Best served with rice, noodles or chips, this meal is an example of a created recipe that later entered national cuisine. The author of this dish was a chef of a Count Stroganoff. In 19 century the meal was introduced at the well-to-do aristocrat’s restaurant in Odessa, and the employee’s recipe became popular under the employer’s (count’s) name.
Interestingly enough, the Count’s name – Stroganoff – resembles the Russian word “strogat’” – meaning to cut into thin strips. And this is exactly what you do with meat in beef stroganoff.
Although chicken or turkey stroganoff can also be made in a similar way, the recipe’s name implies that originally beef is used for meat. Traditionally loin cuts were used for beef stroganoff, but braising beef (a round steak for example) will be also great if you observe a few cooking tips. Let’s gets started!
Solyanka cabbage stew is a simple honest meal with natural flavours. This budget friendly stew has been a staple Russian food for centuries – it is tasty, easy to make dish that stores well, and a perfect way to get your vegetables. Its taste intensifies once reheated, so you may want to cook a bit extra to make the cabbage stew last for 2-3 days. In our fast paced world it is a good time saving dinner solution.
Braised cabbage is quite popular in Russia and is an important ingredient in cakes (pirozhki s kapustoi) and pies. If a person has never tried braise cabbage before, he most likely can get puzzled when he tries it for the first time: the taste and texture of softened cabbage is hard to recognize.
This particular stew has a lot in common with bigos – a stew popular in Poland, Lithuania and Belarus, with the main difference that in Russian solyanka fresh cabbage, not fermented cabbage sauerkraut, is used. You can make solyanka with meat, or go for a vegetarian option.
It should be noted that there is another staple Russian recipe that has the same name: spicy solyanka soup.
Tips:
* Once cooled down, the rest can be stored in the fridge to be consumed within the following 2 days – the taste will become even better when reheated.
* You can do without carrots, substitute tomatoes with tomato puree, or substitute meat with mushrooms for a vegetarian option
This multilayer salad is easy to cook, unlike “herring under a fur coat” does not require much time to soak, and has indeed a very tender taste: sweetness of prunes is balanced by a sharper taste of walnuts and cucumbers refresh the dish.
*If you plan to cook several meals, you can boil chicken and eggs say in advance, say the night before and keep in the fridge. Next day you will need to only chop up the ingredients, which saves time.
*If the prunes are dry you can soften them in hot boiled water for 10 minutes and then dry up on a paper towel.
Herring under a fur coat (or “dressed herring”, Rus. «cелёдка под шубой») is a favourite traditional salad for New Year and Christmas celebrations in Russia, and often decorates the table on special occasions both in Russia and in many post-Soviet countries. This bright multi layer dish should be made the night before the supposed consumption, and put into the fridge overnight (or for at least 8 hours). This way all the layers will get soaked mixing the flavours, and basic ingredients will become absolutely unrecognizable in the final version. Potatoes will smooth the saltiness of the herring, the apple will add a refreshing taste and the onions – a kick to it.
This is one of the dishes which you love or hate, so the question is – do you dare to try it out? I can guarantee you though that every single Russian person loves this salad to bits. Some of my foreign friends where puzzled when they tried this salad for the first time. When they tried it for the second time they seemed to enjoy it more and be more open-minded.
Note: Shape of the bowl: the bottom should be flat. You can see in some supermarket boiled and grated beetroots and finely chopped onions – grab those, they will save you great deal of time.
Savoury potato pancakes draniki are similar to hash browns and can be an excellent weekend breakfast or brunch. Adding some minced meat you can even upgrade them to a dinner solution.
Draniki are often served with smetana (Russian sour cream) or plain yoghurt dip. The recipe comes from Belarus where potatoes are loved dearly.
*** Option 2. – With minced meat
Mix the minced meat with salt and pepper. When frying the draniki, put a bit of the meat on top of the pancake. Flatten the meat and cover it up with another spoon of potato mixture. Fry both sides.
