Category Archives: Soups & Salads

Beets with Walnuts

Another tasty Russian-Ukrainian recipe. Mayonnaise can be replaced with vegetable or olive oil. It’s not necessary to add a garlic, but with the garlic it’s much tastier and adds a nice sharpness to the salad....
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Pico de Gallo

This recipe is great with chips and is perfect for summer barbecues and parties or winter Super Bowl Sunday party. Jalepeno peppers can be substituted with serrano peppers or even habanero if you like it very hot. The key to this recipe is not to blend the ingredients and not to cut the pieces too large, it's important the...
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Cabbage-Cucumber Salad

For this salad, I usually use new cabbage and cucumbers. A great idea for a dinner or picnic, just add the mayonnaise before eating the salad or use vegetable or olive oil with the addition of a little lemon juice instead of mayonnaise. If you like it spicy, add some garlic or hot pepper. One of my favorite, easy summer...
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Baked Vegetables with Cheese

Delicious, hearty, flavorful and colorful appetizer. If you like it more spicy, use fresh garlic instead of garlic powder. Also you can add herbs to your taste: parsley, dill, cilantro, or a mixture of Italian herbs. I'm using Ukrainian cheese for this dish called "Brinza", it's similar to feta cheese or another goat cheese. Alternatively you can use mozzarella....
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Spring-Summer Salad

The very first greens in my garden come in April or early May and usually it's sorrel, chives, green garlic and parsley. Adding a couple more different herbs and vegetables to these greens gives me an excellent light, fresh and very healthy salad to start the season. Also you can add radishes and asparagus, which also are early spring vegetables....
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Asian Pickled Cucumber Salad

Crunchy pickled cucumbers with a pleasant sour-salty and slightly spicy taste, a great recipe for summer. This is a perfect use for all your extra fresh cucumbers from the garden! It's all about fresh, quick and tasty for the summer!...
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Parmesan Crisps with Pears

You can make these tasty Parmesan crisps ahead of time and they'll make a great appetizer or salad garnish for any holiday! You can prepare up two days in advancet. Be careful to cool the crisps completely before storing in an airtight container and serve at room temperature. Instead of black pepper you can add cayenne pepper in this...
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Tomato Cream Soup with Toast

A classic combo that's perfect for cool and snowy weather! Endless varieties but this is the latest I did and it was my favorite. Add a bit of cayenne pepper to give it a sharper flavor, it all depends on how spicy you like it. If you are vegetarian you can use vegetable broth instead of chicken....
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Salad Olivie (Potato Salad)

In the former Soviet Union, this salad is considered traditional New Year dish, the name was in honor of creator of this salad, Belgian chef Lucien Olivier. Virtually no Russian table goes without this dish on New Year's Eve, birthdays and other celebrations. It's convenient, quick to prepare, and delicious. Some ingredients can be replaced by others,...
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