March 28, 2011

Cod Liver Salad & Pate ("Pashtet")

Cod liver is a great source of energy, vitamins A and B, and it has unbelievable taste!
Ingredients:
For Pâté:

  • 1 can of cod liver (1/2 lb or 250 g)
  • 3 eggs
For Salad:
  • 1 can cod liver
  • 2-3 medium potatoes
  • 2-3 eggs
  • Salt, pepper to taste
  • Mayonnaise to taste
Directions:
Pate:
  • Add 3 eggs to 1 can of cod liver and mix.
  • Spread on bread.
Salad:
  1. Boil potatoes until knife-tender.
  2. Also boil the eggs until ready (about 10 minutes).
  3. Peel and cut the potatoes and eggs; add to the can of cod liver.
  4. Add salt, pepper, and mayonnaise to taste.
  5. Mix everything and serve!

March 23, 2011

Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients:
  • 2 lb potatoes
  • 3-4 eggs
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 2 medium onions
  • 1 lb cooked meat (you can use any meat: beef, veal, pork, chicken, duck, etc.) 
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Salt, pepper to taste
  • Bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • Vegetable oil
Directions:
First, to prepare the stuffiing:

  1. Grind the cooked meat in a meat grinder or chop it very finely.
  2. Finely chop the onions and sauté in vegetable oil until golden.
  3. Add the onions, salt, pepper, and desired spices to the ground meat, and mix.
Then:
  1. Peel the potatoes and boil until tender.
  2. Drain the water and grate the potatoes.
  3. Add hot milk, 3 eggs, salt, pepper, and melted butter; mix well.
  4. Place half of the mixture onto a greased and sprinkled with bread crumbs ovenproof skillet or baking pan.
  5. Add the meat stuffing on top and even it out with a spatula or a spoon.
  6. Place the remaining potato mixture onto the meat in an even layer.
  7. Beat the remaining egg with mayonnaise and brush the top of the pie (for a golden crust).
  8. Bake in a preheated to 375-400F oven 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden-brown. ENJOY!!!

March 21, 2011

Baked Potato & Mushroom Casserole (Pudding)

Ingredients:
  • 2 lb (1 kg) potatoes
  • 1 lb (500 g) mushrooms
  • 3+1 eggs
  • 2 medium onions
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Salt, black pepper, spices to taste
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • Vegetable oil
Directions:
  1. Peel the potatoes and boil until fork-tender.
  2. Drain the water and grate the potatoes.
  3. Add hot milk, 3 eggs, salt, pepper, spices, and melted butter; mix well.
  4. Place half of the mixture onto a greased ovenproof skillet or baking pan.
  5. Add the mushroom stuffing on top and even them out with a spatula or a spoon.
  6. Place the remaining potato mixture onto the mushrooms in an even layer.
  7. Beat the remaining egg with mayonnaise and brush the top of the casserole (for a golden crust).
  8. Bake in a preheated to 375-400F oven 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden-brown. ENJOY!!!
Stuffing:
  1. Chop and sauté the onions until golden (caramelized).
  2. Wash and cut the mushrooms and fry them on a separate skillet in vegetable oil until the moisture evaporates and the mushrooms are lightly browned.
  3. Add the onions, salt, and pepper to the mushrooms and mix.

Mushroom Soup

This is a great vegetarian soup!
Ingredients:

  • 1/8 lb (50 g) dried mushrooms
  • 1/2-1 small onion
  • 4-5 medium potatoes
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt, pepper to taste
  • Dill, parsley to taste
  • Vegetable oil
Directions:
  1. Wash the mushrooms and soak them in cold boiled water for 30-40 minutes.
  2. Put the soaked mushrooms with the water (in which they were soaked) in a 2-quart (2-liter) saucepan; add cold water to make the saucepan 3/4 full.
  3. Bring the water to a boil, add salt, pepper, and the bay leaf, and cook about 30 minutes.
  4. When the broth is ready, use a colander to strain the broth from the mushrooms into the saucepan. Rinse the mushrooms in cold water and cut them.
  5. Add the mushrooms and potatoes (peeled and chopped) to the broth and bring to a boil.
  6. When the potatoes are almost ready, saute the chopped onion in a separate skillet in vegetable oil and add to the mushrooms, cook 5 more minutes.
  7. Serve with sour cream and sprinkle with finely chopped dill and/or parsley. ENJOY!!!

March 20, 2011

Sour Cream Sponge Cake

Ingredients:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 cups sour cream
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • Pure vanilla extract
  • Powdered sugar (confectioners' sugar)
Directions:
  1. Separate the egg yolks from the whites.
  2. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until the mixture is white.
  3. Add vanilla and sour cream and mix.
  4. Beat the egg whites until foamy.
  5. Fold the flour and the egg whites into the rest of the mixture (sift the flour to avoid lumps).
  6. Pour the batter into a greased round cake pan.
  7. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 F (190-200 C) 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  8. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving. ENJOY!

Beauty Salad

After about a month of eating this salad (breakfast is the best time), your skin will be fresh, healthy, and smooth!
Ingredients:

  • 3-5 tablespoons oats
  • 1/4 cup warm boiled water
  • 1-2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 apple
  • 1-2 tablespoons yogurt or kefir
  • Walnuts to taste
Directions:
  1. Soak the oats in boiled water for some time (it depends on what kind of oats you have (soft or hard), so it may take from several minutes to 1-2 hours).
  2. Add honey.
  3. Peel, core, and grate the apple (the apple must be freshly grated); add to the oats.
  4. Add yogurt or kefir and ground walnuts. ENJOY!

Sorrel Soup

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 lb (200 g) beef or chicken
  • 1/2 lb (200 g) sorrel
  • 5-6 medium potatoes
  • 1/2 medium onion
  • Eggs
  • 1-2 bay leaves
  • Salt, pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp butter or vegetable oil
Directions:
  1. First, to prepare the broth, put the meat in a 2-quart (2-liter) saucepan, fill it with cold water (about 3/4 full), and bring to a boil.
  2. Skim the scum continuously with a slotted spoon while it is starting to boil and continue skimming until it comes to a full boil.
  3. Add salt, pepper, bay leaves, and reduce the heat so the meat boils gently until done.
  4. Take out the meat.
  5. Peel and cut the potatoes and add to the saucepan.
  6. Bring to a boil again and cook until the potatoes are almost done.
  7. Chop the onion and sauté in a skillet in hot butter or vegetable oil about 5 minutes, then add flour and again sauté.
  8. Wash and chop the sorrel and add to the onions to sauté for a few minutes.
  9. Add everything to the saucepan.
  10. Cook 10-15 minutes.
  11. Boil the eggs about 10 minutes. (1 egg for each serving plate).
  12. When serving, halve the eggs and add the 2 halves and sour cream to each plate. Sprinkle with freshly chopped dill and/or parsley. ENJOY!!!