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.

Russian recipes link - you can find okroshka, a Russian soup, here

http://www.enjoyyourcooking.com/soup-recipes/okroshka.html

Vareniki

The only difference between pelmeni and vareniki is filling. Most popular fillings are berries with sugar. Take 3 parts of any berries you like, like raspberries, blueberries, and 1 part of sugar. Mix berries with sugar and add 1 tbsp per each piece of dough.
Use the same recipe for dough as I gave for pelmeni (ravioli with meat filling):

Dough – it’s the same as for ravioli:

All-purpose flour – 3 cups

Eggs – 3 large

Olive oil – 1 tbsp

Salt – 1 tsp

Water – 1/3 cup

Beat eggs, oil, salt, and water, add 3/4 of flour, knead (long time), wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for 30 min. To save time, I use Kitchen Aid mixer and dough hook and mix for at least 20 min on slow, then refrigerate for 30 min.

Cabbage and Tomatoes

Ingredients:
Cabbage - 1 small head
Tomatoes - 3 large
Salt - 2 tsp
Dill and cilantro - 1 bunch each (optional)

Instructions:

Fry cabbage on medium for 10 min, add coarsely chopped tomatoes and fry for 5 min more, add finely chopped dill and cilantro, cover it and let it stay for 10 min

Kiev Chicken Kotlety po-kievski

Chicken Kiev or Kotlety po-kievski

Ingredients:
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
1/2 lbs butter
1 egg
1 cup of flour
1 cup of bread crumbs

Instructions:

Put chicken breast smooth side down and flatten it to 1/4", add 1/4 stick of butter in the middle and roll breast tightly around it (Chicken and butter should be refrigerated before using). Roll each breast in flour, then dip in egg, then dip in bread crumbs. Once all breasts are ready, heat 1 stick of butter in a frying pan and fry turning chicken very carefully. Don't secure breasts with a toothpick, as it'll prevent you from frying it evenly for 15 min on medium. Serve it immediately and remember it can't be reheated, as you'll lose butter.

You may serve it as it is or you may put it on a toast. If you want to add side dish, boil any kind of rice, though in Russia it is served without any side dish.

Schee - Cabbage Soup

Schee - Cabbage Soup

1 lbs – 7-blade steak

Cabbage – 1/2 head (shredded)*

Tomatoes – 3 medium

Onion (sweet) – 1 & ½ medium size

Carrot – 1

Salt to taste (~3 tsp)

Bay leaves 4

Peppercorns (black) – 2 tsp

Dill weed – 2 tsp

1 whole root of parsley (optional, but it adds a very distinctive aroma to soup)

Vegetable oil – 2 tbsp

Ketchup – 1 cup

Garlic – 6 big cloves or 1 tbsp canned

Cilantro – 1 bunch

Boil meat in ~ 8-10 cups of water with 1 whole carrot , ½ onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, and dill weed for an hour after it starts boiling. Discard onion, peppercorn, bay leaves, dill weed, parsley root, and carrot*, take the meat out. Meanwhile, sauté  finely chopped onion**and 1 cup of ketchup until onions are browned and tender. Once onion is done, add it to broth and add chopped tomatoes, shredded cabbage, 1 cup of ketchup, and boil it all for 15 min. Add garlic and boil for 2 min, add 2/3 of the bunch of chopped cilantro, turn off the soup, and let it stay for 10 min covered. Discard meat bones and cut boiled meat in 1″ pieces, divide meat into 4 equal parts and put it in the bowl, pour the soup and serve it with freshly chopped cilantro and sour cream.

Tips:

* To  easily discard peppercorns, bay leaves, dill weed, wrap them in cheese cloth before you add them to soup, then, discard the bag after broth is made.

** To brown onion, put it into the frying pan without any oil, and fry it on high constantly stirring. Once it’s browned, add oil, reduce to low  and sauté until onion is tender.

Note: original recipe requires 2  potatoes (cut into cubes) boiled with cabbage. I excluded potatoes to cut on calories. Vegetarians can just boil cabbage and all other ingredients, and 5 min before soup is done add 2 tbsp of butter.

Borsch Beet Soup

Borsch – Beet Soup

Borsch – beet soup (~ 4 servings)
1 lbs – 7-blade steak
Cabbage – ¼ head
Beets – 3 medium
Tomatoes – 3 medium
Onion (sweet) – 1 & ½ medium size
Carrot – 1
1 tsp of lemon juice
Salt to taste (~3 tsp)
Bay leaves – 4
Peppercorns (black) – 2 tsp
Dill weed 2 tsp
1 whole root of parsley (optional, but it adds a very distinctive aroma to soup)
Vegetable oil2 tbsp
Ketchup – 1 cup
Garlic – 6 big cloves or 1 tbsp canned
Cilantro – 1 bunch
Boil meat in ~ 8-10 cups of water with 1 whole carrot , ½ onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, and dill weed for an hour after it starts boiling. Discard onion, peppercorn, bay leaves, dill weed, parsley root, and carrot*, take the meat out. Meanwhile, sauté grated beets, finely chopped onion**, 1 cup of ketchup, and lemon juice (lemon juice keeps beets’ color) until beets are tender. Once beet mixture is done, add it to broth and add chopped tomatoes, shredded cabbage, 1 cup of ketchup, and boil it all for 15 min. Add garlic and boil for 2 min, add 2/3 of the bunch of chopped cilantro, turn off the soup, and let it stay for 10 min covered. Discard meat bones and cut boiled meat in 1″ pieces, divide meat into 4 equal parts and put it in the bowl, pour borsch and serve it with freshly chopped cilantro and sour cream.
Tips:
* To speed up grating beets, use food processor with grater, to easily discard peppercorns, bay leaves, dill weed, wrap them in cheese cloth before you add them to soup, then, discard the bag after broth is made.
** To brown onion, put it into the frying pan without any oil, and fry it on high constantly stirring. Once it’s browned, add oil, grated beets, and lemon juice and fry the mixture starting on high for 2 min, then reduce to low  and sauté until beets are tender.
Note: original recipe requires 2  potatoes (cut into cubes) boiled with cabbage. I excluded potatoes to cut on calories.