"Vatrushka" or Cottage Cheese Pie

Ingredients:

• 2 lb flour
• 1 package dry yeast
• 1/2 liter (1/2 quart) milk
• 1/4 lb (1 stick) unsalted butter or margarine, melted
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3-4 eggs

Filling:

• 1 lb cottage cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/3-1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• Vanilla
• Salt

Directions:
Dough:

1. In a mixing bowl combine 2/3 of the flour and the dry yeast.
2. In a big pan mix 3-4 eggs, salt, and sugar. Whisk and add the flour to the yeast gradually.
3. Then, gradually add warm milk and the rest of the flour, at the same time mixing.
4. When it is difficult to mix the dough, pour in warm melted butter or margarine, and use your hands to mix.
5. Cover the pan with a towel and leave in a warm place.
6. When the dough rises for the first time (can take a couple hours), push it down.
7. When the dough rises the second time, roll it out, put the filling in the middle, wrap edges, brush with egg wash, and bake at 375-400F about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Filling:

• In a mixing bowl combine cottage cheese, egg, sugar, a small pinch of salt, melted butter, and a few drops of vanilla. Enjoy with tea or coffee!

Doughnuts

Ingredients:

• 2 lb flour
• 1 package dry yeast
• 1/2 liter (1/2 quart) milk
• 1/4 lb butter or margarine
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3-4 eggs

Directions:
Dough:

1. In a mixing bowl combine 2/3 of the flour and the dry yeast.
2. In a big pan mix 3-4 eggs, salt, and sugar. Whisk and add the flour with the yeast gradually.
3. Then, gradually add warm milk and the rest of the flour, at the same time mixing.
4. When it is difficult to mix the dough, pour in warm butter or margarine, and use your hands to mix.
5. Cover the pan with a towel and leave in a warm place.
6. When the dough rises for the first time (can take a couple hours), push it down.
7. When the dough rises the second time, roll it out, cut into (~ 2 inches wide) strips, and form your doughnuts (take a strip and hold the ends; twist into a knot).
8. Bake at 375-400F about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Or, you can fry them in oil (vegetable or canola) in a skillet on both sides, until golden brown and cooked through).
9. When doughnuts are ready, sprinkle them with powdered or granulated sugar while still hot. Enjoy with tea or coffee!

"Tefteli" (meatballs with rice)

Ingredients:

• 2 lb beef (~60% of all meat)
• 1.5 lb pork (~40% of all meat)
• 1/3 cup uncooked white rice
• 1 medium onion
• Flour
• Salt, pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Grind beef and pork (in a meat grinder) together twice. (You can use purchased ground beef and pork if you don't have a meat grinder. However, the taste is much better if you grind it yourself).
2. Chop onion very finely and cook in a skillet in vegetable oil, stirring, until golden, then add the onion to the ground meat.
3. Cook the rice according to package directions and add it to the ground meat.
4. Add salt and pepper and mix everything.
5. Take a piece of ground meat with a tablespoon, form a round cutlet, roll in some flour, and cook in a large skillet in vegetable oil about 15-20 minutes (until no longer pink inside), turning over a few times while cooking.

"Golubtsy" ("Golubtsi") or Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs beef (~60% of all meat)
• 1.5 lbs pork (~40% of all meat)
• 1/3 cup uncooked white rice
• 1 medium onion
• 1-2 medium cabbages
• Salt, pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Grind beef and pork (in a meat grinder) together twice. (You can use purchased ground beef and pork if you don't have a meat grinder. However, the taste is much better if you grind it yourself).
2. Chop onion very finely and cook in a skillet in vegetable oil, stirring, until golden; then add the onion to the ground meat.
3. Cook the rice according to package directions and add it to the ground meat.
4. Add salt and pepper and mix everything.
5. Cut the cabbage stump out and discard; boil the cabbage(s) in salted water for about 10 minutes.
6. Separate the cabbage leaves, cut the hard stem out from each leaf, and use a meat mallet to tenderize any hard leaves.
7. Take a piece of the ground meat with a tablespoon, wrap it in a cabbage leaf, and cook in a large skillet in vegetable oil about 15-20 minutes (until no longer pink inside and the cabbage is golden-brown), turning once half-way through cooking. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add a teaspoon of sour cream on each "golubets".

Cream Puffs

Ingredients:
Dough:

• 1 cup flour
• 0.45 lb butter or margarine
• 4-5 eggs
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream:

• 0.5 liter (~0.5 quart) milk (cold)
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoon flour
• 2-3 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:
Dough:

1. Pour out one cup of water into a large saucepan, add butter, salt, and cook on the stove top until boiling.
2. Just after the water starts boiling, add the flour all at once, mix, and simmer 2-3 minutes, stirring.
3. Remove the saucepan from heat and add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each one.
4. When the dough becomes "stretchy," stop adding the eggs.
5. Cover a large baking pan with foil and grease it.
6. Take dough with a tablespoon and drop it onto the baking sheet, leaving about 1.5 inches between them (this will make about 14-15 pastries), and bake at 375 F about 20 minutes until golden brown. DO NOT open the oven door while baking - otherwise, the pastries will sink and will not be able to rise. The pastries will rise and become hollow in the center.
7. When the pastries are cool enough, make a small incision in each (with a knife) and spoon the cream until filled.

Cream:

1. In a saucepan, beat the eggs and sugar.
2. Add flour and the cold milk; mix well and start heating on low.
3. Stir constantly until the mixture boils (this step takes a while).
4. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract.
5. Cool well.

Breakfast Cottage Cheese Pastries

Also called "Sirniki", "Tvorozhniki"
Ingredients:

• 1 lb cottage cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1.3 cup flour
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (or baking powder)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the cottage cheese, eggs, flour, sugar, vanilla, and baking soda (or baking powder).
2. Mix well.
3. Take a piece of the mixture with a tablespoon, form an oval pastry, roll in some flour, and cook in a large skillet on medium-low heat in vegetable oil until a nice golden brown color, turning once half-way through cooking. Enjoy!

Meat Cutlets ("Kotleti")

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs beef (~60% of all meat)
• 1.5 lbs pork (~40% of all meat)
• 1 medium onion
• Flour
• Salt, pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Grind beef and pork (in a meat grinder) together twice. (You can use bought ground beef and pork if you don't have a meat grinder. However, the taste is much better if you grind it yourself).
2. Cut onion very finely and cook in a skillet in vegetable oil, stirring, until golden, then add the onion to the ground meat.
3. Put a piece of white bread in a bowl and pour some hot boiled water; mash it to make a paste. Add the paste to the ground meat.
4. Add salt and pepper and mix everything.
5. Take a piece of ground meat with a tablespoon, form an oval cutlet, roll in some flour, and cook in a large skillet in vegetable oil about 15-20 minutes (until no longer pink inside), turning over a few times while cooking.