Borscht Soup

When I decided to try making some Russian cuisine, I really had only tried beef stroganoff. I asked several friends and family for different recipes I should try. Borscht was often mentioned. We like beets (besides the husband). We like carrots so I figured I would make it. It is a beautiful reddish purple color. There is plenty of vegetables in the dish which is always a plus. It was a mild carrot, cabbage, and beet taste. I shouldn't have been surprised but my children liked it. The husband bravely tried a spoonful then disappeared. It is a great dish to make on a cold, winter day.

Borscht Soup
32 oz. chicken broth
3 russet potatoes, small cubed
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
8 oz. carrots, julienne
2 beets, julienne
12 oz. cole slaw mix
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large pot, bring the chicken broth to a boil.
2. Add the potatoes and lower to medium heat.
3. In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp vegetable oil over medium heat.
4. Add the carrots and saute for 5 minutes.
5. Add the beets to the carrots and saute for 5 minutes.
6. Add the carrots and beets to the large pot with the potatoes.
7. Add the cole slaw mix to the potato pot.
8. In the skillet, heat the remaining 1 Tbsp vegetable oil over medium heat.
9. Add the onion to the skillet and saute for 10 minutes.
10. Add the tomato paste to the onion with 1/2 cup of the chicken broth from the potato pot. Stir until combined.
11. Add the onion mixture to the potato pot. 
12. Salt and pepper to taste.
13. Cook for 15 minutes.
14. Turn off the heat and cover the pot. 
15. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving. 

Recipe adapted from Mad Russian Cookbook.

One year ago.................................I made Chinese Chicken Noodle.
Two years ago...............................I made Nutella Molten Chocolate Cake.

Did you already know...............
-Borscht is served hot and cold.
-Borscht is usually garnished with sour cream. 
-Borscht is the national soup of Ukraine.

Beef Stroganoff

This is not my Momma's Stroganoff. My husband said this tasted nothing like his Momma's Stroganoff either. This sure doesn't taste like Hamburger Helper's Stroganoff. I will admit I have never made Stroganoff since I wasn't the biggest fan of it when I was a kid. My husband told me that he wasn't going to try it since he didn't like it. I said you have to at least try it. My husband ate a large bowl of it plus he said he would even make this dish next time. I think I converted him to Beef Stroganoff and he was so against me making Russian dishes. My children loved it. It is creamy and fulfilling. I used ground beef since my husband isn't a fan of steak but I'm willing to make these kind of changes for him. This is an easy quick meal which could easily be made on a weekday. My Mom always served Beef Stroganoff with egg noodles so I did the same but it could be served over rice.

Beef Stroganoff
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/4 cup chicken stock
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup flour
1 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp minced parsley

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.
2. Add the ground beef and onion. Cook until the meat is browned.
3. Add the Worcestershire sauce and stir.
4. Add 1 cup of chicken stock and allow to cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add the mushrooms and stir.
6. Sprinkle the flour over the meat and incorporate well.
7. Add the 1 cup of sour cream with the remaining 1/4 cup of chicken stock. Mix well. 
8. Cook for 5 minutes. Stir frequently.
9. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
10. Sprinkle with the parsley.
11. Serve over noodles or rice.

Recipe adapted from Light 'n Fluffy.

Two years ago.........................I made Cream Cheese Lemon Cookies.

Did you already know..............
-Beef Stroganoff emerged in Russia in the 19th century.
-The origins of Beef Stroganoff has different versions but some believe it was named after Count Stroganoff.
-Many Russian dishes tend to be named after famous households instead of the chefs who create the dish.

Russian Meatballs

One day I hope to watch the Olympics live. Since I have to wait, I will blog about some foods I could encounter in Russia. Now, I will admit these may not be authentic recipes since I had to adapt them to something my family would eat. My husband loved this recipe which really did surprised me. He was the least excited about trying some Russian foods. I left out the tomatoes since I wasn't sure how it would taste with a sour cream sauce.

Russian Meatballs aka Tefteli
1 cup cooked white rice
1 lb. ground chicken
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp Paprika 
1/4 cup parsley
1 small onion grated
2 carrots grated
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. In a large bowl, combine the rice, chicken, salt, pepper, paprika, parsley, grated onion, and carrot.
3. Form the meat mixture into 2 inch balls.
4. In a large skillet, melt the olive oil and butter.
5. Brown the meatballs. Remove the meatballs and place into a greased baking dish.
6. Cover the meatballs with tinfoil and bake for 30 minutes.
7. Uncover the meatballs and bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through.

Recipe adapted from Let's Make Some Russian Food.

Sour Cream Sauce
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup grated carrot
1 tsp paprika
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup chicken broth 

1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup milk
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter in the olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and carrot. Saute for 1 minute. 
3. Sprinkle the flour and paprika on top. Stir for 1 minute.  
4. Whisk in the chicken broth and allow to cook for 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the sour cream and milk. Lower the temperature to simmer. Cook the sauce until it reduces to a thicker sauce.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve the sauce over the meatballs and rice.

Recipe by Jen of Sweet Morris.

One year ago........................I made Heath Bits PB Cookies.
Two years ago......................I made Chocolate Walnut Tart.

Did you already know...........
-Sochi is located on the coast of the Black Sea.
-Sochi has subtropical weather so warm summers with mild winters.
-In Sochi, the Olympic village will host about 6,000 athletes.

Oatmeal Batter Bread

Yesterday, the ground hog saw his shadow. When I told my husband how we are going to have 6 more weeks of winter, he said we always do. We do live in Maine after all. Now, my children love winter. They put on all their winter gear and head outside to play. I actually think they play outside more in the winter than the summer. When their cousins visit, all four kids head outside. They make a snowman one week then the next week they destroy him. Today, I have scattered piles of snowman all over the yard. I would rather stay inside during this time of year. One of the best ways to warm the house is to bake some bread.

Oatmeal Batter Bread
5 cups all purpose flour
1 cup ground oats flour
2 (1/4 oz.) envelopes of quick rising yeast
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup butter
2 cups quick cooking oats
2 tsp salt
2 large eggs

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine 2 cup all purpose flour, oat flour, yeast, and sugar. Set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the water and butter to 100 degrees F. 
3. Add the butter mixture to the flour and mix until incorporated.
4. Add 2 cups of all purpose flour, quick cooking oats, salt, and the eggs. Mix until incorporated.
5. Add the remaining flour and mix until a soft dough forms. (More flour may be needed if the dough is too sticky.)
6. Place the dough into a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. 
7. Allow the dough to rise for 40 minutes or until double in size.
8. Divide the dough into 2 greased 1 1/2 quart souffle dishes.
9. Allow the dough to rise for another 30 minutes uncovered.
10. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
11. Bake the bread for 30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
12. Remove the bread from the oven and pan. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

McCall cooking school cookbook

One year ago.................................I made Cookie Dough Cupcakes.
Two years ago...............................I made Buttermilk Corn Bread.

Did you already know....................
-In 1891, Quaker Oats became the first company to feature recipes on its products.
-The first flavored instant oatmeal was Maple and Brown Sugar.
-The trademark man on the Quaker Oats box is known as Larry.

Pepperoni Cheese Bread

The Superbowl is this weekend. Will you be watching? Or will you be watching the commercials? I suggested we should have a Superbowl party and my husband said not this year. I think if it was his team then it would be sure but it is only my favorite team playing. Either way, we always watch it. I was thinking about some typical football foods like wings, nachos, pizza, etc and decided to make this bread. My oldest daughter taught me how to make this delicious bread. It is like pizza in a bread with no sauce. If you miss the sauce so much, you can always use it as a dipping sauce. I think this is the type of food to share in a group to make sure I'm not the only one eating it all.

Pepperoni Cheese Bread
1 pizza dough
6  Tbsp softened unsalted butter
1 Tbsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 oz. Mozzarella cheese
30 pepperoni slices

Directions:

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. 
   
2. Roll out the pizza dough into a long rectangle on a lightly floured surface.
3. In a small bowl, mix the butter, oregano, garlic powder, and salt.
4. Spread the butter mixture over the dough.
5. Cover the butter mixture with the cheese.
6. On top of the cheese, place the pepperoni. The pepperoni should be slightly overlapping.
7. Roll each side of the dough into the center of the dough to form a long strip. Place the seam underneath the dough.
8. Take one end of the dough and roll the dough into the side of the dough towards the other end to form a large circle. The dough should not be lifted off the counter. 
9. Carefully, transport the circle to the parchment paper. 
10. Allow the dough to rise for 30 minutes.
11. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
12. Bake the bread for 20 minutes or until cooked through.
13. Allow to rest for a few minutes before serving.

Recipe provided by Allie of Sweet Morris.

One year ago....................................I made Homemade White Loaf.
Two years ago..................................I made Baby Back Ribs.

Did you already know.......................
-The Superbowl was watched by more than 164 million people last year.
-The winner of the Superbowl receives the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
-The sterling silver Vince Lombardi Trophy is made by Tiffany & Co.

Go Broncos!