Slow Cooker Ham and Lentil Stew

For Easter I bought a Ham that was 6.5 pounds and believe it or not, that was the smallest Ham I could find at Wegmans. My family and roommates had dinner at my Apartment but when all was said and done we had at least 3 pounds of ham left.

So after I carved up the ham and packed up lunches for the week, there was still a good bit of meat around the bone. Instead of letting it go to waste I threw it in a crock pot and made this thick and meaty stew. The lentils absorb the the moisture from the ham which gives them a smoky flavor.  

Ingredients:

Smoked Ham--- 2 LBS
Green Lentils--- 1.5 CUPS
Onion (chopped)--- 3/4 CUP
Celery (chopped)--- 1 CUP (about 2 large stalks)
Garlic (minced)--- 2 cloves
Potatoes (diced)--- 1 CUP
Okra (optional)--- 1 CUP
Water or Stock--- 6 CUPS

STEP BY STEP:

• Add lentils as well as cut onion, celery, garlic, potatoes, and okra to crock pot

• Add water and ham to crock pot and set on medium-high for 6 hours

• After time has passed, water should be absorbed by lentils and ham should fall off bone. Remove bones and mix all together

Enjoy!

Paska Bread (Slovak Easter Bread)

I have to give credit where credit is due, my sister Sophia was a big help in making this bread and I'll be the first to admit she's the paska expert- not me. It's a tradition in my house to make this bread every Good Friday or the Friday leading up to Easter. A typical Slovak Easter wouldn't be complete without a loaf of this crumbly, sweet bread. And while it's baking, your home is filled with a rich buttery aroma.  

Ingredients: Yields 8 Loaves

Instant Yeast--- 4 Packets
Salted Butter--- 6 Sticks
Milk--- 2 Qt
Eggs (yolks only)--- 12, large
Sugar--- 1 CUP
All Purpose Flour--- 20 CUPS

Additional Egg (for egg wash)--- 1

STEP BY STEP: 

• In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt and yeast

• In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks with sugar until they turn a lemony yellow color

• Microwave milk for 5 minutes until scalded. Add butter to warm milk

• Add milk to flour little by little. Also add eggs to the flour. Mix and knead as you go

• Knead until dough comes cleanly off your hands

• Cover dough and place onto a heating pad (set to medium/high) for 10 minutes

• Separate into 8 loaves and let rise on the heating pad until they have doubled in size (For about 1 hour)

• Preheat oven to 350F

• Make an egg wash and brush the tops of the loaves

• Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes. Should be a nice golden brown color once ready. 

Let cool before cutting and enjoy! Have a Happy Easter!

Slovak Koláčhe (Poppy Seed/Walnut Roll)

If it wasn't for kolache, I wouldn't be on this Earth. Literally.

My parents met on a business conference and both mentioned their Slovak heritage. They swapped recipes and decided to have a "Koláčhe Cook-off". My Dad messed up his recipe and lost the cook-off but in the long-run, he won because one thing led to another,they got married, and the rest is history.

So when I say if it wasn't for Slovak food I wouldn't be here- I genuinely mean it!

Ingredients:

For the Dough: Makes Two 12" loafs

All Purpose Flour--- 2 CUPS
Sugar--- 1/4 CUP
Milk--- 1 CUP
Instant Yeast--- 1 Packet (2 1/4 TSP)
Vegetable Oil--- 1/4 CUP
Salt--- Pinch

For the Filling: Use 1.5-2 CUPS Filling per loaf

Poppy Seed--- Recipe HERE
or
Walnut--- Recipe HERE
or
Lekvar

Egg (For egg wash)--- 1

STEP BY STEP:

• In a mixing bowl, combine flour, salt and yeast

• Warm milk so it's warm (but not burning hot) to the touch and dissolve sugar in milk.

• Add milk/sugar to flour mixture. Combine all ingredients and knead into a solid ball of dough

• Cover dough and let rise in a warm place for 15 minutes (I use a heating pad). Punch down dough and let rise for another 2 hours. Should just about double in size during that time. To make 2 loafs divide the dough in half.

• Preheat oven to 400F

• Flour a work surface and roll out dough to a thickness similar to a pie crust. Use a pizza cutter to square off edges.

• Evenly spread filling over dough leaving a thin, uncovered border around the edges.  

• Brush egg wash along border and fold dough in 3 equal sections and close bottom fold. Seam should be facing the bottom.

• Brush outside of the koláčhe and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

• Bake koláčhe at 400F for 25 minutes until outside is a beautiful golden brown

Let koláčhe cool and enjoy! 

Hungarian Kiffles

(Walnut-Top, Poppy Seed- Bottom L, Apricot- Bottom R)

In my house, the week leading up to Easter is a baking extravaganza. And the same busyness was mirrored yesterday at the East European Market in State College. Dessert fillings were flying off the shelves and Easter breads were on sale all throughout the store. I bought as much lekvar as I could carry and restocked my supply of poppy seed filling.

Kiffles are traditionally thought to be Hungarian and have been a favorite of mine ever since I was little. At home, we usually stuff them with walnuts, apricot, lekvar and/or poppy seed filling. Although they are considered cookies, I'd stay they are more like pastries. We use a cream cheese based dough which becomes buttery and flaky after baking.  

Ingredients:

For the dough:

Cream Cheese--- 6 OZ
All Purpose Flour--- 2 CUPS
Salted Butter--- 1 CUP (2 sticks)
Water--- As needed

For the filling:

Walnut Filling--- Recipe HERE
Apricot Preserves
Lekvar
Poppy Seed Filling--- Recipe HERE

STEP BY STEP:

• Dice chilled butter and combine with cream cheese using a hand blender

• Add flour 1/2 CUP at a time and mix until ingredients are combined. Add a little water to the dough if it is still not completely pliable. Knead dough until smooth and not sticky.

• Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours (can be refrigerated over night)

• Preheat oven to 350F

• Once time has passed, flour a work surface and rolling pin. Roll out dough to about the same thickness as you would a pie crust

• With a pizza cutter, make 2"x 2" squares from the dough

• Scoop 1 TSP filling per each square. Fold dough edge over edge (it helps so wet edges with water)

• Line a baking pan with parchment paper and bake kiffles at 350F for 15 minutes

• Remove from oven and let cool. 

Poppy Seed Filling

For Kiffles, Kolache and other baked treats!

Ingredients:

Ground Poppy Seed--- 1 LB
Sugar--- 1 CUP
Water--- 3/4 CUP
Salt--- Pinch

STEP BY STEP:

• Combine poppy seed, salt and sugar. Gradually add water to make the mixture more spreadable. 

Poppy seed filling in Kolache

Walnut Filling

For Kiffles, Kolache and other baked treats!

Ingredients:

Walnuts (Finely chopped)--- 1 LB
Sugar--- 1 CUP
Butter (melted)--- 2 TBSP
Egg Whites--- 3
Milk--- 1-2 OZ
Salt--- Pinch

STEP BY STEP:

• In a mixing bowl, combine walnuts, sugar, and salt. Mix evenly.

• Add melted butter and whisked egg whites to bowl and stir until mixutre becomes thick and syrupy. Add milk as needed to make the filling more spreadable. 

Kiffles with walnut filling

Scrapple

It doesn't get much more Pennsylvanian than Scrapple which is just as iconic as Shoofly Pie and Pierogies. This is a PA Dutch staple and can be found as a breakfast-side at many diners across the state. When pan fried, scrapple is light & crispy on the outside and tender & rich on the inside. I go to Kolb's Butcher in Spring City, PA for my scrapple. They make some of the best scrapple in the area if not the state!

So what's in scrapple? Well, let's just say that is the left over parts of a pig mixed with cornmeal. But those daring enough to try this dish will be pleasantly surprised!

Ingredients:

Scrapple--- 1 LB

All Purpose Flour--- 3/4 CUP

Salt and Pepper--- Pinch

Vegitable Oil--- 2 TBSP

STEP BY STEP:

• 1. Cut scrapple into squares about 1/4" thick

• 2. Mix flour with salt and pepper, coat all sides scrapple with flour

• 3. Oil large pan and fry scrapple for 2 minutes on side. Scrapple should have a light brown color and be somewhat crisp on the outside. 

• 4. Place cooked scrapple on a paper towel to absorb excess oil

My family usually pours maple syrup over top of this iconic Pennsylvanian treat!

CRS Meal Week 5: Kawunga (Cornmeal with Beans)

Kawunga is a humble dish that hails from Rwanda. This is a great meal if you're looking for a simple Lenten dinner, and it's another fast and low cost meal that I found on the Rice Bowl Website. This recipe yields about 2 servings and I would say it only costs about $1 a serving to make. Since the price is right, I'd recommend Kawunga for any cash-strapped college student!!

I liked the idea of using the cornmeal like a bread roll or biscuit. I found that this is really similar to polenta, which goes to show that in a way, we're all united by food!

Ingredients: Serves 2

Cornmeal--- 3/4 CUP
Water--- 2.5 CUPS
Black Beans--- 1 Can
Coconut or Soy Milk--- 1/2
Onion (chopped)--- 1/4 CUP
Chili Powder--- 2 TSP
Salt and Ground Pepper--- To Taste
Olive Oil--- 2 TBSP

STEP BY STEP:

• Cut onions and saute in a well oiled pan. Once onions are tender, add beans, chili powder, salt and pepper to the pan.

• Add milk to the pan and let simmer for 10 minutes or until excess liquid has evaporated.

• In medium-sized pot, bring water to a boil

• Add cornmeal to water and reduce heat. Stir for 5 minutes or until the cornmeal forms into a solid ball. 

Serve beans and cornmeal together or even on top of one another!