"Chick"en Paprikas

3 Tbsp shortening
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp Hungarian sweet paprika
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 chicken bouillon cube
1/2 tsp garlic powder (just don't tell my sister Barb)
8 chicken thighs, skins removed (if you like legs, you can use 4 legs and 4 thighs)
1/2 cup milk
1/2-3/4 cup sour cream 
2 Tbsp flour
A double batch of spaetzle

Day before: (your choice)
Prepare spaetzle a day ahead, drain well, and store in a covered casserole in the refrigerator. This saves you from making everything on the same day and helps the noodles to be firmer.

Day of dinner:
Melt shortening in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-low heat.
Add onions and celery and brown slowly.
After browning, add skinless chicken pieces, bone side down, cover with lid, and cook for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, turn chicken, sprinkle the chicken pieces with the paprika, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. 
Cover and cook for 10 minutes more. After this 10 minutes, add 1 cup water and the two chicken bouillon and continue to cook over medium-low heat with lid on for another 10 minutes.

* **After 10 minutes, when it comes to a boil, reduce temperature to low.***Continue cooking with lid on for an additional 35  minutes.
Remove chicken pieces to a casserole, cover and keep warm.

In a gravy shaker, add 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 or 3/4 cup sour cream, and 2 Tbsp flour.
Shake well and add to liquid in pan.
Cook over medium heat until it starts to thicken slightly.
Add the prepared spaetzle and toss gently and heat through.
When hot, layer the chicken pieces right on top of spaetzle, if serving from skillet.
If serving on a very large platter, pour the very hot spaetzle in the center of the platter and arrange the chicken pieces around the edges.

Makes 4 generous servings or 8 smaller servings.

My Grandma Chick taught her daughter-in-law, my mother Anna, how to make this for my dad. It's the best "chick"en dish I've ever eaten or made.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!

Annie's Simplest Chili

Oh so easy and delicious recipe!!!

1 pound ground beef
2 cans kidney beans (1 light 1 dark) do not drain.
1 can tomato soup
1 can of tomato sauce (8 oz)
1/4 C. of water
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. onion powder

Brown ground beef. Drain off fat. Add the next seven ingredients. Bring to low boil on medium heat , reduce and cook for 30 minutes on low heat.

***Want a little more flavor!!!

Six things that I add that Mom didn't add and you may want to add are: After the meat is starting to brown...add 1/4 cup diced green pepper, 1/4 cup medium diced onion, and 1/4 cup diced celery and continue browning for five minutes more. When it is time to add the next seven ingredients you can also add 1/2 tsp. chili powder, 1 tsp. sugar, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Mom didn't do this, but we serve this with a handful of corn chips and a dollop of sour cream on top.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!

Sauerkraut Soup

Don’t be too judgmental...this is something worth trying.

4 1/2 cups water
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 lb. kielbasa, cut into slices and each slice into fourths
1 large (16 oz) can sauerkraut (do not drain)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp. flour

In Dutch oven, bring water, potatoes and salt to a boil. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add kielbasa (or any smoked sausage you prefer), sauerkraut, and onion. Bring to a boil again, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine sour cream and flour. Gradually stir in about 1 cup of the hot soup mixture. This is so the sour cream warms up slowly and doesn't curdle. Return the sour cream mixture back into the soup. Blend well. Heat thoroughly, but do not let boil.

This recipe was developed over my daughters’ love of sauerkraut as well as my own immense love for it.

It is very easy to make and freezes well for serving later. I would make this and always have a few small containers frozen in the freezer for when the girls would be home on break from college. Who knows, my daughter Kate loves this soup so much, I’m sure there may be a song written about it someday. Just joking.

I put no black pepper in this recipe, but when I serve myself a cup of this soup, I load it up with several sprinkles to my taste. It usually is a lot. I’m a true pepper lover...it is probably my favorite spice.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!