Greetings and holiday wishes to our readers who celebrate Ukrainian Christmas and New Years. With our Memorable Gifts contest we received this letter that refers to a holubtsi pot.
We enjoyed the story so much we asked the writer, Tanya Pelech, to share her Baba’s holubtsi recipe.
Memories of baba
Dear TEAM: After so many years of spending money on things we hope our loved ones will enjoy, my mom and sister came up with a great gift giving idea from the heart. We pulled names in summer and then for the next few months we would pay attention to things that our family admired in our home. We would then give that item to them for Christmas.
Read Also
Food can play a flavourful role in fun summer activities
Recipes – popsicles are made with lactose-free milk and yogurt so are perfect for those who can’t tolerate milk, while everyoneelse will also enjoy them
We all love this, and I was especially thrilled last year when I received my Baba Trufyn’s beloved holubtsi pot from one of my sisters. It was filled to the brim with delicious holubtsi. That wonderful pot holds so many memories for me. It has travelled great distances to potluck family gatherings, church dinners and special events over the past 50 years.
Baba lived with us when I was growing up, so I can still close my eyes and see her rolling holubtsi in the kitchen, sitting on a chair with one chair in front of her holding the holubtsi pot.
I have had the pot for one year and now I will pass it on to my other sister to enjoy this Christmas.
For Ukrainian Christmas Eve, Jan. 6, we have lenten holubtsi onions sautéed in oil not butter, and we omit the bacon and pork fat.
-Tanya Pelech (Trufyn),
Vilna, Alta.
Baba Trufyn’s sour leaf holubtsi (cabbage rolls)
4 cups short grain rice 1 L
2 cups onions, or 250 mL
amount to your liking,
chopped
2 cups bacon, or 250 mL
amount to your liking,
chopped
3 tablespoons oil 45 mL
or butter
dash salt, pepper, dill
1-2 heads sour cabbage
pork rind off a ham
1/2 cup oil 125 mL
water
Rinse and cook the rice, being careful not to overcook.
Sauté bacon and onion in the oil or butter. Add three-quarters of the bacon and onions to cooked rice and season with salt, pepper and dill. Season to taste.
Tear the sour cabbage leaves into desired size. Baba’s holubtsi were the size of her little finger when rolled. Put a spoonful of filling on each leaf and roll tightly, folding in the ends.
Layer the holubtsi in a metal soup pot greased with oil and lined with pork skin. Roll two layers, then sprinkle onions and bacon between every two layers until the pot is full.
Pour 1/2 cup (125 mL) oil over the holubtsi, then fill the pot to three-quarter full of water. Put pork skin over top of the holubtsi and cover tightly. Cook at 350 F (180 C) for one hour then turn down to 325 F (160 C) for another two hours. Cooking slowly allows the pork skin to season the holubtsi to perfection. Holubtsi are done when a fork goes through them easily.
All-purpose baking
mix recipe
Dear TEAM: I have a good and simple recipe for Easy Chicken Pot Pie that I have used before and it is quick to make. However, one of the ingredients is all-purpose baking mix, which is expensive to buy in a package. Basically it makes the top of the pie and looks like a crust. Would you have a home recipe for making the all-purpose baking mix? This is a great recipe, which I have included – A.G., e-mail.
Dear A.G.: The all-purpose mix that you requested is one of my favourites. I often have a batch made up and ready to use to make biscuits, muffins, quick breads, cookies, cakes, quick quiche or for use in recipes such as your chicken pot pie.
This mix is often referred to as a master mix or homemade Bisquick.
Master mix
5 cups unbleached flour 1.25 L
2/3 cup powdered milk 150 mL
3 tablespoons baking 45 mL
powder
11/2 teaspoons cream 7 mL
of tartar
2 tablespoons sugar 30 mL
2 teaspoons salt 10 mL
1 cup shortening or 250 mL
butter
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in the shortening/ butter until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark, dry place. Use within 10 to 12 weeks.
Variation: Use 21/2 cups (625 mL) all-purpose flour and 21/2 cups (625 mL) whole wheat flour instead of five cups (1.25 L) of unbleached flour.
Easy chicken pot pie
1 can (10 oz.) soup 284 mL
(condensed cream of
chicken or mushroom)
2 cups frozen 500 mL
vegetables
1 cup cubed, cooked 250 mL
chicken
1/2 cup milk 125 mL
1 egg
1 cup baking mix 250 mL
Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C).
In a nine inch (22 cm) pie plate, mix soup, vegetables and chicken.
Combine milk, egg and baking mix. Pour over chicken mixture.
Bake 30 minutes until golden. Serves four.
Betty Ann Deobald is a home economist from Rosetown, Sask., and one of four columnists comprising Team Resources. Send correspondence in care of this newspaper, Box 2500, Saskatoon, Sask., S7K 2C4 or contact them at team@producer.com.
