Cabbage Rolls

Hi folks! This week we're going to make Cabbage Rolls or like Ukrainians like to call it Holubtsi!

Ingredients:

1 head cabbage

3 lbs ground beef or turkey

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups cooked rice

3 teaspoons salt and pepper (or to taste)

1 teaspoon paprika

1 clove of garlic

1 large onion, minced

1 can of tomato sauce

1. Boil head of cabbage in large pot for about 10-15 minutes . Lift the cabbage out of the hot water, allow it to drain a bit. Start peeling off the tender leaves.
2. Cut up the onion in large chunks and peel the garlic. Place the garlic and onion in a blender with a small amount of water and puree them. Transfer pureed onion and garlic to a large saucepan and add the tomato sauce
3. In another bowl, combine the beef, eggs, rice, paprika, chopped onionand salt & pepper well with your hands.
4. Place a golf ball size of the meat mixture almost in the middle of a cabbage leaf. Roll all the way, stuff each open end into the roll, inserting the leave into the meat mixture with your finger.
5. Cover the bottom of a large roasting pan with a thick layer of the sauce, place rolls on top and then more sauce over the rolls.
6. Bake at 350 for 2 hours. Baste the sauce over the cabbe rolls during the baking time every 30 minutes to avoid dried out rolls.
7. ENJOY!

I know this is a long process but trust me it is worth it in the end!

SMA-CHNO-HO! (Enjoy)

Borscht

This week I will be teaching you how to make BORSCHT!

-Borscht gets its deep red colour from it main ingredient beets-

You will need:

• 2 lbs. beets
• yellow onion
• 3 cloves garlic (the more the better)
• cup canola oil
• 2.5 litres beef stock
• cup white wine
• cup red wine vinegar
• 4 Tbsp. FRESH dill, chopped
• cup sour cream
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup sour cream

1. Peel and julienne the beets and onions
2. In a sauce pot, heat the canola oil, add the onions and garlic cloves, sweat over medium-high heat until browned and translucent
3. Add the beets and potatoes and saute quickly
4. Deglaze with white wine, allow to reduce, then add the beef stock. Bring to a simmer and allow to simmer until the beets are tender, 20-30 minutes, depending on the size
5. Remove the soup from the heat, using a hand blender, puree the soup, adding the remaining ingredients (You may need to adjust the acidity to your liking by adding slightly more red wine vinegar, it should provide a fresh acidity to the dish)
6. For the garnish, serve with a spoon of the sour cream over the soup

SMA-CHNO-HO! (Enjoy)

Perogies

This wouldn't be a blog on Ukrainian food without the recipe for perogies. Perogies are dumplings filled with mainly potatoes and cheese topped with, my favourite, sautéed onions and bacon. YUM!

You will need:

• 6 cups of all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs
• 4 pinches of salt and pepper
• 5 pounds of peeled potatoes
• 1 pound of shredded cheese
• 2 onions
• 6 strips of bacon

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes; drain.
2. To make dough: On a dry surface, combine flour, eggs and salt. Mix in a little water at a time until dough is somewhat stiff. Roll dough in small sections about 1/4 inch thick. Using a large biscuit cutter or drinking glass, make circle cuts.
3. To make filling: Mix together potatoes, cheese, salt and pepper. Fill each with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the potato and cheese mixture, fold over and seal edges.
4. To cook, bring a large pot of water to boil, carefully dropping in one at a time; stir continuously. They are done when they float to the top and boil for 3 minutes.
5. Topping: Sautee bacons and onions; drain excess bacon fat and garnish!

SMA-CHNO-HO! (Enjoy)