BERTHA LUCKACHINA'S

POTATO SOUP

• Peel and dice 5 potatoes.

• Cover with water and cook.

• Add salt, pepper, celery salt and garlic powder.

• While potatoes cook, mix 2 tablespoons flour with water until smooth.  

• Add flour mixture to 16 ounces sour cream and 1 can green beans.

• Add to potato soup and let simmer.

• Melt 1/4 pound butter.

• Add 1 large diced onion and fry until golden.

• Add to soup with 1 tablespoon white vinegar.

PIEROGI 

DOUGH:   Mix 2 cups flour with 1 teaspoon salt. Add 1 egg and 2/3 cup cool water. Knead lightly. Cover with kitchen towel and set aside. 

POTATO FILLING:

Mash 4 large cooked potatoes. Add 1 large chopped onion sauteed in 1/2 cup vegetable oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cool. 

TO FORM PIEROGI:

Roll dough thin. Cut rounds with inverted water glass. Hold round in palm. Place spoonful of filling in center. Fold in half. Press edges to seal. Lay on dry kitchen towel and cover. 

TO COOK PIEROGI:  Drop into a large pot of boiling water, a few at a time. Boil rapidly about 4 minutes. Lift out into colander and rinse with hot water. Drain. Coat with melted butter. Keep hot. Serve with sour cream.

Guacamole' with Fresh Baked Tortilla chips

Submitted by Christine Leggo

Prep Time= 15 min

Cook Time= 15 min

Serves 4-6 servings

Guacamole:

• 4 firm, ripe avocados, halved, pitted, and peeled

• 1/2 medium white onion, minced (about 4 tablespoons)

• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

• 1 medium lime, fresh squeezed (about 2 tablespoons) 

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chips:

12 fresh corn tortillas

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Kosher salt

In a medium bowl, coarsely mash the avocado. Lightly mix in the onion, cilantro and the lime juice. Season the guacamole liberally with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Brush each tortilla lightly with oil. Slice the tortillas into 8ths. Using 2 baking sheets, distribute half the chips onto each sheet, making sure they are evenly spread out and not overlapping. (If the chips overlap they will not crisp in the oven.) Bake on the top rack until golden and crispy, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven to a serving bowl. Season with salt and serve immediately.

Cook's Note: Season your chips with chipotle powder and/or garlic salt before baking for extra flavor.

                  PASKA

10-12 Cups flour

2 Cups warm milk       

1 Cup butter

1 Cup sugar

6 Eggs beaten 

1 Tbs. vanilla

1 Tbs. salt

1 Ounce fresh yeast

1 Cup raisins

• Dissolve yeast in warm milk with pinch of sugar.

• Combine dry ingredients (sugar, salt, flour).

• Add liquids- warm milk and melted butter. Then beaten eggs and vanilla.

• Mix well in mixer until well blended and comes away easily from bowl. Add raisins (optional)

• Let rise until double in bulk.

• Place in greased pan about 1/2 full and let rise again.

• Brush with beaten egg- just before ready for oven.

• Preheat oven--  350 degrees

• Bake about 45 minutes until golden brown. Larger loaves take a little longer.

• Place on rack to cool.

•  

Makes 2 large breads.

1. Cook fish in pot of water and save fish stock to thin.

2. Combined butter and flour in sauce pan. Cook for 5 minutes. Don’t brown.

3. Gradually add half and half to mixture and milk as needed.

4. Finally add the remaining ingredients and fish stock to thin as needed.

5. Cook 5-10 minutes and serve over rice.

HALUSHKI

Rita Holodick 

1 large (or 2 small) head(s) of cabbage chopped. 

Boil the cabbage for 10 minutes. Drain.

Chop 3 large onions and sauté in 1 lb. of butter.

Mix the cabbage, onions, and butter.

Boil noodles as directed. Drain.

Now mix the noodles with the cabbage, onions, and butter and enjoy!

EASTER EGG CHEESE

(Hrutka)

• 1 dozen eggs
  1 qt milk (whole or 2 percent)
  1 tsp vanilla (optional) or 1-2 tablespoons honey (optional)
  1 tbs sugar
  pinch salt
  
  Beat eggs well; add milk and salt and mix well.
  
  Cook over medium heat in a stainless, glass, or enamel pan, stirring occasionally until lumpy and the water is clear. Pour through 4 thicknesses of cheesecloth, tie into a ball and hang to drain until set and cold. Refrigerate over night.

EASTER CHEESE - CIROK

• 12 Eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 Qt. of milk
• 1/2 Tsp. vanilla
• Sugar to taste (between 1-5 Tbsp.)
• Pinch of salt
• Cheesecloth
  
  Combine the above ingredients and cook over medium heat in double boiler until mixture curles.
  Stir constantly!
  Place in cheesecloth
  Squeeze in cheesecloth
  Tie to form a ball
  Hang until well drained, for several hours
  When cool remove from cloth
  Refrigerate and enjoy!

TWO HOUR NUT ROLL

2 Cakes of yeast dissolved in 1/2 cup of water
6 Cups flour
1 Tsp. salt
3 Tbs. sugar
1/2 Cup butter or margarine
3 Eggs, beaten
1 Cup sour cream

Combine flour, salt, sugar, eggs, butter, and sour cream.
Add yeast and blend well (the less time you work dough with your hands the better off it is).
Divide dough into 4 parts.
Roll each part thin, as though for a jelly roll.
Spread nut filling or poppy seed filling.
Roll up and place on a greased pan.
Place a piece of aluminum foil between the rolls.
Allow them to rise for 1 hour or until double in size.
Brush the rolls with a beaten egg if desired
Bake in a 350 oven for 35 - 40 minutes
Brush with butter or margarine when you take them from the oven this will keep the loafs soft.

Nut Filling -

1 Lb. ground walnuts
1/2 Cup sugar
1/4 Cup honey
1/2 Cup warm milk

Sprinkle sugar over ground nuts in bowl.
Add honey and warm milk and mix.
More milk may be added to make it spread easier.
Brush rolled out dough with melted butter.
Then spread on nut filling.

Poppy Seed Filling -

1 Lb. ground poppy seed
1/2 Cup sugar
1/4 Cup honey
1/4 Cup warm milk
2 Tbs. butter

Combine poppy seed and sugar in bowl.
Add melted butter, honey, and warm milk and mix until well blended.
Brush dough with melted butter.
Spread on rolled out dough.

BRADED BREAD

1- Use this same recipe as above, following all the directions except the preparation for the pans.
2-After the second rise and your dough is now ready for the third rise, divide your dough into six pieces.
3- Make your pieces long, but the same length, and not thin.
4- Then braid the three pieces, so you have two breads.
5- Place on baking sheet.
6- Let raise until double in bulk.
7- While waiting for it to rise die an uncooked room temperature egg in red dye, dry it.
8- Place the red egg in the center of the bread to be baked. (it will cook as the bread bakes)
9- Brush the bread with beaten egg, but not the red egg.
10- When you remove it from the oven, brush with butter.

Now this is my own way of doing braided bread, there may be an easier way, but a lot of people asked me for it, and this is the way I figured out how to do it. So don’t be afraid to experiment!

HRUDKA - EASTER CUSTARD

2 Dozen eggs
1/2 Cup sugar
1 Tsp. vanilla
5 Cups milk
Need Cheesecloth and string
Place for either:
1. A weight for flat surface to make loaf shape
2. A place to hang the cheese as it drains for round shape

Beat eggs, add milk, sugar, vanilla and beat well.
Cook over low heat until mixture begins to curdle and only water remains.
Pour into cheesecloth, squeeze and tie tightly.
Place on flat surface with the weight on top for several hours for the loaf.
Or hang up and drain for a round type of cheese.
 

HRIN

4 cans whole baby beets beets (drained)
1/2 to 1 cup horseradish (depends on taste)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar

Cooking Instructions:
Put beets in blender or food processer and grind
mix with the horseradish
add other ingredients, mix
and store in jar in the refrigerator.