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.

Pecan Pesto Chicken: (Serves 4)

4 boneless chicken breasts

1 cup chopped pecan halves

Pesto sauce (can make your own or buy in grocery store usually located in the cheese section area)

Brown boneless chicken breasts in pan on stove top with a little olive oil, broil in oven or grill on BBQ until chicken is done – when poked liquids run clear –  for about total 20 to 30 minutes time.

Once chicken is done remove from heat source and put about 2 Tablespoons of pesto on each chicken breast and spread around. Top pesto with about 2 Tablespoons of chopped pecans then place chicken under broiler in oven for about 5 minutes or until pecans of toasted.

Remove pan from broiler and serve Pesto Pecan Chicken over pasta of your choice! I used Penne pasta with a light coating of olive oil. Serve with a side salad and good bread!

Garlic White Wine and Clam Sauce: (Serves about 4)

1 can of chopped clams in clam juice

1 can of smoked clams in oil (I like the cherry wood smoked clams)

4 cloves of garlic pressed or chopped fine.

1 to ½ cup of white wine of your choice!

Salt and pepper to taste if you’d like

4 Tablespoons butter or 50/50 blend

Angel hair pasta – boiled and strained and coated lightly with olive oil

In a skillet on your stove top, heat about 2 Tablespoons of butter or 50/50 blend until melted at about medium high heat. Add in your chopped clams and clam juice and stir. Add in can of smoked clams (drained of oil) to mixture- you can chop these as well but I like the fact that these clams are larger and adds variety in the size of the clams.  Once your clams have been added, press garlic cloves directly into the skillet, add wine and season to taste.

Turn the heat down to simmer. Let simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes. Add more wine to mixture if desired – add remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter to the skillet with the clam mixture and stir to slightly thicken the sauce.

Serve clam sauce over Angel pasta or pasta of your choice! Add a side salad and nice crusty bread and of course a great white wine! Enjoy!

Left over pasta ideas!

Use as side dishes with other meat entrees – drizzle truffle oil and parmesan cheese over pasta or try a flavored olive oil like Lemon Olive oil and add capers! Add left over vegetables! Try different things and surprise yourself and your family!!!

Barry Dixon’s Pumpkin Maple Pecan Bread Pudding

(By way of Sandra Lee)

Susan’s version of the above!

Cooking spray

1 loaf of Montana Wheat Cinnamon Raisin Bread or Franz Cinnamon Swirl Bread (cut into cubes)

½ cup to 1 cup of pecans- chopped

1 ¼ cup milk

½ cup cream

4 eggs

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

½ cup of real maple syrup

1 can (15 oz.) of solid pack pumpkin (Libby brand is great!) or fresh cooked pumpkin

2 cups Confectionary sugar

¼ cup of cream

Spray a casserole dish (9X12) with cooking spray. Put cubed bread and chopped pecans in casserole dish.

In a large bowl mix together the milk, cream, eggs, pie spice, pumpkin and maple syrup – mix well!

Pour mixture over the bread cubes and pecans and let sit in refrigerator for one hour. I did not let this sit in the refrigerator and it still comes out great!

Bake bread pudding in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean.

Serve warm, cold or at room temperature. In small bowl mix confectionary sugar together with cream. Drizzle over the top of the bread pudding! You can also serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream or while bread pudding is still warm try pouring cream over the top!!
This is the best bread pudding!!!

Hot Honey Bourbon Tea Toddy

 

Close to the way Mama Jane makes it!!

Have at least 4 cups of boiling water ready. Take mug and “scald” the cup with the boiling water – pour the boiling water into the mug and pour out! This warms the mug for you!

Then add a regular Lipton tea bag to your mug with about ½ cup of boiling water, let steppe for about 3 minutes – you want a strong tea. Discard the tea bag. Add about 1 to 2 Tablespoons of Montana honey to the mug and stir. Then add about ½ cup to ¼ cup of frozen lemonade (frozen or thawed) to the tea and mix. Then add one shot of good bourbon to the mug. Float a lemon in the tea mixture and enjoy!

For an added HIT – add in one shot of Grand Marnier as well! WOW!! This will cure anything you have!

Now! Grab your slippers, a warm blanket and a good book and settle in and enjoy our Montana winter!

Eat Well and Be Happy!

Susan