Caring for your cast iron pans and pots

I know so many folks who just won't give up talking about caring for their cast iron pans and pots. I hope that this community service announcement helps lower the stress and noise levels.

Potato Pancakes and Machanka (Tomato Dip)

Beat together the yolks of 3 eggs, 4 cups of grated potatoes (drain them first!), six tablespoons of grated onions, three tablespoon of bread crumbs (you can also use flour), just a dash of cayenne pepper, some salt and pepper to taste.

Mix it up, take a look, and add more bread crumbs or flour if you need to. I like to use the Italian bread crumbs.

Now, beat the whites of the three eggs in a separate bowl until stiff and fold that into the mix.

Things may get messy now.

Heat about one-half of an inch of oil in a skillet. Drop in the mix with a spoon before it gets too hot. When the edges of the pancake are getting brown, flip it over. This takes a little practice. Be patient with yourself.

I like this with apple sauce, some folks like it with sour cream, and some people make a tomato dip (machanka) to have with this. 

Here's how you make the dip:

Fry two or three tablespoons of oil and four or so tablespoons of flour slowly, b7ut stay there and stir it. Don't let it burn or get lumpy. Add pone cup of tomato juice or one cup of drained tomatoes. Keep stirring---lumps are your enemy You want this thick. Add salt and pepper to taste. You can chop up some onion and use that as a garnish.

United Methodist for Kairos Response Joins Coalition Boycotting Pillsbury

The United Methodists for Kairos Response has joined the coalition asking that we boycott Pillsbury. The issue is that Pillsbury is owned by General Mills and there is a Pillsbury factory in the Atarot Industrial Zone, an illegal Israeli settlement in East Jerusalem. The Zone has displaced, exploited, stifled, and otherwise harmed local Palestinian lives, livelihoods, and land. General Mills is profiting from apartheid ("racial segregation sanctioned by law" and that may involve religious, political or other forms of discrimination and oppression is what my dictionary says) and is complicit in Israel's occupation and annexation of the Palestinian's West Bank. So say the good folks at the United Methodists for Kairos Response.

Read all about it here.

Now, you all know that I try to put in recipes most every day for comfort food. The point is to help and support you and help make sure that you're eating and happy. What good would all this talk about God be if you were craving something to eat? I try to give recipes for the kinds of meals that you could pick up at any local store and that aren't fancy. You wouldn't much call these recipes health food, though I have not yet posted recipes that involve Snickers or Moon Pies or RC and Goobers (they're coming, though). But if I have posted anything that involves Pillsbury products, please find a substitute so long as this boycott is on. 

s complicit in Israel's occupation and annexation of the West Bank. 

Eggplant "Caviar"

Bake a large eggplant whole in a 400 degree oven until it's soft. This will take 30-45 minutes. Stick a fork in it to test it. It's done when you can stick the fork in easily. Let it cool.

Remove the skin from the eggplant. This should just be a matter of peeling it back. Chop up the eggplant meat and leave in the seeds.

Grate one medium or large onion and add it to the eggplant.

Some people will add a little garlic.

Add about one-half cup of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and one tablespoon of lemon juice. Mix everything together.

Some people sprinkle paprika on before serving, or maybe a small amount of olive oil.

Let it chill. 

Some folks will cut the eggplant into big pieces and stick them in a blender and let it. Some folks will put everything mixed together in the blender and blend it that way. The problem with this is that it's easy to overblend, and then you either have a mess on your hands or you need to add more ingredients. You want something that is like hummus, something that will go on a cracker or that can be spread on bread.

Sweet-Sour Onions

Cook about two dozen small white onions covered in salted water until almost tender. They should all be about the same size.

Drain and peel the onions. Do it when they cool down.

Heat about 3 tablespoons of butter in a heavy skillet. I use a bit more.

Add the onions, cook over medium heat until golden (not brown---but it's okay if they do brown a little).

Remove the onions with a slotted spoon. I put them in a bowl covered over with a towel. The point is to keep them warm.

Add a tablespoon, or a little more, of butter or margarine to your skillet and add about one tablespoon of flour, not much more. 

Carefully and slowly stir in some vegetable/vegan broth or bouillon (for Lent) or beef broth or bouillon (other times).

Stir this carefully, let it thicken but be careful not to let it get lumpy or burn.

Stir in two tablespoons of cider vinegar. (Some folks use wine vinegar.)

Add one or two tablespoons of sugar if you like that. Most folks do.

Taste it. Adjust it to your taste.

Remember those warm onions? Add those in now.

Cover, let the pan set on low heat, and shake the pan or stir carefully and very quickly to prevent sticking. Really, it's better to shake the pan than stir, believe me.

It should be done in 5 minutes or so, not much longer.

You can sprinkle it with parsley if you like. We don't eat enough parsley, do we?

I think that this recipe came from the Carpathian Cookery cookbook done by the folks at St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church in Uniontown, Pa. Whether it did or didn't, that's a great cookbook and it stays in print. I've been through three of them and used to give them as gifts. You can try e-mailing them at carpathiancookery@gmail.com to get one of your own.

   

Lenten Mushroom Soup--Easier To Make Than I Make It Sound!

I'm taking this (more or less) from the Hanya's Kitchen Cookbook that I mentioned yesterday. I can't find it in print these days, but it is one of the best church cookbooks, and especially so for Lenten and "ethnic" dishes. It was published by St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary in South Canaan, Pa. Pick one up if you can find it.

You can use any small macaroni product for this recipe.

Peel and dice 4 potatoes.

Add them to 10 cups of water and cook them 'til they're at least half done (but don't over-cook them).

Chop up two cups of mushrooms and add to the potatoes. I like to mix different kinds of mushrooms.

Cook this, and use the potatoes as your marker---you want them tender, but not mushy.

Add a cup or so of small soup macaroni or egg barley and cook. The book says to cook 'til tender, but I cook 'til they're not quite tender.

Chop up and brown one onion with two tablespoons of flour. I use a big onion and more flour--do what you like.

Add some of the liquid from what you have cooking to the onion and flour and mix it 'til its smooth.

Add the onion, flour and mix to the soup.

Let it boil and them simmer 'til it loses that flour taste. You may need to add a little more water, or even a little of some of that vegan soup stock

Add some pepper.

Enjoy!

 

Carrots with Lemon--A Russian & Ukrainian Lenten Recipe

Cut 6 or 8 carrots into thin ("julienne") strips.

Boil the strips with 2 teaspoons of sugar for 10 or 15 minutes until tender---but not too tender. Check them as they boil. Ten minutes is better (I think) than 15 minutes.

Drain the pot.

Melt about 3 tablespoons or a little more of margarine or butter, and add 2 tablespoons of sugar, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, about one-half of a teaspoon of paprika or a little more. Mix this up and pour it over the carrots. Toss it up gently.

Add one-quarter of a cup of chopped parsley and one-quarter or a little more of a cup of chopped scallions. Toss it again.

Hanya's Kitchen Cookbook, one of the best sources for traditional Lenten recipes, says that you should serve this at room temperature. She also advised that you can add salt if you like.

If you can find a copy of Hanya's Kitchen Cookbook (St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary Association, South Canaan, Pa., 2012) buy it. It's one of the best ethnic/church cookbooks that I've seen.    

Applesauce Cookies---If I Can Make This, You Can!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Cream 1 cup of sugar and one-half cup of butter.

Beat one egg up and add it and blend it in.

Add one cup of nuts. The smaller and crunchier ones work best.

Add one cup of THICK applesauce. The dark natural applesauce from the store works just fine.

Add 2 cups of flour.

Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda.

Add one-half teaspoon of Cinnamon and nutmeg. Some folks throw in one-half of a teaspoon of cloves.

Some folks add one-half of a teaspoon of salt.

Mix it all up, and keep mixing until you have done a good job of it.

Drop spoonfuls out on a greased cookie sheet.

Bake for about 15 minutes, no longer, but check in to see how they're coming.

Fried Mushrooms With Garlic & Lemon

Simple and easy!

Get out your medium-sized frying pan, the one you probably use most often.

Rub in some extra-virgin olive oil; not too much, but don't be stingy.

Let it warm up just a little on medium heat.

Add 5 or 6 cloves of garlic cut the long way. Not too thin!

Quickly add a good two handfuls of the small white mushrooms, fresh as you can get them and very clean and cut in half . I like them cut across, not up and down, but some folks don't like that at all.

Stir everything around for about 10 minutes. The mushrooms and garlic can get brown, but don't burn them or let them get dry.

Add some pepper. Some people add salt, also. If you're going to add salt, make it a tasty salt or maybe even a little bit of barbecue rub.

Serve it with lemon wedges as a side dish.  

Semolina Pudding

 This one comes from Sonia Uvezian, I think. I have seen a different version in an Armenian church cookbook, but this is the one that seems easiest. You will need two skillets and a wooden spoon. The copy of the recipe that I have says that this serves six people, but the weren't counting on me stopping by for dessert or breakfast on a cold morning. 

1 cup of sugar
2 cups of water
2 teaspoons of freshly squeezed and strained lemon juice
One-third to one half cup of unsalted butter
1 cup of semolina or regular (not quick-cooking) farina
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, or to taste
Clotted cream or whipped cream

In a medium heavy saucepan combine the sugar, water, and lemon juice. Bring it to a simmer, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves. Simmer 10 minutes, uncovered and undisturbed. Remove the syrup from the heat  and set aside.

In a large, heavy skillet melt the butter over moderate heat. Add the semolina or farina and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes. Gradually dd the syrup, stirring vigorously, until it is absorbed and the pudding is thickened. Remove from hea, place a kitchen towel over the skillet, and cover with the lid or a plate. Let is stand for about 15 minutes. Spoon into a serving dish and sprinkle with the cinnamon. Serve warm with the cream.  

"Eggs in Torment" Mihajlov (a recipe and a story)

One time in West Virginia I was part of a group that was trying to arrange a social event for our local union. Everything was going great 'til someone said they were bringing deviled eggs. There was an immediate negative reaction from some folks. They didn't think that it was proper to to call anything good after the devil and they objected to the union advertising anything that mentioned the devil. We talked it out and agreed that the dish would be called "Eggs in Torment."

This is a popular Serbian American dish called "Deviled Eggs Mihajlov," but don't tell my old friends in West Virginia.

Hard boil some eggs and scoop out the yolks. Some folks like to dye the eggs or soak them in beet juice or that red dye that comes with those hot sausages in bars, but that isn't necessary. Put the yolks in a bowl and add some salt and pepper, some sweet relish, maybe a lit bit of flaked chili pepper, mayonnaise, milk, and whatever kind of mustard you like that will go with your relish.

I'm not giving amounts because everyone likes to do it their way, and that's fine.

Mix everything up and fill the cooked egg whites with the mix. This tastes great if served cool. 

  

Lenten Cookies

Well, you're going to need one-half of a pound of margarine and nuts for this one. And for some people who observe Lent this recipe won't do at all.

Beat the margarine and one-half of a cup of sugar together, add about one teaspoon or a little more of lemon juice and the grated rind of one big lemon, and beat all of that together until they're fluffy.

Add in one cup of ground nuts. Walnuts are the best, but use what you have. (Peanuts won't work so well.) Add in two cups of flour.

Mix this by hand. 

Roll out what you have to about one-eighth of an inch thick. That looks kind of thin, but it will work just fine. You can cut it with a cookie cutter or the lid of an average-sized jar or can.

Bake these at 325 degrees for no longer than 20 minutes. Even at that you're pushing it, so check in at 15 or 18 minutes. 

Now here you have some choices. This works best if you spoon some jam on one cookie and put another on top of it and sprinkle over some powered sugar. You don't need much jam at all. But you also have some tasty cookies by themselves that you can eat as they are or sprinkle the powdered sugar over.  

Goulash--Good for this COLD weather!

Get some beef cut for stew, one pound or so, and brown it in some fat in a thick pan. Mince one clove of garlic and throw that in, but watch that it doesn't burn. Throw in two sliced onions about two teaspoons of paprika, pepper to taste, and a few bouillon cubes. I like to use the chicken bouillon cubes. Some people add chili flakes, but I think that that overdoes it. If you can find Vegeta, add a teaspoon or so; I think that it gives a good taste.

Pour in two cups of boiling water quickly.

Let that simmer for a couple of hours.

Add one cup of hot water and two cups or so of diced potatoes.

Let it cook maybe 20 minutes or so longer.

Some people cook hot red peppers separately and add that when they serve it. 

It's good to have some wheat or rye bread with this.  

Corn Pudding

This is an old and favorite recipe. When it's made right and you eat it you think that it must be hard to make, but it isn't. My maternal grandmother made this so that the top crust was hard and kind of burned, and she made quite a bit at one time.

Beat two eggs just a little bit. Add one can of cream style corn and mix it up. Stir in two tablespoons of flour, maybe one tablespoon of sugar (or a little less), two tablespoons of melted butter, one cup of milk and about one-quarter of a teaspoon of pepper. Some folks add one teaspoon of salt; I'm sure that it doesn't hurt, but I don't do it.

Pour everything into a one quart baking dish, set the dish in a pan of hot water, place that in a preheated (350 degrees) oven and bake for about one hour.

This photo comes from Parade.com. Their recipe sounds kind of complicated to me, but this looks like what my grandmother whipped up in her kitchen.

Spiced fruit--Good stuff!

Go to the store and pick up cans of pear halves, peach halves, and pineapple chunks. Pick up a can or a bag of apricots; I like a bag better than a can. You will need 16 ounces or so of each, but you can adjust this for taste. Stay away from those really sweet fruits like mandarin oranges and maraschino cherries and cans of mixed fruit. If you don't have some already, get some molasses, whole cloves and a stick of cinnamon, and some vinegar. 

Drain off the cans and put the syrup to one side.

Get out your heavy saucepan and pour the syrup into the saucepan and throw in 1 teaspoon of whole cloves and a stick of cinnamon.

Boil it down 'til you have about two cups or so left. Watch the heat and stir it with a wooden spoon to stop from having a mess to clean up later.

Add in about a half cup of molasses. I like light molasses for this. And put in about one-third of a cup of vinegar. You just need that regular white vinegar, not the apple cider vinegar, though the apple cider vinegar works just fine.

You want to get this to be like a syrup or a relish from cooking. Some folks add more cloves after everything cooks awhile, and some people eat this warm and others cold. I think that it goes well with ice cream or with toast. Some people eat it with burgers or sausage.

I'm not sure where this came from, but I do appreciate it.

Nut Delight Recipe

This recipe is a little more complicated than what I have been posting, but I know that you all can do this. Turn on the oven to 325 and prep the filling (see way below) before you try this.

Mix 1 cup of flour, about one-quarter cup of brown sugar, a good handful (4 ounces or so) of smashed up peanuts, about one-and-one-cup of coconut, and a chopped up stick of sweet butter.

Put that on a lightly greased cookie sheet. I mean lightly greased. (I often mess this up.)

Stick it in a preheated oven at 325 degrees for 25 minutes. Keep an eye on it, stir it at 10 or fifteen minutes.

Take this out of the oven and scrape it into a 9X13 pan for baking, but hold back about one-half of a cup for topping.

The filling gets a little difficult, but you'll do fine with it.

Mix maybe two-and-one-half or two-and-two-thirds of a cup of milk, two of those small puddings from the store (or make your pudding ahead of time and add it by taste; that works better), and some of that whipped topping from the store. Go light on the whipped topping. 

Mix it all up and put what you held back for topping on top.

Stick it in the fridge and let it sit.

That wasn't so hard, was it?

   

Tuna Mushroom Dipping Sauce.

Drain off that excess oil from a large can of tuna and put it (the oil) in a pan. Put the tuna by the side.

Add a good bit of chopped onion, maybe one-quarter or one-half of a cup.

Cook it up 'til it's tender.

Pour in some lemon juice to taste, maybe 2 or 3 tablespoons.

Add a can of chopped mushrooms or the same amount (8 ounces or so) of fresh ones, but drain it off first if you're using canned mushrooms.

Add salt and pepper and maybe some chili flakes to your taste.

Cook this for just a few minutes.

Pour everything into a blender.

Add in that tuna and a cup or so of sour cream.

Please remember to put the top back on the blender. I'm speaking from experience here.

Hit it on high speed. Some people like it soupy or smooth. I like it a little chunky.

Now you have a choice: you can put everything back in the pan and heat it up, or put it in the fridge for awhile.

This will make you less than two cups, but that's enough if it's you or you and a friend. If you're taking this off to a picnic on the ground you should makes lots more.

What are you going to dip in it? Italian or French bread cut in small slices or toasted hard works great.

Today's recipe: Sauteed Sauerkraut

Fry up a thick piece of ham in a pot. Remove the ham from the pan, add about one-quarter of a cup of butter, and saute some onions. Add a can of sauerkraut, maybe 3 cups or a little less, and saute, cover that pot and let it all get hot. Throw in a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar, a teaspoon or so of caraway seeds and a tablespoon or so of vinegar when it's hot. Some folks would rather add a few whole cloves than caraway seeds---that's fine, but I'm not big on cloves. Then just stir it around and let it cook covered for about 10 or 15 minutes, not longer. Serve with that piece of ham or a hamburger or hot dogs or meatloaf and potatoes. 

Photo from the Museum of the Big Bend. Dinner on the grounds. I just know that these people made everything better than I do.

An Easy Vegetable Soup

Drop about 6 bouillon cubes in about 5 cups of water and stir.

Throw in a 16 oz. can of stewed tomatoes, about half of one can of tomato sauce, one large diced yellow onion, a diced carrot, some garlic powder to taste, some oregano to taste. I don't like celery, but some folks do so if you like that put it in.

Is it too thick or not thick enough? Adjust to suit yourself.

Cover your pot and let it simmer for about 30 minutes. 

You can throw in some cans of mixed vegetables after 30 minutes pass, any leftovers like that that you may have in the refrigerator.

You can also fry up some ground beef or pork, drain it and add it after that 30 minutes. Smoked sausage bits give it a good taste.

Let it cook for 10 minutes or so longer.

Take out that bay leaf before you serve it up.

The photo is from the Lititz Historical Foundation. Nothing that I make would be as good as what these folks did.