The Russians have a soup meal at least once a day. Schi, borsch, rassolnik, botvinia, ukha, okroshka and solianka has been a peculiarity of Russia since ancient times. Soups can be made on meat, fish, mushroom, vegetables or milk stocks.

How about a plate of Russian borstch? Nothing can warm your heart and stomach better than this traditional soup meal.
Ask Anastasia Web Aliona to make it for you!

Ingredients:
3/1/2 c canned tomatoes
5 or 6 med. size potatoes cut in halves
1 large carrot cut fine
1 small peeled beet
black pepper & salt to taste
1 small onion chopped butter
4 c shredded cabbage
¾ c sweet cream
½ c fresh green pepper chopped
2 tb fresh or dried dill
1 celery chopped fine
2/1/2 qts water
1/1/2 c diced potatoes

Put water to boil in large kettle. Add 1/2 c canned tomatoes. Drop in boiling water 5 or 6 med. size potatoes, chopped carrot and the beet. Add 3 tb butter in frying pan. When melted add chopped onion, cook tender but do not brown. Add 3 c canned tomatoes and let simmer with onion and butter until a thick sauce. Into a separate frying pan put 2-3 tb butter to melt. Add 2 c shredded cabbage and fry. Cook tender but do not brown. Shred another 2 c to add later to the borstch. When potatoes are tender remove them to a bowl. Add 2 tb butter, mash well, then add ? c sweet cream and mix well and set aside.
Add 1/1/2 c diced potatoes to the stock and the remainder of the shredded cabbage. When diced potatoes are tender, add the onion-tomato-sauce, then add the cooked cabbage, and the potato-cream mixture. Add 3 tb butter to the borstch. Stir well.
Add fresh chopped fine green pepper. Add 3 tb fresh or dried dill. Remove beet, one hour later after borstch is ready.
Borstch is ready to serve. Serve with chopped garlic in your soup bowl and a fresh piece of bread and butter. Yummy, enjoy...

Cabbage rolls with millet

Golubtsy, or cabbage rolls with millet, is a traditional and very laborious Russian dish. It takes a lot of patience and skills to make it. However, we are sure your sweet Anastasia Web Aliona from Tver will succeed in pleasing you with the perfect golubtsy!

Ingredients:
4 3/8 lb cabbage
1 c millet
1 ? oz salt pork
2 carrots
1 onion
2 tb flour
4 tb tomato paste
8 tb sour cream
2 tb butter
2 c water or broth
hot peppers
salt to taste

Pour boiling water over a head of cabbage with the stem removed. Separate leaves from head and trim the veins. Dice the onions and carrots fine and saut? until the onions are starting to brown. Wash the millet well, cover with water and bring to a boil. Strain and combine with chopped salt pork, carrot/onion mixture peppers, salt and the raw eggs. Mix thoroughly with hands, then place portions of the mixture onto the cabbage leaves, roll tightly and tuck in the ends. As you finish rolling the cabbage rolls, put them into a Dutch oven, and add the sour cream dressing, boil thoroughly strain, salt and serve.
Sour cream dressing: brown the flour in the butter. Add tomato paste and sour cream and some of the broth from the millet.
Alternative: put cabbage rolls in a large baking pan, make the sour cream dressing without thinning it, cover the rolls and bake at 325 F for about an hour.

Russian pancakes

Have a taste of Anastasia Web Aliona's special - true Russian bliny!

Ingredients:
4.5 glasses (7 cups) flour
4 glasses (4 1/2 cups) milk
25 g (1 1/2 tbsps) yeast
25 g (1 1/2 tbsps) butter
100 g (1/2 cup) cream
2 eggs, 2 tsps sugar
1 tsp salt

Dissolve half the flour, the yeast and butter in milk and let it rise. Beat up the dough, add the rest of the flour, salt and egg yolks ground with sugar. Beat again, add the beaten egg whites and cream, let the dough rest and then begin to bake.