Read The Homestyle Amish Kitchen Cookbook Online

Authors: Georgia Varozza

The Homestyle Amish Kitchen Cookbook (15 page)

2 zucchini, thinly sliced

2 yellow crookneck squash, thinly sliced

½ cup fresh green peas (can use frozen also)

½ cup fresh green beans

1 bell pepper, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

½ cup fresh dill, chopped

½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

1½ cups beef or chicken broth

½ cup olive oil

In a large greased roasting pan, arrange a third of the vegetables in a single layer. Sprinkle with some of the salt, pepper, dill, and parsley. Repeat layers two more times.

In a small saucepan, heat together the broth and oil. Pour over the vegetables, cover the roaster tightly with aluminum foil or a lid, and bake at 350° for 3 hours or until vegetables are tender.

White Bean Soup

1 lb. white beans (navy or northerns)

2½ quarts water—enough water to cover beans

1 ham hock (you can also use pieces of ham or several bacon slices)

2 stalks celery

1 onion, chopped

Put the beans in a large soup pot and add the water. Turn the heat on, and when the water begins to boil, turn the heat off,
cover the pot, and let sit for an hour. Drain water off the beans and then refill pot with fresh water and return beans to the stove. Once they begin to boil, turn down the heat so the beans simmer. At that point you can add the ham hock or other meat, celery, and onion.

Simmer, covered, for 2 or more hours, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender. Remove hock from soup and take off any meat to add back into pot. Salt and pepper to taste. When serving, you can ladle the bean soup over cornbread or a bit of rice and add chopped tomatoes or eat it plain.

SALADS AND DRESSINGS

S
alads are often made using ingredients from the family garden, but the Amish are also fond of Jell-O salads for special occasions, and hearty potato and macaroni salads that can feed many. In early spring Amish children will forage for dandelion greens to make a tasty salad that is rumored to cleanse the blood, which has turned sluggish from the long winter.

Better is a little with righteousness, than vast revenues without justice
.

Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones
.

P
ROVERBS
16:8,24

Lord, sometimes I believe the adage “a woman’s work is never done.” It seems that no matter how hard I work, there is always more that needs doing. But may I never get so involved in the cares and chores of the day that I forfeit the best thing in life, which is to love my family with all my heart. May I always be quick to kiss away “owies,” wipe away tears, referee squabbles, and show my family in countless small ways how much I love them. Lord, You died for each of them, and they are worth my best efforts. Thank You for my family!

Basic Oil and Vinegar Salad Dressing

1 cup oil

½ cup vinegar (experiment with different vinegars, such as cider or balsamic)

Salt and pepper to taste

Put ingredients in a jar and shake to blend. The dressing will separate, but just shake again right before using.

Beet and Apple Salad

2 cups cooked beets, cooled and diced

2 cups raw apples, diced

2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

½ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup walnuts

Combine all ingredients and toss lightly. Serve on a bed of lettuce.

Carrot and Pineapple Salad

1 package (3 oz.) orange Jello-O

1 cup boiling water

1 cup pineapple juice

1 cup crushed pineapple (canned)

1½ cups carrots, shredded

Dissolve the Jell-O in boiling water and then add pineapple juice. Chill. When the Jell-O begins to set, add the pineapple and carrots. Pour the mixture into a mold and chill until set. Unmold on lettuce leaves. Serve with mayonnaise.

God gives us the ingredients for our daily bread, but He expects us to do the baking.

Chicken Salad

3 cups cooked chicken, diced

½ cup celery, diced

1 cup mandarin oranges, drained

1 cup pineapple tidbits, drained

½ cup grapes, cut in half

¼ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup sour cream

½ tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. sugar

Combine chicken, celery, mandarin oranges, pineapple, and grapes. Mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, and sugar; pour over chicken mixture, toss gently, and chill. Serve on a bed of lettuce.

Coleslaw

1 medium cabbage

½ tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 T. butter

1 cup sugar

½ cup vinegar

½ cup cream

Shred or slice cabbage fine. In a double boiler, add all other ingredients except cream. Cook until thick, being careful not to scorch. Cool to room temperature (or refrigerate) and then add cream. Pour dressing over cabbage.

Cottage Cheese Salad

2 boxes (3 oz. each) Jell-O (any flavor)

2 cups boiling water

1 cup cream, whipped

1 cup miniature marshmallows

1 small can crushed pineapple, drained

2 cups cottage cheese

Mix together the Jell-O and boiling water and stir until Jell-O is dissolved. Set in the refrigerator until slightly thickened and then add the remainder of the ingredients. Chill until set.

Cream Dressing

½ cup heavy whipping cream

4 T. lemon juice

4 T. sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Combine the ingredients and either shake in a jar or whisk until well blended and sugar is dissolved. Use this as a dressing for spinach or lettuce salad.

Creamy Pea Salad

1 cup cooked peas, drained and cooled

1 cup celery, finely diced

½ cup sweet pickles, finely diced

½ cup Cheddar cheese, chopped in bite-sized pieces

mayonnaise

salt and pepper to taste

Mix together all ingredients and add mayonnaise until you have reached a desired creaminess. Salt and pepper to taste.

Creamy Ribbon Salad

First layer

1 package (3 oz.) cherry Jell-O

Prepare according to package directions and pour into a rectangular glass pan. Chill until set.

Second layer

⅔ cup milk

16 marshmallows

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese

1 package (3 oz.) lemon Jell-O

1 small can crushed pineapple

⅔ cup walnuts, chopped

1 cup whipping cream, whipped

Heat the milk, marshmallows, and cream cheese in a double boiler until melted, and then add the Jell-O. Stir until dissolved. Let mixture cool before adding the pineapple, nuts, and whipped cream. Pour over the first layer and chill until set.

Third layer

1 package (3 oz.) orange Jell-O

Prepare Jell-O according to package directions and pour over the other layers. Chill until set.

Dutch Slaw

1 large cabbage, chopped

½ cup vinegar

1 cup celery, diced

2 tsp. salt

½ tsp. mustard seeds

½ cup onion, diced

2 cups sugar

1 green pepper, diced

1 tsp. celery seeds

Mix together all ingredients and put them in a large glass bowl or jar. Cover tightly and refrigerate. This slaw will last a long while if kept refrigerated.

French Dressing