Matt said he ate goulash as a kid, and wanted me to try my hand.  I thought goulash was only eaten by people in the Minnesota, (or is that hotdish??) and didn’t really know what it was.  I came across this recipe on a blog that I follow, and I thought I’d try it.  I made a few changes.  I cooked about 4 oz (dry) of elbow noodles and added them, didn’t use the allspice and just added a touch of nutmeg (which I thought I could taste, but who knows…).  It actually turned out quite good – very simple flavors, but pretty comforting too.  Matt seems to like it!

Healthy Goulash

Courtesy of A Modern Gal

2 slices bacon, slivered
1 lb. ground meat (beef or turkey)
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes (I prefer fire roasted)
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1/2 t allspice
1 t sweet paprika (or half sweet, half smoked)
red pepper flakes to taste
1 cup chicken or beef stock
1/2 head cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
1 T red wine vinegar

In a large deep pan or stockpot, render the fat from the bacon, then brown the ground meat in the pan.  Add onion, garlic, and carrot and continue to cook until meat is cooked through and onion is tender.  Add tomatoes, spices, and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 5 minutes.  Add cabbage and stir to incorporate thoroughly (this will be a relatively large volume), add the red wine vinegar.  Bring to a boil, cover and lower heat and simmer until cabbage is just tender, about 8 minutes.  Stir well, and serve immediately.