Helena Civic TV

CRAB DIP (Recipe in Maria’s family for over 25 years):

 4 to 5 King Crab legs – not jumbo or 12 oz. of crab meat (Can use Dungeness crab)

Cleaned and separated into a bowl.

 16 oz. quality processed cheese product (such as Velveeta)

16 oz. quality mayonnaise

Melt cheese and mayo in saucepan on medium to low heat. Stir and watch closely as this l            ikes to burn!

Once melted add in crab meat and stir. Place in nice serving dish or bowl. Recipe is easy to adjust up or down for portion sizes.

            Serve with sourdough /dill rye bread. Can be found at Safeway!

Or serve with celery or carrots for dipping.

Pudahay – or Ukrainian Peirgo

 Maria says her sister and she decided that the word “pudahay” is slang for pierogi. Or could be like the Russian dumpling called “Pelmeni”

This recipe makes a ton and it’s time consuming which is why we only make these once a year at Christmas time. We usually have two or three people in our production line – one person rolling out the dough, one person filling and another person boiling.  Farmers cheese can be difficult to find and somewhat costly but it is traditional in our family and so delicious! Feel free to substitute any cheese you like.

An alternate filling is sauerkraut which is my brother’s favorite. Drain the sauerkraut and add sautéed onions for a little extra flavor.

 Dough:

5 c. flour

1 egg, beaten

1 1/2 tsp. salt

~3/4 c water, (may need more)

Filling:

4 – 5  lbs. potatoes, peeled and cut in 2″ chunks, (Russets work well)

1 – 2 lbs. farmers’ cheese cubed, to taste

Salt & pepper to taste

 Butter and sour cream for serving

 In large mixing bowl, combine flour, egg and salt, adding water a little at a time (I use my hands) until dough forms a ball and is slightly sticky. Cover and let rest for ~30 minutes. Prepare filling.

Boil potatoes in salted water until fork tender; drain. Add potatoes back to the hot pot. Slightly mash potatoes and add cheese in batches, mashing after each addition, until all cheese is melted. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Roll out dough on floured surface, about 1/4 in. thick. Using rim of glass or biscuit cutter (2 1/2 to 3 inch diameter), cut out circles of dough. Roll each circle to about 1/8 in. thick. Fill each with about a tablespoon of filling (do not overfill); fold and seal edges.

To cook, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and drop in the pierogies one at a time. They are done when they float to the top (2 – 3 min.). Remove pierogies and drain.

At this point, the pierogies can be eaten just as they are, or with butter and/or sour cream. But we like them best fried, served with butter and/or sour cream.

NEW YEAR’S MUSTS!!! FOR GOOD LUCK IN THE NEW YEAR! Southern tradition!

 Collard Greens or Spinach – represents green dollar bills

Cornbread – represents Gold

Black-eyed Peas – represents coins

 Spinach Spoon Bread

 Use any good corn meal – stone ground corn meal is wonderful!  Try Georgia Freeman’s Mill corn meal– order online at www.freemansmill.com or any other local corn meal you can find!

 Baking Time – 60 minutes at 350 degrees until knife inserted comes out clean.

 Fresh or frozen spinach – Half of bagged spinach or one package of frozen spinach thawed and drained.

2 Tablespoons margarine or butter

2 Tablespoons flour

1/8 teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon paprika

1 cup milk

2 cups of pearl onions – or 1 cup chopped onion

1 cup sour cream

2 eggs

½ cup margarine or butter melted

1- 8.5 oz. package of corn muffin mix (I used Jiffy brand) – or 1 cup stone ground corn meal.

 In medium to large saucepan add 2 Tablespoons of margarine or butter over medium heat on stove top. Let melt but not burn. To melted butter whisk rapidly 2 Tablespoons of flour, pepper and paprika and salt to make a basic roux. As you whisk add in milk to roux mixture. Then add in 2 eggs beat well into roux. Add in spinach and pearl onions and fold in sour cream, melted butter and muffin mix.

 Pour into well greased casserole dish and bake uncovered!! A little bit of good luck and a lot of yummy Southern taste! Enjoy!

Anyone can make a Biscuit – Baking Powder Biscuits

 2 cups of all purpose flour (I love Montana Wheat flour!!!)

3 Tsp.  baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup shortening (I use Crisco)

¾ cup milk (sweet milk- which is just regular milk)

 ****Add 1/3 teaspoon of baking soda if using Buttermilk instead of sweet milk

****Make your own buttermilk by adding 1 Tablespoon vinegar to 1 cup of sweet milk- let sit for about 2 minutes and ready to use!

 Add flour, baking powder, salt and soda if using buttermilk to a large mixing bowl.

Add in shortening and use fork or hands to lightly mix into flour mixture – Just until you have small pieces. Use a very light hand when doing this for light biscuits – do not over work!

Add in milk or buttermilk – mix just until it forms a ball.

Either shape biscuit dough with your hands or place dough on lightly floured countertop and use biscuit cutter.

 Place cut out of shaped biscuits on un-greased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degree oven for 12 minutes.

 Toast the Year of the Tiger!!!

 Maharaja’s Burra Peg or make King’s Peg

 “Peg” means “jigger” or shot of – in old English. During the British colonial days there were influences from India as a British colony. This British influence was also apparent in early days of settling Savannah Georgia. From this influence we are lucky to have this drink! This was made with brandy, cognac or even whiskey.  “Burra” is Hindustani for “Big” and the original drink probably had double the jiggers or shots of brandy and double the champagne.  If you don’t like dry champagne use a sweeter champagne and omit the sugar cubes or keep the sugar cubes or a sweet treat!

 For Maharaja’s Burra Peg:

 Good quality champagne – Brut or Extra Brut (dry)

Sugar cubes

Bitters

Lime

Brandy, cognac or whiskey or your choice.

Champagne flutes

 In champagne flute place one sugar cube sprinkled with bitters. Do not sprinkle with a lot of bitters of sugar cube will fall apart. Add in one jigger/shot glass of brandy, cognac or whiskey to flute. Pour in champagne to fill glass. Add curl of lime twisted to release lime oils and enjoy.

 For King’s Peg:

 Good quality champagne – Brut or Extra Brut (dry)

Sugar cubes

Lemon

Brandy, cognac or whiskey or your choice.

Champagne flutes

In champagne flute place one sugar cube. Add in one jigger/shot glass of brandy, cognac or whiskey to flute. Pour in champagne to fill glass. Add curl of lemon twisted to release lemon oils and enjoy.

 After the show I thought about making up my own version using Grand Marnier for the brandy/cognac and using a curl of orange instead of lime or lemon!! This I’m calling a Queen’s Peg!!

 For Queen’s Peg:

 Good quality champagne – Brut or Extra Brut (dry)

Sugar cubes

Bitters

Orange

Grand Marnier orange cognac

Champagne flutes

 In champagne flute place one sugar cube sprinkled with bitters. Do not sprinkle with a lot of bitters of sugar cube will fall apart. Add in one jigger/shot glass orange cognac to flute. Pour in champagne to fill glass. Add curl of orange twisted to release orange oils and enjoy.