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Archives for October 2015

Mushroom Hunter Dinner

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When I was little, every fall my grandparents would go
mushroom hunting. Wearing rubber boots and itchy sweater while spending time in
the chilly damn forest didn’t seem like fun to me. Also, I was never as lucky as
my grandpa who would always find great mushrooms like porcini. Now I go
mushroom hunting to my local store where I get chanterelles during the autumn
season. Here is my favorite recipe: chanterelles in a sour cream sauce with
boiled potatoes.

Serves 3 

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. chanterelles
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 3 Tbs. sour cream 
  • 1 Tbs. butter
  • 1 lb. red potatoes
  • 2 Tbs. chopped dill
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Soak the mushrooms in a water and let the sand and dust
settle. Clean gently with paper towel or fingers. Let them drain in a colander.
Dice the mushrooms into small even pieces.

Cook the mushrooms and onions together on medium heat
stirring occasionally. The water, released by mushrooms will slowly within
20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

As soon as the water almost gone reduce the heat to low and
incorporate the sour cream. Let it cook under the lid 10 more minutes.

Serve the chanterelles with hot boiled potatoes sprinkled with fresh dill and some butter.

Grandma’s Stuffed Bell Peppers

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Stuffed peppers is one of the dishes that my grandma cooks
for a big crowd and it is always a hit. It is easy and versatile one pot
dinner. There is no rice in the stuffing but
grated zucchini and onions  that
keep the meat juicy. Also, sour cream and extra  vegetables make create a flavorful  sauce that is great for dipping. You can
improvise with the seasoning or keep it very simple.

Makes 6-8 servings

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 6-8 bell peppers
  • 2 onions (1 diced, 1 sliced)
  • 8 oz. ground beef
  • 8 oz. ground pork
  • 2 zucchini (1 grated, 1 chopped)
  • 2 carrots, sliced
  • 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and diced
  • 2 Roma tomatoes
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/8 Sunflower oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Prepare the stuffing mixture by combining beef, pork, one
chopped onion, grated zucchini, salt and pepper to taste.

Clean the peppers by cutting the tops off. Remove and
discard the stem and seeds. Sprinkle insides of peppers lightly with salt. Stuff
them with this mixture leaving a little space on top.

Put the oil in a 8 qt. stockpot or a Dutch oven. Layer on
top sliced in semi-circle onion and  sliced
carrots Place the peppers on top. Add 1 table spoon of sour cream onto each
pepper and sprinkle with chopped tomatoes.
Add a second layer of peppers on top if you have more. Fill the space
between the peppers with reserved apples, chopped zucchini and add the rest of
the sour cream (the more the better!)

Place the pot on the hot stove. When the oil get heated and
the smell start going reduce to low heat and let it cook for 40-50 minutes. The
peppers will get soft,  vegetable and
sour cream will turn into a nice creamy sauce. Let it stand for 10 minutes.
Serve the peppers on the individual plates with a sauce on top and white bread
for dipping.

Olivier Salad

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My family reunion trip to Lithuania has been very gratifying.Besides seeing all my relatives I was enjoying grandma’s cooking as much as I did as a kid. Only this time I finally
payed attention to preparation to  find out what makes it taste so good. There is no celebration without the Olivier Salad in any Russian
house.  It was invented in the 1860s by a
Russian chef of Belgian origin, Lucien Olivier. The recipe had a lot of
expensive and rare ingredients. Over the time, they were replaced with cheaper
and more available produce like boiled potatoes, carrots, onions, pickles,
eggs, cooked meat  and mayo. Each cook ads
a little something to make the salad special: a sour apple, fresh cucumber, crab
meat or capers.

Here is my grandma’s version with boiled chicken. I will be posting more elaborate recipe of this famous salad during the holiday season.

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz. canned green peas
  • 2 cups cooked chicken meat*
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs
  • 3 small potatoes
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 apple or fresh cucumber
  • 6 cornichons
  • ¾ cup plain yogurt
  • ¼ cup mayo

Directions

Boil potatoes and carrots in their skins until they are soft
in the middle and let cool to room temperature. Peel and dice potatoes and
carrots and combine in a bowl.

Add diced hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cored apple and
cornichons. Drain the peas and add to the rest of the ingredients. This could
be done a few days in advance.

Then add the mayo or, for a healthier version, mixture of
mayo and plain yogurt. Decorate with fresh greens like chives or purple basil
for a splash of color.

*Many people prefer bologna or cooked beef. I prefer grilled
chicken for a smoked flavor.