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If there is absolutely nothing in the fridge...

Chicken and Dumplings--Euro Style

Chicken Paprikash with Polish Potato Dumplings.This is a hand-me-down Hungarian recipe that I've adopted to make more Polish so that Peter would eat it. Considering that I'm neither Hungarian nor Polish, I like to think that I've done even more justice to what is supposed to be a traditional peasant dish.

This has many of the same ingredients as leczo, so it's a good dish to make when you need to clear out the fridge. I've found over the years that the sauce is best on Polish potato dumplings, although when I first had this maybe six years ago, it was with fresh hand-made egg-flour-parsley dumplings. The sauce keeps well for a few day. For a second day variation, serve over brown rice with a side of steamed vegetables.

You'll need:
1-2 chicken thigh/leg quarters (whole, bone-in for the flavor)
3-4 tablespoons of paprika
2-3 peppers diced (green, red, yellow, whatever color you want)
a dash of cayenne pepper
1 big onion, diced
minced garlic
salt and pepper
1 cup light sour cream
chopped fresh parsley
potato dumplings (kopytka--you can find it frozen at Polish grocery stores, I will recommend some, soon)

What to do:
1. Saute onions and garlic in olive oil until onions are clear.
2. Add paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper, and stir thoroughly.
3. Add chicken and add more oil as needed.
4. Add peppers and saute for a bit.
5. Add just enough water to cover the chicken and vegetables and chopped parsley.
6. Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 45 minutes or until chicken and vegetables are very tender.
7. In the meantime, prepare the potato dumplings. Be sure to add the dumplings to cold water, not boiling, or else the dumplings will melt into a mush.
8. When the chicken and sauce is done, let cool for about 10-15 minutes. Then stir in the sour cream. I like to tear the chicken up into pieces and incorporate it into the sauce before serving, but you can do whatever you want with it.
9. Serve over the dumplings.

Lazyboy Deviled Eggs

Blizzard weather in Chicago makes me lazy. Trips to the grocery store are scarce. In addition to abbreviating my workout or avoiding the snowy trek to the gym altogether, I've adopted the same attitude to cooking. Here's my version of deviled eggs, without the mashing and smashing. You'll be able to throw this together this crowd-pleasing appetizer without too much effort, plus you're likely to have these simple ingredients on hand during a winter storm.

Ingredients:
As many eggs as you want
light mayo, dijon mustard if you like
salt/pepper
chopped green onion
fresh dill

What to do:
1. Boil eggs. Let cool or run under cold water. Slice each in half.
2. Smear a bit of mayo on each half. A tiny bit of dijon if you like.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Top with a few pieces of chopped green onion. Top with a few sprigs of fresh dill.

Tonkatsu (No, not the pet bird)

Kotlet Schabowy a.k.a Tonkatsu.

Every cuisine has some version of pork cutlet, so you can't go wrong with this meaty staple--crispy on the outside and juicy in the inside. Even though the recipe I use is supposedly Polish (kotlet schabowy), it always ends up tasting Japanese (tonkatsu). It's good either way--Yo smothers it in tonkatsu sauce and Piotrek pours on the ketchup. I like it with cheese and sauted mushrooms on top. Want it Polish style? Serve with mashed potatoes. Asian? Rice, baby.
Ingredients:

• However many pork chops you want (center-cut, boneless is good, but bone-in is OK)
• a few eggs (beaten well)
• flour for coating
• breadcrumbs
• salt/pepper/garlic powder/Polish meat seasoning
• oil for frying (enough to coat bottom of pan)

What to do:
1) Pound the pork chops with a meat tenderizer or your nearest wine bottle.
2) Season both sides.
3) Coat both sides in flour.
4) Dip both sides in egg mixture.
5) Cover with an even coat of breadcrumbs.
6) Fry on each side on high heat for about 3 minutes. Cover and turn down heat to finish cooking. Cook about another 3-4 mins each side.

What Could You Do With 50 Pickles in 2 Hours?

Polish Dill Pickle Soup (zupa ogorkowa).
This is no entry-level Polish dish, in terms of taste. If you pick your pickles off your cheeseburger, don't bother trying this 100 percent- all pickle-all the time soup. On the other hand, if you ask for three dill pickles to your one sub sandwich, or if you're pregnant and have an insatiable pickle craving, then give this a try. As with borscht, this savory, tart soup grew on me and I'm slightly addicted.

If anything, pickle soup will definitely satisfy your salt craving. It's cheap to make, and it's easy to stew up a few gallons at a time. Fortunately, Piotr has a bunch of friends from Poland studying abroad in Chicago, so this soup goes fast around here. His sister taught me this:

Ingredients:
Pork neck/shoulder bone pieces (3-4 good-sized chunks)
bay leaves (4-5)
pimiento (6-7 of those little balls)
Vegeta soup seasoning mix (about a tablespoon)
1 beef bullion cube
3 cups cubed potatoes
1 cup sliced carrots
1 big jar of dill cucumbers in brine (save the brine, shred the cucumbers, use the Polish kind)
butter
3-4 tablespoons of flour
2-3 tablespoons of fresh dill (wash, dry and freeze the rest of the bunch)
sour cream
salt, pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Get a huge pot and fill it with however much water you want. For the ingredients portioned out above, I used maybe a gallon and a half of water. Put in the pork bones. Start bringing to a boil.
2. Add bay leaves and pimiento. Bring to a boil. Add beef bullion and Vegeta. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 30 minutes. More if you have time and want to get a really good broth.
3. Add cubed potatoes and carrots. Cover, simmer.
4. In a separate pan, saute shredded cucumbers and dill in some butter.
5. Once the potatoes and carrots are tender, add the sauted cucumber mixture, brine. Let soup boil again. Then add flour (mix in about 3/4 cup of water so it doesn't chunk up). Cook for about 15-20 more minutes. Add a bit of sour cream (mixed in cold water so it doesn't chunk up) if you want.
6. OK, you're pretty much done.

Snaps is the Name of the Game

Ginger Snaps .This recipe is from one of Peter's customers. He brought home a bunch. I couldn't stop eating them.

Ingredients:
3/4 butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon each:cinnamon, cloves, ginger

Directions:
Cream butter and sugar. Add molasses and egg and mix well. Mix and sift together dry ingredients. Add to creamed mixture and mix well. Refrigerate slightly Roll dough into small balls and roll in sugar. Bake 350 for about 10 minutes.