Maslenitsa at NetCost Market

Maslenitsa is officially upon us! If you don’t know what Maslenitsa is, then you’re about to find out! This week-long festival of food, singing, and partying with friends and family celebrates the start of lent with a “meatless” week. Typical foods include pancakes… pancakes… and more pancakes! Hence why it’s sometimes called a “pancake week”. Of course, there are other ingredients and fillings used to fill the pancakes, as well as sweets, caviar, and Russian baked goods served alongside them. The special Russian pancakes often eaten are called blini, and they are a simple yet delicious recipe that can be eaten either sweet or savory.

Here at NetCost Market, we want to celebrate Maslenitsa the traditional way, which is why we’ve got a great recipe for blinis and a few for some great filling ideas. What’s more, the recipes use ingredients from our Weekly Specials, so you can fill your tasty Russian pancakes for less!

1. Classic Blini Recipe

This classic Russian pancake is perfect for stuffing full of your favorite sweet or savory filling. Right now, the key ingredients are part of our Weekly Specials, including Finlandia butter, Daisy sour cream, Sunshine Farms large organic eggs, Mazola sunflower oil, Domino pure cane sugar, and Horizon organic milk. Make the most of the great deals currently on offer for all of these items right now!

Ingredients:

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, ½ tsp. salt, 3 tbsp. Domino sugar, ¼ tsp. baking soda, 2 Sunshine Farms eggs, 3 1/3 cups Horizon organic milk, ½ cup Daisy sour cream, 5 tbsp. Finlandia butter, Mazola sunflower oil.

Method:

• In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, Domino sugar, and baking powder. Add the Sunshine Farms eggs, Horizon organic milk, and Daisy sour cream. Use a wooden spoon to mix until there are no lumps left and the consistency is a bit thicker than cream.
• Heat a skillet on a high heat and melt the Finlandia butter. Add it to the mixture and then mix until smooth.
• Pour a small amount of Mazola sunflower oil into the skillet, and then use a ladle to pour the batter into the middle of the skillet. Tilt the skillet from side to side until the batter has formed a circle.
• Once cooked one side, flip the blini and then fry for half the time you did in the first half.
• Place the finished blini on a dish in the oven at 150F to keep them warm and repeat the process until all the batter has been used.

2. Savory blini fillings

The savory fillings for blini are endless, which is not surprising considering many Russians eat these delicious pancakes for the whole week of Maslenitsa! Here are some of the most popular fillings you can make using ingredients from our Weekly Specials.

• Classic caviar and sour cream – Right now, Gourmanoff Black Caviar Amur Osetra and Trident Seafoods Exclusive Red Caviar are the top choices for filling your blini. Simply spread some Daisy sour cream on your blini, add your choice of tasty caviar, and finish with a sprig of dill to complete the Russian classic!
• Smoked salmon blini – If caviar doesn’t float your boat, maybe some exquisite smoked salmon will! Simply spread some sour cream on your blini, place a slice of smoked salmon on top, and enjoy!
• Ground beef blini – If you are not a fan of seafood, you can always make a tasty beef filling. Try simply frying some ground beef with onion, salt, pepper, and a splash of Worchester sauce and then serve with the blinis while it’s still hot. Right now, we have great Weekly Specials deals on ground beef, so it is a perfect option for those who don’t eat seafood.

3. Sweet blini fillings

Everyone loves a sweet pancake, and the Russians are no exception. These recipes are classics that will get your taste buds tingling!

• Honey and raspberry blini ­– There’s nothing quite like pure raw honey, and right now we have Andolini Raw Honey for a great price as part of our Weekly Specials. Simply spread some of this delicious honey on your blini, and then sprinkle over some fresh raspberries for that classic sweet blini flavor.
• Banana and yogurt blini – If you crave something sweet but want to keep it healthy, make yourself a banana and yogurt blini. Right now at NetCost Market, we have Activia fruit-flavored yogurts as well as bananas as part of our Weekly Specials. Simply slice up a banana and then top with the yogurt of your choice for a tasty yet healthy snack!
• Wafer-filled blini with ice cream – To really indulge, why not add a little bit of crunch to your blini. Franzeluta wafers are perfect for this. Topped with a little sugar and then wrapped in a blini and served with a side of delicious Magnum ice cream, they make the perfect dessert!

When it comes to food, Maslenitsa is a festival all about blinis! Now you know what these delicious Russian pancakes are, why not go ahead and make some for yourself? Right now at NetCost Market, we have all the ingredients you need to make the perfect sweet or savory blinis, and with our amazing Weekly Specials deals, you can make them for that little bit less!