As Easter is approaching and families will soon be gathering over the holiday period.. I thought I might share a few of my Estonian recipes.
Pashka (Easter dessert)
Pashka is actually a Russian dessert that is eaten widely in Estonia too.
Ingredients:
750g cottage cheese
1 cup cream
2 egg yolks
½ cup castor sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla essence
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped blanched almonds
Method:
Rub the cottage cheese through a sieve to avoid any lumps. Mix the egg yolks with sugar. Add all ingredients gradually, mixing with wooden spoon, shape into round balls. Serve on plain biscuits or dried bread. This does not need cooking and can be made two days before serving and kept in the refrigerator.
Pikkpois (meat loaf)
Ingredients:
250g veal mince
250g beef mince
250g pork mince
1 onion, chopped and gently fried in butter
2 slices of dried bread
¼ cup milk
1 tablespoon sour cream
3 eggs
2 tablespoons of chopped green pepper
breadcrumbs
Salt to taste
Method:
Soak the bread in milk and combine with the minced meats. Add the fried onion, salt, sour cream, eggs and pepper. Mix well and form into loaf. Place into greased tin and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake in a moderate oven for one hour.
Fish Salad
Ingredients:
100g rice
2 cups water
2 apples
1 tin canned plums
150g smoked or dried fish fillets
50g grated cheese
2 hard boiled eggs
6 lettuce leaves
4 sprigs of dill
4 tablespoons of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons plum juice
Salt, pepper, sugar to taste
Method:
Boil rice in salted water until soft, rinse under cold water and drain. Drain plums and remove stones then cube apples, Cut fish fillets into small pieces, slice eggs, combine mayonnaise, lemon and plum juice, sugar, salt and pepper. Line salad bowl with lettuce leaves, later rice, plums, apples and fish. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Pour sauce over and garnish with dill and eggs.
750g cottage cheese
1 cup cream
2 egg yolks
½ cup castor sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla essence
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped blanched almonds
Method:
Rub the cottage cheese through a sieve to avoid any lumps. Mix the egg yolks with sugar. Add all ingredients gradually, mixing with wooden spoon, shape into round balls. Serve on plain biscuits or dried bread. This does not need cooking and can be made two days before serving and kept in the refrigerator.
Pikkpois (meat loaf)
Ingredients:
250g veal mince
250g beef mince
250g pork mince
1 onion, chopped and gently fried in butter
2 slices of dried bread
¼ cup milk
1 tablespoon sour cream
3 eggs
2 tablespoons of chopped green pepper
breadcrumbs
Salt to taste
Method:
Soak the bread in milk and combine with the minced meats. Add the fried onion, salt, sour cream, eggs and pepper. Mix well and form into loaf. Place into greased tin and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake in a moderate oven for one hour.
Fish Salad
Ingredients:
100g rice
2 cups water
2 apples
1 tin canned plums
150g smoked or dried fish fillets
50g grated cheese
2 hard boiled eggs
6 lettuce leaves
4 sprigs of dill
4 tablespoons of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons plum juice
Salt, pepper, sugar to taste
Method:
Boil rice in salted water until soft, rinse under cold water and drain. Drain plums and remove stones then cube apples, Cut fish fillets into small pieces, slice eggs, combine mayonnaise, lemon and plum juice, sugar, salt and pepper. Line salad bowl with lettuce leaves, later rice, plums, apples and fish. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Pour sauce over and garnish with dill and eggs.
