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Spicy Kielbasa Buns | Klobasneks / Klobasnikis / Klobásové Buchty

Serves 6 NOTE: Exact portion sizes depend on the dimensions you choose for the sausage. If you like Pigs in a Blanket, you’ll love this authentic snack from the Czech Republic. Be sure to use high quality sausage and you’ll be on cloud 9 in no time. Ingredients: 2 kielbasa sausages (about a pound each) 1 Refrigerator Dough for Czech Desserts & Snacks Method: Gather the Kielbasa – if you are using all the dough, you will probably need two packages like this one… This brand is a tad bit spicy and so goooood. Cut the sausage into desired portion sizes –  I made mine about 2″ long and cut them in half since they were so wide. My goal was to make “finger food” for a party. If you’d rather serve these for a meal, cut them into 5″ portions and don’t slit them in half. Working with half the dough at a time, roll it out thinly. Cut into rectangles large enough to wrap around your sausage.  Mr Picky tells me your life …

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Refrigerator Dough for Czech Desserts & Snacks

Makes 1 large batch of dough for… – 2 dozen Sweet Prune Buns/Kolaches (Slivkové Koláče) – a dozen Spicy Kielbasa Buns/Klobasneks/Klobasnikis (Klobásové Buchty) Refrigerator Dough takes the stress out of party prep work. This Czech recipe is slightly sweet and tender. According to LaVina Vanorny-Barcus, in My Czech Heritage Cookbook, there are four ways to shape this dough. The first three are for sweets, the last one is for savory, or Klobasneks. 1. Cut a square; add filling in the center, then bring the four corners together over the top of filling. Pinch to seal. Let rise and bake. 2. Cut a rectangle; spread with filling, then roll up like a cinnamon roll. Cut log into discs. Take discs and pinch the two sides to hide the filling. Bake. 3. Make small balls with dough. Let rise, then press the center down with thumb or fingers until it looks a bit like a doughnut. Fill indentation with filling, let rise again, and bake. 4. Cut a rectangle – spread with meat filling. Roll up and …

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Ham & Cheese Bread | Prisnats

Makes one 9″ square casserole Breakfasty, bready prisnats are great comfort food. You’ll want to cut the ham smaller or add more flour so the little pieces won’t sink to the bottom. Enjoy warm! Ingredients: 8 eggs, room temperature 8 oz ham steak, cut into small cubes 4 oz bacon diced & fried 3 green onions, sliced 1 cup cottage cheese 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature 2 cups flour (perhaps up to 2.5 cups so the ham won’t sink) 2 tsp yeast 2 oz Monterey Jack cheese, cubed Method: Preheat the oven to 350F. Meanwhile, gather the ingredients. Beautiful ham… but cut yours 1/2 the size of mine, so they won’t sink. Fresh, green onions. A taste of spring, even in winter. Then, crack 8 eggs into a large bowl and whisk until light and frothy. Add the milk… Cottage cheese… (this makes everything nice and moist) Yeast… And flour… Top it off with the rest of the ingredients…bacon, ham, cheese, and green onion. Pull out the whisk and put in a wooden spoon. …

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Croatian Holiday Nut Roll | Povatica

It’s all in the wrist. The secret to making good Povatica, that is. This famous Croatian Holiday Nut Roll gives its maker a workout. You will be rolling, and pulling, and stretching the dough until it is thin, thin, thin. We’re talkin’ paper thin, like a curtain of dough, blowing in the breeze. I bet Croatian grandmother’s everywhere compete for the most delicate, thin walled Povatica. (Note this bread is also common- under various names- in other areas, such as Poland, Austria, etc) Unlike cinnamon buns, which ooze fluffy bready goodness as much as anything else, Povatica is all about showing off the filling, framed by delicate layers of bread. And Povatica is worth the effort. Here’s one Croatian’s description of good Povatica: I’ve tasted many different versions of Povatica. Some are made with honey and tend to be heavy, others are too doughy. My grandmother’s version is, to me, the perfect balance of dough and filling. Made properly (with dough stretched thin), it is delectable. My mother put together the recipe while watching my grandmother make the bread, as …

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Black Beans and Rice | Gallo Pinto

Gallo Pinto is enjoyed by Costa Ricans year-round, for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The beans and rice are mildly seasoned, however the Worcestershire sauce gives the dish an unusual kick. Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups leftover, cooked white rice 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed 1 onion, chopped 4 cloves of garlic, crushed oil 1/2 tsp paprika 1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce 1 cup broth or water salt and pepper Method: Heat oil over medium heat. Add onion. After just a moment, the entire house will smell like “good.” Now we’re cookin’! Add the garlic… … and cook until onion is soft and turning slightly golden – or however you like to eat it. I prefer not to have any crunch in mine. Then, add in the paprika. And leftover rice. I love re-purposing food… making my dollar stretch over several meals. Pile on the beans. I used canned beans for simplicity and speed. Next, a little Costa Rican flavor – sprinkle in the Worcestershire sauce. (And don’t forget the salt and pepper) Add in water to help mix everything …

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Costa Rican Potatoes | Gallitos de Papa

Serves 2-4 Gallitos de Papa uses simple seasonings for big flavor. The smoky paprika and garlic go a long way to wake the humble potato up. An especially great breakfast/brunch dish, this Costa Rican favorite is perfect for serving with eggs.  Traditionally served in corn tortillas – feel free to moisten with fresh salsa or sour cream. Ingredients: 4 small potatoes, cubed 1/8 cup olive oil 4 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp salt water (optional) chopped cilantro, for garnish Serve with Corn Tortillas Method: Add the oil to a wide skillet and heat over medium. The entire 1/8 cup is necessary to keep the potatoes from sticking. Sometimes our waists have to sacrifice for the good of mankind. Or for functionality and flavor. You’ll thank me later. When hot, add garlic and cook for a minute. And, when I say a minute, I really mean until fragrant. This could take as little as ten seconds. Yikes. I almost cooked mine too long.  See? Garlic cooks very fast – you …

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Poached Egg Soup | Changua con Huevo

Serves 4 Rethink eggs! Poached eggs swimming in milky broth is a delicious Colombian specialty which is perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or a light dinner. You can easily make this soup vegetarian by using vegetable broth. Ingredients: 4 cups broth (vegetable or chicken) 2 cups milk 4 eggs 3 green onions, sliced sprig cilantro, chopped salt pepper Method: Add stock to a large pot. Sploosh. Then add milk. Splash. Heat the broth and milk to almost simmering. Meanwhile, spread some thinly sliced green onion on the bottom of the bowls. Sprinkle with some chopped cilantro, too. When a few bubbles barely break through the surface of the hot liquid, you are ready to drop your eggs in to poach. Except you never, ever “drop” them. If you do, they’ll break, separate, make a big mess…. Instead, Break the eggs into a small, heatproof ramekin and gently “dip it and tip it” into the water. Let me show you what I mean. In this picture the ramekin is actually on the water… and partially dips …

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Sweet Peanut Butter Rice | Bouiller

Serves 2-4 If you’re looking for a sweet treat, but the pantry is rather dry, this African peanut butter rice might do the trick. The dish reminds me of peanut butter rice pudding – thick, sweet, and comforting. Ingredients: 1/2 cup white rice 1 1/2 cups water 1/4 cup natural peanut butter 1/4 cup sugar 1/8 cup water additional water, as needed Method: Bring water to boil. Add rice and simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes 2. Meanwhile, mix together peanut butter, sugar, and 1/8 cup water. Natural peanut butter is best because then you can control how sweet your dessert is. I could eat this straight from the bowl. Mmm. When the rice is almost done cooking… … pour peanut butter mixture over rice and stir in. Continue simmering until rice is perfectly tender. Add water as necessary to keep the consistency loose, like rice pudding. Enjoy warm or cold, with a big sweet tooth. Sweet Peanut Butter Rice | Bouiller Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe If you’re looking for …

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Grandpa’s Maple Dumplings | Grandpères

Serves 4 Hot, sweet, syrupy Grandpères served with two scoops of cold vanilla ice cream. Genius. And we have generations of Canadians to thank for keeping this age-old recipe alive. You can eat this for breakfast or dessert. Or a midnight snack. Ingredients: For the dumplings: 2 – 2 1/4 cups flour 1 Tbsp baking powder 1/2 tsp cinnamon pinch of salt 3 Tbsp butter 3/4 cup whole milk For the cooking liquid: 2 cups maple syrup 1 1/2 cups water Method: In a large bowl, mix together flour… … start with two cups and add more if you need to. Stir in the baking powder… A scoop of cinnamon (or Sin as my mom likes to call it) Whisk together with a pinch of salt. Can you see Keith? Now add some buttery goodness. Cut it into the flour with a pastry cutter. Stop when the butter is pea-sized. Next comes the milk. Mix it together until it forms a loose mass, like wet bread dough. Add water to a pot… make it a …

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Easy Peanut Butter Croissants | Groundnut Croissants

Makes 8 mini Peanut Butter Croissants Peanut butter rolled up into a steamy hot croissant – the ultimate snack, perfect with breakfast, lunch or dinner. While you are welcome to use homemade croissant dough, I had to take a short cut – it was one of those weeks. We’ll call this fast food for the home cook. I guess you could say that my super-cook is giving way to super-mom. There was a time when I made my very own croissants from scratch. And I’ll surely do it again, once Ava gets a little bigger and I can borrow her muscles to roll out the dough. For now, thank goodness for all-natural convenience products, like Immaculate Crescent Rolls. Ingredients: 1 package refrigerator crescent rolls (or make your own croissants with the amazing recipe in Tartine, as recommended by David Lebowitz) 8 tsp of peanut butter (1 tsp per roll) Method: Preheat the oven to the temperature indicated on your Crescent roll tube. Gather your ingredients… Roll out the dough into neat little triangles and spread with a thin layer …

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Cambodian Grilled Eggs

Makes a dozen eggs I met my match with Cambodian Grilled Eggs. My patience and sanity were pushed to the limits. Not one to take a beating, however, I salvaged what I could from this tricky recipe and ended up with twelve super tasty eggs. This popular Cambodian street food makes for a fun side dish at a barbecue. You’ll be *almost* stress-free if you prepare everything a day ahead, saving the last step for the barbecue itself. Definitely DON’T make this dish last minute. You’ll be cursing if you do. And that’s a promise. Heck, you might end up cursing anyway. NOTE: If you don’t feel like the hassle, this egg mixture would make wonderful scrambled eggs for a Cambodian inspired brunch. Special thanks to Steven Raichlen’s Planet Barbecue for the idea and Karen Coates for explaning how to make it happen. Ingredients: 12 whole eggs 1 tsp fish sauce 1 Tbsp brown sugar 1/4 tsp pepper Method: Using a large needle, carefully make a 1/4 inch hole in one end of the eggs (or …

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Cornmeal Pap

Serves 2-4 In Botswana, Cornmeal Pap is eaten with the fingers, dipped into stews to pick up additional flavor. Like soft polenta, Cornmeal Pap goes well with any stewed meat or vegetable. The mixture stiffens up quickly, however, so serve immediately after cooking. NOTE: Please use white cornmeal for authentic pap. (I had to substitute yellow) Ingredients: 1 cup cornmeal (fine or medium grind is best) 1 quart broth (vegetable, chicken, or beef) salt pepper Method: 1. In a medium pot, bring stock to a boil. 2. Stream in cornmeal slowly. Whisk continually to keep mixture from lumping. 3. As mixture thickens, you may need to switch to a wooden spoon. Allow to simmer gently until cooked to desired consistency, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately (Pap stiffens up considerably as it cools). Cornmeal Pap Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe In Botswana, Cornmeal Pap is eaten with the fingers, dipped into stews to pick up additional flavor. Like soft polenta, Cornmeal Pap goes well with any stewed …

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