Time for Borshch

Well, probably everyone knows what is Borstch , it is a Russian product almost as famous as Matrioshka dolls and Communism.Ironically it is color red, one more "unmistakable"and very stereotypical Russian feature. Anyway, let's get cooking :), let me warn you that recipe below is not traditional Russian, but my own take on it:), and let me tell you I had lots of practice making "The Borshch".I make it at least once a week , the only soup my husband and daughter actually eat with pleasure.
Ingredients:
1).1 pound or 2 ( depends how big is your pot) beef or veal , for the best results get some bones too.
2).2 medium carrots.
3).2 medium beets.
4).About 1/2 medium cabbage
5).1 medium onion.
6).2 tbs of tomato past.
7).2 tbs red wine vinegar.
8).1 ts sugar.
9).2-3 bay leaves.
10).1-2 liters of boiled water.
11).1 oz chopped Dill
12). Salt and black pepper according to your taste buds :).
13).Little butter if the meat is lean.
14).Sour cream for garnish.
15).1-2 cloves of minced garlic if you like it, you can omit garlic also:).

Preparation:
First prep your veggies and meat. Cut meat and chop onions; grate carrots and beets and cut cabbage as thinly as possible .Take a large pot put on medium to law heat add meat and bay leaves , cover and when meat is almost cooked add onions; when you see onions are cooked , soft and almost disappeared , add carrots and beets stir, cover and wait couple of minutes, meanwhile in a medium bowl prepare mixture of tomato paste , vinegar , salt and sugar, incorporate these ingredients and than add some hot water when smooth pore it over meat and veggies , stir and cover again and wait couple of minutes; in a little while
Pore boiling water in pot fill it up 3/4 and than add cabbage, let it boil 2-3 minutes and than add garlic if you like and dill. Turn off the heat and season the soup with salt and pepper .Before eating add some sour cream into the soup and also I would recommend eating it with dark kind of breads or sourdough.I hope you will like the Borshch and again do not be afraid of improvising! That's how I created my version of the Borshch :).

Chakapuli (Tarragon veal stew)

 

I decided to go back to basics and post a Georgian favorite recipe Chakapuli, but of course my version :) because I cannot stick to a written recipe ever :). This recipe is very "healthy" and yummy.Truth is that "healthy " part is completely depends on a person cooking the dish.I would advise using lean meats instead of fatty parts and using less butter .Well, improvise because it is not a medication and if you change a little thing nobody will suffer :). Besides, it will give you sense of accomplishment when you have a little secret ingredient.If you are on law carb diet this is kind of perfect dish,because it consists of pretty much meat and green leafy veggies.
Let's start cooking !
Ingredients :
1) 2 pounds of veal, ideally with some bones. Original Georgian recipe requires fatty lamb meat,you can make it with that too, of course if you like lamb.
2) 2-3 table spoons of butter
3) 5-7 oz of green onion
4) 5-7 oz of  cilantro
5) 3-5 oz of  parsley
6) 8-10 oz tarragon
7) Couple of cloves of garlic
8) 1 cup white wine
9) 1 cup of wild plums. In Georgia we call them Tkemali or spring version Alucha, we also make Tkemali sauce and if you by any chance are near Russian or Georgian food market you can always buy this sauce. But remember, if you use Tkemali sauce instead of fresh use green or yellow variety and only half of the cup.
10) Couple of  bay leaves.
11) 1-2 liters of water . Boil the water in advance ,have it ready next to the pot.
12) And last but not least salt and crashed red pepper. Trust your taste buds on that.
 How to make the dish:
First of all prepare everything, cut meat into couple inch cubes and set aside;cut green onions into half an inch peaces and set aside, cut rest of the greens half inch pieces and you can set them aside together in a large bowl.Take a medium to large pot, you can use a dutch oven too and put it on stove on a low fire,add butter and when melted add meat, cover and stir occasionally add bay leaves,when you see meat is almost cooked and browned add green onions , after five minutes add rest of the greens and minced or crashed garlic and stir couple of times;after around 2-3 minutes add boiling water, depends how think you like your stew you can add one liter or two, well as I mentioned before improvise:). When everything starts to boil ,check the meat , it should be tender and cooked by now, add Tkemali and wine and let it simmer couple more minutes. Turn off the heat and add salt and crushed red pepper, don't forget to taste it and taste it after around 15 minutes too,because salt needs time to be absorbed properly.
This is pretty much my take on classic Chakapuli.Main ingredients are meat and tarragon.I am all for changing up things and playing with flavors but do not touch tarragon and buy good quality meat, or you will end up with something completely different than old Georgian creation.
Good luck and be creative!

xoxo