These cod cakes help make just over a pound of cod (or other fish) go pretty far, so they’re good for a small crowd or family dinner. This leek mustard sauce has some sweet and tangy notes that come from white wine, mustard, sour cream, and apricot jam, which might seem like an odd addition, but it works! If you don’t have apricot jam, you could add a few pinches of sugar, or maybe a tablespoon or two of orange juice. Just make sure to wash your leeks very well before cooking–there is a 100% chance that there is a ton of dirt in between the layers! You can either slice lengthwise and run each layer under water, or, you can chop to your desired size and then put in a large bowl of water. This way, the dirt will settle to the bottom and you can scoop out your clean leeks from the top. I promise it isn’t that much of a hassle, and the leeks are worth it! Also, you can use fresh dill if you want for the cod, I just haven’t had any luck finding it in stores since the start of the Covid lockdown. Anyway, here is the recipe. Smacznego!
Poppy Seed Pastries
Before I go into the recipe, I just wanted to say that I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy and listening to guidance from their respective health officials!!! These days, hand sanitizer is worth its weight in gold, and I don’t think anyone has seen yeast on a grocery store shelf in weeks (why has that been such a hot ticket item along with TP)?
That means there’s 0 chance of makowiec for for Easter this year, as the dough requires yeast. Makowiec is a traditional Polish poppy seed roll cake that is served on holidays such as Christmas and Easter. Poppy seeds are admittedly always hard to find in regular grocery stores, but I had a bag in the back of my kitchen cabinet that I picked up at a Russian store…you’ll find the most luck in any Polish or Russian or other eastern European deli/shop. I also had a package of puff pastry in my freezer. So, with no yeast available in the greater metro area, I decided to make poppy seed puff pastries for Easter this year instead of makowiec. They aren’t the real thing, but they have a lot of the familiar flavors and are faster to put together.
DO NOT EAT THESE (OR MAKOWIEC) IF YOU ARE EXPECTING A DRUG TEST ANYTIME SOON. These desserts use a lot of poppy seeds, and I’m just sayin’ you might test positive for opiates. Yes, it can happen. Continue reading
“Use Everything” Beet Root n’ Greens Salad
While there is more to Polish food than beets, I would like to feature just one more recipe that stars these ruby roots.
Do you know how much food Americans waste every year??? No, I won’t tell you, because it’ll be too upsetting. But it’s a lot. And we have a tendency to get rid of perfectly edible parts of produce all the time (green part of leeks, broccoli stems, etc.) that just need a little love, and usually garlic. Continue reading
Baked White Beans with Tomato Sauce (Fasola Pieczona)
Well hello! It’s been a while. But I’m back with an easy and filling recipe that is kind of a cross between Breton Beans (Fasolka po Bretonsku), which are very popular in Poland, and Greek Gigantes.
You can basically turn these into Breton Beans if you add kielbasa or boczek before baking. These are plenty flavorful without meat. Continue reading
Roasted Carrots
Carrots deserve so much more love than they usually get. With the right seasoning, these budget-friendly vegetables make a great side. Organic carrots truly do taste better, and at approximately $0.89 per lb, it is definitely worth it. If you find them with leaves, you can leave some of the green on, don’t be scared!!! Continue reading
Pierogi with Potato and Cheese (Ruskie Pierogi)
Pierogi are addicting.
The most common fillings are potato and cheese, ground meat, and sauerkraut and mushroom. Sweet cheese and berries are also popular.
They can be served boiled or fried, almost always have a side of sour cream, and the savory versions are usually topped with diced caramelized onions.
Today, we will work on the potato and cheese, aka ruskie pierogi. Continue reading
Pan Fried Cauliflower with Farmer’s Cheese Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
Cauliflower:
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 1/2 cup sunflower oil
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1/4 tsp. Hungarian paprika
Farmer’s Cheese Dipping Sauce:
- 4 tbsp. sour cream
- 4 tbsp. farmer’s cheese (twaróg)
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. fresh chopped parsley
- 1 tsp. fresh chopped dill
Green Beans Polonaise (Fasolka Szparagowa z Bułką Tartą)
Polonaise is the French word for Polish. It refers to a traditional dance, music played in the rhythm of a polonaise (including Chopin’s masterpiece (Polonaise in A-flat major, Op. 53 [Polonaise héroïque]), and dishes garnished with breadcrumbs! Coincidentally, it takes about as long as that video to make this dish, bringing me to proclaim it as the soundtrack to cooking green beans polonaise!
I always have Italian breadcrumbs on hand, which usually have some seasoning and dried parsley. I find that they work best for this. Continue reading
Polish Red Cabbage (Kapusta Czerwona Zasmażana)
I know people in the US associate Polish cuisine with a lot of meat, and don’t get me wrong, the Poles make great kiełbasa and roasts BUT there are A LOT more vegetable dishes than people realize. There is a wide variety of raw starter salads (surówki) and vegetable side dishes, including this one. Culinary stereotypes be damned.
Hey, cabbage is also apparently very good for you, so eat it!
Homemade Chicken Stock
Hey, this ingredient list looks familiar! Yep, because it’s the exact same as the homemade vegetable stock, just with chicken and thyme. The chicken from this stock tastes good, so don’t you dare discard the meat at the end! This stock will be a great base for almost any soup. Continue reading
