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Archives for November 2015

Beef Stock

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I prefer to make my own beef stock for most of my soups. It doesn’t take much work but totally worth waiting.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. beef marrow or knuckle bones
  • 1 lb. of stew meat (chuck or flank)
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 onion
  • 2 celery stocks
  • Small bunch of herbs like parsley, dill, cilantro and oregano

    • Directions

    To make the beef stock place everything but the stew meat in a large stock pot. Add 4-6 quarts of cold water, bring the liquid up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 45-50 minutes then add the stew meat. Cook for another 40 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain the liquid discarding the bones and vegetables but keep the stew meat chunks. Slice them thinly and add to the soup at the very end.

    Borshch: Beet Soup

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    Borshch is the most famous soup from Slavic cuisine and its vibrant
    color makes it stand out for sure. It takes some time to peel the vegetables
    and grate the beets and YES your fingers will get stained. There are many variations
    of this soup but one thing always remains: the beets.
    In my recipe I use chard or beet leaves instead of cabbage, green beans and
    apple vinegar – my secret ingredient to intensify the color. Make it vegetarian
    of use beef stock: you won’t sacrifice the taste.
    Prep time: 20 minutes
    Cook time: 20 minutes 

    Ingredients:

  • 2 medium carrots
  • 1 onion
  • 2 Tbs. tomato paste
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2-3 yellow potatoes
  • 8 oz. green beans
  • 2 garlic gloves
  • 1 large beet
  • 1 bunch of chard
  • 2 Tbs. apple vinegar
  • 4-6 black peppercorns
  • 2 quarts beef stock or water
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. ground black pepper
  • Sour cream and dill for serving

    • Directions:

    First, I make my beef stock. You can make a vegetarian soup
    instead or take a short cut and cook beef chuck, cut into bite-sizes, for 40
    minutes in a 3-quart simmering water. 

    Start with peeling the carrots, onion and beets. Grate
    carrots and beets in a separate bowls.

    In a medium size pan transfer the beets and a splash of
    water. Bring it to boil and let it simmer for 8-10 minutes. Add 2 apple vinegar
    at the end.

    While the beets are cooking sauté carrots and onion until soft,
    about 4 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir.

    Bring you stock to boiling. Add peeled and sliced potatoes
    and chard. Let it simmer 10 minutes. Add green beans cut into 2-inch pieces. Let
    it simmer another 5 minutes. Add sautéed beets, carrot-onion mixture, bay
    leaves and peppercorns. Let the flavors incorporate for another 10 minutes.
    Press 2 garlic gloves at the very end.

    As any peasant soup it taste better the next day. Serve with
    a dollop of sour cream and a dash of dill. I personally enjoy this soup with a
    rye garlic toast.

    Rassolnik – Soup with Pickles

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    The recipe for rassolnik varies from family to family and
    region to region. Some include barley and potatoes and is so thick, a spoon can
    stand up in it. Others are made with prime cuts of meat instead of kidneys.  What is common is the belief that rassolnik is
    a hangover cure because rassol (brine liquid) helps the body to hold water and
    counteract the dehydration produced by over-imbibing, which causes hangovers.
    Keep it in mind since the holiday season is coming.

    To speed up the process I use 10-minute barley from Trader
    Joe’s. It saves time from soaking and cooking the grain. When choosing the
    pickle, use the one that has no vinegar in brine. It has to be salty and
    crunchy. I use Britt’s Pickles from my local PCC Natural Markets store.

    Cooking time: 40 minutes

    Serves 6-8 people

    Ingredients:

  • 2 oz. dry porchini mushrooms (optional)
  • 1 onion
  • 2 medium carrots
  • 2 celery stocks
  • 2 medium size potatoes
  • 1 cup regular or 10-minute Trader Joe’s barley
  • 2 Tbs. butter
  • 1 pickled cucumber
  • 0.5 cup pickle liquid (rassol)

  • 2 qt. beef stock (store bought or homemade) 

  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Bay leaf
  • Sour cream and parsley for serving

    • Directions

    If you use regular barley, cover it in with 2 quarts of
    water in a medium size sauce pan and bring to boil. Remove from the heat, wrap
    in a towel and let it stand overnight.

    Soak the mushrooms in 2 cups of cold water in a small sauce
    pan. Bring it to a boil and let it stand for 20 minutes.

    Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables by peeling and dicing
    onion and carrots. I use purple and orange carrots since they are in season.

    Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot and saute carrots and
    onions a little bit over medium heat. Add diced pickle and drained mushrooms,

    thinly sliced. Cook for 5 more minutes.

    Incorporate the mushroom liquids, beef stock, rassol and bring to boil. Throw a bay
    leaf and a few peppercorns. Add potatoes with barley and simmer 10-15 minutes
    until the potatoes are ready.

    Remove from the heat and let it stand for 10 minutes at
    least. Serve with chopped parsley and sour cream.

    Shchi – Cabbage Soup

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    The trees are still bursting with bright colors here in Northwest and I savor every sunny day with a walk in the neighborhood parks. There is nothing better than a cup of hot soup after that. Growing up, we have had soup for lunch all the time. ”If you don’t eat soup your stomach will ache” my mom used to say.  Soup is still part of my weekly cooking routine.
    I will start my soup series with a tradition cabbage soup: shchi. It is usually made with sauerkraut during fall and winter and fresh greens like sorrel and green cabbage during summer time. In my soup I use
    homemade porchini stock that ads smoky flavor and celery root instead of
    potatoes for a touch of sweetness.

    Cooking time: 25 min + 1.5 hours for stock
    Servings: 6

    Ingredients:

    For the beef stock (if making one, otherwise use a store bought) 

  • 1 lb. beef marrow or knuckle bones
  • 1 lb. of stew meat (chuck or flank)
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 onion
  • 2 celery stocks
  • Small bunch of herbs like parsley, dill, cilantro and
    oregano

    • For the soup

  • 20 grams dry porcini
  • 2 small carrots
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 cup of Britt’s Pickes sauerkraut
  • 1 cup of rassol (

    sauerkraut brining liquid) 

  • 1 celeriac or 3 medium potatoes
  • 1 bay leaf
  • A few black peppercorns
  • 2 gloves of garlic

    • Directions

    If you making your own beef stock place everything but the stew meat in a large stock pot. Add
    cold water, bring the liquid up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for
    45-50 minutes then add the stew meat. Cook for another 40 minutes. Remove from
    the heat and strain the liquid discarding the bones and vegetables but keep the stew meat chunks. Slice them thingy and add to the soup at the very end.

    If not, soak the mushrooms in about a cup of cold water
    and heat it gently till it about to boil. Remove from the heat and Let it stand
    for 20 minutes.

    Prepare the vegetables by dicing the onion, carrots and
    celeriac. Take a 6-quart pot and sauté
    the carrots and onion in a vegetable oil for 5 minutes till the onions get
    translucent. Add the sauerkraut and let it soften for another 5 minutes or so. 

    Drain the mushrooms and thinly slice them. Keep the mushroom stock .After that, pour all the liquids: mushroom stock, beef broth
    and rassol. Bring the pot to the boil and let it simmer 10-15 minutes until the
    celeriac gets soften. 

    Press the garlic gloves and throw a bay leaf with peppercorns in the pot. Add reserve meat if you were making your own stock. Simmer 5 more
    minutes.

    As any peasant  dish
    the soup tastes better the next day. Serve it with sour cream, rustic bread and
    fresh parsley.