During the summer months when fresh fruits and berries are in abundance I like to cook a fruity drink called Kompot.
At Christmas time I prepare a similar drink called Uzvar, which contains mostly dried fruits and berries, plus a few fresh apples.
Kompot and Uzvar may be sweetened with honey, however, I like to use a packet of Strawberry Jello powder for flavor, sweetness, and color.
Baking with ginger puts me in a Christmas festive mood as the sweet aroma of baked goods fills my kitchen, and extends throughout the rest of the house.
My grandson loves plain cookies, so these Crispy Ginger Cookies make him smile and feel special.
Mahi Mahi is already a mild tasting fish, but the veggie vinaigrette seasons it further, masking the fish taste.
This dish may be served hot as a meal, or at room temperature as an appetizer. For best results, serve it the next day, so all the flavors have time to absorb and marry.
Ukrainians looooove mushrooms. They incorporate mushrooms into numerous everyday recipes, but especially for their Christmas Eve 12-course meatless meal.
Traditional Ukrainian Christmas Eve menu will include mushrooms in Mushroom soup, varenyky filling (pierogi), Holubtsi filling (Cabbage Rolls), Vooshka filling (dumplings that accompany Ukrainian Christmas Borscht), mushroom gravy (referred to as, Machka, in some households), mushrooms with cabbage, and of course marinated mushrooms.
Most of you already are familiar with Cabbage Rolls, but to Eastern European cooks, they are known as Holupki. Holubtsi, or Golabki. All Cabbage Rolls may look the same, yet be very different, depending on the filling used to prepare them. The most popular filling consists of cooked rice mixed with ground beef and spices; however you can also use rice or buckwheat mixed with mushrooms, spiced up mashed potatoes, or a vegetarian filling, which I will introduce in this recipe. Cabbage Rolls are not the easiest dish to prepare, since it requires a lot of prep work beforehand, especially the cabbage, but if you love them, it’s well worth the effort.