Do you have any friends like me who are from South Texas that would be eternally grateful if you handed this dish to them as a gift---my husband said that he then could add tabasco sauce to it?? And down the road they will gift you back. I promise!! Unfortunately, since you don't reside on the outer steppes of Kazakhstan I can't take it off your hands at the moment but you have my mouth watering just the same. Please let us know if you did find a solution to your problem.
Seriously, I know how frustrating it is to go to the trouble of preparing a meal and for it not to meet your expectations--a certain chicken and dumplings dish comes to mind---will not go into it but the mere thought of that experience makes me cringe to this day.