Soup: Solyanka

I love Russian cuisine, especially the soups. Russian soups are hearty, delicious, and are also easy to make. There are many soup varieties in Russian cuisine and one of them is a soup called Solyanka.

The main ingredients in this soup are lots of sour pickles and cold cuts or franks. Other ingredients can include olives, onions, celery, and tomatoes. When served the soup is usually topped with lots of sour cream and served with freshly baked bread on the side.

You can make Solyanka using chicken or beef stock, vegetable stock, mushroom stock, or if you don't have either, you can just use water. You can add the liquid from the sour pickles to the soup as well to make it even better.

Below is my recipe for Solyanka. Enjoy!

Solyanka

Ingredients

• cold cuts
• franks (chicken, pork, etc.)
• sour pickles
• olives
• sea salt
• peppercorns
• dried bay leaves
• fresh Parsley
• celery
• onion
• roasted sesame seeds
• water and/or your favorite stock

Instructions

1. Boil your favorite chicken franks or other franks. When done cut them into cubes. Take your favorite cold cuts (not pre-sliced) and cut them into cubes as well. Fry all these ingredients in a deep pan.
2. Peel an onion, chop and fry in a skillet until golden brown. Add to the pan with the franks and cold cuts.
3. Cut sour pickles into cubes along with fresh celery slices and add to the deep pan. Mix everything and let cook until the pickles and celery are not as firm.
4. Boil water in a tea kettle and add to the deep pan. Then add some peppercorns, some dried bay leaves, and a little bit of sea salt. Do not add a lot of sea salt because the pickles are already salty as are the cold cuts. You don't want to over salt the soup. Then wash some fresh parsley, chop, and add into the pan. Let everything cook for about fifteen minutes.
5. When serving the soup add some olives, sprinkle with roasted sesame seeds and a heaping spoon of sour cream. Serve with freshly baked bread. You can also add some cheese to the soup as well. I love to shred Parmesan Grano Padano cheese.

Solyanka

Olivye Salad

Being originally from Belarus, which used to be part of the Soviet Union at one point, I grew up eating Olivye salad. Whenever we had get-togethers with friends and family a large plate of Olivye was always on the dinner table that was filled with an abundance of delicious food.

Now that I live in the United States this tradition still remains. Whether it's a birthday celebration, a holiday get-together, or just a casual dinner with friends and family Olivye is always a part of our dinner table. It's delicious and colorful and brings back childhood memories for me. 

Olivye is a popular Russian salad and it's enjoyed by many and not just those from Eastern Europe. You can now have this salad part of your party or casual dinner too. Below you will find my recipe for the Olivye with step-by-step instructions. Enjoy and please share with others so they can enjoy it too.

Olivye

Ingredients

• 1 large carrot
• 2 medium Idaho potatoes
• 1 medium white onion
• 1 medium Granny Smith apple
• 4 small sour pickles
• 1/4 lb. bologna (not sliced)
• 1 can sweet peas
• 2 jumbo eggs (hard boiled)
• fresh dill
• sea salt
• 8 tablespoons mayo (I prefer Hellmann's)

Instructions

1. Take two Idaho potatoes and one large carrot and wash well under running water. Place into a pot with water and boil until soft yet not falling apart, approximately 45 minutes after the pot starts to boil. When done cooking remove from the pot and peel off the skin with a small knife or with your fingers and discard. Then finely dice the potatoes and carrot and place into a large salad bowl.
2. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Gently place the eggs inside and let them cook for about thirteen minutes. When done cooking remove the eggs from the pot and let soak in cold water for a few minutes. Remove the shell and discard. Then finely dice each egg and add to the salad bowl with the potatoes and carrot. To save time cook the eggs at the same time you cook the potatoes and carrots. 
3. Take a medium white onion, peel off the skin, and finely dice. Do the same thing with the Granny Smith apple, washing it beforehand. You can try using other types of apples but I prefer Granny Smith for this salad. Place the diced onion and apple into the salad bowl with the other ingredients already in it.
4. Take a quarter pound of bologna (not sliced) and four sour pickles and finely dice. Add to the salad bowl. Usually bologna has pork in it. If you don't eat pork and can't find veal bologna you can substitute it with veal franks or chicken franks. Make sure to cook them first before adding to the salad.
5. Open a can of sweet peas, and drain. Then wash some fresh dill and finely chop it. Add both to the salad bowl.
6. Sprinkle sea salt on the salad and mix well. Then add eight tablespoons of mayo and mix well again. I prefer to use Hellmann's but any brand of mayo will do.
7. When it's time to eat, serve the Olivye salad with some freshly baked bread, crackers or toast. You can garnish the salad with fresh basil leaves and even some roasted sesame seeds.

Olivye

This recipe makes a large bowl of Olivye. You can easily serve at least 6-8 people. If you are worried about leftovers, don't be. This salad is so delicious that you'll have none left by the time the main course comes. But if you do have leftovers the salad will still be good for a few days.

Puréed Raspberries

Puréed Raspberries

 

I love eating raspberries whole but I also love raspberry jams and preserves. When I don't have that at home but I happen to have some fresh raspberries on hand what I love to do is make puréed raspberries with sugar. It is really easy to make, and takes very little time. The result is delicious. It is similar to jams/preserves without any unwanted ingredients. 

How to Make Puréed Raspberries

1. Wash lots of raspberries, and add to the blender. (I would blend a cup of raspberries at a time.)
2. Add the sugar (For every cup of raspberries you need about half a cup of sugar. You can add more sugar for a sweeter taste.)
3. Cover the lid and press the purée setting for a minute or so, until every berry is puréed and the sugar is mixed.
4. When done, stir with a wooden spatula and remove the contents into a glass jar with a tight lid. Store in the refrigerator and be sure to consume the puréed raspberries in a short amount of time. Since these are not preserves I wouldn't keep them more than a few days.

You can put the puréed raspberries on top of cheese, cottage cheese or farmer cheese. You can even mix it with ricotta cheese. They go great with crepes and on top of pancakes. Fresh white bread with butter and puréed raspberries is also a delicious treat.

How to Make Syrniki

Syrniki is the Russian word for farmer cheese patties. They are a popular Russian breakfast dish that is enjoyed by many in such countries as Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova. People living in the United States who immigrated from one of these countries keep the breakfast tradition alive by making syrniki in their homes not just for their kids but for themselves too.

You don't have to be from these countries to enjoy and love syrniki. They are very easy to make and they taste delicious when topped with sour cream and honey or jams/preserves. They are a favorite dish of mine and I always make it at my house.

There are many recipes for syrniki out there so I thought I'd share one of mine.

 

Syrniki

Ingredients

• 1 Package Farmer Cheese, (around a 1 lb. though can be slightly  less)
• 1 Jumbo Egg
• 1 Medium Apple (Ginger Gold, Honey Crisp, or Granny Smith)
• Cinnamon (to taste)
• Pinch Sea Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Flour
• Raisins/Dried Berries (optional)
• Grapeseed oil
• Sour Cream (to serve)
• Honey/Jam/Preserves (to serve)

To make the syrniki (farmer cheese patties) I prefer to use the following farmer cheese: Lifeway Bazarny Premium White Cheese, which I buy at Russian supermarkets. If you can't get your hands on this type of farmer cheese you can use any other farmer cheese available at your local supermarket.

How to Make Syrniki (Farmer Cheese Patties)

1. Empty the package of farmer cheese into a large bowl and mash it well so that you have small curds. Make sure you don't have large chunks of farmer cheese left in the bowl. If you do mash it again.
2. Crack a jumbo egg into a small bowl and beat well. Add it to the bowl with the farmer cheese and mix well.
3. Add a pinch of sea salt, one heaping tablespoon of sugar (for sweeter taste you can add more), and cinnamon (to taste) to the farmer cheese. Mix well.
4. Wash and peel a medium-size apple (Ginger Gold, Honey Crisp, Granny Smith, etc.) and shred using a manual shredder or food processor. Squeeze out the juice from the shredded apple into a bowl and sat aside so you can enjoy some freshly squeezed apple juice later. Add the shredded apple to the farmer cheese and mix. If you want you can also add raisins and/or dried berries as well. I love adding dried sour cherries to my syrniki.
5. Add two tablespoons of all-purpose bleached flour to the farmer cheese and mix well. When everything is mixed well you can start making the farmer cheese patties. They can be big or small, thick or thin. It really depends on your preference.
6. When you make your farmer cheese patties you have to coat them with flour so they don't stick to the skillet when you fry them. The best way to do that is to take a large cutting board and cover it with flour and then dip each side of the patty into the flour, making sure all sides are covered with the flour.
7. After you coat all your farmer cheese patties with flour add some Grapeseed oil (or whichever oil you use for cooking) to a skillet and place over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, place the farmer cheese patties inside and cook on both sides until they are golden brown. Make sure the syrniki don't burn or they will absorb the burned odor.
8. When the syrniki are done cooking remove onto a plate and serve with a heaping tablespoon of sour cream and honey, jam or preserves. You can also try pairing them with a salad of tomatoes, white onions and fresh basil sprinkled with sea salt and drizzled with olive oil. I personally love it this way! They taste delicious together.

Syrniki with salad on the side

Syrniki before they are fried

How to Toast Sesame Seeds

Sesame seeds come in different colors (tan, black, brown, reddish, off-white, gold, gray) but the most common ones used in cooking are off-white and black.

Sesame seeds have the highest oil content of any seed, are a great source of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus, and are rich in protein.

Plain sesame seeds are flavorless. Once they are toasted that's when their rich, nutty flavor comes through.

Toasted sesame seeds (also known as roasted seeds if done in the oven) are widely used in cooking to enhance the flavor of soups, salads, stir fry, meat, fish, baked goods, and other dishes.

Below are instructions on how to toast sesame seeds.

Ingredients

• Sesame Seeds
• Salt (optional)

Instructions 

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot place raw sesame seeds inside so that they cover the bottom of the skillet.
2. Sprinkle with salt if desired and keep turning them with a spatula until they are golden brown. They should be done in a few minutes. Keeping them on the skillet too long and not turning them frequently will cause them to burn and become dark brown.

For even toasting of sesame seeds put only enough sesame seeds to cover the bottom of the skillet. Putting too much sesame seeds into the skillet will leave many seeds their original color. If this happens do not worry. You will still get the full flavor of sesame seeds since they will be mixed with the golden brown ones.

If you have a lot of sesame seeds to toast you can do them in batches. Just repeat all the steps above. Once the seeds are toasted let them cool off and then place in a glass jar or container and store them on the shelf with the spices. You can use them in your cooking to enhance the flavor of the dishes... They are great with anything you make.

How to Use Toasted Sesame Seeds in Cooking

Toasted sesame seeds are usually added toward the end of a dish's cooking time. They can also be sprinkled on a dish after it's been prepared already. You can use toasted sesame seeds pretty much with any dish you can think of. They will enhance the flavor of the dish and also make it look nicer presentation-wise if used simply as a garnish. Sprinkle a little or sprinkle a lot. Either way you can't go wrong.

Toasted sesame seeds are a favorite of my mine and I use them frequently in my dishes. I don't buy toasted sesame seeds. I just buy the plain ones sold in a Chinese store and then toast them myself the way I've described above. I love the aroma that fills the kitchen when the sesame seeds are being toasted in the skillet. That's one of the reasons I prefer toasting my own sesame seeds rather than buying from the store those that already are.

Greek Caviar Spread on a Toasted Bagel

Bagels make a great breakfast. They can be filled with many different ingredients: veggies, cheeses, cream cheese, cold cuts, sausages, eggs, smoked salmon and other smoked fish. One other ingredient that can be placed inside the bagel is Greek caviar spread called Taramosalata. It is salty, delicious, and will liven up your breakfast.

Whether you are a fan of caviar or not, you are sure going to love this Greek caviar spread. Don't be hesitant to try it. It is really good. I eat it all the time.

You may think that you need to fly to Greece or go to some five start gourmet Greek restaurant to try it but you don't. All you have to do is search for it online. You can even stop by your local food store to see if they carry it.

If you want to eat something different and delicious for breakfast give the Greek caviar spread a try. It comes in three different varieties: lite, regular, and smoked. Spread it on a toasted bagel and enjoy with hot tea, coffee, or some veggies on the side like a tomato or cucumber. You can even have some olives too. Here is how I enjoy this Greek caviar spread. Remember you don't just have to eat it for breakfast. You can eat it any time of the day. It is that good.

Ingredients

• 1 Bagel
• Taramosalata (Greek Caviar Spread) (I love Krinos brand)
• 1 Kumato Tomato
• Olive Oil or Avocado Oil
• Roasted or Toasted Sesame Seeds (optional)
• Dried Basil (optional)

Instructions

1. Cut a bagel in half and lightly toast. Once done remove onto a plate.
2. Spread a desired amount of Taramosalata (Greek caviar spread) onto one half of the bagel.
3. Wash one kumato tomato and cut in round slices.
4. Place the tomato slices on top of the Greek caviar spread, drizzle with olive oil or avocado oil. You can even sprinkle roasted or toasted sesame seeds and basil on top of the tomato if you like. Cover with the other half of the bagel and enjoy.

If you think that a bagel is too much for you then you can substitute it with some freshly baked bread. I love the French baguette the best but other breads will work well too.

Baba Ganoush, Alfalfa Sprouts, Salami Sandwich

Baba ganoush is a mashed eggplant dish that is made with olive oil, mayonnaise, garlic, salt and spices. Depending on who makes the dish there can be other ingredients added to the recipe.

Baba ganoush is delicious used as a dip but it is also great when used in sandwiches. Here is one sandwich recipe that makes use of baba ganoush. You are going to love it! It is a healthy sandwich and tastes great too!

I just came up with it the other day and after trying it I am hooked. It is certainly a different sandwich than what I am used to eating and that's good because eating the same thing all the time can get a bit boring and unenjoyable.

Sandwich: Baba ganoush, alfalfa sprouts, salami

Ingredients

• Pumpernickel Rye Bread
• Baba Ganoush
• Alfalfa Sprouts
• Salami
• Fresh Basil
• Orange Grape Tomatoes

Instructions

1. Take two pieces of pumpernickel rye bread and toast them.
2. Spread Baba Ganoush on the toasted bread.
3. Add a few fresh leaves of basil, a few slices of salami, and a handful of alfalfa sprouts.
4. Wash some orange grape tomatoes and add them on the side with the sandwich.

This sandwich will go great with turkey breast, ham, or fried Mortadella instead of salami. You can even leave out the deli meats altogether and just have yourself a vegetarian sandwich. There are so many variations of this sandwich that you can make. The possibilities are endless. Just be creative.

Using Sweet Pea Shoots in Your Dishes

sweet pea shoots

I love eating alfalfa sprouts and other types of sprouts (excluding clover). On one of my recent trips to Whole Foods Market I discovered sweet pea shoots. They are thin green stems with little leaves on top. I decided to give them a try so bought a package.

When I got home I took out some of the sweet pea shoots, rinsed them in a colander under running water, and gave them a try. They tasted pleasant and sweet. From that point on I knew that I would be eating these sweet pea shoots time and again. They are good to have in your diet, taste great, and enhance the flavor of salads, sandwiches, soups, and other dishes. They can be eaten raw, so all you have to do is add them to your dishes when the dishes are cooking (if the dish is one that needs to be cooked).

Below you will find some recipe ideas that use sweet pea shoots. Enjoy!

Sweet pea shoots and carrot salad

Ingredients

• 1 medium sized carrot
• small batch sweet pea shoots
• salt
• cinnamon
• rice vinegar salad dressing

Instructions

1. Wash a medium sized carrot, peel, and shred (using a manual shredder or a food processor) and place in a salad bowl. Add a pinch of salt, sprinkle with cinnamon and stir.
2. Place a batch of sweet pea shoots into a colander and rinse under running water. Drain the shoots and then using scissors cut into smaller pieces. You can also just cut them on a cutting board with a knife.
3. Place the cut shoots into the salad bowl with the carrots. Drizzle with rice vinegar salad dressing and mix. How much rice vinegar salad dressing to add depends on your taste, so drizzle a little bit of it onto the salad, stir, and try. Feel free to add more if you want to.

This recipe makes for one serving. If you are planning to feed more people just add more carrots and sweet pea shoots to the salad.

Sweet Pea Shoots in Sandwiches

The next time you are making a sandwich consider adding some sweet pea shoots inside it. The sandwich will taste that much better. No matter what sandwich you make adding these delicious shoots inside will not ruin it, so there is nothing to worry about. You don't have to add them to the sandwich though. You can have the shoots on the side (just like you would a pickle) if you prefer.

One of the sandwiches that I love to make is toasted rye bread, with avocado spread over it, and sweet pea shoots, some sliced tomatoes on top followed by salami or bologna slices. It tastes very good. You can even add a slice of cheese on top and place it into a microwave so that it melts. While the taste will remain as delicious as it was, placing the sandwich into the microwave will make the toasted bread soft again. So if you want some melted cheese on top of your sandwich, while keeping the bread toasted, it is best to place the sandwich into the little portable oven that plugs into the outlet (I forget the name of it).

Sweet Pea Shoots and Fish Fillets

The next time you cook your favorite fish fillets (I love Flounder in Teriyaki Sauce) you can either garnish them with some (uncut) sweet pea shoots or just place the shoots on the side. You can eve serve your fish fillets with the sweet pea shoots and carrot salad that I wrote about above. It will go great with the fish.

Sweet Pea Shoots in Soups

Sweet pea shoots go great with soups too. When you add them to the soup however, be sure to do it when the soup is ready to be served. Just pour the soup into a soup bowl, add some cut sweet pea shoots to it, stir and enjoy!

How to Cook a Soft Boiled Egg

When it comes to breakfast, eggs are a very popular dish. There are many ways to prepare eggs. The more popular choices are omelets, eggs sunny side up (or over-easy), or hard boiled eggs.

I love eggs any which way, but my most favorite way to enjoy them is soft boiled—when the whites are firm but not too hard and the yolk is liquid. A soft boiled egg is delicious, nutritious, and safe to eat.

How to cook a soft boiled egg?

Cooking a soft boiled egg is easy. Fill a small pot with water, put it on medium heat, and let it come to a boil. To speed up the process, you can boil water in a kettle first and then pour that water into the pot. When the water starts boiling, gently place the egg into the pot using a spoon. Let it cook for 4.5 minutes. When time is up, carefully take out the egg and place it into an egg holder or onto a plate if you don't have one.

Sometimes if the egg is jumbo size, cooking it for 4.5 minutes may not be enough, so you may need to let it cook for another 30 seconds.

Ways to enjoy a soft boiled egg:

You can crack the egg in half, remove the yolk and the egg whites into a bowl, add a pinch of salt, if you prefer, mix, and enjoy. 

Another thing you can do is eat the egg out of an egg holder. To begin, simply hit the top part of the egg with a teaspoon (but not too hard) to crack the shell. Then remove the cracked top shell so there is enough opening to insert your teaspoon into. Discard the shell. When done, gently ease the tip of your teaspoon into the top of the egg whites and move the teaspoon all the way through to the other side. Remove the top part of the egg (the egg whites) and eat it. Now you are ready to enjoy the rest of the egg. If you don't want to do that you can also take a sharp knife and carefully cut the top of the egg off. If you do that, scoop out the egg whites from the shell before discarding. 

Instead of eating a soft boiled egg by itself, you can also pare it with a beet salad or a side dish of sautéed zucchini or eggplant. That is what I love to do. You can also pair a soft boiled egg with buttered toast or fresh white bread topped with either Greek caviar spread, red or black caviar, or zucchini or eggplant spreads. You can't go wrong either way.

Beet Salad with Prunes

Beets are popular in many countries of the world. Among these countries are Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. Beets are a very big part of Russian, Belarussian, and Ukrainian cuisine. They are used in soups (hot borscht, cold borscht, Ukrainian borscht), salads, and when making stuffed fish.

When it comes to salads, beet salads are popular in these countries and there two of these that everyone has at their dinner table when there are big gatherings or celebrations.

One beet salad is called shuba, which is a layered salad made with beets, carrots, potatoes, onions, and herring with a little bit of oil and mayonnaise. Another beet salad is beet salad with prunes. Below is a recipe for this beet salad. If you love beets you will enjoy this salad. And if you are not a fan of beets you just might fall in love with them once you give this salad a try.

Beet salad with prunes

Ingredients

• 2 Medium Beets
• Handful Prunes
• Few heaping tablespoons Mayonnaise
• Salt
• Dried Parsley
• Minced garlic (optional)
• Walnuts (optional)

I hate raw garlic and walnuts so I leave them out of this salad. If you love these two ingredients feel free to add them to the salad. They go great with it. You can also use pine nuts or Brazilian nuts instead of the walnuts.

You can also mix mayonnaise with some sour cream. I'd do the same proportion of each: one tablespoon of mayonnaise and one tablespoon of sour cream. Mix the two together and then add to the beet salad and stir before eating. Now you don't necessarily have to use this amount. If you prefer less mayonnaise and/or sour cream feel free to use less. If you prefer more feel free to use more. The amount you use really depends on your taste.

Instructions

1. Thoroughly wash the beets under running water, place in a pot, fill with water and place on medium heat. Boil the beats for about forty minutes or until they reach your desired tenderness. Once the beets have finished boiling, drain the water from the pot and place the beets in cold water. Let them sit in cold water for about ten minutes. Then drain the water and peel the skin off of each beet.
2. Using a manual shredder, shred each beet into a salad bowl. You can use a food processor as well. If you use a food processor you might first need to cut the beets into smaller pieces so they fit into the processor opening. 
3. Take a handful of prunes, cut into slices and add to the shredded beets. 
4. Sprinkle with salt, add a few heaping tablespoons of mayonnaise and stir. 
5. Finally sprinkle with dried parsley and stir again. You are now ready to enjoy your beet salad.

Bean Sprouts

We see bean sprouts in Asian supermarkets and perhaps in regular supermarkets as well but what are they?

Bean sprouts are sprouts that come from mung beans. They are commonly used in Asian Cuisine, mainly in stir-fry dishes. 

You can use bean sprouts in many dishes and recipes. They are delicious and crunchy and will only add to the flavor of the dish.

You can add them to your favorite recipes or you can simply munch on them in place of potatoes chips. You can even dip them in your favorite sauce before enjoying.

How are bean sprouts used?

Bean sprouts don't have to be cooked. They can be eaten raw and are actually best eaten raw since they preserve all the vitamins and minerals.

You can add bean sprouts to sandwiches, salads, even soups. If you choose to add them to soups do so when you are ready to eat it so the vitamins and minerals are preserved.

And if you are looking for a snack you can munch on some bean sprouts. Just be sure to wash them before eating.

If you'd like, you can even use bean sprouts to decorate your meat, fish, rice, and pasta dishes. Be as creative as you want to be.

Remember that before eating the bean sprouts make sure that you thoroughly wash them under running water. Also know that bean sprouts are a perishable food. Keep them in your refrigerator and consume within a few days. After a few days they will most likely be spoiled.

Some bean sprout recipes

You can use bean sprouts in any dish... Here are some recipe suggestions you might want to try.

Bean sprouts tomato salad:

Wash a yellow tomato, cut into slices, and place into a salad bowl. Then wash the bean sprouts and add to the salad bowl. Add a dash of salt and sprinkle with grapeseed oil. Mix well and enjoy.

Bean sprouts in sandwiches:

Toast your favorite bread and lightly spread some mayonnaise. Add your favorite cold cuts and cheeses, place some (washed) bean sprouts on top and enjoy. You can even place another piece of toasted bread on top of it if you'd like.

Bean sprouts in soups:

Next time you eat chicken noodle soup or seafood soup, try adding the bean sprouts to it. Simply heat the soup (if it is cold), add the (washed) bean sprouts to it, mix and enjoy.