Slovenian Recipes

Menu Chicken Paprikash (Kokošli Paprikaš) Green Salad Chicken paprikash is familiar to most Americans.  It is another one of those Slovenian dishes with Hungarian origins. The Progressive Slovene Women offered a straightforward recipe along with the proper Slovenian name: kokošli paprikaš. I made just a few adaptations.  Instead of a whole cut up chicken, I used chicken breasts. I browned the onions and paprika before adding the chicken, not after.  I used light sour cream, just because it was on hand. The other change was unplanned.  I ended up using more flour to coat the chicken than the single tablespoon the recipe suggested.  That is probably why the sauce was a little heavier than we would have liked. 3 lb. chicken breasts (bone in) salt to season chicken flour to coat (1-3 T.) 2 T. oil 1 onion, chopped 1 1/2 T. paprika 1/8 t. cayenne 1 1/2 c. hot water 1/2 c. sour cream Cut up chicken pieces, salt them, and coat with flour. ...

  My grandmother used to bake bread and distribute the loaves to people in their Slovenian neighborhood in Cleveland.  As a little girl, my mother used to accompany her mother, when she made the rounds. "She just gave it away?" This puzzled me, because  I knew the family didn't have much money, especially during the Depression. Yes, my mother assured me.  My grandmother was an open-hearted woman who believed in sharing what she had.  Oh, one more thing.  Somewhere along the line, she got some training as a hairdresser.  So she also used to give free haircuts. These stories do fit with my own memories of my grandmother's generous spirit.  Still,  I can't help but wonder if there might have been some bartering going on, or if she had a little business on the side. Grandma's Homemade Bread, as we always called it, was a high point of our regular Sunday afternoon gatherings at the little bungalow she shared with Grandpa.  They co-...

I found a recipe for “Holiday Sangria” on Pinterest that looked delicious, so I decided to try it.  Our family always has an awesome New Year’s Eve party, and this year was no exception.  You may be thinking “A New Year’s Eve party with your family Court’s Holiday Sangria: 1 (750 ml) bottle of red zinfandel 1 bottle cranberry-pomegranate juice 1 cup orange juice 1 cup simple syrup 1 apple, halved and thinly sliced 1 orange, halved and thinly sliced 1 lemon, halved and thinly 1 cup fresh cranberries Sparkling water Add everything together except the sparkling water, and let it chill out in the fridge overnight.  Add the sparkling water right before serving (I think I did about half of a 2 liter bottle- so about 1 liter!). It was a hit at the party, so I think we’ll have to bring it back next year too!

I’ve tried recipes for black bean brownies before (1 can beans, pureed + 1 box brownie mix= a pretty tasty fudgy brownie….by the way that’s a recipe I learned from a friend’s mom) so I thought it was high time to address a high protein, high fiber, low fat solution to the brownie’s paler cousin, the blondie.  Don’t be afraid. You really can’t taste the beans unless you’re looking for them.  I’m still fiddling around with this recipe, but they were a hit with my family- gone in 2 days! (I thought they were much better warm and on the first day)  I know some of you will think this is disgusting, but if I gave it to you without telling you what was in it….you might just like it! (But of course, I wouldn’t do that to you. So, without further ado, here’s the recipe.  Try it out yourself!  It’s also good with butterscotch chips or white chocolate chips added! 1 cup tightly packed dark brown sugar 1 can of white beans, drained and rinsed ½ cup skim milk 1 ...

These days I try my best not to miss a Daring Bakers challenge. March has been full of so many emotions with Spring and the sunny weather making an appearance every now and then. Baking brioche is such a nice addition to a cup of tea in the afternoon. This recipe is wonderful. Thanks Jamie and Ria! The March 2011 Daring Baker’s Challenge was hosted by Ria of Ria’s Collection and Jamie of Life’s a Feast . Ria and Jamie challenged The Daring Bakers to bake a yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake. For the yeast coffee cake dough: 4 cups (600 g / 1.5 lbs.) flour ¼ cup (55 g / 2 oz.) sugar ¾ teaspoon (5 g / ¼ oz.) salt 1 package (2 ¼ teaspoons / 7 g / less than an ounce) active dried yeast ¾ cup (180 ml / 6 fl. oz.) whole milk ¼ cup (60 ml / 2 fl. oz. water (doesn’t matter what temperature) ½ cup (135 g / 4.75 oz.) unsalted butter at room temperature 2 large eggs at room temperature For the meringue: 3 large egg whites at room temperature ¼ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon vanilla ½ cup (110 g / 4 oz.) sug...

It has been a while since I wrote here for the last time. Life has been hectic over the past months. I still find a little time to blog but I've done it in Portuguese . No time for the english corner, which I miss a lot. Better days will come, I'm sure. In the meanwhile, here is my Panna Cotta with Rhubarb Jelly , and just the smell of Florentine Cookies that didn't last enough to be caught on camera! The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies. Giada's Vanilla Panna Cotta 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk 1 tablespoon (one packet) (15 ml) (7 gm) (¼ oz) unflavored powdered gelatin 3 cups (720 ml) whipping cream (30+% butterfat) 1/3 cup (80 ml) honey 1 tablespoon (15 ml) (15 gm) (½ oz) granulated sugar pinch of salt Pour the milk into a bowl or pot and sprinkle gelatin evenly and thinly over the milk (make sure the ...

Again I'm late with my season's greetings. Let me start wishing you all a delicious 2011! Now on to the cake. Stollen is a traditional Christmas cake made with mixed peel, fruit and citrus zest. It was on my to do list for a while, just waiting for the opportunity. This Christmas I finally baked Stollen, and we all enjoyed it very much. The 2010 December Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Penny of Sweet Sadie’s Baking . She chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ to make Stollen. She adapted a friend’s family recipe and combined it with information from friends, techniques from Peter Reinhart’s book.........and Martha Stewart’s demonstration . Stollen Wreath Makes one large wreath or two traditional shaped Stollen loaves. Serves 10-12 people ¼ cup (60ml) lukewarm water (110º F / 43º C) 2 packages (4 1/2 teaspoons) (22 ml) (14 grams) (1/2 oz) active dry yeast 1 cup (240 ml) milk 10 tablespoons (150 ml) (140 grams) unsalted butter (can use salted butter) 5½ cups (1320 ml) (27 ozs) ...