Borscht
This is the most popular soup in Russia, Ukraine and other former republics of Soviet Union. Its slightly sour and filling taste is great in winter to get warm and in summer to get refreshed. There are so many variations of borscht recipes and you can try different ones to find your favorite one.
Ingredients:
1 lb beef (with or without bones)
1 lb red beets (3 average ones)
1/2 lb shredded cabbage
4 small potatoes
1 carrot
1 onion
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp vinegar
salt and pepper on your taste
parsley, dill and spring onions
Preparing meat broth: Put beef into a large saucepan and cover with 3 liters of cold water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Remove the grease and froth from the broth surface with a spoon. Add one onion. Cook at low heat for 1-2 hours.
Simmering red beets: Melt 1 tablespoon margarine in a saucepan. Cut red beets into thin sticks and add them into the cooking pot. Add tomato paste or sliced tomatoes. Simmer at low heat for 1 hour. If there is not enough liquid, add some broth. Add vinegar.
Pan-frying vegetables: Melt 1 tablespoon margarine in a frying pan. Add chopped onions and carrots cut into thin sticks. Cover and saute for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Heat broth to boiling. Add chopped cabbage and potatoes cut into bars. Cook for 5 minutes. Add saute and cook another 10 minutes. Add simmered red beets. Cook another 5 minutes. Add salt, black pepper. If you like garlic, you can add about 5 g grated garlic, it is supposed to be in borsch.
Borscht is served with sour cream.
This is the most popular soup in Russia, Ukraine and other former republics of Soviet Union. Its slightly sour and filling taste is great in winter to get warm and in summer to get refreshed. There are so many variations of borscht recipes and you can try different ones to find your favorite one.
Ingredients:
1 lb beef (with or without bones)
1 lb red beets (3 average ones)
1/2 lb shredded cabbage
4 small potatoes
1 carrot
1 onion
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp vinegar
salt and pepper on your taste
parsley, dill and spring onions
Preparing meat broth: Put beef into a large saucepan and cover with 3 liters of cold water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Remove the grease and froth from the broth surface with a spoon. Add one onion. Cook at low heat for 1-2 hours.
Simmering red beets: Melt 1 tablespoon margarine in a saucepan. Cut red beets into thin sticks and add them into the cooking pot. Add tomato paste or sliced tomatoes. Simmer at low heat for 1 hour. If there is not enough liquid, add some broth. Add vinegar.
Pan-frying vegetables: Melt 1 tablespoon margarine in a frying pan. Add chopped onions and carrots cut into thin sticks. Cover and saute for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Heat broth to boiling. Add chopped cabbage and potatoes cut into bars. Cook for 5 minutes. Add saute and cook another 10 minutes. Add simmered red beets. Cook another 5 minutes. Add salt, black pepper. If you like garlic, you can add about 5 g grated garlic, it is supposed to be in borsch.
Borscht is served with sour cream.
Bliny
Russia has a long tradition of pancake cooking and it includes a large variety of pancake types. Pancakes may be breakfast food, appetizer, main course, or even dessert.
Ingredients:
1 cup. flour
3 cups. milk
2-3 ea. eggs
0,5 teasp. soda
2 tablesp. vegetable oil
0.5 teasp. salt
0,5 ea. onion (average)
Mix eggs with 3 cups of milk . Add salt and flour and mix thoroughly. The dough can be drained so that there are no flour lumps in it. Pour vegetable oil into a saucer. Peel an onion and cut it into 2 parts; take one part with a fork and dip it in oil. Use it every time for greasing the pan with vegetable oil. Heat the pan. Grease it. Pour thin layer of batter evenly. Cook until light brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Bliny can be served with butter, sour cream, jam, black or red caviar, fillet of sturgeon, lox, and salmon.
Russia has a long tradition of pancake cooking and it includes a large variety of pancake types. Pancakes may be breakfast food, appetizer, main course, or even dessert.
Ingredients:
1 cup. flour
3 cups. milk
2-3 ea. eggs
0,5 teasp. soda
2 tablesp. vegetable oil
0.5 teasp. salt
0,5 ea. onion (average)
Mix eggs with 3 cups of milk . Add salt and flour and mix thoroughly. The dough can be drained so that there are no flour lumps in it. Pour vegetable oil into a saucer. Peel an onion and cut it into 2 parts; take one part with a fork and dip it in oil. Use it every time for greasing the pan with vegetable oil. Heat the pan. Grease it. Pour thin layer of batter evenly. Cook until light brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Bliny can be served with butter, sour cream, jam, black or red caviar, fillet of sturgeon, lox, and salmon.
Pelmeni
Most people associate pelmeni with Siberia, and many recipes and references to the dish call it "Siberian dumplings."
Ingredients:
Dough:
3 c flour
warm boiled water
3 eggs
1 tsp salt (amount may vary to taste)
1 tsp sugar (optional)
Filling:
500 g beef
500 g pork
1 onion
1/2 c beef broth
1 tsp salt
seasoning to taste
For making the dough: Sift the flour with the salt onto a smooth clean surface. Start adding the mixture of the liquids into the pile of flour in small amounts, trying to incorporate the liquid into as much flour as possible each time. After a while all the flour will be moistened; keep adding the liquid in small amounts, kneading the dough very vigorously after each time. The dough might seem soggy right after you add the mixture, but after you beat it for about minute, it takes in the moisture out, and more has to be added, actually. Keep adding the liquid until the dough becomes mixed throughout very evenly, soft enough to manage, but resilient to the touch, and very stretchy. I usually have 1 or 2 ounces left of the water mixture after the dough is done. Roll the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for about 30-40 minutes.
For the filling: to save time, you can load all the ingredients into a good food processor with a meat-cutting blade, and ground them evenly, but not too finely. Add seasonings to taste. Now you are ready for the fun part.
To assemble pelmeni, first you have to make thinly rolled circles of dough. You may roll out large portions of dough and cut the circles out with a glass, or roll out the pieces of dough separately. The dough should be very thin, approximately 1/32 of an inch, and look translucent. While one person is making the circles, the others can be putting the filling by tablespoons onto the middle of each circle and sealing the meat tightly.
Fold the circle over in half, squeeze the edges together all the way around, and gradually pinch the edge down as you would on a pie crust, until it looks like a braid. When you are wrapping, please make sure there are no holes in the dough if there are holes, the meat tends to be hard after cooking. As you are making the pelmeni, put them onto a flour-dusted plate, and keep dusting between layers, so they do not stick together.
To cook the pelmeni, bring a large pot of salted water or broth (for better flavor) to a boil, and load you pelmeni into the pot. They will be ready when they float to the top. Take the pelmeni out with a strainer, and serve hot, drizzled in butter, with lemon juice, vinegar and sour cream in separate dishes to be used as a garnish. You could also add a small salad made of coarsely chopped tomatoes and cucumbers in sour cream to add some refreshing color and a burst of vitamins. If you feel you have made too many pelmeni, feel free to freeze them before they are cooked; they keep in a freezer for a very long time.
Most people associate pelmeni with Siberia, and many recipes and references to the dish call it "Siberian dumplings."
Ingredients:
Dough:
3 c flour
warm boiled water
3 eggs
1 tsp salt (amount may vary to taste)
1 tsp sugar (optional)
Filling:
500 g beef
500 g pork
1 onion
1/2 c beef broth
1 tsp salt
seasoning to taste
For making the dough: Sift the flour with the salt onto a smooth clean surface. Start adding the mixture of the liquids into the pile of flour in small amounts, trying to incorporate the liquid into as much flour as possible each time. After a while all the flour will be moistened; keep adding the liquid in small amounts, kneading the dough very vigorously after each time. The dough might seem soggy right after you add the mixture, but after you beat it for about minute, it takes in the moisture out, and more has to be added, actually. Keep adding the liquid until the dough becomes mixed throughout very evenly, soft enough to manage, but resilient to the touch, and very stretchy. I usually have 1 or 2 ounces left of the water mixture after the dough is done. Roll the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for about 30-40 minutes.
For the filling: to save time, you can load all the ingredients into a good food processor with a meat-cutting blade, and ground them evenly, but not too finely. Add seasonings to taste. Now you are ready for the fun part.
To assemble pelmeni, first you have to make thinly rolled circles of dough. You may roll out large portions of dough and cut the circles out with a glass, or roll out the pieces of dough separately. The dough should be very thin, approximately 1/32 of an inch, and look translucent. While one person is making the circles, the others can be putting the filling by tablespoons onto the middle of each circle and sealing the meat tightly.
Fold the circle over in half, squeeze the edges together all the way around, and gradually pinch the edge down as you would on a pie crust, until it looks like a braid. When you are wrapping, please make sure there are no holes in the dough if there are holes, the meat tends to be hard after cooking. As you are making the pelmeni, put them onto a flour-dusted plate, and keep dusting between layers, so they do not stick together.
To cook the pelmeni, bring a large pot of salted water or broth (for better flavor) to a boil, and load you pelmeni into the pot. They will be ready when they float to the top. Take the pelmeni out with a strainer, and serve hot, drizzled in butter, with lemon juice, vinegar and sour cream in separate dishes to be used as a garnish. You could also add a small salad made of coarsely chopped tomatoes and cucumbers in sour cream to add some refreshing color and a burst of vitamins. If you feel you have made too many pelmeni, feel free to freeze them before they are cooked; they keep in a freezer for a very long time.
Kasha
In the Rus kasha was always made in earthenware crockery.
Ingredients:
4 oz buckwheat
2/3 c water
3 tbsp butter
Fill 3/4 of a pot with buckwheat, add salt, butter. Pour over boiling water up to the top. Stir in carefully. And put into the well heated oven for 3-4 hours. One hour before finishing, cover the pot with a large pan and turn upside down. A half an hour before serving, put wet fabric round
in order that kasha falls off from the pot sides. Serve with cold baked milk or butter.
In the Rus kasha was always made in earthenware crockery.
Ingredients:
4 oz buckwheat
2/3 c water
3 tbsp butter
Fill 3/4 of a pot with buckwheat, add salt, butter. Pour over boiling water up to the top. Stir in carefully. And put into the well heated oven for 3-4 hours. One hour before finishing, cover the pot with a large pan and turn upside down. A half an hour before serving, put wet fabric round
in order that kasha falls off from the pot sides. Serve with cold baked milk or butter.
Okroshka
Okroshka is mostly served in summer because the soup combines the refreshing taste of kvas and the lightness of a salad. Salt and sugar can be added according to taste.
Ingredients:
1 quart kvas
2 new cucumbers
7 oz spring onions
4 hard boiled eggs
10 oz boiled beef
4 oz lean ham
2 ea boiled potatoes
Spring onions and cucumber are washed and sliced. So boiled beef and ham is sliced as well. Hard-boiled eggs and potatoes are cut into cubes. All of the items are put into the kvas and salted to taste. It's better to have kvas sour. If it's sweet you can put in a slice of lemon. Before serving okroshka it's recommended to keep it in a cool place or refrigerator for two hours. Okroshka is served with thick sour cream, cut parsley and dill. If it's too thick you should add some more kvas.
Okroshka is mostly served in summer because the soup combines the refreshing taste of kvas and the lightness of a salad. Salt and sugar can be added according to taste.
Ingredients:
1 quart kvas
2 new cucumbers
7 oz spring onions
4 hard boiled eggs
10 oz boiled beef
4 oz lean ham
2 ea boiled potatoes
Spring onions and cucumber are washed and sliced. So boiled beef and ham is sliced as well. Hard-boiled eggs and potatoes are cut into cubes. All of the items are put into the kvas and salted to taste. It's better to have kvas sour. If it's sweet you can put in a slice of lemon. Before serving okroshka it's recommended to keep it in a cool place or refrigerator for two hours. Okroshka is served with thick sour cream, cut parsley and dill. If it's too thick you should add some more kvas.
Beef Strofanoff
Beef stroganoff is a dish consisting of strips of lean beef sauteed and served in a sour-cream sauce with onions and mushrooms. The recipe, which is of Russian origin, has been known since the eighteenth century, but its name appears to come from County Paul Stroganoff, a nineteeth-century Russian diplomat. Legend has it that when he was stationed in deepest Siberia, his chef discovered that the beef was frozen so solid that it could only be coped with by cutting it into very thin strips.
Ingredients:
2 1/4 lb beef (boneless)
4 tbsp flour
4 tbsp ketchup
5 oz sour cream
2 c broth
1 tbsp flour pounded with butter
1 ea onion
salt to taste
pepper
Chop the meat long wise fibers and beat the pieces a little. After that cut the pieces into stripes 2 cm long and 1/2 cm wide. Season and roll them in flour. Fry chopped onion in the pan and when it is gold brown, put the stripes there. Fry on hot heat until the meat is light brown. Make a sauce: fry 1 tb flour pounded with butter for few minutes; add sour cream, ketchup, salt. Pour the sauce over meat and stew on a low heat during 15-20 minutes. Don't let sauce to boil, otherwise the meat will be hard. Beef Stroganoff is served with fried potatoes.
Beef stroganoff is a dish consisting of strips of lean beef sauteed and served in a sour-cream sauce with onions and mushrooms. The recipe, which is of Russian origin, has been known since the eighteenth century, but its name appears to come from County Paul Stroganoff, a nineteeth-century Russian diplomat. Legend has it that when he was stationed in deepest Siberia, his chef discovered that the beef was frozen so solid that it could only be coped with by cutting it into very thin strips.
Ingredients:
2 1/4 lb beef (boneless)
4 tbsp flour
4 tbsp ketchup
5 oz sour cream
2 c broth
1 tbsp flour pounded with butter
1 ea onion
salt to taste
pepper
Chop the meat long wise fibers and beat the pieces a little. After that cut the pieces into stripes 2 cm long and 1/2 cm wide. Season and roll them in flour. Fry chopped onion in the pan and when it is gold brown, put the stripes there. Fry on hot heat until the meat is light brown. Make a sauce: fry 1 tb flour pounded with butter for few minutes; add sour cream, ketchup, salt. Pour the sauce over meat and stew on a low heat during 15-20 minutes. Don't let sauce to boil, otherwise the meat will be hard. Beef Stroganoff is served with fried potatoes.
Kotlety Po-Kievski (Chicken Kiev)
The dish has traditionally been considered Ukrainian in origin since its name comes from Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. However, the Russian food historian William Pokhlebkin claimed that Chicken Kiev was invented in the St. Petersburg Merchants' Club in the early 20th century as Novo-Mikhailovsky cutlet, and was subsequently renamed Chicken Kiev by a Soviet restaurant
Ingredients:
4 lg Chicken breasts
1/2 lb Butter
1 ea Egg yolk
2 ea Eggs beaten
1/2 c Flour
1/2 c Breadcrumbs dry
4 tb Butter for frying
Wash & dry breasts, remove skin, place smooth side on cutting board, & pound to flatten to about 1/4 inch thickness. Combine the 1/2-lb of butter with yolk of egg & divide into four equal parts. Roll into sausage shapes approximately 3 1/2 inches in length. Cover each with wax-paper and chill until they very are hard. Wrap the breasts around each piece of butter, creating four packets. Dip in flour, shake off excess flour & pat flat in your hand, dip in beaten eggs & roll in breadcrumbs. Refrigerate for a 2-4 hours. Fry in a 1/2-lb of butter until golden brown.
*NOTE: In Ukraine, Chicken Kiev is served with kasha and peas in pastry shells. Do not reheat because the butter will melt and leak out.
The dish has traditionally been considered Ukrainian in origin since its name comes from Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. However, the Russian food historian William Pokhlebkin claimed that Chicken Kiev was invented in the St. Petersburg Merchants' Club in the early 20th century as Novo-Mikhailovsky cutlet, and was subsequently renamed Chicken Kiev by a Soviet restaurant
Ingredients:
4 lg Chicken breasts
1/2 lb Butter
1 ea Egg yolk
2 ea Eggs beaten
1/2 c Flour
1/2 c Breadcrumbs dry
4 tb Butter for frying
Wash & dry breasts, remove skin, place smooth side on cutting board, & pound to flatten to about 1/4 inch thickness. Combine the 1/2-lb of butter with yolk of egg & divide into four equal parts. Roll into sausage shapes approximately 3 1/2 inches in length. Cover each with wax-paper and chill until they very are hard. Wrap the breasts around each piece of butter, creating four packets. Dip in flour, shake off excess flour & pat flat in your hand, dip in beaten eggs & roll in breadcrumbs. Refrigerate for a 2-4 hours. Fry in a 1/2-lb of butter until golden brown.
*NOTE: In Ukraine, Chicken Kiev is served with kasha and peas in pastry shells. Do not reheat because the butter will melt and leak out.
Draniki
Draniki originated in Russia some 200 years ago. The first mention of the dish dates back to 1830, though it is also said the dish was a kind of imitation of a German course.
Ingredients:
4 large potatoes, peeled and immersed in cold water
2 cloves garlic, pressed
3/4 cup flour
1 egg, slightly beaten
vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste
sour cream (for garnish)
Place a large mesh sieve over a bowl and line it with a moist paper towel. Quickly shred 2 potatoes and grate 2 remaining potatoes (in that order) and deposit in the sieve. Cover with film and let stand 5-7 minutes, shaking from time to time (to drain juice). Discard the collected potato juice and transfer potatoes to a bowl. Add egg and flour and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Warm vegetable oil in a skillet. Spoon batter, 1 tbsp per dranik, generously spaced and fry on both sides at medium heat until golden-brown. Serve with sour cream.
Draniki originated in Russia some 200 years ago. The first mention of the dish dates back to 1830, though it is also said the dish was a kind of imitation of a German course.
Ingredients:
4 large potatoes, peeled and immersed in cold water
2 cloves garlic, pressed
3/4 cup flour
1 egg, slightly beaten
vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste
sour cream (for garnish)
Place a large mesh sieve over a bowl and line it with a moist paper towel. Quickly shred 2 potatoes and grate 2 remaining potatoes (in that order) and deposit in the sieve. Cover with film and let stand 5-7 minutes, shaking from time to time (to drain juice). Discard the collected potato juice and transfer potatoes to a bowl. Add egg and flour and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Warm vegetable oil in a skillet. Spoon batter, 1 tbsp per dranik, generously spaced and fry on both sides at medium heat until golden-brown. Serve with sour cream.
Kissel
In Russian fairy tales, the land of marvels is described as the land of "milk rivers and kissel banks". This expression became a winged word in Russian meaning prosperous life or "paradise on earth".
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
5 cups blackberries
4 cups raspberries
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
Whisk in sugar, cornstarch, and salt until combined well. In a saucepan simmer water and 1/8 cup each type of berry 2 minutes. Drain mixture in a sieve set over a bowl, reserving liquid. Transfer cooked berries to a large bowl and stir in remaining fresh berries. Gradually whisk reserved hot liquid into sugar mixture until smooth. Transfer mixture to pan. Bring mixture to a boil, whisking, and simmer, whisking, 3 minutes. Immediately pour mixture through sieve into berries and stir until combined well. Stir in lemon juice. Chill kissel, covered, at least 2 hours, or until cold.
In Russian fairy tales, the land of marvels is described as the land of "milk rivers and kissel banks". This expression became a winged word in Russian meaning prosperous life or "paradise on earth".
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
5 cups blackberries
4 cups raspberries
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
Whisk in sugar, cornstarch, and salt until combined well. In a saucepan simmer water and 1/8 cup each type of berry 2 minutes. Drain mixture in a sieve set over a bowl, reserving liquid. Transfer cooked berries to a large bowl and stir in remaining fresh berries. Gradually whisk reserved hot liquid into sugar mixture until smooth. Transfer mixture to pan. Bring mixture to a boil, whisking, and simmer, whisking, 3 minutes. Immediately pour mixture through sieve into berries and stir until combined well. Stir in lemon juice. Chill kissel, covered, at least 2 hours, or until cold.