Russian Monday: "Rassolnik" - Beef Short Rib Soup with Vegetables, Barley & Pickles

With great pleasure I am happy to introduce you to one of my favorite soups – pickled soup (or “rassolnik” in Russian). This is traditional soup of peasants and farmers, people working the land - hearty, tasty and cheap to cook. Today’s “rassolnik” is direct descendant of picked dishes of traditional Russian cuisine, some of which  included pirogue with stuffing soaked in cucumber or any other spicy brine. Four main varieties of “rassolnik” are made either with meat, fish, vegetable or giblets broth and pickles is mandatory ingredient in all of these varieties.

Russian Monday: "Gribnoy Soup" - Mushroom Barley Soup

Mushroom and barley soup is one of my favorite soups since childhood. The only difference between now and then is that years ago the soup had to be made from dried mushrooms. Back then in Russia it was not possible to buy a lot of fresh food during winter time, especially mushrooms. Summer was a busy season for making jams, picking wild berries and mushrooms in a forests. However, to be used throughout the year these had to be dried and frozen.

Crêpes with three different fillings: Earthy Barley with Enoki Mushrooms, Potatoes with Mushroom Cream Sauce and Sauté Sesame Shrimp

A little history about crêpes from Culinaria FRANCE.

"As well as eggs, butter, and milk, good quality crêpes require white wheat flour and sugar, both originally luxury items, so it is not surprising that the first crêpe recipes were recorded in paris. When they quickly become a Breton specialty, it was very much down to the centuries of experience gathered in this region, in baking such round flat dough-cakes.



Crêpes came to be one of the region's most popular desserts. From their voyages to distant continents, Breton seafarers brought back rum, orange blossom water, vanilla, and cinnamon, all of which were very useful to crêpe bakers. There seemed to be limitless opportunities for sweet, tasty fillings, but pancakes kept their native appeal and simplicity. Long before France was invaded by American fast food chains, crêperies had already been established all over the country, providing the most popular form of French fast food. With crêpes it was possible to satisfy your hunger quickly, inexpensively, and appetizingly".



I hope You like Crêpes. They can be made for breakfast, lunch or dinner! My favorite crêpes are filled with a mixture of whipped cream and a berry compote.

For a savory crêpes for lunch or easy dinner recipes, the possibilities for fillings are endless. There’s nothing better than crêpes filled with mushrooms or vegetables, or shrimp. Serve two to three crêpes per person. Delicious! I have here three easy recipes, Earthy Barley with Enoki Mushrooms, Sauté Sesame Shrimp, and Potatoes with Mushroom Cream Sauce. Pick one, or three, they all so good-))

You can make the crêpes in advance, then you will be able to put the dish together quickly at the last minute. The best recipe for crêpe batter you can find here.



Earthy Barley with Enoki Mushrooms

Enoki mushrooms (also referred to as the velvet shank) are the delicate and tasteful mushrooms that grow on tree trunks, roots and branches mostly found in Japan. They grow in a cluster and have stems that are up to 4 inches tall. Their aroma is slightly fruity and they taste is mild.

An ancient grain, barley has a pleasantly chewy texture and a sweet, nutty flavor.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup hulled barley
• 1 tsp. salt, plus more, to taste
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1 medium carrot, shredded
• 1 small chopped yellow onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 lb. Enoki mushrooms, brushed clean and thinly sliced

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the barley and half of the salt. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the barley is tender and most of the water is absorbed, about 30-35 minutes. Drain in a coarse-mesh sieve to remove any excess water and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a deep, ovenproof sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. When the oil is hot, chopped onion, shredded carrot, garlic and sprinkle with the fresh dill, the remaining salt and the pepper. Cook until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add Enoki mushrooms and sauté a little more, 3 to 4 minutes.

Stir in the barley. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and herbs.



Potatoes with Mushroom Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. white button mushrooms, quartered
• 1 lb. potatoes, diced and peeled
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 medium onion, chopped 
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup light cream
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• fresh thyme 

Directions:

In a large kettle, sauté onion and garlic in butter until tender. Add flour, salt and pepper, then stir to make a smooth paste. Gradually add water, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and cook and stir for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and potatoes. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add cream and Parmesan cheese. Heat through couple more minutes. Sprinkle with fresh thyme.



Sauté Sesame Shrimp

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely minced
• 1 tsp. sweet paprika
• 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tsp chopped fresh chives

Directions:

In a sauté pan over medium heat, warm the sesame oil. Add the garlic, paprika and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Increase the heat to high, add the shrimp, sesame seeds, fresh ginger and soy sauce, stir well, and sauté until the shrimp turn pink and are opaque throughout, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper, sprinkle with the chopped fresh chives and serve.

Four Grains Soup and Potato Stuffed Flatbread (Aloo Paratha) and Mint, Yogurt Dressing

"He who controls the spice, controls the universe. Such were the words uttered by the main character of the movie Dune based on the Frank Herbert science fiction epic of the same name. In the story, the spice was the lifeblood of a vast empire. For the leaders of this empire, it was essential that at all times the spice must flow.

The spice trade of the Dune movie was no doubt inspired by the historical trade in aromatics from ancient times to the present. At various periods in history, spices have been as valuable as gold and silver. According to a 15th century saying: No man should die who can afford cinnamon."

I love to cook with spices lately. Here is a perfect lunch or dinner, full of exotic ingredients and yet healthy, vegetarian dishes.


Ingredients:

For the soup:

• 1/2 cup green split peas
• 1/2 yellow split peas
• 1/2 barley
• 1/2 lentils
• 1/2 alphabet pasta bits made from wheat flower, spinach and tomato (or pasta of your choice)
• 6 cups of water
• 1 potato, diced into small cubs
• salt to taste
• 2 tsp sunflower or olive oil
• 1/2 tsp black or brown mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 4 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 fresh green chiles, chopped (seeded if you like)
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 fresh tomato, chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves

For the potato stuffed flatbread:
For Dough:

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour  
• 1/4 tsp salt  
• 3 tsp oil 
• 1/2 cup water
• more flour in a plate, for rolling

For Filling:

• 2 large potatoes, boiled and peeled
• 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp or to taste red chili powder 
• salt to taste
• 5 sprigs cilantro, finely chopped
• oil for pan frying

For the yogurt dressing:

• 1 small cucumber
• 3/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• fresh mint, to taste, finely chopped

Directions:
For the soup:

Put the grains into medium saucepan. Add the water and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to medium and skim of the foam. Cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure that the grains do not stick to the bottom of the pan as they  thicker. Stir in the salt and potato. (If you add salt too soon to the grains, they will take longer to cook.) Let it cook for another 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. When hot, but not smoking, add the mustard seeds, followed by the cumin seeds. Add the shallots and chiles and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes, then add the turmeric and ground cumin. Add the tomato and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.

Fold the shallot mixture into the cooked grains. Stir in the cilantro, remove from the heat, and serve.


For the flatbread:

If you are planning to cook Aloo Paratha for the first time, please visit the very helpful video of this recipe here. That's what I did-)))


For the yogurt dressing:

Peel the cucumber and scoop out the seeds. Cut the flesh into bite-size pieces and set aside. Put the yogurt in a bowl and beat with a fork until smooth. Add the sugar and salt and mix well. Add the cucumber, garlic, mint and paprika. Mix well and serve over flatbread.

Salmon Vegetable Soup with Barley

In all the branches of cookery, I don't think there is anything more fun than making soups. Because the flavor builds up gradually as the elements cook together and blend, it is usually a fairly slow process, but one which leaves room for much experimentation and invention.
You must taste as you go along and probably will want to correct the seasoning with a touch or two of your own.

I love making soups, it's like making a magic potion, stirring, mixing, adding different herbs and spices, tasting, stirring again. My daughter loves watching me cooking soups, she is always saying: "Look, mommy is doing her magic again" and I always smile. :-) Salmon soup was created especially for my kids; they are picky eaters but they like soups. Wild Salmon and barley - it is the symbol to me how the ocean meets the earth - balanced and harmonious. The softness of vegetables and texture of barley are a delicious combination. I hope you like it too.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 quarts fish stock
• 1 leek (white parts only), thickly sliced crosswise and washed
• 1 cup potatoes, peeled 
• 2 middle sized carrots
• 1/2 cup pearl barley (in this recipe, the tiny grains are used to thicken the soup, resulting in a pleasantly chewy texture)
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 Tbsp of melted butter  
• 1 lb. skinless boneless salmon fillet, cut into 1" cubes 
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 peas black pepper
• 1/2 cup white vine
• 1 cup low fat cream (if you are using)
• freshly ground pepper, to taste 
• salt, chopped dill, green onion

Directions:
In a large soup pot over high heat, bring the stock to a boil, add pepper and bay leaf. Add the barley, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until almost tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
Cut potatoes and carrots into cubes, add to the boiling stock. Boil for 15 minutes on low heat.
Preheat the melted butter, stew the leek add up to the stock.
Pour in the white vine, add salt and ground pepper, and boil for 5 minutes.
Put broccoli pieces and cut into cubes salmon fillet into the soup, bring to boil, reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes. If you using cream in the soup, pour in cream and bring the soup to boil one more time, and then remove from heat.
Ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Serve with chopped dill and green onions.