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Chicken Chow Mein

1 pound chicken meat
1 cup celery
1 pound bok choy
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 pound dry won ton noodles
1 pound bean sprouts or snow pea pods
1 medium onion, sliced
1 green onion, diced along the diagonal
1 carrot, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced

Seasonings for Chicken:
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 to 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
salt and pepper to taste
less than 1 teaspoon of cornstarch

Gravy:
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 cup water
salt or accent if desired and pepper to taste

Wash the bean sprouts to give them more time to drain. Boil noodles in salted boiling water until they are soft, but not sticky. Break the noodles in half if desired so they are easier to manage. Blanch the noodles in cold water and drain.* Cut the chicken into thin strips. Add seasoning ingredients to chicken, adding cornstarch last.

Marinate chicken in seasonings for 10 to 15 minutes. While chicken is marinating, prepare vegetables. Cut the bok choy diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices, slice mushrooms.

Heat the frying pan on high, add 2 tablespoons of oil and fry the noodles in small portions until they are golden. Use chopsticks to separate the noodles as they are frying. Remove the noodles.

Add more oil and add the meat and onion to the pan. Stir fry until the meat has no redness. Remove from wok or pan.

Cook the rest of the vegetables separately, adding a bit of salt if desired to taste. With the bean sprouts and bok choy add a bit of sugar as well if desired.

If desired, add about 1/4 cup of water and cover pan while cooking bok choy, as it doesn't contain much moisture. Give the gravy a quick stir.

Add all the ingredients back into the wok, making a well in the middle if the wok for the gravy. Mix well. Add green onions at this point if desired, or save them for a garnish. Pour on top of the noodles. Garnish with sesame seeds. Serve hot. Serves 4 to 6.

*If using fresh noodles, still boil them in hot water as this removes some of the starch and makes stir frying easier.

King Bao Gi Ding Princess Chicken

1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 tablespoon cornstarch
salt
paprika
garlic powder
1 pound chicken breasts or 3 pounds chicken, boned and cubed
3 tablespoons oil
2/3 cup cashews
4 ounces canned mushrooms
1 green pepper, cut in cubes
soy sauce
sesame oil

Combine first 5 ingredients. Add chicken and toss to coat; set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok. stir fry cashews and mushrooms 1 minute.

Add green pepper and stir fry 1 minute. Remove.

Heat remaining oil. Add chicken and stir fry until browned. Return vegetables to wok.

Add soy sauce to taste and mix well. Add sesame oil just before removing from heat. Serve over rice.

Moo Goo Gai Pan

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, sliced
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 pound button mushrooms
1 1/4 cup chicken broth
1 cup peanut oil
1/3 cup thinly sliced bamboo shoots
3/4 cup thinly sliced Chinese cabbage
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons water

Sprinkle chicken with 2 teaspoons cornstarch, rice wine, and pepper. Mix well.

Simmer mushrooms in chicken broth 5 minutes. Drain, reserving broth. Heat oil in a wok.

Add chicken and cook, stirring, just until pieces separate and chicken is no longer pink. Drain into a sieve over a bowl. Return 1 tablespoon oil to the wok.

Add mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and Chinese cabbage. Stir fry 2 minutes.

Add chicken broth and sugar. Bring to a boil. Return chicken to the wok.

Dissolve remaining cornstarch in water and add to the wok. Cook, stirring, until thickened.

Serves 4.

Cantonese Wor Wonton Soup

Fillings
1/2 pound ground pork
1/4 pound medium raw shrimp, shelled,
deveined, and coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons minced ginger
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper


24 wonton wrappers
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup bok choy, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 ounces snow peas, trimmed
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 Chinese Barbecued Park or
Virginia ham, thinly sliced
5 dried black mushrooms

Getting Ready

Soak mushrooms in warm water to cover until softened, about 20 minutes; drain. Discard stems and thinly slice caps.

Combine filling ingredients in a bowl; mix well.

Make each wonton

Place 1 heaping teaspoon filling in center of a wonton wrapper; keep remaining wrappers covered to prevent drying. Brush edges of wrapper with water and fold wrapper in half to form a triangle. Pinch edges to seal. Pull two opposite corners together, moisten one corner with water, and overlap with another corner; press to seal. Cover filled wontons with a dry towel to prevent drying.

Cooking

Place broth in a large pot: bring to a boil. Add mushrooms and bok choy and cook for 2 minutes. Add wontons and cook for 3 minutes. Add snow peas and cook for 1 minute. Stir in sesame oil and pepper.

Ladle wontons, vegetables, and broth into 6 deep soup bowls. Garnish each serving with slices of barbecued pork and green onion.

Potato Pierogis "Elegante"

Dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon butter, softened
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
Filling:
4 to 5 medium potatoes, peeled, boiled in water until fork tender
2 teaspoons butter
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 medium onion, finely diced

Additional ingredients for frying:
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 stick butter, plus extra for frying

In a large mixing bowl, add flour, salt, cream cheese, egg, butter, and milk. With your hands mix together until dough forms a ball. Turn out on a floured board and knead until smooth. You may add a little more flour to make the dough pliable. Divide dough into fourths. Put the pieces under a damp cloth, so it won't dry out. Roll the first piece to 1/4 inch of thickness and cut with a 3-inch cookie cutter or a glass. Put pierogi rounds under damp cloth while cutting the rest.

Filling: This may be made ahead of time! Mash hot potatoes. Saute onion in the butter and add this to the hot mashed potatoes along with the cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. You may add a little milk if too dense. The consistency should be a little thicker than mashed potatoes.

Assembly of pierogis: For each pierogi, place 1 tablespoon of potato mixture in the center of the dough circle. Fold over to form a half circle. Seal edges by pinching together with your fingers. I then take a fork and press all along the edges. Repeat with remaining dough filling.

Cooking pierogis: Fill a large pot half full with water and bring to a boil. Drop 5 or 6 pierogis in at a time. When they float to the top, cook for 1 minute. Place in a colander to drain. They will stick to paper towels. Repeat with remaining pierogis.

Frying pierogis: In a large frying pan saute onion in butter and remove onion to a separate bowl. Place pierogis in pan and cook for 2 minutes on each side. You may have to add more butter for frying. Remove and place in a covered casserole dish. When all pierogis are prepared, pour sauteed onion over the top. Serve with sour cream or applesauce.

Easy Cheesy Kielbasa & Noodle Casserole

6 servings

2 tablespoons butter
6 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon horseradish
1/8 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 cups swiss cheese, shredded (8 oz)
8 ounces wide egg noodles, cooked and drained
1/2 cup milk
1 lb kielbasa or smoked sausage, cut into bite size pieces
1 lb fresh broccoli, cleaned, cut into spears
3 large carrots, cleaned, peeled, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
6 medium red potatoes, quartered

In frying pan, melt 1 tbsp butter and sauté onions and and mushrooms until tender.
Add salt, pepper, horseradish and parsley.
In medium bowl, mix together onions, mushrooms, 1 1/2 cups cheese, noodles, and milk.
Spoon into a buttered 13x9" baking dish.
Sauté kielbasa in remaining tablespoon of butter for about 5 minutes.
Arrange kielbasa in center of noodles in baking pan.
Cook vegetables until just tender and arrange around the kielbasa.
Sprinkle remaining cheese over vegetables.
Bake at 375° F for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is heated through.

Easter Baba with Icing

Dough:
1 envelope of dry yeast
½ cup light cream or half-and-half
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups flour
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
1 TBS melted butter
¼ cup raisins

Icing:
½ cup confectioners sugar
1 TBS rum or lemon juice

Dissolve yeast in cream. Combine with half the sugar and flour and let double in size. Add all the remaining ingredients except the raisins and knead until smooth. Add raisins, while continuing to knead. Grease and flour baba pan. Place dough in pan, cover with a clean cloth, and leave in a very warm, draft-free place until doubled in size. Bake at 350F for 35 to 40 minutes. When cool, remove from pan.

Mix well ingredients for icing and drizzle over baba.

Greek Stuffed Peppers and Tomatoes

half pound of ground beef and a half pound of ground veal
5 green peppers
5 round tomatoes
1 red onion
1 clove garlic
1 cup basmati rice
1/3 cup of Extra Virgin olive oil
Basil
Parsley
Mint leaves
Salt and pepper
One egg
Water
Mizigra (Greek cheese) grated or parmesan, grated

Chop up red onion.
Chop up garlic.
Simmer and brown the onion and garlic in the Extra Virgin olive oil.
Add meat for 45 seconds or a minute – cook just until barely pink.
Pour in 1 cup of raw basmati rice, stir for one or two minutes.
Add salt and pepper, continue stirring.
Take off stove, put in mixing bowl.
Add chopped basil, chopped parsley and chopped mint.
Add a handful of the grated cheese to mixture.
Mix it up, add 1 egg – mix it well with hands.
Take tomatoes, cut off tops, to make lids.
Scoop out interior of peppers and tomatoes, throw out insides of peppers.
Take the insides of the tomatoes (tomato meat), chop it up, add to bowl of mixture.
Stuff the peppers and tomatoes three quarters of the way.
Place peppers and tomatoes in cooking casserole.
Pour a half inch of water in bottom of casserole.
Preheat oven 400 degrees.

Pour some more oil over the lids on top of peppers, add a little more salt and pepper.

Cover with aluminum foil, cook in oven for 30 minutes at 285 degrees (take foil off last five minutes).

Beef Slices with Sour Cream and Mushrooms

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 pounds beef eye round, top round, or sirloin, cut in thin steaks
3 tablespoons butter or fat
1 can ( 4 ounces) mushrooms with liquid
1 cup water
6 medium potatoes, cooked; or 3 cups sauerkraut, drained
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup dairy sour cream

Mix flour with salt and pepper. Coat meat with seasoned flour.

Melt butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Brown meat quickly on both sides. Add mushrooms with liquid and water. Cover. Simmer 1 hour, basting occasionally with sauce.

Add potatoes to meat; cook 10 minutes, or until meat and potatoes are tender.

Blend flour into sour cream. Blend into sauce. Bring to boiling and then simmer 5 minutes.

Serves 6

Polish Jelly Doughnuts Paczki

1 ounce melted butter
1 ounce lemon juice
1 ounce rum
1 quart water
1 quart eggs
1/2 quart sugared eggs yolks
1/2 ounce salt
4 1/2 ounces milk powder
1 pound granulated sugar
1 pound, 10 ounces shortening
1 pound cake flour
9 1/2 pounds high gluten flour
1 pound yeast
Vegetable oil, for deep frying

Mix all ingredients, except vegetable oil together in a large mixer fitted with a dough hook for 11 to 12 minutes or until dough reaches 78 degrees F. Set dough aside to rise for 30 to 45 minutes.
Divide and round dough into golf ball-sized pieces, put onto sheet pan and proof until the balls grow to around the size of soft balls, about 30 to 45 minutes.

Preheat a fryer to 360 degrees F.

Deep fry in vegetable oil until golden brown. Cool. Using a piping bag fitted with a plain tip, fill with your favorite preserves and top with powdered sugar.

Hungarian Chicken Paprikas and Dumplings

1 (3 pound) chicken, cut into pieces
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt
2 heaping tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
1 tomato, peeled and chopped
1/2 to 1 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature

Brown the chicken and onions and garlic in the butter till brown, adding salt midway. Remove the chicken and add paprika and cook for 1 minute.

Add the tomato and 1/2 cup chicken broth, lower heat and simmer 5 minutes.

Return chicken to the pan and cook for 30-40 minutes.

Remove the chicken and keep it warm. Sprinkle the flour over the drippings, stirring briskly to smooth and blend and simmer for 3 minutes.

Gradually add enough chicken broth to make 1 cup of liquid, then stir in the heavy cream. When it is heated through, turn off the heat and add the sour cream to the sauce, blending quickly so that it doesn't boil. Spoon over the chicken.

Dumplings
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
About 3/4 to 1 cup water

Mix egg, salt and water. Add enough flour to make a soft dough. Heat a pot of water. Add salt. At the boil, make small teaspoonfuls of the dough and pull it off the plate into the water. When they come to the surface, cook 1-2 minutes and drain. Add to the paprikas sauce.

Hungarian Beef Goulash

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or bacon fat
1 1/2 pounds beef boneless chuck, tip
or round, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2 cups water
1 (8 ounce) can tomatoes (with liquid)
3 medium onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon instant beef bouillon
1/2 teaspoon caraway seed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 medium potatoes, cut into1 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium green bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
French bread or rolls

Heat oil in Dutch oven or skillet until hot. Cook and stir beef in hot oil until brown, about 15 minutes; drain. Add water, tomatoes, onions, garlic, paprika, salt, bouillon, caraway seed and pepper. break up tomatoes with fork. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 1 hour.

Add potatoes; cover and simmer until beef and potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Add green peppers; cover and simmer until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve in soup bowls with French bread for dipping into hot broth.

Yields 6 servings.

Hungarian Pot Roast

1 3 to 4 lb. lean chuck or rump roast
1.5 tsp Paprika
2 tsps salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbs veg. oil
1/2 cup water
1 bay leaf
8 to 10 small whole white onions
8 small carrots, pared
2 8oz cans Hunt's Tomato Sauce with mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. onion salt
2 Tbs minced parsley
1 cup sour cream (optional)

Trim excess fat from meat. Sprinkle with paprika, salt and pepper. Brown in oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add water and bay leaf; simmer, covered, 2 hours or until meat is almost tender. Skim off fat. Place onions and carrots around meat.

Add Hunt's Sauce, garlic and onion salt. Cover; simmer 50 to 60 minutes longer until meat and vegetables are tender. Add parsley.

Just before serving, remove from heat and gradually stir in sour cream, if desired.

Hungarian Sauerkraut and Pork

2 lbs. pork cubed
1 1/2 lbs. sauerkraut, rinse and drained
2 white onions, chopped
2 Tbls. lard or oil (if meat is very lean)
2 Tbls. Hungarian sweet paprika
1 large can of crushed tomato (or fresh tomatoes peeled and crushed)
1 Tbls. sugar
2 Bay leaves
1 cup of water
1/2 pint of sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

Brown the meat and onion (in lard or oil if needed) in a pot with lid. Add the paprika to the meat and onion mix, stir to mix in (do not burn). Put in the drained sauerkraut, crushed tomatoes, bay leaves and sugar. Mix. Cover pot.

Cook slowly for about one hour, or until meat is tender. Add the sour cream and stir it in.

Serve in soup plates, with good crusty bread,

This serves 4 and freezes well.

Cherry Cheese Turnovers

1/4 cup (2 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup cherry pie filling
1 package (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon sliced almonds, chopped

Preheat oven to 375°F. In Small Batter Bowl, combine cream cheese and cherry pie filling.

Unroll crescent roll dough; roll out dough to 8 x 15-inch rectangle using Baker's Rollerâ„¢. Cut 8 circles using Cut-N-Sealâ„¢.

Place 2 teaspoons cherry mixture in center of each circle. Fold dough in half, matching edges; seal with Cut-N-Sealâ„¢. Place on flat Baking Stone. Brush each turnover with egg white using Pastry Brush. Sprinkle with almonds.

Bake 15-17 minutes or until light golden brown.

Yield: 8 turnovers