Show Us Your Culture Potluck

Potlucks are not new to the Generations Incorporated family, so this time we decided to unite our culinary skills with an array of cultural backgrounds.  Culture is something that is vibrantly expressed in all of the communities that we serve.  Since our day was dedicated to the fusion of cultural diversity and art, we thought it best to combine forces and treat one another to a buffet of delicious cuisine inspired by our own family recipes.  In the spirit of “show and tell,” we put our hunger on hold to gather in a circle and share the significance of each dish.

Many of us travelled from all over the United States for our service year, leaving our families and friends to embark on this experience.  This gave us an opportunity to share an edible piece of our family history.

Maddie Kiuttu and Molly Dutter are AmeriCorps members at Generations Inc.  You can contact them at mkiuttu@generationsinc.org and mdutter@generationsinc.org, respectively.

B e v e r a g e s

• Pomegranate Strawberry Lemonade Iced Tea

S i d e  D i s h e s

• Great Grandma Connolly’s Irish Bread
• Shrimp Pasta Salad
• Sweet Potato Fries
• Clam Dip

M a i n  C o u r s e s

• Beer Brat Mac & Cheese
• Picadillo
• Tostadas
• Doris K’s Dogs in a Piggy
• Vegetable Korma
• Quinoa Tabouli
• Kugel

D e s s e r t s

• Best Filled Cookies
• Date Nut Roll
• KY Derby Pie
• Chocolate Chip Cookies

Beverages

Pomegranate Strawberry Lemonade Iced Tea

by Amy Markowski, AmeriCorps State Member

Ingredients

• 3 quarts water
• 9 individual pomegranate strawberry tea bags
• 3/4 to 1-1/4 cups sugar
• 1 can frozen lemonade concentrate

Directions

In a Dutch oven, bring water to a boil. Remove from the heat; add tea bags. Cover and steep for 5 minutes. Discard tea bags. Stir in sugar and lemonade concentrate. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. Serve over ice.

Side Dishes

Great Grandma Connolly’s Irish Bread

by Kelly Connolly, Supplemental Educational Services *VISTA

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup butter (save the remainder of the stick for greasing/ glazing)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 cup raisins

Directions

1. Cream softened butter
2. Add eggs and sugar
3. Mix baking powder in with flour
4. Add flour and baking powder mixture, alternating with milk Stir as you add, stirring as little as possible along the way Add raisins Use remainder of butter stick to grease your pan, sprinkle a little flour around the pan also to prevent bread from sticking to pan.
5. Pour mix into pan*, pushing out to edges (might need to flour your hands to prevent sticking)
6. (*The ideal pan size is 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 in; I used an 8x8x1 1/2 in square pan. You can easily double the recipe to make 2 loaves)
7. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes, depending on pan dimensions/ oven.
8. Glaze the top of the bread when it’s finished with the remainder of the butter stick.

Shrimp Pasta Salad

by Lisa Tankanow, AmeriCorps State Member

Ingredients

Pasta

• 1 box small shell pasta
• 16-20 large pre-cooked and peeled shrimp cut in pieces
• 3/4 C finely chopped celery
• 3/4 C finely chopped onion

Dressing

• 1C mayo.  I like Hellmans the best for this and I use the one with canola oil
• 11/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Directions

Cook about 3/4 box of pasta and rinse in cold water then add shrimp, celery and onion.  Blend dressing ingredients and mix well with pasta.  It’s best chilled for a few hours.

Sweet Potato Fries

by Shoshana Fried, AmeriCorps State Lead

Ingredients

• 4 medium sweet potatoes
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• dash cinnamon, optional

Directions

Boil sweet potatoes in skins until tender; slice about 1/4-inch thick. Heat oil and 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat and brown sliced sweet potatoes quickly. Sprinkle with sugar, along with cinnamon, to taste.

Clam Dip

by Molly Dutter, AmeriCorps State Member

Ingredients

• (2) 8oz blocks of Low-fat cream cheese
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Tbsp Lemon juice
• Pinch of minced garlic (or chopped)
• 2 cans of clams drained
• ¼ Cup Clam juice (Save juice from clams to use here)

Directions

Mix all ingredients into a bowl.  The lemon, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce can all be added by taste preference.  Mix until smooth (no clumps of cream cheese).  Chill in fridge for twenty minutes.  Serve with potato chips.

Main Course

Beer Brat Mac & Cheese:

by Colleen Downie, Development and Marketing AmeriCorps *VISTA

Ingredients

• Brats
• Beer (4-5)
• Pasta (elbow macaroni or shells)
• Horseradish Cheddar cheese (I use Cabot)  (Shredded)
• Large yellow onion
• Milk
• Flour (just a few tablespoons)
• Butter (one stick is plenty)
• Mustard
• Bread crumbs for top

Directions

• Pre-heat oven to 375
• Place brats & sliced onion in large pot, cover with beer & boil for 20 minutes.
• In the meantime you can begin the roux (fancy word but really it’s quite easy) & horseradish cheddar sauce
  • Slowly melt butter in a saucepan, keep heat on medium-low
  • Once completely melted, add a couple tablespoons of flour & whisk!
  • Add as much milk as sauce you want in the end.  Whisk.
  • Next, add shredded horseradish cheddar (1-2 cups).  Keep whisking.
  • Here’s where you may need to add a bit more flour if it’s too thin (but do give it time to thicken) or a bit more milk if it’s too thick.
  • Once you’ve attained the viscosity you desire you can whisk in some mustard (just a bit though, you don’t want to overpower the horseradish cheddar) & beer.
  • Keep on low, whisking now & again.
• At some point during the sauce-making cook the pasta
• After the brats are boiled, ideally they would be grilled.  If it’s not quite grilling season, you can brown them in a pan on the stove.
• Save onions from brat-boiling.
• Slice brats once grilled/browned.
• Mix it all together in casserole dish!  Brats, onions, pasta, sauce!
• Sprinkle bread crumbs and bit more cheese over the top, put in the oven & bake until golden brown & bubbly on top…about 20-25 minutes.
• Eat & Enjoy!

Picadillo

by JulieAnn Sitler, Director of AmeriCorps

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 lbs. ground beef
• 1-1/2 tsp. Goya Adobo All-Purpose Seasoning with Pepper
• 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup finely diced onion
• 1/2 cup Goya Sofrito
• 1/2 cup Goya Tomato Sauce
• 1 tbsp. Golden Cooking Wine
• 1 tbsp. Vinegar
• 2 packets Sazón Goya con Culantro & Achiote
• 1/8 tsp. Cumin
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup diced Pimientos
• 1/4 cup sliced Spanish Olives

Directions

1. Season meat with Adobo and set aside.
2. In skillet, heat oil on medium. Stir in the onion and cook until tender and slightly colored.
3. Stir in meat, breaking it up as it browns. When browned, pour off excess fat.
4. Stir in remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer, lower heat and cook for 15 minutes or until desired consistency. Stir often.
5. Serve with white rice

Tostadas

by SaLees Seddon, Development and Marketing *VISTA

Ingredients

• Tostada shells
• Refried beans
• Shredded cheese (Mexican blend)
• Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Onion
• Cilantro
• Salsa/pico de gallo

Directions

Prepare beans according to can. Chop up lettuce, tomatoes, onion and cilantro. Start with tostada shell and top with desired ingredients (beans, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, cilantro and salsa). Enjoy!

Doris K’s Dogs in a Piggy

by Bryan Lamoreau, AmeriCorps State Lead

This ain’t your grandmother’s ol’ Pigs in a Blanket recipe. THAT’S RIGHT…CAUSE IT’S MY NANA’s!!! And we don’t use no stinkin’ croissants to make our blankets. No ma’am. No sir. We use the finest meat to cover our dogs. That’s right. BACON. You got it. BACON. This recipe is delicious, easy and original. Try it out for yourself.

Ingredients

• 1 Box of stuffing
• 2 Packages of your favorite Dogs
• 1 Package of Bacon

Directions

Preheat oven to 375. Cook the Stuffing as directed on the box. Slice the hot dogs lengthwise about halfway deep. Be careful not to slice it all the away threw. Place two spoonfuls of stuffing inside the hot dog. Wrap a piece of bacon around the entire stuffing-filled dog. (Optional: Place a toothpick in each end.) Repeat until all dogs are stuffed. Place in 13 X 9 greased pan. Bake for about 35 minutes or until Bacon is crispy.

Vegetable Korma

by Karthik Sekar, Technology *VISTA

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil (for skillet)
• 2 Small onions, diced
• 2 tsp, Fresh ginger, minced
• 8 Cloves of garlic, minced
• 6 Yellow Yukon potatos, cubed
• 2 Fresh Jalapeno peppers, seeded and sliced
• 6 Tbsp., Unsalted cashew nuts, crushed
• 8 ounces, Tomato sauce
• 4 Tsp., Salt
• 3 Tbsp., Curry Powder
• 1 Tbsp., Garam Masala
• 2 Cups, Frozen Peas
• 1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
• 2 Cans, Light Coconut Milk
• Fresh Cilantro

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Stir in the onion, and cook until tender.  Mix in ginger and garlic, and continue cooking 1 minute.  Mix potatoes, carrots, jalapeno, cashews, and tomato sauce.  Season with salt and curry powder.  Cook and stir 10 minutes, or until potatos are tender.
2. Stir peas, bell peppers, and coconut milk into the skillet.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes.  Stir in garam masala.  Garnish with cilantro and serve!

Quinoa Tabouli

by Rebecca Weast, Evaluation *VISTA

Ingredients

• 1 box Quinoa (don’t know what quinoa is, google it!)
• 1 carton grape or cherry tomatoes
• ½ bunch scallions (3-5 stalks)
• 1 cucumber, peeled
• Garlic (the more the better, diced)
• Fresh cilantro (1/4 – ½ cup)
• Fresh dill (same as cilantro)
• 1 red bell pepper
• ½ cup olive oil
• Olives (black or kalamata – no pits!)
• Cheese (mozzarella or feta)

Optional

• More garlic (actually, this isn’t optional – just throw it all in there!)
• 1 jalapeno (get rid of the seeds to reduce face-numbing spiciness)
• Steak or chicken (for the carnivores among us)

Directions

1. COOK quinoa according to directions on box -  It’s about a 1:2 ratio of quinoa to water, cook it until all the water absorbs like rice. When in doubt, add less water to begin and add more as it boils down; soggy quinoa is gross and sticky!
2. CUT veggies into small cubes – Pretty simple J
3. LAY quinoa out on a large plate to cool. – This dish is supposed to be served cool or at room temperature. Also, the veggies mix in better when the quinoa is cooler.  You can add about half of the olive oil here.
4. MIX it all together
5. EAT. Lots. Just try and stop. See, you can’t!

Kugel

by Jason Horowitz, AmeriCorps State Member

Ingredients

• 12 oz. Manischewitz Noodles (or any brand is fine)
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 3/4 cup of raisins
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs well beaten
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine

Directions

1. Cook noodles as directed on package, drain well.
2. Add sugar, raisins, salt and eggs
3. Melt butter or margarine (I usually do it in the microwave for about 30 seconds and then pour it into the baking dish)
4. Grease a baking pan (about 8″ x 12″) with the melted butter
5. Pour the balance of the butter into the noodles mixture.
6. Blend well and spread mixture in the baking pan.
7. Sprinkle evenly with cinnamon.
8. Bake in oven at 375 degrees for 55 minutes or until browned.

Pierogi – Polish Dumplings!

by Kendra Mrozek, AmeriCorps *VISTA Lead

Ingredients

• Potato Filling:
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 cups cold mashed potatoes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• Dough:
• 3 egg
• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder

Directions

1. To prepare the sauerkraut filling, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the drained sauerkraut and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then remove to a plate to cool.
2. For the mashed potato filling, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir into the mashed potatoes, and season with salt and white pepper.
3. To make the dough, beat together the eggs and sour cream until smooth. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder; stir into the sour cream mixture until dough comes together. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until firm and smooth. Divide the dough in half, then roll out one half to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into 3 inch rounds using a biscuit cutter.
4. Place a small spoonful of the mashed potato filling into the center of each round. Moisten the edges with water, fold over, and press together with a fork to seal. Repeat procedure with the remaining dough and the sauerkraut filling.
5. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add perogies and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until pierogi float to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Desserts

Best Filled Cookies

by Kim Bohling, AmeriCorps State Lead

Ingredients

• 1 c butter or margarine
• 1 c brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 c sugar
• 4 c flour
• 1 t soda
• 1 t cinnamon
• ¼ t salt
• 2 c raisins (Cook with ½ – ¾ cup water until plump.  Thicken with flour or corn starch. Add sugar to taste)

Directions

Cream butter and sugars until fluffy.  Add eggs and mix.  Sift flour with soda, salt and cinnamon.  Add to creamed mixture.  If dough seems too soft, chill.  Roll on a floured surface until as thick as desired.  Cut with biscuit cutter or juice glass.  Spread with raisin filling and top with another cookie; seal edges.  Sprinkle with sugar.  Bake 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Date Nut Roll

by Madeline Kiuttu, AmeriCorps State Member

Date nut roll is a staple dessert around the holidays in my home.  Every year I help my mom make and eat this delicious dish to deliver to family members and friends.  Interestingly enough, I’m not a fan of any of the ingredients individually, but when you put them together the result is genius.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. (1 bag) marshmellows
• 1 box graham crackers
• 1 lb. walnuts
• 1 lb. pitted dates
• 1/2 pint heavy cream

Topping

• 1 can whipping cream

Directions

In large bowl mix ingredients as follows—– break up graham crackers with hands until they are very small….leave 4 or 5 graham crackers to roll  the loaf with…..using sharp scissors cut marshmallows in 4ths ( it helps to have a large glass of hot water to dip the scissors in to help with the stickiness of the marshmallows)……cut dates in small pieces at least 4ths…..chop walnuts……..Mix it all together in LARGE Bowl with enough of the heavy cream to make it stick together.

Roll out the 4 or 5 graham crackers.  Form either 2 loafs or 1 large loaf in the rolled out graham cracker crumbs.   Wrap loaf or loaves in aluminum foil and freeze.

Slice when frozen and serve with whipped cream topping.  Bon appetite!

KY Derby Pie

by CT Ransdell, Development & Individuals *VISTA

This is exclusively from Kern’s Kitchen in Kentucky (edits by my grandmother).

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup Karo light corn syrup
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 tablespoons bourbon (don’t use that ol’ cheap whiskey)
• 1 1/2 cup gourmet chocolate chips
• 1 9″ pie crust (frozen)
• 1 cup toasted pecans or walnuts, shelled and chopped in half if   desired

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large mixing bowl, on medium speed with whisk attachment, whip butter, sugar, corn syrup, eggs, vanilla and bourbon together until frothy.
• Remove bowl from mixer, and fold in chocolate chips and pecans or walnuts. Blend well.
• Pour into prepared pie crust and bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes or until set.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

by Karleigh Rose Pettit, AmeriCorps State Member

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLE TOLL HOUSE Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
• 1 cup chopped nuts

Directions

1. PREHEAT oven to 375° F.
2. COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
3. BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

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