LEMON CINNAMON COFFEE CAKE - Susan Wolf Shelton

Husband loves cake. This is a simple cake I make all the time. Try it with other pie fillings if you don't like lemon. If you use all oil as the original recipe calls for, it will have less saturated fat for those that have a concern.

• 1-1/4 cups sugar DIVIDED
• ¾ cup canola oil
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 can (15-3/4 ounces) lemon pie filling
• 2 heaping teaspoons cinnamon

In a large bowl beat 1 cup of sugar, oil, and eggs. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually beat into egg mixture until blended.
Pour half into a 9x13 baking pan. Spread pie filling over batter. Top with remaining batter. Combine the cinnamon and the remaining ¼ cup of sugar. Sprinkle over the entire top.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
***Tip- I melt 1 stick of unsalted butter and ¼ cup of oil instead of all oil, but can be done either way.
Can use other pie fillings such as apple etc.

Mom's Vegetable Beef Soup - Susan Wolf Shelton

My mother made this soup throughout my childhood in the 1950's. This is not a soup for the faint of heart. There is time and work involved. It was made in a 12 qt pot. I still make the same amount and freeze in portions. In this soup the vegetables are put through a grinder. She had an old metal grinder that attached to the kitchen table with a vice. Today I use a food processor.

Mother's Vegetable Beef Soup

• 3 pounds of boneless chuck.
• 2 pounds of shin with a marrow bone
• 6 marrow bones
• 1 1/2 pounds of carrots
• 2 large leek
• 2 bunches of scallions
• 3 onions
• 1 1/2 pounds of green beans
• 1 parsnip
• 1 white turnip
• 1 bunch parsley
• 4-28 ounce whole tomatoes
• 3/4 bunch celery
• 1 10 ounce box of green peas
• 1 10 ounce box succotash
• water
• V-8 juice
• 1 tabsp salt
• 1 tabsp sugar
• Pepper

First make stock-Place all meat and bones in pot. Just cover with water.
Cook till meat is soft, skimming occasionally. Remove meat from pot

While stock is cooking, grind all vegetables except box veggies.
When stock is done and meat is removed from broth, add all the ground vegetables, tomatoes, and V-8. The amount of V-8 is according how thick or thin you like it.
Cook slowly for 2 hours. After the 2 hours curt up the meat and add to pot with the box vegetables.
Cook for another 30 minutes.

The fresh green beans are essential here. 

This soup will have a wonderful beefy fresh vegetable flavor. She always made it 2 days ahead and refrigerated it. She would then skim any fat that had collected at the top

Polish Potato Pancakes - Placki Kartoflane - Bill Szemcsak

This is the way my Mom made her Polish Potato Pancakes- If you are going to use this recipe, I can not stress enough the HAND GRATING ! The texture will not be like Mom's if you use a blender or food processor.

• 5 lbs. Large Potatoes
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 Large Yellow onion 

Grate peeled Potatoes and Onions with a Hand Grater. Add Flour, Eggs, Salt and Black Pepper. (remember, you can always add salt and black pepper to taste)  Mix the ingredients together. Put oil in the bottom of a skillet and heat to medium-high. Put 2 or 3 lumps of the potato mixture in the hot oil (leave space between each lump), and flatten. Let them brown on one side, flip and let brown on the other side. Drain on paper towel. Serve warm. Serve with Sour Cream or Applesauce! 

Beans, Bacon and Potatoes -Mom's Recipe - Bill Parker Sr.

Mom's Recipe, But Origin unknown

• 1 lb Bacon, cut into pieces and fried
• 1 lg pack fresh Green Beans cut bite size, boiled
• 6 Potatoes, peeled, diced boiled (in enough water to cover) semi-soft

Once potatoes are close to, but not quite, completely soft, add bacon, beans and some of the bacon grease into pot with potatoes and their water.Make a roux of flour & (water or bacon grease) or corn starch & liquid, add as needed to boiling mixture to thicken, salt & pepper to taste.

Hungarian Chicken Paprikás - Donna Pryga

Ingredients:

• chicken pieces
• flour
• salt & pepper to taste
• onion (chopped)
• paprika
• sour cream

Unfortunately, I don't use measurements and it depends on how much you make;

1. Saute onions with paprika and braise chicken in this,
2. Add water to cover and simmer approx 1.5 hrs. 
3. In a glass or measuring cup, take some juice from pot and add flour to a slightly thickened consistency.
4. Add this back to pot and stir. 
5. Then again, remove some juice and do the same with sour cream (I use small container),
6. Add this to pot and stir.

Serve over rice or dumplings

Polish Chicken Paprikash - Carol Zaleski Wright

Carol Zaleski Wright -"100% Polish - my Mom used to make this all the time and now as I'm really thinking about this, one of the favorite side dishes for this was Haluski - you know, cabbage & egg noodles."

• 1 whole chicken cut up or can use 4 - 6 boneless chicken breasts;
• 1 small onion,
• 1 clove garlic,
• 3 - 4 tbsp olive or vegetable oil;
• paprika,
• 1 16 oz can tomatoes, cut up,
• 1 green pepper cut anyway you want,
• salt & pepper to taste,
• 1/2 pint sour cream.

Brown onion & garlic in oil; sprinkle chicken with paprika and brown evenly. 

Add tomatoes, green pepper, salt & pepper, cover and low heat for one hour.

In last five minutes,

take some of the liquid from the chicken and add to the sour cream until smooth - keep adding until mixture is smooth and then add all back to chicken.

Keep temp low to avoid curdling.

Serve with mashed potatoes or rice.

Polish Little Cakes - Kolaczki - Kathy Syontko Szemcsak

My Mom, Sophie, always made these Little Cakes around Christmas and Easter in our home on Johnstone Street.

• Makes about 7-9 dozen Fruit Filled Cookies
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes

All times are Approximates - Kathy wanted the times in to show that it does not take long to make them.

Ingredients:

• 1 (16-ounce) cream cheese, softened
• 1 lb.  (4 sticks) butter, softened
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 (14-ounce) cans fillings of choice (poppy seed, apricot, prune, raspberry, etc.)
• Confectioners' sugar

 Directions:

Mix cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add flour 1 cup at a time and mix well. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough 1/4-inch on a surface that has been dusted with equal parts confectioners' and granulated sugars, keeps the dough from sticking. Cut into 2-inch squares. Place 1/2 to 1 teaspoon filling on center of each square. Overlap opposite corners of dough to the center over filling. 

Bake for 15 minutes or when corners start to brown. Cool and dust with confectioners’ sugar. If not eating in a day or two, do not put confectioners' sugar on it, wrap or store in tight container. Freezing is acceptable also.

Ukrainian/Hungarian Cucumber Salad - Noreen Stephenson

Ingredients

• 3 medium cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 dash white pepper
• 1/4 cup sour cream

Directions

Sprinkle the cucumbers with salt. Let stand 15 minutes*. Drain liquid. Add onions, vinegar and pepper. Just before serving, stir in sour cream.


*Hungarian Editor's Note: Mom let it stands for 2 hours before draining.


Serves 6 

Marinated Cucumbers - Noreen Stephenson

Cucumbers with a marinade of vinegar, water, dill, sugar, and seasoning.

Ingredients:

• 4 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 2 tablespoons chopped dill
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• dash pepper

Preparation:

Combine sliced cucumber with all other ingredients; cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours before serving.

Marinated cucumbers recipe serves 4 to 6.

Banana Bread With Walnuts - Jon B. Tumpey

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 overripe bananas
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Lightly grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan.
3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
4. Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a bit of texture.
5. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, whip the remaining bananas and sugar together for a good 3 minutes; you want a light and fluffy banana cream.
6. Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla; beat well and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
7. Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated; no need to overly blend.
8. Fold in the walnuts and the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula.
9. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Give the pan a good rap on the counter to get any air bubbles out.
10. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
11. Rotate the pan periodically to ensure even browning.
12. Don't get nervous if the banana bread develops a crack down the center of the loaf; that's no mistake, it's typical.
13. Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes or so, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
14. Toast the slices of banana bread, dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve.

Zucchini Bread - Peggy Konopka Martinez

Ingredients: 

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup egg substitute
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 cups shredded zucchini (12 ounces)
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
• Cooking spray

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through baking soda) in a large bowl.
• Combine egg substitute and next 4 ingredients (through egg) in a large bowl; add sugar, stirring until combined. Add zucchini; stir until well combined. Add flour mixture; stir just until combined. Stir in walnuts.
• Divide batter evenly between 2 (8 x 4-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies - Sharon Bancroft Perez

 Ingredients:

• 2 2/3 - 3 cups flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2TBS vanilla
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 bag chocolate chips
• 3/4 bag peanut butter chips.

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees. In separate bowl.mix dry ingredients. Mix butter,sugar,and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Bake for 10-12 minutes

Jambalaya - Bill Parker Sr.

 One of my favorite Cajun dishes.

• 2 1/2 pounds meat, some combination of pork chops chicken, andouille sausage, or smoked or Italian sausage
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 bell peppers, and/or bunch scallions
• Cajun/Creole spice (Emeril's works) to taste, or equal amounts of black, Cayenne, and white pepper; some garlic powder, and salt)
• 2 tablespoons parsley
• 2 cups uncooked rice

If the meat has bones, boil it in enough water to cover to a depth of one and 1/2 inch until it’s reasonably easy to get it off the bone. (save the stock)

Dice up meat, fry it until some fat is rendered, add diced up veggies, fry until they are coated with fat and begin to soften. Add some spice and herbs, toss around until the meat and veggies are coated. Add water, bring to a boil.

Boil/simmer until the meat is over half done. (taste the stock occasionally to make sure the spices are OK) Add the rice and cook until the rice is done.

Serve with Tabasco and bread.

Lobster and Corn Chowder - Bill Parker Sr.

 Add some crab or shrimp to this chowder to make it a seafood corn chowder.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter or part bacon drippings
• 5 or 6 green onions, with about 3 inches of green, thinly sliced
• 1 rib celery, diced
• 3 tablespoons diced sweet red bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 teaspoon Creole seasoning (Emeril's works OK)
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups corn kernels
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, fresh or frozen and thawed
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups diced cooked lobster meat
• 1 medium tomato, seeded, diced, optional
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry, optional
• crumbled cooked bacon, optional

To Make:

Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat; add green onion, celery, and bell pepper. Saute until celery is tender, stirring frequently. Add flour and stir until blended. Stir in Creole seasoning and chicken broth. Stir in corn kernels. Cook, stirring, until thickened and bubbly. Stir in heavy cream, lobster, and tomato. Taste and add salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in sherry and heat through.

Ukrainian Stuffed Cabbage-Cabbage Rolls-Голубец-Holubtsi - Diane C Kosowicz

Ok, you asked for it. Here is the way Baba taught me do make Stuffed Cabbage. This is not an easy or neat undertaking. You will make a mess or you're not doing it right!



First what you need: 

• 1. Ground beef, pork and veal. You can buy this already packaged, but I buy mine separately. I can't give you an exact amount, I don't measure, but the ratio is about 1/2 ground beef, 1/4 ground pork and 1/4 ground veal. For me it's two handfuls beef, one handful pork, one handful veal. They are very generous handfuls. Mix together
• 2. A blob of shkvartkies (bacon grease). My blob was about 2 1/2 tablespoons.
• 3. A medium onion, chopped fine
• 4. 1/4 stick unsalted butter 
• 5. 4 small cans or two large cans Campbell's tomato soup
• 8. 1 cup dry Carolina Long Grain rice
• 9. A large head of green cabbage 
• 10. Sea salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
• 11. Water

Tools: Heavy frying pan, Large deep baking pot WITH A LID (I now use an electric Nesco Roaster), a large stock pot (big enough to heat water to cover the large head of cabbage), a 2 qt sauce pot, a carving fork to hold the cabbage in the water, a very large bowl to mix meat, another bowl for the cabbage leaves, a sharp knife, tongs and a tablespoon.
Prep: Cook rice with 1 3/4 cup water until water is gone in 2 qt pot. Add cooked rice to the large bowl. Put pot of water in stock pot, enough to cover cabbage head on stove on medium heat. Put shkvartkies and butter in the frying pan on low heat to melt, when melted add onions and saute until just translucent. Add contents of fry pan to rice in bowl. Add meat mixture to bowl, Add two cans (or one large can) of tomato soup to bowl (just soup, NO WATER). Add salt and pepper (can't give amounts, you have to play). Mix all together until very well blended. Set aside.

Water in stock pot should be hot by now; you want to keep this just under boiling. Stick the carving fork into the cabbage at the core and put it into the hot water. You want to blanch the cabbage leaves. This will also soften them up making it easier to stuff them. Use the knife to cut away the leaves, and the tongs to remove them from the hot water into the bowl. They should just have a slight change of color when they're ready to put into bowl. When you have cut away all the leaves big enough to stuff, cut off the ones remaining to line the bottom of the baking pot. The first few leaves (big ones) should be kept for covering stuffed ones. Cover the bottom of the baking pot with the smallest leaves. Save the water. Turn oven on to 350 now to preheat.

My Baba and Mom made stuffed cabbages that were all the same size. Here is where I differ. Mine are whatever size they are, period. So, take one cabbage leaf at a time and stuff just enough meat mixture in so that you can roll it and push in the sides to have a roll with closed ends. Arrange the stuffed leaves neatly in the baking pot until all the meat mixture has been used. You can stack the rolls.

Put the remaining 2 cans of tomato soup into the empty mixture bowl. Add just enough water from the pot you used to blanch cabbage leaves to cover the cabbage rolls in the baking pot. Mix soup and hot water well and scrape sides of bowl well. Carefully pour this over the cabbage rolls. Cover the rolls with the large reserved leaves. Put the lid on pot and place into oven. After 20 minutes reduce heat to 325. Bake at 325 for 1 hr 45 minutes, reduce to 250 and bake for 20 minutes more. Done.

Serve carefully as the rolls will disintegrate if you just dig. (This made Baba VERY angry!) Unused portion can be refrigerated and reheated. To reheat you can heat in oven or on stove top. Microwave is NOT recommended

Bill's FireHouse Chili - William Szemcsak

This Recipe is dedicated to my Sons, Billy; the firefighter and Michael; the Police Officer....
Billy will make it at the Firehouse and Michael can stop by for Dinner!

Ingredients

• Chopped Green Peppers
• Chopped Onions
• 3 lbs of ground Chuck
• 3 Large Cans of Kidney Beans
• 3 Large Bottles of Spaghetti Sauce (Ragu Mushroom or Sausage)
• 1 small can of mushroom slices
• Chili Power
• Garlic Powder
• Salt
• Black Pepper

In a LARGE pot, Brown Ground Chuck, breaking up Chuck with a spoon to small pieces. While browning the Chuck, add Chopped Onions and Green Peppers. Also add 1 tsp. each of Garlic Power and Chile Power to Chuck. Add a pinch of Black Pepper and Salt to Chuck. Open can of mushrooms and place into Chuck.

As meat mixture is cooking, open and DRAIN Kidney Beans, place on the side for now.

After meat is brown, onions are transparent, add Ragu Spaghetti Sauce, mixing it all together, add Kidney Beans… Now the IMPORTANT PART; as the Chili is cooking on medium heat, stirring often; add 1 tsp. of Garlic Powder; and START with 1 tsp. of Chili Powder, add more if needed during the cooking of chili, don’t rush it. If you like it THICKER, add small can of Tomato Paste, but if you do; you may have to add a little more Chili Powder. After about 60 minutes, place heat on low for 1 ½  - 2 hours.

Things to remember during cooking of the Chili, if a alarm comes in, TURN OFF STOVE!, Second; STIR OFTEN!, Third; TASTE OFTEN, Fourth; Don’t add a lot of Chili Powder, or the Chili will become a 3 alarmer, and some people don’t like it HOT and you can always add “Hot Sauce” to your own portion.

This Chili is great on a Cold Damp Day/Night and should be served with; Oyster Crackers, Sour Cream and or Shredded Cheddar Cheese. 

Remember 343! 

Stephenson's Family Pot Roast - Noreen Stephenson

FYI:This recipe is my Grandma's Stephenson's  Baked Pot Roast, a dish I watched her make  many times in the old house on Front Street. My Grandmother's family (on my Fathers side) were English. This recipe was handed down to her from her ancestors.   A "One Pot" dinner !

HINT: I like to use a Bottom Round Rump Roast. I find it is the most tender cut to use. The size you buy is up to you.  I duplicated her old her old pan from the 40's ...a deep lighter weight aluminum pan w/the handles on each side, that cleans up well w/brillo after it's all done. These pans can still be found in thrift stores or flee markets. 

The Secret: Preheat the oven to at least 350. You know your oven so you be the judge. I use convetion bake at around 360.  Dredge your Rump Roast in flour. Place the pan on the stove with oil aready heated in the pan (enough to cover the bottom) you may add more as needed during this process, then add a large sweet or white onion (sliced up not too small)  and add a fair amount of fresh garlic chopped up or sliced very thin.   Get the onions & garlic frying in the pan on a low heat. Add the floured roast. You are going to brown up the roast and turn it every 7 minutes or so to a different side. Add kosher salt &  pepper also. Stir those onions and garlic around. They will begin to carmelize (brown up) don't worry if they end up burning a little because that is the secret of this dish. The carmelization of all the ingrediants The smell is inviting as the garlic melts into it. 

In between carmelizing: Keep your eye on the roast!  Cut up carrots, slice celery, peel potatoes and cut up (not too small or you will have mashed at the end) I sometimes if they are small just leave them whole. If larger just slice in half. They will surround the roast when added to the pan for baking. Make sure liquid is sufficient or you will not have gravy.

Next: Remove the pan from the stove and now add *water to the pain DO NOT DRAIN OFF THE OIL or any of the carmelization. Most oil is absorbed by now. The bottom of the pan by this time may look like it is semi burnt...no problem, it all adds to the flavor in the end. *The water added should come up to about half of the roast you do not want to completely submerge it but you want to make sure you have enough liquid to cook in the potatoes, carrots & celery you will be adding. You will not place the entire 1 pot dinner in the oven. Cover tightly w tinfoil or lid. It will go for usually an hour and a half to 2 hours depending on the size of the roast. If you see your vegtables and potatoes are cooked. Remove them to a tin foil tray or a baking dish. Roast should be done when a large fork goes into it easily. Do not remove it too soon.

Final Step: Remove roast when done...remember those potatoes, carrots, celery you removed. Put them back into the oven under a low broil...you now want to dry them out a little and give them a nice browning. Oven browned potatoes are great and they look great when you serve this dinner.

The Gravy: If you did this right you will have wonderful gravy with a rich brown color. Remove roast from pan and add about a half a cup of flour int a glass of water or milk you will know if you need more. stir it up good or put it in a shaker to avoid lumps. Scrape the bottom of the pan as you are making the gravy...that is where the flavor is. 

The Best Part: Time to eat!  Serve the dinner on a large platter with the oven browned items garnished around the meat. Enjoy...and say..... "Thankyou Grandma Stephenson"

Pierogi Maker - I'm not Kidding!

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