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!!!

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!!!

Omelette with Cheese & Green Onions

If you have to cook something very quickly – this is the recipe! Just 5 minutes, and you have a great meal!
Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1/8 lb (50 g) grated cheese
• 1/8 lb (50 g) soft inside part of white loaf
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion
• Salt, pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Soak the soft part of a bread loaf in milk.
2. Add eggs and beat well.
3. Add cheese, green onion, salt, pepper.
4. Pour the mixture onto a hot buttered skillet.
5. Shake the skillet while cooking to make sure that the eggs fry evenly.
6. When eggs start to thicken, roll the sides of the omelette to the center to make an oval shape.
7. Fry until ready (the mixture becomes thick), and turn the omelette out onto a plate (so the folded edges are on bottom) or just fold it.
8. (You can also bake the omelette in the oven.)
9. The omelette will be really fluffy if you separate the whites and beat them unlit foamy before adding to the rest of the mixture to cook. When serving, add butter and sprinkle with freshly chopped dill and/or parsley. ENJOY!

Rice Pilaf ("Plov") with Raisins

Ingredients:

• 2 cups uncooked rice
• 1/4 lb (100 g) raisins
• 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Nuts (cashew or other) to taste
• Salt

Directions:

1. Wash the rice and soak it in boiled hot water for 10-15 minutes.
2. Put the rice in a saucepan with boiling salted water and cook until ready.
3. Drain the cooked rice in a colander.
4. Put the drained rice back into the saucepan.
5. Pour the melted butter on the top of the rice.
6. Cover well and simmer on very low heat 20-25 minutes.
7. Wash and soak the raisins in hot water.
8. Fry the plumped raisins in hot butter on a separate skillet.
9. When serving, put a small piece of butter on each plate, cover it with rice, and put the fried raisins on top (you can add nuts to taste).

Split Pea Soup

 A healthy and scrumptious comfort food!
Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb meat (beef, pork, or chicken); or smoked bacon or brisket
• 1/2 cup uncooked yellow split peas
• 5-6 medium potatoes
• 1 small onion
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 sweet pepper
• 1-2 dry bay leaves
• Olive (or other vegetable) oil
• Salt, pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Wash and soak the peas in hot boiled water for 30 minutes.
2. Put the meat in a 3-quart (3-liter) saucepan, fill it with cold water (about 3/4 full), and bring to a boil.
3. Skim the scum continuously with a slotted spoon while it is starting to boil and continue until it comes to a full boil.
4. Add salt, pepper, bay leaves, and reduce the heat so the meat boils gently until done.
5. Take out the meat.
6. Add soaked peas and bring to a boil again, skimming the scum.
7. Peel and cut the potatoes and add to the saucepan.
8. Bring to boil again and cook until the peas and potatoes are almost ready.
9. Peel and grate the carrot, chop the onion and sweet pepper and sauté in hot olive (or other vegetable) oil in a skillet on medium heat about 5 minute or until you can smell the vegetables.
10. Put the mixture into the saucepan.
11. Simmer gently about 5 minutes.
12. Serve with a dollop of sour cream. Also, you can sprinkle each bowl with freshly chopped dill and add croutons. ENJOY!!!