Tuna Fish Salad

 Okay, everyone knows how to make tuna fish salad.  Mix some mayonnaise with some canned tuna, bam, done.  Maybe some pickles added in.

However, there are a lot more things you can do to it, to add flavor, texture, and nutrition.  I have honed my recipe over many years, taking bits and pieces from various recipes I liked, until I ended up with what I will share here with you - and I really love the result.  It is, in my opinion, the best tuna fish salad, and I have had a number of other people agree with me.

This recipe will be somewhat less precise than most.  A lot of how much of this or that to add comes down to personal preference.  So play around with it until you find the magic ratios for your tastes!

It is also for a very large batch. We like it a lot, and eat it almost nonstop besides dinner for about a week, at which point it starts to taste not quite as good, so it's the right size for us.  It is also conveniently proportioned for pre-prepared ingredients, but you can make smaller batches, of course - you just have to do more chopping.

Galumpus

 This is another of my personal favorite meals.  I mean, tomato and meat sauce, pasta, and loads of gooey cheese - what's not to love?  I got both my own love of it and the recipe from my paternal grandmother.  I have absolutely no idea where she got the recipe (she definitely didn't come up with it herself; she was not what you could even vaguely call 'creative' in the kitchen), nor the name, which is bizarre to say the least.

Slovenian Grilled Catfish

 

There is an old Slovenian saying that fish must swim three times: first in water, then in oil, and finally in wine. In keeping with this saying, the subtle taste of this recipe goes beautifully with a good white wine. 

This recipe is known as "Na Tržaški Nacin", or "Fish as from Trieste", and any fatty fish can be substituted effectively for the catfish.  Although fairly simple, those who have had this recipe often consider it hands-down the best recipe for catfish.

 

 

Slovenian Fresh Vegetable Salads

There is nothing to compliment a good meal quite like fresh salads. Here is a selection of traditional Slovenian salads perfect for the summertime, or any time.

With the advent of summer, plenty of fresh local vegetables begin to be available. One of the best ways to enjoy them is with as little alteration as possible - salads are a wonderful way to maximize their flavors with a minimum of effort. Enjoy these traditional Slovenian salad recipes; there's something for everyone, and every meal.


 

Refrigerator Pickles

 There are few things I enjoy more than gardening and growing tasty foods.  One of my favorites to grow - quick, easy, and prolific - is cucumbers!  Since there's only so much you can eat at one time, and they really are prolific, this quickly means needing a recipe for pickles!

There are two main 'categories' of pickles.  Heat-canned pickles, which are shelf stable and can be stored almost indefinitely; and refrigerator pickles, which are simply cucumbers soaked in the pickling brine, and must be kept in the refrigerator.  For those unfamiliar, think of the difference between, say, Vlassic dills on the grocery store shelf, versus Claussen pickles in the refrigerated section.  The uncooked, needs-refrigeration variety are always my favorites, crisp and fresh tasting.

Homemade Ranch Dressing

This homemade ranch dressing recipe is based on one originally from my childhood best friend's family.  I have tried lots of recipes for ranch over the years, but this remains my very favorite, hands down.  The flavors are complex and lively, but don't overpower the taste of the fresh salad ingredients.  It includes all of my favorite aspects of various recipes, combined into one.

 

Spaghetti Sauce

Spaghetti is my absolute go-to meal.  It's easy, inexpensive, and you can make a huge batch and freeze it in single-meal servings in ziploc bags, saving even more via bulk purchasing, and allowing for super simple meal preparation later.

Because of this, the measurements I will be giving are relative, easily adjusted to the size batch you are making.  Just be aware so that you scale them appropriately.  I usually use a 3-lb container of ground beef, 6 jars of sauce, and about 4 large onions, for example.

For parents with vegetable-averse kids, it's easy to sneak in some extra veggies in this, too.  Just finely mince whatever veggies you like – carrots and bell peppers are great choices, for example, thanks to their nutrient contents – and add them midway through the browning of the onions.  By the time it's done cooking, they should be unidentifiable.

Cabbage and Potato Soup

This has been one of my favorite soup recipes for most of my life, slightly modified to be gluten free since we recently found out my spouse has Celiac's. (I used to thicken it with a roux, instead of cooking down some of the potatoes first.) It is always one of the first things my mind goes to when the weather starts to cool in the fall.

If you aren't as fond of garlic as we are, you can reduce it as desired – I think the original recipe called for about ¼ as much.

Pressure Canned Ham and Butter Bean Soup

 I have recently ventured into the world of home canning.  I am already in love!  I made a huge batch of my Vegetable Beef Soup, substituting frozen vegetable for the canned vegetables so they wouldn't turn to mush in the canning process; and, of course, only heated it up rather than completely cooking it, allowing it to finish cooking during the processing.  Being able to just pop the lid off, stick it in the microwave for a minute and eat it is just amazing.  Totally worth the extra time in the cooking/prep phase.

For my next adventure, I decided to do something with butter beans, since I've been told by my doctor to eat more high-potassium foods thanks to one of my medications.  Some poking around online and recipe browsing, and the basis for this soup was born.  It's rich and hearty, without being overly complicated.  The 15 pints I made won't last long!  This is definitely going to be a regular addition to our menu.

I used speckled butter beans for this first batch; regular green butter beans (aka baby lima beans) should work just as well – and possibly be more visually appealing.  Some hot sauce, like Cholula, would be a great addition/substitution for the vinegar, but unfortunately I can't use it (allergies).  Celery or bell peppers, if you have some on hand, would likely also be good additions.

Hybridized Slovenian Style Goulash

Back when I was first learning to cook on my own, I conflated two recipes my grandmother made when trying to replicate her goulash.  It wasn't "right", but as often happens, I decided I actually liked this new hybrid recipe even better, and so it is how I have made it ever since.  It has the basis of goulash - a sauce primarily made of cooked down onion and paprika with beef - but then has the addition of some tomato, mushrooms, and peas, making it a bit more interesting to eat.

This recipe is for a large batch; we usually get several 'fresh' meals, as well as several portions to freeze, which it holds up to quite well.