Proof That I Cooked This Year

So, I have a bit of a reputation for being the girl who doesn't cook. Whenever there's a party, I'm the one who's asked to bring drinks. I don't mind. When you're single cooking a whole mean just doesn't seem worth it. There are other things I'd rather do. But today I needed an excuse not to write. So what did I do?

I cooked lecso.

Lecso (leh-cho) is a Hungarian dish made largely up of onions, peppers, and tomatoes. There's more to it than that (mostly oil, garlic, paprika, salt & pepper), but without those main ingredients you're pretty much screwed. You'll see how it's done below. I'd give you the recipe but I'm kind of free form when it comes to cooking. Not because I'm so talented that I just "know" how to balance the nuances of every flavor. More like I don't have the patience for measuring and pretty much just stick with portions I know are safe.

That said, here it is: PROOF I COOKED IN 2010:

I started with a ton of produce (notice the Hungarian/"gypsy" peppers. They're pivotal)

So is washing them.


I sliced the onions and combined them with olive oil (since that's what was handy).

Chop up the peppers

But half way through chopping up the peppers have a moment of panic where I wonder if my intentions are larger than my pot.

Sautee the onions and add the paprika

Choose not to panic that the result looks like earthworms.

Add the tomatoes.

And voila! It all fits :) Stir and simmer for 20 mins. (To see contents of pot properly, please tilt head to the left 90 degrees.)

Add sausage (Debreceni pictured) and eggs. This dish TOTALLY needs these ingredients even if you're not a fan. Buck up an use them.

And it's DONE!!!!! Yay.

Okay, maybe it's not the sexiest dish to look at, but it's good and way healthy. I like it best with European bread. That stuff that's totally soft on the inside and hard on the outside. Mmmmm.

And there it is. Proof that I cooked this year. And if lecso looks good to you, go ahead and try it. I have to confess that this turned out mighty tasty. And if I can make it, I maintain that anyone with hands and reasonable motor skills can do the same.