Блины ("Bliny"): Russian Pancakes/Crepes

submitted by Aleksandr Bakhmatov, age 15
Maslenitsa (Carnival) is a Russian holiday to say goodbye a to winter and say hello to spring. Thin pancakes, or crepes, ("bliny" in Russian) are eaten during this holiday. Russian pancakes are a symbol of the sun. They are as round, gold and warm as the sun. Bliny are served hot with either butter or sour cream, jam, or caviar, or mushrooms, or sturgeon.

Flour - 2,5 cups
Eggs - 4 to 5
Sugar - 100 g (about 1/2 cup)
Butter - 200 g (about 14 tablespoons or 1.75 sticks)
Milk - 3 to 4 cups

For the simple thin pancakes, or crepes, the dough is prepared of flour, milk, eggs and salt. First thing you should do is separate the yolks from whites. Then stir the yolks with sugar slowly adding milk while stirring. Then add the salt and the melted hot butter. Then start adding the dough (very slowly), stirring the mixture and smoothing the dough nubbles. As the last step, add the stirred whites. Now everything is ready for frying crepes on the hot frying pans.

[photo credit here]

Голубцы ("golubtsi"): Ukrainian Stuffed Cabbage

recipe by Artem Stepanenko, age 17



INGREDIENTS:

1 large head of cabbage,
ground meat - 500 g (beef and pork in equal proportions),
rice - 0.5-0.75 cup,
1 onion
1 carrot
2 to 3 tomatoes (can substitute 2 tablespoons of good tomato sauce or ketchup)
2 to 3 cloves of garlic
parsley
vegetable oil for frying
salt
freshly ground pepper

for sauce
tomato sauce or ketchup - 2 tablespoons
sour cream - 3 to 4 tablespoons
broth or water - 400-500 ml
salt


PREPARATION

Wash and clean the cabbage leaves. Place small quantities in salted boiling water. Boil the leaves for ~ 1 to 2 minutes, until tender (i.e. elastic). Remove cabbage from water, allow water to drain and cut off the stems. (stalks can be cut before cooking cabbage or after cooking). Separate the cabbage leaves.

Prepare stuffing:
Peel and finely chop onions.
Wash, peel and grate the carrots.
Fry the onions and carrots in vegetable oil until soft.
Wash and chop the parsley.
Boil the rice until half ready.
Wash tomatoes (you can remove the peel) and cut into small cubes (you can grate or chop in a blender to a mush).
Peel and finely chop the garlic or use a garlic press.
Mix with ground meat, rice, fried onions, garlic, tomatoes (or tomato sauce), fresh herbs, add salt, pepper and mix well.

In each cabbage leaf put the prepared stuffing, folding each leaf like an envelope. Fry the cabbage rolls in a pan or deep skillet with vegetable oil until slightly browned.

Prepare sauce:
Combine tomato sauce or ketchup with sour cream and water (or broth), and pour this mixture over the stuffed cabbage, so that the liquid barely covers it. Add a little salt and pepper and simmer 30-40 minutes.

Let the cabbage rolls stand for 10 minutes under the lid.

When serving, pour sauce over cabbage rolls. Decorate with sour cream and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

[Photo credit: link here]

Яблочный пирог ("yablochniy pirog"): Apple Turnover

recipe by Gennadiy S, age 19, from Ukraine


4 apples
1 cup of sugar
3-4 eggs
1 cup of flour
pinch of salt

NO BUTTER OR OIL!

Preparation: Turn oven to 400

Beat sugar together with the eggs using a mixer, put salt and flour into a mixing bowl and mix all of it.

Then peel and cut up a few apples. Grease a baking dish and put apples into it. Then pour obtained mixture over the apples.

Baking: Put into oven and bake for 25 min. It has to be golden brown.

[Photo credit: Irina]

Recipe for plov, a traditional dish from Uzbekistan

Plov is the national dish of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, cooked in many Slavic households. This recipe is from Evelin "Vilka," age 18, of Kyrgyzstan.

Ingredients:
1 cup of oil
2 onions, sliced
2 carrots julienne
2 lbs meat (beef or chicken), cubed
1 cup rice
1 1/4 cup water
pinch of salt, cardamom, curry spice
Serves a big family (of 6 or 7)

Preparation:
1. Heat one cup of oil in a wok or pan.
2. Add cubed meat, fry for about 10 minutes.
3. Add sliced onions and fry for about 3 minutes.
4. Add carrots julienne, fry for about 5 minutes.
5. Add rice, then water and season with salt and spices. Cover the wok.
6. Let simmer with a gap for steam until water is gone.
7. Season to taste and serve with catchup and ranch dressing, and tomato and cucumber salad.

(photo credit: tashkentzoo)