"Hungarian Goulash"

I know this is not a traditional goulash, but that is what my mom always called it. 

Please note also that not everyone will like this. My family adores it, and it comes with a story.  If you try it and find it disappointing, I apologize in advance. I hope you will find a new favorite dish, though. 

This is a recipe my mother was given in her college days.  (This would be in the early 1930’s.) We believe she received it from the Hungarian landlady at her boardinghouse. It is a longstanding family favorite.  My brother loved this so much that Mom cooked it for Christmas dinner whenever he came home, and we had it for my pre-wedding wedding lunch for his benefit, since he kindly came home to walk me down the aisle.

2 medium onions, sliced thin

3 tablespoons cooking oil

3 tablespoons Hungarian paprika

3 pounds boneless pork butt, cubed (originally half pork and half veal)

2 pounds sauerkraut, drained but not squeezed dry (the bagged kind)

1 - 28 ounce can stewed tomatoes or 2 smaller cans (last time I used canned diced tomatoes with good result)

wide egg noodles, cooked and buttered (Obviously not a low carb thing, but how we ate it in the good old days. Nowadays, I omit them from my plate or bowl with a small sigh.)

full fat sour cream to garnish

In large pot, heat oil and sauté onions with paprika over medium heat until limp, stirring occasionally.  (Do not brown them.) Add pork cubes, sauerkraut, and canned tomatoes with their juice.  Cook at low simmer for at least an hour and a half, or until it smells delicious. 

****Do not be alarmed by how it smells initially!  The dish undergoes an almost magical change over time. I still don't understand it. ****

Serve with a generous dollop of sour cream on top.  That is the perquisite of low carb! 

Quick and Easy Mexican Beef and Pepper Skillet

Beef and Pepper Skillet Recipe

Adapted for low carb by Gay Griffin from Taste of Home

I love Mexican-inspired food. I also enjoy experimenting with recipes like this one and making them as healthy—and downright good!—for my family as possible. —Jenny Dubinsky, Inwood, West Virginia

TOTAL TIME: Prep/Total Time: 30 min.YIELD:6 servings

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, undrained

1 tablespoon chili powder – only if necessary

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1-8 oz. can tomato sauce

1 onion, chopped

1 medium sweet red pepper, sliced

1 medium green pepper, sliced

possibly some zucchini if desired 

3 t. sugar equivalent sweetener (to taste - I like it a little sweet)

xanthan gum if needed

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese

(or LC cheese sauce to taste, stirred in and melted, or both!)

Directions

1. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking into crumbles; drain.

2. Add tomatoes, broth, chili powder if needed, salt and garlic powder; bring to a boil. Stir in peppers. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 8-10 minutes or until liquid is mostly gone. Thicken with a little xanthan gum (maybe a half teaspoon) if desired. Or stir in some low carb cheese sauce if you have some. 

3. Remove from heat; sprinkle with cheese. Let stand, covered, until cheese is melted.
Freeze option: Before adding cheese, cool beef mixture. Freeze beef mixture and cheese separately in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little broth if necessary. Sprinkle with cheese. Yield: 6 servings.

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from Taste of home