Beef and Mushroom Piroshki

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Ingredients:

For the dough:

• 1 package active dry yeast
• 3 to 3 1/3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cup warm water (about 100 F)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

For the filling:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 pound ground beed
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Cooking oil for frying, enough to cover half-way up the sides of piroshkies.

Directions:

• Mix warm water with yeast, stir to combine and let sit for about 5 to 10 minutes, until turns foamy. Place flour, salt and olive oil in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center, and add yeast water into the well. Mix the dough with your hands, and knead until the dough forms a ball and does not stick to the bowl anymore. Transfer the dough into an oiled bowl, cover and store in warm place until double in size, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook until evenly brown. Drain and discard the excess liquid from the skillet. Add onion, garlic, dill, and mushrooms into the beef, mix well and continue cooking until done. Add sour cream, season with salt and pepper. Remove skillet from the stove, cool down to room temperature before using.
• Take the dough out of the bowl and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 16 equal parts. Roll each piece of dough into a small disk, about 4 inches in diameter. Place a heaping tablespoon of beef filling into the center of the disk, gather the edges and firmly pinch to seal. Repeat the process until all of the ingredients are used. Arrange piroshkies on a floured cookie sheet and let them rest for about 10 minutes.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan to 375 F. Fry piroshkies in batches until golden brown, flip them over and cook the other side. Remove from the fryer and drain on a plate lined with paper towel

Golubtsy (Russian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls)

Ingredients:

• 1 large head of cabbage
• 1/2 lb ground pork
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 cup long-grain rice, parboiled
• 2 onions, minced
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tbsp Italian parsley, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh dill, minced
• 15 Roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• vegetable oil
• butter
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• sour cream for garnish

Directions:

• Bring 10 cups of water to a boil and add 1 tbsp kosher salt. Separate the cabbage head into leaves, wash and pat dry. Immerse the cabbage leaves into boiling brine for 3 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool. 
• Heat some vegetable oil and butter in a skillet and saute the onions until golden brown. Add beef, pork, rice, egg, parsley and dill into the skillet, season with salt and pepper, mix well. Place 3-4 tablespoons of meat mixture in the middle of cabbage leaf, and fold the leaf from 4 sides, like an envelope. Repeat until all ingredients are used up. Lay the rolls seam side down in a dutch oven (may be arrange in layers).
• In another skillet, saute garlics and red pepper flakes in some vegetable oil for approximately 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and saute for another 10-15 minutes. Add chicken stock and wine and bring to boil. Pour the sauce over the cabbage rolls. The liquid should immerse them. Set the dutch oven over low flame and let simmer, covered, for 2 hours. Serve the rolls in their broth in soup plates. Garnish with additional fresh parsley and dill and top with sour cream.

Borscht

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced potatoes
• 1 cup thinly sliced beets
• 4 cups vegetable stock or water
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 1 teaspoon caraway seed (optional)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 large carrot, sliced
• 3 cups coarsely chopped red cabbage
• black pepper to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh dill weed
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 cup tomato puree
• sour cream, for topping
• chopped tomatoes, for garnish
• 
  
• Directions

1. Place sliced potatoes and beets in a medium saucepan over high heat; cover with stock, and boil until vegetables are tender. Remove potatoes and beets with a slotted spoon, and reserve stock.
2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in onions, caraway seeds, and salt; cook until onions become soft and translucent. Then stir in celery, carrots, and cabbage. Mix in reserved stock; cook, covered, until all vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Add potatoes and beets to the skillet. Season with black pepper and dill weed. Stir in cider vinegar, honey, and tomato puree. Cover, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer at least 30 minutes. Serve topped with sour cream, extra dill weed, and chopped fresh tomatoes.

Note: For low calorie option, I like to put chopped onion directly into the stock (without sauteeing it first in butter). Also use low fat or light sour cream.