Christmas Menu 2022

Now that my mom has moved to New York, I hosted my family for Christmas for the first time this year. We cut down two Christmas trees to make our home extra-festive! We also all had matching pajamas, of course.

We celebrated Christmas Eve with a (modified) traditional Ukrainian vegetarian feast from my husband’s family’s tradition and Christmas morning crêpes from my family’s tradition. It was great.

We had a crowd. I made two gluten-free quick breads in advance, Orange Glazed Cranberry-Pecan Bread and Banana Bread, to serve for breakfast. We also had bagels, panettone, Danish Almond Kringle, yogurt, oats, and cereal. Fresh fruit too.

My nieces and I made applesauce with over fifteen pounds of apples! We incorporated our fabulous, naturally-sweet sauce into more than one meal. 🙂 I also made Wild Rice & Mushroom Soup, Classic Split Pea Soup, and Lentil-Kielbasa Soup to serve throughout the week for lunch.

I served my mom’s traditional pork roast Christmas dinner after Christmas- I may modify the order of these meals in the future. My sister-in-law also brought wonderful Austrian pastry crisps and cookies from Demel that we nibbled on every day.

I had also planned to make our favorite chili and butter chicken, but my family treated us out to dinner in New York City one evening and for take-out on another evening- Perfect. 🙂

Selfishly, I am posting my menus to help with planning in the future. Hopefully others may benefit in some way! Happy New Year!

Christmas Eve Eve:

• Apple Cider Margaritas or Sparkling Apple Cider
• Guacamole with Tortilla Chips
• Shortcut Enchiladas Verdes
• Basmati Brown Rice, Refried Beans & Street Corn
• assorted Christmas Cookies

Christmas Eve:

• Challah Cubes drizzled with Honey
• Vodka Shots or Sparkling Apple Cider
• Borscht with Vushka (mushroom-onion dumplings) garnished with Dill & Sour Cream, as desired
• Potato-Onion Pierogies with Applesauce & Sour Cream
• Panko-Crusted Mustard Salmon with Basmati Brown Rice, Roasted Broccoli & Cauliflower
• Apple Strudel or Brown Sugar Baked Apple (gluten-free) with Vanilla Ice Cream

Christmas Day Breakfast:

• Crêpes (classic & gluten-free) filled with sugar or Applesauce
• fresh Pineapple, Cantaloupe & Bananas
• Orange & Guava (long story) Juice
• Hot Chocolate

Christmas Day Dinner:

• Brie with Sourdough Baguette Slices
• Lasagna (with gluten-free pasta)
• Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese (with gluten-free pasta)
• Green salad with Mustard Vinaigrette
• Apple Strudel with Vanilla Ice Cream & assorted Christmas Cookies

Post-Christmas Dinner:

• Beecher’s Flagship Handmade Cheese and Brie with Raisin-Rosemary Crisps and Multi-Grain Crunchmaster crackers
• green grapes, cashews, & Trader Joe’s Step up to the Bar Snack Mix
• Glazed Spicy Pork Roast
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Rainbow Carrots, Butternut Squash, & Gold Potatoes
• assorted Christmas Cookies

White Borscht

Before I was introduced to this recipe, I thought that borscht was always a deep red, beet-based soup. I now know that borscht means “sour.” The sour tang in this soup comes from soaking sourdough bread in the broth, puréeing it, and incorporating it into the finished soup, along with crème fraiche which is stirred in just prior to serving.

I made my first homemade borscht (the beet-based version) for Christmas Eve, and my husband purchased pierogies at a Polish store for the same meal. Luckily, I saw this recipe and he was also able to buy house-made garlic kielbasa for this soup. The quality of the kielbasa is very important because it is used to create the broth for the base of this soup.

This recipe is from The New York Times, contributed by Gabrielle Hamilton.  I followed the recipe closely, but may decrease the amount of butter next time- I’m not sure it was necessary! (but it was quite delicious 😉 ) It was a creamy, indulgent, and delicious upgrade of potato-leek soup. Fabulous cold-weather comfort food.

Yield: 5 quarts, Serves 10 to 12

• 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 pounds full horseshoe link of high-quality smoked kielbasa
• 5 fresh bay leaves
• 3 pounds leeks (6 long, lively leeks)
• 3 pounds russet potatoes (about 4)
• 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
• 1 large yellow onion, small-diced (about 2 cups)
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• Kosher salt
• 1 (4-ounce) hunk of dense, very sour sourdough bread, crusts removed
• 1 full tablespoon finely ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup crème fraîche
• 1 bunch fresh dill, woody stems removed, fronds minced

1. Cut kielbasa into 4 to 5 equal lengths, and cover in a pot with 3 quarts cold water and the bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then let gently boil for 25 minutes more until swollen and cooked through and beads of oil have formed.
2. Pull sausages from the now smoky and seasoned water, and set aside. Save that water!
3. While the kielbasa simmers, split leeks in half lengthwise, then soak and rinse in cold water to thoroughly remove all sand. Slice leeks into 3/8-inch half-moons from whites to dark greens, as far up as is viable.
4. Peel potatoes, trim all four sides to stabilize on the cutting board and trim both ends to “box” the potato. Save the scraps. Cut the boxes into large cubes, about 3/4-inch square.
5. In a sturdy soup pot (I used a large enameled cast iron Dutch oven), melt 1 stick butter over low heat until foaming.
6. Stir in onion, garlic and a healthy pinch of salt, and let them sweat for a full 5 minutes until translucent.
7. Stir in remaining butter, the sliced leeks and another generous pinch of salt, then let sweat slowly over low heat for 8 minutes until moist, bright green and glossy.
8. Add potato scraps, the cube of bread and half the kielbasa boiling liquid. Let gently simmer 10 minutes while the potato scrap softens and the bread hunk becomes flabby and swollen. If you need to increase the heat to get a little simmer going, do so.
9. Meanwhile, slice kielbasa in half lengthwise. Place two pieces back into the soup pot as is, and then slice the remaining 6 pieces into very thin, 1/8-inch half-moons, and set aside.
10. Retrieve the soggy lump of sourdough bread with a slotted spoon, and don’t worry if you also get a few bits of leek or onion or whatever is floating in the soup when you pull it out. Also remove about 1 cup of liquid, and set aside.
11. Add potato cubes and the rest of the kielbasa liquid to the pot. Add another pinch of salt and half the black pepper. Let it come back to temperature, and then to simmer until potatoes are cooked through, about 25 minutes more.
12. Using either a stick blender or a traditional blender, purée the sodden hunk of bread until foamy, using half of the liquid you pulled in Step 10, if needed. (I used a Vitamix.) Stir this back into the soup pot once the potatoes are cooked through.
13. Slice the reserved kielbasa and return all of the kielbasa to the pot.
14. Whisk the crème fraîche with remaining 1/2 cup of the hot reserved liquid; stir mixture into the soup.
15. Stir in the chopped dill and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon pepper. Serve very hot.

Apple Strudel

My Mother-in-Law makes this delicious strudel every Christmas Eve as part of the traditional Ukrainian 12-course feast. It is always a highlight of the meal for me. 🙂

I used tart apples (Granny Smith) but may use a combination of tart and other firm sweet-tart apples next time. I also used a mandoline to slice the apples. My Mother-in-Law has the magic touch… hers tastes better than mine, of course, but I did use her recipe! Yum.

Yield: One Strudel, about 8 servings

• 2 1/2 to 3 tart and firm apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/8-inch thick
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup raisins
• lemon zest from 1/2 large lemon
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ground cinnamon, to taste
• 2-3 T fine bread crumbs, plus more for sprinkling
• 8 sheets of thawed phyllo dough
• 1 stick (1/4 pound) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• strawberry preserves

To Make the Filling:

1. Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples. (I used a mandoline to slice the apples 1/8-inch thick.)
2. Mix the sliced apples with the sugar, raisins, lemon zest, vanilla, cinnamon, and 2-3 tablespoons of bread crumbs.

To Make the Strudel:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Unroll the phyllo dough and cover with a damp towel and plastic wrap.
3. Remove on sheet of phyllo dough and place on a piece of parchment paper.
4. Brush the entire surface with melted butter, sprinkle lightly with bread crumbs, sprinkle with brown sugar, and dot with strawberry preserves (use very little preserves).
5. Repeat this process for the next 7 layers of phyllo dough.
6. After the dough is prepared, place the filling evenly on top of the dough, starting at the shorter end and leaving 1-2 inches uncovered at the opposite end.
7. Lift the edge of the parchment paper closest to the filling to help roll the dough and form the strudel.
8. Place the roll, seam side down, on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Brush with remaining melted butter.
9. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown.

Ukrainian Winter Borscht with Vushka

We missed celebrating Christmas with our extended family this year. 😦

Traditionally, my Mother-in-Law makes all of us the meatless 12-dish Ukrainian Christmas Eve feast as part of our celebration. It is a beautiful dinner, but a major undertaking. I didn’t attempt to make the complete meal, but I did make a couple of the courses for our celebration at home. 🙂

Our meal began with a (mini) shot of vodka and a bite-sized piece of challah with honey. We ate this Winter Borscht with Vushka (mushroom-onion dumplings) followed by sauerkraut and potato-cheese pierogies, which my husband purchased from a local Polish store, as our main courses. I made my Mother-in-Law’s apple strudel for dessert, post to follow.

This recipe was adapted from Tom Birchard and Natalie Danford of NYC’s East Village restaurant Veselka, via The New York Times, contributed by Julia Moskin. (I gave my husband the Veselka cookbook for Christmas!) I incorporated some of the beets, puréed, into the finished soup. I used dumplings wrappers instead of making the dough for the dumplings. I also modified the Vushka proportions and technique.

I used beets from my CSA share for the soup, made it in advance and stored it in the freezer. I made the Vushka a day in advance and stored them in the refrigerator. The recipe states that the dumplings are optional; in my house they are essential! The soup had a spicy kick which may have been from the fresh garlic, which is incorporated at the end. I enjoyed it but may consider omitting the garlic next time.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

For the Borscht:

• 2 pounds beets, trimmed and scrubbed (do not peel)
• 3/4 cup white vinegar
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 whole allspice berries
• 1 tablespoon sugar, more to taste
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• coarse salt
• mushroom and onion dumplings (Vushka)
• chopped dill, for garnish, optional

1. Coarsely chop beets, preferably in a food processor.
2. In a medium pot, combine beets, 4 cups water and vinegar; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until beets are soft, about 45 minutes. Strain and set juice aside. (Beets can be used for another purpose, like salad.)(I puréed half of the strained beets in a Vitamix and incorporated them in the finished soup.)
3. Meanwhile, in a deep pot, combine carrot, celery, onion, stock, bay leaves and allspice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 45 minutes. Strain and discard aromatics and vegetables.
4. Combine strained stock and beet juice and simmer 5 minutes.
5. Add sugar, garlic (if using), and black pepper. Season to taste with sugar and salt.
6. Add half of the reserved beets, puréed, into the finished soup, as desired.
7. Serve with dumplings and sprinkle with dill, as desired.

For the Vushka (Ukrainian Mushroom & Onion Dumplings):

Yield: 80 to 100 dumplings

For the Filling:

• 2 tablespoons dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 large yellow onion, minced
• 2 cups chopped button mushrooms
• coarse salt
• freshly ground black pepper

For the Dough: (I used Shanghai-style dumpling wrappers instead)

• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, more as needed

To Make the Filling:

1. Place dried mushrooms in a small bowl and add 2 tablespoons of boiling water. Let soften, about 10 minutes. Strain, reserving liquid and mushrooms separately.
2. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until golden but not brown, about 5 minutes.
3. Add button mushrooms and cook, stirring, until mushrooms have released their liquid, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drain liquid.
4. In a food processor, combine both kinds of mushrooms.
5. Spoon in porcini liquid, leaving behind any silt in bottom of bowl.
6. Pulse together until finely ground but not pasty: about 3 or 4 pulses. Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

To Make the Dough: (I used dumpling wrappers and continued at Step 8)

1. In a small bowl, combine egg yolk, oil and 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water and whisk 1 minute.
2. Place flour in a large bowl and make a well in center. Add a third of the egg mixture and lightly mix in with fingers or a fork. Repeat 2 more times.
3. Using hands, fold dough together until soft: if crumbly, gently work in more water; if sticky, add flour.
4. Transfer to a lightly floured board and knead 3 minutes.
5. Form into a ball, transfer to a bowl and refrigerate 45 minutes.
6. Lightly flour a work surface and a pan or board for the finished dumplings. Divide dough into 3 sections.
7. Using a well-floured rolling pin, roll each section out until very thin and in a rough rectangle.
8. Use tip of a sharp knife to cut dough into 1 1/2-inch squares. (I used a 1 1/2-inch square cookie cutter as a guide. Each dumpling wrapper yielded 2 squares. If using square dumpling wrappers, each one may be able to make 4 squares. Next time!)
9. Cover the cut dough with plastic wrap so that it doesn’t dry out.
10. Drain any excess liquid from filling. Place 1/4 teaspoon filling in center of each square. (I found it helpful to pre-scoop the filling and place it on a cutting board because it dried it out slightly.)
11. Wet the edges of the dough and fold squares in half to form triangles, sealing filling inside.
12. Pinch the 2 opposing corners together to seal tightly, use water if necessary.
13. Place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with plastic wrap or a floured surface: do not stack.
14. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
15. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook dumplings until they float, 2 to 4 minutes. (If cooking frozen dumplings, cook until they rise to the surface and add 2 minutes.)
16. Drain and serve in hot borscht, about 10 per serving, or just with sour cream.

Traditional Ukrainian Easter Bread Podil’ia Style (Podil’ska Paska)

Happy Belated Easter! We were very lucky to enjoy beautiful weather yesterday. 🙂

I like to bake new Easter breads to serve for our holiday breakfast. This year, I looked through my Ukrainian cookbook collection for a paska (Ukrainian Easter bread) recipe.

My mother-in-law has given me several Ukrainian cookbooks and there were many variations of paska to choose from- all quite different from one another depending upon the region of their origin. Traditionally, a paska or babka is an essential part of an Easter breakfast. Many are beautifully decorated with a cross, braid, or birds. This version is more of a cake, with batter, and did not have dough that could be used to decorate the top.

The recipe was adapted from Festive Ukrainian Cooking by Marta Pisetska Farley. According to the book, this paska recipe, from the northwest province of Podil’ia, is at least a hundred years old! It is a golden paska, reminiscent of the sun, and is similar to a sponge cake.  It was very rich and indulgent.

Yield: One 9 or 10-inch cake

• 1 cup dry white bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup cake flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• zest of 1 lemon
• zest of 1 orange
• 10 large or extra-large eggs
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 to 4 T powdered sugar

1. Line the bottom and sides or a 9, 10 or 12-inch springform pan with parchment paper. (Because I used a 9-inch pan (smaller than the original recipe suggests), I cut 7-inch tall pieces of parchment paper to line the sides of the pan, buttered on the portion lining the walls of the pan and sprayed with cooking spray above the walls of the pan.)
2. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F, preferably on convection.
3. Sift the bread crumbs until fine, then sift again with the flour baking powder, and spices.
4. Add the grated lemon and orange zest.
5. Separate the eggs.
6. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the egg yolks with the granulated sugar until thick and pale, about 3 minutes.
7. Add the vanilla and beat again.
8. Fold the bread crumb mixture into the egg yolk mixture.
9. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Gently fold them into the batter until no white streaks can be seen.
10. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until set or a toothpick comes out clean, about 1 hour. (I was afraid that the cake would fall if I checked it too early- and baked it for 1 hour.)
11. When fully baked, keep the cake in the oven with the door ajar, and allow to cool slowly. (The cake may fall slightly. Mine did!)
12. When cool, remove the parchment paper and sprinkle the top with powdered sugar. Serve.

Easter Paska

Happy Belated Easter! We had unseasonably warm weather and bright sunshine on Easter Sunday in New York. 🙂 In the afternoon, we visited a local swan to admire her impressive nest.

I made this buttery and eggy Eastern European Paska to enjoy for breakfast over Easter weekend. My daughter braided the dough for the decorative cross. She did such a great job! 🙂 It was such a light and fluffy loaf- really delicious. We ate it topped with butter and jam. It was also recommended to eat with kielbasa or leftover Easter ham.

This recipe was adapted from King Arthur Flour.com. I used a bread machine to knead the dough and omitted the sugar topping. It could have been used as a beautiful centerpiece as well.

Yield: 1 large loaf

For the Bread:

• 1 cup (8 oz) lukewarm water
• 1/2 cup (4 oz) whole milk
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons/2 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 5 cups (21.25 oz) all-purpose flour or bread flour
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt

For the Topping:

• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• coarse sugar, like turbinado, optional (I omitted the sugar)

1. To make the dough: Mix and knead all of the dough ingredients — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — to make a soft, smooth dough. (I used a bread machine.)
2. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, and let it rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until it’s noticeably puffy. (I placed it in a warming drawer on the “proof” setting.)
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface; divide it into two pieces, one twice as large as the other. Take the larger piece, roll into a ball, and place it into a well-greased 9″ x 2″ round pan.
4. Divide the other piece of dough into three equal pieces, and roll each out into a 20″ strand; use the three strands to create one long braid. 
5. Place the braid around the inside edge of the pan, or use it to form a cross over the top of the larger piece of dough. 
6. Cover the loaf and let it rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. (I used a proofing oven.)
7. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F, preferably on convection, with a rack in the center.
8. To make the topping: In a small bowl, beat the egg with the water. Brush the mixture gently over the top of the risen loaf, and sprinkle with coarse white sparkling sugar, if desired.
9. Bake the bread for 35 to 45 minutes, or until it’s a rich golden brown. Remove it from the oven, and turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool before cutting.

One Year Ago:

• Pear Clafoutis

Two Years Ago:

• Easter Babka

Three Years Ago:

• Whole Wheat Oat Bran-Raisin Muffins
• Johnnycake Bread

Four Years Ago:

• Apple-Cinnamon Pull-Aparts
• Sweet Brioche Dough

Easter Babka

My mother-in-law makes a traditional Ukrainian babka for Easter every year. I have always felt that I would like to do the same- but I felt intimidated. This year, I finally pulled out my Ukrainian cookbooks to search for the perfect recipe… and became even more intimidated!! First, I looked through recipes for Traditional Easter Paska, beautiful round loaves topped with elaborate dough ornamentation; they seemed more of a end-point than a starting point for my first attempt to make a special Easter bread.

When I saw this recipe for “Country” Babka, I knew it was more fitting. Rich, simple, and still festive. I was happy that it included raisins in the dough. We ate it lightly toasted with butter and/or jam with our colorful hard-boiled eggs for breakfast on Easter morning. This recipe was adapted from Traditional Ukrainian Cookery by Savella Stechishin. Happy (Belated!) Easter!!

For the Sponge:

• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup lukewarm water
• 1 tsp yeast
• 1/2 cup scalded whole milk, lukewarm
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

For the Dough:

• 3 eggs
• 1/2 tsp coarse salt
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 T lemon zest
• 2 3/4  to 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup raisins

1. Make the sponge: Dissolve the sugar in the lukewarm water, sprinkle the yeast over it, and let it stand until softened. Combine with the lukewarm milk and 1/2 cup flour. Beat well, cover, and allow to rise in a warm place until light and bubbly. (I placed mine in a proofing drawer for about 15 minutes.)
2. Make the dough while the sponge is rising: In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the eggs with the salt.
3. Add the sugar gradually and continue beating until light.
4. Beat in the butter and lemon rind.
5. Combine the dough mixture with the sponge.
6. Stir in the flour and knead in the bowl (with the dough attachment) for about 10 minutes. The dough should be thick. Add more flour if needed to make it less sticky.
7. After the 10 minutes, knead in the raisins until evenly incorporated.
8. Cover with a clean towel, and let rise in a warm place (I used a proofing oven) until double in bulk. (about 1 to 1 1/2 hours)
9. Punch down, knead a few times, and let it rise again until double in bulk. (In a proofing drawer- about 1 to 1 1/2 hours)
10. Generously butter a tall, round baking pan with soft butter (or spray with cooking spray). (I used an angel food cake pan.) Place the dough in the pan (It should fill 1/3 of the pan.)
11. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled or tripled in bulk (or until the dough reaches the brim of the pan- not the case in my angel food pan). (about 1 1/2 hours in a proofing oven)
12. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes, then cover with foil to prevent over-browning. (I did 15 min but would do 10 next time…)
13. Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes.
14. Lower the oven temperature again to 275 degrees and bake for 15 to 20 minutes longer. (I omitted this step, as my loaf baked more rapidly in the angel food cake pan.)
15. Let the dough stand in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes; remove to cool.

Note: Traditionally, Babka is sliced in rounds across the loaf. The sliced bottom crust serves as a protective cover, and it is put back to prevent the loaf from drying. (We deviated from this tradition, as I baked the loaf in an angel food pan, and, therefore cut more traditional slices.)

One Year Ago:

• Orange Chiffon Easter Bunny Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
• Whole Wheat Oat Bran-Raisin Muffins

Two Years Ago:

• Sweet Brioche Dough
• Apple Cinnamon Pull-Aparts