"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.

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.