Main Dishes

Make potato-and-cheese varenyky with a soft egg dough. Cook the potato filling first, seal the dumplings firmly and boil until tender. Serve with sour cream and fresh dill.

Cook spaghetti carbonara with bacon, garlic, egg yolks, Parmesan and pecorino. Toss off the heat with reserved pasta water for a creamy sauce. Finish with black pepper.

Simmer tomatoes with onion, garlic and dried herbs in vegetable broth, then blend smooth. Finish each bowl with a little cream if you wish. Serve with toasted bread.

Roast two whole garlic heads until soft, then simmer with onion, potato and broth for a mellow garlic soup. Blend for a creamy texture without cream. Enjoy with toasted bread.

Make broccoli cheddar soup with a butter-and-flour roux, milk, broth and two cups of broccoli. Add cheese off high heat for a smooth finish. Serve with crusty bread.

Cook tomato-pepper adjika with garlic and hot peppers for a bold sauce. Follow the source’s large batch, then refrigerate it rather than shelf-store jars. Freeze extra portions.

Simmer cabbage soup with 400 g veal, potatoes, carrot and a 400 g can of tomato juice. Cook the meat until tender, then serve the richly flavored broth. Serve hot with bread.

Cook four salmon portions in a soy-honey glaze with fresh ginger, garlic and lemon. Keep used marinade away from the serving sauce and check the fish centers. Serve with rice.

Bake beef samsa from 500 g flour dough with a 500 g minced beef and onion filling. Seal the pastries well, bake golden and check the meat centers are fully cooked.

Make pork liver patties with 500 g liver, onion, carrot, two eggs and semolina. Rest the mixture, pan-cook small patties and check their centers for thorough doneness.

Make home-style chicken and green bean soup with 1 kg chicken, three potatoes, carrot and onion. Add green beans near the end and cook the chicken thoroughly before serving.

Make Greek lemon chicken soup with chicken, rice, two eggs and the juice of two lemons. Temper the egg-lemon mixture gently for a silky broth without curdling the eggs.