"Belyashi" (Meat Pastries)

Ingredients:
Dough:

• 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:

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

Directions:
First, prepare the 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, slowly 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 the melted butter or margarine, and mix with your hands.
5. Cover the pan with a towel and leave in a warm place to rise.
6. When the dough rises for the first time (can take a couple hours), push it down with your hands.
7. When the dough rises the second time, it’s ready.

While waiting for dough to rise, prepare the filling:

1. Grind beef and pork (in a meat grinder) together, 2 times.
2. Finely chop the onion and sauté in a skillet in vegetable oil, stirring, until golden, then add the onion to the ground meat.
3. Add salt and pepper and mix everything.

Now you are ready to prepare the Belyashi:

1. Take a piece of dough and roll into a small pancake (~3-4 inches in diameter), using a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface.
2. Take a piece of ground meat with a tablespoon (you can brown each portion of ground meat for several seconds for better taste), and put it in the middle of the pancake.
3. Wrap the edges of the dough, forming an open pie.
4. Cook the belyashi in a large skillet (first from the exposed meat side, then flipping to the other side) in vegetable oil until meat is ready (no longer pink inside) and the dough is golden-brown.

Sweet Pastries "Kolbaska" ("Sweet Sausages")

Ingredients:

• 1.25 lb vanilla cookies
• 2 sticks (1/2 lb (200 g)) melted butter
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• Peanuts to taste

Directions:

1. Crush the cookies into crumbs.
2. Mix all the ingredients.
3. Wrap the mixture into a plastic bag, forming into a log shape, and put in a fridge for 30-50 minutes.
4. Unwrap, cut into pieces, and enjoy with tea or coffee!

Sweet Pastries "Kartoshka" ("Sweet Potatoes")

Ingredients:

• 0.75 lb vanilla wafer crumbs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 0.3 lb melted butter
• 1 cup hot milk

Directions:

1. Mix all the ingredients; put in a fridge for 30 minutes.
2. Form an oval-shaped pastry, and roll it in cocoa powder.
3. Decorate with colored icing (if desired) and enjoy!

Crêpes

Crepes ("Blini", "Blinchiki")
Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 2-3 tablespoons sugar
• 1-2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 liter (quart) milk
• 1.5-2 cups all-purpose flour
• Vegetable oil
• Butter

Directions:

1. Whisk the eggs well with sugar; add salt, vanilla, and milk.
2. Gradually add flour, melted butter and mix well. The batter must be thin.
3. Heat the skillet, brush it with oil, and pour the batter with a ladle. (Pour a thin layer of batter onto the skillet).
4. When the bottom of the crepe is golden-brown, carefully flip it. Put each crepe on a plate and spread some butter on top of each (~ 1/2 tbsp). Enjoy topped with honey, marmalade, condensed milk, or whipped cream; with tea or coffee.

Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients:

• 1.3 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2-3 eggs
• Salt, pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cut chicken into small pieces.
2. Prepare 3 bowls with: 1- flour with salt and pepper; 2 - eggs, lightly beaten; 3 - bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.
3. Dip every small piece of chicken into each bowl (first into bowl #1, then 2,  then 3).
4. Fry the chicken 15-20 minutes (until golden-brown) in a skillet with vegetable oil and a small piece of butter to make them crispy, turning once half way though cooking.

Carrot and Garlic Salad

Ingredients (for 2-3 servings):

• 2-3 medium carrots
• 1-2 eggs
• 1 medium garlic clove
• Salt, pepper to taste
• Mayonnaise

Directions:

1. Grate carrots and garlic.
2. Boil eggs (~10 minutes), peel, and cut them.
3. Combine everything in a mixing bowl, add salt, pepper, and mayonnaise. Mix well and serve.

Cabbage and Carrot Salad

Ingredients (for 2-3 servings):

• 1/4 medium head of cabbage
• 1 medium carrot
• 2 eggs
• Mayonnaise
• Salt, pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Chop the cabbage, add a pinch of salt, and squeeze it with your hands to release some juice.
2. Grate the carrots.
3. Boil eggs (~10 minutes), peel, and cut them.
4. Combine everything in a large bowl, add salt, pepper, and mayonnaise. Mix well and serve.