2006DecKitchenCorner

DECEMBER 2006 Christmas Eve Supper Recipes

from

The Orthodox Herald

During the year, I have received requests for certain Christmas Eve Supper recipes. I give you a page of them.

STUFFED CABBAGE (HOLUBTSI)

Place one head of cored cabbage in a deep pot of boiling water. Remove the leaves as they soften. Cool and drain the leaves and remove the hard central vein. Put one Tbls. of preferred filling on large part of leaf. Roll, tucking in edges. Grease a casserole or heavy pot. Line with few leaves of cabbage. Arrange filled cabbage rolls in layers, adding some sauteed onion between layers. Place extra cabbage leaves on top to prevent scorching. Pour tomato juice, water or any liquid almost to cover. Cover. Place in 325° oven. Bake for 1 to 2 hours until both cabbage and filling are tender.

RICE FILLING

2 cups rice 4 Tbls. oil

2 cups water pepper

2 tsp. salt

1 medium onion, chopped

Mix rice, water and salt. Bring to boil. Cover, simmer, until rice is just tender. Take off heat, let stand covered until water is absorbed. (Rice will not be fully cooked.) Saute chopped onion in oil. Add to rice. Season to taste. Cool and roll in cabbage.

BUCKWHEAT FILLING

2 cups buckwheat 5 Tbls. oil

groats 4 cups water

2 tsp. salt

1 medium onion, chopped

Brown groats very lightly in oven. Carefully pour into pot of boiling salted water. Add 4 Tbls. oil. Cook until water is absorbed. Cover and bake in 350° oven for 30 minutes. After baking, allow to cool. Saute chopped onion in 1 Tbls. oil. Add to cooled, cooked buckwheat. Roll in cabbage.

MA-B'S SPECIAL FILLING

2 cups rice 1 onion

2 cups water 2 green peppers

1 cup mushrooms

1 can tomatoes, drained

dash oregano and pepper

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbls. Oil

FOR SAUCE

1 can tomato soup 2 stalks celery

1 chopped onion 2 Tbls. oil

one clove garlic salt and pepper

Simmer rice in water until almost tender. Let stand and absorb rest of water. If dried mushrooms are being used, soak in warm water for an hour. Drain. Saute cut-up mushrooms in oil. Remove from pan, add onion and green pepper and more oil if needed. Saute until soft. Add to rice and mushrooms. Drain the tomatoes. Save juice. Chop tomatoes and add with dash of oregano, salt and pepper. Roll in cabbage leaves. You may use any liquid but Ma-B's Sauce makes these especially gourmet. Mix. Add 1 can tomato soup, the liquid from the tomatoes, chopped onion, one chopped clove garlic, chopped celery stalks, oil and salt and pepper. Pour over holubtsi. Cover and bake 325° for 1-2 hours.

BOBALKI

1 pkg. yeast 6 cups flour

1 tsp. salt 2 cups water

1 Tbls. sugar (about)

1/2 cup lukewarm 1 Tbls. sugar

water 1/4 cup oil

Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water, add salt and 1 Tbls. sugar. Let set about 10 minutes. Sift flour and sugar into large bowl. Add yeast mixture and rest of ingredients. Knead well. Let rise in warm place until doubled. Punch down. Cut off portions about the size of an egg. Roll out on floured board by hand to make roll about one inch in diameter. Cut into 1 inch pieces. Place on greased cookie sheet. Let rise about 20 minutes. Bake at 350° about 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool and separate. Place in colander, pour boiling water over bobalki. Drain quickly to prevent sogginess. Use any of the following on bobalki:

1. Saute 1 small onion in 2 Tbls. oil. Add 1 lb. washed and drained sauerkraut. Cook about 15 min. Add mixture to half of bobalki. 2. Combine 1 cup ground poppy seeds, 2 Tbls. honey, 4 Tbls. water. Add to remaining bobalki. Mix well.

NOTE: Some people use only half of dough for Bobalki. They use the other half to make loaf of bread.

MUSHROOM SAUERKRAUT SOUP

1 cup dried mushrooms (podpinkie preferred)

1 cup sauerkraut juice 1 quart water

1 small onion, salt and pepper

chopped 1 diced potato,

1 Tbls. flour (optional)

Soak dried mushrooms in cold water overnight or at least 2 hours. Drain and chop. Put into soup pot. Add the 1 quart water, sauerkraut juice and onion. Simmer 2 hours. Add potato now if using. Brown flour in oil in frying pan. Stir constantly or flour will burn, making it bitter. When brown, slowly add 1 cup of soup to pan. Stir constantly to make thin gravy. Add to soup. Simmer 15 minutes. Season to taste. May not need salt.

EASY KUTIA

Boil 1 cup rice according to recipe on box. Add water to honey to dilute. Warm and add poppy seed. Sweeten with sugar to taste. Place in bowl and decorate with almonds or raisins, if desired. This is made either with wheat berries, purchased in a health food store, or with rice.

BORSCH

1 cup mushrooms, dried or fresh

3 cups shredded cabbage

1 large onion

1/2 cup tomato juice

3 Tbls. oil

can beets

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 cup diced carrots

1 potato, diced

9 cups water

1/2 tsp. dill

lemon juice, to taste

salt and pepper

tsp. parsley

2 Tbls. dry onion soup, optional

Saute mushrooms in oil. Place in soup pot with carrots, onion, potato, parsley and dill. Add dried onion soup, if using. Cover with water and simmer until barely tender. Add cabbage and cook until just soft. Add beets (saving liquid) which have been sliced into strips, tomato juice, salt and pepper. Taste, add lemon juice until tart but not sour. Bring to boil. Add reserved beet juice. Adding beet juice at end let's borsch retain its red color.