You read my previous posts about the healing power of soup.

I shared a recipe for making your own soup stock, and now it’s time to cook some soups, and share the recipes with you.

Some people enjoy eating soup so much, that they even eat it as a late breakfast meal.

Many Europeans eat soup daily, and sometimes soup and sandwich is a perfect way to end a day, and call it a complete dinner.

Today I cooked Corn Potato Chowder, and I kicked it up a notch with some ground red pepper, to appease my husband’s taste for spicier tasting soups.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs. Canola oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 cups of soup stock (meat or vegetable)
• 3 medium potatoes (I used red potatoes), cubed to dice size
• 4 cups frozen corn (16 oz bag)
• 3/4 cup of milk (whole or low fat – I used low fat)
• 2 Tbs. sour cream
• 1/4 cup chopped chives (to garnish soup before serving)
• Pinch of ground red pepper, or a couple of drop of hot pepper sauce (optional)
• Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Use a 6 quarts stockpot.
2. Pour 2 Tbs of canola oil into the stockpot, and heat it up over medium heat.
3. Add chopped onion, and celery.
4. Saute until onions begin to turn golden.
5. Add chopped garlic, and saute 1 minute longer.
6. Add peeled, cubed potatoes.
7. Pour in the soup stock.
8. Partially cover the pot, bring to boil, then reduce the heat to low.
9. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until potatoes are soft.
10. Use a potato masher, and pulse the potatoes (in the pot), about 5 times, to break them up a bit.
11. Add corn, and simmer for 8 minutes longer.
12. Using a slotted spoon, remove about 1 cup of the corn/potato mixture, place it in a food processor, or blender, and pulverize it (optional).
13. Return it back to the pot (this makes the soup a bit creamier).
14. Stir in milk, and heat for 2 minutes.
15. Turn off the heat.
16. Place the sour cream in a small bowl, temper it with some of the hot soup mixture, then mix it into the soup.
17. Season the soup with salt, black pepper, and red pepper (if using).
18. Serve hot, garnished with 1 tsp. of chopped chives.

Enjoy.

Ukrainians love their Borscht.  Actually most Eastern Europeans love all kinds of soups, and very often a hearty soup, with a piece of fresh rye bread, makes a full meal.  Meat is not consumed in large quantities in Europe, as it is in the US, but soup is always the first course served with lunch, or dinner.

This quick and easy version of preparing a Ukrainian Red Beet Borscht, was shared by my cousin from Ukraine.

It is quick easy, because most of the ingredients are already prepared, and do not require much prep time as for the Ukrainian Traditional Borscht, I posted previously.

My family agrees that this Borscht can easily be the main course, since the beans provide sufficient protein, as a substitute for meat, plus all the other veggies in this borscht.

Add some tossed salad, plus a light dessert, and everyone will leave the table quite satisfied.

Three main ingredients, all ready to use; Whole Red Beets, White Beans, and pre-cut Coleslaw cabbage.

Ingredients:

• 1 can of  Whole Beets, shredded
• 1 can of White Beans
• 3 cups of pre-cut cabbage mix for Coleslaw
• 2 1/2 quarts of soup stock, I used ready made chicken broth
• 1 medium potato, peeled and cut up to small chunks
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 Tbs White Vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 Tbs butter or oil, for frying onion and garlic
• 2 Tbs sour cream, or heavy whipping cream
• 2 Tbs fresh Dill, chopped

Directions:

1. Drain the Whole Red Beets, rinse, and shred on a large eye shredder, or in a food processor.
2. Set aside.
3. Drain and rinse the White Beans.
4. Set aside.
5. Peel one medium size potato, and cut to small cubes (size of a dice).
6. Set aside.
7. Pour 2 1/2 quarts of vegetable, chicken, or beef broth into a 4 quarts pot, and bring to boil.
8. Add the potatoes, and cabbage mix.
9. Bring to boil, and cook for 15 minutes.
10. Saute chopped onion and garlic, in butter, until onions are translucent.
11. Add the shredded beets, beans, and sauteed onions, to the borscht.
12. Add vinegar, and cook for 10 minutes.
13. Scoop sour cream, or heavy cream into a cup, mix in a couple of Tbs of hot borscht liquid, to temper the cream, add some more hot liquid, and mix well again.
14. Add the sour cream mixture to the borscht.
15. Do not boil, if using sour cream, to prevent curdling.
16. Add chopped dill.
17. Season to taste, with salt and pepper.

Best served hot.

Great as a reheated leftover.

TIP: To make this recipe vegetarian, use Vegetable Broth as the base, rather than Chicken or Beef Broth.

Broccoli is not the most popular vegetable, being part of the cabbage family, but it is very rich in vitamin C, and a great source of fiber.

One of our presidents admitted that he does not like broccoli, but none the less, it is a popular veggie in the US, and equally gaining in popularity in Europe.

Broccoli is mostly served cooked or steamed, but lately it has been making its way up to the top of the list as a veggie served raw, with dips, or in salads.

I will share my recipe for a raw broccoli salad, which is great any time, and very appropriate for picnics, and parties.

See TIP below for a vegetarian version of this salad.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs fresh broccoli flowerets, cut up to bite size pieces
• 2 carrots, shredded on a large eye shredder
• 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 5 slices bacon, cooked to a crisp, and crumbled (or use bacon chips/crumbs)
• 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup Light Mayonnaise (I use Hellmann’s Light)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 Tbs sugar

Directions:

1. In a large bowl combine all veggies.
2. Toss with Cheddar cheese.
3. In a small bowl, prepare the salad dressing, by mixing together mayonnaise, sour cream, and sugar.
4. Add to broccoli salad mixture.
5. Toss to coat.
6. Sprinkle with bacon crumbs.
7. Chill until serving.

Very refreshing veggie salad.

TIP:  For a vegetarian version of this salad, omit the bacon crumbs, and add chopped nuts or dried fruits, such walnuts and raisins, or cranberries.

Also, if you are not a big fan of mayonnaise, you may use Greek Yogurt.

Did you ever have a moment when you set your mind on preparing something for dinner, and then you realize that you are short on the amount of the main ingredient?

Well, this happened to me today when I was so set to make some varenyky (Ukrainian word for Pierogi), and realized that I was one cup short of  all purpose flour, and had barely any sour cream available.  I could not stop my project now, since I already prepared the potato filling, so in disbelief I began to search my cupboards, and found  a bag of Whole Wheat flour.

I used Whole  Wheat flour before, to make homemade pasta, and it was great, just a bit nutty tasting, so I decided to use it for my varenyky today.

I used the same recipe as I already posted on this blog before, with the following changes:

1. 1  cup of Whole Wheat flour in addition to 3 cups of all purpose flour.
2. 1/4 cup of vegetable oil, and 1 Tbs of sour cream, instead of 1/2  cup of sour cream.
3. I might have used a little more liquid, to get the dough to the same consistency as with regular flour.

The directions are the same as for my regular varenyky, with the exception of rolling out the dough much thinner, so the finished product will not be too tough, since the whole wheat flour makes the dough a bit denser.

They looked tan, rather than their usual color, but tasted great, and after all,  were healthier for the family, as whole wheat flour is known for those qualities.

I sauteed a lot of onions in vegetable oil and butter, to serve with these varenyky, as you already know, I did not have any sour cream left on hand.

As the old saying goes “There is always something good, that comes out of something bad”, and this cooking experience proved that point very well.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my experience, and next time you just might want to try making your varenyky (pierogi) out of whole wheat flour as well.

Labor Day is just around the corner, which means it’s time to start planning a party.  I have already posted several recipes for party foods, but this time I will share one that has been around for a while.

It used to be very popular few years back, and it’s gaining popularity once again.

Actually, one of my readers  asked me to post my recipe for the Rye Bread Dip, so here it is.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups mayonnaise (Hellmans Light, is my favorite)
• 2 cups sour cream (see TIP below this post)
• 1 Tbs Italian Parsley leaves, chopped
• 1 Tbs onion, minced
• 2 Tbs dill
• 1 packet Dried Beef, chopped(optional if you are a vegetarian)
• 1 round loaf of Rye Bread

Directions:

1. In a medium size bowl, mix mayonnaise and sour cream.
2. Chop the Dried Beef to small chunks.
3. Blend in the parsley, onions, dill and chopped beef.
4. Slice off the top of the round rye bread loaf (about 1 inch from the top)
5. Scoop out the middle section of the bread, and cut up into 2×2 inch squares.  The bread shell will become  a bread bowl.  The sliced off top of the bread may serve as a cover for the dip before serving, or it may be cut up into chunks, for dipping.
6. Set aside the bread chunks.
7. Fill the bread cavity with the dip (see TIP below this post).
8. Place the filled bread bowl on a serving platter, and arrange the cut up bread chunks around it.
9. Dip in, and enjoy!

TIP: To prevent the “bread bowl” from getting soggy, you can place a serving bowl, filled with the dip, inside the bread cavity, and as begin to run low on the bread cubes, you can cut up the remaining bread, to replenish.

To lighten up this recipe a little further, you may substitute the sour cream with Light Sour Cream, or Greek Yogurt.

Jello desserts are great any time, but I love them that much more during the summer months.

Then again, whipping up a jello dessert mixed with cream cheese and fruit, how can you beat that?

The recipe I am about to share with you is also very quick and simple to prepare, and it makes a very refreshing dessert for your family barbecue, or a dish to pass at a neighborhood get together.  I made this jello mold for numerous occasions, and I never had to worry about storing any leftovers…..it’s yummy!

Ingredients:

• 2 boxes  (3 oz each) of Strawberry Jello
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 large box frozen strawberries (12-16 oz)
• 2 cups crushed pineapple , drained ( 2 – 20 oz. cans)
• 1 small sour cream ( 8oz)
• 1 package cream cheese ( 8oz)

Directions:

1. Dissolve jello in hot water.
2. Drain the strawberries, and mix into jello.
3. Cool until partially set (the frozen strawberries will cool the jello very quickly).
4. Mix in the crushed pineapple.
5. In a separate bowl, mix the cream cheese with the sour cream, to a smooth paste.
6. Add to the jello mixture, fold in well.
7. Place in a serving bowl.
8. Cover.
9. Refrigerate until well set (couple of hours or overnight).

Enjoy!

Once my garden produces an abundance of fresh herbs and vegetables, the time is right to cook Botvinka.  Soups are very popular in Eastern Europe, and are the first course of a lunch of dinner meal, just like tossed salads in the US.

The name for this soup derives from the description of the tops (botvinka (in Polish)- leaves and stalks) of very young red beet plants, which are the major ingredient in this soup.  This dish is full of  goodness of fresh, young, green leafy vegetables, and because they are so tender, they require very short cooking time.

I prepared this recipe in a vegetarian style, but you can use chicken, or beef, broth as the base, if you prefer it that way.

Ingredients:

• 10 cups of water
• 2 Tbs. salt
• 3 bay leaves
• ½ cup onion, chopped
• 2 Tbs. canola oil
• 2 medium potatoes, coarsely grated
• 2 carrots, coarsely grated
• 2 Tbs. butter
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 cup chives, chopped
• 2/3 cup Dill Weed, chopped
• 1 cup red beet stems, chopped
• 2 cups red beet leaves, chopped
• ¼ cup fresh Parsley, chopped
• 1 Tbs. Maggie Seasoning
• 2 Tbs. Tomato Paste
• ¼ cup sweet cream (half and half, heavy cream, or whole milk)
• ¼ cup Sour Cream or Oikos Organic Greek Plain Yogurt
• 3 Tbs. Balsamic Vinegar
• ½ tsp. black pepper

Directions:

1. Fill a soup pot with 10 cups of water, add salt and bay leave and start cooking.
2. Chop up the onions and sauté for 2 minutes in canola oil.
3. Chop the garlic and add to onions, and sauté another minute.
4. Add onions and garlic to soup stock.
5. Prepare all your vegetables:
6. Rinse and pat dry all vegetables.
7. Remove any damaged leaves and stalks.  Cut off thins roots from any beets attached to stalks.
8. Coarsely shred potatoes and carrots.
9. Chop the red beet leaves (botvinka), chives, dill, and parsley. Set aside.
10. Add potatoes and carrots to soup stock, bring to boil and cook for 10 minutes
11. Add all remaining vegetables, and cook another 2 minutes.
12. Mix tomato paste with cream/milk until smooth, and add to the soup.
13. Bring to boil, and cook for 1minute.
14. Add pepper, Maggie Seasoning, and Balsamic Vinegar.
15. Cook for a minute and turn off the heat.
16. Put  sour cream in a cup, and add some  hot soup stock (2 Tbs.) at a time, and keep on mixing it until it looks smooth, not lumpy.
17. Add to the pot of soup.  DO NOT boil again, because the sour cream with curdle.

You can serve with chopped dill, and a spoonful of sour cream as a garnish.

My sister-in-law shared this recipe withe me,  and I prepared it for my daughter’s Memorial Day party.
It is somewhat similar to a Taco Dip, but much creamier, and with a little more kick to it.  There was lots of positive feedback from everyone who tried it.    I made this dip with only 6 layers, since I omitted the black olives (I am not a big fan of olives).

Ingredients:

• 1 can Refried Beans
• 16 oz Sour Cream
• 1/3 cup Ortega Taco Sauce
• 3 Avocados, ripe
• 2 Tbs. Lemon Juice
• 1/4 cup Mayonnaise
• 1 envelope Dry Taco Mix (low sodium if possible)
• 4 oz. Cheddar Cheese, shredded
• 4 oz. Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup Scallions, chopped
• 1/2   cup Plum Tomatoes, chopped
• 1 can Pitted Black Olives, sliced

Directions:

1. Combine Refried Beans and 2 Tbs. of Sour Cream, and ½ cup of Taco Sauce, until creamy.
2. Spread on the bottom of a large round platter (large pie pan).
3. Mash up 3 Avocados with 2 Tbs. of Lemon Juice, add salt, pepper, and 2 Tbs. Sour Cream.  (You can add a few dashes of Tabasco Sauce, for additional zest).
4. Mix it until creamy.
5. Spread mixture over beans, leaving ½ inch border of beans showing.
6. Mix 1 cup of Sour Cream with Mayonnaise, and Dry Taco Mix.
7. Spread over Avocado, leaving ½ inch border of Avocado showing).
8. Sprinkle with shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack Cheese.
9. Sprinkle with chopped scallions.
10. Layer the chopped plum tomatoes.
11. Top off with sliced Olives.
12. Chill, until ready to serve.

Serve with bite size, or scoops, Tortilla chips.

Tip:  If you can’t find ripe avocados, you may use the ready made guacamole fresh paste (14 oz.), found in your supermarket, and the dip still tastes great!