The Lost Art Of Lefse Making Step By Step Recipes

THE LOST ART OF LEFSE MAKING (STEP-BY-STEP)

Steps:

• SPECIAL EQUIPMENT.
• Potato Ricer.
• Electric Lefse Pan (or substitute electric griddle or nonstick griddle).
• Lefse Stick (substitute long wooden handle of spoon or even better, an unused wooden paint can stirrer).
• Grooved Lefse Rolling Pin (regular pin can work).
• Canvas covering for your rolling pin is also desirable.
• INSTRUCTIONS:.
• Night before making lefse, peel, dice (1 inch pieces or so) and cook potatoes in boiling water until tender (about 20 minutes). Drain and return to still warm cooking pot over just turned off burner to allow potatoes to let off any extra steam so they don't have extra water.
• Rice potatoes with potato ricer over butter/margarine until you have added 8 cups riced. Add sugar, salt, and vegetable oil. Stir until everything is melted.
• Store mixture overnight in cool spot covered with paper towel.
• Next morning, rice the mixture again through your potato ricer into a large bowl. Divide riced mixture into two batches.
• Sift and mix one cup flour into one batch. Place the other in refrigerator until later.
• Divide the batch you have added the flour to into 1/4 C to 1/3 C patties (smaller amount is easier for beginner). Keep two or three patties out for rolling. Refrigerate the remaining patties on a cookie sheet (keeping them cool helps with rolling with as little flour as possible, the key to really thin lefse).
• Heat your Electric Lefse Pan or if using griddle to medium heat.
• Flour rolling pin and board (if possible cover them with canvas and then flour). Roll each pattie as thin as possible, using flour as needed to prevent sticking, but as little as possible. Turn over once when rolling, lightly flouring board again.
• Using your lefse stick, place stick on left end of lefse. Flip dough over stick and roll to right to roll up lefse on stick.
• Place it on right side of Lefse pan or griddle and unroll. Lefse will begin bubbling and lightly browning. The more "bubbling " the more tender it will be. Use stick again to turn over and cook other side.
• Remove lightly browned round from lefse pan or skillet with lefse stick, fold round into quarters and let cool on paper towels. Overlap each folded round slightly as you let cool to prevent edges from drying out.
• Once finished with first batch, Mix one cup flour into remaining riced mix and repeat as above.
• Let lefse cool completely before wrapping in plastic wrap and refrigerating or freezing in plastic bags.
• Spread with butter, sprinkle with sugar, and warm slightly in microwave to eat in the traditional way.

SALSA (STEP BY STEP 4 KIDS)

Steps:

• Check with a grownup and wash your hands before you begin.
• Put all the ingredients, except the jalapeño peppers, into the blender.
• Depending on what kind of jalapeño peppers you have, they could be mild or very spicy, so add only a few small pieces to the blender to start off with.
• Doing it like this will keep it from getting too spicy.
• You can always add more later if you want it spicier.
• Blend the ingredients on "chop" until the look mixed.
• If you like it chunkier, don't blend it too long.
• For smoother salsa, blend it longer.
• Remember, make sure the blender has stopped Test the salsa.
• If you want more of any ingredient, add it, then blend again briefly.
• Clean up the kitchen before you enjoy your salsa with corn chips, or on your breakfast taco.

NORWEGIAN LEFSE

Steps:

• Cover potatoes with water and cook until tender. Run hot potatoes through a potato ricer. Place into a large bowl. Beat butter, cream, salt, and sugar into the hot riced potatoes. Let cool to room temperature.
• Stir flour into the potato mixture. Pull off pieces of the dough and form into walnut size walls. Lightly flour a pastry cloth and roll out lefse balls to 1/8 inch thickness.
• Cook on a hot (400ºF/200ºC) griddle until bubble form and each side has browned. Place on a damp towel to cool slightly and then cover with damp towel until ready to serve.

STEP-BY-STEP MERINGUE

Steps:

• If you are using the meringue for a baked pie begin making the meringue at least 20 minutes before the pie is done baking (if using refrigerated eggs as preferred) so that the meringue can be applied to a piping hot filling. Once the meringue is made it should be applied to the pie within 5 minutes or it will begin to lose volume. If you are using the meringue for a refrigerated pie instead of using Cream of Tartar make a cornstarch mixture by combining 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and mixing thoroughly with 1/3 cup of cold water, heat the mixture on the stove in a small saucepan while stirring constantly over low heat until it thickens, then set aside to cool.
• For a meringue with more volume start with refrigerated eggs that are at least several days old. Older egg whites (3-4 days old) create more volume than newer egg whites. Cold eggs separate more easily than temperate eggs because cold egg whites hold together better. Use a clean dry large glass or stainless steel mixing bowl to beat the egg whites in, a small clean dry dish to place the egg in and clean dry beaters to beat the egg whites with. Egg whites will not whip as well if there is any grease or moisture on the bowl, dish or beaters.
• Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites, cracking the egg shell gently in the center of the side by knocking it against the counter. Placing your thumbnails on either side of the crack in the egg shell, gently pull the egg shell halves apart over the dish, transferring the egg yolk from one shell half to the other, allowing the egg white to fall into the dish. Repeat this until all the egg white has fallen into the bowl then set aside the egg yolk. If the egg yolk breaks during this step make certain to remove any traces of yolk (or egg shell) from the egg whites in the dish using an empty egg shell half or a clean dry spoon. The smallest amount of egg yolk in the egg white mixture can cause the egg whites to fail to whip properly. When all the egg white has been placed in the dish and you are certain that the egg white has no yolk or shell in it - transfer the egg whites to the mixing bowl and repeat for all the remaining eggs. Set the egg whites aside.
• If using refrigerated eggs allow 15 to 20 minutes for the egg whites to warm to room temperature. Using either the beaters or a clean dry whisk beat the egg whites until foamy then add the salt and beat well. If you are using the meringue on a pie that will not be refrigerated add the 1/2 teaspoon Cream of Tartar or 1 tablespoon Piping Gel to the egg white mixture and beat until incorporated. Note: once you start the mixing process you need to continue beating without taking any breaks. Set the mixer to medium high and beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks (peaks that droop to one side when lifting the beaters away from the mixture).
• Reduce the mixer speed to medium and begin to gradually beat the sugar into the egg white mixture one tablespoon at a time. When you have finished adding the sugar it is very important to make certain that the sugar is completely dissolved into the mixture. To test for this simply rub a tiny bit of meringue between your fingers - if you feel any grit in the meringue then the sugar has not been completely incorporated - beat for a minute longer and test again. Using extra fine sugar makes this process faster and easier than using table sugar. For a softer meringue use between 1/2 to 3/4 cup of sugar (to prevent weeping use just 1/2 cup), for a harder meringue use between 3/4 to 1 cup of sugar (much more likely to weep). A "French Meringue" would require 1 cup of sugar. If you are using the meringue with a refrigerated pie begin incorporating the cooled cornstarch mixture into the meringue one tablespoon at a time until you have finished adding the cornstarch mixture. Now add the vanilla extract and beat until it is well blended into the meringue. The beating process is complete when you can hold a spoonful of meringue upside down and none of the mixture falls off (again make certain there is no sugar 'grit' remaining in the meringue). Continue beating the meringue until the peaks are as stiff as you desire. Once the meringue forms stiff peaks (peaks that hold their exact position when the beaters are removed from the mixture) stop beating - do not over beat the mixture.
• Begin placing the meringue on top of the filling (piping hot if the pie was baked). Putting the meringue on a hot filling will seal the meringue underneath and will help to protect the meringue. Make certain that the meringue touches the edges of the pie crust as this will help to prevent shrinking later. Finish spreading the meringue over the pie.
• Bake the meringue in an oven that is preheated to 325 degrees. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes - be careful to watch the meringue closely as it will begin to brown quickly once it nears the end of the baking cycle. Overcooking can cause the meringue to become tough, sweat or burn. If you want a meringue that is harder or more done lower the temperature to between 250 to 300 degrees and bake for a longer period of time. Meringues should be baked until light brown in color and dry to the touch.
• Serving & Storage: Cut a meringue pie using a cold wet knife dipping between cuts in cold water. There are conflicting answers on whether or not baked meringues need to be refrigerated. They are perfectly safe at room temperatures for up to 2 hours. Meringue pies should be stored in air-tight containers and are best eaten within a day or two. If the pie is refrigerated it will eventually weep. Cooked meringue can be stored refrigerated for several days or frozen for up to 3 months. Meringue with higher sugar content is more likely to weep since it is the sugar in the meringue that attracts moisture. Using the cornstarch mixture in making the meringue helps to reduce weeping in refrigerated or frozen meringue pies.
• A final note: sweating or weeping meringue on fairly fresh pies is caused by one or more of the following conditions: over-baking, over-beating, under-beating, high humidity, refrigeration or when the meringue is placed on a cool filling.

LEFSE- NORWEGIAN FLAT BREAD

Steps:

• Peel and cut potatoes. Boil in well salted water until soft. Use more salt than you normally would. You do not want to add salt once they are cooked as it will not dissolve as well.
• Drain well and return to pot. Steam for a few minutes to ensure all water has been evaporated.
• Measure out 4 cups of potatoes, packed well. Rice potatoes now while potatoes are still hot. You may have potatoes left over.
• Place riced potatoes in a plastic bowl with a good sealing lid. Add butter and milk and mash with a HAND masher. Do NOT use an electric mixer as it will get sticky.
• Allow to cool on the counter until potatoes are at room temperature then place several paper towels on top, seal tightly with the lid and place in the refrigerator overnight.
• Next day: Much easier to work with. Mix in flour and sugar and form into small balls. Now roll them out thin and flat using a rolling pin, preferably one with grooves and covered with a sock. You can just cut an old CLEAN sock and slide it over the rolling pin.
• Using a lefse stick or a long flat stick or long thin spatula roll the raw lefse around the stick and then unroll onto a HOT griddle (450 degrees) Flip once the first side starts to form bubbles and is lightly browned or freckled. Cook other side just until lightly browned.
• Using stick again remove lefse from griddle to a towel and place a towel on top to keep them warm and pliable.
• Eat warm or store in the refrigerator in a well sealed container lined with more paper towels. Can also be frozen with waxed paper between each lefse.

ROAST TURKEY (EASY STEPS FOR NEW COOKS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325f and put a rack in a roasting pan.
• N.B. If you use a foil roasting pan have it seated firmly on a solid tray do not attempt to carry it on it's own without bottom support.
• Remove neck& giblets from the cavity of the bird Rinse turkey thoroughly inside and out patting it dry with a paper towel.
• Sprinkle salt& pepper inside and over the skin of the bird Stuff the bird with dressing.
• N.B. Do not do this until just before you are going to cook the bird.
• Stuff the neck cavity as well as the body cavity.
• Secure the neck flap with a skewer or stitch it Tie drumsticks together and close the body cavity securely.
• In a small bowl combine butter,rosemary, sage& thyme, mix well Gently loosen the skin covering the breast, be careful not to tear it Spread herb mixture under the skin and over it Place turkey on rack in the roasting pan Roast the turkey basting every 20 minutes or so If the bird begins to brown too soon place a piece of tin foil loosely over it.
• The bird is cooked when a meat thermometer reaches 180 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh Apprx 5 1/2 hours Remove turkey from roaster and let stand for 25 minutes Remove ALL the stuffing from the bird, Carve and Serve (Left over turkey and stuffing can be frozen as long as you freeze them separately) Make gravy in the roasting pan while the turkey is resting (a separate recipe will be posted or try one that is already posted).