Another Pajama Day

I do not envy people who work second or third shifts; did it for eight years, and hated it. Roy did it for 4 years and was not too happy about it either.  However, for all the disdain we felt for the hours, the money and benefits were just too good to give up, so we plodded on.  Mine was also a cushy job; no management watching constantly, only one other coworker, and most of the time we just sat around listening to music, surfing the net, or reading.  Not much to really do when working in a computer server room, and testing programs.  When the financial institution aka “large east coast bank” was bought out, and we got the announcement about being laid off, all I could feel was relief.  I was getting a nice severance package, eligible for unemployment, and a huge bonus for staying on until the company was finally done with the computer operations department.

Roy was soon laid off from his graphic design position too, so we needed to make plans and quickly.  We had made a five year plan, but the layoffs forced us into a two year plan.  Living in Pennsylvania was something we had both started to dislike...intensely.  I had fallen in love with Utah when we visited his mom in 2006, and even then I had said to him, "Honey, one day we are going to live here."  October 2008, we took a two week trip to Utah, scoped out potential areas to live in, and made a decision....we put the PA house up for sale.  Coordinating with realtors in PA and Utah, we sold our home and purchased a new one; well not a new-new one, it was a dumpy handyman special, and we had to put a lot of work, and money, into the house to get it livable for us.  Far from being our dream home, but it had to do.

I have gone on another one of my tangent’s here, so back to working nights.  No matter how many years done, one just cannot get used to sleeping during the day, feeling no sunlight, or missing experiences in the outside world.  We were always tired, mainly due to neighbors who knew we worked nights, but were obsessed with lawn care.  We never really had a full weekend off.  Saturdays were usually spent sleeping part of the day, and then trying to get everything done we did not do during the week.  Sundays we were still playing catch up on chores; then suddenly, it was back to work.

Roy and I have had several jobs since moving to Utah.  While I always worked day shift, he works swing shifts, but it is not as bad as the job in PA was.  We were able to actually have a real pajama day occasionally.    Staying in night clothes, watching movies in bed and basically doing squat all day, and not caring at all.  There is just one main problem, we do not want life to pass us by; do not want to miss anything.  We start out with a pajama day, and then suddenly get dressed in our adventuring clothes, and off we go!

With Covid-19, well pajama days seem to be almost every day, for me at least.  Roy’s an “essential” worker, so his schedule has not really changed much.  But, in essence, do not let life pass you by just cause you can; seize the days and enjoy them.  But once, every once in a while,

give yourself a pajama day cause you earned it.

Originally, my friend Jena, who still lives back in PA, shared this recipe with me.  Came off the back of a soup can, so you know I had to play with it.  Once completely baked, it would not win a fashion award once served, but who cares!?!  This dish is delicious, satisfying and just one of the yummiest recipes I have ever made.   Having a pajama day?  You deserve a serving of this in your belly.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients:

2 whole chicken breasts, deboned, skinned, cooked and diced.

3 Tbsp. chili powder

1 (10.5 oz.) can cream of chicken soup

1 (10.5 oz.) can refried beans

1 (15.5 oz.) jar mild or medium heat, chunky salsa

1 cup sour cream

2 cups grated Mexican style cheese (1and1/2 cups + 1/2 cup set aside)

1 package (10 in package, 6” or 7” diameter) corn tortillas

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In large mixing bowl, mix well the first 7 ingredients (not the 1/2 cup of cheese set aside).

Spray a 2-quart baking dish (round or oval), place 4 tortillas on bottom. Covering bottom and up the sides. Spread out 1/2 the mixture from the bowl. Cover with 3 tortillas, spread out other 1/2 of mixture. Cover with 3 tortillas, spread 1/2 cup of cheese over top of tortillas.  Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 45 minutes; remove foil and bake additional 15 minutes, until top is slightly brown, and mixture is bubbling. Let rest 15 minutes before serving.

Serves 6-8.

It's not gourmet restaurant fashion pretty, but you will be going back for seconds.  I don't know anyone who would choose pretty, but disgusting food over "it ain't pretty, but so delicious" food.  Well except pretentious people who show off, by spending loads of money, buying "a name" over quality.

Note: The chicken can be boiled, baked in the oven, or purchased pre-cooked.  I make mine by preheating the oven to 350F.  Slice the breasts in half lengthwise (now have 4 pieces), season both sides with salt, ground black pepper and paprika (just a sprinkle of each seasoning on each side of the chicken).  Bake for 20 minutes…the chicken will be fully cooked and juicy, so you will be tempted to eat it.  Don’t!  Dice it up and add to your casserole mixture instead.

Hint:  You can always cook up more chicken, dice it up, add mayonnaise and now you have a delicious chicken salad for sandwiches.

Mary Cokenour

Escaping Persecution Creates a Melting Pot of Foods.

Heads up, this will not be about the Mormons and their travels to Utah in 1847.  No, I am going ahead in time to 1914 with the establishment of “Russian Settlement”.  It is not known if the settlers there had another name of this now ghost town in the Park Valley area of Box Elder County.  By 1917, the residents had moved to either California, or towards Salt Lake City; continual crop failures, children sent to outside schools, supplies not shipped in as promised broke them.  The only remnant that the town ever existed is a little white fence built around two gravesites, Anna Kalpakoff, who was accidentally shot by her husband, and her sister-in-law, Mary Kalpakoff, who died during childbirth. 

These settlers were Molokans, a Russian Protestant-like Christian sect; this particular group belonging to a sub-sect called the “Jumpers and Leapers”.  These believed they were visited by a manifestation of the Holy Spirit, held revivals with intense zeal, reporting miracles that rivaled the stories from Christ's apostles.  Molokans were also pacifists; they refused to bear arms, or join with any of Russia’s military forces.  Life in Russia became exceptionally difficult, for any religious sect, after the publishing of Karl Marx’s “Communist Manifesto” (1848); with Lenin finally overthrowing the Emperor and his court in 1918.

As with any other persecuted religious groups (Amish, Mennonite, Puritans, Quakers, Mormons), moving elsewhere to find freedom was a very good idea.  As with any immigrants that came to the United States, they brought with them culinary goods they could carry and recipe books.  America is called “The Melting Pot”, a gigantic living, breathing, working version of the child’s book, Stone Soup.  Picture this, the country is the cooking pot being filled with ingredients from every ethnic, religious, racial populace that has settled its lands.  Our language which we call English, is a variation of Olde English, Spanish, French, German, Latin and a few others thrown in as seasonings.  While we are all American, sometimes we tend to forget where our ancestors truly came from; we have forgotten, or not bothered to learn ancestral histories.  We also tend to forget that our ancestors were not that welcomed by residents already well-established here; they had to fight for their, and your, rights.

There is your mental meal to chew upon, now something to prepare for dinner to make your stomachs happy.  Since I have brought up Russia, a popular meal prepared with either beef cubes, strips or ground is “Beef Stroganoff”.  The history behind this dish is vague: #1 – 1850s created by a chef for Count Grigory Stroganov who had rotten teeth and needed the meat to be very soft.  #2 – 1891 created by French Chef Briere for Count Pavel Alexandrovich Stroganov; using shallots.  #3 – 1871 Elena Molokhovets writes a cookbook for young housewives; her recipe uses mushrooms, onions, bouillon, allspice and mustard.  None of the recipes include the use of egg noodles, rice or ground beef; those are strictly American inclusions along with the invention of cream of mushroom soup and crock pots.

Personally I have made many versions of Beef Stroganoff using lean meat or ground beef; in a skillet or crock pot; sauce made of sour cream or cream of mushroom soup.  To avoid any disappointments, always make sure to drain any excess oil after browning the beef; who enjoys a slimy sauce really?  When using beef cubes or strips in a skillet, tenderize the meat overnight with a drizzle of red wine vinegar; breaks up the fibers and even Count Grigory’s teeth would   appreciate it.  Ground beef (90% or higher lean) is the quickest to brown in a skillet and this is the recipe I will now share.  Enjoy!

 

Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients:

 

1 package (12 oz.) extra wide egg noodles.

1 lb. lean ground beef (90% or higher)

1 medium onion, diced

1 package (8 oz.) mushrooms, chopped

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. ground black pepper

3 Tbsp. beef stock

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce

1 container (16 oz.) sour cream

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preparation:

Prepare noodles according to package instructions; begin browning meat, medium-high heat, in 12 inch, deep skillet.  When meat is partially browned, add onions and continue to brown until no pink shows in meat; drain any excess oil.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add mushrooms, garlic, black pepper, beef stock and Worcestershire; mix and let cook for 5 minutes.  Add cooked egg noodles and sour cream; mix thoroughly; remove from heat and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bonus Recipe:  Beef Stroganoff for Crock Pot

Ingredients:

3 ½ - 4 lbs. lean beef, cut into ½” cubes

½ cup flour

½ cup olive oil

1 bag (12 oz.) frozen, diced onions

1 can or jar (8 oz.) of sliced mushrooms

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

2 tsp. ground black pepper

3 beef seasoning packets or bouillon cubes

2 cups water

1 can (10 ¾ oz.) cream of mushroom soup

1 cup sour cream

1 ½ lbs cooked, broad egg noodles

 Preparation:

Mix beef cubes and flour together; heat oil in large skillet, medium-high heat, and brown all sides of cubes; drain excess oil

Set 6 quart crock pot on low, place in all ingredients, except sour cream and egg noodles. Cover, cook for 8 hours, stir in sour cream.   Let cook for 15 minutes; serve over egg noodles.

Makes 8 servings.

 

Mary Cokenour

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Soup, Stew or Goulash; Paprikash is a Hungarian Best.

Traditionally, the Hungarian dish of Paprikash is made with chicken; the two other main ingredients are paprika and sour cream. When I first made this dish, I used turkey tenderloins I had found on sale. It came out so delicious, I didn't even try using chicken afterwards. Depending on the paprika used, the recipe can turn out to be mild and reddish in color; or spicy and brown in color. I use the mild paprika and once you add it into your skillet, you'll be amazed at how it makes your entire dish pop with color. I also add a little cayenne pepper, just enough to let you know it's there at the back of your throat, but not enough to overwhelm the entire dish.

The quantity of liquid added plus noodles or spaetzle, will help determine the final thickness of the dish. Personally, I like adding extra wide egg noodles directly into the pan; allowing the noodles to be infused with the flavors of paprika, cayenne pepper, vegetables and sour cream. If you're like me and prefer egg noodles, let me recommend a brand to you. "Amish Kitchens" of Millersburg, Ohio ( http://www.marzetti.com ) make their noodles primarily of wheat flour and eggs. They are absolutely fantastic and make the brands of egg noodles seen in supermarkets taste like garbage.

Don't be worried that there will be too much liquid at first, the noodles will eventually sop it up as they rest in the sauce.

Turkey Paprikash

Ingredients:

1 ½ lbs turkey tenderloin, cut into ½ inch strips
½ cup flour
4 Tbsp olive oil, divided in half
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup red bell pepper, diced
1 ½ Tbsp paprika
¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper
2 cups chicken stock
½ cup half n’ half
1 cup sour cream
1 lb medium size egg noodles, cooked and kept warm

Preparation:

In a plastic bag, coat the turkey with the flour. Heat half the oil in a large skillet, medium-high heat; brown turkey and set aside. In the same skillet, heat the other half of the oil; sauté’ the onions and peppers until they just start to soften.

Return the turkey to the skillet and add the paprika, cayenne pepper, chicken stock and half n’ half; bring to a soft boil; stir, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 5 minutes. Mix in the sour cream thoroughly; add noodles and toss to coat; let cook for 2 minutes.

Makes 8 servings.

Mary Cokenour