The Black Skillet
Koldras Family Recipies of Distinction
The Black Skillet referrs to the Catherine Lesniak Koldras' black skillet
which was almost always hot and filled with something delicious to eat.
Catherine's Famous Hamburgers
1 1/2 lbs of ground Pork shoulder
1 large onion-chopped
2 beaten eggs
crushed soda crackers - about 3 cups
salt and pepper
Mix the meat with the above ingredients, form into patties and fry. Everyone just raves about these. Yum!
Catherine's Koloc (Cheesecake)
1 pkg Cake yeast
1/3 cup warm milk
2 1/2 cups flour, sifted
1 egg
Crumble yeast into 1/3 lukewarm milk. Combine all ingredients adding more milk if nec. to make a stiff dough. Place in a large square greased pan. let stand in a warm place until double in bulk. Add topping below.
Topping
1 carton Baker's Cheese (cream cheese)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 eggs
Mix well and put on top of risen dough. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.
Catherine's Potato Pancakes
6 Raw Potatos-grated
2 1/2 tablespoon flour
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 small onion-finely chopped or grated
pepper to taste
Drain potatoes. Mix in flour, eggs, and salt, pepper and onion.
Drop by spoonfulls into hot pan with thin layer of oil. Use a spoon or spatula to spread mixure out to make it thin. Brown on both sides.
Catherine's Kluski
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 cup flour
Mix egg, milk and salt. Add flour slowly beating well after each addition. Dough should be soft, but firm. With a teaspoon pick up a little bit of dough (1/4 teaspoon) and drop into salted boiling water. Cook about 5 min., drain and add to soup or stew. For side dish, brown butter with breadcrumbs and sprinkle over kluski.
Charlotte's Pink Merangue Cookies
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
dash of salt
3 1/2 tablespoons of Strawberry Jello
Chocolate Chips
Beat egg whites till stiff. Add vinegar and add sugar slowly, beating all the while. Sdd salt and Jello. Add a handfull of chocolate chips. Grease a large cookie sheet lightly. Use a teaspoon full of the mixture per cookie. Bake at 300 degrees for 25 min. Turn off oven and leave cookies in for 1 hour afterwards.
Charlotte's Famous Rosette Cookies
Charlotte's Golumbki
1 lb beef
1/2 lb Pork
1 large onion-chopped
1 green pepper-chopped
2 eggs
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
1 head of cabbage
1 can tomato soup
1 stick margarine
Mix meat, onion and 1/2 chopped green pepper with 2 beaten eggs, salt and pepper. Add rice and mix well.
Drop head of cabbage into a pot of boiling water to scald the leaves. They will peal off the head. Drain the leaves. Save some water.
Into each leaf, put about 2 tablespoons of meat mixture. Wrap and form a golumbki. Melt 1 stick of margarine. Add 1 chopped onion and 1/2 green pepper saute, add golumbki. Mix the can of tomato soup and some of the cabbage water and pour over golumki. Roast in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour 15 min. Thicken the gravy with 1/2 cup water and 2-3 tablespoons of starch.
Bernice's Milnot Cheese Cake
1 pkg Lemon flavored gelatin
1 cup boiling water
1 8oz pkg cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tall can Milnot whipped (14 oz?)
1 lb graham crackers
Melted butter or margarine (how much?)
Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Cool. Cream together cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Add gelatin and mix well. Fold in whipped Milnot. Crush graham crackers into fine crumbs and add melted butter or margarine. Firmly pack 2/3 mixture in bottom and sides of a 9x13 inch pan. Add filling and sprinkle with remaining crumbs. Chill several hours. Cut into 12 squares and serve. Judy Pettinger's favorite!
Bernice's Famous Potato Salad
5 potatos with skins
4 single stalks of celery
3 eggs
1/2 of one cucumber
1/2 cup miracle whip
1/2 cup sour cream
Cook potatos with skin on till easily pierced with a fork. Let col. hard boil 3 eggs, let cool and chop. Chop cucumber and celery. Peel skins off potatos and chop. Mix all ingredients together in bowl. Add sour cream and miracle whip. Mix well. Delicious!
Bernice's Traditional Mushroom Soup (Barcht)
1/2 cup dried mushrooms (from Poland if possible)
regular milk (not skim)
cubed potatos
2 bullion cubes
1 chopped onion
3 tablespoons flour
1 small container of sour cream
1 tbsp. vinegar
Soak mushrooms in cold water for at least 20 min. then drain. Saute chopped onion in butter then add liquid. Using an average soup pot, put in about a quart of water and a quart of milk. Add mushrooms and a little salt. Let it come to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Let it cook at least 2 hours then add 3 peeled and chopped potatos. Add boullion cubes. Let cook until potatos are done. Remove about a cup of soup and let cool then add sour cream and flour. Mix until free from any lumps. Bring soup to a boil again and add sour cream mixture. Stir until lump free. Add vinegar and stir. Soup is done.
Sally's Famous Gingerbread Recipe
Sally's Gingerbread boys and wonderful Gingerbread houses have brought joy to multiple generations of Koldras children at Christmas.
2/3 cup margarine
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/12 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup molasses
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
Combine margarine, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and egg together. Add molasses and blend well. Sift together flour, soda nd baking powder. Add sifted ingrediens to molasses mixture. Chill. Roll out 1/8 inch thick. Cut with gingerbread boy cookie cutter. Bake at 375 for 8-10 min. When cool decorate with icing.
Decorative Icing
2 egg whites
2 teaspoons water
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 1/2- 3 cups sited powderd sugar
Beat egg whites, cream of tartar and water until frothy, gradually add sugar. Beat until mixure holds soft peaks. Tint with food coloring if desired. Sprinkle with colored sugar.
Sally's Legendary Perogis
Karen Stezowski's Shepherd's Pie
1 large onion
4 teaspoons butter
2lbs. ground round
2-3 tsp. flour
2-3 tsp. beef broth
1 bag frozen peas & cubed carrots
6 c. mashed potatoes
Salt and Pepper
Garlic powder to taste
Saute' chopped onion in 1/2 butter. Add ground round, and cook until it is just browned. Drain fat off. Add tomato paste and remaining butter. Sprinkle mixture with flour and mix well. Add beef broth and mix. Gravy should be thick. Season to taste In deep baking dish, layer beef, then vegetables, then potatoes. Bake at 400 degrees until hot and potatoes are browned.
Karen Stezowski's Peanut Butter Bars
Wonderfully rich and easy to make, but NOT a diet food!
1 1/2 c. crushed graham crackers
1 c. peanut butter
12 oz. pkg. chocolate chips
2 c. powdered sugar
1 1/3 sticks butter
Melt butter. Add sugar, crackers, and peanut butter in pan. Mix well and spread into a 8x13 pan. Melt chocolate chips in microwave. Spread chocolate on top of peanut mixture. Refrigerate to set up. It is best to let bars return to room temp before cutting. A pizza cutter works really well.
Wonderful Pumpkin Cake
1 pkg. yellow box cake
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 c. pumpkin
1/4 c. water
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 eggs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flour a 9x13 pan. Mix together yellow cake mix, sugar, oil, pumpkin, water, cinnamon and eggs. Beat until well blended. Pour into baking dish. Cook approx. 45 min., about an hour for a bunt pan. This cake is great alone, or with cream cheese icing.