Congri “Cuban Rice Dish” - Teresa “Sotolongo” Aspiotis

Congri “Cuban Rice Dish”
 

• 1 can of Goya Black Beans
• 1 medium Onion chopped
• 1 green bell pepper chopped
• 6-8 strips of bacon cut in small pieces
• 3-4 garlic cloves chopped
• Salt & Pepper according to your liking
• 2 cups of long grain rice
• 3 cups of water
• 2 Bay leaves

In a sauce pan add 4-5 tablespoons of Olive Oil and add the onions, peppers, bacon & garlic, sauté until golden
.
Now add to a Pot 3 Cups of water, salt according to liking, bay leaves, 2 tbsp. olive oil & 1 can of black beans add all liquid in can as well do not drain. Bring to a boil and add the rice, lower the heat and slowly boil for about 5-7 minutes then my secret to the perfect rice is before the rice is done I close the stove burner and cover the pot with kitchen cloth and put top cover on pot and let it stay for another 15 minutes and you got a perfect rice without worrying that it will stick or burn.
Bon Appetite & More to come Teresa “Sotolongo” Aspiotis

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Meatball & Sauce - Ilona Borodics Medina

For Sauce:

• 1 small can of tomato paste
• 2 small cans of tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp or so Corn oil
• 1 small onion
• 1 clove garlic
• ½ tsp. Salt & ¼ tsp. pepper
• Large non-stick pot with lid

For Meatballs

• 1 lb. beef only chop meat
• 1 egg
• ½ cup or so Plain bread crumbs
• 1 tsp. Grated Romano cheese
• Parsley flakes
• ¼ tsp. Salt & ¼ tsp. pepper
• Large bowl for mixing

Combine all ingredients for meatballs in bowl and shape into meatballs. Brown the meatballs either in the microwave or in a frying pan (no oil). 

For sauce………line bottom of non-stick pot with oil and heat. While oil is heating chop up onion and garlic until fine. Put it in pot and sauté. Garlic should only be browned slightly. 

Put in 2 cans of tomato sauce and 1 can of tomato paste, stir. Now fill the tomato sauce can with water and pour into tomato paste can, stir. I do this so I can get all the sauce and paste out. Repeat with other tomato sauce can. Fill tomato paste can again with water. You should have a total of 3 cans of water from the tomato past cans. The sauce should be a saucy consistency, not watery. Drop in the meatballs, lower heat immediately and stir. Add salt and pepper. Cover with lid and stir every 15 minutes or so, making sure it doesn’t stick to bottom. 

Tomato sauce cooks very hot and burns easily, heat should be as low as possible – you should only see a slight bubble when cooking. Cook for about 1-1/2 – 2 hrs. The oil will rise to the top of the sauce when finished, you can scoop it off if you like. Because you cook it for a long amount of time, the sauce will lose it’s tomato taste and taste more beefy.

LEKVAR COOKIES - Ilona Borodics Medina

• Sugar,
•  4 sticks butter, 
• 4 cups flour, 
• small amount of flour to coat work surface, 
• med. jar of Lekvar and 
• apricots, 
• 2 bars cream cheese, 
• 1 egg, 
• powdered sugar

Blend softened butter and cream cheese together (a food processor can be used), 

add 2 cups flour, mix, gradually add the rest of the four. 

In the meantime spread sugar, small amount of flour on table/work surface .
Beat egg in a small bowl- set aside .Roll dough in a large ball, put remainder in refrigerator. Roll out dough with rolling pin, till thin,( not too thin – you have to be able to roll and put filling into it, without it falling apart). If dough is too sticky add more flour to dough and working surface.
Cut into small squares and fill. 

Place on cookie sheet. Brush cookies with egg. When completely cooled, sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Bake 10-12 minutes until lightly golden brown at 375.

Palacsinta (Hungarian crepes) - Beata Middlebrook

Palacsinta Batter 

• 3 cups sifted unbleached flour ( I use King Arthur)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 6 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups of milk
• 1 1 /2 teaspoons vanilla extract (real vanilla, not the imitation extract)
• 6 Tablespoons melted butter
• About 1 1/2 cups club soda
• 3 Tablespoons cooking oil ( I use canola)

This recipe makes about 20 6 1/2 inch crepes.

Mixer method: mix flour, salt and sugar. Work in the eggs one at a time,
then very gradually add the milk, beating well after each addition.
Beat in the melted butter and vanilla. Strain the batter to remove any large lumps.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Just before using, stir the batter and pour in as much club soda
as needed to make a thin batter. You want the consistency of light cream.

Do yourself a favor and buy a 6 1/2 inch teflon crepe pan and use it JUST for crepes.
I have 2 of them and believe me, they make this process much easier.

Heat the crepe pan on medium flame until very hot, brush with oil. When it starts to smoke
pick it up off the flame, pour 2-3 tablespoons into the middle of the pan and quickly swirl it
around until the batter coats the entire bottom of the pan.
A palacsinta should be very thin without getting lacy. It helps if you can use a small ladle
or small ice cream scoop. Remember you just want it to coat the bottom of the pan. This takes a bit of practice.
If you put too much batter into the pan, just pour the excess off and use it for the next crepe.
Put the pan back on the heat for about a minute, give it a good jerk and turn it quickly with a spatula. Cook briefly
on the second side and slide the crepe onto a plate or pie plate.
Keep crepes warm in the oven or cover and refrigerate and warm them up later.

Jam Fillings

You can use apricot jam, or strawberry or raspberry or whatever jam you like.
Spread a thin layer on the palacsinta, roll it up or fold them and dust with confectioners sugar.

Walnut or Hazelnut Filling

Cook 1 1/2 cups of coarsely ground nuts, 6 tablespoons sifted confectioners sugar and
3/4 cup of milk until you have a thick mush. Spread some on each palacsinta, roll or fold them and dust with confectioners sugar.
This fills 18-20 palacsintas.

Pot Cheese Filling

• 1 pound pot cheese or small curd cottage cheese
• 3 eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup sifted confectioners sugar
• Grated rind of 1 lemon(1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons)
• 1/4 cup yellow seedless raisins
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 3 tablespoons buttermilk

Lightly butter as many shallow oval or oblong baking dishes that you need
to hold all the palacsinta rolls in ONE layer.

Strain the cheese and force it through a potato ricer, or a fine mesh sieve.
Mix well with the egg yolks, confectioners sugar and grated lemon rind.
Stir in the raisins. Beat the 3 egg whites until stiff and fold them in.
Spread some of the filling on each palacsinta, roll it and place into baking dish.
Thin the sour cream with the buttermilk, whisk it with a fork and spread on the palacsinta rolls.
Put in a preheated 325 degree oven for 20-25 min. Serve immediately.

Szilvás gombóc (plum dumplings) - Ty Fedak

One of my alltime favorites as a kid. Mom made these all the time.
Szilvás gombóc (plum dumplings)

• 12 plums
• 12 lumps of sugar
• 3 tbls sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups cooked potatoes (chilled)
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cups buttered crumbs

Remove the pits, but do NOT cut them in half.

Fill center with sugar lump (or cube)

Slice the butter thin into the flour, mix until mixture is coarse.

Add in potatoes, salt and eggs.

Knead the dough well.

Roll it out 1/4 inch thick on a floured board.

Cut into 3" squares.

Place the plums on square, moisten the edges and pinch it all together around the plum.

Dust the hands with flour and roll the dumpling around the flour.

Gently drop the dumpling into a large pot of boiling water. Don't let the water boil too violently or it will break them up.

Cook 15 minutes.

Carefully lift each one out, and roll in buttered crumbs. Serve hot. (I used to add more sugar if the plumbs were sour). Egészségedre!!

Reni's Beef Rouldaen - Patricia Lessard

• Look for thin slices of beef rump- divide into 4"-5" sized pieces and pound flat if needed.
• Sprinkle with salt and Pepper. 
• Top with 1"x 2" piece of raw bacon,
• some diced onion, and 
• a thin slice of dill pickle. 

Roll up the piece (like a small jelly roll) and secure with toothpicks.

Heat a heavy skillet with some bacon fat (or veg oil) over medium heat.

Brown the rolls of beef and pace in a dutch oven.

Deglaze the pan with water and pour the drippings over the rolls in the dutch oven,

Bake at 350 degrees for approx 1 1/2 hours.

Thicken gravy and serve.

Reni's Fricadellen - Patricia Lessard

Side note- When my late husband Nick was very ill before he had to give up eating and have tube feeding- this was one of the last things he could still swallow.

This is like German "sliders" .

• 1 1/2 lb ground meat,
• 1 egg, 
• salt & paper to taste, 
• 1 small onion diced, 
• breadcrumbs

Mix all the ingredients and form into patties and then fry in a skillet.

I altered this by adding fresh parsley and sautéing the onions before adding them to the mixture to make them softer for my late husband.

You can make them small like sliders or large patties- either works. Simple but delicious.

Pork Chops with Sauerkraut (Sertésborda Káposztával) - Ty Fedak

• 1 onion finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fat
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 lb sauerkraut
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 thin pork chops
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup chopped dill pickle

Cook the onion in the fat until until golden. Add the paprika and sauerkraut and simmer while the chops are browning. Salt the chops and flatten with a mallet. Brown slowly on each side in their own fat. Place the sauerkraut and cook together for 1 hr. Five minutes before serving stir the sour cream into the sauerkraut. Serve the chops on topn of it, and garnish each one with the dill pickle. Bon appetite

Wheat Bulgar Pilaf - Camille Zaleski King

• 2Tbs Butter
• 1 Med Onion - diced
• 1 Cup Wheat Bulgar
• 1/2 Tsp Oregano
• 2 Cups chicken stock, bouillon cubes and water work too
• 1/2 tsp parsley
• salt and pepper to taste

Saute onions in butter until clear, add remaining ingredients bring to a boil then reduce to simmer. Cover and cook until liquid is absorbed and bulgar is soft. (about 15-20 minutes, just like rice a roni)

Mexican Rice - Camille Zaleski King

• 1 cup rice
• 3 tbs oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce (if you want more heat use El Pato brand)
• 2 cups chicken broth

You will need a sauce pot with a lid, heat oil on medium heat add, rice, garlic and chopped onions. Cook until rice is starting to brown, you must constantly stir. once rice is starting to brown add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer and cover. cook for 18-20 minutes. All the water should be absorbed and the rice should be fluffy, just like a Mexican restaurant.

Coney Island Hot Dog Sauce - Louise (Balog) Johnson

Ingredients:

3lbs. Ground Chuck
1 or 2 onions (chopped approx. 1 ½ cups)
1 ½ tsp. Cloves Powder
1 ½ T. Salt2 T. Chili Powder
1 ½ tsp. Celery Salt
1 ½ tsp. Paprika
2 tsp. Curry Powder
5 or 6 cups of Cold Water
Dash or two Tabasco

Brown onion in large pot, using ½ butter ½ oil,
Soak Ground Chuck in cold water for an hour or more.
Next add the drain chopped meat and Save the water.
Brown off the chopped meat, with a potato masher break up meat into a sandy constancy. Keeping mashing until red color is gone from meat and it’s sandy.
Then using the saved water add rest of ingredients and simmer of 1 ½ hours.
If necessary add more water. Mixture should be very much like a heavy soup.
Serve with more chopped onions and mustard for hot dogs.

Hamantaschen Triangular Purim cookies - Larry Diamond

It's getting to that time of year!

Hamantaschen

A recipe for triangular Purim cookies
Makes about 36

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup margarine or butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2-3 cups sifted unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Dash of salt

1. Cream the shortening with sugar. Add egg and continue creaming until smooth.
2. Add the vanilla. Stir in the sifted flour, baking powder, and salt until a ball of dough is formed (a food processor is excellent for this).
3. Chill for 2-3 hours, or overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
5. Taking 1/4 of the dough, roll out on a lightly floured board to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut circles of dough with a drinking glass or round cookie-cutter. With your finger put water around the rim of the circle. Fill with 1 teaspoon poppy-seed or nut filling and fold into three-cornered cookies. (Press two sides together, and then fold the third side over and press the ends together.)
6. Bake on a well-greased cookie sheet 10-16 minutes, until the tops are golden.

Filling
For an easy filling fix, plenty of people use premade jams or jelly.

Perth Amboy Pork Stew - Michael Fleyzor

Perth Amboy Pork Stew

Great for diabetics.   Easy to make and very tasty.   Just add more meat, sweet potatoes and water and it can serve a lot of people.

Ingredients:

• 2 small sweet potatoes, cut into 2 inch pieces, 12 oz.
• 1 (10 oz) package frozen corn
• 1 (9 oz) package frozen cut green beans
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 1/4 lbs lean pork, cut into 1" cubes
• 1 (14.5 oz) can peeled diced tomatoes
• 1-2 tablespoons of chili powde
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

Directions :

1. Layer potatoes, corn, green beans, onion and pork in the bottom of the crock pot.
2. Add tomatoes, chili powder, salt, coriander and water (1/4 cup) to a large bowl, stir to combine and pour over crock pot ingredients.
3. Cover and cook on Low 7-9 hours.

Number Of Servings: 4-6
Preparation Time: 7-9 Hours

CHICKEN PAPRIKAS WITH NYOKODLI (dumplings) - Ilona Borodics Medina

CHICKEN PAPRIKAS WITH NYOKODLI (dumplings)

For Paprikas……..

• 4 Boneless chicken breasts
• Corn oil
• 1 small green pepper (chopped)
• 1 small onion (chopped fine)
• 1 tomato (chopped)
• 1 small can tomato sauce
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp garlic powder (not garlic salt)
• 1 tbsp red paprika (not hot paprika)
• ½ cup water (approx.)
• ½ cup sour cream (optional)
• To cook use a non-stick stock pot with lid

For Nyokodli (Dumplings)

• 2 cups flour (not self rising)
• 1 egg
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp garlic
• 1 cup water (approximate)
• Large bowl
• Large Colander
• Cutting board & small knife

To cook use a large pot of boiling water

To cook Parikas….Line pot with oil, heat on medium, and add pepper, onion, and tomato – sauté – stir several times. Add chicken in pot and brown on both sides. Lower heat and add only ½ a can of tomato sauce, stir, then add ½ cup of water or enough to cover chicken. Add salt, pepper, garlic and put paprika on top. Lower heat to a simmer and cook for 1-1/2 hrs., till chicken is fork tender. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking, sauce will thicken. You can add sour cream about 5 minutes before Paprikas is done. Just stir it in and heat a bit. Set aside and make the nyokodlis….

To cook Nyokodli(dumplings)…..Fill large pot with water ¾ full. While waiting for the water to boil…..put flour into bowl, then egg, salt and garlic. Pour some water in and start mixing the flour mixture. Keep adding water in until the mixture is a thin paste, not runny. When water boils in pot……spoon out a glob of the flour mixture on the cutting board (about the size of a fist). Keep the water heat on high – it will stop boiling as you start adding the nyokodlis. Slice off little pieces of the flour mixture with a knife and push into the boiling water (about ½” to 3/4” or in size). Repeat this again until all the flour mixture is in the pot. The nyokodlis rise to the top immediately, this means they are done, they cook instantly. Drain immediately. The starch will stick to them when you drain – stir them to get starch off – rinse off the starch with warm water.

To serve……….Spoon a portion of the Nyokodli onto a plate, then spoon the Paprikas sauce over it, then add a piece of chicken. I usually serve it with a Hungarian cucumber salad - just sliced cucumbers, with vinegar, sugar, garlic, paprika and water, served ice cold (tastes sweet & sour). Enjoy!!!!

Breakfast Spaghetti - Camille Zaleski King

My mom used to make this for breakfast if we had left over spaghetti from the night before. Now I make it for my son, he loves it. It is so simple, it doesn't seem like a real recipe.

Breakfast Spaghetti

• 3 - 4 cups Spaghetti (any pasta will work spaghetti is best)
• 2Tbs butter or olive oil
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Put butter/oil in a frying pan, add spaghetti. Let it cook until spaghetti starts to get a little crispy in some parts. 

While spaghetti is cooking fork wisk eggs in a bowl, then add to the frying pan with the spaghetti. 

Stir until the eggs are cooked. 

Take off the heat and add parmesan cheese and salt and pepper.

Enjoy.

Chicken Paprikas Hungarian Recipe ...by Noreen StephensonFamily

Noreen's Recipe would be more Red Sauce Color than Photo.

Chefette: Noreen Stephenson...

Noreen is originally from Perth Amboy and grew up on Front Street and graduated from PAHS. Noreen's Mother was 100 % Hungarian. The recipe is from her Hungarian Grandmother "Esther"...handed down to Noreen's Mother "Irene" and now handed down to Noreen. It is Bowl Licking good! A good "Hunky" dish for sure!

This Recipe is for a slow cooker which Noreen prefers to use. According to Noreen the chicken is so tender and so moist when it is done and the juices really stay in the Chicken. She cooks with a Waring 6.5 slow cooker and is delighted with the results. That she paid around $49.00 for.
 
Ingeredients:  

• A large pack of Bonelss Chicken Breasts nice and thick makes at least 5-6 big ones...no thin breasts...it is best to use boneless because this dish "stews" as it melts together and you can end up with a pile of little disgusting bones choking you or your family....UGH! 
• Your Choice of either regular, light or fat free sour cream. 5-6 Tablespoons any of these will do nicely. Noreen recently tried the Fat Free and was pleased with it and found it did not effect the flavor. 
• Two 28 oz cans of whole tomatoes...Hunts or your favorite brand (can have basile added to them) Please put them in a bowl first and cut through those Big whole tomatoes with a knife...break them down before they go into the slow cooker. 
• One 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes...
• Paprika...lots of it....it starts when browning the chicken breasts 
• 3 carrots cut up one inch or so in length (Carrots always add sweetness to a Recipe) 
• One Huge Spanish Onion...(Vidalia's Rock)....or a White Onion...NEVER use yellow onions...It has been proven that they have a negative ,horrible gastric effect for many people. 
• Pepper...HINT: Noreen prefers Pimenta Negra (sounds like a dance) ...the best large flake and milder pepper for cooking. Most Chefs or Chefettes use it..It can be found in Costco. Not to worry any pepper can be used. FYI: Those small pepper flakes can be deadly if you add too much...Pimenta Negra is forgiving... 
• Salt ...Noreen prefers Kosher course Salt for cooking. Any Salt can be used...season to taste at lease 3/4 tsp for the entire slow cooker dish...taste it... Shake and taste! 
• Parsley "Shake it up Baby"...and add to the slow cooker. Twist and Shout! Have on hand...corn starch or flour.....for the end result...Noreen prefers Corn Starch...

Ok we are moving along here...Now take the Chicken that is defrosted or fresh and DO NOT SLICE through those breasts...keep 'em large and rinse 'em off and get ready. Your Slow Cooker or Oven Pan is ready ...whatever...Ready....Set..Go! A Master piece in the making!!!! Calling all Hunkies!  
In a large Frying Pan with some oil added and heated and your chicken beasts all doused with Paprika...Nice and reddish and salt and pepper added add those breasts and brown 'em up ...turning over each side...

• then add that chopped garlic just for a minute or so...

after you see they are browning some.. ( I BRAKE FOR GARLIC...LOL) DO NOT BURN THAT GARLIC, Garlic is disgustingly bitter if you burn it. NOTICE: DO NOT COOK THROUGH!!!! Just Sear them ...let that garlic envelope them... add that chopped Onion for another couple of minutes, we are almost done......WHEWWWW!!!!!!! Moving right along.....  

OK it's time to have add it to that already heated pan or slow cooker.....dump it in there, let it rip.....all of it...dont forget those chopped carrots too...once situated...add the 2 cans of whole tomatoes (which you cut down smaller) and the whole can of crushed tomatoes (makes more juice we shall need)..Add at least a heaping tablespoon of the Hungarian nector of the Gods...'Paprika"...It calls for a lot of it...The juice you added should be covering that dish Now I set my slow cooker on 5 hrs and I leave for work..I work ...I shop ..I shop..and I am home....and it is just the way I like it...stewed down and so tender...the carrots, onions and the seasonings just melt into it. OK its 4.5 to 5 hrs later on the slow cooker...fork goes through it like butter...Take the sour cream and add a little of the dishes hot sauce in a cup and add at least 5-6 TBS of the sour cream and stir it like heck...Dump it into the cooked dish and stir and stir and stir and stir...Now I suggest you add a little corn starch or flour to thicken it...1 tsp ...maybe 2 or 3...keep stirring ...FYI...if adding flour do it with a cool 1/2 glass of water and mix till no lumps...you don't need to add lumps here...so be patient and smooth out this wonderful sauce.  
Noreen wishes you the best of luck here on making this wonderful Ethnic Dish and hopes you can understand it...She can always be reached by a mere post here on the "Food Group Site" for any questions...Mongia...well this is not Italian for sure! It's the sourcream that makes this dish!.

Red Velvet Cake II - Diane C Kosowicz

Red Velvet Cake

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons baking cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cup Whole buttermilk
• 4 oz red food coloring
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar

Preheat oven to 350. Cream shortening and sugar together until fluffy. Beat in the eggs. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder and salt and add alternately with the buttermilk and red color to the creamed mixture. Dissolve the baking soda in the vinegar and fold in. (the baking soda will foam up. do not use mixer, FOLD in with spatula) You should bake in two 9 inch round pans, or preferably three 8 inch pans. Pans should be greased and floured. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until done. Done is when the top springs back. Cool on racks, then frost with Red Velvet Cake frosting.

Frosting....I do not measure this really so I'll try to come close.

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 3 very well rounded tablespoons unbleached flour
• 1+ about 1/8 cup Whole milk
• 5 tablespoons shortening
• 2 cups sugar
• large pinch salt
• about a tablespoon vanilla

PLEASE NOTE: Whole Milk must be USED!

In a heavy sauce pan mix flour and milk until smooth. heat, stirring until the mixture thickens, set off stove. Cream butter, shortening, sugar and salt until light fluffy add vanilla. Combine the milk mixture and creamed mixture, starting a slow speed and working up to high whip speed. Continue whipping until very fluffy. Frost and fill the layers. Cake may be refrigerated, the frosting will become solid or the cake may be left in sealed cake protector for frosting to remain loose.

Cabbage Soup - Camille Zaleski King

Cabbage Soup - tastes just like stuffed cabbages

• 1 - Polish Sausage Ring
• 1 - Onion
• 1 - Small head of cabbage (grapefruit size)
• 1 - Can diced tomatoes
• 1 - can of sourkraut
• 1 - can of cream of tomato soup 
• 1 - can of diced tomatoes
• 1 - can tomato sauce
• 2 - bouillon cubes (chicken, beef or veggie)
• 1 - 2 tbs Olive oil
• salt & Pepper
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 lb of ground beef
• 1/2 cup instant rice

Cut the sausage into "wheels" and cook in a frying pan. 

Once done set aside and drain on paper towel. 

Dice the onion and cook until translucent in 1 -2 Tbs olive oil. 

Add hamburger meat and cook until no longer pink. 

Chop the cabbage into postage stamp size pieces, add to onions. 

Rinse and drain sourkraut, add to onions and and cabbage. 

Then Add tomato soup, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, sausage, paprika and bouillon cubes. Fill pot with water to cover all the ingredients and stir. 

You can add chicken stock instead of water, but then omit bouillon cubes. Salt and Pepper to taste.
Cook on medium to medium low heat until the cabbage is cooked all the way, then add instant rice and cook for 5 minutes more or until rice is soft.
Top with sour cream!

POLISH BIGOS (HUNTER'S STEW) - Bill Szemcsak

POLISH BIGOS (HUNTER'S STEW)

• 3 lg. cans sauerkraut
• 1 c. cooked barley
• 3 cans mushrooms
• 1 tbsp. dill weed
• 1 tbsp. caraway seed
• 1 tsp. Accent
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3/4 lb. butter
• 1 c. chopped onion
• 2 lbs. cooked fresh Polish sausage

Pour boiling water over sauerkraut; squeeze out and put in roaster. Fry onion in butter until tender. Mix with sauerkraut; add remaining ingredients. Put in oven; cover and bake for 30 minutes at 300 degrees

Cherry Coconut Peanut Butter Cookies - Kim Spera Bamburak

Cherry Coconut Peanut Butter Cookies

• 2 1/2 cups of flour 
• 1 tsp baking powder 
• 1 tsp baking soda 
• 1/4 tsp salt 
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter 
• 1 cup creamy or super chunk peanut butter 
• 1 cup sugar 
• 1 cup packed brown sugar 
• 2 eggs 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 6 1/2 ounces of flaked coconut 
• red or green candied cherries, halved 

In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed, beat butter and peanut butter until smooth. Beat in sugars until blended. Beat in eggs and vanilaa. Add flour mixture; beat until well blended.
If necessary, refrigerate dough for easier handling.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Shape dough into 1 inch balls.
Spread coconut on waxed paper; roll balls in coconut.
Place red or green cherry half in center of each cookie.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool completely on wire racks.
Store in tightly covered container.

Thumbprint Treasures - Kim Spera Bamburak

Thumbprint Treasures

• 1/2 cup (1 Stick) butter or margarine 
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 
• 1 egg 
• 1 1/2 cups flour 
• 1 egg white, slightly beaten 
• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts 
• 3/4 to 1 cup strawberry, black raspberry, cherry, apricot or peach preserves 

Grease cookie sheets in a large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in egg. Stir in flour and blend thoroughly. Wrap dough and refrigerate about 1 hour, to chill slightly.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
With floured hands, roll pieces of dough into 1 inche balls.
Dip balls into egg white, then roll in chopped nuts.
Place cookies 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets.
With your thumb make an indentation in center of each cookie.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned.
Cool on wire racks.. (If centers have risen during baking, press down again while cookies are hot.)
When cool, fill each center with about 1 level tablespoon preserves.

Machado Empanada Filling - Ana E. Machado

Machado Empanada Filling

First Set of Ingredients:

• 1 oz salt pork, rinsed off and diced
• 2 oz lean cured ham, rinsed off and diced

Second Set of Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 green pepper, seeded & chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 – 3 garlic cloves, chopped

Third Set of Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 T Adobo
• ¼ t white vinegar
• 1 lb ground beef

Fourth Set of Ingredients: 

• 6 pimiento stuffed olives, sliced
• 2 t drained capers
• 2 T raisins
• 2 T (give or take) tomato sauce (the final mix should be somewhat dry)

In a caldero (heavy kettle with lid), rapidly brown the salt pork and ham over medium high heat. 


Reduce heat to low and add the 2nd set of ingredients. Sauté for approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the 3rd set of ingredients, mix and stir over high heat until the beef loses its red color. Turn heat to low, 
add the last set of ingredients, mix and cover. Cook for 30 minutes.

Disclaimer: my mother has never written her recipes down, and measures out amounts with her favorite wooden spoon or her hand. I did the best I could with the measurements while watching her make this batch of filling several years ago.

NUT ROLL - by Mary Haelsen's Little Sister

Blogger's note: There are a number of Poppy Seed and Nut Roll Recipes here, I felt we should post them all due to the fact they are "Perth Amboy's Family Recipes".

My little sister makes the best nut rolls. She modifed my mom's and grandfather's recipes, combining the best of each,which is probably why they are so delicious. Here is her recipe. 

NUT ROLL

(dough)

• 1 envelope (or square) yeast
• 1/4 cup warm milk
• 1/2 pound butter (2 sticks)
• 4 egg yolks, beaten
• 1/2 pint of half & half
• 4 cups flour
• 1tsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt

Dissolve yeast in warm milk. Melt butter & mix with beaten egg yolks.
In separate bowl sift flour, sugar & salt. Mix yeast with butter, egg yolks & half & half. Add flour. Mix until smooth. Shape into 3 balls & refrigerate overnight.

(Nut filling)

• 1 pound walnuts, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 egg whites, beaten stiff

Mix nuts, sugar vanilla. Fold in Beaten egg whites. Use 1 to 1 1/4 cups per roll. (Usually I make this and refrigerate overnight with the dough but you can just keep the egg whites in and make the mixture the next day..up to you.)

Roll out each ball into a 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick rectangle. Spread with filling to within 1/2 inch of sides. Roll up & place loaves on baking (ungreased) sheet and place in warm spot for 3 hours. ( I usually cover loaves with clean dish towel while they rest). 

Brush top with beaten egg & Bake @ 325 for 1 hour.