Courses Archives: Main Course

Russian Syrniki (Breakfast dessert in Russia)

Russian Syrniki (Breakfast dessert in Russia)

Flora S.

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup cottage cheese
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 3 tablespoons white sugar
  • 2 tablespoons semolina flour
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting
  • 1 cup canola oil for frying

Instructions
 

  • Mix together the cottage cheese, eggs, and sugar. Stir in semolina and all-purpose flour, and work into a soft dough. Turn the dough onto a floured surface, and roll into a 1-inch thick log. Slice the log into 8 pieces, then pat each piece in additional flour to form a patty.
  • Heat the oil over medium heat until hot. Fry the syrniki in hot oil until golden brown on each side, 3 to 4 minutes per side

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Russian Poppy Seed Roll

Russian Poppy Seed Roll

Flora S.
Traditional Russian Food

Ingredients
  

Dough

  • 1 cup warm milk
  • 2 .25 oz packages active dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon white sugar
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • ½ teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 6 cups all-purpose flour
  • 7 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

Filling

  • 2 cups poppy seeds
  • 1 cup milk or as needed
  • ½ cup raisins
  • 2 egg whites
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¼ cup white sugar
  • ¼ cup chopped walnuts
  • 3 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter softened
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon water

Instructions
 

  • Combine warm milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar in a large bowl; stir well. Let stand until yeast softens and begins to form a bubbly foam, about 5 minutes.
  • Stir 1/2 cup sugar and lemon zest into the yeast mixture. Whisk in 2 eggs and egg yolks, 1 at time, mixing well after each addition. Add salt. Stir in flour gradually. Add melted butter and blend well.
  • Knead dough until glossy and elastic, about 10 minutes. Form into a ball and place in a large, lightly-oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
  • Place poppy seeds in a small pot and cover with 1 cup milk or more as needed. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and let sit, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain milk. Pulse poppy seeds in a food processor, or leave them as is. Add raisins, egg whites, honey, 1/4 cup sugar, walnuts, and 3 1/2 tablespoons butter to poppy seeds and stir to combine for the filling.
  • Punch down dough, turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead briefly. Divide dough in half and roll one portion into a 10-inch sheet. Cover with 1/2 the filling, leaving a 1/4- to 1/2-inch edge. Roll up into a log. Repeat with the second half.
  • Arrange both rolls onto a greased baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes more.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  • Whisk remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water; brush mixture over tops of rolls.
  • Bake rolls in the preheated oven until golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

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Russian Pirozhki

Russian Pirozhki

Flora S.

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups milk warmed
  • 1 tablespoon white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
  • 2 tablespoons butter melted
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 6 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • ½ medium head cabbage finely chopped
  • 6 hard-cooked eggs chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Place 1/2 cup milk in a cup or small bowl. Stir in sugar and sprinkle yeast over the top. Set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes. Pour the remaining milk into a large bowl.
  • Add the melted butter, egg, salt and 1 cup of flour to the large bowl with the milk. Stir in the yeast mixture. Mix in flour 1 cup at a time until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and doesn't stick to your hands. Cover the bowl loosely and set in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour. Dough should almost triple in size.
  • While you wait for the dough to rise, melt the remaining butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add cabbage and cook, stirring frequently, until cabbage has wilted. Mix in the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally until cabbage is tender. Set this aside for the filling.
  • Place the risen dough onto a floured surface and gently form into a long snake about 2 inches wide. Cut into 1 inch pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Flatten the balls by hand until they are 4 to 5 inches across. Place a spoonful of the cabbage filling in the center and fold in half to enclose. Pinch the edges together to seal in the filling.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line one or two baking sheets with aluminum foil. Place the pirozhki onto the baking sheet, leaving room between them for them to grow.
  • Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

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Russian Mushroom Bake

Russian Mushroom Bake

Flora S.

Ingredients
  

  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
  • 7 cups quartered button mushrooms
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 onion chopped
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 ¼ cups shredded Gouda cheese

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
  • Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet over medium heat. Increase heat to high and add mushrooms. Cook and stir until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Do not cook so long so that they begin to release a lot of liquid. Add sour cream, mix well, and transfer mixture to a casserole dish.
  • Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a second skillet over medium heat and cook onion until soft and translucent, 4 to 6 minutes. Distribute onions over mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Gouda cheese.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese has melted and is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

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Russian meat stew (Jarkoye)

Russian meat stew (Jarkoye)

Flora S.

Ingredients
  

  • 4 potatoes
  • 200 g pork
  • 1 carrot
  • ½ large onion
  • salt to taste
  • pepper
  • vegetable oil

Instructions
 

  • Peel potatoes and cube them.
  • Chop a carrot and onion and stew in a pan until light brown.
  • Chop meat and fry a little.
  • Pour a little oil on the bottom of the crockpot, then put pieces of meat and potatoes, carrot and onion.
  • Add salt and pepper. If you have some mushrooms, do not hesitate to add them (fried before).
  • Cover the crockpot and put in the oven for 40-50 minutes and bake until done. Jarkoye is served in a crockpot for every person.

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Russian Meat Balls In Vodka

Russian Meat Balls In Vodka

Flora S.

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ½ pounds hamburger
  • 2 eggs slightly beaten
  • 2 cups cracker crumbs
  • ½ pounds ground lean pork
  • 1 cup milk
  • ½ teaspoon lemon rind
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmet
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper

Instructions
 

  • Mix well and let stand for 1 hour, then form into small balls.
  • Brown in a skillet in drippings along with 3 cups thinly sliced onions for about 15 minutes. Remove from pan.
  • To the drippings, add 1 cup sour cream and thicken with 2 tablespoons flour and 1 can condensed beef bouillon; cook until blended.
  • Add onions and meat balls. Blend in 1/2 cup dry vermouth and 2 ounces vodka.

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Russian Fish Soup (Ukha)

Russian Fish Soup (Ukha)

Flora S.

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups water
  • 2 potatoes cubed
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1 bunch fresh parsley chopped
  • 4 ounces cod fillets cubed
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Put water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes, onion and parsley.
  • Heat for 10 to 15 minutes and add the fish.
  • Heat for 10 more minutes, then squeeze in lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.

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Russian Eggplant Caviar

Russian Eggplant Caviar

Flora S.

Ingredients
  

  • 2 large eggplants peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 5 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 ½ cups finely chopped yellow onion
  • 1 ½ cups finely chopped green bell pepper
  • 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Place eggplants in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain in a colander; press out excess water with the back of a large spoon.
  • Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add green bell pepper; cook and stir until softened, 5 to 8 minutes.
  • Stir drained eggplant into the skillet. Add tomato sauce, salt, and pepper; cook, mashing eggplant with the back of the spoon, until flavors combine and tomato sauce darkens, about 30 minutes.

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Russian Eggplant

Russian Eggplant

Flora S.

Ingredients
  

  • 1 large eggplant peeled and sliced into 1/3 inch rounds
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 large tomatoes thinly sliced
  • 2 onions thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 ¼ cups sour cream
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • paprika to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a medium bowl, combine the lemon juice and water. Place the eggplant slices into the lemon water to soak while you bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Drain and rinse the eggplant slices, then place them into the boiling water. Cook for 8 minutes, or until barely tender. Drain.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 2 quart casserole dish. Layer the eggplant slices, tomatoes and onion in the dish, sprinkling each layer with a little flour as you go. In a medium bowl, stir together the sour cream, garlic, salt and pepper. Spread this over the top of the casserole. Sprinkle generously with paprika.
  • Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top is nicely browned and there is a bubbly sauce.

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Russian Dumpling (Pelmeni)

Russian Dumpling (Pelmeni)

Flora S.
Traditional Russian Food

Ingredients
  

Dough

  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup warm water
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Filling

  • 18 ounces ground beef
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 1 ½ tablespoons ice-cold water
  • 1 tablespoon coarse salt
  • freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Combine egg, vegetable oil, and salt in a measuring cup; add enough water to fill to 1 cup. Pour into a bowl, add 3 cups flour, and knead into a smooth, elastic dough.
  • Cover with a kitchen towel and rest for 30 minutes.
  • Dust a baking sheet lightly with 1 tablespoon flour.
  • Combine ground beef, onion, water, salt, and pepper in a bowl and mix filling thoroughly by hand or using a fork.
  • Roll out a portion of the dough very thinly on a lightly floured surface and cut out 2 1/2-inch rounds with a cookie cutter or a wine glass.
  • Keep the rest of the dough covered with a towel to avoid drying out.
  • Place 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of filling on one side of the dough circle. Fold dough over and seal the edges using fingers, forming a crescent.
  • Join the ends and pinch them together. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
  • Freeze pelmeni for 30 minutes to prevent them from sticking together.
  • Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a simmer and drop small batches of frozen pelmeni into simmering water.
  • Cook and stir until the meat is cooked and pelmeni float to the top, about 5 minutes. Continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes.
  • Transfer to serving plates using a slotted spoon.

Notes

Instead of ground beef, you can also use a mixture of half ground pork and half ground beef. Sometimes we use ground turkey for the filling. If you're not a fan of raw onion, saute onion in butter first for 5 to 7 minutes on medium heat.
The meat filling can also be made by processing filling ingredients through a meat grinder but do not use a blender or food processor unless you have a special setting for meat.
Pelmeni can also be fried in a skillet. Melt butter or bacon grease in a skillet and saute frozen pelmeni until they are soft and the meat is cooked through, just like pierogi. Pelmeni is usually served with sour cream or vinegar.

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