Pelmeni

Description
Pelmeni, a sort of little boiled pasties, is favorite Russian food. It's a kind of snack (you can buy them in the shops, but it's nothing comparing to home-made version). As Pelmeni are kept frozen very well longtime and you can cook them quickly.

Ingredients
2 c flour.
1 c milk or water.
1/2 ts salt.
1 tb vegetable oil.
3 eggs.
250 g beef.
250 g pork.
1 onion.
salt, pepper.

Method
Grind beef and pork twice in meat chopper. Then add chopped onion, salt, pepper. To make mincemeat more tender and juicy, add a bit of milk. Reserve. Mix flour with eggs and milk, salt and oil until a soft dough forms. Knead on floured surface until dough is elastic. Take some dough and make a "sausage" (1 inch in diameter). Divide into pieces (1 inch thick). Roll each piece into a circle close to the size (a little bit larger) of the mold holes so that it is 1/16 inch thick. Place a dough sheet on the dumplings mold, then the filling in every opening, then cover with another dough sheet. After that roll the dough circle with a rolling-pin and you have a two dozens of pelmeni at a time! Use the rest of the dough that comes out from the mold to roll another circle.

Pelmeni can be frozen to be cooked later (you can keep them in the freezer for a long time), or cooked immediately. To cook pelmeni, boil much water, so that they cannot stick to each other. Salt water. Carefully drop pelmeni into boiling water. Don’t forget to stir them from time to time. Boil for 20 minutes. Pelmeni can be served with butter, sour cream, vinegar or ketchup.

Chanahi

Description
Chanahi is lamb with spices and vegetables, stewed in a crockery pot.

Ingredients
300 g lamb.
300 g potatoes.
50 g tomatoes.
150 g eggplants.
50 g fat.
30 g onion.
20 g parsley.
2 ea garlic cloves.
pepper.
salt.

Method
Put cubed potatoes, finely chopped onion, lamb slices, top with eggplants, fat, pepper and greens. Pour over tomato paste, dissolved in broth with garlic. Add salt and spices to taste. Stew in a preheated oven. Shortly before finishing add tomatoes.

Krassnaya Kapusta (Red Cabbage)

Traditional Russian recipe that is great as a side dish with roasted meat or just by itself as a main dish.
SERVES 4 (change servings and units)

Ingredients
1 medium red cabbage
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 apples, cored and sliced
salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup water

Directions
1 Wash and shred the cabbage finely. Discard the core and coarse leaves.
2 Fry the onion in the oil in a heavy casserole pan, then add the cabbage. Stir for a few minutes, add the cup of water, the vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper, and the apples.
3 Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2-2 hours.

Kasha and Wild Mushroom Casserole (Zapekanka Iz Grechnevoy Kashi)

The people of the exotic East feast on staples such as rice pilafs, but in Russia, kasha has been the enduring staple of the Slavic life. The word kasha does not always designate buckwheat as it does in the United States. Kasha in Russian refers to most kinds of grains, usually when they are cooked to the consistency of porridge. You could conceivably have oatmeal kasha in the morning, buckwheat kasha with your dinner, or a millet kasha as a late night supper. This casserole is a perfect side dish or a vegetarian entree for dishes such as stews
SERVES 4 -6 (change servings and units)

Ingredients
1 ounce imported dried wild mushrooms, preferably porcini, well rinsed
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup whole dried kasha (buckwheat)
salt, to taste
2 large onions, chopped
10 ounces fresh white mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chicken broth

Directions
1 Soak the dried mushrooms in 2 cups tepid water for 2 hours. Remove the mushrooms from the soaking liquid, pat dry with a paper towel, chop and set aside. Strain the liquid through a coffee filter, transfer to a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and keep at a bare simmer while preparing the next step.
2 Melt two tablespoons of the butter in an ovenproof medium sized casserole over medium heat. Add the kasha and stir for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the simmering liquid and salt, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the liquid is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.
3 Meanwhile, melt another 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Add the onions and saute over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the fresh and the wild mushrooms and saute, stirring, until nicely colored, 15 to 20 minutes.
4 Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
5 Stir in the mushrooms and onion mixture into the kasha. Blend together the sour cream and stock and add to the kasha. Stir well, then dot the top of the casserole with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and bake until the top is lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes.
6 Serve at once.

Kulich - Russian Easter Bread

Servings: 1 tall loaf
Author Notes: This traditional Russian Easter bread is baked, believe it or not, in an empty 2 pound coffee can. This unusual baking "pan" is what allows the bread to achieve its stately height. It was traditional to lay a single red rose on top of the glazed top of this impressive bread, and, providing your rose has been grown pesticide free, it can still make an impressive picture today.
To serve, cut off the frosted crown and place in the center of a serving plate. Cut remaining loaf lengthwise, then in half crosswise and arrange on plate around the cut top.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1 egg
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup currants
Scant 1/4 cup sherry (preferably a sweet or cream sherry)
1/4 cup slivered almonds

Glaze:
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons milk

Instructions: Butter a 2-lb. Coffee can. Fold a doubled sheet of aluminum foil around the top of the can to extend it about 2 inches. Soak currants and raisins in sherry for about 1/2 hour before beginning dough.
Combine yeast, 1 cup flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl of an electric mixer. Heat milk and butter until butter is melted and mixture is very warm (about 115° on a candy thermometer). Pour milk mixture into dry ingredients with mixer slowly running, then beat until smooth. Beat in eggs, egg yolks and lemon zest. Gradually add remaining flour, beating well after each addition. Beat in almonds and sherry soaked raisins and currants. Knead until smooth and satiny. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft free place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
Pre-heat oven to 350° F.
Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead a few times. Shape dough into a ball and place in greased 2 pound Coffee can. Loosely cover top of can with plastic wrap or foil and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, or until dough almost reaches the top of the can.
Bake for about 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean and the loaf sounds hollow when thumped. Let cool in pan on a wire rack, remove from can after about 10 minutes and let cool completely.
To mix glaze, blend confectioner's sugar and milk until smooth. Spread glaze over top, letting it drizzle down the sides. See notes above for serving and cutting suggestions.

Salad Olivier

This salad is the creation of a French chef, M. Olivier, who in the 1860s opened a fashionable restaurant in Moscow, called The Hermitage. The present-day version has veered quite far from the original, but Salad Olivier continues to be a favorite hors d'oeuvre and side dish for entrees.
Serves 8-10 as an appetizer or 6 as an entree
Ingredients
1 whole chicken breast, poached, boned, and skinned, or 1/2 pound lean cooked veal.
1 pound all-purpose potatoes, boiled in their skins and peeled.
2 medium Cucumbers in Brine.
1 cup cooked fresh or frozen peas.
1 medium onion, finely chopped.
1 cup Mayonnaise.
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered.
8 large black Greek olives.
8 sprigs parsley.

Method
Cut the cooked chicken and potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes. Peel the cucumbers and also cut into 1/2-inch cubes. In a large bowl, combine the meat, potatoes, cucumbers, green peas, and onion. Add the mayonnaise and mix gently, so those ingredients are not mashed.

Refrigerate the salad until serving time (but for no longer than 4 hours).

Variation: Vegetable Salad Olivier
Omit the chicken or veal to make a delicious meatless side dish.