Eggplant Caviar

Uncooked eggplants

Roasted eggplants

inspiration: This fantastic classic Russian dish is great any time of the year.  We like it on a hearty black bread with sour cream and caviar or as a dip for veggies.

ingredients:

Eggplant meat has been extracted

• 3 eggplants, medium-large
• 3 - 4 tbsp. butter
• 1 - 2 large onions, finely chopped (about 3 cups)
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 3 - 4 tbsp. sugar (to taste)
• 3 - 4 tbsp. red wine vinegar (to taste)
• 1 cup cold water
• salt and pepper, to taste
• juice of 1 lemon
• 4 tbsp. dill, finely chopped
• 4 tbsp. parsley, finely chopped

method: Heat oven to 350°. Pierce eggplants with fork and place on cookie sheet and bake for 2 hours or until eggplants are soft and tender. Cut eggplants in half and scoop out meat.

Final plated Eggplant Caviar

Heat butter in a large pan and sauté onions on medium heat until nice and soft and almost caramelized, about 20 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for another 5 minutes till nice and fragrant and add eggplant. Cook eggplant, onions, and garlic for about 10 minutes, while breaking up any strands with a wooden spoon, salt and pepper lightly.

Add tomato paste, sugar, vinegar, and water. Simmer for aprox. 30 minutes on low to medium heat till eggplant is smooth and fibers have broken down from heat and acid and water has cooked out slightly. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed. Remove from heat and add lemon juice, dill and parsley. Cool and serve cold.

entertaining notes: Can be made ahead and stored covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Yields: About 4 cups.

Russian Vinaigrette Salad

inspiration: Classic Russian potato salad that gets a great pink tint from the roasted red beets. We love to serve this during the Holidays and particularly on January 7th for Russian Christmas.

ingredients:

• 1 cup onion, chopped (about 1 large onion)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
• 1 cup pickles, chopped (about 3 pickles)
• 1 lb. black forest ham, sliced thick and chopped
• 3 eggs, hard boiled and chopped
• 1, 15 oz. can peas and carrots, drained
• 3 cups cooked beets, peeled and chopped (about 4 medium beets)
• 3 cups cooked potatoes (yukon gold), peeled and chopped (about 4 medium potatoes)
• 2 cups mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons dill, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste

method: In a large bowl, add onion and lemon juice and toss to combine.  Let sit for about 10 -20 minutes so the lemon cuts the harsh onion flavor while you prep the rest of the ingredients.  Add pickles, ham, eggs, beets, and potatoes, mayonnaise, dill, parsley, and gently mix to combine.

As the last ingredient, add the peas and carrots and gently mix to combine (if they were added earlier they would get crushed).  Season with salt and pepper to taste and transfer into your serving bowl.  Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour so the flavors have time to marry.  It's best if you can make the day ahead so the flavors can fully develop.  Serve cold, right out of the refrigerator, and enjoy!

entertaining notes: The vinaigrette can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

Yields: About 12 cups.

Blini

inspiration: Blini is a very traditional Russian dish that is typically served during the Spring, but is wonderfully delicious all year round.  With so many options for what you can serve with it and also the size you can make the pancakes, it's extremely versatile and can be served as a brunch dish, an appetizer, an hors d'oeuvre, and even a main course for dinner.  We love to serve it with traditional savory accompaniments like caviar and smoked salmon as that brings back delicious childhood memories for Kyra.  Decadent and very luxurious, these blini are worth the extra steps in making the batter and a treat every time we make them.  Serve them with a chilled shot of Russian Standard vodka and enjoy!

ingredients:

• 5.5 cups flour
• 5 cups whole milk
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 package dry yeast

method: In a large bowl, place 2 cups of warm water and add the package of dry yeast and pinch of white sugar.  Let the yeast sit for a few minutes till it begins to activate and bubble slightly.  Add 3 cups of the flour and mix until smooth.  Cover the bowl with a cloth and place in a warm part of your kitchen for about 1 hour.

After 1 hour, add the sugar, egg yolks, melted butter, and salt and mix till smooth.  Add remaining 2.5 cups of the flour and the milk in alternating stages until the batter become smooth again.  Cover the bowl with the cloth and set aside again to let the batter rise for 1 hour.

In a medium bowl, whip the egg whites till stiff peaks.  Fold the egg whites into the batter mixture and set aside again, covered with a cloth to rise about 1 more hour.

After 1 hour, the batter is now ready to cook.  Melt some butter on a hot griddle and pour a thin amount of batter till it makes about 5 inch diameter blini.  Cook on both sides and place in a warm oven till ready to serve with the toppings/fillings.

Classic savory blini accompaniments: Smoked salmon, caviar, sour cream, finely chopped hard boiled eggs, finely chopped scallions, melted butter, fresh dill sprigs.

entertaining notes: The cooked blini can be made and stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days to be reheated later in an oven.  The blini can also be cooked and frozen for up to 1 month to be reheated later. (Please note that this batter, since it contains yeast, can not be stored in a sealed container as it will explode from the gas pressure)

Yields: Makes about 30 -34, 5 inch diameter blini. One person can eat about 2-4 blini with accompaniments as an entree.