Raspberry Bublanina #BakeForWest
On April 17th, a small town named West in Texas was rocked by a fertilizer plant explosion. 15 people lost their lives with almost 200 injured. Many of those that fell were firefighters that were first to the scene. It’s such a tragic event to hit this little Czech/Texan community. With more then $100 million in damage, my fellow bloggers and I decided to #BakeForWest to show our support in hopes to raise awareness for those to donate to help this great Czech/Texan town West, TX.
I live about two hours from West, TX. My sweet V and his parents are Czech. His parents came to Texas more then 25 years ago from the Czech Republic and they love it here. When I witnessed the tragedy on the news I knew I had to help somehow.
In West, Texas is a quaint little shop called the Czech Stop that are famous for their kolaches. It’s right off one of our main highways. The town is well known for its Czech culture and heritage In fact, the Czech Republic is donating monies to help with this community. It may not be much but it is nice of them to put forward an effort to help.
Today, I am using a recipe that V’s mom sent me a few years ago after she baked me this wonderful cake with fresh plums from the tree in her backyard. It is traditionally made with cherries or other fresh picked berries that grow wild in the Czech Republic. I looked everywhere for cherries but they are not in season here yet. I decided to settle on raspberries since they are a berry and one of V’s favorites. Here is my #BakeForWest recipe: Raspberry Bublanina (bubbly cake) in honor for those lost or injured in this horrible tragedy.
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 9x11 pan and set aside. Toss raspberries in one to tablespoons flour and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, powdered sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt. Set bowl aside. Separate eggs yolks from whites into two small bowls. In a stand mixer beat the egg whites on a 10 for 2 to 3 minutes until they form stiff white peaks. You may also hand whisk the egg whites.
In a large bowl, whisk together milk, egg yolks, lemon juice, and vegetable oil until the batter is smooth like silk. Slowly whisk in dry ingredients with the wet until the batter is smooth. Using a spatula, fold in the egg whites slowly and carefully. Do not over mix. The egg whites will create your bubbly top.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a small butter knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool to room temperature and shift powdered sugar over the top of the cake. Serve in small squares.
http://mooshujenne.com/raspberry-bublanina-bakeforwest/If you would like to donate to help those in West, TX you can donate here through the Pointwest bank.
Please take a moment and stop by to visit these other fantastic foodies for their wonderful Czech desserts for #BakeForWest
- Juanita’s Cocina ~ Peaches ‘N Cream Kolaches
- See Aimee Cook ~ Czech Poppy Seed Cake
- Texan New Yorker ~ Cream Cheese Kolaches
Plněná paprika polévka – Stuffed pepper soup
This plnena paprika polevka also know as stuffed pepper soup has been lurking in my folder for about two weeks now. I held off on it to finish the boards to photograph it on and once I finally photographed it I realized I left thick soup all along the edge and it looks horrible; well to me it looks horrible. The plan to remake the soup continued to be put off since the weather is considerably hot here for this time of year. It probably just best to go ahead and share it. If we end up with another cold and rainy day I can always remake the soup and get some gorgeous shots.
Czechs generally make stuffed bell peppers a bit different then Italians do. My other half and I figured that out the first time we decided to make stuffed peppers together. He is full blooded Czech and well I’m Italian with other heritage but more prone to the Italian as I was raised with that cuisine and values. Czech stuffed peppers are simmered on a stove with paprika, rice, and ground beef while Italian stuffed pepper are baked in the oven without paprika and a small amount of tomato sauce. This stuffed pepper soup is a rendition of Czech stuffed peppers turned inside out to make a soup. Love Czech stuffed peppers with dumplings also known as knedliky. We just had garlic bread at the time but it would have been nice to pair them with this soup.
The board turned out nice in the photograph. I am working on several others and thinking about a DIY post. Anyone that would be interested? The boards I am working on are going to be chalkboard, crackled, and stained. Most of them will be painted with basic cheap acrylic paints you can pick up at any hobby store. Hoping to get the rest of them cut tonight so I can work on them over the next few days. Also in some serious need for heavy poster board. Looks like another run to the Dollar Tree.
Ingredients
Instructions
In a large pot, on medium high heat, add in diced onion, garlic, and peppers. Add in two tablespoons of olive oil and saute for about 2 minutes. Add in ground beef and cook with vegetables until meat is browned.
Add paprika to the beef once browned and stir well incorporating all of the paprika. Add in the rice, stewed tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Using the tomato cans put in a little water to clean off sides and add that water to the pot. Bring the heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
If you would like the soup thinner just add any broth of choice. Garnish soup with parsley, dumplings, and fresh bell pepper.
http://mooshujenne.com/plnena-paprika-polevka-stuffed-pepper-soup/And now I am off to cut those boards… well make the other half do it while I eat fresh tortillas with salsa and butter. Guilty pleasure!
Apple and Carrot Hearts Salad
This morning I came across a site that gave me the perfect inspiration for a recipe involving carrots for the Fall Fest at FN Dish on Food Network. V’s family is from Prague and they make a wonderful salad involving carrots and apples. The dish is scrumptious but generally not visually appealing. I wanted to put a twist on the dish but I wasn’t sure just what to do till I stumbled upon this interesting carrot art “how to” at Sophistimom. For a tutorial on how to cut the carrots in hearts as featured below please check out her website. This is a simply fresh way to serve up carrots and apples with a cuteness factor. Our family loves this recipe and even eat it at breakfast!
Ingredients
Instructions
Sliced up all of the carrots and apples and place in a medium size bowl. Squeeze lemon juice over apples and carrots. Drizzle sugar over and toss to coat.
http://mooshujenne.com/apple-and-carrot-hearts-salad/
For more Fall Fest Recipes please visit the FN Dish – Fall Fest on Food Network or check out the list below for more recipes from the Fall Fest including carrots.
Thursday Night Dinner: Pickled Carrots
Virtually Homemade: Roasted Red Onions and Carrots With Pomegranate Gremolata
Haute Apple Pie: Carrot, Apple and Radicchio Slaw
What’s Gaby Cooking: Thyme and Honey Roasted Carrots
Glory Foods: Honey-Carrot Bread
Daily*Dishin: Carrot Cake Hawaiian-Style
FN Dish: Quick Carrot Sides for Thanksgiving
Cooking With Elise: Spiced Carrot Marmalade
Dishin and Dishes: Roasted Honey Balsamic Glazed Carrots
Daydreamer Desserts: Carrot Cheesecake
Mooshu Jenne: Apple and Carrot Hearts Salad
The Sensitive Epicure: Maple Bourbon Glazed and Braised Carrots
Daydreamer Desserts: Carrot Martini
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Carrot Slaw
Svickova
Svickova is a traditional dish in the Czech republic. It can be found on the menu of virtually every Czech pub. It is something we make on a Sunday in the Fall or Winter. Hope you enjoy it.
Ingredients
Instructions
In frying pan saute onions then add carrots and celery. Sear roast on all sides. In a baking dish put in your roast, carrots, celery, onion, allspice, peppercorns, bay leaves, salt, and chicken broth to cover vegetables. Cook for three hours at 350 degrees.
Remove roast from oven when it is tender and place on cutting board. Pour juices into a large bowl. Blend all of your juice and vegetables together in a blender and add to large pot on the stove on low heat. Once all your vegetables and juice is blended then you can add in two tablespoons of flour and your half and half very slowly stirring constantly.
In the mean time cut your roast into small pieces and put into a dish and leave in oven on low heat to keep warm. Your gravy sauce in your large pot should be thickening. Once it is thickened you will add the lemon juice and stir. Serve gravy over meat and dumplings.
Cut bread into ½ inch cubes. Add to large bowl. Add Wondra, baking powder and egg and stir to combine. Add half of the milk and stir. Add the remaining milk, a little at a time, and mix by kneading with the hands after each addition. When mixture adheres together, forming a dough, stop adding the milk. The dry ingredients should be fully incorporated into the mixture, but the dough should also not be too wet. Sprinkle clean surface with flour and form dough into a 6 by 2½-inch roll by pushing and turning lengthwise with the palms of the hand. Continue until roll is smooth, pinching together any rough areas.
Fill a large pot ¾ full of water and bring to boil. (Don't heat the water in advance: the dumpling needs to rest while the water comes to a boil). Add the dumpling to pot. If it does not float to the top, lift it with a wooden spoon. Boil the dumpling for 10 minutes, then flip it over and boil for another 10 minutes. Cut the dumpling into slices.
http://mooshujenne.com/svickova/Plnená Paprika
We really love this recipe that comes from V’s Czech side. It’s similar to stuffed peppers of Italian descent but they simmer it the peppers instead of bake them. Plnena Paprika is a bell pepper stuffed with the generally ground beef and rice and then simmered in a paprika spiced tomato sauce. It simmers until the meat is cooked and the pepper is soft.
Ingredients
Instructions
Remove seeds from peppers and ribbing. Saute finely diced onion in olive oil. Add little bit of Wondra flour to thicken the mixture. Add water a decent about of water about two to three cups and loads of paprika. You want it to be a thick red color. Next add salt and pepper. Then add can of tomato sauce. Cook your rice and add it with meat. Mix in egg, paprika and bread crumbs. Fill the insides of your peppers. Add the peppers to the sauce, and cook for an hour or a little longer until meat is cooked and serve with Czech dumplings.
http://mooshujenne.com/plnena-paprika/
