Gourmet Group: Russian

Armenian Cheese Rolls

Ingredients:

8  oz. cream cheese
8 oz. Feta cheese
Cilantro to taste (1/2 bunch)
Green pepper
12 Black Olives
Whole wheat tortillas or flat bread

Directions:

  1. Blend cream cheese and feta cheese together.  If needed, add a bit of water from feta to make mixture creamier.
  2. Chop cilantro fine and add to mixture.
  3. Use as a spread or roll into flat bread or whole wheat tortillas with slices of green pepper and pitted black olives.  (Could  also use the small cocktail bread)

BORSCHT

Ingredients:

1 lb beef (with or without bones)
1 lb red beets (3 average ones)
½ lb shredded cabbage
4 small potatoes
1 carrot
1 onion
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
parsley, dill, and spring onions

Directions:

  1. Preparing meat broth:  Put beef into a large saucepan and cover with cold water.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat.  Remove grease and froth from the broth with a spoon.  Add one onion.  Cook at low heat  for l  or two hours.
  2. Simmering red beets:  Melt one tablespoon of margarine in a saucepan.  Cut red beets into thin  sticks.  Add tomato paste and simmer at low heat for one hour.  Add broth if there is not enough liquid.  Add vinegar.
  3. Pan frying  vegetables:  Melt one tablespoon margarine in a frying pan.  Add chopped onions and carrots cut into  thin sticks.  Cover and sauté for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Heat broth to boiling.  Add chopped cabbage and potatoes cut into bars.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Add sauté and cook another 10 minutes.  Add simmered red beets and cook another 5 minutes.  Add salt, black pepper. Garnish with parsley and serve with sour cream.

BEEF STROGANOFF

Ingredients:

2 ½ lb boneless beef
4 tbsp flour
4 tbsp ketchup
5 oz sour cream
2 c broth
1 tbsp flour pounded with butter
1 onion
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Chop the meat lengthwise and beat the pieces a little.  After that cut the pieces into strips about 2 in. long and ½ in. wide.  Season and roll them in flour.
  2. Fry chopped onion in the pan and when it is golden brown, put the strips in the pan.  Fry on hot heat until the meat is light brown.
  3. Make a sauce:  Fry 1 tbsp of flour pounded with butter for a few minutes, add sour cream, broth, ketchup, salt, and pepper.
  4. Pour the sauce over meat and stew on low heat for 15-20 minutes.  Don’t let sauce boil.  Serve with fried potatoes.

CLASSIC GEORGIAN SALAD

Ingredients:

6 Cucumbers diced
1 peeled and sliced medium sweet onion
4 tomatoes chopped into small pieces
vinegar-mixed fresh greens (coriander, basil, flat-leaf parsley, dill) salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients, mixing well and chilling thoroughly before serving.

RUSSIAN FRUIT SALAD

Ingredients:

3 bananas
2 oranges
1 or 2 apples
2 c of green grapes
2 c of yogurt
½ to 1 c powdered sugar

Directions:

Peel bananas and oranges.  Chop all fruit into cubes.  Combine the fruit with the yogurt  and top with the sugar.