Plum Coffeecake ((Placek z Sliwkami)

Plum Coffeecake dusted with confectioners' sugar ready for company!

This recipe is a variation on one that has regularly appeared in the New York Times, usually in September, and reminds me of coffeecakes my Polish grandmother and aunt would make when I was a child. In Polish, it is called Placek z Sliwkami. It is based on the use of prune or Italian plums, which are difficult to find, so when I spot them in the supermarket, I have to make this torte. Please know that you can use other stone fruit, such as peaches, nectarines, or regular plums, you just have to cut them into smaller pieces. This recipe calls for prune plums that are halved.

I've also changed the recipe, using regular AP flour, and combining the cinnamon with the sugar rather than putting them on separately, as well as a couple of other changes that suit my taste.

This torte, or coffeecake, won't last long--it is that delicious!

Plum Coffeecake (Placek z Sliwkami)

INGREDIENTS

24 purple plums, pitted and halved (these are the small prune plums. If using regular plums, use about 9 plums, halved and placed on the batter halved side down.

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/4 cup sugar combined with 1 teaspoon cinnamon, divided

2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, sifted (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a spring form pan, preferably 10 inches, with parchment paper. Spray with baking spray.

Sprinkle the plum halves with about 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and combine with about 1 tablespoon of the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.

Cream the sugar, butter, and vanilla in a bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and eggs and beat well.

Spoon the batter into the spring form pan and place on cookie sheet.

Place the plum halves skin side up on top of the batter.

Sprinkle remaining combined cinnamon and sugar over plums and batter.

Bake approximately one hour. Remove and cool. This cake can also be served lukewarm with whipped cream.

When cake is cool, dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving if desired.

(I like it as is, but the confectioners’ sugar makes it pretty for company).

Chicken Thighs in the Marsala Style

As I don't drink alcohol and don't care to cook with it, I am always looking for alternatives. I think this recipe is a winner! If you make it, let me know how it turned out!

Chicken Thighs in the Marsala style. Served with mashed potatoes
and steamed vegetables. 

Chicken Thighs in the Marsala style

Ingredients

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 cup red grape juice

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons Montreal Steak spice, divided

½ cup flour

8 ounces sliced white button mushrooms

3-4 sprigs fresh thyme

1 shallot

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

Mix flour and 1 tsp of Montreal Steak seasoning in a large ziplock bag.

Dredge each thigh in the flour and seasoning mixture.

Let thighs to rest on a rack on a sheet pan in the refrigerator for least 20 minutes.

Divide a peeled shallot into halves and then cut the shallot into thin slices.

Add 2 tbsp butter to a pan over medium heat.

As soon as the butter starts to bubble add the chicken, and cook until the coating begins to brown (about three minutes). Turn the chicken and repeat on the other side.

Chicken bubbling on the stove. Smells delicious!

Once the chicken is lightly browned, remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Add the shallots and the mushrooms to the pan, season with 1 tsp salt seasoning, and sauté until the shallots are translucent and the mushrooms are lightly browned.

Deglaze the pan with ½ cup of red grape juice, mixed with the red wine vinegar. Add half the thyme.

Stir together the chicken stock mixed with the cornstarch. Stir until smooth. Add to the pan.

Bring to a simmer, and reduce by a third (About 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Return the chicken to the pan and simmer until cooked through (about 10 minutes) turning once.

To serve, spoon the mushrooms and sauce over each piece of chicken, and sprinkle with fresh thyme.

Serve with mashed potatoes and vegetable of your choice.

Polish Vegetable Salad ("Sałatka Jarzynowa" in Polish)

Polish Vegetable Salad ("Sałatka Jarzynowa" in Polish) accented with sliced beets sprinkled with goat cheese and honey roasted pecans.

I had the in-laws over for Easter dinner this year (2024). I wanted to have a touch of Polish flavor so I made ham and kielbasa, along with potato and cheese and sauerkraut and mushroom pierogi. I also made, for the first time, a Polish vegetable salad called Sałatka Jarzynowa in Polish. I don’t remember any of my Polish relatives making this dish, but I reached out to folks on the I Love My Polish Heritage Group on Facebook and so many folks recommended it. It was absolutely delicious and everyone enjoyed it! There are many variations, but I experimented and made my own combination. The only odd items were the apple and the parsnip. I highly recommend including both.

Polish Vegetable Salad ("Sałatka Jarzynowa" in Polish)

INGREDIENTS

5 medium red skin potatoes

3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2” dice

1 medium to large parsnip, peeled and cut into 1/2" dice

2 cups frozen baby green peas

1/2 cup celery, chopped finely

1 medium dill pickle, chopped finely

1 apple, peeled, cored, and cut into1/2"dice (I used Fuji)

3 green onions, white part and a little green, chopped finely (optional)

DRESSING

2/3 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

4 large eggs, hard-boiled, peeled and chopped

2 tablespoons Italian parsley, minced

DIRECTIONS

In a medium pot, boil potatoes in their skins in salted water until fork tender. Drain potatoes. While the potatoes are cooking, in a separate medium pot, gently boil carrots and parsnips in salted water until fork tender. Cook peas in salted water for about 4-5 minutes. Drain vegetables and then put into an ice bath. Drain and let sit for about 1/2 hour or until most of the water has drained away.

When cool enough to handle, peel potatoes and cut into 1/2" cubes.

Transfer chopped cooked vegetables, chopped pickles, chopped apple, and chopped green onion in a large mixing bowl and carefully mix vegetables.

In a small bowl, blend mayonnaise with lemon juice, sugar and vinegar. Pour over mixed vegetables. Add chopped egg and mix dressing and egg into the vegetable/apple mixture. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir in minced parsley. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Cover, chill in refrigerator 2 hours before serving.

Creamy Chicken with Spinach, Garlic and Shallots with Pesto Pasta

Creamy Chicken with Spinach, Garlic and Shallots with Pesto Pasta

Creamy Chicken with Spinach

Ingredients

1 pound boneless chicken breasts, cut into halves and gently pounded to even thickness

1 teaspoon McCormick® Grill Mates® Montreal Chicken Seasoning (if unavailable use 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper plus a 1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder, divided

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

4 large cloves garlic, finely minced or run through a garlic press

1 shallot, halved, then thinly sliced

2/3 cup chicken bouillon

2 teaspoons corn starch

1 bag baby spinach (about 4 cups)

1 tablespoon butter

2/3 cup half and half

Ingredients for Pesto Pasta

3 cups extra wide egg noodles

1 and 1/2 teaspoons pesto sauce

1 teaspoon butter

Directions

Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon each chicken seasoning or salt and pepper and bouillon powder. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Poke hole in bag of spinach, then cook spinach in microwave for about 1 minute 30 seconds. Check to see that spinach is wilted after 1 minute as microwave oven temperatures vary.

Melt butter in frying pan and add shallots and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute.

Mix cornstarch with chicken stock. Increase heat to medium-high and add chicken stock. Cook until slightly reduced and thickened, about 2 minutes.

Return heat to medium and stir in spinach, cream and the remaining chicken seasoning or 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper plus 1/4 teaspoon powdered chicken bouillon. Simmer for 2 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan and turn to coat with the sauce. Serve with egg noodles.

Pasta Pesto

Cook egg noodles as directed. Drain. Return to pan. Mix in pesto sauce and butter. Serve along side or under chicken.

Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs with Roasted Vegetables

I've tried my share of sheet pan dinners and some are good and some not so good. It's often difficult to get all of the ingredients to cook appropriately when they are all on the sheet pan. I made one today that was very simple to make, and very delicious!

Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs with Roasted Vegetables

INGREDIENTS

4-6 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided

2 teaspoons garlic powder, divided

1 teaspoon McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning, divided

1 teaspoon McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Chicken Seasoning, divided

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, divided

10-15 brussels sprouts, trimmed

8-9 small potatoes, halved

1/2 red onion sliced into 8=10 wedges, not rings

6 cloves garlic, sliced, optional

Olive oil spray

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with tin foil. Spray foil with olive oil baking spray.

To marinate the chicken, put the chicken thighs into a large bowl. Then add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon steak seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon chicken seasoning, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and1 tablespoon Dijon mustard. If desired add sliced garlic cloves.

Stir the chicken so that every piece is coated evenly, then cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge for at least an hour.

Place marinated chicken thighs skin-side up on the rimmed sheet pan.

In the bowl that had contained the chicken add trimmed brussels sprouts (if small, leave whole, if large, cut in half, red onion, potatoes, and garlic clove. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon steak seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon chicken seasoning, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard. Stir so that vegetables are well coated.

Place vegetables around chicken pieces on the sheet pan.

Bake uncovered at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-35 minutes or until the juices run clear. If you have a meat thermometer, check to see that the internal temperature of a chicken thigh has reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Then crisp the skin up and brown it under the broiler for a few minutes. Watch carefully as it is quick to burn.