Kugelis (Lithuanian Potato Pudding)

This is Joy's old family recipe she hardly ever measure but this is close. Joy with her five brothers and three sisters growing up were fond of this time consuming treat. I like this for breakfast sliced about 1/2" thick then saute for a crisp crust and top with sour cream - sooooo good. 10 large baking potatoes 1 medium onion ½ lb slab bacon diced 2 teas salt ¼ teas pepper 4 or more eggs Peel and hand grate onion and potatoes. Fry diced bacon until crisp pour half the fat and bacon over grated potatoes. Add salt pepper and beaten eggs and mix well. Pour into greased 9x13” pan bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 and bake for an hour or longer. Cut into squares and serve with sour cream. Delicious!

Spicy Meatballs

We all love spicy chicken wings but sometimes a little change with the same sauce is a welcome treat. Again Joy have brought this dish to potlucks with rave reviews. The leftovers can be used in a spaghetti and meatball sauce. 1lb ground beef 1lb ground pork 1 lb Italian turkey sausage 3 eggs 1 cup soft bread crumbs 1/3 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese ½ cup milk or cream or half and half Salt and pepper to taste ½ teas each dried basil, thyme, oregano and rosemary Mix all the ingredients together add salt and pepper starting with a teas of each and microwave to taste until the flavor is achieved without an over whelming salt taste. Roll into meatballs about the size of ping pong balls or smaller. At this point you can lightly brown them and finish cooking them in the oven preheated at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or just cook them in the 400 degree oven single layer for 20 mins or until done. Serve with the spicy “Hot fire chicken wings” sauce in this book .Enjoy

Roasted Vegetables

This side dish is Joy's friend Britta’s favorite. The blending of all the fresh herbs, the garlic, garlic and then more garlic in the olive oil base marinade make this a stand out dish! Joy love herbs, chilies, and garlic as condiments paired with fresh roasted vegees purrrfect…I know our Leilani likes this one, especially when Joy makes it into a toasted sandwich. The Marinade Rosemary Basil Flat leaf parsley Cilantro Thyme Tarragon (this is strong not too much) Oregano Jalapeno Garlic (can be roasted if garlic is too strong for your taste but use much more) Olive oil Lemon, lime juice of, or yuzu sauce Salt, cayenne and black pepper Zucchini, Green, red yellow peppers, Egg plant, Mushrooms any kind or a combo, Red or sweet onion, Green beans or haricot covet, snap peas, Okra or any veggie in season In a food processor or equivalent appliance blend handfuls of the washed herbs with olive oil citrus juice and seasoning. Wash, dry and cut into large serving pieces the vegees cover with some of the marinade. Place the marinaded vegees in a roasting pan and put in a 400o oven for between 30 to 45 mins or in a barbecue basket and grill until done on the grill on both sides. Sauce can be heated or used raw on finished vegees! Bon apetit!

New England Fish Chowder

This is so good with Joel’s fresh caught halibut. 2lbs boneless halibut fillets 8 slices of bacon cut into ½” pieces 1 ½ cups chopped onion 1 small diced green bell pepper 1 clove crushed garlic 1 seeded and diced jalapeno 3 cups diced peeled potato 3 teasp salt 2 cups boiling water or low salt fish, clam or chicken broth 3 cups milk 1 cup light cream 1/8 teasp pepper Fresh or dried thyme (4 sprigs fresh or 1 teas dried) Dash cayenne pepper Roux (made with equal parts butter and flour melt ½ stick unsalted butter than add ¼ cup flour and cook slowly until flour taste is gone, this is called the blonde stage, it will bubble for a minute or 2) Make the roux in a heavy bottom stock pot or dutch oven. In a sauté pan cook the diced bacon until crisp. Remove bacon, save and in a small amount of the fat sauté onion, jalapeno bell pepper and garlic. Add this onion mix to the roux along with the potato, boiling water or stock, ½ the fresh thyme or all if you use dried thyme, salt and pepper simmer covered for 10 mins. Cut fillets into 1” chunks add to stock and simmer covered for another 10 minutes. In the meantime warm milk and cream, cayenne and add to stock heat just until bubbles form around the edges check seasoning and add the rest of the fresh thyme. If you want this chowder thicker add wondra being careful not to over cook fish. Great recipe on a cool night…Enjoy!!!

The Big Pancake

We have enjoyed this recipe since Joy found it in the Sunset magazine in the late 70’s. ¾ cups flour ¾ cups milk 3 lg eggs ½ stick butter

Preheat your oven to 450-475o use a 10” frying pan and melt the butter in the preheating oven just until melted (it won’t take long watch carefully!) In a blender combine remaining ingredients when oven is ready blend again to add extra air pour into frying pan. Bake for 18 mins. Serve immediately (it will fall) with syrup, jam or powdered sugar. Bon apetit!

Joy's mom Lorraine favorite potato soup

When mom had her open heart surgery she didn’t have her same appetite. She developed a great taste for Joy's made up recipe for creamy potato soup. She couldn’t make enough it was comfort food when most things didn’t taste right. This is totally a guess on measurements when you make yours take some notes. 3 cups homemade chicken broth (recipe follows) 3 medium baking potatoes or 1 baking and 3 red or white potatoes Roux 2tbls butter 2tbls flour, melt butter over medium heat add flour and cook until flour taste is gone but not to change color this is called a blonde roux Thyme, salt (if necessary) pepper ¼ cup heavy whipping cream (or heavy cream) Boil the potatoes in salted water just enough salt for the potatoes to absorb some flavor a couple of pinches. Have chicken stock warm and make the roux add half the stock into the roux and mix. Peel one of the baking potatoes and lightly mash add some of the broth and puree in a blender or hand wand blender put some fresh thyme or dried only a pinch of dried thyme in and part of the cream and blend again. Add this mix to the roux mix peel and chop the other potatoes and add plus more fresh thyme taste and adjust seasoning. The soup should have a creamy thickness to it and a savory flavor. Correct texture and flavor with more stock cream salt or wondra (which is a very fine flour used for gravies)

Chicken Enchiladas

This dish was one we ate at least once a month if not more. Mexican has always been a cuisine we have enjoyed. 2 lbs cubed raw boneless chicken thigh meat (or if preferred breast meat) 1 diced medium onion 1 fine diced seeded jalapeno 2 cloves crushed garlic 1 small can diced Ortega green chili 1 small can diced black olives 1 16 oz can cream of chicken soup (sometimes I use more another ½ can or so) Cheese, cheese and more cheese some cheddar and jack or Mexican blend is good 1 dozen flour tortillas Cilantro if you like Lemon juice Sautee the onion and jalapeno for a few mins then add the chicken and garlic being sure to cook only until done especially if you are using breast meat. Add the drained Ortega chili’s drained black olives ½ of the cream of chicken soup a couple handful’s of grated cheese some chopped cilantro juice of one lemon (Auntie Michelle adds at this point cheddar cheese soup, no olives or cilantro)(for Ariana who likes hers better than Moms). Dilute the other ½ of chicken soup with the same amount of water (you may need to add more as you go) the tortillas need to be warmed but not drenched on one half with the soup mixture. Put a half cup or more depending on the size of the tortilla of the chicken mixture and some extra cheese in the tortilla and roll place them next to each other in a 9x13” baking pan. Continue to roll until you run out of chicken mixture Joy usually can’t finish all 12 tortillas. Add the rest of the cream of chicken soup and cover with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 mins or until all is melted and warm. It’s so good serve with Leilani’s favorite pickled jalapenos and sour cream!

Auntie Chris’s Salsa

Everyone loves this salsa at family gatherings and potlucks. It is a pureed salsa rather then chunky giving it a unique taste and texture. 2 lg cans of diced tomatoes some of the liquid removed if they are too watery 1 small onion roughly chopped ½ bunch of washed roughly chopped cilantro Pickled jalapenos depending on how spicy you like it (remember as it sit in the refrigerator it will pick up heat) 1 teas roasted ground cumin powder (optional) 1 teas roasted ground coriander powder (optional) 1 tbls fresh lime juice (optional you may have to add a little salt if you use lime) For Auntie Chris’s recipe put all ingredients except optional ones in a blender and pulse until it can be pureed.. For Joy recipe add the optional and blend the same checking for seasoning. This salsa will last in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Easy to make so Enjoy!

Coleslaw

This is great with the carnita meat used as pulled pork with barbeque sauce on a roll with melted cheese and this coleslaw either in the roll or on the side. 1 small head cabbage finely shredded ½ cup mayonnaise 2tbls vinegar 1 tbls sugar 2 tbls barbecue sauce Salt and pepper to taste Cayenne pepper just a pinch 1 tbls Dijon mustard Poppy seeds (optional) ¼ cup diced shallots or red onion 1 bulb roasted garlic (optional) Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the shredded cabbage mix all other ingredients together and pour over cabbage at this point if you like poppy seeds can be sprinkled on. Serve with barbecue or pulled pork it’s delicious!!!!

Ham Viennese

This recipe was Joys' way of using that leftover Christmas or Easter ham. It also makes great omelets. 12 ozs fully cooked ham cut into ½ inch cubes or thin strips 11/2 tbls butter, margarine or olive oil ½ cup chopped onions 2 cups chopped celery 1 can cream of chicken soup 2 tbls dry white wine 11/2 teas yellow prepared mustard ¼ tea dry dill or 2 tbls chopped fresh dill ¾ cups sour cream 1/3 cups sliced pimientos (or roasted red pepper) Saute ham in butter, margarine or oil for about 2 minutes(use a large skillet). Add onions and celery; continue cooking the vegees until they are tender but still crisp. Stir in soup wine mustard and dill. Heat thoroughly then add sour cream and pimientos. Heat but do not boil. Serve over rice.

Carnitas in a Crock-pot

Joel, Ariana and the cousins Tim and Steve, Auntie Michelle, Uncle Larry, Joy and I have fond memories of this recipe. After a cold day in the snow, coming back to the cabin to a crock-pot with this wonderful aroma filling the house was incredible! The succulent meat is also very versatile from Mexican to southern there is always a new way to serve it. 1 pork roast (shoulder or butt with skin on) 1 beer 2 jalapenos sliced 1 medium onion 4 cloves diced garlic 3 teas kosher salt 1 teas fresh ground pepper 2 teas roasted ground cumin 2 teas roasted ground coriander Juice of 2 limes 2 teas sesame oil ½ cup brown sugar ¼ cup rough chopped cilantro Place pork in a marinating zipper bag such as a turkey oven cooking bag (be careful that there isn’t any weak seam holes). Put all ingredients in the bag with the pork and refrigerate for a day or up to 2 days. Cook in a crock-pot with all marinating ingredients along with the cilantro. Cook in a crock-pot about 5 hours or until meat falls off the bones. This can be served as pulled pork with your favorite barbecue sauce and coleslaw or burrito style with salsa and beans or both. Enjoy!!

Caramelized Chicken Wings

This is great recipe for potlucks. Since it’s sweet both kids and adults love it. Joel has brought this dish to many potlucks. The recipe originally was another Auntie Chris recipe that Joy added to. 1 5lb bag of frozen chicken party wings 1 cup soy sauce 1 cup brown sugar 1cup sherry or marsala wine 5 lg cloves garlic crushed or finely minced 1 teas dry mustard powder 1 tbls roasted sesame oil 1 16 oz can crushed pineapple Into a 450 degree preheated oven bake chicken wings for about 15 min and drain off excess liquid turn oven to 400 and pour remaining ingredients that have been mixed together over chicken and bake about an hour turning the last 15 mins. Enjoy

Beef Stew

The first time Joy tasted a similar recipe was at a church potluck the assistant pastor bragged about how his stew cooked in a good red wine was and he was right! 2lbs cubed chuck roast or Costco’s boneless short rib meat cut into cubes ½ bottle good red wine of your choice 1 medium onion diced 4 cloves garlic 1 diced jalapeno Fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme, flat leaf parsley or cilantro basil etc.. 8oz button mushrooms or criminis (optional) 4 waxy potatoes red or white rose Bacon strips(optional for extra flavor) Joy likes to cook this in a crockpot. If you like gravy salt and pepper the cubed meat and dust with flour, sauté in a little olive oil until brown. Remove meat and sauté onions jalapeno and garlic. Place the meat, onions, garlic, jalapeno, red wine, bacon strips, potatoes and herbs in a crock pot on high for the first hour then turn down and cook a couple more hours and cook until tender, add the mushrooms the last ½ hour. Before serving the liquid can be stained from the meat and placed in a strong reclosable bag and tipped to one corner cut a small hole on the tip the fat will rise to the top pour good juices in a pan for gravy and thicken with wondra or just add back to meat mix. Serve with rice and a cooked vegetable such as asparagus or broccoli. Enjoy!

Chorizo Breakfast Burritos

We were introduced to Chorizo this meltly Mexican sausage when we were camping with Auntie Chris’s friends in the middle 1970’s. It became one of our favorite easy breakfast meals. My favorite is the pork Chorizo. Melt some chorizo in a frying pan and when it is melted add beaten eggs. The amounts depend on how spicy you like your chorizo mixed with egg, experiment. This egg mixture is traditionally served with a folded tortilla shell. Some people like to wrap it like a burrito. If you feel like variations grated cheese, salsa, diced avocado, sour cream, chopped cilantro even diced red onion can be added. I have even put all these ingredients in the tortilla shell folded like a burrito and sautéed it in olive oil. Easy to make Enjoy!

Rosemary Chicken

I love this dish one of my favorites!!! Try it you'll like it and, I can even make this when Joy's not here, it's easy. Chicken thighs or legs or both 1 pkg good seasons dry Italian salad dressing mix Crushed garlic Either melted butter, olive oil, or liquid salad dressing Fresh and or dried rosemary Wash and pat chicken dry. In a foiled baking pan and a top rack place chicken tossed in oil mix with crushed garlic. Lightly shake Italian dry seasoning on both sides top with rosemary and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 50 mins or until chicken is cooked.

Sesame crusted Salmon w/Arugula

This dish Joy and I tasted in a nice restaurant, came home and we recreated it we are close if not better! Salmon fillet cut into 4 pieces White untoasted sesame seeds ¼ cup soy sauce 2 tbls brown sugar 2 tbls mirin (sweet cooking sake, optional) 1 teas cayenne (or less if you don’t like too much heat) 1 clove crushed garlic 2 teas toasted sesame oil Lion globe peanut oil enough to sauté in A bunch or bag of Arugula Rinse and pat dry salmon pieces dry. Mix soy sauce, brown sugar, mirin, cayenne, sesame oil and crushed garlic. Marinate the fillets in the mixture for no longer than 15 mins (they might get too salty) then coat with sesame seeds on both sides sauté on a medium heat until seeds stick on 1 side. Turn over and place in oven (preferably in the same pan) and cook in a preheated 400 degree oven for 4 to 7 mins depending on how thick the fish is remembering NOT TO OVER COOK FISH…..Joy actually like it under cooked. Reduce the marinade adding a couple lg pinches of sugar and a splash of mirin and reduce to half the amount unless it starts to bubble too much or course then it’s done. Joy like to use arugula as a base for my salmon or spinach is also nice arrange the salmon on top and pour the marinade in the fish as well as the arugula……Great dish enjoy!!!!

Chorizo Bean Dip

This is another Auntie Chris recipe which Joy probably made way more then she has and changed some too. ½ lb chorizo (the Mexican melty kind) 1 ½ lbs ground beef 3 16 oz cans refried beans Salsa (not the watery kind) Lots of grated cheese (cheddar, jack…or Mexican cheese blend Optional: sautéed diced onion with diced jalapeno and crushed garlic Sliced black olives If you choose the optional mix the chorizo and ground beef in with the onion mix and drain when cooked. Heat the beans with some salsa and Tabasco and a little cheese to make it spreadable. Layer the meat then the bean mix top with cheese and sliced black olives. We use this dish a lot for making burrito lunches and potlucks. Yum!

My Mom Veronica's Fried Chicken

This was our Disneyland dish when Lisa, Lyle and Leilani were young. We would arrive at Disneyland early in the morning, do a much of rides and go back to the van for lunch. Have lunch take a nap and then go back to the park for more fun. As Joel and Ariana got older this was a favorite that they asked all the time. Chicken pieces preferably thighs and/or legs washed and patted dry Oil for deep frying (amount depending on pan size), don’t over load the pan with either oil or chicken or it could boil over!! Oil needs to be at 360 to 375 degrees when chicken is placed in ideal frying time should be 350 the raw chicken will bring the temperature down. Cook chicken until it’s done, big thighs takes 7 minutes on skin side first then another 7 minutes on the other side. Drain on paper towels and season while still real hot …Grandma’s recipe calls for salt and paprika and our new seasoning is lemon pepper(which is very salty so be careful when seasoning) Brings back memories.... Enjoy!!

Teriyaki Salmon w/Arugula

Joel loves this salmon dish he has even brought it to a get together with his friends. It is easy to prepare and has a nice balance of flavor. Salmon fillet (3to 4 lb) cut into 4 or more pieces preferred with scaled skin on Soak in: I cup soy sauce 1 tbls fresh grated ginger ½ cup mirin ½ cup sake 1 tea cayenne pepper for Sauce: 1 tbls mirin 2 tbls sugar A bag or a bunch of Arugula Marinate for 20 minutes reserve marinate. Sear salmon skin side down until brown turn over and finish in a preheated oven for about 7 minutes or until just done (I like it a little under cooked) Reduce marinate after adding 2 tbls sugar and 1 tbls mirin. Place salmon on a bed of arugula and pour reduction over salmon and arugula. Enjoy!

Joel’s fresh caught Lobster

One of Joel’s passions is to be under the deep blue catching lobster or fish crab anything….the other dream would be to be flying a plane on top of the intense blue. He started diving at the age of fourteen with his thirteen years old cousin Drew and his Uncle Andy.

Depending on how many lobsters you are cooking choose a pot that will provide the appropriate steam. I use a steam basket so the lobster doesn’t touch to the bottom, fill about 4” up from the bottom with water. Place the live lobster in and steam starting at high turning down to medium high and timing for 18 minutes once it boils. Serve with melted butter and a little lemon if you like!! Thanks Joel…!!!

He has been a great contributor to our family eating like the rich and famous!

Eggplant Parmesan

Joy then takes Bob’s eggplant opens a jar of good spaghetti sauce grates some parmesan and mozzarella cheese along with fresh herbs (oregano, rosemary, thyme parsley, marjoram whatever you have…you don’t need all of them) Then she layers the eggplant adds sauce herbs cheeses and repeats until all is used and bakes it in the oven until cheese is melted. This can be turned into a meal by adding cooked Italian sausage to the sauce (mushrooms can also be added to the sauce) Panko bread crumbs mixed with parmesan cheese and a little olive oil can cover the top if you like the crunch!

Bob's Eggplant

One of my favorite very easy side dish that my mom used to make. I like using the big eggplant for this recipe and basically slices the eggplant about 1/4" to 3/8" thick, seasons it wih salt and pepper, then dip it in an egg wash and sauté s it in olive oil.

Nancy Favorite Spicy Shrimps

Joy call this recipe by this name because her dear friend, Nancy gets very excited when Joy bring this appetizer to her house. Nancy calls them her shrimps! 1 lb of (21 to 25 count per lb) shrimp, raw, peeled tail on tiger fresh water or salt water Mom’s essence (recipe) Cilantro about ½ or more chopped Fresh lemon juice Heavy cream Tabasco sauce Shake lots essence on the shrimp then fry in a hot pan with a little olive oil until slightly browned on both sides, they will not yet be completely cooked it will take 2 pan loads. Set them aside in the same pan add the juice of ½ of a lemon, Tabasco to taste (we add a lot at least ¼ cup) fry for a few mins then add the cream reduce and taste put the shrimp back to finish cooking. (Be careful not to over cook if the sauce isn’t right yet remove the shrimp onto a serving dish and finish the sauce) Add ½ the chopped cilantro and cook a little longer. This is a sauce you must taste to get it right. If it is too sour add more cream not salty enough add more essence…not spicy enough…more Tabasco. Pour the sauce over the shrimp garnish with remaining chopped cilantro and lemon wedges. Enjoy Nancy’s favorite, she always saves the sauce she loves it so much.

Essence

¼ cup paprika ¼ cup cayenne pepper 2 tbls garlic powder 2 tbls onion powder ¼ cup dried thyme ¼ cup roasted ground coriander seeds ¼ cup roasted ground cumin seeds 1 tbls ground black pepper 1 tbls kosher salt Buy whole cumin and coriander seeds and roast on a dry heavy skillet (no oil of any kind) just until they turn brown or start to pop not too long then put in a spice grinder or coffee grinder or even the bullet if you have one. Mix all ingredients together and if you like you can omit the salt and use a store bought essence Zatarans or Emeril’s essence and mix that with yours so you have less salt and more spice. Joy usually does that.