A Russian Starter

Borscht

Ingredients:

6 medium beetroots, pre-cooked in thier own juices
2 tbsp olive oil
5 spring onions
1.5 litres vegetable or chicken stock
55 ml vodka
1/2 lemon, juice only
1-2 tbsp creme fraiche
salt and pepper
fresh dill

Method:

Heat the oil, over a low heat in a large saucepan and gently fry the spring onions for 4-5 minutes. Until they are translucent.

Pour in the stock and continue to cook on a low heat to warm through.

 Cut the beetroot into rough pieces.

Blend the beetroot, spring onions and stock in a food processor until smooth.

Add the vodka, lemon juice, creme fraiche and seasoning. Blend again.

Serve the soup hot or cold, stirring in a spoon of creme friache and a sprinkling of dill.

Taken from Sophie Dahl's,  Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights.

A Russian Main course:

Pelmeni

Pelmeni are one of the most traditional Russian dishes and although they originated in Siberia, they became very popular all over Russia. Families traditionally made them together, around large round tables, then they were frozen and stored outside during the long winters. Sometimes silver coins were placed inside the dumplings to give good luck to whoever found them. Made by hand these meat filled poached pasties are a warming, filling dish.

Ingredients:
250 grams of flour
1 cup milk
1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 eggs
500 grams minced beef
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
salt and pepper

Method:

Add the chopped onion, salt and pepper to the minced beef.

Mix the flour, eggs, milk, salt and oil until a soft dough forms.

Knead on floured surface until the dough is elastic.

Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to about 3 mm thick making sure that the surface is heavily floured so it does not stick. Round the dough using a glass and add 1 teaspoon of the mincemeat, and fold into half moons.

Pinch the edges of the pastry together and place to the side.

To cook the pelmeni, boil some salted water and cook for about 20-25 minutes in a large saucepan on a medium heat (a high simmer). Keep stirring throughout until the filling is completely cooked.

Remove the pelmeni into a bowl and season with pepper. I served the pelmeni with french beans.

Spanish Tortilla

I had a Spanish tortilla for the first time when I went to Spain with one of my friends about 4 years ago. We had flown into Madrid where her dad had come to pick us up, and drive us both to the north of Spain, where we were staying for a week. It was a long journey and about 5 hours into the drive, starving, we pulled into a cafe on the side of the road and decided to eat. I ordered an omelette. Having assumed it would be similar to a french omelette, despite the fact that I was in Spain, you can imagine my surprise when it arrived, three times the height, stacked full of potatoes and cold. However, it was a insightful introduction to Spanish food and very delicious.

The omelette is inexpensive and requires few ingredients, most of which you usually have lying around your kitchen. I added red peppers, as they were the only vegetable I had available, but you can use as many vegetables as you like, such as courgettes, aubergines and tomatoes.


Ingredients:

2 onions
2 red peppers
8 potatoes
salt and pepper
10 eggs

Method:

Peel the potatoes and cut into halves.

Using the peeler, slice them into thin discs and chop the onions and peppers into thin slices and set aside.

Pour 6 tbsp of Sunflower oil into a pan and wait until it is hot and beginning to smoke.

Add the potatoes, onions, and peppers into the pan, season and cook on the lowest heat for 20 minutes until the potatoes are cooked and tender. Keep turning the potatoes, occasionally shaking the pan to make sure that they evenly cooked.

Meanwhile beat the eggs lightly using a fork - making sure not to over beat them. Season and tip the onion and potato mixture into the beaten eggs. Mix thoroughly before returning the mixture back into the pan. Turn the heat down to the lowest setting and cook slowly for 20-25 minutes.

Every so often, using a palette knife, draw the edge of the tortilla in gently, to give it a rounded edge.

When there is basically no liquid egg left on the surface of the omelette, turn it over to cook the other side. Put the omelette under the grill for 2 minutes to make sure that the top side of the omelette is slightly set and then turn the omelette. To do this, put the lid on and carefully invert the pan, so that the omelette falls back onto the lid.

Using a palette knife slide the omelette back into the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave for a further 5 minutes to settle. Using the pallette knife slide the omelette back into the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes more, then turn off the heat and leave it for a further 5 minutes to settle. Serve it hot or cold with salad.