I wanted to cook for my mom on her birthday because she’s usually away and it’ll be a special opportunity to do something for her. So this month, I cooked goulash for her on her birthday. I’ve been researching recipes and things to try out as a mediocre cook. I’ve found that goulash is something that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Easy ingredients that could still be a little challenging to create. Everything turned out great.

Here is the recipe I used, I adjusted some things because I couldn’t find them in the grocery store. For example, instead of the tomato sauce and paste, I made my own tomato sauce with red wine, onions, garlic and hand-crushed tomatoes. Then the tomato sauce is added into the pan along with other ingredients and simmered in low-medium heat.

tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. ground beef
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 1/4 c. low-sodium beef broth
1 (15-oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (15-oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. paprika
1 1/2 c. elbow macaroni, uncooked
1 c. shredded cheddar
Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish