Cauliflower Custard

1/2 head fresh cauliflower or 2 packages frozen cauliflower
4 eggs
1 C milk
1 C shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 C melted butter
1/4 C onion, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Prepare cauliflower; either steam fresh chopped cauliflower until tender, or boil frozen cauliflower until thawed. Drain and set aside. Beat 4 eggs. Add milk, cheese, butter, onion, salt and pepper. Butter a 1 quart casserole. Mix drained cauliflower with egg mixture. Can top with buttered bread crumbs if desired. Bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes.

Thinking of new ways to serve cauliflower? Try this recipe for a twist on that same old steamed side dish. Remember to make enough if you’re serving a crowd. If they love it like my family, a double recipe is the answer.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 c. bread crumbs
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp. onion powder or 1/3 c. freshly chopped onions
2 Tbsp. milk
1/4 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Combine all the above ingredients. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan heat:

1 12 oz. bottle chili sauce
1 10 oz. jar grape jelly
1 Tbsp. prepared mustard (the kind in your refrigerator)

Heat to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low.

With wet hands, form meatballs into bite-sized pieces (size of a large marble). Makes about 40-50. Place into hot sauce. When all meatballs are in the sauce, reduce heat to low, cover with lid and cook for 40-45 minutes. Serve as an appetizer in a casserole with toothpicks at hand.

I knew these were good, but not until I saw a little boy at our Priest's "Going-Away" party standing over the casserole, toothpick in hand, finishing off many (and I mean MANY) of these babies.

I hope you enjoy them as much as Aaron did.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!

Sopak Girls Stuffed Cabbage (Halupki)

Meat Mixture:
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1/2 C. rice (long grain)
1 Tbsp. parsley flakes
2 eggs (2 yolks and only 1 white)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. onion powder
1 medium sized cabbage 

In a Dutch oven, pour 4 cups of water. Remove the core of the cabbage and place the cabbage into the water, cored side down. Place lid on pot. Turn heat to medium and steam leaves loose. Removing leaves gently with a fork, place them in water. Soften a little longer, then remove all leaves to a plate. Do this a little at a time. Set the leaves aside. You will need approximately 15-18 leaves. 

***Whatever water is remaining in the Dutch oven leave it there and turn off heat.

After removing 18ish leaves, take the rest of the cabbage that is remaining and slice up and place them in the pot with the remaining water...spread out evenly in the Dutch oven.

Mix the 1/2 C. rice (long grain), 1 Tbsp. parsley flakes, 2 eggs (2 yolks and only 1 white), 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, and the 1 tsp. onion powder all together thoroughly. Now add the ground beef and incorporate the rice mixture into the ground beef.

***Skim the veins of the leaves of cabbage with a knife to whittle them down to the entire thickness of the leaves. (This allows the leaves to be easily rolled up).

To make the rolls, add a small amount of meat mixture at the spine end of each leaf (approximately the size of a golf ball that is formed into an oval shape, DO NOT COMPACT).
Roll leaves up, tucking the sides in.
Layer rolls over the layer of  sliced up cabbage, continuing until all the mixture is used up.

In a saucepan, mix sauce ingredients together and pour it all over the rolls to cover.

Sauce Ingredients:
1 10 oz. can tomato soup
2 tomato soup cans of water
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 tomato sauce can of water
2 Tbsp. ketchup
3 beef bouillon cubes
1/8 tsp. pepper

*** If you have any leaves of cabbage left over, lay them flat over the top of the rolls.

Place a lid on the Dutch oven and cook on stove top on medium high until slightly boiling (approximately 20 minutes). Reduce heat to low or whatever temperature keeps a little bubbling going for 2-2 1/2 hours.

To me, these are the best!!!
There are no other halupkis that I enjoy eating. This recipe is so easy and tasty that once you make them, you can’t wait to make them again. The flavor is awesome. A must is to serve these with mashed potatoes and to use the tangy juice as a gravy.

This recipe is a “Sopak Girls” (Annie, my mom, Aunt Mary, Aunt Betty, Aunt Helen and Aunt Susie) concoction. The best memory of making these are with my mom and Aunt Mary. They were so fussy, and I mean that in a good way. The ingredients have to be spot on, absolutely no substitutions. They have to be rolled up small and ever so precise (I love it). It has to be cooked on the stove top, not in the oven. Oh my, I just realized, I’m getting just as fussy as they were (isn’t it great?).

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!

STUFFED PEPPERS

The Stuffed Cabbage filling can also be used to stuff red, yellow and orange sweet peppers.
Just cut the tops of the peppers and clean out the insides. Wash well and drain.

 Make the Stuffed Cabbage filling and place a small amount of filling in each pepper. (the filling recipe will fill approximately 36 peppers).
Layer the filled peppers into a Dutch Oven pot.

Now prepare the sauce mixture as for the Stuffed Cabbage and pour over the peppers.
Cook as you do the Stuffed Cabbage:
Place a lid on and cook on stove top on medium high until slightly boiling. Reduce heat to low or whatever temperature keeps a little bubbling going for 2-2 1/2 hours.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!

Homemade Pasta (Aunt Carm)

2 1/4 cups flour
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup water

Mix all the above ingredients in a food processor. Mix until dough pulls away from the sides of the processor.

This recipe makes about 1 pound of fresh noodles. Cut them anyway you like and with any method you prefer. (For spaghetti, homemade soup, halushki, you decide). They are oh so easy. Better yet , they are oh so delicious.

I usually make several batches of these at any given time. I cut them up several different ways and I prefer to freeze them rather than dry them. I place the cut noodles on a floured cookie sheet and freeze for about an hour on the pan. Then I bag then up in freezer bags to use whenever my heart desires.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!

Bev’s Winner Homemade Bread Recipe

This recipe makes 3 loaves of Bread---Yum!!!

1 1/2 cup warm water
1 package active dry yeast
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar

In a mixing bowl, stir sugar and yeast in warm water and set aside.
Let proof for 10 minutes.

After yeast has proofed add 1 1/2 Tbsp. shortening or vegetable oil

Measure out 4 cups all-purpose flour and 1 1/2 tsp. salt, set aside.

* (have a small amount more available (about 1/4 cup), to dust bread board with for each punch down and knead.)

Add 2 cups flour to the yeast mixture and mix in well.
Add the other 2 cups flour and once stirred in and starting to form a ball, turn out onto floured bread board and knead for 5-6 minutes. Place in a greased bowl and cover with a tea towel. *In 10 minutes, turn back out onto floured board and knead for about 20 to 30 folds, cover and let rest again.* Repeat this again in 10 minute rest/knead-fold  2 more times. After the last knead-fold, let dough double in size (approximately 1 hour.)

After the hour rise divide dough into 3 pieces and form into loaves.
Place 3 loaves on a greased cookie sheet, evenly spaced width-wise. Cover with a tea towel and let rise, in a warm place, for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

When Ready to bake...Make 3-5 slashes with a sharp serrated  knife across the tops of each loaf.

Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees, reduce heat to 350 and bake 15 minutes longer or until golden brown. Remove from oven; cool on wire rack. I don’t brush mine with butter, because we like a harder crust. If you like a softer crust , brush with butter.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!

Annie's Simplest Chili

Oh so easy and delicious recipe!!!

1 pound ground beef
2 cans kidney beans (1 light 1 dark) do not drain.
1 can tomato soup
1 can of tomato sauce (8 oz)
1/4 C. of water
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. onion powder

Brown ground beef. Drain off fat. Add the next seven ingredients. Bring to low boil on medium heat , reduce and cook for 30 minutes on low heat.

***Want a little more flavor!!!

Six things that I add that Mom didn't add and you may want to add are: After the meat is starting to brown...add 1/4 cup diced green pepper, 1/4 cup medium diced onion, and 1/4 cup diced celery and continue browning for five minutes more. When it is time to add the next seven ingredients you can also add 1/2 tsp. chili powder, 1 tsp. sugar, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Mom didn't do this, but we serve this with a handful of corn chips and a dollop of sour cream on top.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!

How to: Baked Potatoes

Run potatoes through water for a thorough washing
8 large potatoes, unpeeled
1 tbsp. vegetable oil

Wash potatoes well and dry. Pierce the potatoes 2 or 3 times with a fork. Rub a little of the oil on your hands and then rub over the entire potato. Place potato on a square piece of aluminum foil. Wrap potato in foil. Place (directly on rack) in a preheated 350° oven for 1 hour or until potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork. Split tops of potatoes with a knife and serve with your desired toppings. (Such as chili or ham topping).

Oh, so easy! My mother told me that the oil makes all the difference. It softens the skin just enough, so you can eat the entire potato for a healthy serving of vitamins and nutrients. My husband would never eat the skin when he was young (of course, he wouldn’t eat the yellow on a sunny-side up egg, either). That changed when he got to college and learned to eat whatever was served in the cafeteria. Funny how things change when you are hungry. I told him that he was missing all the vitamins and minerals in the skin, but he was adamant. Over time, he tried it a little at a time, and now, the entire spud gets devoured . Fortunately, when the kids were young, we cut up the potato with the skin, and they grew up eating it all.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!

The BEST Ever Chili

1 lb. ground beef 

3 stalks celery, chopped 

1 green pepper, chopped 

2 medium onions, chopped 

1 28 oz. can crushed Italian style tomatoes (or any can of crushed tomatoes) 

1 (28 oz.) can of water (fill the tomato can with water to measure) 

1 (16 oz.) can kidney beans, undrained 

1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste 

1 Tbsp. chili powder 

2 tsp. salt 

1/2 tsp. pepper 

2 tsp. sugar 

***(optional pinch of cayenne)

Cook the ground beef in a Dutch oven until browned. Drain off pan drippings. 

Stir in the celery, peppers and onions and cook for 5 minutes. 

Add the next 8 ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmering low and cook chili for 1 1/2 hours, uncovered. Stir occasionally during the 1 1/2 hours. 

Excellent alone or served at a Baked Potato Bar. This is definitely the greatest ever. I make this and serve it in a bowl with homemade bread. It’s also excellent when we have a baked potato buffet bar. We serve baked potatoes with all the toppings available, such as sour cream, butter, chives, green pepper, cheddar cheese, bacon, onions, chili and ham toppings. The choice is yours as to how you want your potato topped. The men in our home like to have their chili served over a nice, piping hot serving of buttered pasta. (I believe this is called Cincinnati Style Chili, but don’t quote me, for I don’t know anything about Cincinnati, but am willing to learn). When my husband Duke ran a December Road race years ago, the restaurant sponsor treated the entrants to a chili lunch afterwards. The whole family indulged in helpings of spaghetti with chili and all the toppings. We were told it was Cincinnati style chili, so we went along with it. What a tasty treat! We repeated that race several times, just for the chili.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!

Gelatin Squares

Another oh-so easy recipe!

1 small package any flavor gelatin
1 package unflavored gelatin
1 cup boiling water

Mix all 3 ingredients together until gelatin is dissolved. Pour into a 5" by 5" or a 5" by 4" plastic sandwich container. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Cut into 1” squares and watch them disappear.

I bought these 5" by 4" sandwich containers at one of those home “plastic ware” parties and guess what? I don’t use them for sandwiches! Four containers came in the set and I make four different flavors of gelatin. What a quick and easy dessert with no fuss! No matter how full you are, these bite size squares go down easy and taste oh so yummy.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!

Caraway Soup (Sick Soup) Kimmel Leves

8 cups water
4 Tbsp caraway seeds
1/4 Cup butter
1/4 Cup flour
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp onion powder

Bring the 8 cups water and the caraway seeds to a boil. When boiling, reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer with the lid on the pot for 20 minutes. Turn off the burner and allow the seeds to steep in the water at least an hour. (However, you can let it sit longer for added flavor...up to two hours.)

While the broth is steeping you can make the spaetzle.  Make the spaetzle according to directions and set aside.

When ready to serve up the soup, you make the roux. First, strain seeds out of the broth and turn onto medium heat. Now onto the roux.

Roux:

Melt butter in small saucepan. Add flour, salt, pepper and onion powder. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until golden brown. After the roux is golden add 4 or 5 ladles of broth to the roux, and cook until the roux is incorporated and thickened.

Now pour all of the roux into the pot of caraway broth. 
Heat broth to boiling add the spaetzle noodles that have been prepared. 

ENJOY!

This soup is a recipe from my grandmother Chick (Csik). It is an old Hungarian recipe that was handed down to my mother. I know my mother would make this for any reason and not just because someone was sick. We just enjoyed the unique taste. When serving this to someone that is not “up to par” or “feeling under the weather,” first serve them just the broth.

As the day goes on and they start feeling better, add a little spaetzle at a time until they start to feel better. They will usually start asking for more spaetzle rather than the broth (That’s when you know they are feeling better, and their appetite is returning).


Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!

Grandma Chick's Green Bean Soup

1 (15-16 oz.) can cut green beans (do not drain)
4 C. water
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 tsp. onion powder
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
*1 medium onion, sliced (optional)*
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
2 Tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Bring first 6 ingredients to a boil (green beans, water, bouillon , onion powder, potatoes, and onions) in large saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, simmer for 20 minutes. Combine the butter, flour, salt, and pepper in a medium saucepan to make a roux*. Cook over medium heat until brown. Ladle 1 1/2 -2 cups of soup broth into roux and mix well. Pour roux into green bean pot, and cook over high heat for 20 minutes.

*I find that after making the roux, you should take it off the heat and let it cool for 2-3 minutes. Then, add the soup broth and return to medium heat. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Now proceed to add to soup.

***For 1 pound of fresh green beans double all the above ingredients and omit the can of green beans. Your first step will be to snap your beans into bite size pieces, wash and place them in the water alone and cook for 20 on their own. Then place your potatoes (and onion slices if using) and proceed as above.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!

What Is Roux?...and How To Make It Simple

A roux is made up of equal amounts of flour and butter and is used to thicken sauces and soups. Making roux is easy. First, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour all at once and stir constantly until the roux is golden brown.

As you continue to cook roux, the color becomes darker, the smell becomes nutty and the thickening factor lowers as the color darkens. Do not over-cook. Go for medium golden brown for thickening soups, not brown or dark brown. Cook no longer than 12-20 minutes over medium heat while constantly moving with a spatula. Make sure to keep an eye on it, because all medium heat sources are different!

After the roux is the correct color, I like to remove it from the heat for 5 minutes. Add enough broth (usually around 2 cups or more), and whisk together to remove lumps. Now, you can add this mixture to the main pot. After all is incorporated, cook over medium heat for approximately 20 minutes. This may sound difficult at first, but when you do it a few times, it is very simple.

Chunky Pizza Soup

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 pound ground hot sausage
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 green pepper, cubed
1 (28 oz) can stewed tomatoes
1 cup water
1 cup thinly sliced pepperoni
1/2 tsp. basil
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 chicken or beef bouillon cube
1 cup shredded mozzarella

In saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Cook sausage in the oil until browned. Add onion, mushroom and green pepper, stirring until soft but not browned. Add tomatoes, water, pepperoni, basil and bouillon cube. Cook until heated through. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with cheese.

This really tastes like eating pizza with a spoon.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!

Sauerkraut Soup

Don’t be too judgmental...this is something worth trying.

4 1/2 cups water
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 lb. kielbasa, cut into slices and each slice into fourths
1 large (16 oz) can sauerkraut (do not drain)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp. flour

In Dutch oven, bring water, potatoes and salt to a boil. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add kielbasa (or any smoked sausage you prefer), sauerkraut, and onion. Bring to a boil again, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine sour cream and flour. Gradually stir in about 1 cup of the hot soup mixture. This is so the sour cream warms up slowly and doesn't curdle. Return the sour cream mixture back into the soup. Blend well. Heat thoroughly, but do not let boil.

This recipe was developed over my daughters’ love of sauerkraut as well as my own immense love for it.

It is very easy to make and freezes well for serving later. I would make this and always have a few small containers frozen in the freezer for when the girls would be home on break from college. Who knows, my daughter Kate loves this soup so much, I’m sure there may be a song written about it someday. Just joking.

I put no black pepper in this recipe, but when I serve myself a cup of this soup, I load it up with several sprinkles to my taste. It usually is a lot. I’m a true pepper lover...it is probably my favorite spice.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!

Spaetzle

1 1/3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup water
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder

Mix all ingredients. together in a small bowl Mix with a spoon until a stiff dough is formed. Spoon the dough onto the end of a plate. Using a spoon, break off kidney bean-sized pieces of dough into a pot of boiling, salted water. When all the dough is in the water, boil for 2 minutes. Drain and serve with butter and salt, or add to your favorite soup recipes.

Adding the black pepper and onion powder to the dough recipe creates a
boost in flavor.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!

Ham Topping for Baked Potatoes

1 chicken bouillon cube
½ cup boiling water
1 ½ cup milk
¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
½ cup shredded cheese (Your choice, I use Cheddar or American)
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 cups cubed, cooked ham
1/3 cup sliced olives
2 Tbsp. diced pimiento
1 Tbsp. dried parsley

Dissolve bouillon cube in boiling water. Stir in milk and set aside. Melt butter in saucepan; add flour, stirring, over medium heat until smooth. Cook 1 minute. Gradually add bouillon mix. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add cheese and Worcestershire. When cheese melts, add ham, olives, pimiento and parsley. Heat thoroughly. Serve over baked potatoes.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!

Beginnings

It was tradition in my family that soup was served almost every Sunday. There were probably only a few Sundays that I really don’t remember a pot of soup being on our stove top. On those Sundays, we were probably taking a trip down to Rivesville, West Virginia to visit with my Grandma, who probably had that pot of soup on, or at the least homemade bread to sink our teeth into.

Mom would put a pot of soup on early in the morning, and by noon it was time to sample the wares. You could tell time at our house by the Sunday plan of meals. A lot of them were based on the time of a Sunday football game on TV. Soup was always served as the noontime meal on Sunday, followed by a hearty meatloaf, roast beef, stuffed cabbage, chicken paprikas or the such at suppertime (usually around 4 o’clock).

Sundays seemed like all we did was eat and relax.

After returning from mass, we would have breakfast. One of my favorite Sunday breakfasts’ was palachintas (yum). Then off for the noontime, one, 2 o’clock soup feast. Then, you would wonder how you would be hungry for supper at 4 or 5 o’clock. Amazingly, you were.

There were times I would remember that if there wasn’t enough roast beef to make you content, Mom would give you a slice of bread on your plate and cover it with gravy (Gravy Bread). What an added feast we thought we were getting. Little did we know that there probably wasn’t enough meat for seconds, and who cared, because there was always plenty of gravy for that oh so special Gravy Bread.

I really don’t remember a lot of desserts. I know we probably had them from time to time, but even if there were, I don’t know how one would find, or want to find, the room to fit in.

Well, all this talk is making me hungry. Now that you have the water turned on, let’s do something with it.

Simple Hint

A major tip that I have used tremendously over all my years of cooking is:

**REMEMBER**

When serving a dish that you have worked so long and hard to create, the reactions of those you are out to please are influenced by the presentation.

Sometimes a recipe isn't that difficult to make, and we can put it together in a flash. However, remember to present it as a masterpiece.

It’s all in the presentation!!!

Dedication

I dedicate this website to the 4 best cooks I know: My mother, Anna, who nourished me from the day of my first breath, both physically and spiritually; my mother-in-law, Mag, introducing me to her family favorites and customs; my husband’s grandmother, Louise (Little Grammie), who had a unique, physical and verbal way of teaching me all her different techniques, to pass on traditional dishes; and last, and foremost, my heavenly mother, Mary, who is always by my side guiding me with spiritual intervention every step, and ingredient, of the way.

It is with a deep love of my heritage that I also dedicate this collection of recipes to all the cooks who are just starting out and continuing the tradition of using recipes that are "family recipes". I hope that this website will serve to preserve some of my "family recipes" and to kindle an interest in traditional cooking among the younger families in a not always traditional way.

Enjoy !

With much love,
Beve