BBQ Baked Beans

One of my favourite summer sidedishes. Great with anything BBQed.

1 small onion
16 oz. can of pork & beans
1 pt your favourite spicey BBQ sauce (I like Bullseye original)
2 tsp. brown sugar
3 oz. prepared mustard
Dash of Worcestershire sauce

Pre-heat oven to 350F. Chop onion. Saute onion in saucepan. Put remaining ingredients into a bowl, stir to mix. Add sauted onions, stir. Pour into an oven-proof baking dish. Bake for 1 hour.

Variations

For a slightly different dish, add sliced weiners before baking. Or add grated cheese on top after the 1 hour. Bake another 5 - 10 mins. until cheese melts.

Servess 4

Enjoy,
Myrna

Mashed Potatoes with Mustard & Onions

I just love this recipe, it gives new life to the old mashed potato.

1 kg potatoes, peeled, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp butter (more if required)
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp prepared mustard

You can either boil or roast the cubed potatoes.
Boil potatoes until tender, drain... or roast diced potatoes until done. Meanwhile, heat oil and some butter in frying pan, cook onions, stirring over low heat, about 15 mins, or until onion lightly browns. Add sugar and vinegar, cook, stirring until sugar disolves.

Mash potatoes with milk & 1 tsp of butter until smooth. Stir in mustard and 1/2 of the onions. Serve potatoes topped with the remaining onions.

Enjoy,
Myrna

Holubchi (Cabbage Rolls)

There are so many ways to make this Slavic dish. This is my Moms'. The Cabbage rolls are meant to be made small, just slightly larger than your thumb.

***PLEASE NOTE*** You will need to prepare cabbage a few days ahead, as it needs to be blanched, frozen,then thawed before making the rolls.

1 head green cabbage
1 can tomato soup
salt and pepper to taste
1 small onion, chopped
1 c. pearl or sushi rice
Seasoning salt
few slices of bacon, cooked crisp & crumbled (optional)
small amount of sauerkraut (optional)

Remove core of cabbage. In large pot of boiling water, blanch cabbage. Taking leaves apart carefully as they blanch. DO NOT COOK THROUGH. Remove leaves as they soften, immediately plunge into cold water to stop the cooking process. When all leaves have been blanched, and put into water, pat dry, put into plastic bags, then freeze for 2-3 days.

Thaw cabbage, then cut out the rib of each leaf (this makes the cabbage rolls softer). Meanwhile, wash rice thoroughly and cook as per package instructions ***do not fully cook rice, it needs to remain a bit hard***. Drain rice. Fry the onions. Add most of the onions (reserve some to be put between the layers of cabbage rolls), cooked bacon, salt & pepper to rice, mix well.

Cut each cabbage leaf into a rough triangle, the longest side being just slightly larger than your thumb. In the centre of each leaf, place a small amount of the rice mixture. Roll up, folding ends in as you go.

Spray a large casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Place a layer of rolls into the casserole dish, sprinkle with seasoning salt. Pour some of the tomato soup over top, add a bit of drained sauerkraut if you like. Repeat with the rest of the layers. Before baking, add some water to almost the top of the cabbage rolls, then add some fried onion and a bit of butter. Bake at 350F for about 1hr. covered, test after 1 hr, add more water if required. Cook until cabbage rolls are soft, and rice is done.

***the cooking time varies for some reason, it shouldn't be done in less than an hour, but could take up to 2.5 hours.

Enjoy,
Myrna

Beet Leaf Rolls

Since today is Good Friday and I'm not allowed to eat meat (only 2 days of the year--a religious thing), I thought I'd add this meat-less wonder.

This has got to the be the most awesome and addictive Ukranian/Russian/Polish dishes I've ever tasted. It was handed down on my Maternal Grandmother's (Baba's) side, for who knows how long. We don't know the actual name of the dish (I usually just ask my Mom to make the beet-leaf thingies) or where in Russia, Ukraine, or Poland it came from...as none of my other relatives have ever heard of it. My Mom suggested it may have started with the Doukhobors. Whatever it's origin it's delicious. Anyways, here goes...

40 young beet leaves med. sized
1 pk frozen bread dough, or make your own
1/4 c. butter
4 tsp. dill weed
1 tsp. garlic powder
500 ml half and half cream (or fresh farm cream)

Wash & dry beet leaves. Thaw bread and let rise. Cut dough into 3 inch lengths and roll finger-like. Wrap beet leaf around bread dough. Place in well buttered large square casserole dish. Bake at 350F until golden brown. Boil cream, add dill. Pour over beet rolls and bake for additional 20 minutes, covered. Remove from oven and serve.

Enjoy,
Myrna

Fried Eggplant & Onions

I don't even know how to describe this one, It's just so good. It's kind of a curry dish, but the mustard seed gives most of the taste to this dish.

2 large eggplants, thinly sliced
oil
2 large onions, sliced
1 tsp yellow mustard seed, or prepared mustard
1 tsp black mustard seed
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1/3 c. sultana
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp flour
2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/3 c. plain yoghurt
2 tbsp coconut milk (I use a bit more, but I love coconut milk)

Fry eggplant til lightly browned, remove from pan, keep warm. Heat oil in saucepan, add onions & mustard seeds, stir over med. heat for about 4 mins. or until onions are soft & seeds begin to pop. Stir in sesame seeds, stir over med. heat for about 1min. or until seeds are golden.

Stir in sultanas, chili powder, turmeric, flour & sugar. Stir over med. heat for 2 mins. Stir in juice, yoghurt & coconut milk, bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 3 mins. Put eggplant back into pan, heat & serve.

Serves 4

Enjoy,
Myrna

Sweet & Sour Red Cabbage

One day I had a craving for this, I'd never even had it before. Guess it's my Ukranian/Russian heritage coming out. At any rate, I went in search of a recipe that made my mouth water, and this was it. I can't even remember where I found this one.

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 onion, sliced
1/2 apple, peeled, cored, chopped
4 c. thinly sliced red cabbage
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 tsp celery seed
1/4 c. crumbled, well cooked bacon (I like the maple flavoured stuff)

Heat oil in large saucepan over med-high heat. Add onion and apple, and saute until golden. About 7 minutes. Add cabbage, vinegar, sugar & celery seed and cook until cabbage is crisp-tender and liquid is reduced to a glaze, about 10 mins. Mix in bacon, season with salt & pepper. Serve.

Serves 4

Enjoy,
Myrna