Baby Borshch

Main ingredients

1. A set of loving parents, must have a good sense of humor, alot of patience, able to give up sleep and wake up quick in a moment's notice.            
2.  A couple of grandparents a grandmaw who loves to cook cookies, knit blankets and a grandpappy who loves to fish & dig worms. 
3. A couple of dogs, one good fluffy cat, a young frisky ferret. 
4. A mountain of never ending paperwork to create your dossier and a good facilatator to make things stir smoothly through the cooking process.
5. One or more children/babies, Choose very carefully, your choice will make your Borshch bitter or sweet.

   To began making your first pot of Baby Borshch you must first began by adding ingredients (1&2).  You will find that Mom and Dad may at first seem a little nervous, but add them on in anyways. Soon they will settle and the pot will began to simmer.  Remember to simmer slowly you don't want the pot to boil to quickly. Next when adding  Grandmaw and Grandpappy most  are very well seasoned so you should have no problems while mixing. And sometimes they seem have a tendency of spoiling quickly.  So please be sure to use them frequently. Now we move on to  ingredients (3) these you need to add one by one. First the dog will help dig up those worms for Grandpappy.  The cat will curl on the  Grandmaw's blanket and will ensure to keep the Baby Borshch warm. The frisky young ferret is there to give Mom and Dad a general idea of what the Borshch should turn out like.  We are getting close to the last few ingredients. When chosing a (Ingredient 4) your facilatator don't go by the first one you see. Next to ingredient 5 this ingredient will determine whether you will be able to complete your Baby Borshch. Some people seem ignor this ingredient and feel that just any ingredient will do.  Accept  no substitutions, factory seconds, generic brands.  Taken it from someone who has  have tasted alot of Baby Borshch chosing the right ingredient (your facilatator) can lead families leaving with out any Baby Borshch.  Moving on to the Main and last Ingredient (5) the baby or child, many people like the babies, and some people like the taste  the older child can add to the pot. Older children seem well seasoned and fun to work with. But with adding babies you just don't know what kind of taste your Borshch will be till it simmers. Finally once the completion of all ingredients are added you can began to taste and enjoy. I would suggest to all share your Baby Borshch with others. You never know the taste of Borshch could be so good.  Enjoy for life..... Denise Peddington Davis

Ukrainian Borshch

-1/2 lbs Beef on Bone

1.  Cover meat with cold water, add 1 tsp salt, bring to a boil slowly, (skim foam).
2. Cover, simmer for 1 hour on low heat
3. Fry beets in oil for 3 to 5 minutes, add to broth.
4. Pan fry carrots, potatos, celery, green beans: add to soup continue cooking for ten minutes.
5. Add  cabbage, cook til tender (do not over cook).
6. Stir in tomatoes and garlic.
7. Season to taste with salt and pepper bring to soft boil.
8. Garnish with dill.
9. Add pork fat to soup, place in oven for ten minutes.
10. Ladle into bowls, add a dollop of sour cream & serve.

ENJOY

Green Borshch

-3 Liters Water

-1 lb Pork on the Bone

-2 yellow onions (chopped)

-2 carrots (thin strips)

-parsley stems

-50 grams pork fat

-juice from a half of lemon

-1 1/2 potatoes (peeled & cubed)

-4 boiled eggs

-sugar, salt, pepper

1. Bring water to oil, add meat, cook on low boil for 2 hours.
2. Fry one onion, one carrot, & parsley in a pan until brown, add to broth.
3. Remove meat from broth, spearate meat from bone cut into cubes.
4. Strain vegetable & remaining meat from broth & discard.
5. Add potatoes to liquid & cook on med. heat.
6. Cook remaining onion & carrot in soft prok fat.
7. When potatoes done, add vegetables to soup, boil additional 5 minutes.
8. Add lemon juice.
9. Boil eggs separtely, separate white and yolk, mash yolk & add few tsps of broth to yolks. Add yolk/broth mixture and cubed whites to borshch.
10. Place boiled meat and sour cream in bottom of each dish before serving. Sugar, salt & pepper to taste and serve.

ENJOY

Salat iz Sviokly  (Beetroot Salad)

-3 to 4 beetroots

-2 cooking apples

-2 oz walnuts

- 2 to 3 cloevs garlics, crushed

- 3 to 4 tbsp mayonnaise

This is another popular salad starter. Root vergetables grow well in a cold climate. Beetroot is the tastiest and moist colorful, and figure in many Ukrainian receipes.

1. Peel and cook the beetroot.
2. Peel and core the apples.
3. Grate the beetroot and the apples.
4. Add chopped walnuts and crushed garlic and dress with mayonnaise.

ENJOY

Kholodnyi Svekolnik (Cold Beetroot Soup)

Cold soups are very popular and are a pleasant, variation for summer, particularly this vegetarian version. This is a favorite Ukrainain recipe.

-1 lbs beetroot

-tbsp lemon juice

-1tbsp vinegar

-1 tsp sugar (optional)

-cucumber

-2 hard boiled eggs

-2 oz spring onions

-1 oz dill and parsley

-1cup sour cream

1. Peel the beetroot and cook them in 6 cups water with lemon juice, vinegar, and sugar.
2. When the beetroot is tender, take it out of the liquid and cool.
3. Grate the beetroot and return it to the strained stock together with sliced cucumber, chopped hard-boiled eggs, and spring onions.
4. Cool for at least an hour.
5. Garnish with chopped fresh dill and parsley and serve with sour cream.

ENJOY

Blini (Pancakes)

The week before the beginning of Lent is called Maslenitsa and it signals the end of winter. All during that week, Blini are served, signs of sun and spring.

-2 cups milk,warmed

-1 tbsp yeast

-1 1/3 cups flour

-1/2 cup buckwheat flour

-2 eggs separated

-2 tbsp butter, melted

-1/2 tsp salt

-2 tsp sugar

1. Dissolved the yeast in one cup of tepid milk taken from the pint.
2. Add a tsp of flour and place the mixture in a warm place.
3. When the mixture has risen and doubled its volumen, add the rest ot the tepid milk, the sifted flour, sugar, salt, melted butter, and egg yolks.
4. Beat this mixture to a very smooth batter.
5. Place it in a warm place to rise.
6. When the volume has doubled, knead it lightly and let it rise again.
7. This process can be repeated once more.
8. Add the whisked eggs whites.
9. Heat a little oil or butter in an 8-0 inch frying pan and fry dollops of the misture to make pancakes that are rather more thick than usual.
10. Allow two or three pancakes per person and servce melted butter, sour cream, and cavier separately.

ENJOY

Blinchatyi Pirog  (Pancake Pie)

Traditionally two kinds of fillings are used in this pie: layers of cooked buckwheat and minced meat with onions nad mushrooms. We prefer it with just the meat filling.

Pancakes

-2 eggs                                            -1 cup flour

-2 tbsp sugar                                   -1 tbsp melted butter, margarine or oil

-1/4 tsp salt                                 

-1 1/2 cups milk

Filling

-8 oz cooked minced beef                  -4 oz mushrooms

- medium onion                                  - 1 tbsp butter, margarine, or oil   

1. Make the filling by sofetneing the finely chopped onion and mushroom in the fat of your choice.
2. Season; Mix with the cooked minced beef and leave to cool.
3. Make pancake batter and fry 6 to 8 pancakes, each of 7 to 8 diameter.
4. Cover and keep them warm on a plate over boiling water.
5. When all the pancakes are ready, put the first one in a deep baking dish, spread a layer of the meat filling, then anothe pancake, then more meat.
6. Continue in this way, finishing with a pancake, then more meat.
7. Sprinkle with some melted butter and warm in the oven at 300 degreesF for 15 minutes.

ENJOY

Nachala, would like to thank everyone for sharing and providing all the wonderful Ukrainian recipes. Keep them coming...We will be promoting a Cookbook from Lisa and Mike on Eastern European Cooking. All proceeds will benefit children in the many orphanages in Russia, Ukraine and Eastern European Orphanages. Cookbooks will be available this spring so order yours quickly and again thank you for helping the many littles one needing your help. God Bless