Mennonite Girls Can Cook (19 page)

...............................................Serves 6

• 1 large fryer or roasting chicken, cut up into pieces with the bone and skin
  
• Salt
  
• 2 tablespoons / 30 ml anise seed
  
• 1 tablespoon / 15 ml flour
  
• 1 cup / 250 ml milk
  

1. Arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer in a dark enameled roasting pan with a lid.
   
2. Sprinkle with salt and anise seed.
   
3. Cover and bake at 325° F / 160° C for 2½ hours.
   
4. Remove from the oven. Take out ½ cup of the drippings if making
   Bubbat
   .
   
5. Increase oven heat to 350° F / 175° C. Add ½ cup water to the roasting pan
   and return to the oven, uncovered.
   
6. Prepare the
   Bubbat
   and bake alongside the chicken for another 30 minutes.
   
7. Remove the chicken to a serving plate and cover with foil to stay warm.
   
8. Sprinkle flour into the pan with the drippings. Cook and stir over medium heat until bubbly.
   
9. Add milk, stirring until bubbly. Add more milk, according to desired gravy consistency
   
10. Serve with new boiled or mashed potatoes.
    

Tip:
While this chicken can be roasted in any roasting pan, I find it develops the nicest color in the speckled dark blue roasting pan that is inexpensive and widely available.

Lovella says

• 2 cups / 500 ml flour
  
• 1 tablespoon / 15 ml baking powder
  
• 1 teaspoon / 5 ml salt
  
• ¼ cup / 60 ml sugar
  
• 1 cup / 250 ml milk
  
• 2 eggs
  
• ½ cup / 125 ml chicken drippings
  
• 1½ cup / 350 ml raisins
  

1. Combine the dry ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl.
   
2. Combine the milk, eggs, and chicken drippings. Add to the dry ingredients.
   
3. Add the raisins and stir until combined.
   
4. Pour the batter into an 8 x 8-inch / 20 x 20-cm pan greased with no-stick cooking spray.
   
5. Bake alongside the chicken for 30 minutes.
   

Tip:
Omit the raisins or add other dried fruits to the
Bubbat
. Another option is to use
Bubbat
to stuff a roasting chicken. If you bake the
Bubbat
in the chicken, omit the chicken drippings, using butter instead. The
Bubbat
is naturally moist with the chicken drippings baked right into the
Bubbat
.

—
Lovella

F
amily and faith have had the most influence in my life. I grew up in Ontario with my mom’s family close by. One of my early memories is of sitting on a big bed with my cousins listening to my grandmother tell stories from her youth in Russia, and also stories from the Bible.

My Dad’s family lived in British Columbia, so a trip across the country every few years became part of the family budget. A friendship built while visiting family in British Columbia ultimately led to meeting my husband.

Harv and I have only one sibling each. Over the years, our families have melded into one. When my parents came west to join us for Christmas or Thanksgiving, both families would gather at our home, with all the women working together in the kitchen. We had so much fun as we cooked, served, and washed dishes.

Both my mother and mother-in-law taught me how to prepare many traditional Mennonite recipes. In canning season, four generations worked together. The children pulled grapes off the stem for fruit cocktail, while Great-Grandma peeled peaches and pears, and Mom and I sterilized and filled jars. Every fall, we spent a whole day making apple juice, with the children washing the apples, the men grinding and pressing the apples, and the women heating the juice and filling the jars.

I’ve always enjoyed baking and cooking. My mother worked out of the home, so my sister and I were expected to help with the Saturday chores. My job was to do the baking for the week, which included a cake, several types of squares, cookies, and perhaps a pie. All this food was required for either Sunday guests or weekday lunches.

Mom entertained a lot. She taught me how setting a beautiful table can make your guests feel special. Even for family suppers, she insisted on a clean tablecloth and proper serving dishes. Food was never brought to the table in a cooking pot. She was not afraid of trying new recipes, so there was always a wide variety of food in our home.

When I was in junior high, I started my own recipe collection, painstakingly writing out recipes and cutting pictures out of magazines. Today I enjoy entertaining and love trying new recipes. This love of cooking has filtered down the generations so that now even our young grandchildren want to help.

The faith lived out by my grandparents and parents set an example of putting God first in my life. I learned from them how important it is to give freely of my time and resources and to take an active part in my local church.

...............................................Serves 6

• 8 large flour tortillas
  
• 1 cup / 250 ml green salsa
  
• ½ cup / 125 ml guacamole
  
• 1 cup / 250 ml cheddar cheese, grated
  
• ¼ cup / 60 ml green onions, sliced
  
• 1 cup / 250 ml chopped tomatoes
  
• 4 cups / 1000 ml chicken, cooked and shredded
  
• Sliced peppers as garnish (optional)
  

1. Use a whole roasted chicken (purchased from the deli or cooked at home). Remove the skin and bones and shred the meat.
   
2. Combine salsa, guacamole, cheese, onions, and tomatoes. Stir in shredded chicken.
   
3. Lay tortillas on a flat surface and place equal amounts of the chicken mixture on top.
   
4. Roll up tortillas and place in a greased 9 x 13-inch / 22 x 33-cm glass baking pan.
   
5. Make enchilada sauce and cheese sauce (recipes follow) and pour over the tortillas.
   
6. Sprinkle generously with extra grated cheese.
   
7. Bake in 350° F / 175° C oven for 30-40 minutes.
   
8. Garnish with sliced peppers and additional green onions if desired.
   
9. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, and tortilla chips.
   

Make 1 envelope of purchased enchilada sauce according to package directions. Pour over wrapped tortillas.

• ½ cup / 125 ml Velveeta or other processed cheese loaf
  
• 1 cup / 250 ml cup canned diced tomatoes
  
• ½ cup / 125 ml chunky salsa
  
• Cheddar and mozzarella cheese, grated
  

1. Place first 3 ingredients in a bowl and microwave until cheese is melted.
   
2. Stir to mix and pour cheese sauce over enchiladas.
   
3. Add extra cheese as desired.
   

Tip:
Serve with Spanish rice and a salad of shredded lettuce and tomatoes.

—
Kathy

Kathy says