Ukrainian dishes

ble FOOD & Drink Ukrainian Dishes

Amidst the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, with devastating scenes being broadcast around the world, it's nice to see how many people on social media are using their platform as a force for good.

Cooking may seem like a small way to contribute to a huge issue, as Maya Angelou says; “Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud.”

Want to get involved, but not sure what to cook? Here are some tasty traditional Ukrainian dishes to try...

Beetroot Soup (BORSCHT)

Recipe By B-Well

Ukraine's national dish, borscht is a beetroot soup which can be eaten hot or cold (a perfect Starter), and is usually served with sour cream and pampushki (garlic rolls). Traditionally, borscht is made with beef stock, but it's easy to swap it out for a vegetarian version.

Preparation Time: 10 mins. Cooking Time: 25 mins. Total Time: 45 mins. Serves 4.

INGREDIENTS 2 medium onions, finely diced 1 large potato, finely cubed 2 medium cooked beetroot, chopped 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 1 small chilli, finely diced 1 celery stalk, finely diced 1 large carrot, peeled and finely diced 1 litre of vegetable stock B-well Canola & Olive Blend Oil 100g butter Sea salt and black pepper Crème fraiche to serve

METHOD 1. In a large pot or casserole over medium high heat add the butter to the pan along with a drizzle of B-well Canola and Olive oil. Once melted, add the onion, garlic, celery and chilli, cooking for a few minutes until the onions have softened and the garlic has become fragrant. Add the potato and carrot to the pan, stirring everything together so that it is all coated in butter. 2. Make a cartouche (paper lid) out of a bit of baking parchment and then pop the lid on. Turn the heat down to medium and leave the vegetables to soften for around 6-8 minutes. Take the lid and cartouche off and add the cooked beetroot along with the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil and then leave to simmer for around 15 minutes until everything is soft and fragrant. 3. Pulse the soup in a food processor or using a stick blender until very smooth and pink. Check the seasoning and serve in deep bowls with a dollop of crème fraiche and some crusty bread.

Enjoy!http://www.bwellfoods.co.za/cookbook/

bleRecip ·Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (GOLUBTSI)

Recipe By B-Well

This perfect starter is called Golubtsi in Ukraine, these cabbage rolls are filled with minced meat and rice, and are either baked in the oven or stewed in a pan.

Preparation Time: 10 min, Cooking Time: 35 mins, Total Time: 45 minutes.

Perfect for a Main Course. Serves 4.

INGREDIENTS 10-12 spring or savoy cabbage leaves, the outer green ones are best.Washed well. 200g cooked basmati rice 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 Tbsp finely chopped preserved lemon peel Handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped Small handful of pine nuts, toasted 1 Tbsp thyme leaves 1 egg, beaten Sea salt Black pepper Sumac Olive oil 50g butter B-well Olive & Canola Blend Oil

METHOD . 1. Place the cabbage leaves in a large pot of boiling salted water over medium high heat. Do this in batches if needs be. Cook for around 2 minutes, just enough for them to become workable but still retain their vibrant green colour and a little bit. Cut out any central stalks. 2. Transfer the blanched leaves to a large bowl of cold or iced water to cool. Drain the leaves and gently pat dry with a kitchen towel. 3. Place a frying pan over a medium-high heat with a drizzle of B-well Canola & Olive Blend oil and add the chopped onion. Turn down the heat slightly and cook for around 3-4 minutes until starting to soften. 4. Season lightly with sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper and add the chopped up preserved lemon. Cook for a further 5 minutes until the onion has turned translucent and the preserved lemon has softened and become fragrant. Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool. 5. In a large bowl mix together the cooked rice, onion and preserved lemon, toasted pine nuts, thyme leaves, chopped parsley and beaten egg. 6. Season with a pinch of sea salt, few cracks of black pepper and a teaspoon of sumac. 7. Make the rolls by placing a heaped tablespoon or two of the rice filling in the middle of a cabbage leaf. Fold in all the sides so that you get a nice compact, slightly oblong little dumpling. Arrange the cabbage rolls seam side down in a frying pan or skillet on medium-high. Add butter to the pan along with around 120ml of water. Bring to a simmer and then reduce the heat to medium, cover the pot and leave to steam for around 15 to 20 minutes Enjoy!

(MEDOVIK)

Recipe adapted from tashaskitchen.com

The Classic Honey Cake or Medovik is an authentic Ukrainian cake. It is known to be one of the most popular desserts in Slavic countries. According to the classic recipe, honey cake is made with several layers. It does takes a little time to bake, the whole process might take some patience.

Prep Time: 2 hours Cook Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes INGREDIENTS 4 Tbsp (¼ cup) honey ⁄ cup sugar 2 Tbsp unsalted butter 3 large eggs, room temperature, beaten with a fork 1 tsp baking soda 3 cups all-purpose flour

SOUR CREAM FROSTING INGREDIENTS 4 cups sour cream 2 cups castor sugar sugar 1 cup cream

METHOD 1. Add ¾ cup sugar, ¼ cup honey and 2 Tbsp unsalted butter to a medium sauce pan and melt together over medium/low heat, whisking occasionally until sugar is melted (about5-7 mins). 2. When the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat, while it's still hot, add in beaten eggs in a slowly while whisking vigorously until all of eggs have been incorporated into the mixture (NB! You musk whisk constantly so you don't end up with scrambled eggs). 3. Whisk in the baking soda until no lumps remain, then fold in your 3 cups flour, ½ cup at a time with a spatula until the dough reaches a clay consistency and doesn't stick to your hands. 4. Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces and move on to the next step right away (these roll out best when the dough is still warm) 5. On a well-floured surface, roll each piece out into a thin 9″ circle (about 1/8″ thick). You can sprinkle the top with a little flour too to keep dough from sticking to your rolling pin. Place a base from a springform mould over your rolled dough and trace around it with a pizza cutter to get a perfect circle. Keep the scraps for later. Transfer the dough to a large sheet of parchment paper and bake 2 at a time at 350˚F for 4-5 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before stacking. Repeat with remaining layers 6. Finally bake the scraps, separate them evenly on your re-used sheet of parchment. Once the scraps are baked, cooled and firm, you can crush them with a rolling pin or pulse them in a food processor until you have fine crumbs.

ASSEMBLING YOUR CAKE 1. Spread about 1/3 cup frosting on each cake layer (don't skimp on it since the cake needs to absorb some of the cream to become ultra-soft. Press the cake layers down gently as you go to keep the layers from having air gaps. Frost the top and sides with the remaining frosting. 2. Dust the top and sides with your breadcrumbs, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. This cake needs time to absorb some of the cream and soften, so be patient. It's worth the wait!