Italian Pot Pies

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

coarse salt and ground pepper

1 pound ground beef sirloin thawed

2 cups tomato sauce

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup grated parmesan

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary

4 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 cup whole milk

1. Preheat oven to 450 with the rack in lowest position.

2. In a large skillet, heat oil. Add onion, carrots, salt and pepper and cook till tender (6-8 minutes). Add beef and cook until no longer pink (you'll want to break up the beef into smaller pieces). Add tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Stir occasionally until the sauce thickens. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, wisk flour, Parmesan, baking powder, rosemary and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add butter and milk. Stir until dough comes together.

4. Spoon meat mixture into 8-ounce ramekins or a medium sized pyrex container.

5. Mound dough on top.

6. Bake until dough is golden brown (10-12 minutes).

----Review----

Brandon and I both agreed that this one was a keeper, even though I messed up a few ingredients here and there.

If you use 1/4 cup of milk instead of 1/2, the dough will be somewhat grainy but still good. Something to think about. Also, we used a canned marinara sauce that we found cheap at Trader Joe's, but I think that Newman's Own with everything in it would be amazing.

Also, we used ground turkey instead of ground beef, which is a classic Brandon and Sarah move. The turkey tasted great and is a good way to healthy up the recipe a little. (Though it looks like slime when you put in in a pan, so maybe if you're a queasy type you should stick with beef or chicken.)

Everyday Food issue 58.

Turkey Paprikash

Coarse salt and ground pepper

8 ounces whole-wheat egg noodles

1 small boneless, skinless turkey breast half (about 2 ounces) cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

2 tablespoons sweet paprika

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can (14.5 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes in juice

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1. Cook noodles al dente according to package and drain. 

2. In a bowl, toss turkey with 1 tablespoon paprika. Season with salt and pepper. Heat oil over medium. Brown turkey (3-5 minutes) and transfer to plate. 

3. Add onions to skillet and cook till tender (4-6 minutes).

4. Return turkey to skillet. Add tomatoes, paprika and 1/2 cup of water.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook until turkey is opaque throughout (2 to 4 minutes).

5. Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream and season with salt and pepper.

6. Serve over noodles.

--Review--

This is a light version of a Hungarian favorite. I'm pretty sure an original recipe would call for pork, which isn't really my thing. If I made it again I would probably sub chicken for the turkey, just out of habit.

Pretty easy to cook, little to no prep needed. Takes about 30 minutes total to make. Brandon liked it a lot, but it tasted a little too "old world" to me. Brandon claims that he has won my Hungarian-ness because of this.

If you like paprika, this is a good recipe for you.

I'd suggest a regular egg noodles, but I'm not big on whole wheat noodles anyway. (They get a little squishy.) Also, we used crushed tomatoes spiced with basil and garlic, which I think added some complexity to the flavor. Crusty bread would be great with it.

Recipe from Everyday Food, issue 59.