"Kortofelnaya Zapekanka" - Beef & Potato Сasserole

Recipes using ground meat were very popular when I lived in Russia, probably because ground meat is the kind of ingredient that allows a lot of variety.  Potato casserole with ground meat is the dish used to be cooked by our moms and grandmas. I don’t know the origins of it, but I can say for sure that it is traditional dish of Russian cuisine.

My recipe of potato casserole includes only two ingredients – potatoes and ground meat, everything else is optional. If you would like to make tasty dinner for a large family and get it done quickly – my casserole is for you. Potato-meat casserole can also be cooked with variety of vegetables – cauliflower, broccoli etc. Vegetables can be mixed and matched in any variations. Also, pretty much any type of ground meat goes – pork, beef or a mix. Before using ground meat for your casserole, fry it with caramelized onions or chopped garlic to give it some extra flavor.

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 2 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 3/4 cup milk or half-and-half
• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp. grape seed oil
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 1 lb. ground beef
• salt, to taste
• freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp smoked paprica
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh herbs (parsley, dill)
• 2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese

Directions:

To cook the potatoes: In a large saucepan over high heat, combine the potatoes, water to cover and a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, 15 minutes. Drain well.

Mash the cooked potatoes in the bowl using a potato masher. Add hot milk or half-and-half, egg and butter, and beat with a wooden spoon or with a handheld mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, in another large saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and carrots and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the ground beef and bring to a simmer. Add the salt and spices. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cook through, 15 minutes.

Spread the mashed potatoes evenly onto a shallow baking dish. Spoon the hot beef filling over mashed potatoes. Then you can ether spread the mashed potatoes evenly over the filling or using a pastry bag make potato look pretty. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and place under the broiler. Broil the potato pie until the potatoes are tinged with brown, about 1 minute. Serve directly from the baking dish.

Source:

http://www.melangery.com/2015/02/russian-monday-kortofelnaya-zapekanka.html

Russian Monday: "Lenivie Golubtsy" - Lazy Style Cabbage Rolls

Nobody knows exact origin of golubtsy (pronounced in Russian as “go-loob-zy”), i.e. Russian traditional stuffed cabbage dish, neither origin of its name. One thing is for certain – this dish is tasty, satisfying and impossible to get bored with due to tens of variations of the same recipe. One of such variations is named “lazy golubtsy”.

Usually it is a good option when you don’t have much time to wrap traditional forcemeat with rice into cabbage leaves, or simply don’t want to bother with that. In such case stuffing can be placed in layers between cabbage leaves, or simply mixed together with shredded cabbage. I would like to offer you the recipe passed to me by my mom. Full tablespoon of sour cream is a perfect condiment to serve with golubtsy.

Serves: 4 people

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 2/3 cup white rice
• 1 1/3 cup water for rice
• 1 small cabbage, or 1/2 of large cabbage, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup half & half
• sour cream to serve (optional)
• fresh herbs (optional)

Directions:

In the sauce pan mix together the rice, water and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Stir once, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook without stirring, until all the water has been absorbed, and the rice is tender, 12-15 minutes. Let it cool.
Meanwhile, in a large, deep fry pan or sauté pan over low heat, warm the olive oil and add the onion. Cook, stirring, just until the onion is wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the cabbage and stir, cook a little more, about 5 minutes. Let it cool.
In a large bowl mix together the rice, cabbage mixture and ground beef. Add the spices and eggs. Mix everything together very well. Using two hands form a medium size cutlets. You should have about 8-10 cutlets.
In a large fry pan over medium heat, warm a little olive oil and sauté the cabbage rolls until well browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Cover the cabbage rolls with the tomato sauce and half & half mixed together. Cover and cook on a very low heat for about 10-15 minutes. Serve hot with sauce and sure cream. You can sprinkle with fresh herbs as well.

Source:

http://www.melangery.com/2015/10/russian-monday-lenivie-golubtsy-lazy.html

Roasted Lemony Duck with Buttery Quince - “Utka & Aiva”

Many people, when they think of duck, think only of roast duck. In reality there are so many interesting ways to prepare duck that, with the real connoisseurs, roast duck often takes a a back seat. For instance, steamed or boiled duck may be attractively combined with vegetables in Chinese-style recipes. Or duck may be braised and served with any one of a number of delicious sauces. But, personally I always come back to roasting the duck, with different herbs, spices, fruits and grains. Here is a recipe I created for upcoming holidays - roasted duck, with ginger and sweet honey, stuffed with lemons. I served it with fried pan buttery quince and few fermented and pickled vegetables. If you looking to cook something different for Christmas I hope you will try my recipe for simple roasted duck.

Back in Russia my mom often cooked roast duck for the holidays. I remember the aroma in our tiny kitchen when duck stuffed with apples has been served with buckwheat or sauerkraut after being roasted for a long time. I did not like it as much then as I love it today. But this also brings me a lot of joy to remember our long holiday preparations and cooking of dishes for our Christmas and New Year table.

Note: Few people know the delicacy and flavor of cooked quince, and they are brilliant in bouquet both cooked and raw. Cut quince into sections and bake or pan fry, they make a nice change from other fruit dishes.

Serve: 4

Ingredients:

• 4-pound ready-to-cook duck
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• lemon juice from 2 lemons (save lemon skins)
• 1 Tbsp. minced ginger
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup butter, cubed
• 4-5 medium unpeeled quince, sliced
• 1/2 cup sugar, divided
• 3/4 tsp ground cardamom

Directions:

Preparation: Remove giblets from duck and wash. Push back skin around neck of duck and cut the neck off. Cut off wing tips and remove pinfeathers with tweezers (if any). Remove excess fat. Wash the duck thoroughly, inside and out, with cold water. Dry carefully with paper towels. Rub the inside and outside lightly with salt and pepper. In the small bowl combine lemon juice, honey, ginger. Pour some of the sauce into duck cavity. Rub the outside of duck with rest of the sauce. Stuff the duck with left over lemons from juicing. Place the duck on a rack, breast-side up, in a roasting pan. Let it marinate for an hour or overnight in the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 325F.
Roast for about 2 hours or until duck is done, basting at 20-minutes intervals with sauce and fat. For a crisper brown skin roast a duck for about 30 minutes longer.
In the meantime, melt the butter in a large skillet. Add quince slices and half of the sugar; stir to mix well. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for 15 minutes or until quince are tender. Add cardamom and remaining sugar. Cook and stir over medium-high heat for 10 minutes.
Remove duck from the roasting pan to a serving dish and place it with quince around the duck. Save delicious duck fat for other cookery. Serve the roasted duck with pickles, mushrooms and fermented cabbage.

Source:

http://www.melangery.com/2015/12/russian-monday-roasted-lemony-duck-with.html

PKHALI (SPINACH AND WALNUT SALAD)

Almost any vegetable can be substituted for spinach in this vegetarian appetizer. In Georgia, roasted beet and green bean versions are common.

SERVES 4-6

Ingredients

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 1⁄2 lb. baby spinach
• 1 1⁄2 cups toasted walnuts
• 1⁄2 cup roughly chopped cilantro
• 1⁄2 cup roughly chopped parsley
• 1 tsp. hot paprika
• 1⁄2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1⁄2 tsp. ground fenugreek
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
• Pomegranate seeds, for garnish

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spinach; cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer spinach to a bowl of ice water; drain and squeeze out as much water as possible. Transfer to a food processor; purée until almost smooth, 1-2 minutes, and transfer to a bowl. Add walnuts, cilantro, parsley, paprika, turmeric, fenugreek, oil, vinegar, garlic, onions, salt, and pepper to the food processor; purée until very smooth. Mix walnut purée and spinach together; transfer to a serving platter and garnish with pomegranate seeds.

Source:

http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Pkhali-Spinach-and-Walnut-Salad

SALAT IZ YAITS I GRIBOV (RUSSIAN EGG AND MUSHROOM SALAD)

 
This easy Russian salad comes from Anya von Bremzen's _ Please to the Table: The Russian Cookbook_ (Workman, 1990). Serve it open-faced on thick sourdough rye with dill pickle spears. This recipe first appeared in our April 2011 special Sandwich Issue with the article Salad Days.

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS

Ingredients

• 5 tbsp. canola oil
• 1 lb. white button mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 1⁄2 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 1⁄3 cup finely chopped fresh dill
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped
• 3⁄4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Heat 3 tbsp. oil in a 10″ skillet over medium-high heat, and add mushrooms; cook, stirring often, until browned, 14-16 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside. Heat remaining oil in skillet and add onion; cook, stirring often, until lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl with mushrooms, along with dill and eggs.
Whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Add to mushroom mixture and toss until evenly combined; season with salt and pepper.

Source:

http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Salat-iz-Yaits-i-Gribov?dom=sav&loc=relatedcontent&lnk=salat-iz-yaits-i-gribov-russian-egg-and-mushroom-salad

Smoked Salmon Pancakes with Cream and "Caviar"

A delicious starter for Christmas, smoked salmon tastes great and looks impressive on mini pancakes

INGREDIENTS

• 100ml (4fl oz) milk
• 50g (2oz) sour cream
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 85g (3½oz) plain flour, sifted
• 50g (2oz) wholemeal flour, sifted
• ¾tsp baking powder
• ¾tsp caraway seeds, finely ground
• 300g (10oz) smoked salmon
• 200g (7oz) crème fraîche
• 50g (2oz) "caviar", such as Avruga

tip

Avruga comes from herring, and doesn't contain fish roe. It's delicious, and MSC approved too. Find it 
in Sainsbury's

PREPARATION

STo make the pancakes, mix the milk, sour cream and eggs in a jug until well combined, then set aside. Sift both the flours and the baking powder into a bowl, making a well in the centre. Pour the egg mixture, caraway seeds and seasoning into the well and whisk from the inside out, incorporating all the dry mixture until it becomes a smooth batter.
Heat a large, heavy-based, non-stick frying pan; if it's a good pan you won't need to grease it, but brush with a little melted butter if necessary. Add the batter to the pan in teaspoonfuls to make small pancakes. When bubbles start to appear, turn the pancakes and cook for another minute. Cook in batches. Set the pancakes aside to cool.
To serve, top the pancakes with a slice of smoked salmon, a small amount of crème fraîche and the caviar.

Source:

http://www.womanandhome.com/recipes/532712/smoked-salmon-pancakes-8232-with-cream-and-caviar

Selyodka Pod Shuboy

Salt-cured herring becomes a lavish centerpiece when layered with apples and a sour cream—mayonnaise dressing in this beautiful composed salad.

SERVES 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup sour cream
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 filets salted herring, rinsed and roughly chopped
• 1⁄2 small yellow onion, minced
• 2 medium peeled and boiled Yukon Gold potatoes, grated
• 3 medium boiled carrots, grated
• 6 hard-boiled eggs, whites and yolks separated, each passed through a fine strainer
• 1⁄2 Granny Smith apple, cored, peeled, and grated
• 2 medium boiled beets, peeled and grated
• 1⁄4 cup chopped fresh dill
• Carrot rose, to garnish (optional)

Instructions

Whisk together mayonnaise and sour cream in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper; set aside. Place herring in the bottom of a shallow 1 1⁄2-qt. oval dish, and top with 1⁄3 dressing. Sprinkle onions on top, then cover with grated potatoes. Top potatoes with carrots and 1⁄2 the remaining dressing. Combine half the sieved egg yolks and half the sieved whites in a small bowl, then spread over dressing. Top with apples, then beets. Spread remaining dressing over beets to cover. Create three even rows across top of salad with remaining egg yolks and three rows with remaining whites; fill in gaps with rows of dill. Garnish with a carrot rose, if desired.

Source:

http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Selyodka-Pod-Shuboy-Layered-Herring-Salad