I grew up in a Czech community in Lincoln, Nebraska. While Wiener Schnitzel is a German dish my mother made this dish quite often. Chilling the breaded cutlets before frying is the secret to their perfectly crisp exterior and tender juicy interior. The best way to eat this dish is to squeeze lemon over all, then accompany every bite of cutlet with a thin slice of pickle.
I grew up eating my Czech mother’s homemade Goulash, which was always delicious. With the weather turning a bit cooler Goulash is a perfect fall dinner dish.
Caraway Beets
Coming from a Czech background I grew up eating lots of beets and caraway seeds. Here is a simple, but delicious beet dish that you’ll love if you’re beet lover.
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups Cooked Beets
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Teaspoon Caraway Seeds
1/4 Cup Sour Cream
Preheat your oven to 350º F. In a medium size bowl combine the butter, lemon juice, kosher salt, pepper, caraway seeds and sour cream. Place the cooked beets in a medium size Dutch oven and pour the sour cream mixture over the beets. Give a good stir to combine, place the lid on and put in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve warm. Serves 4
Sauerkraut Pork Chops
This dish is so very easy to make. It goes well with potatoes and a green salad.
INGREDIENTS
3 Cups Sauerkraut
½ Cup Chicken Broth
½ Pound Sliced Bacon
1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
1 Tablespoon Grain Mustard
½ Teaspoon Dried Oregano
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
6 (1 Inch Thick) Pork Chops
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
4 Chopped Garlic Cloves
2 Chopped Shallots
1 Chopped Yellow Onion
¼ Teaspoon Paprika
In a Dutch oven heat the olive oil. Place the garlic, shallots and onion in the heated oil and sauté for 1 minute. Add the pork chops to brown on both sides. Add the uncooked bacon and sauté for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and let stand for a few minutes. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken broth and mustard. Pour chicken broth mixture over the pork chops and other ingredients that have been standing in the Dutch oven. Add the salt, thyme, oregano, pepper and paprika. Finally place the sauerkraut (with the juice) on top to help keep the pork chops moist. Place the covered Dutch oven in a preheated 350° F. oven and bake for 1 hour.
Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 6
Czech Potato Soup
Fall and winter soups are the best. So hearty and so warming. This Czech Potato Soup (Bramboracka) is an exceptional soup. Serve with sourdough or rye bread.
INGREDIENTS
6 Cups Water
¼ Cup Half & Half
1 Large Chopped Onion
1 Large Chopped Turnip
1 Cup Sliced Mushrooms
1 Chopped Celery Stalk
1 Large Chopped Carrot
3 Large Potatoes
½ Teaspoon Caraway Seeds
¼ Teaspoon Marjoram
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Flour
5 Tablespoons Butter
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
In a large sauté pan cook all of the vegetables, except the potatoes, in the butter. Slowly add the flour to the vegetables and add one cup of the water to the vegetables. Add the water, potatoes, salt, pepper, caraway seeds and marjoram. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Cook for 30 minutes. Add the half & half and cook another 5 minutes. Serve in bowls along with either sourdough bread or rye bread. Serves 4
Goulash
Goulash, meaning herdsman, is a Hungarian meat and vegetable stew seasoned with paprika. There are many versions of this dish and each country tends to have their own Goulash. Goulash is popular in Hungry, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, the United States, Germany, The Netherlands, northern Croatia and the Italian region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. This is the Goulash that I grew up on. It is totally a guilty pleasure.
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Uncooked Macaroni or Rigatoni
1 Pound Ground Beef
1 Cup Sliced Mushrooms
½ Chopped Onion
2 Minced Garlic Cloves
16 Ounces Tomato Sauce
¾ Cup Water
1 Bay Leaf
1 Teaspoon Oregano
2 Tablespoons Paprika
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain noodles and set aside. In a large skillet cook the ground beef with the minced garlic, onion and mushrooms until browned. Make sure to drain off the excess fat. Add the tomato sauce, water, bay leaf, oregano, paprika, ground pepper and salt to the ground beef mixture. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the cooked noodles and simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf before serving. Serves 6
Pickled Red Cabbage
I find pickled cabbage is best eaten within a few days of being made as it does begin to lose its color and can become soft if kept too long. I love the fresh taste of newly pickled cabbage!
INGREDIENTS
1 Large Red Cabbage
1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
Water
2 Pints Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Fresh Ginger (Bruised)
1 Ounce Whole Black Pepper
Take off the outer cabbage leaves and cut the cabbage into quarters. Remove the stalk, wash and then cut into very thin slices. Lay the sliced cabbage on a plate and sprinkle with the sea salt. Cover and leave sit for 24 hours.
After the cabbage has been sitting for 24 hours put the cabbage into a colander to drain. It may be necessary to wipe the cabbage clean. Place the cabbage into pickling jars and put aside. Now put the bruised ginger and peppercorns into a muslin bag and tie with a cooking string. Pour the vinegar into a saucepan along with the muslin bag and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Remove the muslin bag and pour the cooled vinegar into the pickling jars. Cover the jars with vinegar proof lids. Serves 4
Raspberry Kolaches
INGREDIENTS
8 Ounces of Raspberries
19 Tablespoons Plus 1 Teaspoon Sugar
½ Teaspoon Fresh Lemon Juice
¼ Cup Water
1 ¼ Ounce Package Active Dry Yeast
4 Tablespoons Softened Butter
2 Tablespoons Melted Butter
½ Teaspoon Kocher Salt
1 Egg Yolk
3 ½ Cups Flour
¾ Cup Milk
½ Cup Heated Water
Combine berries, 12 tablespoons sugar, fresh squeezed lemon juice and ¼ Cup Water in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat and mash berries until they are chunky. Let the berries cool.
In a small bowl, stir the yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar, and ½ cup heated (115°) water, Let stand until the yeast mixture is foamy. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and 3 tablespoons sugar. Add the salt and egg yolk and beat until smooth. Add the yeast mixture, 3 ¼ Cups flour and milk to form dough. In the bowl knead the dough to form a ball. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and set aside in a warm place for about an hour to let rise. To make the crumb topping, combine the remaining sugar, 1 teaspoon melted butter and the remaining flour in a bowl. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 375° F. Divide the dough into 16 balls. Arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with the remaining melted butter and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for 30 minutes. Using the back of a spoon, make an indentation in each ball. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the raspberry filling into each kolache. Sprinkle with the crumb topping and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden. Makes 16
Paska or Czech Easter Bread
INGREDIENTS
2 Packages Active Dry Yeast (1/4 Ounce Each)
1 Teaspoon Plus 1/3 Cup Sugar – Divided
4 Cups Warm Water (110° to 115°) Divided
1 Cup Nonfat Dry Milk Powder
13 ½ to 14 ½ Cups Unbleached Flour – Divided
6 Beaten Eggs
½ Cup Melted Butter
1 Tablespoon Salt
EGG GLAZE
1 Egg
2 Tablespoons Water
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in 1 cup warm water. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add remaining water. Beat in the milk powder and 5 cups flour until smooth. Cover and let rise in a warm place until bubbly (for about 20 minutes). Add eggs, salt, butter and remaining sugar. Mix well. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth surface. Knead for about 8 to 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl (I like to use olive oil), turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about an hour or until doubled.
Punch dough down and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in half and set one portion aside. Divide remaining portion in half. Press each portion into a well-greased 10 inch spring form pan. Divide reserved dough into six balls. Shape each ball into a 30 inch rope. Make two braids of three ropes each. Place a braid around the edge of each pan, forming a circle. Trim the ends of the braids, reserving dough scraps. Pinch ends of braids to seal. Shape scraps into two long thin ropes. Form into rosettes or crosses. Place one decoration on the center of each loaf. Cover and let rise for an hour or until doubled. In a small bowl, beat the egg and water together. Brush over the dough. Bake at 350° for 50 to 60 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Makes 2 loaves and serves 24
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls or Holubky
INGREDIENTS
1 Four Pound Whole Head Cabbage
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Medium Finely Chopped Onion
1 Pound Ground Beef
½ Pound Lean Ground Pork
2 Cups Cooked Rice
1 Large Egg
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper
½ Teaspoon Paprika
10 Ounce Can Tomato Juice
Heat the oven to 325° F. Remove core from cabbage and place whole lead in a large pot filled with salted, boiling water. Cover and cook for about three minutes. The goal is for the leave to be softened enough to pull of the individual leaves. You will need about 18 leaves. When the leaves are cool enough to handle, cut away the thick center stem from each leave – without cutting all the way through. Cop the remaining cabbage and place it in the bottom of a greased casserole dish or a dutch oven.
Next sauté the chopped onion in olive oil until tender. Let it cool, transfer to a large bowl and mix with ground beef, ground pork, rice, egg, salt, pepper and paprika. Combine thoroughly, but don’t over mix or the meat will become tough.
Place about ½ cup of the filling on each cabbage leaf. Roll away from you to encase the meat. Flip the right side of the leaf to the middle and then flip to the left side. You will have something that looks like an envelope. Once again, roll away from you to create a neat little packet.
Place the cabbage rolls on top of the chopped cabbage in layers in the casserole dish or dutch oven. Pour tomato juice over the rolls. Cover and place in the oven. Bake for approximately two hours or until cabbage is tender and the meat is cooked.
Serve with pan juices or top with sour cream. You choose.
Makes about 18 stuffed cabbages
