Classic Ukrainian Recipes Using NetCost Market’s Weekly Specials

Ukraine sits at the frontier between Europe and Asia, and as a result, offers some of the world’s most exciting and appetizing cuisine that draws inspiration from both these regions. The country has managed to retain its traditional culinary delights — most notably Borscht, Chicken Kyiv, and Vareniki — through the custom of teaching future generations the established methods of cooking these national dishes. Here at NetCost Market, we like to celebrate food from around the world, and there’s no better way to celebrate Ukrainian cuisine than gifting our loyal customers with some classic recipes from this unique part of the world. Right now, the major ingredients in these recipes are all part of our Weekly Specials, so make sure you head down to your local NetCost Market to catch a great deal while they’re still on!

Classic Ukrainian Golubtsi – stuffed cabbage rolls

Golubtsi is a Ukrainian classic and is usually reserved for having friends over or special occasions. This recipe uses ground turkey, which is currently offered as part of our weekly specials, as are whole cabbages! This means you can make this Ukrainian classic without worrying about breaking the bank!

Recipe

Ingredients: 3 cups cooked white rice, 1 medium cabbage, 1 lb. ground turkey, 1 large egg, 3 medium carrots, 1 cup mushroom marinara sauce, 2 tbsp. white vinegar, olive oil, 1 tbsp. butter, 1 tbsp. sour cream, 1 tsp. seasoning blend, salt.

Method:

• Fill a large soup pot with water to about 2/3 of the way. Bring the water to the boil. Add 1 tsp. salt and 2 tbsp. vinegar.
• Discard the top leaves of the cabbage. Then, use a knife to cut out the core of the cabbage. Put the cabbage in the boiling water, core side down, for about 5 minutes, and then turn over and continue to boil for another 5 minutes. As the cabbage boils, the leaves will begin to separate. Remove them using tongs or a slotted spoon as they do. Keep the leaves on a dish to one side as they cool. Make sure you reserve 2 cups of the water from the pot.
• Using a food processor, or by hand, mix the ground turkey with the rice.
• Grate and the sauté 2 of the carrots in 3 tbsp. oil. Once they have softened, add ½ cup of mushroom marinara sauce and cook for another minute until well combined.
• Add the carrot mixture to the rice and ground turkey mixture and then add the egg and 1 ½ tsp. salt, and mix well.
• Cut the cabbage leaves in half down the center and remove the tough stem (for small leaves, this part can be skipped). Place 2 tbsp. meat mixture at the top of each leaf, and then roll the leaf into a cone shape. Then, tuck the overhanging ends of the leaf back into the top of the cone to seal the roll.
• Repeat until all the mixture is used, and then stack the rolls into a cast-iron Dutch oven.
• Now it’s time to make the sauce. Start by heating 2 tbsp. olive oil in a pan and then grate and sauté the remaining carrot with 1 tsp. seasoning blend, stirring until soft. Add 1 tbsp. sour cream and ½ cup mushroom marinara sauce and cook for another minute.
• Pour the sauce over the stuffed cabbage rolls and add enough water from the 2 cups reserved at the beginning to almost cover the rolls in the pot.
• Bake covered in the oven for 25 minutes at 450F, then reduce the temperature to 350F and bake for a further 50 minutes.
• Serve hot!

Ukrainian chicken soup

Ukraine is famed for its notorious borscht, but this soup is another national favorite. It uses a whole chicken, much like classic American chicken noodle soup, but then takes the flavors in a much more Ukrainian direction! Right now, D’Artagnan Green Circle Chicken whole chickens are part of our weekly specials, so you can save while making this classic winter warmer. What’s more, we also have Ecomeal Amish Sour Cream at an unbeatable price, helping you eat well for less!

Recipe

Ingredients: 1 D’Artagnan Green Circle Chicken, 2 onions – 1 roughly chopped and the other quartered, 2 carrots – peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces, 2 celery sticks – cut into 1-inch pieces, 1 clove of garlic – crushed, 1 tsp. whole black peppercorns, 3 ½ quarts of water, 1 fresh bay leaf, 6 sprigs parsley, 2 sprigs thyme, salt, 2 tbsp. butter, 8 cups chopped green cabbage, 1 cup thinly sliced dill pickles, ¼ cup tomato paste, 1 tbsp. sweet paprika, freshly ground black pepper, ½ cup pickle juice, ¼ cup chopped fresh dill, Ecomeal Amish Sour Cream for serving.

Method:

• In a large pot, add the chicken, water, quartered onion, carrots, celery, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaf, parsley sprigs, and thyme sprigs. Bring the water to a boil and allow to simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
• Take out the chicken and place it on a plate. Take off the skin and discard it. Then, pull the meat off the bones using a fork, and cut into 1-inch pieces. Place the meat in the refrigerator.
• Place the carcass and bones back into the pot, and simmer, covered, for another hour until a rich broth forms.
• Strain the broth into a large bowl and then rinse out the pot.
• Pour the broth back into the pot and boil over medium heat for 30 minutes. Season with salt.
• In a separate saucepan, melt the butter, and then add the cabbage, the chopped onion, and the pickles, and cook for 10 minutes on high heat until the onions are soft. Stir in the tomato paste and the paprika, and then cook for a further 1 minute. Add this to the broth and bring it to a boil.
• Season again with salt and pepper and then simmer for 20 minutes.
• Add the chicken, pickle juice, and dill, and then simmer until the soup is piping hot.
• Serve hot with a generous helping of Ecomeal Amish Sour Cream and a sprinkling of chopped dill.

Ukrainian syrniki pancakes

Syrniki are classic Russian and Ukrainian cheese pancakes that are fluffy, light, and very addictive! They’re perfect for breakfast or as a dessert following a meal with guests. What’s more, many of the ingredients included in making them can be found in our current weekly specials! Right now, we have unbeatable deals on Four Seasons Dairy Farmer Cheese, Gold Medal All Purpose Flour, and Sunshine Farms Organic Large Eggs. In addition, we also have Family Tree Preserves at a great price, which are the perfect accompaniment to this delectable treat!

Recipe

Ingredients: 2 cups Four Seasons Dairy Farmer Cheese, 4 large Sunshine Farms Organic Eggs, ¾ cup Gold Medal All Purpose Flour – plus ½ cup more for dredging, 3 tbsp. white sugar, ½ tsp. salt, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. white vinegar, 1 cup raisins, olive oil.

Method:

• Mix the Four Seasons Dairy Farmer Cheese, 4 large Sunshine Farms Organic Eggs, ¾ cup Gold Medal All-
• Purpose Flour, 3 tbsp. sugar, and ½ tsp. salt in a large mixing bowl.
• Place 1 tsp. baking soda in a small bowl, and then add 1 tsp. of vinegar, and stir as it fizzes. Add this to the cheese mixture.
• With a whisk, mix the mixture until it is smooth, and then stir in the raisins with a wooden spoon.
• Heat a large skillet, and add 2 tbsp. olive oil.
• Add about ½ cup flour to a small bowl. Place a heaped tbsp. of the mixture into the flour. Sprinkle flour over the top of the scoop of pancake batter. Then, remove any excess flour and transfer this from one hand to another until a pancake is formed.
• Add to the skillet once the oil is hot, and cook the patties for about 3 minutes on each side.
• Repeat this, adding new oil each time for the remaining batter.
• Transfer to a plate before serving with some Family Tree Preserves.

Ukraine is a country that is rich in tradition, and it certainly shows in the range of different culinary delights they’ve brought us over the last few centuries. If you’d like to try your hand at some classic Ukrainian recipes, there’s no better time than now! With NetCost Market’s Weekly Specials, you can get the ingredients you need to make these Ukrainian masterpieces at unbelievable prices.