The Purpose of this Blog

I've been readings thousands of blogs and sites about Russian cuisine looking for accurate recipes, and the more I read, the more frustrated I became. Thus, I decided to create my own blog for Americans who want to cook Russian dishes and help them enjoy Russian cuisine by providing accurate recipes. I use US measuring cups and measuring spoons. Moreover, I cook every dish I suggest following my recipe instructions to ensure that the amount of each ingredient is accurate and instructions are not only accurate but easy to follow. It's catered to Americans who understand that if I say 1 tbsp, they're supposed to use a measuring tablespoon, not a regular silverware

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Okroshka - veggie soup based on kvas or buttermilk


Okroshka Vegetable soup with kvas
Ingredients (4 servings)
·         2 potatoes (boiled in skin)
·         1 English cucumber of medium size (or 2-3 baby cucumbers)
·         0.5lb of bologna (can be replaced with the same amount of boiled veal or beef)
·         4 eggs
·         1 small bunch of radish
·         2 bunches of green onions
·         1 bunch of fresh dill (optional)
·         3 tbsps of Dijon mustard
·         1.5-2 quarts of kvas (Russian bread drink), you may replace it with buttermilk diluted with cold boiled water or mineral water (You can buy kvas in a Russian store or make it yourself - see recipe for kvas below)
·         Salt to taste

Directions:

Chop the first 6 ingredients in cubes, pour kvas over the mixture, add Dijon mustard (1 tbsp per serving) and serve.

Kvas is a Russian bread drink, and you can buy it in Russian stores. You can also make it yourself. Here's the recipe:

Kvas:

Ingredients:
 Rye bread - 1 loaf
Water-  1 gallon
Sugar - 3 cups
Yeast - 2 pkgs (1/4 oz each)
10 raisins

Instructions for home-made kvas:

 Break bread in pieces, pour hot boiled water, mix, cover and leave for 3- 4 hrs stirring occasionally. Strain, discard bread, add liquid sugar (dissolved in a bit of warm water), add yeast, and leave for  7-12 hrs. When it begins to foam violently, strain it again, pour into 1-gallon bottle, add raisins, cork it tightly, and after 2-3 hrs at room temp, put it in refrigerator. Kvas will be ready in 3-4 days. Serve with ice.

1 comment:

  1. I really love okroshka in the summer. It's so refreshing unlike most Russian food. Here is my recipe if you want to check it out! http://www.russianbites.com/okroshka-cold-summer-soup

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