Malle ("Mall's") Ounakook ("Apple Cake")

3 C. flour (gluten-free works fine as well)

3 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 stick butter

1 C. sugar (we use a little more)

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 C. milk

1/2 C. sour cream (opt. but we do)

3-5 cooking apples, thinly sliced

1) Mix together dry ingredients.

2) Cream sugar and butter together. Add eggs one at a time.

3) Add vanilla, then slowly add flour mix and milk (and sour cream, if using), alternately.

4) Spread batter into greased cookie sheet. (I use my Pampered Chef bar pan.)

5) Stand apple slices upright into batter in cookie sheet.

TIP: Mark out three rows, and put the slices a little bit apart, then fill in the openings later.

6) Bake at 375 degrees until baked through and golden brown (30-40 minutes).

Kohupiima Korp (Estonian Cream Cheese Sheet Cake)

Traditional Estonian recipes for this cake vary wildly, but this is the version the Muursepp family has made over the years. Dear Helde (my husband's grandmother) and Emi (his mother) made this lightly sweetened cake for our family at most holidays, and our kids love it!

FOR THE DOUGH:

1 box cream cheese

2 sticks butter

4 cups flour

Knead well and refrigerate until ready to use.

When ready to use, let it stand out to become room temperature, then roll out to 1/4 inch and place on a large cookie sheet.

FOR THE FILLING:

3 Tbsp sour cream

1 lb cottage cheese

3 eggs

3/4 C. sugar

1 Tbsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp vanilla

lemon zest

Mix filling by hand. Pour over dough and flip edges over toward the center of the cake. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes.

Rosolje, Muursepp Style—Estonian Pink Potato Salad (Can Be Vegan)

Traditional Estonian recipes for this potato salad vary wildly. The dressing often has Dijon or hot English mustard, prepared horseradish, or sugar in it—though the Muursepp family variety never has. Use a one-to-one ratio between potatoes and beets. (In other words, it's half potatoes and half beets.)

cooked beets (canned is fine), finely diced

cooked potatoes, chilled and finely diced

sweet onion, finely diced

dill pickles, finely diced (lots!)

hard-boiled eggs, finely diced and crumbled on top (omit for vegan)

ham, finely diced (opt., omit for vegan)

pickled herring, finely diced (opt., omit for vegan)

golden delicious apples, finely diced (opt. and common, but never part of the Muursepp family traditional rosolje)

Dice all ingredients into very small, evenly sized squares. Stir into dressing.

Dressing:

Half mayonnaise and half sour cream (or can use 1/3 each of mayo, sour cream, and greek yogurt)—I use vegan mayo and cashew yogurt

Salt and pepper

Dill pickle juice (opt., but definitely part of the Muursepp family recipe)

Pat Panther's White Almond Bark

1 pound whole almonds

1 pound white almond bark candy pieces

1) Toast almonds at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, then cool.

2) Melt almond bark candy (in double boiler, if you have it) and stir in toasted nuts.

3) Pour mixture onto foil-lined cookie sheet—I use parchment paper—and flatten with a wooden spoon.

4) Let cool, then break into bite-sized serving pieces.

COOK'S NOTES:

* Don't make more than one batch at a  time. If you want more, make each batch individually.

* If you use a double boiler, be careful of hot water dripping! If you don't, melt the candy on a very low temperature, stirring constantly, and do not burn!

* The large Costco bag of almonds is 2 pounds.

* Almond bark candy pieces are a seasonal item so buy it when you can if you'll want it other times than at the holidays.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Casserole Ingredients

 4 C. mashed sweet potatoes = 6 baking potatoes or 2 large cans, drained

3/4–1 C. sugar

1/4 C. milk

2 beaten eggs

1/2 stick softened butter

1 tsp. vanilla

Topping Ingredients

1/2 stick butter, melted

1/2 C. brown sugar

1 C. ground pecans

1/4–1/2 C. flour (I use oat flour, i.e. oats ground in the vitamix)

1) Mix casserole ingredients well and in order given. Place in shallow casserole dish.

2) For topping, start by melting butter in saucepan. Add brown sugar, pecans, and then flour.

3) Crumble mixture over top of casserole and bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Cook's Notes:

* Bake potatoes with skins (pierced) at 350 degrees for 1-2 hours, then scoop out of skins and cream. I find little benefit to making them this way. That is, it's just as good with canned yams.

* When I need to stretch this, I add a bit more sweet potatoes and don't worry about adding the other ingredients. It works fine.

* Finally, if I were trying to duplicate this as a whole food, plant-based recipe, I would use flax eggs and stir in a little tahini for richness.

Philip & Molly's Chipotle Chicken Chili

1 large onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced

1 12-oz bottle beer (or cider for GF)

1 14-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained

3 chipotle peppers in adobo

3 14-oz cans beans (pinto, black, and kidney), undrained

1 can corn (optional), undrained

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 Tbsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. salt

1/4 C. (heaping) masa harina

1 lime, juiced

sour cream, grated cheese, and cilantro for serving

1. Cook onion and garlic in olive oil until soft (2-3 minutes).

2. Add diced chicken and cook 3-4 minutes until lightly browned.

3. Pour in all but 1/4 C. of the beer/cider, the tomatoes, the minced chipotles, and the beans (and corn, if using).

4. Stir to combine, then add the spices and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.

5. Whisk the masa carina with the remaining beer/cider until it's smooth, then pour it into the chili. This will thicken it and give it a really nice corn flavor.

6. Squeeze in the lime juice and stir it around and let the chili simmer for another 10 minutes or so until thick.

7. Serve it up with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and fresh cilantro!

PREPARATION/OBSERVATION NOTES:

When Philip and Molly served this to us this week, they had added an extra can of tomatoes, they did use the corn, and they used Bold Rock plain flavored cider, doubled. They also added dried cilantro in with the other seasonings, generously. For the chipotle peppers called for, they get a jar of diced chipotle peppers and just add a bunch of scoops to taste. 

MuMama's Macaroni & Cheese

Cook & drain 1 8-oz box of macaroni. Set aside.

Make a roux/sauce of:

4 T. butter

4 T. flour

2 C. milk

1 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. white pepper

1/4 tsp. dry mustard

1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Stir in 1/4 lb. grated Velveeta cheese.

Mix sauce & noodles. Top with another 1/4 lb. more Velveeta.

Bake 25 minutes at 375 degrees.

NOTE: My recipe card had a note that it "needs more cheese," for whatever that's worth...

Linda's Layered Taco Dip (Can Be Vegan)

16-oz can refried beans, blended with:

1/2 pkg. taco seasoning (or 1-2 Tbsp, if you buy it in bulk like I do)

1/4 - 1/2 C. salsa (not in the original recipe, but makes it spreadable)

8 oz. sour cream or Greek yogurt (use cashew yogurt for vegan)

6-oz avocado dip (or 2 ripe avocados, mashed and seasoned with SPG and lemon juice)

4-oz can diced black olives (I do not like them so I do not put this)

2 large tomatoes, diced

1 small sweet onion, chopped fine

4-oz can chopped chiles

1 1/2 C. shredded jack cheese (omit if vegan)

Stir the beans together with the taco seasoning and the salsa. Spread into the bottom of a 9x13 glass baking dish. Layer the sour cream/yogurt, guacamole dip, tomatoes, sweet onion, chopped chiles, and cheese. Serve with 2 iced tea spoons in the corners for dipping, with large corn chips or tortilla chips on the side.

Nanny's Hamburger Stew

This soup has been a staple in our home because it is fast and easy, and I almost always have all the ingredients on hand. This was my Nanny Sibley's recipe, which my mom (own kids' "Nanny" as well) loved as a kid and served to us growing up—and it's now been passed down to a fourth generation of married cooks! There are few measurements... you just have to "feel" it and make it to your own liking!

For one Dutch oven-sized batch:

Boil 1-2 pounds hamburger in a few inches of water. (Choose leaner beef, as the fat will simply boil out and flavor the soup.)

Add diced potatoes and finely chopped onion, to taste.

Add 1-2 cans undrained tomatoes (either whole—pinched into pieces—or petite diced) AND 1 large can tomato sauce.

Season with SPG.

This is delicious served with a hearty, crusty bread and a side salad... or just crudités in a pinch.

Gloria Wells's Chicken Enchilada Pasta

16-oz package pasta in small shapes (shells, elbows, etc)

1 pound chicken, cooked and chopped

19-oz can mild enchilada sauce

12 oz. sour cream

16 oz. shredded cheese (sharp cheddar or colby jack blend)

1) Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.

2) Dump in the chicken, sauce, and sour cream. 

3) Blend ingredients over low heat.

4) Add cheese, little by little, as you blend.