Russian Cookbook » Caucasus Recipes

Russian Stuffed Eggplant (Farshirovannie baklazhani)

driver — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 00:26:50 +0000

4 medium eggplants
1 large red pepper (capsicum), cored and seeded
1 small onion, peeled
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons basil, chopped
1/4 cup celery leaves, chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 hot red chili, diced
5 medium tomatoes
1/4 cup of corn oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Cut eggplant in half lengthwise and scrape out most of the seeds.

Peel, seed and chop the tomatoes; dice the red pepper and the onion. Place them in a bowl with the minced herbs, celery leaves, garlic and chili.

Stir in the salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of oil. Mix well.

Stuff the eggplants with this mixture and place in a large skillet. Add about 1/4 cup of water to the bottom of the pan. Drizzle the eggplant halves with the remaining to tablespoons of olive oil. Cover the skillet and simmer for about 1 hour.

To serve, slice each stuffed half eggplant in half lengthwise.

Lobio (Red Beans with herb dressing)

driver — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:46:39 +0000

150 gr dried red kidney beans, or about 250 gr canned red kidney beans
1 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons finely chopped onions
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

If you are using the dried kidney beans, bring 2 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of the salt to the boil in a medium-sized saucepan. Drop in the kidney beans and boil for 2 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat and let the beans soak uncovered for 1 hour. Bring back to the boil, lower the heat and simmer uncovered for about 1 hour, until the beans are tender but still intact. Drain in a sieve or colander and pat dry with kitchen paper.

Canned beans need only be drained, washed under cold running water and patted dry.

Put the vinegar, chopped onions, parsley, coriander, salt, black pepper and the oil into a large bowl. Mix thoroughly. Add the kidney beans, toss together thoroughly but gently with a fork and taste for seasoning.

Suggestion:

The beans may be served at once, but the flavor will be improved if they rest at room temperature for about 1 hour.

Green Armenian Salad

driver — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 02:20:23 +0000

Salad:

2 cups cut romaine lettuce
2 cucumbers, diced
1 red onion, quartered and sliced
2 tomatoes, sliced
1 red, yellow or green bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1/4 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

Dressing:

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 clove crushed garlic
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon tarragon

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients for the salad.

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt and pepper. Pour over salad and toss well to coat.

Serve immediately.

Khmeli Suneli

driver — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 01:40:29 +0000

Khmeli Suneli (Georgian ხმელი სუნელი – dried spices) is a traditional Georgian spicy herbs mixture. It is popular in Republic of Georgia and in all ex-USSR countries. Great as a meat rub, in marinades and in soups and stews.

Fenugreek 50 gr
Coriander 50 gr
Dried dill 50 gr
Dried celery 50 gr
Dried parsley 50 gr
Dried basil 50 gr
Summer savory 50 gr
Dried mint 50 gr
Bay leaves 50 gr
Sweet marjoram 50 gr
Dried chili flakes 10 gr
Saffron 0.5 gr

Combine all ingredients in a large pestle and mortar and grind together into a fine powder.