Last, but not least, for this serious is the infamous Borscht. It was about time I explored a recipe for the dish this blog is named after. It is important to note the parentheses found in the title of this blog: The Borsch(t). If nothing else, I would love for readers to take away the knowledge that you should not pronounce the “T” in Borscht. In Russian it is spelt борщ, which is translated simply to Borsch. While many non-Russians wouldn’t know this, I would love to use this blog post to encourage you to pronounce it how the Russians do. By putting the “T” in parentheses I intended to highlight the mix of Russian and American found in this blog, much like my own background.
Now...on to the recipe.
The ingredients are:
Beets (duh) for $2.99 at Trader Joe’s.
Cilantro for $1.99 at Trader Joe’s.
A bag of onions for $2.99 at Trader Joe’s.
2-3 potatoes for 69 cents a piece at Trader Joe’s.
You will also need salt, pepper, neutral oil, 3 cups chicken broth, and sour cream, but I do not have pictures (sorry).
The following is a recipe for classic Russian Borscht:
Measure the broth into a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave it for 5 minutes.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Chop a potato into a small (1/4 inch) dice. Add it to the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high. Stir and then cover the pot.
Chop an onion. Add it to the pot. Stir and cover.
When the broth is done heating, add it to the pot along with the salt and pepper.
Increase heat to high, cover and let it come to a simmer. Reduce heat to a moderate simmer.
Chop the cilantro (you can also use dill, it’s more classic. We like a blend of cilantro and dill). Add half of it to the pot of soup. Put the rest aside for now.
Peel and shred one beet.
When the potatoes in the pot are tender add the beets. Heat on high until simmering.
Stir in the remaining dill/cilantro. Season to taste.
Serve with either whipping cream or sour cream on the side for people to add to their bowls of soup.
This is a simple recipe believe it or not and will be delicious to share with family or friends!
During my weekly Trader Joe’s grocery trip I was looking around for ingredients that could be used in my next featured dish. After an extended amount of perusing and little inspiration, I came across this little bag of chicken and mushroom pelmeni.
I’ve seen many pelmeni knock-offs, but what really grabbed my attention was the description of it being “traditional Russian-style dumplings that cook up in a flash”. These were not just polish pirogies labeled as pelmeni, but in fact supposed to be actual Russian pelmeni.
They are filled with chicken, mushrooms, onions and dill and are to be either boiled or fried. I am accustomed to lamb filled pelmeni in my house, but I would say this is a fairly typical filling. My family usually boil our pelmeni, melt a heavy amount of European butter on them, and cover them with a generous dollop of sour cream. I decided to take the same approach here.
If you decide to make these for yourself I would recommend bringing a salted pot of water to a boil and then putting the pelmeni in. Lower the water temperature until the pelmeni begin to float to the top. Once you drain the water from the pot, put about a tablespoon of butter in. Take a heaping spoon of sour cream and put it on top ($1.99 at TJ). Lastly, garnish with a bit of dill.
I do have to be honest and say that these do not live up to the real deal. If you want truly authentic, traditional pelmeni they have to be home made, from a Russian store, or a Russian restaurant. These come out a bit bland and lack texture in the filling. Normally it is an exciting blend of ground meats, flagrant herbs and fresh onions. It’s a bit disappointing to someone that thinks of pelmeni as such a homey and comforting dish. It is, however, a very fast and cheap (about $7 with sour cream!) way to explore Russian food at your local grocer. My advice is to try it and see if you like it. Do not, however, think that it is a true representation of Russian food. A bit like me, it is a mixture of American and Russian components.
One thing Russians truly love is salads. Not salads with leafy greens and heavy dressing, but rather a combination of vegetables with some seasoning. There are seasonal salads, holiday salads, and many variations of each recipe.
Many people see Eastern Asian cuisine as out of their comfort zone or complicated. While not all common ingredients in Russian culture are easily found in the US, it is still possible to try out these dishes.
The following recipe for a light summer salad can be made in 10 minutes with so few ingredients that they can all fit on your cutting board. I spent about $10 on all the components, but you can easily modify the way I made it to fit your financial and taste needs.
You will need 1 tomato, 1/2 of a large cucumber (or one small one), olive oil, pepper and salt. Mayo is a popular substitute of the olive oil if you prefer it. Some additional ingredients that are common in this dish is onions and dill, but unfortunately I did not have them in my kitchen. As you will see, though, missing ingredients do not hinder the completion of the dish which makes this one of my favorite simple recipes!
Once you have all your ingredients, you can cut up the tomatoes and cucumbers into tiny pieces. I normally slice up the veggies and then cut each slice into halves or quarters.
Lastly, you mix up the veggies with a tablespoon of olive oil, a few cranks of pepper, and a lot of salt (I probably did 5-8 grinds). Then you’re done! It’s truly that simple.
Salads like these grew popular in Soviet culture because many households could not afford a wide array of ingredients. Even things such as fresh vegetables were hard to find, so many salads are often made out of beets and potatoes. This dish is representative of the simplicity often found in Soviet cuisine. However, now, it can be a simple and nutritious side dish to your next meal.
