Pork and sauerkraut dishes are part of every Eastern European restaurant menu, and the main ingredients are a popular staple in every household.

Sauerkraut is  a well utilized vegetable in many Eastern European recipes, including soups, salads, dumplings filling (verenyky), side dishes, and even pastries (Pyrizhky,Kapusnyachky).

Today I will share a recipe I created for Sauerkraut Stuffed Pork Roll, which received “thumbs up” from most members of my family, especially one of my nieces.

This recipe could easily be turned into a casserole dish, rather than a roll, if you prefer.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. ground pork
• 3 cups of sauerkraut
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. caraway seeds
• 4 slices bacon, fried and crumbled
• 2 Tbs. fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 Tbs. salt
• 1 Tbs. black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves , minced (or 1 tsp. garlic powder)
• 2 tsp. onion powder
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 Tbs. Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 Tbs. olive oil

Directions:

1. Place the sauerkraut in a colander, and rinse a little under running water, to remove some of the tartness.
2. Squeeze out any excess water, and place it in a medium bowl.
3. Saute the onions in the bacon fat, or in oil, until golden.
4. Add the shredded carrots and saute for couple of minutes.
5. Mix in sauerkraut, bacon bits, 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper, and caraway seeds.
6. Saute for 15 minutes, mixing it often.
7. Remove from heat and set aside.
8. In a medium bowl mix the ground pork, the remaining salt and pepper, parsley, garlic, onion powder, eggs,
   Worcestershire Sauce, bread crumbs, and water.
9. Place the pork mixture on waxed or parchment paper, and form it into a rectangle.
10. Spread  the kraut mixture evenly over the pork base, leaving at least 1 inch stuffing-free border all around.
11. Lift one end of the parchment paper, as shown above, and start forming a jelly-roll like all the way to the opposite end of the meat and stuffing. Make sure you do not roll the parchment paper into the meat roll, but rather use it a tool to help you create a roll to enclose the filling.
12. This is how your stuffed meat roll will end up looking.  The seam of the roll needs to be on the bottom.
13. Grease the casserole dish with oil, and place the roll (seam down) in the pan.
14. Grease the top and sides of the meat roll with some oil to form a nice crust during baking.
15. Place the meat in a preheated oven to 400 degrees F, and bake uncovered for 45-60 minutes, or until the internal temperature is at least 155 -160 degrees F.
16. Remove from the oven, cover loosely with foil, and let it rest for about 10 minutes.
17. Slice into serving pieces, and serve with your favorite gravy (mushroom gravy is my favorite).

Enjoy!

Mother’s Day is such a beautiful time to reflect, honor, and express appreciation to a very special woman in our life – OUR MOTHER.

We all have, or had, a mother in our life, whether it is a biological mother, step-mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, or other very special woman, who always was there for us in absence of our own mother.

When I found this beautiful and touching story, I saved it to share with all of you on this special day.

It is a bit lengthy, but I assure you, it is worth the few minutes of your time to read it in full, and you will be very glad you did.

Please share your comments, or memories, from your own life experience.

BEING A MOTHER…

After 17 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to
take another woman out to dinner and a movie. She
said, ‘I love you, but I know this other woman loves
you and would love to spend some time with you.’
* * *
The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit
was my MOTHER, who has been alone for 20 years,
but the demands of my work and my two boys had
made it possible to visit her only occasionally.
* * *
That night I called to invite her to go out for
dinner and a movie.
* * *
‘What’s wrong, aren’t you well,’ she asked?
* * *
My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a
late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign
of bad news.
* * *
‘I thought it would be pleasant to spend some
time with you,’ I responded. ‘Just the two of us.’
She thought about it for a moment, and then said,
‘I would like that very much.’
* * *
That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick
her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her
house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous
about our date. She waited in the door. She had curled her hair and
was wearing the
dress that she had worn to celebrate her last
birthday on November 19th.
* * *
She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an
angel’s. ‘I told my friends that I was going to go
out with my son, and they were impressed,’ she said,
as she got into that new white van. ‘They can’t wait to hear about our date’.
* * *
We went to a restaurant that, although not
elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my
arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat
down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only
read large print. Half way through the entries, I
lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at
me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips. ‘It was I
who used to have to read the menu when you were
small,’ she said. ‘Then it’s time that you relax and
let me return the favor,’ I responded..
* * *
During the dinner, we had an agreeable
conversation- -nothing extraordinary but catching up
on recent events of each other’s life. We talked so
much that we missed the movie.
* * *
As we arrived at her house later, she said,
‘I’ll go out with you again, but only if you let me
invite you.’ I agreed.
* * *
‘How was your dinner date ?’
asked my wife when I got home.
‘Very nice. Much more so than I could have imagined,’
I  answered.
* * *
A few days later, my mother died of a massive
heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn’t
have a chance to do anything for her.
* * *
Some time later, I received an envelope with a
copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place
mother and I had dined. An attached note said: ‘I
paid this bill in advance. I wasn’t sure that I
could be there; but nevertheless, I paid for two
plates – one for you and the other for your wife.
You will never know what that night meant for me.
I love you, son.’
* * *
At that moment, I understood the importance of
saying in time: ‘I LOVE YOU’ and to give our loved
ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is
more important than your family. Give them the time
they deserve, because these things cannot be put off
till ‘some other time.’

What a beautiful and touching story, wouldn’t you agree?

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!

HAPPY EASTER TO ALL MY READERS,

FAMILY AND FRIENDS,

WHO CELEBRATE EASTER

THIS SUNDAY.

KHYSTOS VOSKRES – VOISTYNU VOSKRES!

In case you are still searching for Paska recipe, use this convenient link.

If you are interested in learning about the Ukrainian tradition of Easter Basket Blessing, filled with Symbolic Foods, click on these links and enjoy.

HAPPY EASTER!

While visiting our relatives in PA, we enjoyed this very tasty meal of a French Roast and veggies, prepared in a Crock-pot.

The whole meal was cooking by itself in a Crock-pot, providing lots of time together to catch up on our past family events, while snacking on delicious horse devours.

The main course was preceded by delicious homemade Borscht, as well as tossed salad, completing the meal with a decadent dessert of a Coffee Cream cake.

This recipe yields plenty of food for 4-6 people.

Ingredients:

•  3-5 lbs of beef (Rump Roast, Eye Round, London Broil)
• Salt and black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 8 oz. baby carrots, whole (I did not have baby carrots on hand, so cut up regular carrots)
• 2 stalks celery, cut up
• 4 russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 cup French Dressing
• 1/2 cup Beef Broth
• 2 Tbs. Dry Tapioca

Directions:

1. Trim the meat of fat, and rub it all over with salt, pepper and minced garlic.
2. Brown the meat on all sides, on stove top in a frying pan seasoned with some oil.
3. Set aside.
4. Place the potatoes, carrots and onions at the bottom of the slow cooker.
5. Sprinkle Tapioca over the veggies.
6. Mix the French salad dressing with beef broth.
7. Pour 1/2 of the mixture over the veggies.
8. Please the meat over the veggies ( I cut my meat into serving portions)
9. Pour remaining dressing/beef broth mixture over the meat.
10. Cover slow cooker.
11. Cook on High for 4-5 hours.

Best served hot.

Enjoy

Another wonderful, and simple, chicken recipe to prepare for your family and friends.

One of my co-workers enjoys cooking and sharing recipes, hence this recipe for Caprese Chicken with Bacon.

She found this recipe in Taste of Home magazine.  She was very pleased with the preparation simplicity, taste of the dish, and wonderful presentation, so shared her experience with me ( the word is out that I love trying new recipes….).

I followed the original recipe, but decided to pound the chicken breasts lightly, to make them thinner, and cut them in half to form smaller portions.

I personally prefer to start my meal with smaller food portions on my plate, and have the choice of having a second helping if I choose to do so.

You, however, might decide to keep the chicken breasts whole, to have larger portions.

Ingredients:

• 8 bacon strips (I cut mine in half after baking)
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (I pounded mine, and cut each in half, making 8 portions)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder (my addition)
• 1 plum tomatoes sliced (I used large tomatoes)
• 6 basil leaves, thinly sliced (I used 10)
• 4 slices fresh Mozzarella cheese (I needed 8 slices – 8 oz ball of fresh mozzarella)
• Olive oil to brush tops of chicken

Directions:

1. Place bacon in an ungreased  backing pan 15 x 10 inch (I used glass Pirex casserole dish)
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F, and bake it for 10 minutes, without turning it over.
3. Remove bacon from pan and set aside (I used kitchen scissors to cut my bacon strips in half, as I needed more pieces of smaller size).
4. Place chicken breasts in an ungreased 13 x 9 backing pan (I used the same pan I was baking the bacon in, but used paper towels to wipe off the bacon grease, before placing the chicken in it).  I placed the chicken with the skin side down (the skin was removed of course).
5. Brush chicken breasts with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
6. Place a slice of tomato on each meat portion, and sprinkle with chopped basil leaves.
7. Place the bacon, side by side (as I did), or crisscross as they suggested, if you have whole breasts and whole bacon pieces.
8. Bake it uncovered at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, or until the inner temp of the meat reaches 165 degrees F.
9. Top each meat piece with slice of fresh mozzarella, and bake for a minute longer to partially melt the cheese.

Serve hot.

Enjoy!

TIP:  This dish is best served fresh, but leftovers are still good, warmed up in the oven.