Great Northern Bean Soup (Zupa Fasolowa)

Ham for Christmas usually means that there is a nice ham hock along with some scraps of leftover ham ready to be made into a delicious soup. I used to use Navy beans for this soup, but I found the Great Northern bean be a nice substitute because of the way the beans hold their shape. I like to serve this soup with a lightly buttered deli rye bread on the side. In Polish, this soup is known as Zupa Fasolowa. I can't say if this is truly a Polish recipe, but it was a common recipe that my mom made when I was growing up in Michigan.

Great Northern Bean Soup (Zupa Fasolowa).

Basic Ham and Bean Soup

Ingredients

1 pound dry Great Northern beans

8 cups water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 ham bone

1 generous cup carrots, coarsely chopped

1 generous cup celery, coarsely chopped

1 generous cup onion, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

1 teaspoon marjoram

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

2 generous cups ham, cubed

Salt to taste

Directions

Rinse the beans, sorting out any broken or discolored ones. In a large pot over high heat, bring the water to a boil. Add the salt and the beans and remove from heat. Let beans sit in the hot water for at least 60 minutes. Alternatively, soak beans overnight. Rinse before using.

After the 60 minutes of soaking, return the pot to high heat and place the ham bone, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, marjoram, bay leaves, and white pepper in the pot. Stir well, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 60 more minutes.

Stir in the chopped ham and simmer for 30 more minutes. Remove ham bone and discard.

Season with salt to taste.

Optional: Serve with lightly buttered deli rye bread on the side.

Pork Roast (Pieczeń Wieprzowa) in the Polish Style

I love a pork roast (pieczeń wieprzowa in Polish) and the one I made last night was one of the best. I call it "In the Polish style" as it is heavy on the garlic. Don't cut back on the garlic, though, because, as the roast bakes the garlic cloves caramelize and become sweet bits of goodness within the roast. 

Pork Roast (Pieczeń Wieprzowa) in the Polish Style--Perfect for Sunday dinner!

Ingredients

1 package Lipton Mushroom Onion Soup mix

1 cup of water

Olive oil spray

1 3-to-4 pound Publix Boneless Boston Butt Roast

1 large onion, halved

3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped

4 cloves garlic, halved

1 teaspoon garlic powder

4 medium potatoes, cut into chunks

4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped

2 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and coarse black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons corn starch dissolved in 1/2 cup water

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix Lipton Mushroom Onion Soup mix with 1 cup water and set aside.

Spray a Dutch oven with olive oil spray or coat with olive oil.

Coarsely chop 1/2 of the onion. Put onion and celery in bottom of Dutch oven. Place roast on top. Make 8 1-inch slits about 1-inch deep in top of roast and place a half clove of garlic in each slit.

Pour soup mix over roast. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and coarse black pepper. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon garlic powder on top of roast.

Cover Dutch oven and place on top of stove and heat just until it just comes to a boil. Remove from heat and place Dutch oven into oven and bake for 90 minutes. Remove from oven.

Combine potatoes, carrots, and 1/2 onion coarsely chopped in a large bowl. Add rosemary, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste, and stir to combine. Add to pork roast.

Return pork roast to the oven and bake covered for an additional 60 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 15 minutes. Place pork on cutting board and remove strings. Cut pork into 1/2 inch slices. Removed vegetables from Dutch oven and place in serving bowl.

Roast pork, sliced for serving.

Add corn starch slurry to Dutch oven, stir to combine with drippings in the pan and bring to a boil on top of stove. Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes or until gravy thickens. Plate pork roast and vegetables.  Top with gravy if desired or serve on the side. Leftovers make great pork barbeque sandwiches!

Sliced pork sandwiches with BBQ sauce and a side of coleslaw. Yum!

Easy Andouille Sausage and Gulf Shrimp Jambalaya

Easy Jambalaya. Chopping the onion, celery and green pepper took the longest.

We have such beautiful pink shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico here in Fort Myers, Florida, that it's easy to go down to a seafood market and get great wild shrimp for a reasonable price. There is no comparison of shrimp that is farmed and shrimp that is wild-caught.

Jambalaya is a popular dish of West African, French and Spanish influence, consisting mainly of meat and vegetables mixed with rice. Traditionally, the meat always includes sausage of some sort, often a smoked meat such as andouille, along with pork or chicken and seafood. The vegetables are usually a sofrito-like mixture known as the "holy trinity" in Cajun cooking, consisting of onion, celery, and green bell pepper, My recipe included shrimp and ham along with the sofrito base.

Jambalaya and New Orleans are an instant connection. I love to visit there and sample their great cuisines from Southern to soul to Creole. I made an easy Jambalaya last night and it turned out so well that I decided to share the recipe here. 

INGREDIENTS

1 pound 15-20 size Gulf shrimp, peeled and deveined

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup sweet yellow onion, chopped

1 cup green pepper, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2/3 cup diced ham

1 cup Andouille sausage, sliced and quartered

1 and 1/2 cups long grain white rice

1 can, 14.5 ounces, petite diced tomatoes

3 cups reduced sodium chicken stock

1 teaspoon Creole seasoning, divided

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprkia

2 bay leaves

Hot sauce (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Peel and devein shrimp. Toss with 1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder. Set aside in refrigerator until needed.

Heat olive oil in large frying pan. Add onion, green pepper and celery and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ham and Andouille sausage and continue to sauté for another 5 minutes.

Add rice, tomatoes, chicken stock, 1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning, paprika, and bay leaves. Bring to boil, then reduce to low heat and simmer, covered for about 25 minutes. Check every 7 to 10 minutes and stir gently to preventing sticking. Add additional chicken stock if necessary. Rice should be tender, but not mushy.

Add shrimp to rice and stir gently. Taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper to taste if necessary. Continue to simmer, covered for about 4 minutes. Check to be sure shrimp is cooked. If necessary, continue cooking for 2 minutes. You do not want to overcook the shrimp or they will be tough.

Serve in soup bowls. Provide hot sauce on the side for those who like their Jambalaya spicy!

About 4 servings.

Mixed Berry Cream Cheese Cake

Cheesecakes or sernik in Polish are a staple of the Polish dessert menu and there are many variations. I like the combination of fruit and cake in this unusual cheesecake recipe. This is a much less dense version of cheesecake than a usual  Polish cheesecake, with the recipe calling for only one eight-ounce package of cream cheese. There is a nice balance of cheesecake, mixed berries, and cake.

Mixed Berry Cream Cheese Cake

Ingredients

For the cake layer:

¾ cup, plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature

⅔ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

½ cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the berry cream cheese layer:

1 8 ounce cream 

zest of one lemon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup, plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

2 large eggs room temperature

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 small packages of fresh blueberries and raspberries (about 2 cups)

Mixed Berry Cream cheese cake ingredients.

Instructions

Bring cream cheese, butter, eggs and berries to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper, then spray pan with baking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. 

In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg.

Reduce the speed to low and beat in the dry ingredients. Stir in the milk and vanilla. Using a rubber spatula, finish mixing the batter by hand, being careful not to over-mix. Spread batter into prepared pan and bake for 12-15 minutes, until the the cake is just set. The center will still be very soft and not done. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes. While the cake is baking make the cheesecake layer.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and lemon zest until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the vanilla extract. Add 1/2 cup sugar and beat on high-speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary and make sure everything is well incorporated.

Gently add the fruit as the cake base is not yet fully baked.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining tablespoon of sugar and cornstarch. Add the berries and toss gently to coat. Place the berries in an even layer over the pre-baked cake layer. Pour the cheesecake layer evenly over the top of the berries.

Bake until cake is lightly golden, and the center is set, 45-50 minutes. Let cool completely, at least 2 hours, before cutting and serving. Serve chilled or at room temperature with a dusting of confectioners sugar.

Mixed Berry Cream Cheese cake finished product

A Decadent Chocolate Poke Cake Perfect for a Potluck!

A delectable piece of Decadent Chocolate Poke Cake!

I associate Fall with potlucks—neighbors or friends getting together for a nice meal, teachers providing a luncheon for colleagues on a planning day. It seems forever since I’ve been to one and it doesn’t seem that they will be a part of my life in the near future. The best potlucks were “the luck of the pot” with no pre-planning involved. Maybe you would end up with a lot of desserts or sometimes an overabundance of potato salads, but that was the fun and surprise of it all and no matter what was brought, there would always be something so wonderful that you had to ask for the recipe so you could make it yourself.

I guess I will just have to make do with virtual potlucks—sharing dishes I make at home and putting pictures out on Facebook and when there is something especially delicious, the recipe.

I adapted a great dessert recipe from Ree Drummond, of Pioneer Woman fame (I love her recipes!). It incorporates lots of chocolate and is very easy to make. The recipe calls for a 9x13 baking pan. I’ve found that a disposable foil pan works best because the pan is deeper that a normal baking pan. You might not have a potluck dinner to take this to, but I am sure you have a few neighbors who would enjoy a nice piece of delectable chocolate cake!

Decadent Chocolate Poke Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

Nonstick baking spray, for the baking pan

One 16-ounce box chocolate cake mix

1 cup dark chocolate chips

One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup milk

Frosting:

1 cup milk

One 3.4-ounce packet instant chocolate pudding

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

One 12-ounce container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

For the cake: Spray a 9-by-13-inch cake pan with cooking spray.

Bake the cake in the prepared pan according to the package instructions. Allow to cool slightly, then, using the handle of a wooden spoon or a pair of chopsticks, poke holes all over the cake.

Melt the chocolate chips in a medium microwave-safe bowl in the microwave in 20-second increments, stirring between each, or in a double boiler on the stove, until smooth. Add the condensed milk and milk, then stir to combine. Slowly pour the mixture over the cake, ensuring you hit every last inch. Allow the mixture to soak into the holes. Cool completely.

For the frosting: Combine the milk, pudding mix and cocoa powder in a bowl.

Whisk the mixture until it thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Gently fold in the whipped topping until combined well.

Spread the frosting over the cake, then sprinkle with mini chocolate chips.

I baked this in a 9x13 deep dish disposable pan because it leaves room for the topping and a foil cover 
if you are carrying it to a potluck dinner!

Wellesley Coffee Cake--from Fran's Favorite's Cookbook

Coffee cakes were a staple in Polish kitchens in the Detroit area when I was a boy. You could find a bakery every couple of blocks. Many of the coffee cakes were yeast-based, but others were cheese, nut, or fruit-filled.

I baked a Wellesley Coffee Cake the other day. It’s a rich sour cream coffee cake with pecan streusel running through it. Fellow Aramcons (Arabian American Oil Company) who worked in Saudi Arabia may recognize it from a cookbook, Fran's Favorites, written by Frances Swingholm. All of her recipes were fabulous! They are my favorite type of recipes--hearty and homey! Enjoy!

Wellesley Coffee Cake--A fabulous sour cream coffee cake with pecan streusel.

Wellesley Coffee Cake

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 cups sifted flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add sour cream, vanilla and almond extract and mix well. 

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and add. 

Place one third of the batter in a well-greased and floured (I used baking spray and it worked perfectly) Bundt or tube pan. Sprinkle with one half of the nut mixture. Add one third of the batter, then the rest of the nut mixture and the rest of the batter. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes or until cake tests done. 

Cool for about 15 minutes. Place plate on top of cake and flip cake over on to plate. 

Optional: When cool dust with confectioners' sugar.

Nut mixture:

4 teaspoons sugar

1 cup pecans, chopped

1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon

Combine nuts with sugar and cinnamon.

Belvil Bakery

This was the Belvil Bakery in the 1950s and 60s in Belleville Michigan.

I thought about the Belvil Bakery in Belleville, Michigan as I munched on a paczki this morning. Today is Fat Tuesday and it was the tradition to eat Polish donuts called paczki on this last day before Lent.

Polish donuts (Paczki) served on Fat Tuesday, the last day before lent.

The Belvil Bakery was a Polish bakery back in the 1950s and 1960s-- a combination deli and bakery that had a certain smell of smoked kielbasa, baking bread, and sugary smell that I can't identify, but definitely remember. The ladies who worked there all spoke Polish and on Saturday morning the place was abuzz with workers and customers. I remember the spool of string that hung down from the ceiling which was used to tie up the boxes of baked goods.

This is where we would buy our rye bread, smoked and fresh kielbasa, lunch meats and occasional baked treats. The Belvil Bakery had the best cake-style doughnuts--I've never had better. The glazed were the best. I used to serve (and eat) them when I worked at the Bingo at the PNA Hall on Sumpter Road. 

The Belvil Bakery doesn't exist anymore. Only the memories of another time and place. The building now houses a hair salon.

If you would like to make Paczki at home I have a recipe for them on my website here.

Outrageous Brownies (Modified)

Outrageous brownies!

I love Ina Garten's recipes! Most of them are easy to follow, but her recipe for Outrageous Brownies, which are out-of-this-world delicious just didn't work for me. The problem for me was the quantity of brownies that were made from her recipe--it calls for a pound of butter.

I've modified the recipe to fit a 9" x 13" baking pan. They are just as outrageously yummy, but in a much more manageable size.

Recipe note: I always toast my walnuts before adding them into a recipe. It improves the flavor and adds a bit of crunch!

Outrageous Brownies

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

8 ounces (1 1/3 cups) plus 6 ounces (1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips, divided

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons instant coffee powder (I use Busteca Expresso powder)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 1/8 cups sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour plus 1/8 cup, divided

1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups diced walnut pieces

Preparation

Preheat over 350 degrees. Line a 9” x 13” baking pan with parchment paper overlapping the long sides to form handles. Spray the parchment paper with baking spray.

Melt together the butter, 8 ounces chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate on top of a double boiler. Cool slightly.

Stir together the eggs, instant coffee, vanilla, and sugar. Stir in the warm chocolate mixture and cool to room temperature.

Stir together 1/2 cup of the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to cooled chocolate mixture.

Toss the walnuts and 6 ounces of the chocolate chips with 1/8 cup flour to coat. Add to the chocolate batter, stirring gently. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for about 25- 30 minutes, or until tester just comes out clean. Cool thoroughly, refrigerate, remove brownies from pan and cut into 24 to 30 squares. Serve at room temperature (These are very rich!).

If you want to try Ina Garten's original recipe, you can find it here.