Old Family Favorite...Bread Dough & Beet Leaf (Ukrainian) $5 to Feed an Army

Yup, I'm Ukrainian and was raised on Ukrainian, Polish and Russian Poor Man's Food.

Many of the recipes such as Pierogies (Most will know) have a version in all of these Countries. In fact, I've found that most Countries around the World will have a version of food wrapped in a dough or leaf of some sort. Cheap, easy and Yummy!

Anyhoo, I was missing something that I had as a kid and that was bread dough and beet leaf. (A form of holuptsi) So, I decided to make it up today in the bakery for supper when my wife and I close tonight.

I forgot how easy it was and how basic as well. Mom used to make it as it sounds: Bread dough, beet leaves wrapped up and served with a little garlic butter and bacon dribbled over it.

Then we have my version...

I don't use beet leaf but rather Kale or Chard. Pic is chard. My dough is just a basic bread dough...water, salt, yeast, sugar and flour. Done.

Once the dough rises 2x the size, beat it down and start tearing off 50 gram pieces (or whatever you decide) roll it out with your hand and wrap the leaf around it. Should wrap 2-3 times around it.

butter up a small cake pan and start laying them out. Throw some onions over the layer and a melted butter mix of dill, butter, thyme, garlic, black pepper and a little salt. Now do another layer and repeat. (Sometimes a layer of crushed tomatoes in the middle is great as well.

Let rise for 30 minutes and bake at 350 for approx. 40-50 minutes. Make another batch of your favorite garlic butter and spices, melt and pour over the top. Don't be shy!

Servings: An Army!
Cost: $5
Smiles: Too many to count.

Peace

My wife's family is of the same heritage.

She makes some Ukranian food but nothing like this. I wish she had, because it looks good.

Thanks for sharing.

(bookmarked too!)

Originally posted by TFCJay
My wife's family is of the same heritage.

She makes some Ukranian food but nothing like this. I wish she had, because it looks good.

Thanks for sharing.

(bookmarked too!)

All those old Ukrainian, Polish, Russian recipes are very basic. Cheap to feed a family of farmers etc.

I just like to re-invent a little without traveling too far from the original tho. This pan will feed many on just a few dollars and can be made in minutes.

Peace

We often make perogies from scratch here at home. It is an all day affair. The dough, the filling, the LABOR! But, it is so gooood. Borscht too. My wife makes that and I could live off it.

Originally posted by TFCJay
We often make perogies from scratch here at home. It is an all day affair. The dough, the filling, the LABOR! But, it is so gooood. Borscht too. My wife makes that and I could live off it.

I remember all the moms and Grandmas standing around drinking wine and beer, laughing and pinching perogy all day long. The kids got to play outside in the garden eating strawberries and snow peas etc.

And then...SUPPER TIME!

Good memories.

Now, we make Gluten Free perogies for our bakery and they sell out as fast as we make them.

Peace

Oh that looks delicious! I love trying new foods!

Originally posted by Night Star
Oh that looks delicious! I love trying new foods!

We just did a Mussel Bake, made some garlic butter, mixed the mussel juice with the butter and dipped the breads into the entire damn thing.

I just peed...

Yum!

Peace

Awesome Jude!!
Id never heard of this, but the husband is on a kale kick.... perfect timing! I often try a new recipe ( Im on the paleo diet, so I make new stuff for the fam) and was looking at E European recipes just for a change. The husband's family was originally from Russia... both sides came to Nebraska several generations go and ... he came along. Many interesting and strange meals ( to me anyway) at his family xmas and gatherings. Many things like this... breads and cheap meals that go a long way! The look of your dish reminded me of Holubtsi.. cabbage rolls.

i'm a chef by trade and have always been fascinated by European peasant food probably because I'm of German and English descent. My last job and current job were both in high end restaurants and I just don't get the same satisfaction as i do when cooking old world food at home. i'm very lucky though because i live near Detroit which has a very large polish population, and am thinking about finding a nicer restaurant to further my training in this area.

some books if your interested that i use a lot include "The Old World Kitchen" by Elisabeth Luard & "The Foods and Wines Of Spain" by Penelope Casas. Both can be found very cheap on online book selling sites. About a month ago I tried a milk braised pork recipe out of the second book and it was the best piece of pork I or any of my coworkers said they have ever had.

reply to post by jude11


This is a weird looking dish, if you ask me. I am Ukie too, but never seen anything like that. What part of Ukraine is it from? We usually stuff the dough with something, not wrap it with leaves. Holubtsi are just cabbage rolls stuffed with ground meat and veggies, no dough involved.
Very curious.

Originally posted by jude11

Now, we make Gluten Free perogies for our bakery and they sell out as fast as we make them.

Peace

Well, now that you said it, I have to ask it. What recipe do you use for the gluten free perogies?? We live in a small mountain town, and there's not much for gluten free stuff around here. My g/f is extremely allergic to gluten, so we have to watch what we make and where we get it.

I'm sure she would love a batch of gluten free perogies, so if you wouldn't mind, I would appreciate a good recipe.

Not exactly traditional, but I've made borscht in a crock pot before. I did a mirepoix along with some pork on the stove, then threw it in the crock pot with the beets and other ingredients. Add a little cabbage at the end, and serve with some sour cream!

Oh, and you can use turkey bags as crock pot liners. Borscht in a bag

When I was in Moldova I was served something called "cold soup". They basically took a bunch of raw chicken feet and boiled them up, and chilled it overnight. It looked like clear jell-o with chicken feet suspended inside.

My grandmother on my mom's side would make holuptsi and pierogi when I was young. The holuptsi she made was cabbage leaves wrapped around a mixture of beef and rice that was stewed in tomato sauce. Delicious. RIP Grandma.

Thank you for the memories, OP.

Originally posted by ActuallyActuary
reply to post by jude11

 

This is a weird looking dish, if you ask me. I am Ukie too, but never seen anything like that. What part of Ukraine is it from? We usually stuff the dough with something, not wrap it with leaves. Holubtsi are just cabbage rolls stuffed with ground meat and veggies, no dough involved.
Very curious.

The traditional Holubtsi is exactly how you described it. Usually with rice, ground pork or beef, tomato sauce etc.

I tried to find the name for this dish but the only thing I remember it being called is bread dough and beet leaves. I also googled and found the only reference is "a form of Holubtsi " so I went with that.

Mom, dad, grandma used to make it and call it bread dough with beet leaves.

There are many recipes for it on google as well.

So for right now I call it bread dough with chard leaves.

Peace

You all speak really good English for Ukrainians, I would have just presumed you were all British, Australian or Cnaadian or something!

Will give the recipe a try one time.

reply to post by jude11


That is some pretty good stuff, it has been a while since the wife has made some

reply to post by jude11


Well, putting something inside the dough should make the dish even more interesting, but that would defy your purpose of feeding an army on $5 budget. I personally would prefer thick meaty Borscht with Pampushki z Chasnykom. Nom-nom-nom...

reply to post by jude11
Ummm......We always called holuptsi...pigs in a blanket...it sounds like the same recipe, (ground beef or pork, rice, onion, spices) etc, but we roll it in grape leaves, also cooked in a tomato sauce. I'm definitly going to have to try the beet leaves and dough...it sounds and looks delicious. The pigs in a blanket works really well with hot sausage for the ground meat also.

YouSir

Looks good OP, Reminds me of halupkis(Hamburger and rice mix wrapped in cabbage leaf and baked in tomato sauce)

Originally posted by jude11

Originally posted by Night Star
Oh that looks delicious! I love trying new foods!

We just did a Mussel Bake, made some garlic butter, mixed the mussel juice with the butter and dipped the breads into the entire damn thing.

I just peed...

Yum!

Peace

I am originally from the east coast. You are making me homesick.

We used to go clam digging when the tide was out. Could fill a 5 gallon bucked in an hour. Also used to collect oysters which we ate raw and quohogs.