Czech for Lunch

Next week we are participating in a World Cultures Day. The country we are studying is the Czech Republic. We've been looking up statistics about the economy, the people, and lots of other interesting information. But yesterday we began looking at the best part of studying any country; the food. 

We began searching for a suitable recipe to take for the group on World Cultures Day. We needed something that was easily portioned, would sit well, and be economical. 

We found several good collections of Czech recipes, but the best I think was at Recipe Zaar. Most of the recipes we found used very basic, economical ingredients. Some of the dishes had rather involved preparation though. 

We still didn't pick a recipe for World Cultures Day, but since it was a cold rainy morning, and we couldn't get any outside work done, we decided to prepare a Czech lunch for ourselves. We chose recipes that were easy, and recipes which we had all the ingredients on hand. We chose  Knedicky (Potato Dumplings), Fazolove Lusky Na Paprice (Green Beans Paprika), and Rice Pudding.

How easy are potato dumplings?! Simply mix equal parts of mashed potatoes.  (And yes, we made them from scratch in case you are wondering.)  Then form the mixture into balls. The recipe suggested baseball sized balls, but we made ours more golf ball sized. Drop the balls into boiling water. They will begin to float when they are almost done. Just boil a few additional minutes, and serve. 

The rice pudding was basically the same as other rice puddings that I've made before. The main difference was this recipe included eggs. This gave the pudding a custard like texture. It was delicious.

My favorite of the three recipes we tried was the Green Beans Paprika. We eat a lot of green beans here because we grow them in the garden. I get tired of making the same old side dishes with green beans. This recipe is different, and will be added to our menus. I altered the recipe slightly to used canned beans. 

1 quart canned green beans

1/4 cup butter

1/4 tsp. paprika

salt to taste

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup sour cream

Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add onions and cook until they begin to soften. Add paprika and salt. Sprinkle flour over the mixture and stir until the flour is dissolved. Add water and green beans. Cook a few minutes and stir in the sour cream. Serve hot. 

Czech cuisine is a cuisine I can relate to. It uses simple, economical ingredients to create satisfying and delicious dishes. That is my kind of cooking. I look forward to trying a few more of the dishes that we found while browsing the recipes. 

Do you have any Czech recipes? We loved to try them! 

Flag image: Ludas