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.

Upside-Down Apple Pie "Sharlotka"

Easy-to-make recipe :)
Ingredients:

• 3-4 medium green (sour) apples
• 3-4 eggs
• 1.3 cups flour
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• 0.3 tsp baking soda
• Semolina or ground bread crumbs (unseasoned)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• Powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Beat the eggs with 1 cup of granulated sugar; add flour, sour cream, and baking soda.
2. Peel and core the apples, take out the seeds, and cut into pieces.
3. Grease a round baking pan, sprinkle it with semolina or grounded bread crumbs; place the apples into the pan, sprinkle them with granulated sugar (to taste: ~1/2 cup).
4. Pour the dough on top of the apples, spreading evenly to coat.
5. Bake at 375-400 F about 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. When the pie is ready, turn it upside down onto a plate, and sprinkle with powdered or granulated sugar. Enjoy with tea or coffee.

Lemon Pie

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb sour cream
• 1/2 lb unsalted butter
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 large lemon
• 1 cup of sugar

Directions:
Dough:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, butter (melted), flour, vinegar, and baking soda.
2. Cool in the fridge for about 40 minutes.
3. Cut the dough into 2 pieces: ~3/4 and ~1/4. Roll out the larger piece (not too thin).
4. Cover a large baking pan with foil, grease the foil, and put this larger piece on the foil.
5. Put the lemon filling on it. Roll out the smaller piece (very thin), poke it with a fork to make little holes (for the filling to breathe), and place it on top of the filling.
6. Fold over the edges so the filling does not come out.
7. Bake the pie at 375 F about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Enjoy with tea or coffee.

Filling:

1. Peel the lemon, cut into pieces, and take out the seeds.
2. Blend it in a blender and mix well with 1 cup of sugar to form a paste.

Beet and Potato "Vinaigrette" Salad

Ingredients:

• 1-2 medium beets
• 3-4 medium potatoes
• 1-2 carrots
• 6-7 pickles
• 1 can of peas
• Vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Put potatoes (with skin) and carrots together into one pot.
2. Add enough water to cover the vegetables and bring to a boil.
3. Cook until tender when tested with a knife (about 15-20 minutes).
4. In another pot, cook the beets (about 30 minutes).
5. When cool enough, peel the beets, potatoes, and carrots.
6. Cut the beets, potatoes, carrots, and pickles; add to a large mixing bowl. Drain and add the peas.
7. Add enough vegetable oil (olive, or canola) (until desired consistency) and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and serve.

Cottage Cheese Pastries

Delicious Dessert in 25 minutes!
Ingredients:

• 1 pound cottage cheese
• 1/2 pound unsalted butter or margarine
• 2 cups  all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• Granulated sugar

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the cottage cheese, butter (melted), flour, vinegar, and baking soda.
2. Sprinkle with sugar (as desired) and press the sugar into the dough.
3. Roll out the dough (not too thin).
4. Cut into 16 slices. Roll up each slice, starting with the wider edge.
5. Cover a large baking pan with foil, grease the foil.
6. Bake the pastries at 375 F about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Sprinkle with more sugar when done. Enjoy with tea or coffee.

"Beet and Garlic" Salad

Ingredients:

• 1-2 medium beets
• 1 large garlic clove
• Mayonnaise
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Put the beets into a pot with enough water to cover them, bring to a boil, and cook until tender (about 25-30 minutes, test with knife).
2. Cool and peel the beets.
3. Grate the beets (coarsely) and also the garlic (finely).
4. Combine the beets, garlic, mayonnaise (enough for desired consistency), salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Mix well and serve.