Recipes
Table of Contents
Traditional Recipes
Hrutka, Syrek, or Slovak Easter Cheese
Ingredients:
- 1 dozen eggs
- 1 qt of milk
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- dash of allspice
Instructions:
- Combine all the ingredients in a non-stick pot.
- Cook over medium to low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture curdles.
- Pour the mixture into a colander that is lined with cheesecloth (a flour sack towel also works well).
- Once the mixture is drained, pick it up, cheesecloth and all, and shape it into a ball by twisting the top part of the cloth.
- Tightly tie the open end with string, placing the string very close to the top of the ball. BE VERY CAREFUL THIS WILL BE VERY HOT!
- Hang over the sink until cool and all the liquid has drained. Remove the cloth when cool, wrap and refrigerate.
- Slice to serve. Some people cut it into cubes. Whatever works for you, just enjoy it!
Paska (Slovak Easter Bread)
Ingredients:
- 6 cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 cup milk
- 3 eggs
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Raisins (optional)
Instructions:
- Dissolve yeast in warm milk
- Mix all ingredients and knead until smooth
- Let rise until doubled in size
- Shape into round loaves
- Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes until golden brown
Desserts
Zucchini Cake
Ingredients:
- ½ cup oil
- ½ cup melted margarine/butter
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups zucchini, peeled and grated (do not remove juice)
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2½ cups flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 4 Tbsp cocoa powder
- ½ tsp cinnamon
Instructions:
- Using a whisk, mix and blend the first seven ingredients (oil through buttermilk)
- Add remaining ingredients
- Beat well until smooth
- Grease and flour pans (2 bread pans)
- Bake at 350°F for 50 minutes
Optional: Before pouring into pans, add to batter: 1 cup of chopped nuts, or 1 cup blueberries, or 1 cup mini chocolate or peanut butter chips.
Apple Dumplings
Ingredients:
- 2 medium Granny Smith apples
- ½ cup butter
- 1 (8 count) package refrigerated crescent rolls
- ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ cup finely chopped nuts
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°
- Grease an 8-inch square baking dish
- Peel and core apples; cut into quarters
- Unroll crescent roll; place an apple quarter inside and roll up each section
- Place into a baking dish
- Sprinkle with cinnamon
- Combine butter, sugar, and orange juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil
- Remove from the heat and add vanilla
- Pour over dumplings
- Sprinkle nuts on top
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden
Vegetables
Zucchini Casserole
Ingredients:
- 2 small zucchini, sliced in ¼-inch slices
- 2 small onions, chopped
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 8 oz. can Contadina tomato sauce
- 1½ cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
- Oregano, to taste
Instructions:
- Saute the zucchini and onions in butter over low heat
- Cover pan to soften zucchini
- Layer as follows in quart casserole dish: 2 to 3 tablespoons tomato sauce, ⅓ zucchini mixture, ½ cup shredded Mozzarella
- Repeat 3 times, ensuring shredded cheese layer on top
- Sprinkle with oregano
- Bake uncovered at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes
Refrigerator Pickles
Ingredients:
- 6 cups sliced cucumbers (peeled or unpeeled)
- 1 cup sliced onions
- 1 cup vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 1¼ cup sugar
- 1 tsp pickling salt
- 1 tsp celery seed
- ½ tsp mustard seed
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, combine cucumbers and onions; mix well
- In a large saucepan, combine all remaining ingredients except garlic
- Bring to a boil
- Stir to dissolve sugar
- Pour hot vinegar mixture over cucumber mixture; mix well
- Place one garlic clove in each hot sterilized quart jar, or half a clove in a pint jar
- Immediately fill jars with cucumbers and seal
- Refrigerate 24 hours to meld flavors
- Store, refrigerated, up to two months
Freezer Pickles
Ingredients:
- 7 cucumbers, sliced thin
- 1 cup green or red peppers, sliced thin
- 1 cup onion, sliced thin
- 1 cup cider vinegar
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 tsp celery seed
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions:
- Heat vinegar and dissolve the sugar
- Add celery seed and salt; stir well
- Pour over cucumbers, peppers and onion; mix well
- Pack into containers and freeze until ready to use
Gallon Jug Pickles
Ingredients:
- Dill
- 3 cloves garlic
- Cucumbers
- 2 quarts water
- 2 Tbsp white vinegar
- A few drops yellow food coloring
- 10 level Tbsp canning salt
- 2 cups white vinegar
Instructions:
- In a clean, sterilized gallon jar, place plenty of dill and 3 cloves of garlic
- Add sliced cucumbers to fill the jar to the top
- In a saucepan, heat water, white vinegar, yellow food coloring, and canning salt
- Bring to a boil for 10 minutes
- Pour over the cucumbers
- Place the lid tightly onto the jar
- Let stand on the counter at room temperature for three days
- After three days, remove liquid from the jar; set aside
- Add 2 cups white vinegar to the jar; pour the rest of the liquid back into the jar, filling to the top
- Throw out any remaining liquid
- Seal the jar very tightly
- Put the jar into the refrigerator for three days and then they will be ready to eat
Pickled Beets
Ingredients:
- 1½ cup cider or red wine vinegar
- 20 whole cloves garlic
- 4 cinnamon sticks, broken into 2-inch pieces
- 10 whole allspice
- 1 Tbsp mustard seed
- 1 tsp dill weed
- 1 tsp grated lemon rind or finely shredded peel
- ½ tsp chopped fresh basil or dried
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 6 tsp sugar
- 4 - 16 oz. cans whole beets, drained (save liquid)
- 1 extra large onion, sliced into rings
Instructions:
- Bring all ingredients, except sugar, beets, and onion rings, to a boil for 6 minutes, adding onions in thirds as it gently boils
- Add sugar and ¾ cup saved beet liquid
- If needed, add water to beet liquid to equal about ¾ - 1 cup
- Stir until sugar is dissolved
- Add beets
- Cool and refrigerate
- Add 6 peeled and whole hard-cooked eggs to beets, if desired, 24 hours before serving