Nalesniki z Serem or Polish Crepes/Pancakes with Cheese

This is actually a sweet dish.  And is it gooooood...

There are many recipes for the batter but in the end, it's like Dessert Crepes.

Ingredients for Batter:

1 1/2 cups Milk
1 cup Flour (I used unbleached)
2 Eggs
2 tablespoons Sugar
1 tablespoon Melted Butter

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

Mix really well.  Make sure, if using a mixer, to scrape the bottom of the bowl a few times so that no flour clumps on the bottom.

A tip I learned from a French friend years ago, allow the batter to sit at room temperature for 1/2 an hour to an hour.  In a medium sized frying pan, heat one tablespoon of oil and pour in a couple of tablespoons of batter.  Immediately, twist pan around to evenly distribute batter.  Heat until lightly golden brown (I constantly overcook them slightly, oops, I'm a Busy Mommy!) on one side. 

I love the French saying "The first crepe goes to the dogs" since the first one absorbs the most oil and just doesn't quite turn out right...

Ingredients for Cheese Filling:

1 1/2 cups White Cheese (Farmers Cheese, Ricotta, or very dry Cottage Cheese)
1 Egg Yolk
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Sugar
Sugar
Zest from an Orange (or Lemon, if you like)
(See Notes)

Mix all ingredients together.

On the browned side of the crepes, smear filling as thick as you like.  I usually do about one tablespoon. 

Roll either into a burrito style shape or fold into a quarter.

At this point, you can set them aside with plastic wrap for later.  Or you can brown slightly on each side and serve. 

You can drizzle with fruit syrup, if you like, or sprinkle with powdered sugar.  I buy mine from the local ethnic store (a Polish brand for about $3-4 for 1 Liter), which we also sometimes drizzle on ice cream, other desserts, mix into beer or other drinks, or dissolve into water for a different drink.

Smacznego!



Notes:

I cannot really tell you how much Sugar to use, since, according to my Babcia (and I agree), it depends on the cheese and how you like it.  I used Ricotta cheese and 4 tablespoons of Powdered Sugar.  Granulated Sugar can also be used.

I love the Polish language.  My Babcia in telling me her recipe, said "Żółtko" (pronounced Zoo-TKOh, and meaning Egg Yolk), which always makes me think of "Złoto" (pronounced Zuoh-Toh, and meaning Gold).

Don't worry, a recipe for Vanilla Sugar will be coming soon.

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How to Make Packet Kisiel

A Photographer/Blogger/Pole/Mom and I have been talking about Polish desserts lately.  We talked about Budyn and Nalesniki and now, Kisiel.

I love Kisiel.  It's a great way to get some sweetness packed with Vitamin C into your little ones.  You can mix fruits into it if you like.  It's inexpensive.  And it's ridiculously easy to make.  If you can boil water and stir, you can make packet Kisiel which can be bought at any Polish store, or other European stores.  And on a cold day like this, a warm dessert is perfect for everyone.

Again, I did not get any financial or gifts from this company.  It's just the packet I have in my cabinet.  And I wanted to translate it for others who cannot read Polish and are interested in making this at home.

Step 1:
Z 0,5 litra zimnej wody odlac pol szklanki. 
From 0.5 liter (2 cups or 500 ml) of cold water pour out 1/2 cup (to the side).

Wsypac zawartosc torebki. 
Pour in the powder from the packet (into the 1/2 cup of cold water).

Dobrze wymieszac. 
Mix well.

Pozostala czesc wody zagotowac.

The remaining water (now 1 1/2 cups) bring to a boil.

Step 2:

Odsunac wode z ognia, wlac rozmieszany proszek. 

Remove the water from heat, immediately add the dissolved powder.

Calosc chwile gotowac, ciagle mieszajac.

While still heating, mix the whole time.  (I do this off the heat, personally)

Step 3: 

Kisiel wlac do salaterek.

Put Kisiel into salad bowls.

Polecamy podawac ze swiezymi lub mrozonymi owocami.

We recommend serving with either fresh or frozen fruit mixed in.  (I do too)

  

Smacznego!

A Winter Vegetable Soup Dinner

Last night, I was supposed to make a Pot Roast.  And I did!  But, it wasn't finished until 8 pm because I didn't start it until after 4 (oops).  The family still had to be fed.  Which is why I always keep a pot of soup in the refrigerator, especially in the winter.

I have no idea what you would call this soup.  I had purchased a packet of vegetables from the local ethnic store a few days prior and had made a soup from some of the ingredients.

Inside, there were 2 Red Potatoes, a 1/2 Head of Cauliflower, a 1/2 Head of Cabbage, 3 handfuls of Baby Carrots, 2 handfuls of Celery sticks, a bunch of Flat Parsley, a Chayote, Zucchini, an Ear of Corn, and 4 Chicken Bouillon cubes.

I looked at it, thought "Hmmm, now what do you do with that?" and bought it.  After I brought it home, my husband asked some Mexican coworkers about the Chayote and he was told that there is a particular soup/stew made with these ingredients.  Well, that would be no fun just chopping up everything and basically following a recipe. 

Sometimes, I like to buy produce and experiment.  Sometimes, the experiment fails miserably but other times, it's fabulous.  This time, it was a success...

Winter Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 Head of Cabbage
1/2 Head of Cauliflower
2 Red Potatoes
One Leek, the Dark Green Tip
2 Handfuls of Baby Carrots
2 Celery Sticks
4 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
4-6 large pinches of Dill
Water
1 teaspoon of Herbal Pepper or 1/2 teaspoon of Ground Black Pepper *
Sour Cream


Peel and dice the Potatoes.  Chop the Cabbage and Cauliflower to bite sizes. 

Split the Leeks in half, lengthwise.  Separate each leaf and wash in a bowl of cold water.  Chop into bite sizes.

Add all ingredients, except Sour Cream to crock pot.  Use enough water to cover the vegetables and to make the amount of soup broth you like.  Cook until all vegetables are soft.

Serve with one to two tablespoons of Sour Cream mixed in.

I think this would also be delicious with Mushrooms.  Or with a hard boiled Egg chopped and added on top as garnish.

We served it with homemade Pierogi covered in Butter.

* Herbal Pepper can be bought in Polish stores or other Ethnic stores.  Sometimes, Herbal Pepper is another word for Ground Coriander.  Sometimes, it's a mix which is meant as a substitute for Black Pepper, which is called Herbal Pepper.

Smacznego!

How to Make Packet Budyn

I was looking at a beautiful photo blog by another Polish Mama living in the USA and decided to make Budyn (pronounced "Boo-Dinn" and meaning Pudding).  I had packets I had bought from the local Polish store and, upon glancing at the instructions for myself, I realized that not everyone can read Polish so I thought this might be appreciated by some.

The flavor I chose was Smietankowyn (pronounced ShmEEeh-tahn-kow-im and meaning Cream, but it's like a light vanilla is the closest thing I can compare it to).

As a side note, I did not get compensated by the company which makes this product, in fact, they are completely unaware of me or my blog.  But, if they do happen to see this, I am looking for a corporate sponsor which makes Polish food ;)

The instructions say:

Step 1: 
Zagotowac 500 ml mleka i odstawic z ognia. 
Bring to a boil 2 cups of milk and remove from the heat.

Step 2:
Po uplywie ok. 2 min. proszek wsypac do mleka i mieszac trzepaczka-rozga lub widelcem ok. 1 min. 
After waiting about 2 minutes, add the powder from packet to the milk and mix together with handmixer or fork for about 1 minute.

Step 3:
Budyn wlac do salaterek lub szklanej misy. Podawac na ciepla lub na ziemno.Pudding put into dessert dish or glass bowl.  Serve warm or cooled.

I, like many, like mine very warm with some preserves or jam mixed in.

This did not turn out as thick as I normally have, so I would suggest using a bit less milk, perhaps 1 1/2 cups or so.

Now, the question...  Did I and the children enjoy it?

Well, that was my only bite.  My older child ate a glass, my husband snuck a glass (who knew he liked it!), and the baby ate all of mine.

I hope you feel inspired to go to a local store and try something from another country.  Smacznego!

Rubbed Beets or Buraczki Tarte

I made Barszcz Czerwony the other day, which was amazing by the way.  But I don't like to eat it with vegetables, I prefer to enjoy it clear, or "Czysty", as traditional Barszcz Czerwony is enjoyed.

But what to do with all those fantastic, and already seasoned, vegetables at the bottom of the pot?

Let me first explain something about my blog.  I am not a Chef.  I am a Mama.  I have x amount of money, food, and time to feed my family.  Everything needs to have more than one purpose. 

That being said, I turned the vegetables into Buraczki Tarte, or Rubbed Beets.  This is perfect to top Polish Meatballs, Kotlety Schabowe, or a myriad of other Polish meat dishes, in place of gravy, ketchup, or other toppings the typical American diet would include (not that there's anything wrong with that, I eat that way as well).  It's healthier, packed full of nutrients, and delicious.

I scooped out all the vegetables with a slotted spoon into a sieve above a bowl to strain out the maximum amount of soup broth, being sure to take out the bay leaves from the vegetables.

The vegetables were put into a food processor and I pulsed the buttons until it was the desired texture.

In a (gasp) reused jar which I had sanitized, I put the Buraczki Tarte, tightened the lid, and placed it in my refrigerator.  I got 3 large jars worth, which saved me about $10-14 total.  I hope this inspires you to cook with more than one purpose in mind, saving you time and money, and feeding your family with more nutritional homemade food. 

Smacznego!

Polish Meatballs

What makes them Polish?  The seasoning.  Meatballs are made in many countries, from Sweden to Italy to Iran.  And, of course, Poland.  Typically, the basic mix is the same, with spices changing the flavor as well as the accompanying sauces and sides.

The spice that makes these Meatballs Polish is Marjoram, a milder Oregano which has citrus flavors.  Dill can also be used.

Ingredients:

3 lbs. Ground Meat (typically a two part combination of Beef, Veal, Pork, or Lamb)
2 Eggs
2/3 cup of Milk
2 slices of stale Bread (I use Whole Grain)
1/2 Onion (I use caramelized or a tablespoon of dried, for sensitive stomachs)
1 Tablespoon Marjoram
Salt and Pepper to taste
Flour
Vegetable Oil for frying

Optional: 
1/2 teaspoon of Vegeta or
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Salt or
1 Clove of Garlic, diced



Combine the Meat in a large bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients and combine.

Roll into balls.  You can use a spoon or icecream scoop to make them consistant in size.  Coat lightly in Flour.

Fry on each side in Oil until browned.

Place on tray in oven with a couple of spoons of water to keep from drying and sticking.  Bake in oven 325 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Serve with Polish Dill Sauce or, in the summer, cold Sour Cream mixed with Fresh Dill. 

Smacznego!


My Babcia's Polish Meatballs

Polish Dill Sauce or Sos Koperkowy

To say that Poles love Dill is an understatement.  Dill is used liberally on buttered potatoes.  In fact, baby reds boiled in thier jackets in the spring covered with butter and dill is probably one of every Poles favorite dishes.  Dill is also commonly used on fish, in stuffings for meat, some pickles, Compound Butters, soups, I could keep going. 

Sos (pronounced "Saws" and meaning "Sauce") Koperkowy (pronounced "Kopper-KOV-ih" and meaning "Dill") is a quintessential Polish sauce.  It can be paired with many dishes, such as meatballs, mushroom and rice balls, fish, mashed potatoes, and chicken.  To many Poles, this sauce tastes like summer.  Once you see how delicious and simple it is, I am sure it will become a family favorite.

Ingredients:

3-4 tablespoons Dill (fresh or dry)
2 cups Broth (Vegetable, Chicken or beef, or drippings from meat dish, degreased, or even just water)
2 tablespoons Butter
2 tablespoons Flour
Salt
Pepper

Optional: 
2 tablespoons of Lemon Juice (delicious over fish) or
1/2 cup Sour Cream or
3 tablespoons Cream



First, if you are using dried Dill, place it in a bowl and add a 1/2 cup of boiling water to soften it and allow the oils to be released.  Set to the side for a few minutes.

Melt the Butter.  Add the Flour and begin to stir.  This is called the Roux and is the base to most sauces.  Also, add pepper at this time.

Once it begins to bubble, add the broth * and stir until bubbly. 

Allow to cook for another minute or two, until thickened. 

If using dried Dill in the hot water, add now and heat back to bubbling and thickened.  Otherwise, remove from heat and add the fresh Dill.  If you are using Cream, Sour Cream, or Lemon Juice (but not all together in the sauce!), now is when you would add them.  Season with salt to taste.

I served this sauce with Polish Meatballs, Mashed Potatoes and Sweet Peas.  Again, if you are wondering whether a picky eater will enjoy this, my children and several picky food friends lap this right up! 

* If using drippings from a dish, such as I did with Onion Stuffed Chicken Legs, remove the liquids from bottom of baking or frying pan and place in freezer or refrigerator for a few minutes until grease is at top of liquid.  Use spoon to carefully scoop out grease, leaving the liquids underneath.

Smacznego!



Also, some interesting facts about Dill or Koper:

The leaves are collected in the spring and dried.

The seeds are collected in the fall for use as another flavor in cooking. 

The typical Polish family garden will usually have this plant growing with their cucumbers.

For those Poles who do not have a garden or who cannot tend their garden every day, Dill is easily and commonly grown in windowsills.