Everything on this board is grilled (with the exception of fig leaves) – halloumi, normandy camembert, even burrata. Threw in some sausages for the meat
Category: Easy
Vinegrette – Russian salad
Not to be confused with a dressing. Vineigrette is a name of Russian salad based on boiled or baked vegetables.
The ingredients are all simple and very available with the exception of Russian style sauerkraut (you find in any Russian store), but it can be replaced with the regular or totally skip, just put more pickles. The unique taste is again a combination of sweet (beets, potato, carrots, peas) and salty or marinated pickles. The proportions are super flexible too – put more beets if you like it sweeter, add pickles if you want more crunch and brine.
Can be served as a side dish, appetizer, packed for picnic or lunch. Kept in a fridge for 2-3 days and gets even better. And it’s good for you!
Ingredients:
- Boiled, better baked beets – 2-3 medium
- Boiled Yukon gold or red potatoes – 3 medium
- Boiled carrots – 3medium
- Shallot – 1 small
- Pickles – 3-4
- Sweet peas – 1 can or 1 cup of frozen blanched
- Sauerkraut (better be Russian) – 1 cup
Directions:
- Finely chop (to a pea size) potatoes, beets, carrots, pickles and shallot. The best beets are baked, all the juices remain inside and pealing is easy. Just wrap each one in a foil and put in your oven when you use it. You can keep them baked in a fridge for several days before you use them. Pea size chopping may sound intimidating, but it’s super easy, everything is cooked and soft.
- Blanch frozen sweet peas in a boiling water for about a minute so it keeps the bright color or add canned peas.
- Slightly chop sauerkraut (if you have it).
- Add salt and pepper, dress with olive oil.
Serve cold or room temperature.
Buckwheat
Buy roasted, but not too dark, I usually buy 2 cups packages that are sold in a Russian store, but you can find it in every health store now.
Ingredients:
- Roasted buckwheat – 2 cups
- Olive oil – 1 tbsp (optional)
- Boiling water – 3 cups
- Salt – 1 tbsp
Instructions:
- Rinse and drain the grains
- Place the grain into a heavy pan on a medium high
- Add salt and olive oil (if you choose it)
- Roast (dry) the grain, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes
- Add boiling water, reduce the heat to very low, cover with a lid and let it sit for about 20-25 minutes.
- Turn the heat off and let it rest for 5 -10 minutes.
The grain will absorb all the water and will be fully cooked.
If you want to add roasted vegetables you can do it by starting with roasting the vegetables, then adding the grains, roasting it all together, then pouring boiling water.
Or you can have the kasha ready and mix it with your choice of vegetables, source or gravy.
Kasha Confusion
The word “kasha” can be a confusing one. In Russian, “kasha” (каша) stands for porridge or hot cereal. Russian kasha can be made of rice,
The best tuna salad
The best about this salad – it takes no time to make, and you can mix and match the ingredients – replace pickles with capers
The best tuna salad
Ingredients:
- Canned tuna – 1 can
- Celery 2-3 stalks
- Pickled cucumbers – 2- 3 (can be substituted with capers or olives)
- Sweet pepper – 3-4 small ones
- Green onions – 3
Optional:
- Corn (canned or grilled)
- Hard boiled eggs – 2
- Cooked white rice 2 tbsp
- Parsley
Dressing:
- Extra virgin Olive oil – 1/4 cut
- Lemon juice – 1tbsp
- Grained dijon mustard – 1 tsp
Directions:
- Mash tuna with a folk
- Finely chop all the ingredients
- Add dressing
- Mix to combine
Serve cold or room temperature
Beetslaw
Another super easy, refreshing and unusual salad. With minimum ingredients and effort you can have a nice side dish or healthy lunch. It will look great on your dinner table or party buffet.
Ingredients:
- Boiled or baked beets – 2 medium or 3 small
- Granny Smith apple, pealed – less than a whole one, about 3/4
- Shallot or small red onion – 1
- Roasted pine nuts – 2 tbsp
Dressing:
- freshly squeezed lemon juice – 1/2 of a lemon
- olive oil2 tbsp
- salt
- pepper
Directions:
- Finely slice cooked beets, apple and onion
- Add roasted pine nuts
- Pour the dressing over the salad and stir to combine
Something to brighten your afternoon
It’s my latest favorite – Italian Aperitivo. It is not quite Spritz, which is a blend of Aperol or Campari with Prosecco. I didn’t have
Radish, cucumbers and sour cream salad
Try this bright and crunchy salad. 5 minutes preparation time – and you have very refreshing side dish for your chicken or fish, or lunch with a piece of bread.
Ingredients:
- Radishes 5-6
- cucumbers – 2-3
- green onions 2-3
- dill
- parsley
- sour cream
Directions:
- Finely chop radishes, place them into a bowl, add some salt and stir. This will allow some juice to come out of radishes
- Chop the rest of the ingredients
- Mix all together
- Add a little more salt, pepper, dress with sour cream
Spanish Salad
The most unusual and delicious salad.
Ingredients:
- fennel – 1bulb
- grapefruit – 1
- walnuts 2 tbps
Directions:
- Slice fennel with mandoline slicer or shave with vegetable peeler. If both too hard – just chop very finely
- Peel and cut grapefruit so that no white membrane goes into the salad
- Roast and chop walnuts
- Add salt and pepper, no dressing needed.
- Enjoy!
