Fish and Chips are a special treat that we enjoy making on cold winter nights. While fresh fish is best, we rarely have it, but I bet this would taste wonderful after a successful day fishing!
This is best served with a malt vinegar for the chips and a lemon wedge for the fish. A simple salad on the side would be a great addition.
If using frozen fish, be sure to defrost it completely before using.
When the kids were younger, we wanted to introduce them to recipes from around the globe. Allan had a friend from work who shared her recipe that she said was handed down for a few generations. Janet mentioned her family made these for Christmas Eve every year.
We have tried these once or twice and they were good. Last year we could not find jarred grape leaves at any store (this year we ordered early online). We also bought the ground lamb when we found it at the store and froze it so we knew we had it. Finding those ingredients was the hardest part of the recipe!
The recipe we were given uses lamb, but many online recipes use beef. So feel free to use either.
When we made these in 2012, Megan they they were wonderful! The rest of us enjoyed them also, but debated if they were too lemony or not.
Poached chicken is a great way to cook moist chicken for salads or sandwiches. The broth and chicken are good in chicken turmeric soup. The chicken is also wonderful added to Auntie Kristie’s Alfredo.
My mom taught my siblings and me how to make pierogi when we were very little. I can only remember making cheese pierogi and there were no measurements for the filling. “Add potato flakes to cottage cheese until the cottage cheese is dry. Let sit a few minutes and season with salt and pepper.”
Grandma had many different ways to make pierogi, but sauerkraut is probably my favorite. After making, warm up pierogi in a heavy pan with butter and sau·téd onions. If desired, add sour cream before serving. This makes a great meal, but is best when served with green vegetables or salad.
My brother Joe used to love chicken grilled this way and often had extra in the freezer.
It is similar to the chicken we can get at the fair. It uses an easy marinade and is best if made early morning.
While in Colorado, I asked for some recipes from relatives. This is a recipe in Grandma Reble’s handwriting with “Mother’s recipe 8/18/76” written on the top. It would be fun if we could learn where Grandma Porter originally found this recipe.
The crackers help to stretch out how much meat you need. Some of the family liked it as is and did not want changes. Others thought to use less crackers or more meat.
We like it best with tomato sauce with sauted onions over the top. Serve with a fresh salad and either garlic bread or your favorite grain.
Miss Jili is a friend of ours from China. We enjoyed having her over and sharing recipes with us before she moved to finish her schooling. This is a favorite recipe of ours.
Pasties are popular in Calument where Daddy spent a lot of time growing up. He said that Petila’s taxi in Calumet would often take his family to McLain park and then come back at a prearranged time to take them home. His grandmother made them also. There are many recipes for pasties, but all are similar.
Feel free to experiment with the basic recipe. We often make the pasties with cubed meat instead of ground. Be careful not to over stuff the crust, it is much better to have leftover filling! If you can find it, replace part–or all– of the carrots with rutabaga for a more traditional taste.
When serving, I like them best with a little extra butter. Some people serve them with gravy. My mom eats them with ketchup.
I asked Mark what he wanted for dinner when he was home for Spring break. He really wanted a good stew. He gets it at school, but it is often salty and served with noodles.
Stew is a very flexible meal. Add more or less vegetables or add other favorites. Serve with a lettuce salad and maybe some bread, and you have an easy meal.
If you have frozen stew meat, you can still cook it in the crock pot. Skip browning the meat. Start cooking the stew on high in the morning and cook for 8 hours. We prefer to cook the frozen meat for 3 or 4 hours with pepper, garlic and onions, then add the remaining vegetables and spices for the last few hours of cooking.
We enjoy curry in many ways. Allan came up with this simple recipe.
Curry with bones, the way Allan prefers, thickens the sauce better and has more pronounced flavor. I prefer not to have to dig out bones while eating, so make it how ever you prefer.
To stretch the curry more, use more onions and tomatoes and adjust spices. You can also add diced potatoes and peas if desired.
