Charlie D's Ukrainian Recipes

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kitchenelf

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Charlie D - what are some foods that are pure (or close to it - I don't know if any kind of cooking is actually pure) Ukranian dishes and of course, we need recipes.
 
Borscht (so called beet root soup) hot or cold

Green borscht (also know as schav, made with sorrel leaves or spinach due to availability problem) hot or cold

Rassol'nik (soup with kidneys and pickles)

Pampushki (garlic bread rolls, there are million recipes for them, so don't ask for one, it's too hard to choose)

Golubtsy (cabbage rolls)

Vareniki (ravioli)

Buzhanina (the closest thing to description I can think of is a cold cut made out of pork),

Pirozhki (also known as pirogi)

Nalistniki (also known as blintzes)

Zharkoe (meat stew)



The list goes on, but those ones in my opinion are more prevalent for Ukraine and very common in everyday cooking. If there is a specific dish or a particular ingredient or a recipe for one of the above/all of the above some body is interested I’ll try to find out an answer. As my recipes are all in Russian/Ukrainian I will need time to translate, so please be patient.

P.S. Onw thing I can add all of them are time consumming to make.
 
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Pick a couple of your favorites CharlieD and share your recipes - and we're not opposed to having all your recipes :)
 
I'm sure you're not.

Okay here is one i have translated. Though it really is not a summer dish:

Zharkoe:



That is Ukrainian meat stew





Do you have a Dutch oven? You are going to need one.


I use either chicken or short ribs, or stew meet; shank is really good.
My Dutch oven is pretty big, I can cook probably up to 6-7 pounds of meat.

So lets say:

3-31/2 lb meat of your choosing;


Or 1 whole chicken or chicken parts about that weight
1 large or 2 medium onions.
2-3-tb spoons oil
½ t baking soda
1-2 quarts boiling water
Salt, pepper to taste.

I do not like onion, so I try to cut it so small when it’s cooked it is almost non-existent.
Heat up oil in the Dutch oven. Slice onion into little squares. For those who can speak normal English (unlike me) that’s called dicing. Put into oil and sauté until it is golden brown, but do not burn. Add baking soda and pour about a cup of boiling water over it. Stir the whole mixture. Add meat, season it and fry until it is brown on all sides. 10-15 min or so depends on meat and how you cut it. I usually try to have 2-inch cubes or chicken I like to cut into eighth. Add water just to barely cover the meat and cook it for about half an hour or so. Now if it is chicken I add water to cover meat completely stir it and put in the oven 220-230 and just cook it uncovered till it is done (about one hour). With beef, I like to put in the oven and cook it all night or 5-6-7 hours. Last hour or so uncover it Of course if I do not have time I just cook till it is ready on the stove top. Now there are things you can do after. I.e. I add potato, or rice, or potato and carrots, or potato and beans, or really you can put other veggies. Or do not do anything just serve with a side dish of your choosing. If you do that then do not add water second time. Some time before it is done taste and re-season. Now if I add veggies, I like to take meat out, cook potato and than add meat back, at the end, reheat and serve. If you ad potato, beans or carrots it doesn’t really matter ho much water you have in the pot, but if it is rice you should make sure to add amount of rice that by the time it is ready there is no water left. It depends on type of rice you use. The rice I use usually doubles in amount so for every cup of water in the pot (approximately) I add half a cup of rise. Very important to check for seasoning because rise and beans especially, will need extra salt to be added.

Now I hope you enjoy it. If you do not understand my babbling here please ask, I’ll try to explain better. Really zharkoe is one of the easiest things to make. But if it is done properly it will have this beautiful brown to a dark brown color and taste really good. Nothing like a bowl of zharkoe on the cold day. I do not make it as much in the summer, but in the winter it is one of my and my family’s favorites.


P.S. extra onion wouldn't hurt. Gives extra flavor.
 
And here is something that goes really well with that Zharkoe:

Pickled tomato


No canning required, but you will not be able to pickle them in the refrigerator. The pickling, that takes 2 to 3 weeks, has to be done at the room temperature. I recommend the kitchen, but as far away from stove as possible.



The recipe is very simple. I buy a box of tomatoes at the farmers market. It fills in the big pail that I have. I bought one in restaurant supply store, but you can use an enamel-plated pot. Or even a jar, if you make a little bit. As I make to last the whole winter I make 2 big pails, I think they are like 5 gallons or so.



Okay here is the recipe.





The recipe is for 5-gallon pail:



Tomatoes to fill pail almost to the top.

Dill one bunch, that is sold in the store or the farmers market is enough, if you like dill a lot, like I do, you can use 2 bunches.

Celery stalks 3, cut up in the 2-3 Inc pieces.

Hot pepper 3. I buy those long red or yellow ones; have no idea what they called.

Garlic 1

Salt 4 tablespoons for every 3 litter/quarts of water

Bay leaves few

Allspice and Black peppercorn; each about a t-spoon. I just grab it with 3 fingers whatever comes out is good enough.



Now the hot pepper will make tomato spicy, my mom puts only one I like a little bit spicier so I use 3, but I do not like spicy food so you can add more if you like spicy food, but not too much, at least first time.



Wash the tomatoes, peppers and dill. Cut up dill, put some to cover the bottom of the pail.

Put tomatoes, pepper, celery, and garlic. Make sure that garlic cloves, peppers, celery and dill is evenly spread through out the pail. Leave some dill to have enough to cover tomatoes on the top. Dissolve pickling salt in a little bit of the hot water and add the rest of cold water to fill the proportion above. My pail I can fill with 9 quarts of water. Just enough to cover tomatoes. Add allspice and black peppercorn. Spread the rest of dill on the top.

Now you have to keep them (the tomatoes) down and covered. I spread the cheesecloth over it and put big diner plate on the top, and then I put weight on the top. There is no exact since on how much weight. You can start with 2-litter soda bottle, but then in the week or even sooner you should switch to something lighter, like a quart or so. If there is not enough weight it is not a big problem if there is too much, tomato will get smashed. There is a debate about tomatoes, red or green, I use both. When I make a lot and set aside for the winter, I just eat the red ones first and the green ones I live for the latter. This year I had one jar of green ones left in June they were still awesome. The harder the tomato the lower on the bottom it should go, and the softer - the higher, of course.

Now comes the part my wife hates. It stinks well I like the smell. It takes 2 to 3 weeks for the pickling process, depends on the temperature in the kitchen, I do it in the kitchen. Tomatoes will get covered with something that looks like mildew, at this point you have to take plate and cloth of, rinse it and put it back. You should not allow mildew to build up and stay because tomatoes will taste like that mildew, yuck. In about two weeks you should taste them, and if they are ready (if they are not they will have some what weird and bitter taste, if yes it should remind you of dill pickles taste), slowly take them one by one, slowly rinse under cold water and put in the clean jar, then drain the pickling juice (for those who speak English that’s brine ;) ) through the clean cheesecloth right into the jar to cover tomatoes. Take some garlic cloves and if you like your tomatoes to be spicy add one pepper, make sure to rinse them too.

I keep my tomatoes in the refrigerator. If everything was clean they will stay clean the whole winter, if not they may have some mildew build up on the top. Then you should take out and clean it up. It is not a problem in the end.







P.S.



The spices and the greens that I put into tomato are really not carved in the stone, or whatever the saying is. For example back in Ukraine we used to add things like horseradish leaves, leaves of the cherry tree and leaves of black currant. Last year I added green capers, but this year I did not have any. So, if you are going to do that more than ones you can experiment
 
Charlie, I would love to see your recipe for pirohzki. Mine is passed down from my Baba and I would love to see yours. I'll post mine too.

Sorry, also, do you have a recipe for holupchi (sp?), we have always made the sour cabbage kind, and I am looking for one that has the three grains in it. Buckwheat, rice and barley. I have been looking for this for a LOOOONG time. Hoping you can help.
 
Alix said:
Charlie, I would love to see your recipe for pirohzki. Mine is passed down from my Baba and I would love to see yours. I'll post mine too.

Sorry, also, do you have a recipe for holupchi (sp?), we have always made the sour cabbage kind, and I am looking for one that has the three grains in it. Buckwheat, rice and barley. I have been looking for this for a LOOOONG time. Hoping you can help.

Let’s decide what do we call things here, Golubtsy, or as it is pronounced in Ukrainian Holuptsy, are cabbage rolls.

I do not know what “holupchi” are. So if you could describe a little bit more, what it is exactly. The pronunciation changes and names get misused with time, nothing strange about that. So we might be calling the same thing completely different name.



The pirozhki, what kind do you make? I make both the pastry dough and the yeast kind. But really prefer the pastry, first of all for the taste and second of all, for convenience to be able to buy ready made frozen pastry dough.
 
CharlieD said:
Let’s decide what do we call things here, Golubtsy, or as it is pronounced in Ukrainian Holuptsy, are cabbage rolls.


Charlie, I am referring to cabbage rolls, I merely spell phonetically as I have never seen the word in print! Just heard my family speak it. Thanks for helping me out here!

CharlieD said:
The pirozhki, what kind do you make? I make both the pastry dough and the yeast kind. But really prefer the pastry, first of all for the taste and second of all, for convenience to be able to buy ready made frozen pastry dough.

OK, the kind I make is homemade dough, with various fillings. Mostly we make the potato and cheese filled ones because that is what the kids will eat! I have made the sauerkraut ones and cottage cheese filled ones. No one but me will eat those ones though! I also make some dessert ones with blueberry or apple filling.
 
Borscht Cold, red.



Perfect for hot summer day.



Water -3 quarts

Onion finely chopped or diced – 1

Potato – 2-3

Carrots – 2-3

Beets – 1-2 (could be canned, but not pickled)

Cabbage I buy coleslaw salad – 1-2 cups.

Salt to taste.

A sour salt also known as citric acid or lemon juice also to taste.

Egg – 1



For garnish:



Green onion

Radishes

Cucumber

Hard boiled egg

Sour cream





Start by boiling the whole beets and onion. While beets are cooking peel all the vegetable and cut slice or grate anyway you like your veggies in soup. I cut potatoes in cubes and grate the carrots, at the end when beets are ready I grate them too.

When beets are close to be ready put potato in, let it cook for few minutes, then carrots, then cabbage. Let it cook till veggies are done, about 20 minutes or so. During cooking take, the beets out and grate them and add back into soup. If you are using canned beets, grate them and add some time after carrots. Add salt to taste, right before soup is ready add a pinch of sour salt or juice of maybe a quarter or a half of a lemon. It should have just a hint of tartness but not to be sour or tart at all.



At that time, I take a bowl of just liquid and let it cool. Beat the raw egg in a separate bowl and slowly add the warm soup into it stirring constantly so egg doesn’t cook, it has to dissolve in the soup. Not sure, what the process is called in English. Add this mixture back to the pot, again stirring to make sure that egg doesn’t get cooked. It can be done when Borscht cooled down a bit. Now put in refrigerator and let it cool completely. I like to eat it when its room temperature or slightly below that. Some people like it very cold.

To serve garnish the bowl of Borscht with a t-spoon of sour cream, finely chopped green onions, cucumbers, radishes, sliced boiled egg, or any other fresh veggies that you like. Or don’t put anything. Now this is how I like to eat it, some people tell me I’m weird, but never the less it tastes great. I serve the borscht with a slice of good bread, with some sour cream spread on it and couple of slices of smoked salmon, also known as lox. What a treat on a hot day. This is a meal in it self. There are plenty of calories to keep you going till evening. The whole preparation takes about an hour, and if you use canned beets then it’s even less.



Enjoy.
 
Alix, I'm not sure about Holuptsi with thre grain. Also I make mine out of fresh cabage.

As far as pirozhki goes I do pretty much the same. I do love the meat ones, the cabage and the green onion egg mixture, but just like in your case I'm the only one eating it. My wife likes potato and kids of course like jem/jelly filling.
 
Expatgirl asked me Borscht recipe, which I do not have on paper yet, but here is an ingreedient that could be made in advance.

... in Russian it’s called Priprava (an additive, hm, kind of). I actually use it for many soups, meat dishes, it’s great with spaghetti. Here it goes.

10 red bell peppers
10 hot peppers (depends on size and on heat, I like it medium spicy if you like it really hot add more)
2-3 heads of garlic
2 medium to large parsnip roots or parsley (you will need more parsley because root is usually smaller)
2 table spoons kosher salt (I think in Russia it is plain rock salt)

Wash and clean the seeds out of peppers (again the hot pepper seeds will add heat, so if you like it you can just leave them in). The best thing to use is meat grinder if not you can use food processor but do not grind to fine; it should still remain some what coarse. Put everything thru the grinder then add salt and mix well. Salt works as the preservative. Put in containers, glass ones are the best. Keep in refrigerator. It will keep for whole winter. I do it when peppers are cheap. Double batch will last me till new crop.
 
CharlieD said:
I'm sure you're not.

Okay here is one i have translated. Though it really is not a summer dish:

Zharkoe:



That is Ukrainian meat stew





Do you have a Dutch oven? You are going to need one.


I use either chicken or short ribs, or stew meet; shank is really good.
My Dutch oven is pretty big, I can cook probably up to 6-7 pounds of meat.

So lets say:

3-31/2 lb meat of your choosing;


Or 1 whole chicken or chicken parts about that weight
1 large or 2 medium onions.
2-3-tb spoons oil
½ t baking soda
1-2 quarts boiling water
Salt, pepper to taste.



Charlie, could you please enlighten me as to what the baking soda does when you add it to the sauteed onions? I've never seen baking soda used like that.
 
Charlie, will you marry me?! :LOL: just kidding. Many of the foods you mention I haven't had since my grandma passed away :( Being of European descent Hungarian/Polish, dishes were called by different names, but still the same as the dishes you mentioned. Wish I had written down the recipes. Can't find the same homemade tastes in restaurants. Thank you.:)
 
Mish, there are some prety dicent restaurants in NY, Brooklin, Little Russia, you know. If you are ever there try them out. Oh, wait a minute you are in CA, go to LA there a lot of good russian restaurants there, or San Francisko, there too.

Okay, fine when I'm visiting my in laws in Sacraento I'll invite you over, where are you in CA? PM me, will set a date. My will not mind ;)
 
It will induce the brown color and in turn will help make meat look more brown, basicaly it just for looks.
 
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