Recipe(tried): Almost summer! Aunt Mame's Fresh Kielbasa, Potato Salad, Crunchy Cole Slaw, Almost Lovely Cookies
MenusEnjoying warmer weather and hoping it will last longer than a day, here's an "almost-summer" menu. This is a sort of "best-of-the-Midwest" gathering of favorites: fresh kielbasa is juicy and tender, especially with cool crunchy cole slaw, crisp Italian rolls, hot mustard, and creamy potato salad. Add a fruit salad to round out the meal. Top it off with a family favorite, Aunt Edies' incomparable Almost Lovely cookies - they've got a "short crumb" that makes them melt in your mouth - thanks to the cream of tartar. Hope you enjoy--
AUNT MAME'S FRESH KIELBASA
Buy freshly made kielbasa from a good butcher, as much as you want. Put in a large pot and cover with cold water by 3-4 inches. Bring to a boil. Then cover the pan and turn down the heat til it just simmers. Let cook 2-3 hours. Be careful never to pierce sausage with a fork.
Remove sausages to a plate and let sit 1/2 hour. Then cut into 2 to 3 inch pieces.
Warm a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add sausages and watch carefully, turning often to brown on all sides and heat through. Leave the cover on except when turning the sausages. Don't add extra fat. If the sausages warm slowly, they'll give off enough fat for browning. Take your time browning them so they're a nice golden-brown on all sides, without burning. Lower the heat if needed. If you cook slowly - over 45 minutes to an hour - the sausages will melt in your mouth.
For a crowd, brown the sausages slowly in a Nesco roaster and then cover to keep and keep warm. Serve with brown mustard.
GRANDMA BETTY'S POTATO SALAD
3 eggs (or more to taste)
3/4 thinly sliced celery
1/2 cup finely diced onion
6 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed into bite sized pieces
2 tsp kosher salt (plus more, to taste)
Freshly ground pepper
Miracle Whip or mayonnaise - your choice
Hard cook eggs: Place in small pan, cover with cold water. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat. Turn off heat and cover. After 14 minutes, drain off water and run cold water over eggs until cooled. Peel and chop into bite-sized pieces. Place in large bowl with prepared celery and onion.
Meanwhile, put potatoes in large pot, nearly cover with water, and add 2 tsp salt. Bring to boil. Cook until just tender, checking with a thin knife. Be careful not to overcook.
Drain potatoes and add to large bowl with the egg mixture while steaming hot. Sprinkle with 1 tsp salt and pepper to taste.
Add Miracle Whip or mayonnaise immediately, while potatoes are still hot. Begin with about 1 cupful, then add 1/4 to 1/2 cupfuls as needed to make a creamy mixture. Use a flexible spatula to fold in dressing. The hot potatoes will absorb the dressing, so be careful to add enough so the mixture is not stiff, but a little fluid. It will firm up as it cools.
Let mixture cool about an hour. Taste and correct salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. Best if made the day before serving.
CRUNCHY COLE SLAW
1/2 of a red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 of a green bell pepper, finely diced
1 medium onion, finely diced
Large bag pre-made cole slaw or broccoli slaw
1 package ramen noodles, seasoning packet discarded
1 (4 oz) bag sliced almonds
Mix all in large bowl, after breaking up ramen noodles with hands. Add dressing [as follows] and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
FOR THE DRESSING:
1/2 cup canola oil
4 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 Tbsp vinegar
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Place ingredients for the dressing in covered container and shake well before pouring entire contents over slaw.
AUNT EDIE'S ALMOST LOVELY COOKIES
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar (plus sugar for rolling dough)
2 eggs
1 cup canola oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
5 cups unsifted flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 1/2 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Make sure butter will just barely dent when pressed with a finger. If too soft, the cookies will spread and burn.
Cream butter and sugar well, until light and fluffy. Add in eggs and beat well. Add remaining ingredients and beat well.
Make one inch balls from dough, and roll in sugar. May use colored sugar if desired. Place on ungreased cookie sheets 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly with a sugared fork. Dip fork in water, then in sugar; re-sugar as needed.
Bake 10 minutes. Cool on racks.
AUNT MAME'S FRESH KIELBASA
Buy freshly made kielbasa from a good butcher, as much as you want. Put in a large pot and cover with cold water by 3-4 inches. Bring to a boil. Then cover the pan and turn down the heat til it just simmers. Let cook 2-3 hours. Be careful never to pierce sausage with a fork.
Remove sausages to a plate and let sit 1/2 hour. Then cut into 2 to 3 inch pieces.
Warm a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add sausages and watch carefully, turning often to brown on all sides and heat through. Leave the cover on except when turning the sausages. Don't add extra fat. If the sausages warm slowly, they'll give off enough fat for browning. Take your time browning them so they're a nice golden-brown on all sides, without burning. Lower the heat if needed. If you cook slowly - over 45 minutes to an hour - the sausages will melt in your mouth.
For a crowd, brown the sausages slowly in a Nesco roaster and then cover to keep and keep warm. Serve with brown mustard.
GRANDMA BETTY'S POTATO SALAD
3 eggs (or more to taste)
3/4 thinly sliced celery
1/2 cup finely diced onion
6 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed into bite sized pieces
2 tsp kosher salt (plus more, to taste)
Freshly ground pepper
Miracle Whip or mayonnaise - your choice
Hard cook eggs: Place in small pan, cover with cold water. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat. Turn off heat and cover. After 14 minutes, drain off water and run cold water over eggs until cooled. Peel and chop into bite-sized pieces. Place in large bowl with prepared celery and onion.
Meanwhile, put potatoes in large pot, nearly cover with water, and add 2 tsp salt. Bring to boil. Cook until just tender, checking with a thin knife. Be careful not to overcook.
Drain potatoes and add to large bowl with the egg mixture while steaming hot. Sprinkle with 1 tsp salt and pepper to taste.
Add Miracle Whip or mayonnaise immediately, while potatoes are still hot. Begin with about 1 cupful, then add 1/4 to 1/2 cupfuls as needed to make a creamy mixture. Use a flexible spatula to fold in dressing. The hot potatoes will absorb the dressing, so be careful to add enough so the mixture is not stiff, but a little fluid. It will firm up as it cools.
Let mixture cool about an hour. Taste and correct salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. Best if made the day before serving.
CRUNCHY COLE SLAW
1/2 of a red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 of a green bell pepper, finely diced
1 medium onion, finely diced
Large bag pre-made cole slaw or broccoli slaw
1 package ramen noodles, seasoning packet discarded
1 (4 oz) bag sliced almonds
Mix all in large bowl, after breaking up ramen noodles with hands. Add dressing [as follows] and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
FOR THE DRESSING:
1/2 cup canola oil
4 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 Tbsp vinegar
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Place ingredients for the dressing in covered container and shake well before pouring entire contents over slaw.
AUNT EDIE'S ALMOST LOVELY COOKIES
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar (plus sugar for rolling dough)
2 eggs
1 cup canola oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
5 cups unsifted flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 1/2 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Make sure butter will just barely dent when pressed with a finger. If too soft, the cookies will spread and burn.
Cream butter and sugar well, until light and fluffy. Add in eggs and beat well. Add remaining ingredients and beat well.
Make one inch balls from dough, and roll in sugar. May use colored sugar if desired. Place on ungreased cookie sheets 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly with a sugared fork. Dip fork in water, then in sugar; re-sugar as needed.
Bake 10 minutes. Cool on racks.
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