Kaleenkapiroshky Recipes

PIROSHKY (PIROSHKI)

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in water and let stand 10 minutes. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Make a well in flour and add milk, egg, oil and yeast. Combine to make a soft dough. Knead about 10 minutes. Let rise one half hour to one hour.
• Brown chopped onion and garlic. In separate pan, brown ground beef. Season with salt, pepper, garlic and onion. Cool meat mixture and remove solidified fat.
• Pinch a golf-ball sized piece of dough, flatten with fingers or roll out to 1/8" thickness. Place 2 Tbsp filling in center and bring opposite edges of circle together. Pinch securely. (The traditional shape is a plump center with tapering ends.).
• Let piroshkis rise seam side down, 30 minutes. Heat oven to 350. Brush with egg and bake until golden brown (approx 20 min, it depends on the size). The piroshky may also be deep fried.
• Ed. Note: I also like to add about 1 cup cheese sauce powder (sometimes found in bulk food stores) to the meat mix. I find it gives a slightly cheesy taste. If I do that, I omit the salt.

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!

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!

RUSSIAN CHEESE PIROSHKI

Steps:

• Completely dissolve sour cream with a little bit of milk. You may use a whisk.
• Pour the gallon of milk and the dissolved sour cream into an oven safe pot.
• Cover lightly with plastic wrap and set the pot in a safe place where its not too cool.
• Very Important: Mark this day as day 1. You will cook the milk on day 3.
• On day 3: Heat oven to 325°F Remove plastic wrap.
• Bake in the same pot for 3 hours.
• Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes.
• Drain completely in cheese clothe. Squeeze water out if you have to.
• At this point you may refrigerate this cheese in a sealed container for latter use.
• Preheat oven for 200F for 5-10 minutes and than turn off.
• Meanwhile place frozen rolls on a cookie sheet and cover with plastic wrap.
• Place in the warm oven. (If the oven is too hot, leave the door open for no more than 5 minutes).
• This is the quick defrosting process. Let the dough rise for about 2 hours.
• Microwave cream cheese for 45 seconds to soften.
• With a large spoon, mix together your prepared cheese, condensed milk, whipped cream, cream cheese, and vanilla.
• Take your biscuits out of the oven.
• Note: Do not uncover all of them at once or they will dry out!
• Very lightly flour your palms and fingers. Flatten a roll in your palms.
• Fill with a heaping Tbsp of filling and press shut around the edges using your fingers.
• Heat oil in a deep skillet on medium heat. The oil should rise about 1/4 to 1/2 inch.
• Fry several of the piroshki on both sides.
• Cover between flippings.
• They cook about 2 minutes or less, but be careful not to burn them.
• You will need to watch the skillet the entire time now and may not leave.
• Place Piroshki in a strainer or on napkins to collect excess oil.
• They keep well in fridge for several days, But I assure you they will get eaten before then.