During the Year, we received requests for certain Christmas Eve Supper Recipes. |
Kitchen Corner |
The recipe of the month from The Orthodox Herald. |
Recipe lovers since August 2001 |
Try these links for recipes from past issues: |
This year maslinitsa/butter week comes in February. Bliny or pancakes are traditionally served. But for those of you who live in northern climes and want something hot, how about this Chicken Stew, which was sent to me by Dr. Nadia? It is delicious and as she wrote: Incredible! It does call for an old chicken, which is almost impossible to find. You may have to make do with a roaster plus a couple of bouillon cubes or cans of chicken broth added. DR. NADIA'S CHICKEN STEW 1 large old chicken water to cover 2 carrots, coarsely chopped 2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped 1 large onion, chopped 2 medium bay leaves 1 Tbls. garlic powder 1/4 to 1/2 cup soy sauce 1 pkg. Knox herb soup 3 peeled potatoes, coarsely chopped 10 oz. pkg. frozen peas 2 cups Bisquick 1 cup water Place chicken in large heavy pot. Cover with cold water. Slowly bring to boil, skim. Add carrots, celery, onion, bay leaf, garlic powder and soy sauce. Simmer until chicken is tender, about an hour. Remove chicken from pot. When cool, remove skin and bones. Return to pot. Add package of Knox soup, potatoes and peas. Simmer for 1/2 hour. Mix Bisquick with water. Drop dough by large tablespoonfuls into simmering stew. Should have about 15 dumplings. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer for 10 minutes more. Comments: 1. I find it is better to remove dumplings when storing as they tend to take up all the liquid. 2. You may not need to simmer 1 ½ hours if using a young chicken. 3. You may want to use less soy sauce. 4. Taste and add salt and pepper, if needed. |
February 2006 |
Often we make a variation on an original. It is not as tasty, but it's faster and a lot less trouble. We never think to share these short cut recipes. One such is for the world-known peroshki. Here is the recipe for Perenas. I would not think of calling them speedy peroshki. PERENAS 1 container Hungry Jack flaky biscuits (10) 1/2 medium cabbage 1 medium onion 2 Tbls. Oil Saute the finely chopped onion in the oil until light yellow. Add the finely chopped cabbage. Salt and pepper to taste. Fry over low heat until soft, mixing occasionally. Cool. Remove dough from container and separate biscuits on a lightly floured surface. Working with one biscuit at a time, either roll out or flatten and stretch into a 3-inch circle. Place one teaspoon of cabbage or other filling in center. Bring up outer edges and pinch together to form a small roll. Place pinched edge down on greased cookie sheet - 2 inches apart. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Upon removing from oven can brush with oleo. May be frozen and reheated. Can be eaten at room temperature. Good for lunch boxes. SPINACH FILLING: 1/2 pkg. frozen chopped spinach. Thaw. Squeeze out most of moisture. Saute one small, chopped onion in 2 Tbls. of oil. Add spinach. May add pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper. |
March 2006 |
Many of you have given up eating red meat. There is no reason why you have to eat your chicken the same way week after week. Try this recipe, which was submitted by Doctor John (MD). I think it's better than the traditional stroganoff made with beef. Did you know that in Russia Beef Stroganoff is served with thinly sliced french fries? CHICKEN STROGANOFF 2 tablespoons oil 3 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced into rings 1 green pepper, seeded and thinly sliced 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 8 ounces (15 medium) button mushrooms, thinly sliced 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips 1 cup dry white wine 1 cup chicken broth 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon hot sauce 1/2 cup sour cream Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the green pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper, and the mushrooms. Continue cooking until the mushrooms give up their liquid, about 6 minutes, and are tender. Place the vegetables in a colander, reserving both vegetables and liquid. You should have about 1/2 cup of liquid. Return pan to heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Season the chicken with the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Cook the chicken in batches until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add it to the vegetables. Pour the wine, broth and vegetable liquid into the pan and bring to a boil. With a wooden spoon, loosen any brown bits stuck to the pan and let cook in the sauce. Add the barbecue sauce, Worcestershire, mustard, and hot sauce. Whisk until smooth. Boil until the liquid has reduced by half, to about 1 1/4 cups. The liquid should thicken slightly. Reduce heat and whisk in the sour cream. Do not let the sauce boil. Return the vegetables and chicken to pan and simmer until heated through. Serve over rice, pasta, or toast. |
January 2006 |
Many people find that after such a long period of a meatless, vegetarian diet they cannot tolerate all the meat which is permitted on Easter Day. More and more, people follow the Greek custom of serving a dish of hot soup after the ceremonial breaking of eggs. Clear chicken broth with a bit of broken noodles or even broth from a can is appreciated by all. Another dish much appreciated because of the ginger, which helps digestion, are Beets in Gingered Syrup. This is served cold. And then, along with the horseradish or horseradish and beets, why not have some horseradish sauce on hand? It is easier on the stomach and is good to have around at any time of the year. BEETS IN GINGERED SAUCE 2 cups cider vinegar 1 cup sugar 1 (2 oz.) piece fresh ginger root 1/2 tsp. salt 12 medium fresh beets Combine peeled ginger root, vinegar, sugar, and salt in stainless steel saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, discard ginger root. Set aside. Wash beets, leaving on roots and 1 inch stem. Place in casserole. Cover. Bake in 325° oven for 1-2 hours until tender. Remove skins. Remove root ends and stem. Quarter beets and place in cooled syrup. Serve with slotted spoon. You could make this with canned beets. Estimate number of cans. HORSERADISH SAUCE 2 Tbls. butter 2 Tbls. flour 1 cup milk 1/4 cup half and half cream 1 Tbls. sugar 1/2 tsp. sugar 1/4 tsp. pepper 1/4 tsp. dry mustard Pinch ground nutmeg 3 Tbls. prepared horseradish 1 Tbls. lemon juice In a heavy saucepan, melt butter, stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk and cream. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the rest of the ingredients. Serve over meat. Good on sandwiches. Yield: 1 1/4 cup. Keep refrigerated. |
April 2006 |
I want to thank Helen Allen for the folder of her favorite recipes which she recently sent me. I am sharing one with you for Won-ton Appetizers. It is good to have the wrappers on hand, as they can be used in so many ways. You can use them to make plemeny and even baked perohi. Experiment. WON-TON APPETIZERS 1 package Won-Ton wrappers 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef 1 package of hot sausage 1 package of shredded Monterey and Colby Jack cheese (3 cups) 1 green pepper 1 red pepper 1 small can of sliced black olives 1 bottle of RANCH salad dressing Preheat oven to 350°. Brown the lean beef and sausage. Drain the meat. Dice the peppers. Mix the meat with peppers and cheese, add dressing to taste. Refrigerate. Place WON-TON wrappers in a cupcake baking tin, one into each opening. Press wrappers to shape of tin. Bake at 350° for 4-5 minutes, until firm and lightly brown. Remove wrappers from cupcake tin and place on a cookie sheet. Fill each wrapper with a generous spoonful of meat mixture. Garnish with several black olives. Bake at 350° for 5-8 minutes. ENJOY!! |
I received this recipe from a reader who wrote that his grandparents were from Austria-Hungaria. They were from an area now part of southern Poland near the German border. His grandparents first lived in a city in New Jersey but eventually moved to a farm in Ohio. His baba made this salad often and served it to the many visitors she had in the summer. When I tested the recipe, I found it similar to the Hot Potato salad so popular in German cooking. The addition of kolbasi was a nice touch that Baba picked up somewhere. HOT POTATO AND KOLBASI SALAD 5 medium sized potatoes, unpeeled 2 Tbls. oil 1 lb. polish sausage, sliced 1/2 in. thick 1 medium onion, chopped 1 green pepper, chopped 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1/3 cup red wine vinegar 1/3 cup chicken broth 1 teas. salt 1 teas. pepper 1 teas. parsley, chopped Boil potatoes approximately 30 min. until done when tested with tip of knife. Drain, let cool slightly, then peel. Cut into bite-sized cubes and place in large serving bowl. Cover to keep warm. In large skillet, heat oil. Add kolbasi, stir frequently. Brown lightly. Remove from fire. Add to potatoes. In same skillet, saute onion and green pepper until crisp tender. Add garlic, vinegar, broth, salt, pepper and parsley. Bring to boil. Continue simmering for 1 minute. Pour mixture over potatoes. Toss lightly. Serve warm. VARIATIONS: My taste testers suggested using steamed hot dogs. Another said ham would be good; while a third suggested adding a bit of celery seed. |
May 2006 |
June 2006 |
How often do you go out for "Chinese"? That seems to be the favorite of many. I once had a friend whose parents did mission work in China. She gave me this recipe for Chinese Pepper Steak, which is my favorite. It freezes well and all you need to complete your meal would be to boil some rice and make a salad and perhaps a fresh fruit dessert. CHINESE PEPPER STEAK 1 1/2 lbs. sirloin steak 1/4 cup oil 1 clove garlic 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. ground ginger 1/2 tsp. pepper 3 green peppers 2 large onions 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/2 tsp. sugar 1/2 cup beef bouillon 1 can water chestnuts 1 Tbls. cornstarch 1/4 cup cold water 4 green onions Cut steak in thin strips. Slice the green peppers and onions. Cut the green onion in 1 inch strips. Saute garlic until golden in oil. Add salt, pepper and ginger. Add steak and brown a few minutes. Remove steak. Add green pepper and onion and cook three minutes. Return beef to pan and add soy sauce, sugar, bouillon, water chestnuts and cornstarch dissolved in cold water. Mix. Cook until thickened. Add green onions and serve over rice. |
The Orthodox Church allows married men to be ordained. However, they are allowed to be married only once, and that before their ordination. Dear Aunt Nina, Enclosed you will find a recipe that Marina T. showed me that she received from a German émigré in Israel. I made it, tested it for you, and it is good. Love, Denise Alexandra EASY APPLE SKILLET CAKE 2 to 3 baking apples 1 cup flour 1 cup sugar 4 eggs Grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Set aside. In a bowl mix together flour and sugar. In a separate bowl, break the 4 eggs and whisk lightly. Peel and core apples. Cut into medium thin wedges. Arrange in a radiating pattern in the skillet. Give the eggs a final good whisk until they are nice and fluffy. Add to flour/sugar mixture. Pour over apples. Bake at 375° for about 45 minutes or until nicely browned. Enjoy. |
September 2006 |
When is the last time you had a cake made "from scratch"? If you are an acquaintance of Pani Martha Zelenak, probably it has been since the last time you visited her, and she graciously gave you a banana cake to take home with you. She enjoys making them and enjoys even more sharing them with others. If you are not one of the fortunate ones to know this superb hostess and baker, you can try this, the recipe for her famous cake, for she has shared the recipe with us. BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE 1 stick butter or margarine, softened 1 1/4 cups sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 cup sour cream 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 large bananas, mashed 1 1/2 cups flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 6 ounces chocolate chips confectioner's sugar Grease and flour a 9 or 10 inch tube pan or 2 loaf pans. Preheat oven to 350°. In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs. Stir baking soda into sour cream. Add to mixture. Stir well. Add vanilla and mashed bananas. Add flour and salt. Blend well. Add chocolate chips and turn into pan. Bake for 50 minutes. Check to see if cake is done. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar. I received a letter from Tyotya Mareea. She wanted to know how everything was growing in my garden. She was concerned that I might have too many ohurki (cucumbers), so she sent me a recipe to use them up. Don't waste them. She wrote that they could be eaten right away or I could put them in a cool place in the cellar. Translated, her recipe reads like this: TYOTYA MAREA'S READY-TO-EAT PICKLES 7 cups thinly sliced cucumbers 1 Tbls. celery seed 1 Tbls. non-iodized salt 1 cup sliced onions 3 cups sliced red or green peppers, if I have some 2 cups sugar 1 cup vinegar Sprinkle cucumber slices with celery seed and salt. Let set 1/2 hour; drain. Add onions, and peppers, if using. Mix together sugar and vinegar, stirring until sugar is dissolved (do not heat). Pour over drained vegetables. Pickles can be eaten immediately or stored in refrigerator. |
August 2006 |
July 2006 |
I have been looking for several years for a good recipe for squares made with pumpkin. I had purchased some from a bakery while we had been on vacation. I was thrilled to find that Pani Martha Zeleniak had the recipe in her collection and had just made a panful to share. Wouldn't you like to be on the receiving end of her generosity? Here in northeast Pennsylvania we have many farms which sell pie pumpkins. Pani gives the amount of pumpkin needed whether you use a can of pumpkin or buy a fresh one. PUMPKIN PIE SQUARES 1 cup flour 1/2 cup oatmeal (not instant) 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed 1/2 cup butter or margarine Combine and mix until crumbly. Press into an ungreased 9x12 pan. Bake in a 350° oven for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine 1 (1 lb.) can pumpkin or 2 cups cooked mashed pumpkin 1 (13 oz.) can evaporated milk 2 eggs 3/4 cup white sugar 1/2 teas. salt 1 teas. cinnamon 1/4 teas. cloves 1/2 teas. ginger (optional) Mix well. Pour over crust. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, combine 1/2 cup chopped pecans 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed 2 Tbls. butter or margarine Sprinkle over pumpkin filling. Return to oven and bake 15 to 20 minutes more or until filling is set. Cool in pan and cut into squares. |
November 2006 |
I was asked if Russians eat any other vegetables besides cabbage, potatoes, beans, peas and beets. Of course they do. Vegetables are used in stews and soups and often baked into a pudding call zapenkaka. This is a heavier version of the western soufflé and consists of mashed or finely chopped vegetables, blended with a cream sauce, and stiffly beaten egg whites. They are also made with kasha, cheese or fish. A zapenkaka with a white sauce base is called "Russian style," while one with a sour cream base is called "Moscow style." This month, I share a zapenkaka made with squash and apples. It tastes so sweet that some say it could pass as a dessert. Perfect for this time of year and kids love it! SQUASH-APPLE ZAPENKAKA 1 lb. squash (such as zucchini) 3 Tbls. butter 3/4 cup milk 2 large apples 3/4 cup bread crumbs 1/2 cup sugar Pinch salt 2 eggs, separated, whites and yolks, beaten separately sour cream Grease an oven-proof casserole and sprinkle with 1/4 cup bread crumbs. Set aside. Add squash and cook for a few minutes. Add 1/2 cup milk. Continue cooking until squash is very soft, about 12 minutes. Meanwhile, peel, dice and core apples. Also soak 1/2 cup bread crumbs in 1/4 cup milk for 10 minutes. Add apples to squash when it is soft. Add bread crumb mixture. Remove from heat and gradually stir in well beaten egg yolks, sugar and salt. Add well beaten egg whites. Dot with butter. Bake in 350° oven for 45 minutes. Serve with sour cream, if desired. |
October 2006 |
During the Year, we received requests for certain Christmas Eve Supper Recipes. |
