Russian Monday: "Lenivie Golubtsy" - Lazy Style Cabbage Rolls

Nobody knows exact origin of golubtsy (pronounced in Russian as “go-loob-zy”), i.e. Russian traditional stuffed cabbage dish, neither origin of its name. One thing is for certain – this dish is tasty, satisfying and impossible to get bored with due to tens of variations of the same recipe. One of such variations is named “lazy golubtsy”.

Russian Monday: "Kortofelnaya Zapekanka" - Beef & Potato Сasserole

Recipes using ground meat were very popular when I lived in Russia, probably because ground meat is the kind of ingredient that allows a lot of variety.  Potato casserole with ground meat is the dish used to be cooked by our moms and grandmas. I don’t know the origins of it, but I can say for sure that it is traditional dish of Russian cuisine.

Shepherd's Pie With Truffle Oil

Pure white flakes fall gently from the heavens, blanketing the entire world in a sparkling mantle. All sounds seem hushed. The air is crisp and cold. Whether you're spending an active day outside or passing a quiet afternoon beside the fire, the Shepherd's pie is the favorite of comfort food will warm both body and soul on any winter day.

Russian Monday:"Golubtsy" Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Stuffed cabbage or golubtsy (“go-lub-tzy”) in Russian is a dish of Middle Eastern as well as European cuisine. This name usually refers to ground beef mixed with boiled rice or buckwheat wrapped in cabbage leaves. However, there are many varieties of fillings and the dish is popular in a many countries – Azerbaijan, Armenia, the Balkan countries, Moldova, Russian, Turkey, and Ukraine etc.

Rustic Beef Tomato & Carrots Chili - NO Beans

This is certainly a simple and interesting dish, it looks like a chili, though a bit unusual. This sort of chili is normally not made with beans. Basically what you have is a bowl of meat, carrots and spices in tomato sauce. But you can serve it different ways.

When you serve it "two way", the sauce comes on a pile of spaghetti. When you serve it "three way", you add some grated cheese. A "four way" adds chopped yellow onions and a "five way" adds some sour cream. You can have great fun with this and I am sure that your children will think up some additional "ways" of serving this delicious dish.

Cheeseburger Soup

This warming soup just perfect for taking the edge off hearty appetite on a cold winter's day. Delicious when served with extra cheese and toasted bread.

Egg Meatloaf and Coleslaw with Cranberries

Nothing says "comfort food" like a good old-fashioned meatloaf, and this recipe with eggs is no exception. Serve this highly flavored meatloaf with a glass of Pilsner beer for a change from wine.

Stuffed Peppers in Tomato Basil Sauce

Bell peppers come in a rainbow of colors. They may be used here in any combination, as long as a few red ones are included in the mix. Red bell peppers are simply the mature stage of green bell peppers, having grown considerably sweeter with the extra time spent in the sun. Sweet yellow and orange peppers pass through a green stage as well, while purple peppers are tart like their green cousins.



Ingredients:

For the stuffing:

• 1 pound organic ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup carrots, chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped 
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 Tbsp. oat bran
• 1 tsp dried dill
• salt and ground black pepper
• 4 bell peppers

For the sauce:

• 1 big tomato, diced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed 
• 1 cup leaf basil
• 8 ounces vegetable broth
• salt and ground black pepper
• yogurt for serving

Directions:

Cut off the top from each pepper. Reserve the tops. (Note: You may use reserved tops to top each stuffed pepper or chop and add to the sauce.) Using a spoon, scoop out and discard the seeds from the center of each pepper. Set the peppers aside.

Put the tomatoes, along with their juice, in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add the onions, basil,vegetable broth and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes.

In a bowl, stir together the ground beef, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, oat bran and dried dill. Season with salt and pepper. Fill each pepper with some of the stuffing mixture, mounding it on the top. Place them in a casserole or baking dish, add the tomato sauce and bake in the hot oven 375F for about 20-30 minutes.

When they are done serve them with yogurt and fresh basil.