Vegetarian Mushroom Paprikash with Spaetzle

ingredients

• 4 large Portobello mushroom caps, sliced 1.25 cm thick
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1 ½ tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• ⅔ cup vegetable or chicken stock
• ¼ cup red wine
• 2 tsp flour
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika
• ⅛ - ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• Salt
• Black pepper
• ¼ cup chopped parsley, divided use

Spaetzle

• 2 large eggs
• 6 tablespoons reduced fat milk
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup flour (I use a mixture of white whole wheat and all purpose flour)
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley (optional)

method

I also like to add a little spice to my dish with the addition of some cayenne pepper. If you have hot Hungarian paprika, you can use that instead.

I cook the mushrooms in a creamy tomato-based sauce made with both fresh tomatoes and tomato paste. Red wine adds depth of flavor and reduced-fat sour cream adds richness.

To make the paprikash, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the onion. Sauté until tender, 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute until fragrant. Turn the heat up to medium high and add the mushroom slices. Season them with salt and pepper. Cook 2-3 minutes until they start to soften, stirring frequently.

Add the paprika, cayenne and flour and stir to combine. Add the wine to the skillet and cook until it is reduced by half. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and stock and simmer 6-8 minutes until the mushrooms are cooked and sauce is thickened. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Turn the heat down to low and stir in the sour cream and 3 tablespoons parsley. Cook another minute until heated through but do not let the sauce come to a boil. Serve the paprikash on a bed of spaetzle and garnish with the remaining tablespoon of parsley.

To make the spaetzle, mix the eggs and milk together in a large bowl. Add the salt, nutmeg and flour and stir together to form a thick, smooth batter. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Hold a large-holed colander or slotted spoon over the water and pour some of the spaetzle batter into the colander. Push the batter through the holes with a spatula.

Let the spaetzle cook 3-4 minutes then remove them from the water with a slotted spoon. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Toss the cooked spaetzle with parsley, if desired.