Secrets From My Kitchen

Ambrosia

2005-09-19T17:41:00.001-04:00

1 1/2 pints sour cream
1 15 oz. can fruit cocktail (all fruit drained)
1 15 oz. can pineapple chunks
1 small can mandarin oranges
1 can cherries if desired
Not quite half bag shredded coconut
Almost 1/2 bag of miniature marshmallows
Walnuts optional
This will serve 16 people. You can cut the recipe in half if so desired
Best to be made the day before serving
Very, very tasty

Tofu Meatballs or Meatloaf

2005-09-19T17:14:00.001-04:00

3 cakes soft tofu (about 12 ounces each)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large carrot, grated
1 green pepper, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
l tablespoon ground fennel seeds
3/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
3 tablespoons tamari soy sauce
Freshly ground pepper to taste.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place tofu between two weighted cookie
sheets and set aside for about 20 minutes.
In a skillet, heat the oil and saute the vegetables and the herbs for 10 minutes,
or until tender. In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs, then add the remaining
ingredients. Mash the pressed tofu either with a potato masher or your hands
and add it to the bowl, along with the sauteed vegetables. Stir well: the mixture
should be firm enough to form into balls.
Using your hands or 2 spoons, pat the mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls and place
on an oiled baking sheet.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until dark brown and firm.
This should yield three to four dozen meatballs.
Even meat lovers will enjoy this.

Roumanian Eggplant Salad

2005-09-13T23:03:00.001-04:00

2 eggplants
1/4 medium sweet onion diced
2 tablespoons canola oil
l teaspoon fresh lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Wash eggplant. Prick all around with fork and place in large pan to hold the
two eggplants. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Test the outer skin with a fork
to make sure it's soft. It may have to be in a little longer as each oven differs.
Remove from oven, slice each eggplant in half lengthwise. Scoop out the inside of the eggplant. Drain all the juices from the eggplant and place in bowl.
Put in all ingredients and mix together. You can also add some fresh red pepper and
tomato cut in small pieces.
You may have to add a little more oil, lemon and salt to get the right taste. It's delicious on crackers or bread, or just as a salad with lettuce, tomatoes and
cucumbers.

Grilled Tomatoes with Oregano

2005-07-29T22:46:00.001-04:00

4 large or 8 small tomatoes
3 or more cloves garlic
4 teaspoons fresh or dried oregano,
salt and freshly ground pepper,
olive oil.

Preheat the broiler to high. Rinse and dry
the tomatoes. Do not core or peel them. Split
the tomatoes in half and arrange the halves on
a baking dish.
Cut the garlic into thin slivers. Insert the
slivers at various points over the cut surface
of the tomato halves.
Chop the oregano coarsely and sprinkle the cut
surface of the tomatoes with it. Sprinkle with
salt and pepper to taste. Dribble over all with
olive oil.
Place the tomatoes under the broiler, four or five
inches from the flame, and let them broil three
minutes or longer, until the garlic is browned and
the tomatoes are soft but firm.
Remove the pieces of garlic and serve the tomatoes
hot.
Yield: Eight servings

Deep Dish Apple Cake

2005-07-29T21:43:00.001-04:00

4 cups apple (if apples are tart, sprinkle with a little
brown sugar)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
handful of raisins (optional)
1 cup oatmeal or grapenuts (can mix both)
1/3 cup melted sweet butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour

Mix all ingredients together and bake at 375 degrees
for 30 minutes. Can be served hot with vanilla ice cream
This really tastes delicious

Blueberry Jello Mold

2005-07-23T23:19:00.001-04:00

2 small packages or 1 large one of raspberry jello
1 can blueberries (with syrup)
8 oz. can of crushed pineapple
1/2 pint sour cream

Dissolve jello in cup of hot water, and one cup of
cold. Drain blueberries and pineapple and add juices
to jello. When slightly jelled, fold in blueberries
pineapple, and sour cream.
Pour into mold and refrigerate.
This is a delicious and colorful mold.

Zesty Pesto

2005-06-17T22:36:00.001-04:00

2 cups firmly packed snipped fresh basil
1 cup snipped parsley
3/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts, walnuts, or almonds
3 or 4 cloves garlic, quartered
2/3 cup olive oil

Place basil, parsley, cheese, nuts, garlic,
and salt in blender container or food proces-
sor bowl. Cover, blend with several on/off
turns till a paste forms. With machine running
slowly, gradually add the oil and blend until
it's the consistency of soft butter. Scoop the
pesto out of the bowl and place in a storage container.
Refrigerate up to 1 month, or freeze
until needed. Thaw pesto, if frozen, before using.
Makes 2 cups.
It can be served with linguine or spaghetti.
I like it with penne pasta.

It is so easy to make, and certainly beats
store-bought pesto.

Hearty Russian Cabbage Soup

2005-06-17T21:35:00.002-04:00

To keep the parts of this meal within the same country, this flavorful soup can be enhanced with Russian "corn rye" bread, with or withoutseeds. A large bowl of this tasty soup with a slice or two of buttered Russian rye, can be a meal in itself.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Packages flanken or short ribs (trim all fat)
2 16 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 12 oz. can tomato paste
l 3 lb. head cabbage
3 large onions, halved and sliced
4 tablespoons sugar, 5 packages sweet and low or agave nectar (can be found in
some health food stores)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt and black pepper to taste

Fill an 8 quart pot with 4 quarts of water. When water comes to boil, put the flanken or short ribs in to the pot. Bring it to a boil, then skim off the residue at the surface of the water. Add the cans of tomato sauce and tomato paste. Add the onions to the pot. Cut the cabbage into quarters, discarding the hard center part of each piece. Shred the cabbage by hand or in a food processor, and add it to the pot of soup. Keep the flame on medium to low, and cover the pot. Season with sugar, sweet and low or agave nectar, plus the lemon juice, salt and pepper. You may have to add a little more of the above seasoning. The cabbage soup should have a sweet and sour taste. This recipe makes a large amount. You can freeze it in several smaller containers, or if you want less, just make half the amount. I always feel that as long as I'm making the soup, it's just as easy to make a lot of it so that I can freeze it to use next time. The soup should cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

My Favorite Apple Cake

2005-06-12T21:49:00.001-04:00

Everyone is on the go in the world we live in today, and sometimes there are many things we want to do but just don't have the time for. I'm referring to this special recipe, because it may take a little more time to make, but it's well worth it. This is one of my favorite recipes. It has a delicious cookie crust dough.

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 lb. softened sweet butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
5 tablespoons milk
4 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
10 or 12 apples (peeled, cored and cut into small pieces)
Make this in a mixmaster or hand mixer.
Cream butter and sugar together, add eggs,milk, flour, baking powder and salt.When dough is already formed, cut the dough into two sections. Roll out the first section of dough in between two pieces of wax paper until it is 10"x14". Remove the wax paper, and place the dough in a 9"x13" pyrex dish. You'll need the extra dough to put around the sides of the dish. Mix the apples with cinnamon, sugar, and lemon juice to taste. Roll out the second piece of dough so that it is larger than the dish and place it over the apples, so that it meets with the first piece of dough. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about an hour. When it's done, it should have a golden finish.

Chocolate Noodle Cookies

2005-06-08T20:57:00.001-04:00

12 ounces chocolate semi-sweet
chocolate chips
1 large can thin Chinese noodles
1 cup chopped walnuts
Handful of almonds

Melt chocolate chips in double
boiler, add the Chinese noodles,
chopped walnuts and a handful
of almonds. When all mixed together,
remove the upper section of the double
boiler. Line your cookie sheet
with waxed paper, then, using a teaspoon,
drop mixture onto cookie sheet.
Each cookie will be a slightly different
shape because of the Chinese noodles
protruding. When all the cookies have
been placed on the cookie sheet, re-
frigerate the cookie tray until
the cookies harden. This should take
about an hour or so. These cookies
are also good to freeze.
Your guests will marvel at these de-
licious tasting cookies.

Awesome Pumpkin Bread

2005-06-08T20:50:00.001-04:00

This bread or cake has a delicious spicy
taste. It can be served as bread or dessert.

1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon each, ground cloves,
nutmeg, and cinnamon
1 2/3 cups flour
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup water
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 eggs
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped dates

Sift the dry ingredients together. Place in
large bowl and add remaining ingredients in
order given, mixing well.
Grease a 9 x 5 x 3" loaf pan and spoon batter
into pan.
Bake about 75 to 90 minutes at 325 degrees
Fahrenheit, until bread pulls away from sides
of pan and toothpick inserted in center comes
out clean. Cool in pan or wire rack. Remove.

This bread is a nice compliment to many meals.

This bread freezes well.

Cool Elegant Salmon

2005-06-08T20:49:00.001-04:00

You will truly enjoy the unique flavor
and interesting taste of this dish.

Salmon Filet
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tsp. ginger
garlic to taste
fresh parsley

Place salmon filet in a glass bowl
and marinate with first six ingred-
ients overnight...next day, broil
for 12 minutes...cool...after it's
chilled, serve with horseradish sauce.
This is a wonderful refreshing dish
and almost has a poached salmon taste.

It's interesting to trace a recipe from
one person to another. This one, which I
have been making for many years, was giv-
en to me by a friend who got it from a
friend of hers who lives half the world
away, in Israel. It's a little like a
message in a bottle. I wonder who you
will give it to, and who they will give
it to, and how far it will go around the
world.

Creamy Cheese Cake

2005-06-08T20:47:00.001-04:00

There so many different cheese cake recipes,
but I would rate this one a four star.

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. cream cheese
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 1/2 pints sour cream
2 packages lady fingers (a soft cookie)

In large bowl, cream the cream cheese,
gradually add sugar, eggs, one at a time.
Add lemon juice and vanilla. Last, fold
in sour cream.

Butter a spring form pan and line sides
and bottom with lady fingers. Pour in
mixture and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit
for 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and
cool for 1 hour and refrigerate overnight.

Before baking, cover top of lady fingers
with a thin strip of foil, so that it won't
burn.

Delectable Cheese Delight

2005-06-08T20:44:00.001-04:00

A delicious dish that can be served with an
entree or dessert.

This is a light souffle-type dish that is perfect
for serving your friends when they visit for lunch,
or your family for a light dinner.

1/3 stick of softened sweet butter
9 tablespoons sugar
4 eggs (beaten first)
4 tablespoons yellow corn meal
4 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 lbs. low fat or fat free cottage cheese,
preferably large curd
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter oval or 9x13
rectangular dish. Pour ingredients into dish,
the mixture will be a little loose. Bake for
thirty minutes, then raise temperature to 400
for another thirty minutes. Top should be golden
brown. It may take a little longer to get that
color. Let cool in oven for about five minutes.
Serve with sour cream. Also delicious with straw-
berries or blueberries.

Dreamy Date & Nut Bread

2005-06-08T20:42:00.001-04:00

This is a very nice bread served with
meals or just as a snack.

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dark raisins
1 cup chopped dates
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 cup melted butter
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
l 1/2 cups Wondra flour (very fine)
1 cup sugar

Combine nuts, raisins, dates, baking soda,
and butter into a large bowl and mix well.
Add boiling water to that mixture and let
stand for 15 minutes. In a small bowl,
beat the eggs slightly, add vanilla and
set aside. Add the eggs and vanilla to the
mixture in the large bowl, then gradually
add the flour and sugar and beat well.

Pour the batter into round large soup cans,
or you can use 2 loaf pans. Grease which-
ever one you decide to use. If you're
using the cans, fill them half way.
Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 to 50
minutes, depending on your oven.
This is delicious plain, or with cream cheese.

Easy Matzoh Kugel

2005-06-08T20:38:00.001-04:00

6 matzohs
6 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
l can comstock apples (that has sugar
and cinnamon in it)
or, you can use 5 fresh
apples and season them with
sugar and cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter
1 shake of salt
1/4 cup of dark raisins (soak in hot
water for 5 minutes and drain)

Soak matzoh in hot water using a col-
ander and drain. Separate 6 eggs. Add
sugar to yolks, mix, then add to mat-
zoh. Add lemon juice, apples, melted
butter, salt, and drained raisins.
Whip up egg whites and fold in. Place
mixture into a greased 9x13 dish. Put
dabs of butter on top of mixture and
also sprinkle cinnamon.

Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.
This is fun for brunch, or a light
lunch with maple syrup or apple sauce.

Excellent Melon Salad

2005-06-08T20:34:00.001-04:00

3 cups cut-up, cooked chicken
2 1/2 cups seedless green grapes,
halved
2 cups diced celery
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 tablespoons chutney
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 large cantaloupes
lettuce leaves

About 2 hours ahead or early in day:
In medium bowl, combine chicken, grapes and
celery. In covered blender or food processor,
at low speed (or in a medium bowl, with slot-
ted spoon), blend mayonnaise, milk, chutney,
curry powder and salt until smooth; pour over
chicken mixture, toss until well mixed.
Cover and refrigerate.

About 10 minutes before serving:
Cut melons into 6 wedges; remove seeds and,
with sharp knife, cut rind from wedges.
Place wedges on lettuce leaves on indiv-
idual plates. Spoon chicken salad on top
of wedges. Makes 8 servings.
Really delicious.

Fresh Plum Cake

2005-06-08T20:32:00.001-04:00

1/2 lb. softened sweet butter
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
20 Italian plums, pitted and halved

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cream butter and sugar, add beaten eggs,
flour, baking powder and salt.
Place batter in a greased oval or a 9x13
rectangular dish. Place all of the
halved plums all over the top of the
batter with the skin on top. The plums
will be very close together, because you
want to use all of them.
Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes.

You will absolutely love this wonderful
tasting cake. If Italian plums are out
of season, you can use fresh apples.

Light, Moist Banana Cake

2005-06-08T20:30:00.001-04:00

This cake is so good. When you eat one
slice, you keep going back for more.

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 Cup sugar
1/4 lb. softened sweet butter
2 eggs -- beaten very lightly
1 teaspoon baking soda -- dissolved
in sour cream
4 tablespoons sour cream
1 cup mashed banana (about 2 large
bananas)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 cups pastry flour
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream butter and sugar and add eggs, plus
the combination of baking soda and sour cream. Beat well.
Add the bananas, flour, nuts, and
vanilla. Mix well.
Bake in well-buttered 9" x 13" dish or
2 small loaf pans at 325 degrees Fahren-
heit for 35 minutes, or until golden color.

Luscious Pasta with Artichokes, Broccoli Rabe and Tomato Sauce

2005-06-08T20:27:00.001-04:00

1 1/2 large bunches fresh broccoli rabe,
trimmed, and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 7 oz. can artichokes hearts, drained,
and chopped
l 28 oz. can Italian plum tomatoes, drained
and chopped
1/2 lb. spaghetti
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cook broccoli rabe in medium-sized saucepan
of boilng water until tender and wilted,
about 3 minutes. Drain. Heat oil in heavy
large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic
and saute 1 minute. Stir in artichoke hearts
and tomatoes, and bring to boil. Reduce heat,
cover and simmer until sauce is slightly thick-
ened, about 15 minutes. Mix in broccoli rabe.
Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in large pot of
boiling salted water, until tender but still
firm to bite. Drain. Return to pot. Add sauce
and toss to coat the pasta.
Transfer to large bowl. Serve, passing Par-
mesan cheese around the table separately.
Serves 2 to 4.

Marvelous Mandel Bread Cookies

2005-06-08T20:25:00.001-04:00

This is a wonderful crunchy cookie. It's also
good for dunking. Whoever eats this cookie
always asks for the recipe.

4 cups wondra flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 to 3/4 cups dark raisins
1 1/4 cups chopped walnuts
4 eggs
1 cup canola oil
3 tsp. vanilla

Mix dry ingredients together in a large
bowl and make a well, then put 4 eggs
(already mixed), canola oil, and
vanilla into the well, and mix together.
It will form a dough. Knead and divide
the dough into 6 parts. Put on an un-
greased cookie sheet. (You will need
two cookie sheets.) You have to shape
each of the six parts with your hands
to form a rectangular shape. It should be
placed lengthwise on the cookie sheet.
I usually flatten the mixture down when
shaping it so that it will be more crunchy
when baked. If you want, you can sprinkle
some cinnamon on top before it goes
into the oven.
Bake at 325 degrees for 30 min. I set my
timer for 15 min., then reverse the trays
in the oven. Depending on your oven, it may
have to be in a little longer.
Remove from oven, and while it's hot, slice
diagonally into one inch pieces.
It may sound like work, but it's not.

Mouth Watering Cheese Knishes

2005-06-08T20:19:00.001-04:00

I treasure this recipe that my Mother used to
make. She was an excellent baker and cook. It
takes some time to make, but if you like cheese
knishes, I would say it's a must, and worth the
effort.

Dough:
6 1/4 cups flour
2 eggs
3/4 cups canola oil
1 1/4 cups ginger ale
dash salt
3 tablespoons sugar
2 full teaspoons baking powder

I would recommend making the dough in a mix-
master, as it gets quite heavy, and is dif-
ficult to mix by hand.
After removing the dough from the mix-master,
knead it until firm, adding extra flour if
necessary. Mix well, and set aside covered for
a half hour.

Cheese filling:
3 3/4 lbs. farmer cheese (5 packages of farmer
cheese)
1 8 oz. package cream cheese plus 1/3 of an 8 oz.
package
3 eggs
sugar and salt to taste

Mix the two types of cheese together with the
eggs. Season the mixture with sugar and salt
to taste. Put the cheese filling aside.

Cut the dough into 4 sections.
With a rolling pin, roll one section so that
it's about 1/8" thick and 12" wide, and spread
some of the cheese filling across the part of
the rolled dough nearest to you, so that the
cheese forms a long thin rectangle that meas-
ures approximately 12" x 1 1/4".
Then lift the dough at the very edge where you
placed the cheese, and start rolling it over a
little, so the dough covers the area that con-
tains the cheese. There will be some dough left
over, so cut it straight across, along the edge
of the part that you rolled over. You can use
this extra dough later.
Now diagonally cut the long piece that you roll-
ed over into 2" pieces and place on oiled cookie sheet.

Repeat the process with the other sections of
dough and with the leftover dough that you trim-
med off.

Glaze:
1 egg white
2 tablespoons canola oil
Next, beat 1 egg white and
mix it with 2 tablespoons of oil. Brush
this mixture on top of all the knishes after
they're on the cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 45
minutes, depending on your oven.
The knishes can be served plain or with sour
cream.
You will really enjoy these!

This is one of my all-time favorite recipes!
- Judy Pokras

This sounds so good--I can't wait till my kids are bigger and I have the time to try it!
- Allison Pokras

Real Key Lime Pie

2005-06-08T20:16:00.001-04:00

This key lime pie is so cool. It's the best
key lime pie I've ever tasted.

Real Key Lime Pie is a delicate yellow color
and has a slightly stiffer consistency than
custard. It should always have a graham cracker,
not pastry crust.

INGREDIENTS:
The grated rind of one lime
1/2 to 2/3 cup lime juice
3 eggs, separated
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz.)
1/2 cup confectionery sugar
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
A prepared graham cracker crust (bought
in a store, ready-made)
NEXT:
Beat the egg yolks until they are light
yellow. Stir in the juice and rind. Slow-
ly stir in the milk and keep stiring until
thickened. Pour into a thick prepared
graham crust. Cover and refrigerate.
Immediately begin beating egg whites until
they begin to stiffen. Add confectionery
sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
Spoon the sweetened beaten egg whites mix-
ture over pie filling and swirl to cover completely,
and to form attractive peaks. Sprinkle with granulated
sugar and bake in a preheated 350 degrees Fahrenheit
oven for 15 minutes or until the peaks are slightly golden.

Cool on a cake rack, and then in the refrigerator for 2 hours before serving. You can garnish the meringue with lime twists.

Sumptuous Foursome Pancakes

2005-06-08T20:14:00.001-04:00

1 cup sour cream
1 cup cottage cheese
3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla
extract
4 eggs, separated
Maple syrup, cognac, optional

1. Combine sour cream, cottage cheese,
flour, sugar, vanilla and egg yolks
in a mixing bowl. Beat thoroughly to
blend.
2. Beat the whites until stiff and fold
them in.
3. Lightly butter a griddle. Ladle about
1/3 cup of batter for each pancake.
Cook until browned on one side. Turn
and cook on the other side. Continue
ladling the batter and cooking until
all the batter is used. Be sure to
stir the batter from the bottom as it
is used so that it maintains its con-
sistency.
4. Serve with maple syrup, laced, if de-
sired, with cognac to taste
Yield - 16 to 24 pancakes

Delectable Passover Sponge Cake

2005-06-08T20:11:00.002-04:00

9 eggs - extra large (eggs should be at
room temperature)
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cups cake meal
1/4 cup potato starch
1/2 cup orange juice or 2 tablespoons
concentrated orange juice
juice of l lemon plus the grated rind
pinch of salt

Separate eggs, and beat whites until stiff.
Gradually add half the amount of sugar to
the whites and set aside. Beat yolks and
add the rest of the sugar, lemon rind and
orange juice.
Add potato starch and cake meal to mixture
and mix well.
Fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and
bake for 1 hour in a greased cake form with
center tube, that measures 10" x 4 1/4".

Remove cake from oven and turn upside down
to cool for 1 hour.
My cake form has 3 small extended legs,
so I rest it on that. If yours doesn't have legs, you can
rest it on the top of a large soda bottle.

After the cake is cool, cut it into two
equal layers and cover the bottom half
with whipped cream or cool whip, and then
place sliced strawberries over that. Place
the other layer on top, and then cover the
top and sides of the cake with whipped
cream or cool whip. Decorate the top of
the cake with whole strawberries.

It is a delicious strawberry short cake.