Polish Cold Carrot Salad

My husband just bought me a 20 lb. bag of carrots.  That is a lot of carrots.

So, I scoured my memory for several easy recipes to make.  I remembered a salad that came up very often on our table when I was a child and was almost always on restaurant tables with anything we would order while eating in Poland.

In Polish, it is called Surowka z Marchewki and means Cold Carrot Salad.

We even had this salad as part of my husband's first meal in Poland while on our honeymoon.

This salad is served cold, is very easy and inexpensive to make, and delicious. 

I wouldn't be a Mama if I didn't mention that eating carrots prevents night blindness, are high in Vitamin A and have some Vitamin C, Iron and Calcium in them as well.  Also, a diet high in fruits and especially vegetables significantly lowers your chances of diabetes, obesity, cancer, and all sorts of other health disorders and diseases.  Eat your vegetables!

Alright, Mama's ballad to carrots is over.  On to the recipe...


Ingredients:

4-6 Carrots, tops removed, washed and peeled
1 Apple, washed and peeled
Juice from 1/2 a Lemon
1 tablespoon of Sunflower Oil *
Sugar and Salt, to taste


Grate the Carrots and Apple.  Mix all ingredients together.

Serve cold.  It's that simple. 

Smacznego!



Notes:

This dish goes great with pork and is perfect for hot weather.

* In Poland and many European countries, sunflower oil is used as often as "vegetable" (soybean) oil is here in the USA.  You can substitute with "vegetable" oil, if you like.  I usually buy my sunflower oil in the Polish or European stores since I like to try to avoid soy and corn as much as possible.

Pea and Corn Salad or Sałatka z Groszki i Kukurydzy

I made this dish knowing what the results would be. 

My younger daughter ate all of hers, a second serving, and some of her older sisters, who proclaimed the onions to be "spicy" but ate a large amount once the onions were removed. 

My husband ate all the rest that was made and then requested that I make more.

I secretly felt guilt at feeding them "GMO" foods, but salved my "Mama Guilt" with the knowledge that we rarely eat corn and that at least they were eating their vegetables.

My father looked at it, shook his head and stated that he does not eat corn because "we feed corn to chickens in Poland.  People don't eat corn, except maybe once in while on cob."

I said that I thought this salad was a Polish American adaptation and he nodded, "Yes, I think so.  This is not Polish dish.  What else you make for dinner, Ges (goose in Polish)?" and I produced various containers filled with other Polish salads.  Which I will share recipes to another time.

But, right now, I am sharing the recipe to this dish.

Ingredients:

1 can of sweet Green Peas, drained
1 can of yellow Corn, drained
1/2 sweet Onion, finely chopped
1-2 tablespoons Mayonnaise
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Optional:  (Any of the following in any combination, if you like)
1-2 Eggs, hard boiled, peeled, and diced
Chopped Ham
Chopped mild yellow Cheese



Mix it all together.  Eat.  That simple.

Smacznego!

"Busia's" Mizeria or Cucumber Salad

My husband's grandmother, who liked to be called "Buzia", woud always make this family favorite for special occasions, Cucumber Salad.  It is a different version of the Mizeria I grew up with but it is still delicious and I felt it was worthy of sharing with others. 

As the days start warming up and Lent is nearing it's end, such recipes are welcome additions to the Easter Table, picnics, and warm weather days.  Because I am becoming very impatient for winter to end, I am starting to make such dishes off and on, to remind myself that summer is coming.



Ingredients:

3 Cucumbers (I used 2 European Cucumbers instead this time)
Salt
2-4 tablespoons Sour Cream
1-2 Chives or 1/2 small Sweet Onion, diced finely
Salt, Pepper, Sugar and White or Apple Vinegar to taste


Peel cucumbers, if you like *.  Depending on your family's preference, you might julienne, dice in 1/2" to 1" cubes, or slice thinly using a mandolin slicer.

In a dish, layer cucumbers with pinch of salt between layers.  Allow to sit for 1/2 hour to an hour so that the salt can draw out the moisture from the cucumbers. 

In a colander, rinse under cold water well, squeezing cucumbers to remove extra moisture (I don't squeeze them, but this is how "Buzia" did it).

In a bowl, combine the Sour Cream with the Pepper, Sugar, and Vinegar.  Mix with Cucumbers. 

Taste to see if any Salt is needed.  Serve with bread and Chicken or Pork.

Smacznego!

* If cucumbers tend to upset your stomach, peel and also remove seeds,as this works for some people.

Fish in Horseradish Sauce or Ryba w Sosie Chrzanowym

I know there are a lot of different versions of the sauce and methods to prepare this dish, this is simply one.  I've had it a few different ways. 

But since my older daughter only today is feeling better after a week of suffering through an Upper Respiratory Infection and the day before yesterday the baby started to show hints that she would soon feel sick, I needed a recipe that was quick and could be served cold.

I recalled having this dish once at a Polish restaurant on the side of the road a few years ago in the middle of summer and mentioned it to my father.  When his eyes lit up and he sounded excited, I knew I had to make it so that he could have dinner with us and spend time with his grandchildren. 

Especially after he said that he had not had Fish in Horseradish Sauce in a very long time.  I love being able to do that for him, almost as if I can give him a small part of his childhood memories to him since my Babcia and his mother has not cooked for him in many a year.



Ingredients:

2 packs of frozen Tilapia fillets (I know, I know, frozen is not as awesome as fresh but that's another discussion)
1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
4 Tablespoons of Horseradish
Curly Parsley to garnish
Boiled Eggs sliced in wedges to garnish



Use Any of the following in the Poaching Liquid:
Stock Vegetables (Commonly Onions or Leeks, Celeriac, Carrots, Celery or Parsnips), peeled and diced
Water
2 Bay leaves
20 Peppercorns
Pinch of Salt
Lemon sliced into wedges
Curly Parsley
Thyme
Dry White Wine

Place in a large pot the Poaching Ingredients into enough water to cover ingredients and Fish.  Bring Water to a Boil.  Lower heat to low and add Fish gently.  Cover and cook for 5 minutes, turn off the heat, cover and allow to cool.  Place in refrigerator overnight.

The next day, remove fish and set on tray to serve.

Mix Mayonnaise, Sour Cream and Horseradish together.

Drizzle on Fish liberally.  Garnish with Curly Parsley and Boiled Eggs.

Serve with Boiled Potatoes...



Smacznego!