is away visiting family in the Dominican Republic. I was missing her and craving her cooking so I took matters into my own hands. This dish is simple to prepare – a real treat for a busy weeknight dinner or a relaxing weekend breakfast. Now I know some of you that…

Italian Chocolate Martini

Hey, it has been a while since I posted a Friday cocktail! It’s time to get back to creating treats to share with you! Here is a great way to celebrate with your sweetheart, sipping on these will start your evening off on a tasty note. This elegant cocktail has deep chocolate flavor without any chocolate in the recipe. As regular readers know, I like amaro –  all the different, delicious, herbaceous varieties available. This recipe showcases Amaro Averna beautifully and comes from Liquor.com. And this cocktail is “Ana approved” &#8211…

Apple Fritter Bread Revisited

Here are some pictures of the latest apple fritter bread I made for my wife and I. I tweaked the recipe slightly and updated the original post with those corrections. Ana really loved this dessert – it was a delight to surprise her with this baked treat. Here are the pictures, which I think really showcase this delicious challenger to the ubiquitous banana bread. Give this one a try, it is a winner in my book! Enjoy! Doesn’t that look delicious…

Blood Orange Margarita

Greetings from the Seattle Snowpacalypse 2019!  For everyone stuck inside, with or without power, just remember we got this. So to help you make it through this weather challenge, here is a new cocktail post to try once you can venture out and the stores are restocked. And the best thing, it will remind you of the sun of summer and warm weather. Of course, this recipe is seasonal – it depends on blood oranges – which in a way makes it perfect for winter, it will brighten any mood with the thoughts and taste of…

Experiment: Cook-in-Bag Carnitas

This week I tried a work night dinner that can cook all day and be ready when you get home for finishing and enjoyment. For this experiment, I tried the Kroger Cook-in-Bag Carnitas. The 32 oz package would be great for a family of four. The process for this experiment is simple; heat the water oven to 145 degrees F in the morning before you go to work, remove the labels, place the package in the water bath, and head off to work. When you get home, simply pull the package out, place the…

Beans for One

Here is the second post in a group of sous vide cooked side dishes – beans for one. Again, I ask you to trust me on this side dish as well. While you could always open a can of beans for whatever meal you are making, 1 can contains approximately 3 servings so it leaves you with leftovers to use before they spoil. Cooking just the amount of beans you need, flavored the way you want, without leftovers or waste is a good thing. Yes, cooking beans takes time. Typically it requires overnight preparation with a…