Lecso (Hungarian Summertime Stew)

Ingredients

• 1
  
  Large beefsteak tomato
  
• 1
  
  Large green bell pepper
  
• 1
  
  Scallion
  
• 1
  
  teaspoon Vegetable oil
  
• 1/2
  
  teaspoon Sweet paprika
  
• 
  
  pinches Hot paprika and caraway seed
  
• 
  
  Salt and pepper to taste
  
• 1/2
  
  cup Cooked rice
  
• 4
  
  ounces Favorite protein, cooked
  

Directions

1. Cut the tomato and pepper into 1-inch cubes; slice the scallion finely. Have all ingredients prepared and ready to cook.
2. In a skillet over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Heat the scallion, caraway, and paprikas until the scallion just starts to wilt. Add the tomato and pepper, and sauté, stirring constantly, until the peppers brighten and the veggies just start to become tender.
3. If you’re going to eat promptly, stir in your chosen protein, heat through, and serve over hot rice.
4. If you want to freeze the lecso, continue to cook until the peppers are soft and the tomato has released its juices. Chill, the pack into freezer safe containers or freezer bags, removing as much air as possible. To later add lecso to a dish such as pörkölt, substitute a generous cup of lecso for the tomato and pepper mixture in the recipe.