Category Archives: Family Recipes

Desserts and Sweets

Carob Nut Balls

Variations of these healthy carob-based sweets, sometimes called Bliss Balls, Power Balls, or Energy Balls, were always on the shelf by the cash register at Annie’s Health Food Store, Grand Forks, B.C. (no longer in existence). Vary the ingredients in any way you want, as long as your proportions of dry to wet allow them to hold firm without being sticky.

Carob Nut Balls

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup carob powder
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup dry milk powder
  • 3/4 cup mixed chopped walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds
  • Unsweetened coconut

Combine all ingredients except coconut, adding enough nuts and seeds to form a mixture that will stick together. Add extra milk powder if necessary. Mix well and press into balls 1 inch in diameter. Roll in coconut or additional carob powder. Store in sealed jar.

Vegan version

For a vegan version, substitute the honey for agave syrup, maple syrup, or processed dates, omit the milk powder (or use finely ground rolled oats or oat flour instead), and add a bit of coconut oil or more peanut butter if the mixture needs more moisture.

Family, by Anna (carob nut ball recipe)
Family, by Anna


Meat and Poultry

Mom’s Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

This recipe for cabbage rolls is the basic Eastern European version that we knew as kids: a savory melding of rice and ground meat rolled in cabbage leaves and smothered in thick tomato sauce. It was always served with sour cream.

Mom would make a whole turkey pan full of cabbage rolls, enough to feed the six of us and more for at least  two or three sittings. As the leftovers sat and aged in their sauce over the next few days, the taste intensified and filled out… I always preferred leftover cabbage rolls over freshly made ones.

There are endless variations of cabbage rolls. One Ukrainian version is pickled cabbage leaves (sauerkraut style) stuffed  with fried onions, ground meat, and buckwheat and baked in a meaty broth instead of tomato sauce. Similar cousins  are rice and lamb stuffed grape leaves in Middle Eastern cuisine.

Ingredients for Mom’s Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

  • 1 head of cabbage
  • 1 lb. mixed ground beef and ground pork (either half and half or slightly more beef than pork)
  • 1 finely minced onion
  • 1 cup cooked rice
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1-1/2 t salt
  • 1/4 t pepper
  • 1 large can tomato soup + 3 T ketchup*
  • 1 cup water
  • Sour cream for serving

Core cabbage. Place in large pot of boiling water with a splash of vinegar. Cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and let stand 10 to 15 minutes to cool. Sauté onion in a little butter. Mix together the ground beef, onion, rice, salt and pepper. Separate cabbage leaves. Shave off the ribs. Put a large spoonful of meat mix at the base of each leaf and roll up tightly. May fasten with toothpicks. Place in an oiled oven pan, nestling the rolls together so they won’t unroll. Mix together the tomato juice, catchup, and water. Pour over cabbage rolls. Bake, covered, at about 325 F for 1-1/2 hours.

These are best removed from the oven and let sit to settle and thicken the sauce a bit before serving. Place bowls of thick sour cream on the table, and mound a large tablespoonful of the cream on each cabbage roll before eating.

* Mom always swore by Aylmer’s tomato soup instead of tomato puree for making real Cabbage rolls., but it wasn’t always easy to find.

cabbage for cabbage rolls

Eggs and Cheese, Meatless Main Dishes, Vegetables and Salads

Papas Chorreadas

  • 6 medium potatoes, boiled and peeled
  • 2 T oil
  • 1 T flour
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 2 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 3/4 cup grated fresh manchego or mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup milk plus 1 tbsp cream

Cut potatoes into large cubes. Saute onions in a little oil till soft and add tomatoes. Melt fat and add flour and a bit of salt. Add tomatoes, onion and cilantro. Cook 3 mins. Add milk and cook until thick. Add grated cheese and cream and stir until melted. Pour over the potatoes and combine gently.

Fish and Seafood

Dad’s Pescado Veracruzana

This recipe for Veracruz-style fish was developed by Dad over the years. He always used cazon,  or baby shark, which is a very firm fish. The recipe instructions as presented are just as he wrote them out. I have added the ingredients list separately above to make it easier to prepare at a glance.

  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2-3 chiles largos, canned
  • 1-1/2 cups pitted olives
  • 1/4 cup capers
  • 1 T Knorr chicken bouillon granules
  • juice of 2 limes
  • 1 carrot, finely chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
  • 1-2 small tomatoes, chopped
  • Cazon fillets for four (baby shark)
  • water as necessary

Fish by Carol

Veracruzana.

(portion for four)

In three quarter cup of olive oil fry one medium chopped onion, add two or three chiles largos ( strong long yellow pepper preserves preferred)  To tame hotness seeds can be removed. Add one to one and half cups  pitted olives and half cup of capers.  A table spoonful of Knorr’s chicken powder, juice of two limes, one finely chopped carrot. One stalk of finely chopped celery, one or two small tomatoes.

Bring mixture to a boil and then let simmer for an hour or two before adding fish. The longer it simmers the better the taste.

Quantity of fish depends on appetite and size of fillets.  Baby shark (cazon) is my favorite but any white fish fillet can be used I believe. Fish should be filleted bone free and sliced thinly.  I believe that tuna can be substituted but I am not sure.  Not being too familiar with the fish available in Canada this may take some experimentation.

The fish can be placed into boiling sauce for stove top cooking in covered pot for ten minutes (Time is for cazon other varieties may require more time.)   Best is to place fish into baking dish and bake for about fifteen minutes at high heat.

You may wish to alter the consistency of the sauce by adding water.

Good luck and enjoy it.

 

Desserts and Sweets

Plum bars

Pflaumenkuchen

  • 2 T butter
  • 1 T sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 t lemon rind
  • 1 t baking powder
  • 1/4 t salt
  • 1 cup wholewheat flour
  • 3 cup halved prune plums

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg. Stir in milk and lemon rind. Sift together baking powder, salt and flour. Combine with butter mix. Spread in a greased pan.

Cover with halved plums and bake at 325 F for 20 minutes. Cut into squares.

Appetizers

Anna’s Greek Melt

Mmm…elted cheese flavored with olive oil, oregano, garlic, and lemon juice for a special treat. Its popularity has been propagated by Anna.

  • Soft cheese (mozzarella or Manchego)
  • Olive Oil
  • Oregano
  • Lemon juice
  • Garlic

In a heavy pot, melt cheese with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, crushed garlic, and oregano. When smooth, remove from heat and add lemon juice to taste. Serve on fresh bread.

Anna Hard at Work
Anna Hard at Work
Meat and Poultry, Noodles and Dumplings

Hungarian Liver Dumplings

Májgombóc

Recipe from Az Ìnyesmester Szakácskônyve (The Expert’s Cookbook)

  • 6 oz veal, pork, or chicken livers
  • 1 T chopped onion
  • 1 T chopped parsley
  • Lard for cooking
  • 1/2 to 1 bread roll
  • 1 egg
  • breadcrumbs

Finely chop the liver and run through. Add onion and parsley. Saute in lard. Add ½ – 1 bread roll, softened in milk. Add 1 egg and a few more crumbs if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Cook in water or broth.

Meat and Poultry, Soups and Stews

Gypsy Goulash

  • 3 lbs. pork chops, cubed
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 3 large onion, chopped
  • 5T shortening
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 t paprika
  • 1 t caraway seed
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 green peppers, chopped
  • 1 cup bouillon or more
  • 1 large can sauerkraut
  • 1/2 cup sour cream

Dredge meat cubes with flour. Season. Melt shortening in large pan. Brown meat and onions, then stir in paprika, caraway, bay and green peppers. Cook 10 minutes. Drain the sauerkraut and rinse well. Add to meat with bouillon. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until meat is tender, adding extra bouillon if necessary. When done, stir in sour cream and reheat without boiling. Serve with homemade noodles.

Misc Recipes, Pickles and Salsas

Loretta’s Homemade Tomato Ketchup

  • 8 pints ripe tomatoes
  • 2 cups chopped onion
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup pickling spices
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 pint vinegar
  • arrowroot

Wash tomatoes. Chop and cook with onions until soft. Strain and put through sieve or food processor. Add the pickling spice, tied in a cheesecloth bag, the sugar and the vinegar. Simmer for about 1/2 hour and remove spice bag, unless you want a spicier ketchup. Cook for an additional 2 hours. Thicken with arrowroot as desired.

Fish and Seafood, Soups and Stews

Fish Soup

7 April, 2010

FOR ERIC CANTONA

Time: Don’t hurry. Don’t rush to heat ingredients quickly. This soup welcomes the concept of gentle simmering.

JayFishSoupEquipment:  A tureen. Not a big saucepan. A tureen. Capiche? Plus a good frying pan. And gas. Gas electric if possible.

Accompany with: Crusty heated rustic bread for dipping and mopping up. Not not garlic bread – this will overpower the soup’s flavours.

Serve with: A cold crisp white or at a push a rose; not beer but cider or perry. Alternatively elderflower or light compresses but not fruit juice.

INSTRUCTIONS

Any fool can make soup. The most important thing with this soup is to get the atmosphere right. This is not a quick and simple soup. This is a rich and sincere soup that needs  contemplation and consideration. It can’t take more than 90 minutes to make, eat some  and clear up.

Right : first take 4-6 large potatoes and cut them into half inch cubes and put to one side. Now cut up four white onions into small pieces and fry until soft – butter is best for this – and put to one side.

Next fry half a pound of good quality fatty lardons until crisp – if you can’t get hold of these just use a good quality rindless bacon cut up small. Once the lardons are cooked add the onions and stir for a minute. Put to one side where your potatoes also wait.

Make up 2-3 pints of fish stock : you can do this for real but most of our lives are too short and so fish stock cubes will do just fine. Don’t fuss about exactly how much you need – make enough to have plenty – you can always throw it away if you have too much stock – it costs almost nothing and this is cooking not chemistry anyway.

Put a couple of pints of your stock into the tureen. Add the potatoes and bring to the boil and simmer until the potatoes are soft. Add the bacon and onions and simmer until all is well.

Next add a pound of smoked haddock or similar smoked fish – doesn’t really matter what kind but the smoked nature adds depth to the flavour; at the same time add an equivalent amount of any white fish you like or can get hold of – cod is my choice. The white and smoked fish need only to be roughly cubed into bit-sized pieces.

Keep the pot simmering until the fish is cooked – soft but not flaking. Add fish stock as necessary to keep it a soup not a stew and season now with salt and pepper to taste. Finally add large peeled fresh prawns and fresh scallops. They’ll only need a very few minutes in the mixture to cook – don’t overcook or they’ll go like leather.

Now the only vaguely tricky bit – add half to a pint of fresh cream as your taste dictates but keep the heat low and do not boil or do any more than simmer at a very low level or you’ll curdle the shit out of it. Once you have stirred and balanced it all out, add some paprika to taste and stir in.

Keep warm – do not let it cool before serving – and add fresh chopped parsley as a garnish if you’ve got guests you want to impress. Eat with big spoons in big bowls with hot bread.

 

Jay Green used to make this fish soup a lot between 1993 and 2004 when he lived in West London. He first made it in at 81 The Grove, Ealing and then afterwards refined it at 7 Sutton Court, Chiswick. The seafood was sourced locally at fishmongers on Turnham Green Road and the lardons at an Italian deli on the Chiswick High Road. He used to make it for eating while crucial football games were being televised that involved Manchester United. This is why the soup is dedicated to Eric Cantona.