Russian Food, Russian Family, Russian Love

There are many reasons why I feel fortunate to have married into such a robust and cultural family and when we get together with the in-laws, I am reminded of these reasons.

This past Saturday, Toly and I spent the evening with his family enjoying a night of good food, good laughs, and good company.

Most of the entertainment was provided by this little stud....

Say Hello to our adorable nephew Conner

These other boys arn't as cute, but just as entertaining! :)

(Toly grilling with his dad)

(The whole gang)

My mother-in-law often out does herself when it comes to cooking for large groups of people. Not only does she do this for a living, but she creates some of the most unique and authentic Russian dishes that are unlike no other.

Now, even though a large fare of Russian meals contain some form of meat, my MIL is so sweet to make sure that I am fully taken care of by always making me some of my favorite Russian meat-free dishes.

Here are just a few…..

Vinegrette is a traditional Russian Salad that is seen at almost every party or dinner we are at. Keep in mind, I am not 100% sure on the exact ingredients of any customary recipe, but this salad is basically a mixture of peas, corn, potatoes, and beets. It’s delicious!

Another one of my most loved dishes is Pumpkin Kasha. Oh boy, I lived off of this stuff when I had my wisdom teeth out and could only eat soft foods for a week. Kasha is soaked buckwheat groats (or you could use another grain) in milk and then she adds fresh pumpkin. Similar to overnight oats, but definitely different. I’m not really sure what makes this dish so unique but something about her Kasha is unexplainable.

Since my MIL generously sent me home with leftover Kasha, I decided to use it for the staple of dinner tonight.

Essentially, you could eat kasha for breakfast (like oatmeal) or as a dessert by adding sugar, but tonight, I decided to take a leap and go the savory route.

Here is my creation of Pumpkin Kasha with OrangeGlazed Dijon Broccoli

For this dish, I simply sautéed broccoli and added a glaze that consisted of equal parts of orange juice, soy sauce, maple sryup, garlic and dijon. Once the broccoli was crisp and tender, I added some dried cranberries and sliced almonds and let these cook for a few minutes in the pan.

Then I laid two big handfuls of baby spinach in a bowl and topped with the kasha. A little cinnamon was added and then into the microwave for a minute.

Place the broccoli mixtured on the Kasha and vola!

Oh my, was this ever so good!

I love the mixture of the sweet kasha and the savory veggies. Brilliant concept!

Pumpkin Kasha goes down in my book as an all-time favorite Russian delicacy. Thanks mama P for specially making this for me. :)

Do you have any authentic or ethnic dishes that stand out in your family?