Syrniki

Yes, another Russian dish.  I don't know why the breakfast items were my favorite, but they were.  Here's another one.  These are fried cheese pancakes.  They are made with Russian cottage cheese, or Tvorog.  You can pick it up at an eastern European market or Russian market.  It is more dense than regular cottage cheese, lacking the whey that we are so use to having with the curds.  I have heard that you can use ricotta cheese as a substitute, but make sure you drain all the liquid.

Syrniki

Ingredients:
18 oz. tvorog/ricotta cheese
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
2 Tbs. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Pinch of Salt

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients.  It will form a soft dough, like drop biscuit dough.
2. Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. 
3. Spoon the dough into 2 Tbs. portions.  Place into hot oil, slowly so you don't splatter and press lightly on top of the dough to flatten out.  Using a silicone spatula, turn the pancake after the edges begin to brown.
4. Remove from oil and place on a paper towel lined plate.  Serve warm with honey, jam, or if you want something more savory you can use sour cream.

Cheese and Garlic Salad

Here's another Russian recipe for you!  Another one of my favorites.  This is absoloutely wonderful served on fresh, sliced tomatoes or rye bread.  You can adjust the garlic to your liking.

Cheese and Garlic Salad

Ingredients:
3 large carrots, finely grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Mayonnaise

Directions:
1. Place carrots, garlic, and cheddar cheese in a medium bowl.  Add mayonnaise just until moistened.

Oladyi

I spent a short amount of time visiting Riga, Latvia.  While there, I was introduced to many Russian dishes.  Most of them didn't agree with me, but this was one of my favorites.  Pronounced Oh-lah-dee, these are the Russian version of pancakes.  The biggest thing here is that you MUST use kefir.  You may substitute it with buttermilk, but it is just not the same.  Kefir is slightly thicker than buttermilk, but runnier than yogurt.  KEFIR, remember that, KEFIR!    I would eat them with jam, which was a nice contrast to the slightly sour taste from the kefir. 

Oladyi

Ingredients:
2 cups kefir
1 egg
2 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup flour

Directions:
1. Whip (by hand) kefir, egg, and sugar until well combined.  Add baking soda and salt. 
2. Stir in flour gradually until batter is the consistency of sour cream, but not quite pancake batter.
3. Heat about 2 Tbs. canola oil in a medium skillet until hot.  Using a large serving spoon, pour batter into the hot oil.  Fry in oil until the edges start to turn brown or curl upward.
4. Turn over and cook on the other side for about 1 minute.  Drain on paper towels before serving.