CAULIFLOWER PAPRIKASH

1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

1 red or green bell pepper, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons sweet paprika

1/2 cup dry sherry

1/2 cup water

10 ounces mushrooms, sliced (about 5 cups)

pinch of salt

1 large head cauliflower

1 cup sour cream

salt and ground black pepper to taste

In a large saucepan or soup pot, sauté the onions and peppers in the oil for 2 or 3 minutes. Stir in the paprika, sherry, and water and cook on high heat for a minute. Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt to draw out the juices. Lower the heat to medium, cover, and cook for about 5 minutes, while you cut the cauliflower into florets. Mix in the florets and simmer until the cauliflower is tender but still firm, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sour cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover the paprikash and keep it warm until ready to serve, but prevent it from simmering or it may curdle.

PAPRIKASH ONLY

25 minutes

WITH SPÄTZLE

40 minutes

SERVINGS

4

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This dish needs only a simple green salad to make a satisfying meal.

This paprikash is fine served on egg noodles, but with a little extra effort you can also prepare spätzle, a traditional dumpling. Our instructions for spätzle tell you how to prepare it while making the paprikash, so they’ll be done about the same time.

SPÄTZLE

11/2 cups unbleached white flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

pinch of ground black pepper

2 large eggs, beaten

1/2 cup milk

4 quarts salted water

2 tablespoons butter

Before you begin the paprikash, prepare the spätzle batter: Combine the flour, salt, nutmeg, pepper, eggs, and milk in a bowl, and stir well. When you begin to sauté the onions and bell peppers for the paprikash, bring the water to a boil in a large covered pot. After you add the cauliflower to the paprikash, place the thick spätzle batter in a colander with large holes. Set the colander on the rim of the pot of boiling water, and using the back of a sturdy wooden spoon, push the batter through the holes into the boiling water. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook the spätzle for about 5 minutes, until firm but light. Remove the spätzle with a mesh strainer or a large slotted spoon, and place in a warmed serving dish. Add the butter. Serve immediately.

PER 8-OZ SERVING PAPRIKASH WITH SPÄTZLE: 156 CALORIES, 3.1 G PROTEIN, 11 G FAT, I0.7G CARBOHYDRATE, 108 MG SODIUM, 12 MG CHOLESTEROL.

SPÄTZLE PER SERVING: 58 CALORIES, 1.9 G PROTEIN, 2.2 G FAT, 7.6 G CARBOHYDRATE, 8.6 MG SODIUM, 28 MG CHOLESTEROL.

To prepare these little dumplings, you will need a colander with large holes.