borsch (my version)

Ingredients:

1 Lb Beef cut in to about 1in pieces

1 medium-large Beet root shredded

2-3 carrots shredded

4-5 medium potatoes peeled and cut in to 1-2in cubes

1 small cabbage sliced thin

1 medium onion diced finely

4oz tomato paste (optional I never use it)

Salt and pepper to taste

dill and parsley also optional they do bring a lot of taste to the borshch

cut, dice and shred everything to the size you would like in the borshch I to everything very fine my family prefers it like that.

Boil 5qt water with salt add the cut beef to it and cook the beef till it's ready.

Meanwhile heat up  sauté pan with some oil, mix the shredded beets, carrots and onion and put everything in the sauté pan on med to high heat sauté everything till they're fully cooked and now you can add the tomato paste sauté a little more and turn the heat off.

cut the cabbage 

when the beef is fully cooked add the potatoes to it and cook till potatoes are ready (which won't be long)

When Potatoes are ready add the cabbage and cook another 10-15mins till the cabbage is soft

when the cabbage is ready now add the beat and carrot mixture cook for about 5mins add the parsley, dill and pepper cover and let stand a while before serving. (I usually let stand at least 20-30mins that gives enough time for everything to absorb)

Serve warm/hot with a teaspoon or more of sour cream and a teaspoon or more of mayonnaise mix very well and serve  

No Bake Farmers Cheese Cake

24 vanilla tea biscuits

½ cup milk

Filling:

500g Farmers cheese (Recipe  Here )

1-2 cups sugar (to taste)

1 tsp vanilla

1 TBsp Coco powder

Glaze:

½ cup unsalted butter

2 TBsp Sour Cream

4 TBsp sugar

2 TBsp coco powder

For the filling:

Place the farmers cheese in a mixing bowl add the sugar and vanilla,

Take out about ¾ of the mix out in to a separate bowl, add the coco powder to the remaining cheese that was left in the mixing bowl mix really well.

Assembly:

Place a piece of plastic wrap on a board now take 10 cookies and dip each in the milk and line them up like this

Take a third of the white mixture and spread on the cookies

Place the cheese mixed with coco in a piping bag with a big opening and pipe it in the middle

Now take the rest of the white mixture and spread in a triangle on top like this

Now take the rest of the cookies and dip each in the milk and place them on top of the cake like this

Now wrap the plastic wrap around it and place in the refrigerator

For the Glaze:

Mix everything together on med heat and mix everything until starts to boil take off the heat let cool just a little and spread on top of the cake wrap it back up and let stand in the refrigerator a couple of hours and

now it’s ready to serve

 

Happy Easter Everyone!!!!!

Our Easter was great even though my little Girl was sick really high fever she still had fun with all the sweets and eggs.  Here are some pictures from what w had today it was only for the 3 of us.

 I hope everyone's Easter was great!!!

Sweet Easter Bread

Traditional Russian/Ukrainian Sweet Easter Bread

These are traditionally made very tall baked in an a tin can from something like either canned beans or something similar that’s sold in large sizes for like restaurants then washed out really well to get rid of the smell and when they are prepared for them to be baked in they are lined with parchment  paper  that’s oiled really well and sprinkled with flour but I don’t have any of those tins so I just used a bunt cake pan for mine. (also a lot of Russian woman say that this bread will not come out right if you make it any time other then the week of or before Easter but I don’t know I didn’t test out that theory)

Ingredients:

800g Flour (by weight)

2 sticks butter melted

200g sugar

1 cup milk hot not boiling

5 large eggs seporated

50g fresh yeast (make sure the yeast is fresh or it will take way too long to rise)

200g raisins (I use less I don’t like raisins)

Pinch of salt

For the Glaze:

3 egg whites

1 ½ cup sugar

1tsp lemon juice (optional)

Prep:

Mix the milk and butter together, add sugar and salt mix and let cool to just a little warm.

Meanwhile take about ¼ cup warm milk and mix it with the yeast and let rise.

When milk and butter mixture cooled to just warm add the flour and the yeast

mix really well make a ball of dough and place in a warm place to rise

when the dough rises beat the egg whites to stiff peaks, add the egg yolks and the egg whites to the dough and mix in really well to form the dough and now add the raisins the dough should be smooth and will be sticky

spray the pan or pans with baking spray or spread generously with butter and sprinkle some flour inside

place the dough in to pans half way smooth evenly and let rise till the dough reaches the top of pans

Pre-heat the oven to 350F place the pans in the oven if your making them small like little bunt cakes bake for about 25-35mins just check by inserting a knife or a wooden stick if it come out clean it’s ready,
For the large pan it will take about 40-45mins test same with a knife or wooden stick

Take pans out of the oven and let the bread cool.

For the Glaze:

Mix the sugar and egg whites then place over a double boiler and whisk until all sugar is melted, then with a mixer with a whisk attachment and beat until doubled in size but still runny add the lemon juice mix in really well.

Spread over the top of the bread and sprinkle with some colorful sprinkles let dry for a couple hours and your done enjoy with coffee or tea.

Beef Stew

Ingredients:

1lb Beef roast or any piece

6-7 Potatoes

1 Onion diced in to small pcs

2 Carrots shredded

Salt and Pepper to taste

Boiling water

1tbs ketchup (optional)

Dill

Prep:

Cut the beef in to 1in pcs, put about a table spoon of olive oil a dutch oven heat it up and place the beef in to the dutch oven (you can use a regular pan) a little salt

Fry on high heat till ready when you cut in to it

Add the shredded carrots and cut onions and fry till onions are golden

Now add boiling water just to cover the potatoes and at this point you can add the ketchup also add salt and pepper to taste mix everything very well

Place in the oven at 350F for 40mins to 1 hour test the potatoes when they’re ready your done take the it out of the oven sprinkle some dill either fresh, frozen or dried mix close the lid let stand for a few minutes and your done.