Kaleenka Borshch Borsch Borscht Recipes

KALEENKA BORSHCH (BORSCH/BORSCHT)

Steps:

• In a large skillet, brown the onions, beets, carrots, and potato separately in oil, stirring occasionally, about 10 to 12 minutes.
• In a large pot, bring water to boil.
• When water is boiling, add the cabbage, green pepper, and celery; the vegetables will cool the water, so bring it back to boil.
• Then add the browned vegetables from the skillet, salt, and pepper; simmer until the vegetables are soft but not mushy, about 20 minutes, then add the tomato juice.
• Serve hot, topped with a generous dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of dill.
• If you put the borshch in a crockpot and bring along the garnish, it goes over well at potlucks, too!

TRADITIONAL RUSSIAN BORSCHT

Steps:

• In a heavy stockpot, heat oil over high heat. Add the stew meat and sear until nicely browned. Remove from pot and set aside; immediately add the pork sausage, and stir, breaking it up into pieces while it browns. When sausage has browned nicely, return the stew meat to the pot, as well as the tomatoes, garlic, onion and beets. Add the beef stock, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 2 hours. After 2 hours, add the carrots and potatoes. Simmer, covered, for 1 more hour, then add the cabbage, 1/2 cup of the dill, and the red wine vinegar (and taste for salt and pepper addition at this time). Cover and simmer for 15 more minutes. To serve, ladle soup into a bowl and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and fresh dill.

UKRAINIAN CLASSIC BORSCH

Steps:

• FOR THE STOCK: In a large soup pot, bring the meat, bones, and water to a boil over high heat, periodically skimming off the foam as it rises to the top.
• Add the remaining stock ingredients and reduce the heat to low.
• Simmer, partially covered, until the meat is tender, at least 45 minutes.
• When the stock is ready, remove the beef, pork, and marrow bones, and set all but the marrow bones aside.
• Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a clean large pot and discard all the solids.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Meanwhile, wash and dry the beets and wrap each one separately in aluminum foil.
• Bake the beets until tender, 1 1/4 hours.
• Do this while the stock is cooking.
• FOR THE SOUP: Allow the beets to cool until manageable, then stem and peel them and cut into julienne or fine dice.
• Bring the stock to a boil, add the cabbage and cook for 15 minutes, add the potatoes, onion, carrots, peppers and cook for 20 more minutes, add beets and tomatoes, and tomato paste.
• Season to taste with sugar, pepper, and additional lemon juice and salt.
• Simmer for 15 more minutes.
• Cut the beef into bite-size pieces and scrape all the meat off the bones.
• Add meat to the soup.
• Simmer for 15 more minutes.
• Remove the borsch from the heat and sprinkle with the minced garlic, bacon (if desired), and 3 tablespoons each parsley and dill.
• Let stand at least 15 minutes before serving.
• Serve with sour cream.
• Serves 12 to 14.

UKRAINIAN MEATLESS BORSCH (BORSCHT)

Steps:

• Pour hot water over the mushrooms, drain, and wash.
• Cover with lukewarm water and soak for 30 minutes or longer.
• The period of soaking will depend on the variety of mushrooms used.
• The boletus variety (white hryby) requires little or no soaking.
• Cook the mushrooms in the same water in which they were soaked until they are tender.
• Cook the onion in the oil until slightly wilted.
• Add the beets, parsley, peppercorns, and water.
• Cover and cook until the beets are barely done.
• Add the carrot, potato, and celery, and continue cooking for about 15 minutes.
• At this stage put in the cabbage, and cook until it is tender but not overcooked.
• The cabbage should retain some crispness.
• Add the remaining ingredients.
• Use the beet kvas or lemon juice with discretion.
• The borsch should be mildly tart but not sour.
• Season to taste.
• Finally add the cooked, chopped, or whole mushrooms along with the mushroom stock.
• Bring to a boil.
• Serve.
• BEET KVAS Wash and pare 10 to 12 medium beets, then cut into eighths.
• Put into a stone crock or any earthenware container and cover with boiled water, cooled to lukewarm.
• To hasten fermentation, place a slice of sour rye bread among the beets.
• Cover and keep at room temperature for a few days.
• When the liquid is sour, pour it off the beets into the sealers; cover, and keep in the refrigerator.
• The kvas is added to borsch in the final stage of cooking.
• Pour a small quantity of kvas into the borsch and bring to a boil.
• Overboiling fades the color of kvas.

KALEENKA PIROSHKY

Steps:

• In a skillet, brown the onion in oil, about 7 minutes; remove and set aside.
• Brown the ground beef in the skillet, drain the grease, then add in the cooked onion, garlic, salt, and pepper; set aside.
• (The original recipe had you then chill the mixture to 40 degrees and"pick out solid fat," but that's a step I forgo).
• In a small ceramic or glass bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let stand for 11 minutes.
• In a large bowl or using a large stand mixer, place 4 cups of the flour, sugar, salt, egg, the remaining oil, water/yeast mixture, and the milk; mix together (use a dough hook attachment if you have one), adding additional flour as needed to make the dough soft but not sticky.
• Knead, either for about 10 minutes by turning out onto a floured board and doing it by hand or by using a dough hook in a mixer on slow speed for about 6 to 7 minutes.
• Place in a large bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour; punch down.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• To fill the piroshky, pinch off a piece of dough about the size of an egg and roll it out to 1/8-inch thick, then place a cube of cube of cheese and 2 tablespoons of meat filling in the center.
• Lift up the edges of the dough and bring it up to the top, pinching together tightly to completely enclose the filling and so that the dough knits together.
• Place the piroshky on a microwave-safe dish or tray, seam-side down, and microwave for 10 seconds; set aside and let rise for 10 minutes.
• Repeat the piroshky construction, microwaving, and rising with remaining ingredients.
• Place risen piroshky (all of them) on a non-stick baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes depending on your oven; alternately, you can deep fry them at 300 degrees F until golden.
• Note: you might also be able to run the dough ingredients through the initial preparation steps in your bread machine, to make it especially easy!