Category Archives: Recipes

One Skillet Steak for Two

This is a complete one-skillet meal for two that is satisfying. I found the idea in a magazine and I added my own twists to the recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 1 – (12 ounce) New York Strip steak
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
  • 2 teaspoons, plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine or any broth, divided
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons shallots, finely chopped
  • 4 cups fresh baby spinach
  • 1/4 cup cream or half and half

Method:

  1. Season both sides of patted dry steak with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
  2. Heat a 9 inch cast-iron or stainless steel skillet over medium high heat.
  3. Rub seasoned steak with 2 teaspoons oil and cook, turning every 2 minutes, to desired doneness, about 7-11 minutes, depending on thickness of your steak.
  4. Transfer steak to a cutting board to rest.
  5. Heat remaining tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in the same pan adding 1/4 cup wine or broth slowly scrapping pan to de-glaze over medium high heat.
  6. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 3-4 minutes.
  7. Add garlic 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
  8. Continue to cook, stirring, for one minute.
  9. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate and cover to keep warm.
  10. Reduce heat to medium-low, add the shallots to the skillet and cook, stirring, until softened, 1-2 minutes.
  11. Add the other 1/4 cup wine or broth slowly.
  12. Add half the spinach and cook, stirring, until just wilted.
  13. Add remaining spinach and cook, stirring, until wilted.
  14. Add the cream, remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until the cream has thickened slightly.
  15. Return the mushrooms to the skillet and stir them with the creamed spinach mixture.
  16. Remove from heat.
  17. Slice the steak and serve on top of the mushrooms and creamed spinach.
  18. Serves: 2

Tips: When I went to the grocery store boneless Rib-Eye steak was on sale at $5.00 less per pound than the New York Strip so I used it instead and it worked nicely. If you buy a small bag of baby spinach you can use the whole bag, dividing it in two. It wilts down significantly. Have all your ingredients ready and proportioned before you start to make the process work smoothly.

Ground Chicken Chili

This is an easy last minute recipe for a tasty chili if you have all the ingredients on hand.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 1/2 onion chopped
  • 2 tablespoons cooking oil of your choice
  • 1-28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
  • 2 cans (15.5 ounces each) of white chili beans
  • 1 can (7 ounces) of diced green chiles
  • 2 cups frozen roasted corn kernels
  • 1 jalapeno chopped (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder

Toppings:

  • Avocado
  • Cilantro
  • Fresh tomatoes
  • Sour Cream
  • Grated cheese

Method:

  1. Heat dutch oven with the 2 tablespoons oil then add the onion and cook till transparent.
  2. Add the ground chicken and cook through.
  3. Add the cans of tomatoes, beans, chiles, plus the corn, jalapeno, cumin and chili powder.
  4. Bring all ingredients to a simmer and continue simmering for 15-30 minutes.
  5. Serve with toppings of cilantro, avocado, fresh tomatoes, green onions, sour cream and grated cheese.
  6. Serves: 4-6

You can omit any toppings you don’t enjoy. If you don’t have a source for roasted corn you can use any frozen corn.

Yogurt Pancakes

These were a nice change from regular pancakes made with yogurt instead of milk. We enjoyed them with a dollop of plain yogurt and pure maple syrup. Since childhood our family has enjoyed pancakes with sour cream and syrup. If you’ve never tried it you should. With these yogurt pancakes we used yogurt instead of sour cream and we enjoyed them.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1-1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup plain yogurt
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter or vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Method:

  1. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
  2. In separate bowl whisk together the yogurt, eggs, oil or butter and vanilla.
  3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients combining well.
  4. Heat pan to medium high to cook the pancakes with a combo of vegetable oil and butter.
  5. Use 1/3 cup measure to proportion the batter and end up with 8 uniform pancakes.
  6. Cook to a golden brown on one side and flip and cook the other side.
  7. Serve with your favorite toppings.

Yield: 8 pancakes

Double the recipe to serve more people.

Tomato Florentine Soup

This is another new soup that was introduced from a grocery store flyer with great flavors. I made some adjustments according to what was missing in my pantry.

Tomato Florentine Soup

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup water
32 oz. chicken broth
1 can – 14oz. diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can tomato soup, undiluted (8 oz. can of tomato sauce can be used instead)
1 cup small shell pasta, uncooked
2 cups fresh spinach
salt and pepper to taste
Grated or shaved Parmesan cheese, for topping

Heat oil in dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and celery; cook 7 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently.
Add garlic, cooking for 1 minute and stirring constantly.
Pour in water, broth, tomatoes, and tomato soup.
Bring to a simmer ad cook about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in pasta and cook 8 minutes.
Add spinach, cooking for a couple of minutes, until leaves wilt and the pasta is al dente.
Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve topped with Parmesan cheese.
Refrigerate any leftovers.

Serves: 4-6

Nadezda’s Kulich ~ My Mom’s Russian Easter Bread

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What many of you call Paska we call Kulich. This is my mom’s Russian Easter Bread Recipe that I quartered because the amount she would make is quite daunting for me. We have cut it in half in years past. What you need to know about my mom and recipes is that she ends up tweaking them from year to year so this recipe is for her Kulich from 2001. I have a 2009 and 2012 recipe, too. This one was easier to quarter. Here’s the link to the original. My dear mom passed away from this earth in September of 2013 so I cherish her tweaked recipes.

I will post her recipe every year about a week before Easter for inspiration. We like it fresh so many years we bake it on the day in between Good Friday and Easter. This is not a recipe that I would attempt on my own. In my mind it calls for company enjoying the process together, like this group of loved ones in 2016.

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It’s always good to pray over your dough!

Kulich

Ingredients:

  • 2 packets rapid rise yeast
    1/4 cup lukewarm water
    1/4 cup lukewarm milk
    1 teaspoon sugar
  • 4 egg yolks
    1 egg
    1-1/4 cups sugar
    3/4 cup butter
    1 cup whipping cream
    1 cup half and half
    1/2 ounce apricot brandy
    1-1/2 teaspoons powdered vanilla
    1 teaspoon salt
    Zest of half a lemon
    About 2-1/2 pounds of flour, sifted (about 7 cups)
    Vegetable oil to coat the rising dough
  • 6 to 7 one pound or two pound cans for baking. You can use loaf pans or large muffin tins if you don’t have the cans to bake them in

Method:

Add yeast to the lukewarm water and milk and sugar in a stainless steel bowl making sure the liquids are lukewarm. Let this mixture dissolve and sit.

Beat the egg yolks and egg together.
Cream the butter and sugar in the large bowl of a stand-up mixer.
Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture slowly mixing to combine and then beat to incorporate well.Mix the half and half with the whipping cream and heat until lukewarm, not hot, and slowly incorporate into the creamed mixture.
Mix in the vanilla and brandy.
Add the yeast mixture and the salt and beat with a mixer.
Continue beating and add the lemon zest.
Continue beating and add the sifted flour about a cup at a time.
Once you cannot beat the dough any longer using the mixer, put the dough on a floured surface and start incorporating the remaining flour by kneading the dough.
The dough should be kneaded very well, approximately 10 minutes.
You should knead the dough until you can cut it with a knife and it is smooth without any holes.
Place the dough in a stainless steel bowl. Take some oil and pour a little on the dough and spread it all over the dough making sure to turn the dough so it is coated evenly.
Cover with plastic wrap right on the dough and a dish towel on top of that.
Place in a warm place away from drafts to rise.

(My sister usually puts it into the oven that has been warmed slightly).

It is now time to prepare the coffee cans (1 lb. and 2 lb. cans are the best) Cut circles the size of the bottom of the cans out of wax paper. You will need four circles per can. Make sure the cans are well greased. Put the 4 circles in the bottom of the cans.

Use a empty and clean coffee can like the ones above. If there is a label make sure to take it off. If the can has a lip at the top you’ll need to use a can opener to cut the lip off the can. I hope these pictures will make the process easier to understand.

After putting the circles in the bottoms of the cans, cut sheets of wax paper long enough to line the sides of the can and tall enough to be 2″ above the rim of the can. Use Crisco to seal the ends of the paper.

Back to the dough…

When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and turn it over.
Let it rise a second time until it doubles in size. Punch it down again.
Now the dough is ready to put into the prepared cans.
You will take a portion of dough about 1/3 the size of the can. Knead it and form it into a smooth ball that you can easily drop into the can.

Let the dough rise again inside the can until it is at least double in size.

Bake in a 350 degree oven until golden brown on top.(approximately 30 minutes or more depending on your oven.)

Let them cool slightly in the cans. Remove them from the cans and then cool completely standing up. Some people cool them on their sides turning them often to keep their shape. We found this time that they cool just fine and keep their shape standing up so we didn’t bother with that step!

This recipe yielded 7 loaves.

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To go with this bread my mom always made a wonderful sweet cheese topping that is formed in a mold in different shapes.  I’m adding the recipe here.

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 Seernaya Paska

Ingredients:

18 – hard boiled eggs /
3 pounds Farmers cheese /a dry curd cheese like a dry cottage cheese can be substituted.
1 pint whipping cream /
3 cubes unsalted butter (12 oz.) /
3 cups sugar /

Press the Farmers cheese through a sieve. (This is the hardest part of the recipe) If you find a very small curd cheese you won’t have to do this to the cheese. I usually use a wooden spoon and press it through a wire strainer a little at a time. Separate the egg yolks from the whites. (You will not be using the whites).

Press the egg yolks through the sieve. Cream the sugar and butter together. Beat in the egg yolks. Beat in the cheese. Add whipping cream and mix well. You will place the mixture into a strainer lined with about 3 layers of cheesecloth. You will need enough cheesecloth to wrap up and over the top of the cheese. Place the cheese mixture into the cheese cloth lined strainer, or flower pot with holes in the bottom. Bring the ends of the cheese cloth up and tie the ends on top of the cheese in a knot. Place the sieve or flower pot into a larger bowl suspended with enough room for the cheese to drain without sitting in the drained liquid. Place a plate on top of the cheese an place a heavy rock, brick, or other weight on top of the plate. Refrigerate over night.

This recipe is enough to feed an army. If you don’t have to feed an army here’s a scaled down version :0)

If you just want a normal amount, cut the recipe in thirds. (6 cooked egg yolks, 1-lb. cheese, 2/3 cup whipping cream, 1 cube butter and 1 cup sugar.) Enjoy!

Farmers Cheese or Hoop Cheese can be hard to find. There are Russian-Ukrainian delis that sell a dry curd cottage type cheese that will work. If you can find a dry cottage cheese at the grocers that will work too.

I found a site online that sells the cheese that I use for this yummy spread.

The cheese spread in the flower pot in the refrigerator with the stone on top to help release as much liquid as possible.

We like to serve the kulich with the spread and strawberries.

When the Mennonite Girls Can Cook had a Paska demonstration at Lepp Market in Abbotsford I brought a completed Seernaya Paska, sweet cheese spread molded from home since it has to sit in the refrigerator having all the liquid pressed out for at least 24 hours. I plated it and showed one of the flower pots I use to mold the cheese and the heavy stone wrapped in plastic wrap to weight the cheese and force the liquid out. We used fresh viola blossoms to decorate it. I made an error in the pronunciation of this dish in our first cookbook. It is called seernaya paska not seerney paska . I’ve always had a hard time with my Russian. I’ve found these plastic flower pots work well to mold the cheese. Make sure you add holes in the bottom of the pot so the liquid can escape easily.

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This blast from the past was probably our first Easter in Washington State, 1989.

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True Confessions: I have not attempted to make Kulich here in Colville. I have made Seernaya Paska to go with Kulich I purchased at Kiev Market in Spokane. The market Kulich does not compare to our mom’s recipe.

Are you preparing for Easter?

Mexican Corn Soup

This soup has a good blend of flavors with a nice spice level to warm you up.

Ingredients:

  • 1 –12-16 ounce package frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
  • 2 – Cups chicken broth
  • 2 – Tbsp. butter or margarine
  • 1 – 4-1/2 ounce can diced green chili peppers
  • 1 – clove garlic, minced
  • 1 – Tablespoon snipped fresh oregano or l tsp. dried oregano, crushed
  • 1/4 – tsp. salt
  • 1/4 – tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1 – cup milk
  • 2 – cups chopped, cooked chicken
  • 1 – cup chopped fresh tomatoes (You can substitute canned chopped tomatoes)
  • 1 – cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese or Mexican blend cheese
  • cilantro as garnish, optional
  • tortilla strips, optional

Method:

  1. In a blender container combine half of the corn and the chicken broth. Cover; blend until nearly smooth.
  2. In a large saucepan, combine corn puree, remaining corn, butter, chili peppers, garlic, dried oregano (if using dried instead of fresh), salt, and black pepper.
  3. Bring to boiling, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
  4. Stir in milk, chicken, tomatoes, and fresh oregano (if using instead of dried), heat through.
  5. Remove from heat.
  6. Stir in cheese until melted.
  7. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and tortilla strips, if desired.
  8. If you like heat add chopped jalapeno along with the diced green chili peppers.
  9. Serves 4-6.

Tips: For the tomato portion of this recipe I used a 14-1/2 ounce can of chopped tomatoes with jalapenos that really gave the soup a nice ramp of spice.

Lasagna Soup – Slow Cooker

This soup starts in the slow cooker. If you’d like, you can serve it up in oven proof bowls adding cheese on top and putting it under the broiler until the cheese melts. If you don’t want to do that you can add cheese on top without putting it under the broiler. I saw this idea on The Kitchen on Food Network.

Ingredients:

  • 1-1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 large onion, chopped
  • 1 can 28 ounces diced tomatoes
  • 1 can 8 ounces tomato sauce
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons parsley flakes (or 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup water
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 8-12 ounces pasta of your choice
  • grated Mozzarella Cheese
  • sliced Provolone cheese

Method:

  1. Heat oil in frying pan.
  2. Add ground beef and cook thoroughly, seasoning with salt and pepper.
  3. Drain the ground beef and set aside on a plate with paper towel to soak up excess oil.
  4. Add onion to the crock pot.
  5. Add the meat on top of the onion.
  6. Add the remaining ingredients except for the pasta and cheeses and stir together.
  7. Cook on high for 6 hours.
  8. Add the pasta and cook for 30 more minutes.
  9. Remove bay leaf and serve in bowls adding grated Mozzarella cheese on top.
  10. Or, fill broiler-proof bowls with soup adding grated Mozzarella cheese on top and one or two slices of Provolone cheese on top of the Mozzarella.
  11. Place under broiler on a baking sheet watching carefully until the cheese melts and starts to brown.
  12. Serve with salad and bread, if desired.

This recipe can serve 8 people generously.

Pistachio-Coconut Cookies

These cookies are easy to make and would be fun for St. Patrick’s Day as they turn out light green in color. It’s a recipe that uses packaged cake mix and pudding mix.

Ingredients:
1 package white cake mix
1 package (4 serving) Jell-O instant pudding-pistachio flavor
1/2 cup oil
3 tablespoons water
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped pistachios or nut of your choice
1/2 cup angel flake coconut (sweetened)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all ingredients in bowl.
Blend well.
Drop onto greased baking sheets or parchment lined sheets.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges.
Store in tightly sealed container.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Because of the size I chose for the dropper I only yielded 31 cookies from this recipe. It also took longer to bake them at the larger size and because I put two trays in the oven to begin with. My cookies were soft (the way I like them) with a nice blend of flavors. If you prefer a crispy cookie cook them a little longer.

Sharing this recipe today since this Friday is St. Patrick’s Day. There is no hodgepodge this week so I’m posting this recipe instead. I will be making them today for an event tomorrow.

Crockpot Potato Soup

This easy Crock Pot Potato Soup is inspired by a Paula Deen recipe that was shared on bj’s Sweet Nothings blog. I changed it up with some fresh ingredients and we really enjoyed it.

Ingredients:

  • 10 golden or new potatoes, diced, 4-5 cups
  • 1/2 cup diced onion
  • 2 cans chicken broth or 29 oz. of homemade broth or stock
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 10-1/2 oz.
  • 2 stalks of celery chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1 block softened cream cheese, 8 ounces, cut into 8 pieces
  • cooked bacon for topping
  • shredded cheese for topping

Method:

  1. Spray crock pot with cooking spray.
  2. Add diced potatoes, onion, broth, soup, celery and pepper and mix well.
  3. Set crock pot on low and cook for 5-6 hours.
  4. After 5-1/2  hours add the softened cream cheese stirring to blend.
  5. Heat for another 1/2 hour.
  6. Serve topped with cooked chopped bacon and shredded cheese if desired.

Serves 6-8

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is a easy Crock Pot soup my high school girlfriend Nancy shared with me that is filling and will warm you up.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup chunky salsa (mild, medium or hot)
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 2 cups frozen corn
  • 1 can (approx 15 ounces) black beans rinsed and drained
  • 2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) cream of chicken soup
  • 1 can (approx 15 ounces) diced tomatoes with jalapenos or green chilies ( choose according to the spice level/heat you prefer)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 or 2 6inch corn tortillas cut into strips
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Method:

  1. Stir the salsa, chicken, corn and beans in a 4 quart slow cooker/crock pot.
  2. Stir the soup, tomatoes, water, cumin together in a separate bowl. Pour over the crock mixture.
  3. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours or on high for 2 to 2-1/2 hours.
  4. Stir in tortilla strips, cheese and cilantro.
  5. Cover and cook an additional 15 minutes.
  6. Enjoy with warm tortillas or corn bread!