Winter Welcome: Warming Paprika Spice, Warmest of Connections

My interest in researching paprika ties to a moment in time with my father this fall at his house. My dad loves cooking, delights in menu planning for a shared holiday meal, and equally, loves to gather around the table. Don’t tarry, kids, as that’s when he might snap lightly about respecting the cook by hightailing it to the table.

My dad and I swap recipes often. We talk food often, so I’m not sure exactly how paprika came into our casual conversation, but it’s not surprising. What surprised us is, neither of us knew much about the spice. What distinguishes smoky from sweet from Hungarian paprika?

Another question recently posed to me: what is health? What is being healthy to me? My conversation with my dad—my connection to him, to food, to myself— how I show up in the world. These elements braid into my beliefs around health, vitality, comfort, community. Health for me begins with connection: to my body, to my food, to my family, to my landscape, to the people in my community— friends, neighbors, fellow lovers of dance, plants, compost, words, laughter, kindness, and the work of being the most whole real humans we can be... I keep in good health. These connections help me flourish, thrive and relish being alive.

This article about paprika. It ties me to my father, it ties me to the greater world—our planet, its countries, people, history, this moment. It ties me to my passions, my curiosity, my community of writers and readers. It ties me to you. With connection, I belong, I am seen, I am held, I remain in good health.

What’s Cool About Paprika

Paprika is made from various types of dried peppers. Paprika does not come from one specific plant. It is made from a variety of ground and dried chili peppers, the variety of Capsicum annuum plants. Capsicum annuum species are indigenous to Central Mexico and have been in cultivation for centuries.

The taste, heat, and flavor of the paprika will vary depending on types of peppers and the ways in which they are processed. The flavor can range from sweet and mild to smoky and hot. The most common variety used for making paprika is the tomato pepper.

Paprika arrived in Spain in the 16th century, and monks at the Yuste Monastery in southwestern Spain started producing it for local consumption. The paprika trade expanded from the Iberian Peninsula to Africa and Asia, and ultimately reached Central Europe through the Balkans, then under Ottoman rule, which explains the Hungarian origin of the English word “paprika”.

While paprika is grown in numerous places around the world, Spanish and Hungarian paprikas are considered the gold standards for this spice.

There are eight paprika varieties from Hungary, which vary in heat and color, ranging from sweet to hot, red to brown. Paprika-star goulash (gulyas) is a national dish and source of pride in the country, calling for a ¼ cup of the good stuff. The mild, bright red variety that is most familiar in the western world is called edesnemes

The most known varieties of Spanish paprika are dulce, or sweet; picante, or spicy; agridulce, a sweet and spicy combination of medium intensity; and pimentón, the famous smoked stuff. These Spanish paprika peppers are typically smoke-dried (placed on a grate above a smoldering oak fire in specialized sheds near the pepper fields), then ground to a powder.

The peppers used to make “regular” paprika are more ambiguous in origin. They can come from any of the numerous paprika-producing countries around the world. Today, in addition to Hungary and Spain, South America, the Mediterranean, India, and California are all major producers of paprika. Plain paprika is mild in flavor and bright in color, which makes it an attractive garnish.

It’s also worth noting paprika peppers have an amazing amount of vitamin C— seven times as much vitamin C as oranges! Hungarian scientist Dr. Szent-Györgyi won a Nobel Prize in 1937 for his work with paprika peppers and Vitamin C research.

Skagit writer, daughter, and mother Sarah Stoner has her share of winter moments feeling cold or listless in the darkness of a long night. She wishes all of us the warmest of winters, with comfort and connection as a compass when we feel a bit lost. sarahjstoner@hotmail.com

Shakshuka

6 servings | recipe by Lisa Bryan

Typically, a breakfast dish in North Africa and the Middle East, it’s delicious any time of day. Shakshuka means “shaken” in Arabic and features soft cooked eggs, tomatoes and warming spices cumin and paprika. Use fresh soft tomatoes when available, but canned works, too.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 medium onion, diced

• 1 red bell pepper, seeded + diced

• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 2 tsp paprika

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1/4 tsp chili powder

• 1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes

• 6 large eggs

• salt + pepper to taste

• 1 small bunch cilantro, chopped 1 small bunch parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add the chopped bell pepper and onion and cook for 5 minutes or until the onion becomes translucent. Add garlic and spices and cook an additional minute.

2. Pour the can of tomatoes and juice into the pan and break down the tomatoes using a large spoon. Season with salt and pepper and bring the sauce to a simmer.

3. Use your large spoon to make small wells in the sauce and crack the eggs into each well. Cover the pan and cook for 5–8 minutes, or until the eggs are done to your liking. Garnish with chopped cilantro and parsley.

Black Bean & Yam Quesadillas

1 serving | recipe by Karen Lamphere

Every time I make this dish, I think... “Why don’t I make this more often?!”

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp olive oil, plus extra for spraying

• 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1 tsp Mexican seasoning (available in bulk, or mix your own!*)

• 2 tsp water

• 1 cup grated yam (about 1/2 yam)

• 1/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed

• salt + pepper to taste

• 2 corn or wheat tortillas

• 1/3 cup grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

• Prepared salsa

*Mexican Seasoning Blend:

• 1/2 tbsp cumin

• 2 tbsp chili powder

• 2 tbsp paprika

• 1-2 tbsp oregano

• 1 tbsp garlic powder

• 1-2 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes or until onions are soft.

2. Add Mexican seasoning and water and cook 1 more minute, stirring. Stir in yams and beans. Cover and cook for about 6 minutes, until yams are tender but not mushy. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to a bowl.

3. Place 1 tortilla in the skillet; spray with olive oil. Turn over and spray the other side. Add some yam mixture to half the tortilla, top with some cheese and fold tortilla in half.

4. Cook in a skillet on each side for about 2 minutes, until cheese melts and filling is warm. Repeat with other tortilla. Serve with prepared salsa.

Smoky Chicken Cordon Bleu

4 servings | recipe from PCC

There are variations of Cordon Bleu (“blue ribbon” in French) that involve cutlet, cheese, and meat. Here’s a favorite of our family’s. Enjoy!

• 1 cup breadcrumbs

• 2 tbsp butter, melted

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1/2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped

• 1/2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

• 1/2 cup flour, salt + peppered to taste

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded 1/4-inch thick

• 4 slices deli or Black Forest ham

• 4 slices smoked semi-firm cheese

• 2 eggs beaten with 2 tsp water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a baking dish with oil.

2. In a shallow dish, stir together breadcrumbs, butter, garlic, paprika, oregano, and thyme; set aside. In a separate dish, mix together flour, salt, and pepper; set aside.

3. Place a chicken breast flat on a work surface; lightly season with salt and pepper. Top with a side of ham and cheese, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Tuck in the sides and roll up tightly, like a jellyroll; secure with toothpicks. Repeat with remaining chicken, ham, and cheese.

4. Lightly dust rolled chicken breasts with flour mixture. Dip them into egg mixture and gently coat them with breadcrumbs. Place the chicken in the prepared baking dish, seam-side down. Lightly spray the top of the chicken with oil. Bake until chicken is no longer pink in the center, 25–30 minutes.