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Miscellaneous
The Old Polonian Wedding Feast
Cocktail Party Classics
Dinner Party Favorites
Gardening the Polish Way
Less familiar Polish treats
Weight Watching? Try These Neo-Polonaise Cooking Hints
The Old Polonian wedding feast
by Robert Strybel
Here are some standard dishes served at Polonian weddings throughout the northeast and Great Lakes area for generations. Would they still be popular today? – is a question only the future bride and groom can decide.
CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP. Wash 2 lbs chicken parts such as backs and necks, place in pot, add 1 T salt and 2-1/2 - 3 qts water, bring to gentle boil and cook 60. Skim off scum until no more forms. To broth add 2 carrots, 1 parsley root, 1 leek and a slice of celeriac (or 2 stalks celery), 1 halved onion (impaled on fork and charred over flame), 1 whole tomato, 6 peppercorns, 2-3 grains allspice and 3 1 bay leaves. Cook until vegetables are tender and meat comes away from the bones. Strain and discard all spices. Remove meat from bone, dice and return to soup. Vegetables may be used in some other dish, but the carrots may be diced and served in the soup. Serve over store-bought egg noodles or poured-batter noodles (see below). Note: For the benefit of today’s many weight-conscious guests, refrigerate broth overnight and discard congealed fat from top before reheating. Garnish with a little finely chopped parsley and/or dill before serving.
POURED-BATTER NOODLES. Fork-blend 2 small eggs, 6 T flour and 2 pinches of salt until mixtures is smooth. Stir in 1 T chicken broth or as much as needed to get a nice pourable batter and beat with fork until smooth. Pour batter in a thin stream into a pot of rapidly boiling water and cook about 2 min. Remove with slotted spoon and serve in broth.
POL-AM WEDDING CHICKEN. Many PolAms associate chicken prepared in this manner with old-style Polonian weddings. Season cut-up chicken (just meaty thighs and drumsticks are excellent!) with salt, pepper and paprika, rub all over with oil, place in open pan and bake in 450° oven 15 min, turning once. Baste with water or stock, reduce heat to 350° and bake 60-80 min or until done, basting every 15 min and turning when bottom has browned. Allow about 3/4 lb chicken (uncooked weight) per serving.
BREADED PORK CUTLETS. Cut bones away from 6 center-cut pork chops (reserving them for soup stock) or slice boneless center-cut pork loin 1” thick and pound with meat mallet on both sides until 1/4” – 1/3” thick. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and a pinch of marjoram and/or garlic powder if desired. Dredge in flour, dip in egg wash and roll in fine, plain bread crumbs. Gently press breading into cutlets so it stays put during frying. Fry to a nice golden brown on both sides in hot lard, vegetable shortening, or oil. Drain on paper towel, transfer to covered baking pan and keep in low oven at least 30 min to tenderize.
ROAST CHICKEN POLONAISE. Soak 2 broken-up stale white bread rolls in milk to cover until soggy. Process or grind together with 6-8 raw, deveined chicken livers. Combine mixture with 1/2 lb raw ground veal, 1-2 eggs, 1-2 T soft butter or margarine. Work well by hand until fully blended. Season with salt, pepper, a dash of nutmeg, 2 heaping T or more finely chopped fresh dill and (optional) 1 t finely chopped parsley. Mix well. Rinse well 2-1/2-3 lb broiler and pat dry. Rub inside of cavity with salt, pepper and a pinch of marjoram and stuff just before roasting. The general rule of thumb is to allow about 3/4 c stuffing per lb of chicken. Sew up, tying legs together. Rub chicken all over with a little oil, sprinkle with pepper and paprika and rub in. Bake in preheated 375° oven about 75 - 90 min. Baste occasionally with pan drippings.
MEATBALLS IN MUSHROOM GRAVY. Soak 2-3 stale bread rolls or similar amount of French bread (app. 1/4 lb) in water or milk until soggy. Fry 2 sliced onions in a little fat until golden. Run drained soaked bread and onions through meat-grinder or process briefly. Combine with 2-1/4 lbs ground pork, pork & beef or pork, veal & beef, add 2 eggs, mix well by hand to blend ingredients. If too soft and mushy, work in some plain bread crumbs. and salt & pepper to taste. With floured hands form 10 - 12 meatballs and fry in butter or oil to a nice golden-brown on all sides. As they fry, in separate skillet, sauté in a little butter 12 oz fresh, washed and patted-dry white or Portobello mushrooms, diced, with 2 finely chopped onions, stirring until lightly browned, Dissolve 1 mushroom bouillon cube in 1 c hot water, add to mushrooms and simmer covered on low 15 min. Fork-blend ¾ c sour cream with 1 heaping T flour until smooth and lump-free and stir into mushrooms. Simmer on low briefly, add meatballs and simmer another 15 min. Remove from heat and let stand covered for flavors to blend.
STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS/GOŁĄBKI. Combine 2-2½ lbs raw ground pork and/or beef with 4-6 c undercooked rice, 1-3 chopped butter-fried onions and 1 egg. Add heaping T fresh chopped dill (optional). Mix well and salt & pepper to taste. Place oblong portion of filling at base of wilted, parboiled cabbage leaves with thick center vein removed, roll up and place snugly in roasting pan in no more than two layers. Drench cabbage rolls in roasting pan with 3-4 c tomato purée or tomato juice and bake covered at 350° 1 hr. Reduce heat to 325° and cook another 2 hrs. Switch off heat and leave in oven until cooled to room temp. Refrigerate overnight. They’ll be even tastier when reheated.
STEWED SAUERKRAUT. Drain 2-3 qts sauerkraut, reserving drippings. Rinse in cold water, drain, press out moisture, chop, place in pot, scald with boiling water to cover, add 1-2 bay leaves and cook uncovered 45 mins. Drain and transfer to baking pan. Sprinkle with 1 level t caraway seeds, 1-2 t sugar and season to taste with salt & pepper and several dashes liquid Maggi seasoning. Bake in 350° oven 90 min or so. Fry up ½ c diced pork fatback or slab bacon with 2 finely chopped onions until lithely browned. Stir in a little flour to get a nicely browned roux. Dilute it with a little reserved sauerkraut liquid and stir into sauerkraut. If not as tart as you like, add a little reserved sauerkraut liquid and simmer a while longer. Drain off excess liquid and sprinkle through sieve with 1-2 level T flour, mix well and leave in oven until cooled to room temp.
POLISH MASHED POTATOES. Cook 2-1/4 lbs peeled potatoes in lightly salted water until tender. After draining well and steaming off moisture, mash well or run through ricer. Polonian wedding cooks from Poland often preferred such fluffier plain-mashed potatoes. The more Americanized ones would add butter and milk to get the more mushy whipped potatoes.
PEAS & CARROTS. For whatever reason, canned heat-and-eat peas & carrots were the most common vegetable side-dish at the Polonian weddings of yesteryear.
CUCUMBER SALAD. Combine peeled, thinly sliced cucumbers with 1 onion (of similar circumference) sliced wafer thin. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper, 1/2 t sugar and 2 T or more cider vinegar. Let stand 20 min and pour off liquid. Lace with 1/2 c (more or less) fork-blended sour cream just before serving.
STRAWBERRY ICE-CUP. Hull, wash well to remove all sand, and drip dry in colander 1 qt or more fresh. in-season strawberries. Slice, sprinkle with several T sugar and let stand for juice to form. Spoon over individual portions of vanilla ice-cream in sundae cups or parfait glasses.
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Polish Cocktail-Party Classics
There are many different kinds of Polish hors d’oeuvres, but among the most interesting are skewered finger foods known as koreczki. These colorfully attractive shishkebab-style hors d’oeuvres will add a touch of elegance to any event. Serve them as the main attraction of a cocktail hour or a light appetizer preceding a full course banquet. Allow 2-3 hors d’oeuvres per person and prepare that many toothpicks or cocktail picks and skewer them with 4-6 of the following ingredients:
meat & sausage (unsliced): Cut into small cubes: Polish canned ham, other boiled or baked ham, smoked kielbasa, Krakowska sausage, hunter’s sausage (skinned), cooked meat (chicken, turkey, beef, pork, veal), firm pâté, boiled beef tongue, skinless frankfurters, etc.;
firm yellow cheese (unsliced): Cut into small cubes Tilsit, Edam, Gouda, Swiss (Emmentaler, Gruyère), brick, farmer cheese, white (not orange-colored!) American cheese or similar (except orange-colored cheddar);
fish & seafood: Use whole canned mussels and baby shrimps, but cut into pieces the size of your meat and cheese cubes any of the following: smoked sprats, sardines, anchovy fillets and/or marinated herring (well-drained on absorbent paper), smoked fish (salmon, trout, carp, whitefish, herring, mackerel, cod, etc.) and solid tuna fish.
fruits & veggies: Use cocktail onions, canned button mushrooms, pickled mushrooms, pitted spiced cherries, raw cranberries, raisins, small seedless grapes, small olives (green & black), capers and large peas (cooked or canned) whole. The following should be cut into pieces of roughly equal size: dill pickles (vinegar and/or brined type), gherkins, fresh cucumber, radishes, bell pepper (red, yellow and/or green), rindless lemon wedges, pitted prunes, other dried fruit, dates, pickled beets (well drained and patted dry so they don’t stain neighboring ingredients), and pitted spiced plums.
bread: rye, black bread, French, unglazed piernik (honey-spice cake or gingerbread), etc.
Some suggestions:
cocktail onion, smoked fish, cucumber, radish, cheese
cucumber, chicken, radish, chicken, cranberry
sausage, dill pickle, bread cube, mushroom, cheese
cranberry, ham, bell pepper, bread cube, radish
green olive, turkey, cocktail onion, cheese, black olive,
raisin, cheese, caper, cheese, cucumber
cocktail onion, sprat, lemon wedge, anchovy, cucumber
mushroom, tuna, dill pickle, bread, cheese
spiced plum, mussel, bell pepper, shrimp, green olive
gherkin, tongue, piernik cube, cocktail onion
spiced cherry, hunter’s sausage, beet, black bread, smoked kielbasa
radish, cooked meat, cranberry, ham, date
cocktail onion, cucumber, bell pepper, radish, cranberry (for vegetarians)
sausage, bread, tongue, cranberry, pâté, mushroom, ham (for meat-lovers)
smoked salmon, lemon wedge, tuna, caper, mussel (for seafood fanciers)
Swiss cheese, radish, farmer cheese, olive, edam or gouda (for cheese-lovers)
These are just a few examples. Use your imagination to come up with combinations of your own. Oranges, apples or grapefruits are impaled with the hors d’oeuvres and placed around the room for easy access. Snugly placing the orange, apple, etc., in a vase, bowl or glass will keep it stable.
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Dinner Party Classics
A classic Polish dinner-party should comprise a cold starter course, soup, main course and dessert. At even the simplest dinner-party it would be unusual to serve just one cold starter (appetizer). The bare minimum is at least one cold fish, meat and egg dish. Bread and butter plus various relishes (cwikla, pickled mushrooms, spiced fruit, pickles, radishes, etc.) should be provided. Here are some suggestions.
HERRING IN HORSERADISH SAUCE. Prepare salt herring from scratch or use store-bought marinated herring. If using marinated herring out of a jar, drain and discard onions and spices. Plunge 3 c herring, cut into 1”-1-1/2” pieces, into cold water briefly and allow to drip dry in sieve. Line serving dish with Boston lettuce and arrange herring thereon. Fork-blend 1/2 c mayonnaise, 1/4 c sour cream, 1 heaping T prepared non-creamed horseradish (more or less to taste), 1 t mustard, juice of 1/2 a lemon and 1 t confectioner’s sugar. Pour over herring. Chill at least 1 hr. before serving. Decorate herring with hard-cooked-egg slices sprinkled with finely chopped chives.
EGGS IN SPRING SAUCE. Fork-blend 1/2 c. mayonnaise with 1/4 c. sour cream. Season with salt, pepper and 1/4 t. sugar. Add 2 chopped gherkins, (or 1 dill pickles), 2-3 coarsely grated radishes, 4 T finely chopped chives, 1 t chopped parsley and 1 heaping t drained capers, 1 t caper liquid and 1 t lemon juice. Salt & pepper to taste. Place 12 shelled, hard-cooked-egg halves cut-side-down on lettuce-lined platter and drench with sauce.
COLD ROAST PORK LOIN. Mince and mash 2-3 cloves garlic into a paste with 1 t salt and rub into 3 lb. boneless pork loin. Place in roasting pan, cover and let stand at room temp 2 hours. Remove loin, dust with flour (through sieve) and brown in hot fat on all sides to seal in juices. Place in loin in roaster fat side up on rack and sprinkle with caraway seeds, pepper and marjoram. Roast uncovered at 450° 15 min, then reduce heat to 350°. Add 1 c water to pan and baste occasionally with drippings that form. Roast about 90 min or until liquid that comes out of meat when pricked is white, not pinkish. Remove from oven and cool to room temp. Refrigerate overnight and slice cold. Serve cold in overlapping slices on platter and decorate with spiced cherries, pickled mushrooms and parsley sprigs. Note: The pork loin can be also be served hot as a main course. Simply slice and let it summer several min. in its pan drippings. Serve with red cabbage (below).
BEEF BOUILLON. Wash 3 lb. bone-in beef, place in pot with 8 c cold water and slowly bring to boil. Reduce heat, skim scum from surface until no more forms. Add 1 dry bolete mushroom, a 1 t salt and cook on low 1 hr. Halve 2 onions and scorch over gas flame, directly on coil of electric range or in dry frying pan until blackened rings form on surface of onion. Add to pot together with 1 portion soup greens, 1 small bay leaf, 6 peppercorns and 2 grains allspice. Simmer another 2 hr. or until meat falls away from bone. (Hint: Save meat for paszteciki below and soup vegetables for salad or other dish.) Refrigerate room-temp stock. To serve, remove and congealed far from surface and heat to boiling. Season with 1 t Maggi liquid seasoning and salt & pepper to taste. The juice of 1/2 a lemon will perk up the flavor. Serve in teacups with paszteciki.
MEAT & MUSHROOM SOUP PASTRIES. In 3 T butter sauté 6 oz fresh sliced mushrooms with 2 coarsely chopped small onions until browned. Grind mushrooms & onions with 1/2 cooked beef and/or pork. Add 1 small egg, 2-3 T bread crumbs and season with Maggi, pepper and a pinch of marjoram. Mix well. Break open 2 8-oz pkg refrigerator crescent-roll dough and spread dough sheets on lightly floured board. Dip fingers in flour and press down to obliterate manufacturer’s perforations them. Cut each sheet lengthwise into 2 equal strips, run filling down center of strips and fold dough over it. Pinch to seal edges. Cut rolls at angle into 2” pieces and bake on baking sheet seam-side-down according to directions on pkg. Serve hot with beef broth.
ROAST CHICKEN WITH BABKA-RAISIN STUFFING. This is a tasty way to use up leftover holiday egg breads. Wash and pat dry 1 3-4 lb. broiler or roaster (chicken). Rub insides and out with salt & pepper and let stand covered at room temp 1 hr. Meanwhile, in bowl place 2-3 c crumbled stale babka, placek, chalka or other plain, slightly sweet, yeast-raised coffee cake (without icing, poppyseed paste, fruit filling, etc.). (Note: The exact amount depends on the size of your fowl, but the general rule of thumb is to allow 3/4 c stuffing per lb. of chicken’s raw weight.) Drench with 1 to 1-1/2 c milk. When soggy, 2-3 ground raw chicken livers, 2 lightly beaten raw egg yolks, 1/3 c raisins (rinsed and drained), 2 T soft butter, 1 t fresh chopped parsley and mix well with hand. Mixture should be moist and soggy, but if it appears too wet, stir in a T or so bread crumbs. Season with salt & pepper to taste and several gratings of nutmeg. Fill chicken with dressing, sew up openings and fasten wings and legs close to body with skewers or by tying. Rub all over with 2 T butter or oil, place on rack in roasting pan and sear in 450° oven 15 min. Add 1 c boiling water to pan, reduce heat to 350° and bake about 2 hr. or until tender, basting occasionally (every 10-15 min) with pan drippings. Serve with potatoes cooked in pan drippings during last 30 min of roasting, a crispy green salad and baked apples (below).
APPLES BAKED WITH LINGONBERRIES. Remove core from large cooking apples, allowing 1 apple per serving. Fill opening with lingonberry jam (or whole-style canned cranberry sauce). Place in pan in water 1-1/2” deep and bake in 350° oven 30-40 min or until done. Serve with roast chicken duck, allowing 1 apple per person. Note: Lingonberries (also known in English as fenberries and mountain cranberries), may be found (in jams, preserves or unsweetened) in better supermarkets and European-style gourmet and import shops.
CAULIFLOWER POLONAISE. Place rinsed cauliflower with leaves removed stem-side-down into a pot at least 3” taller than top of the cauliflower. Add 1 t salt and 1 T sugar and scald with boiling water to cover. Bring to boil and cook several min. uncovered (to release strong ‘cabbagy’ odor), then reduce heat to med. and cook covered until fork-tender but not overcooked (about 20-30 min.). In saucepan brown 3-4 T plain bread crumbs in 3-4 T butter or margarine, salt & pepper lightly. Carefully transfer whole cauliflower to colander to drip-dry, then place it in serving dish, gently break it up into serving-sized portions and garnish with browned buttered bread crumbs. If too thick, add a little more butter to skillet. It should be pourable enough to be spooned over the cauliflower.
RED CABBAGE BRAISED WITH WINE. Discard outer leaves from med. head of red cabbage, cut in half and slice thin with knife. (Shredding with grater produces too fine a cut.) Place in pot, add 1-1-1/2 c cold water and bring to boil. Stir, reduce heat and simmer covered about 20 min. Meanwhile, try 1/8 lb. diced salt pork, adding 2 chopped onions when nuggets are golden and fry to golden-brown. Stir in 1 slightly heaped T flour and fry into a golden roux. Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 c vinegar. To cabbage add 1 large peeled, coarsely grated apple and the vinegar-roux mixture and stir well. Add 1 T sugar, salt & pepper and simmer covered 10 min or so.
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Gardening the Polish Way
Even people who do not have room for a vegetable garden, may have a strip of unused land along the garage or out by the back fence. That may be just the place to plant a few garden greens that will be there whenever you need them. Scrambled eggs and cottage cheese are great with "szczypiorek," but will you always feel like dashing down to the supermarket for a bunch of chives every time you get the urge? And fresh dill, which gives a typically Polish accent to potatoes, vegetables, salads, egg dishes, sauces and much more is often hard to find even in large fruit and vegetable markets. Since store-bought beets are usually sold trimmed off their greens, you may never taste that delicate, creamy beet-green soup known as "bocwina." Here then are some Polish-oriented gardening suggestions for gardens big and small. Follow growing instructions on packets obtained through a seed catalog or at your nearest nursery center.
DILL. This fragrant herb is so good on so many dishes (soups, vegetables, salads, sauces, fish, meat, eggs) that you’ll want to have it on hand from late spring to early autumn. It can be chopped and frozen for the winter months.
CHIVES. This delicately onion-flavored herb complements many soups, sauces, egg dishes and salads. The store-bought variety is not as good as the freshly snipped chives you grow yourself.
PARSLEY. Although readily available in supermarkets, garden grown parsley not only provides a handy supply of fresh greens, but you also get the parsley root (used as a soup vegetable) thrown into the bargain.
RADISHES. The main advantages of growing your own is that the unwilted, tender young leaves of baby radishes (usually not commercially available) can be chopped and used as a garden green on salads and in soups. Try cooking mature radishes in a little salted water until tender and serving them as a cooked vegetable garnished with buttered, toasted bread crumbs.
MARJORAM. This is second only to dill as Poland’s favorite herb. It is used in kielbasa, kiszka, pea soup, bean dishes, pork, duck, goose, pate, and much more. Grow, dry and sieve your own and store in air-tight spice containers until needed.
CELERIAC. Root celery, not stalk celery, is used in Polish cookery as one of the standard soup vegetables. It makes a nice salad when grated with apple and carrot, sprinkled with lemon juice and laced with mayonnaise. Cooked, diced celeriac is regularly added to potato salads.
HORSERADISH. This is a root that grows underground in any out-of-the-way place. Whenever you need a little freshly grated horseradish, just dig one up. A bit of the root and some of the leaves (which grow above ground) are used for making dill pickles.
BABY POTATOES. If you’ve got a bit of extra land, it is worth growing potatoes just to be able to enjoy the walnut-sized and smaller "baby potatoes" that are ready in June. Boiled, dotted with butter and garnished with dill—these are an unforgettable treat that cannot compare with what passes as "new potatoes" in the supermarket.
BLACK CURRENTS. These black, berry-like fruits are hard to come by in the U.S., but are prized by Polish cooks for jellies, syrups and cordials. Incidentally, black currants contain a whopping five times more Vitamin C than oranges. Their thorny bushes can also be used to keep out trespassers and stray dogs.
OTHER PRODUCE. Depending on how much land you have and how much effort you want to put into home gardening, other Polish backyard crops include: beets, cabbages, cauliflowers, carrots, wax beans, broad beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, gooseberries, raspberries and various fruit trees, to mention but a few.
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Less Familiar Polish Treats
EGGLESS MEATLOAF. This recipe hails from World War II-`era Poland when eggs were in very short supply. Today it may be a boon to weight- and cholesterol-watchers. In a large bowl, mix 3/4 c. plain dry bread crumbs and 3/4 c. skim milk or water. Add 1-1/2 lb. ground pork, veal or the pork-veal-beef meatloaf mixture available in many supermarkets. Add 1-2 grated onions and 1 medium-sized peeled, grated, raw potato. (The grated potato replaces the egg as a binder.) Mix well by hand until thoroughly blended. Season to taste with salt, pepper, a pinch of marjoram and (optional) 1 crushed bud garlic or a dash of garlic powder. Mix well, shape into a loaf and place at the center of a cakepan greased with oil. (Polish meatloaf is not normally made in a loafpan!) Add 1 c. water to pan and bake about 1 hr. in pre-heated 350° oven.
MEATLOAF KRÓLEWIEC STYLE. This is a regional variation of the above recipe. Proceed exactly as above, but to your meat mixture add 3-4 finely chopped anchovy fillets (out of a can). Mix mixture well by hand to blend. You won’t taste the anchovies as such, by they will give your meatloaf an interesting flavor twist many people enjoy.
DIETETIC MEATBALLS. Prepare meat mixture as in first meatloaf recipe (above). In pot combine 4 c. water and 1-2 mushroom bouillon cubes and bring to boil. Take small pieces of meat mixture and between floured hands roll into walnut-sized balls. Drop into boiling mushroom bouillon and cook 10 min. or until fully cooked. (Check one for doneness.) If they fall apart in the bouillon, work 1 t. cornstarch and/or some additional bread crumbs into meat mixture. Remove cooked meatballs with slotted spoon and serve. If you want a nice, light gravy to go with them, pour off 1 c. of the liquid in which they cooked, add 1/4 c. cold milk and dissolve 1 heaping T. flour in the liquid. Pour it into the pot, mix well and season to taste with salt & pepper if needed, and a sprinkle of vinegar if desired. Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer gently several min.
EASY BRAISED BEETS. Drain enough canned beets (but NOT ‘pickled beets’!) to make 3 c. Reserve beet liquid for the following recipe. Chop or grate, place in pot, add 1 c. apple sauce, stir and bring to boil. Remove from heat. Fork blend 1 heaping T. sour cream with 1 heaping t. flour until smooth and stir into beets. Simmer several min., adding a little water if there is too little moisture. Season to taste with salt, pepper and garlic powder and simmer a while longer. A nice go-together with the meatloaf or meatballs (above).
CLEAR BEETROOT SOUP. In 3 c. boiling water dissolve 1 mushroom bouillon cube. Add 3 c. beet juice (from canned beets) and 1 c. apple juice. Bring to boil. Season to taste with salt & pepper, a little lemon juice or vinegar, pinch of marjoram and a dash or two of garlic powder. Serve hot in large teacups with hot crescent rolls (baked according to directions on package) on the side.
SILESIAN PORK STEW. Cut 1-1/2 lbs. boneless pork into 1/2-inch cubes, dust with flour and brown on all sides in 3 T. hot oil or lard. Reduce heat, add 3 med. chopped onions, 2 small carrots sliced thin, 1/2 c. drained, well-packed sauerkraut chopped fine, 1 peeled, diced cooking apple and 3 T. water. Stir, cover and simmer on low until onions are tender. Add 1/2 c. beer, 1/2 c. water and 1/2 t. caraway seeds and simmer another 30 min. or so until meat is very tender, stirring occasionally. Add 1 crushed clove garlic and season with salt, pepper, 1 t. Maggi liquid seasoning and a pinch or two of marjoram and/or paprika.
KIELBASA or COOKED-MEAT GOLAMBKI. If you’re in the mood for golabki, but haven’t any raw ground meat on hand, try the following. If there’s a ring of smoked kielbasa in your fridge or freezer, simply remove the skin and grind or process. Scald cored cabbage and cook rice as usual. For 3 c. cooked rice, you will need about 1 lb. of sausage. Other cold cuts or cooked meat or any combination can also be used. Combine the ground sausage with the rice, 2-3 chopped sautéed onion and 1 egg and season to taste. Then proceed to fill and roll wilted cabbage leaves as you would with raw-meat & rice golabki.
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Neo-Polonaise Cooking Hints
LOW-FAT SOUR CREAM. In blender, whirl a pint of creamed cottage cheese and juice of 1/2 lemon to a smooth sour-cream consistency. You can also blend together 1 part cottage cheese and 1 part no-fat plain yogurt. Use as a cold topping on pierogi, nalesniki, potato pancakes and salads.
LOW-FAT MAYONNAISE. In blender, combine 2/3 c. sweetened canned condensed milk, 1/4 c. salad oil, 1/4 c. lemon juice, 1/2 t. salt, 1 t. brown prepared mustard (Polish or Dusseldorf type), 1 egg yolk and 1/4 t. white pepper. Blend until smooth and thick. Use as you would ordinary mayonnaise which would contain 7 times more oil than this recipe.
LOW-FAT ALL-PURPOSE SAUCE. Simply fork-blend 1 c. lite mayonnaise, 1 c. plain no-fat yogurt, 1 t. brown prepared mustard, 1 t. sugar, 1 T. lemon juice, 1/4 t. white pepper (or ordinary black pepper) and 1/2 salt (optional) until a thick, creamy sauce. Excellent on fish, cold meats, hard-cooked eggs, in sandwiches, potato salad, tuna salad, cole slaw and other salads. Variations: Add 1-2 heaping T. prepared horseradish for horseradish sauce or 1 heaping T. brown prepared mustard to get a nice mustard cold mustard sauce. For a pleasantly pinkish hue, stir 1/4 c. beet juice (from canned beets) into basic recipe. Or add 1 heaping T. beet and horseradish relish. For garden-green sauce, stir in 1 c. of any or all of the following finely-chopped greens: dill, parsley, chives, chervil, baby-radish tops, baby-beet greens, fresh basil, and garden cress.
POLISH-STYLE CRANBERRY RELISH. In blender, combine 1 c. whole-style canned cranberry sauce, 1 c. red-currant jelly and juice of 1 lemon. Whirl until blended and combine with 2 c. drained, diced, canned pears. Cover and refrigerate overnight or longer before serving. For a zesty twist, add 1 t. prepared non-creamed horseradish.
POTATO PANCAKES. Sift together into bowl 6 T. flour, 1 t. salt and 1/4 t. baking powder. Into blender pour Egg Beater or other egg substitute equivalent to 3 eggs. Start blender and add gradually 6 medium sized peeled potatoes, sliced or dices, and 1 small chopped onion. When mixture is uniform, pour it into dry ingredients and mix well with wooden spoon until blended. Spoon mixture into hot oil in skillet and fry until brown and crispy on both sides. Drain on paper towel and serve at once with sugar and/or your low-fat sour cream (made by blending cottage cheese).
EGGLESS PIEROGI. Sift 2 c. flour onto board. Make depression in flour mound and into it pour 1 T. salad oil and 2/3-3/4 c. lukewarm water. Use flat of knife blade to more dry flour into moistened center. When all is moist, work into a dough with your hands and knead until elastic. It has been kneaded enough if small holes are visible when dough is cut in half. Roll out thin on floured board and cut into circles with glass or biscuit-cutter. Drain about 3 c. canned apple or cherry pie filling in sieve, mixing lightly until dripping stops. (Use fruit drippings as topping for cakes, puddings or ice-cream.) Combine filling with 3 T. bread crumbs and use it to fill pierogi. Seal well by pinching ends together between fingers or crimping them with a fork and cook in lightly salted boiling water 8-10 minutes from the time boiling resumes. Remove with slotted spoon to colander, rinse briefly with cold water and serve immediately. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and low-fat sour cream.
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