Dougherty Family Recipe Box

Category: Ukrainian Christmas

  • Pickled Cucumbers

    These will take at least 2 weeks to be ready to eat and will get better with time. Can be stored for up to 1 year.

    Ingredients

    Pickling Spice

    • 2 tablespoons whole peppercorns
    • 2 tablespoons whole mustard seed
    • 2 tablespoons whole dill seed
    • 1 tablespoon whole allspice

    Brine

    • 6 cups water
    • 13 cups white pickling vinegar
    • 1 cup coarse salt (non iodized)

    Pickles

    • 1/2 bushel pickling cucumbers
    • 4 jalapeno peppers
    • 4 red chili peppers
    • 2 heads garlic peeled and coarsely chopped

    Method

    1. Preheat oven to 230°F.
    2. Thoroughly wash cucumbers and quarter.
    3. Thoroughly wash peppers and slice.
    4. Mix together pickling spice ingredients.
    5. Heat jars in oven for 10 minutes to sterilize.
    6. Remove jars from oven.
    7. In a large stockpot, mix together brine ingredients and bring to a boil.
    8. Divide pickling spice, peppers, and garlic evenly between jars.
    9. Stand cucumber quarters up in the jars, pack so that they are tight but not damaged.
    10. Pour boiling brine into jars until brine is 1/2 inch from the top of the jar.
    11. Seal jars.
    12. Put jars back in oven for 10 minutes.
    13. Remove from oven and let cool.
    14. Store in warm, dry place.

    Source

    Adapted from Holtizki and Waldbauer family pickle recipes.

  • Pickled Beets

    Ingredients

    • baby beets
    • 1 tablespoon whole cloves
    • 1 tablespoon mustard seed
    • 1 tablespoon whole allspice
    • 1 stick cinnamon
    • 2 cups water
    • 2 cups white vinegar
    • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
    • 1 tablespoon coarse salt

    Method

    1. Cut stems off beets 1 inch above beets and leave roots intact.
    2. Wash beets thoroughly.
    3. Cook beets in boiling water until tender.
    4. Drain and cover with cold water.
    5. Slip off the skins and cut off the roots and stems.
    6. Put spices in a spice ball.
    7. Mix together water, vinegar, sugar, and salt.
    8. Add spice ball to vinegar mixture and boil gently for 10 minutes.
    9. Remove from heat and let stand overnight.
    10. Remove spice ball.
    11. Bring vinegar mixture to a boil and add the beets.
    12. Simmer 15 minutes.
    13. Pack beets in sterile jars, cover with syrup, and seal.

    Source

    Adapted from Traditional Ukrainian Cookery (out of print).

  • Caramelized Onions

    Ingredients

    • olive oil
    • 1/2 pound per person sweet yellow onions coarsely chopped

    Method

    1. Warm up a large stock pot over low heat.
    2. Add onions.
    3. Cook until onions are a dark brown (do not turn heat up, do not cover, stir regularly).
    4. If onions begin to stick, add a bit more oil.

    Source

    Waldbauer family recipe.

  • Fried Mushrooms

    Ingredients

    • 1/3 cup olive oil
    • 1 pound button mushrooms sliced
    • 1 clove garlic minced
    • 1 tablespoon red wine
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt

    Method

    1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
    2. Add all other ingredients and cook until mushrooms browned (about 5 minutes).
    3. Reduce heat and simmer until mushrooms tender (about 5 more minutes).

    Source

  • Mashed White Beans

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • 2 (19 ounce) cans white beans drained and rinsed
    • 1 1/4 cups water
    • salt
    • black pepper

    Method

    1. In a large skillet, brown the garlic in the oil.
    2. Add water and beans to garlic.
    3. Cook until beans are hot and liquid thickens (about 4 minutes).
    4. Remove from heat and mash beans with liquid.
    5. Season with salt and pepper.

    Source