Pasta Salad with Veggies

You need:

• 12 oz pasta
• 1 onion
• 8 oz Crimini mushrooms
• 1 carrot
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons garlic olive oil
• parmesan cheese to sprinkle

Instructions:

Cook the pasta following instructions on the package. Drain well. Add the garlic olive oil. Mix well. Set aside. In a skillet, fry the mushrooms. Slice the onions and add the carrot. Fry the garlic the last minute for a more flavorful taste. Arrange on top of the pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

You need:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/3 cup bread crumbs
• 1 onion
• 2 eggs
• salt to taste
• spice of your choice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large tomatoes, or 1 can diced tomatoes
• 2-3 garlic cloves

Instructions:

Mix well all the ingredients besides the tomatoes and garlic. Form the meatballs with wet hands. Fry the meatballs into a frying pan. Add the diced tomatoes, garlic, and some salt. Keep cooking for 10 more minutes. Serve with pasta.

Goulash (Гулаш)

You need:

·       1 pound  turkey breast

·       2 large onions, chopped

·       1 carrot

·       4 oz mushrooms

·       3 cups water

·       1 can diced tomatoes

·       3 cloves garlic

·       3 bay leaves

·       2 cups dried macaroni

·       salt to taste

Instructions:

Wash, chop and fry the turkey breast over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms, onions and the carrot to the skillet and sauté until they are tender about 5-6 minutes. Add 3 cups water, along with the diced tomato, garlic, bay leaves, and seasoned salt. Stir well. Place a lid on the pot/skillet and allow this to cook for another 20 to 25 minutes on medium heat. In the mean time, boil the macaroni following the instructions on the package. Turn off the heat and remove the bay leaves. Top the macaroni with the turkey and the veggies. Serve warm!

Macaroni and Cheese with Asparagus

You need:

·       12 oz macaroni

·       ¾ gallons of water

·       1 teaspoon of salt

·       3 bunches of asparagus

·       4 oz cheddar

Instructions:
Bring ¾ gallons water to boil for the pasta. Add salt to taste. Meanwhile, trim ½ an inch from the base ends of the asparagus then cut the spears in half. Cook the macaroni following the instructions on the package. A minute before the pasta is ready, add the asparagus pieces to the water and stir gently. Drain and put immediately into a large saucepan. On low heat, add the cheese. Stir well until the macaroni is creamy and totally coated with the cheese. Serve warm!

Sweet Macaroni Casserole

You need:

• 1/2 pound long macaroni noodles
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups of white sugar
• 1/3 cup of butter
• 2 cups of milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

Cook the macaroni in slightly salted water until tender. Drain well. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the macaroni into a baking dish. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and spread out the butter. Pour over 2 cups of sugar and milk. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and spread evenly over the casserole. Bake for 40 minutes until the custard has set and top is slightly browned. This serves 6.

Russian Potstickers (Pelmeni)

Ingredients:

- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt,2-3 bay leaves
- 1/2 lb. ground beef
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper

Instructions:
Sift the flour into a large pile on a clean surface and place the eggs in the center. Make the dough by adding warm water gradually, knead it. Cover it and let stand for 15-20 minutes.
In a separate bowl, mix the ground beef, the onion, and pepper, and ½ tsp salt together.
Working on a flour-dusted surface, roll the dough into a long roll, about an inch in diameter, cut the roll into pieces, inch and a half length. Form circles using rolling pin. Place a tablespoon of the meat filling in the center and fold the dough over, pinching it to completely seal the pelmeni into a small packet and turn the corners to face each other, making a small circle.
Boil a generous amount of water with 1tsp. salt and 2-3 bay leaves. Keep all the pelmeni completely submerged. Drop the pelmeni into the boiling water. Boil for 12 minutes.
Arrange with sour cream, or make a tomato sauce with fresh garlic and basil.