Prayers Before and After Meals

BEFORE MEALS:

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom
come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our
daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who tres-
pass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever
and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. (3x)
O Christ our God, bless the food, drink, and fellowship of Thy servants, for
Thou art holy always, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

AFTER MEALS:

We give thanks to Thee, O Christ our God, that Thou hast satisfied us with
Thy earthly blessings; deprive us not also of Thy Heavenly Kingdom. As
Thou didst come to Thy disciples and didst grant them peace; so come to
us and save us, O Savior.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever
and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. (3x)
Blessed is God, Who has fed and nourished us with His bountiful gifts by
His grace and compassion always, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Amen.
St Elisabeth Convent
 Table of contents
Main Courses ................................................................................................................ 5
5 Lean Creamy Soups ............................................................................................. 6
Cream of Spinach Soup ......................................................................................... 7
Cream of Champignons Soup ............................................................................ 8
Creamy Avocado soup ........................................................................................... 9
Creamy Pumpkin Soup ........................................................................................ 10
Creamy Tomato Soup ........................................................................................... 11
Lenten Vegan Crepes with Mashed Potatoes ............................................. 12
Fish Fillets with Pineapple .................................................................................. 15
Onion and Potato Pancakes............................................................................... 18
Stuffed Squids with Buckwheat ....................................................................... 20
Tender Fish Cakes .................................................................................................. 21
Lean Pizza, Recipe 1 .............................................................................................. 22
Lean Pizza, Recipe 2 .............................................................................................. 23
Lean Pizza, Recipe 3 .............................................................................................. 24
Yeast Pizza Dough ................................................................................................. 25
No-Yeast Pizza Dough .......................................................................................... 26
Yeast Pizza Dough with Red Beans ................................................................. 26
Pastries and Desserts ............................................................................................. 27
Banana Pie ................................................................................................................ 28
Vegan Banana Pie .................................................................................................. 30
No Bake Vegan Banana Pie ................................................................................ 30
Lenten Pastries ........................................................................................................ 31
Lean biscuits with walnuts and raisins .......................................................... 32
Lean Honey Biscuits with Potatoes ................................................................. 33
Lean Honey and Rye Biscuits with Rosehip ................................................ 34
Lenten Birthday Pie ............................................................................................... 36
Traditional Vegan Pie with Cinnamon and Nuts ....................................... 37
Fasts and Feasts ........................................................................................................ 39
No-yeast Paschal Kulich ...................................................................................... 40
Wheat Berry Christmas Kutia ............................................................................ 43
Buckwheat Pancakes ............................................................................................ 44
Cornmeal-wheat Pancakes ................................................................................ 45
Custard Pancakes ................................................................................................... 46
Yeast Pancakes ........................................................................................................ 47
Cottage Cheese Easter Pascha.......................................................................... 48
Traditional Christmas Drink Uzvar ................................................................. 50
Uzvar from Fresh Apples ..................................................................................... 50
Uzvar from Dried Fruit ......................................................................................... 51
Uzvar from Rosehips ............................................................................................ 52

4
Main Courses

5
 5 Lean Creamy Soups
Creamy soups are popular worldwide, but the
traditions around their consumption vary. In the
south, creamy soup is a refreshing dessert, and in
the North, it is eaten to keep warm. Legend has
it that the French King Louis XV invented creamy
soup after a day’s hunting. Starving, he raided
the pantry of his hunting lodge but found only
onions, butter and champagne. He threw the
lot into the pot, et voila: the royal creme soup.
Onions, butter, chicken broth, white bread, and
hard cheese were some of the key ingredients
in the original recipe. This book offers five more
low-fat recipes for creamy soups. They can be of-
fered as a starter or a main course.
Cream of Spinach Soup
Ingridients Preparation
• 1 onion In a skillet, fry the onion in olive or vegetable oil
• 1 potato until translucent.
• 150 g beans
Add the potato and cook for several more min-
• 1 bunch spinach
• Water to taste utes.
• Garlic, salt and Cover with water and cook over low heat for an-
pepper to taste other 15-20 minutes.
Add beans. Put salt, pepper and garlic. Use dried
or fresh garlic as desired.
Cook gently for another 5-10 minutes. Puree the
soup with a hand blender.
Add fresh spinach and cook for 5-10 minutes
and blend until smooth.
Enjoy!

7
Cream of Champignons Soup
Ingridients Preparation
• 200 g Champignons Chop the potatoes into large chunks and cook
• 1/2 onion in water until fork-tender.
• 1 - 2 potatoes
Dice the onion and fry in a small amount of oil
• 1-2 celery stalks
• Parsley, salt
until golden brown.
and pepper to taste Meanwhile, slice the champignons, add to the
• 1 tablespoon onion and keep cooking.
vegetable oil After 5-7 minutes, add sliced celery stalks and
• 700 ml water
continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes.
Transfer in a saucepan, and add salt and pepper
to taste.
Mix in minced parsley. Puree with a blender un-
til smooth and thick.
Serve and enjoy!

8
Creamy Avocado soup
Ingridients Preparation
• 1 cucumber Important: before you begin, check that cucum-
• 1 medium avocado ber and avocado are ripe.
• Lemon juice, salt and
Dice the avocado and cucumber, add the lem-
pepper to taste
on juice salt and pepper, blend until smooth
and creamy. Serve this fresh and tasty soup
and enjoy!

9
Creamy Pumpkin Soup
Ingridients Preparation
• 300 g pumpkin, Cut the pumpkin and carrot into large dice and
chopped cover with water.
• 150 g celery root
Add salt to taste and cook until fork-tender.
• 150 g carrot
• 1 tablespoon ginger Slice the onion, celery and garlic and fry in olive
root, rough grated oil until golden brown.
• 1 onion Blend fried vegetables with the grated ginger
• 1 clove garlic root and pumpkin.
• Olive oil to taste
• 1 green pepper Serve with cubes or strips of sweet paprika and
herbs.

10
Creamy Tomato Soup
Ingridients Preparation
• 300 g tomatoes Peel the tomatoes. Finely dice the onions and
• 1 onion brown lightly in a pan.
• 20 ml vegetable oil
Cut the tomatoes into larger dice than the on-
• Salt, black pepper,
herbs to taste ions, mix in with the onions.
• 1 leaf basil Sautee until the tomatoes begin to release juices.
Add salt, pepper and hot water. Reduce the heat
to low and cook for about 10 minutes. Turn off
the heat. Puree with a blender, leave to cool.
Blend again when cool.
Pour into a bowl. Serve hot or cooled with lem-
on juice and basil.

11
Lenten Vegan Crepes with
Mashed Potatoes
The Great Lent is the time we prepare for Pas-
cha, the Resurrection of Christ. Christians abstain
from meat, eggs and dairy products and engage
in prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Yet we still
need healthy and nutritious meals to keep our
energy levels up, even when we fast. Nun Nata-
lia shares the recipe for one such meal - vegan
crepes. It is dairy and egg free, and thus perfect-
ly appropriate for the Lenten weeks. The crepes
have a wonderfully soft and tender texture and
are easy to prepare.
Happy fasting!
Ingridients Preparation
For the crepes: In a large bowl, combine salt, sugar, sparkling
• 500 g all-purpose flour water, and a small amount of oil. Slowly mix in
• 1 liter sifted flour to reach your desired consistency.
sparkling water Use a hand mixer if needed.
• 100 ml sunflower
seed oil For the filling, boil and mash the potatoes. Fine-
• 1 teaspoon salt chop and sautee the onions, add to the pota-
• 2 teaspoons sugar toes.
For the filling: Fry crêpes in a pan for 1-2 minutes on one side.
Flip when it looks dry on top. Cook for 15-30
• 1 kg potatoes
seconds on the other side. Fill the crêpes with
• 2 onions
mashed potatoes and onions filling. Brush the
outer side with oil.
Serve and enjoy.
video

13
Egg substitutes for crêpes and pancakes
In baked goods, eggs add moisture, color and
richness in flavor, and also do many other essen-
tial jobs. However, when eggs are not available
or cannot be used due to dietary requirements,
some recipes provide effective substitutes.
Carbonated Water
Our recipe uses carbonated water. In crêpes,
its bubbles help create a light and delicate end
product. You will love the airy, cloud-like texture
of your crêpes. Carbonated water can be used
instead of eggs in many Lenten treats.
Nut or seed butter (peanut, almond, or sun-
flower)
Nut butter is a superb substitute for eggs in
crêpes. For nut allergies, use a seed butter, like
sunflower butter. Nut butter acts as a binder to
hold the batter together. It also adds richness to
the flavor.
Vinegar and Baking Soda
In most recipes, you can replace eggs by com-
bining vinegar with baking soda. A single tea-
spoon of baking soda mixed with one table-
spoon of vinegar is as good as one egg. Vinegar
and baking soda start a chemical reaction that
produces carbon dioxide and water, making
your crêpes light and airy.
Mashed Bananas
Mashed bananas can also replace eggs, similar
to other fruits like avocado. Note that banan-
as add a slight flavor that can be incompatible
with the other ingredients, so check before use.

14
 Can fish and pineapple be
eaten together?
It is not uncommon for people to be skeptical of fish
cooked with pineapple. Some wonder if these ingri-
dients can be combined. The short answer is yes. Fish
and pineapple not only taste well, but they are also
abundant sources of valuable nutrients.
Brazil has a long tradition of eating fish with the fruit.
Nun Rebecca, a Brazilian who lives at Saint Elisabeth
Convent, shared this popular recipe for pineapple fish
from her home country. Variations of this recipe exist
in several other national food traditions, including Ha-
waii, Morocco and parts of Asia.
According to scientists, the acids in the fruit interact
with the fish oil to help digestion. However, individu-
als with ulcers, inflammation of the stomach or intes-
tines or other digestive disorders should consume oily
fish and pineapple with caution. Otherwise, you have
nothing to fear. Prepare the ingredients and share the
fun of cooking this delicious Brazilian meal. Delight
guaranteed!
Fish Fillets with
Pineapple
Ingridients Preparation
• Fish Begin by choosing the fish you will use. Typical-
• Pineapple ly, any firm, fleshy and moist fish are compati-
• Dill ble with pineapple. Some good choices include
• 2 cloves of garlic bass, snapper orange roughy, tilapia, halibut,
• Parsley
trout, cod, or haddock. You can use whichever
• Salt
• Pepper
fish you prefer or is available. Nun Rebecca’s fa-
• Lemon juice vorite for this recipe is trout.
• 1 tablespoon honey Season the fish filet with salt and pepper. Add
• 3 tablespoons garlic, sprinkle with lemon juice and let rest for
mustard 5-10 minutes to absorb the flavors.
• 2 tablespoons
sour cream
Now prepare the pineapple. The pineapple
needs to be ripe. But how do we choose a ripe
pineapple at the grocery store? Here is an easy
tip: gently tug at the large leaves protruding

16
 from the top. They should pull out easily if a
pineapple is ready to enjoy.
The most acidic part of the pineapple lies un-
der the skin, so peel the fruit thoroughly. When
done, slice the pineapple into rings or wedges.
You are now ready to cook the fish. Heat a skil-
let to at least 300 F (150 C), place the fish and fry
until soft.
Finally, whisk mustard, honey and sour cream to
prepare the sauce. It will add a delicious flavor
to the dish.
Your pineapple fish is ready to serve. Place a pine-
apple slice on the plate, put the fried fish over it,
top with the sauce and season with herbs.
video
Onion and Potato
Pancakes ‘Draniki’
Belarusian potato pancakes Draniki are cooked from the simplest products:
potatoes, onions, salt and oil. It is a perfect vegan dish, it is very tasty and
filling. As a dressing a sour cream or apple mousse may be used.

Ingridients Preparation
• 6 potatoes Start by fine-grating the onion. Always use a
• 1 onion fine grater for best results. It is a must-have if
• 1 teaspoon salt you want to make delicious potato pancakes.
• Seed oil
• Sour cream Potatoes oxidize and darken quickly, so start by
(as a dressing) grating the onions. By stirring the potatoes into
• Herbs the onions, we help the potatoes keep their col-
or longer. You can also keep your potato mix
fresh by using new potatoes: old potatoes dark-
en faster. Also, prefer high-starch varieties for
the best taste.
Put the grated potatoes into a bowl, add a tea-

18
 spoon of salt and mix.
This recipe does not use flour or eggs, some
common ingredients in most versions of pota-
to pancakes. They enhance texture and flavor
but are inappropriate during fasting periods
or for vegetarians. Our substitute makes the
dish good for everyone in any season, fasting
or non-fasting. But how can we preserve tex-
ture and flavor without eggs? By draining the
potato mix before putting it on the pan! Emp-
ty the mix into a sieve, leave for several min-
utes and stir periodically. New potatoes absorb
larger amounts of moisture and take longer to
drain. Put the remaining starch from the sieve
back into the mix. We recommend adding 1-2
tablespoons of vegetable oil for softness and a
crispier crust.
video
Stir thoroughly. Pan-fry on both sides to a
nice golden color. When done, place the pan-
cakes on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
Season with herbs and serve with sour cream
or apple mousse.
Stuffed Squids with Buckwheat
Stuffed squids with buckwheat are a healthy and delicious meal perfect for
the New Year feast table.
Ingridients Preparation
• 600 g squids 1. Dice the champignons and onions
• 2 tablespoons
2. Grate the carrots
buckwheat
• 4 onions 3. Put the vegetables in a pan, add salt, sautee
• 2 carrots 5. Add in the mushrooms, and cook over medi-
• 500 g champignons um-low heat for 25-30 minutes
• Salt to taste
• 4 tablespoons water
6. Pour buckwheat groats into the vegetables
• vegetable oil with champignons
• flour 7. Add 4 cups of water and cook for 30 minutes
8. Check for readiness of vegetables and cereals
10. Fill the squids with the vegetable-groat fill-
ing and fry
11. Additionally, bake for 15 minutes at 180 C
Serve and enjoy

20
Eating healthy is an es-
sential part of our lives,
and as the Elders say,
we must consume our
food with gratitude and
prayer to the Lord. That
will make our spirits so-
ber and keep us in good
health. Here is one sim-
ple recipe for a healthy
and delicious meal.

Tender Fish Cakes

Ingridients Our first step is to slice the fish filet, but first,
• 500 g fish (use two we need to de-skin it. Sometimes, we can make
varieties for best this task easier by cutting the filet in half. Firm
results) and fleshy fish can be sliced with the skin. We
• 4 eggs need small slices no longer than 3 cm, and we
• 3-4 tablespoons do not want any bones in them. Fish cakes can
mayonnaise also be made from minced fish, but slices give
• 3-4 tablespoons
the best taste.
all-purpose flour
• 1-2 onions Use several varieties of fish with different fat
• 1 lemon content. Sander and trout are advised. Season
• Fish seasonings one fish with spices and add lemon juice, then
• Rosemary add the other chopped fish and marinate for
• Salt 2-3 hours.
• Olive oil
Now whisk the eggs and empty into the fish
video
mix. Stir in mayonnaise and let rest for around
30 minutes. Add finely chopped onions (fresh
or sauteed), and a pinch of rosemary for fla-
vour. Slowly stir in the flour. Form cakes and
pan-fry in olive oil.

21
Lean Pizza, Recipe 1
Ingridients Preparation
• 2-3 large tomatoes Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper,
• 1 eggplant drizzle oil and spread out the dough.
• 1 bunch cherry
Peel the tomatoes and puree with a blender.
tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil Spread the tomato mass over the dough and
• Salt and seasonings put basil leaves on top.
to taste Slice one half of the eggplant, and finely dice
• Fresh basil to taste the other.
Put the eggplant and cherry tomato slices on
the pizza, drizzle oil and salt.
Season the pizza with dried herbs and place in
an oven preheated to 180 ° C. Bake for 15-20
minutes. Decorate the finished dish with basil
leaves for flavor if desired.

22
Lean Pizza, Recipe 2
Ingridients Preparation
• Dried tomatoes Prepare the ingredients for the topping, add ol-
• Jalapeno peppers ive oil and seasonings to taste.
• Cherry tomatoes
Now, Roll out the dough. Spread the sauce.
• Broccoli
• Canned corn Add the topping and place in a preheated oven.
• Red onion Bake at 180 ° C for 30 minutes.
• Fresh basil
Cool and add more sauce on top.
• Low-calorie
mayonnaise,
or substitute

23
Lean Pizza, Recipe 3
Ingridients
• 3 tomatoes
• 1 sweet pepper
• 1 onion
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon
tomato paste
• salt and seasonings
to taste
• 200 g champignons
• 200 g broccoli
• 100 g string beans
• 1 bunch olives
Preparation
Peel the tomatoes and puree with a blender.
Slice half of the pepper and onion, heat a skillet,
add oil, saute over medium heat.
Combine the tomato paste, water and chopped
tomatoes, add sugar, salt and pepper and sim-
mer until thickened.
Wash and slice the champignons and saute in a
skillet. Cook the broccoli for 3-4 minutes.
Spread the tomato mix over the dough and top
with the mushrooms, broccoli, string beans,
halves of olives and sauteed pepper and onion.
Preheat the oven to 200° C. Place the pizza in the
oven and bake for 15 minutes until the dough is
golden.
24
Yeast Pizza Dough
Ingridients Preparation
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Stir the yeast and sugar in warm water and let sit
dry yeast for 10 minutes.
• 1 pinch sugar
• 125 ml water Add the yeast to the flour
• 200 g flour Knead until the dough is sticky but not wet.
• 1 tablespoon Add to a bowl and cover with a towel. Let the
olive oil
dough rise at room temperature for about 1
hour. Then you can make your pizza!

25
No-Yeast Pizza Dough
Ingridients
• 350 g wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon soda
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 200 ml water
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Yeast pizza dough with red beans
Ingridients
• 90 g red beans, dry
• 1 teaspoon dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 200 g wheat flour
• 250 ml water
• 200 g whole grain flour
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
Preparation
Mix the soda with the lemon juice, add the flour
and salt
Slowly add water to the flour and stir.
Dust some flour on the table surface and knead the
dough thoroughly.
Preparation
Soak the red beans overnight, drain, bring to a boil and
simmer for one hour until soft. Puree with a blender.
Combine 100 g of wheat flour, yeast and sugar and
add warm water.
Stir and let sit at room temperature for 40 minutes.
Add the wheat and whole grain flour, salt, bean puree
and olive oil and knead.
Place in a bowl, cover with a towel and let rise at room
temperature for one hour.
Now you can make your pizza. Good luck!
26
Pastries
and
Desserts

27
The History of Banana Pie
Pies have been known for centuries. Cream pie,
for example, is an ancient delicacy dating back
to the Middle Ages. However, before the 1880s,
cookbooks did not contain a single recipe for a
pie with banana as an ingredient. Why? Believe it
or not, there were times when bananas were rare,
and certainly not as widely available in stores as
they are now. But when bananas did enter the
cookbooks, they soon became a popular ingredi-
ent in many European and North American dish-
es, including pie.
Nun Rebecca brings us a banana pie recipe from
her home country Brazil. It is easy to prepare and
offers an egg-free vegan option. You can enjoy
this delicious pie over a cup of coffee with your
family and friends, and it takes less than 50 min-
utes to make.
Banana Pie
Ingridients Preparation
• 4 ripe bananas You can cook a banana pie in six easy steps.
• 2 teaspoons
1. Finely chop the bananas
cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon 2. Combine flour, sugar, eggs, milk, butter and
baking powder cinnamon in a large bowl to make the batter.
• 2-3 eggs; Add baking powder and stir.
• 100 g. butter 3. Preheat the baking form and melt the butter
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sugar 4. Make a banana layer inside the form
• 1 cup flour 5. Empty the batter into the form
6. Preheat the oven to 220 C (428 °F) and bake
for 45 minutes.
video

29
Vegan Banana Pie
This recipe may take somewhat longer to prepare, but it is surely worth the effort. The
superb taste and flavor of your pie will be your reward. Here is how.

Ingridients
• 4 ripe bananas
• 400 ml coconut cream
• 3 tablespoons
maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon
vanilla extract
• ½ cup cornstarch
• 1 ½ cups flour
• 1 tablespoon
baking soda
• ½ cup vegan butter
• 5-6 tablespoons
cold water
Preparation
1. Combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda and vegan
butter and place in a food processor
2. Mix in 1 tablespoon of maple syrup
3. Add water by the teaspoon until the batter thick-
ens into dough.
4. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Form rolls from the dough and place in a baking
pan. Shape the edges and put the pan in the freezer
for 5-10 minutes.
6. Bake the pie crust for 20 minutes until golden.
7. Combine coconut cream, maple syrup and vanilla
extract. Cook over medium heat.
8. Add cornstarch and whisk until it thickens.
9. Pour half of the mix over the pie crust and make a
layer of banana on top. Repeat twice.
10. Leave the pie in the fridge for several hours or
overnight.

No Bake Vegan Banana Pie

The no-bake version of the banana pie recipe has only three basic ingredients:
• 6 tablespoons vegan butter;
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon;
• 1 ½ cup graham cracker or cookie crumbs
Place the graham crackers in the food processor to make crumbs. Melt the but-
ter in a microwave. Mix the butter with the crumbs and add cinnamon. Press the
mixture evenly into your baking pan, covering the bottom and sides. Add the fill-
ing and place in the fridge.
I am often asked how many calories there are in a banana pie. All three recipes
are fairly low on calories because they do not use whipping cream. There are
nearly 380 calories in one serving of non-vegan banana cake, and about 330 cal-
ories in one serving of the Vegan version.

30
 Lenten Pastries
You might want to treat yourself to
some delicious homemade biscuits
once in a while, even when you are
fasting. We have put together some
recipes you can try.
Lean biscuits
with walnuts and raisins
Ingridients Preparation
• 1 tablespoon Combine finely crushed walnuts with minced
baking powder raisins
• 40 g raisins
• 450 g wheat flour Mix sugar, water and vegetable oil.
• 150 g water Add in the nuts, raisins, vanilla, baking powder
• 80 g sugar and sifted flour for the dough. Knead.
• 40 g vegetable oil
Roll out the dough. Make biscuits with a cutter
• 40 g walnuts
(as in this recipe) or a mold.
• 2 pinches vanilla
Place in an oven and bake for 15-20 minutes
at 180 ° C

32
Lean Honey Biscuits with Potatoes
Ingridients Preparation
• 3 medium-sized Boil the potatoes, peel and allow to cool.
potatoe
Add honey, vegetable oil and soda. Stir in the
• 5 tablespoons honey
flour until the dough is formed. The dough
• 4 tablespoons
vegetable oil should be of moist and sticky consistency.
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Dust flour on a working surface. Roll out the
flour dough to an even thickness of about 7 mm, and
• 100 g peanuts cut out the biscuits
• 1/5 tablespoons
Transfer to a baking sheet and top with crushed
baking soda
peanuts. Be sure to remove the skin from the
peanuts before crushing.
Bake at 220 ° C for 15 minutes.

33
Lean Honey and Rye Biscuits
with Rosehip
Ingridients Preparation
For infusion: Bring the water to a boil.
• 80 g dried rosehip Wash dry rosehips in running water and place in a
• 200 ml boiling water flask. Add boiling water, close tightly and let brew
For the dough: for 6-8 hours.
• 40 ml honey
Filter. Add vegetable oil, honey and lemon juice to
• 105 g rye flour
• 7 g baking powder 100 ml of the concentrated rosehip tea. Stir well.
• 1 tablespoon Combine the flour with baking powder and sift.
vegetable oil Add ground coriander. Knead the dough to a soft
• 1 teaspoon non-sticky consistency.
lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 180 C.
• 1/2 tablespoon
cumin (seeds) Split the dough into two equal parts and roll wal-
• 1/2 tablespoon nut-sized balls.
ground coriander Roll out or flatten the balls to a thickness of about
• 1 pinch salt 5 mm to make biscuits.

34
Put parchment over baking paper, and transfer
the cakes
Season with cumin.
Bake for 10-15 minutes at 180 C.
Remove from the oven, transfer to a dry pan, cover
with a lid and let sit for 10 minutes.
Enjoy!

35
Lenten Birthday Pie
Here is another delicious lenten pie recipe. It looks beautiful and is low on
calories and very easy to make - a superb treat for your holiday feast!
Ingridients Preparation
• 4 tablespoons flour Add 4 tablespoons of cocoa to 4 cups of flour.
• 4 tablespoons
Combine 2 cups of sugar, vanilla, nuts and boil-
cocoa powder
ing water. Add vegetable oil. Combine jam with
• 1 tablespoon walnuts
• 4 tablespoons baking soda and add to the mix.
vegetable oil Add flour. Add water and stir.
• 2 tablespoons sugar Prepare the baking form. Put the dough in the
• 3-5 g vanilla baking form, top with sesame or coconut chips.
• 2 tablespoons
Bake for 40 minutes at 180 C.
baking soda
• jam
• sesame or coconut
for the topping

36
Traditional Vegan Pie
with Cinnamon and Nuts
We all have our special dates, and beyond a doubt, no party can go without
a cake. Here at Saint Elisabeth Convent, we have a major celebration every
year on August 22. On that day in 1999, Metropolitan Philaret tonsured the
first three of our sisters to Rassophore and blessed seven others to join as
novices. We celebrate this day as our official birthday, and this delicious nut
and cinnamon cake takes the place of honor on our feast table. Try it for
your holiday, too. From our table to yours!
Ingridients Preparation
• 1 cup roasted walnuts Combine a tablespoon of yeast, half a table-
• 3 cups flour spoon of sugar and a glass of warm water. Check
• 1 1/2 cup sugar that the water is not hot. Now stir in one cup of
• 15 g vanilla sugar flour. Cover with a towel. Your yeast mix should
• 1 tablespoon yeast
be ready in 20 minutes.
• 20 g cinnamon
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups water In the meantime, crush the nuts for the top-
• 4 tablespoons ping. Add equal parts of cinnamon and sugar to
vegetable oil the crushed walnuts. Stir with a spoon or your

37
hands. Your topping is ready.
Now we can get ourselves busy with the dough. We will need one glass of
sugar. You can use less if you want it less sweet. Empty the sugar into the
water and stir well. Add vanilla sugar or vanilla extract for flavor and pour
in four tablespoons of vegetable oil. If you are using non-sifted flour, sift
some, but not all. By now, your yeast mix will have risen, so empty it in.
Mix well and add the rest of the flour.
Knead until soft and let rest. Repeat several times to remove excess air
and make your dough soft and smooth. When done, cover with a towel
and let sit at room temperature.
To continue, place the dough on a cutting board. Cut the dough in half if
you cannot fit it on the board in one piece. Roll out into a rectangle. Now
spread the filling and fold. Cut into small even slices, spread the filling
over the dough and fold. Cut into small even slices, and press on the side
of each slice to form roses.
Transfer to an oiled baking sheet, cover and let sit for 30 minutes. Now
you are ready to put your pie in an oven to bake. In the oven, the pieces
will join together and your pie will look like a lovely bunch of roses. Bake
at 180 C for 45 minutes to an hour.
As a finishing touch, put sugar icing. For the icing, dissolve 3-4 table-
spoons in boiling water and sprinkle the pie with the mix. That will add
moisture, gloss and a rich flavor.
Your pie will not need cutting: its pieces will come apart easily. Enjoy and
have a nice party!

video

38
 Fasts
and Feasts

39
 Paschal Kulich, a treat for the
Feast of Feasts
Kulich is a sweet Easter bread made with wheat flour. Most
Kuliches are cylindrical with a glazed surface. The letters XB
remind Christians of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice on the cross to
atone for their sins. Kulich is taken to the church to be bless-
ed. The blessing takes place after the Easter vigil. It is eaten
for breakfast or dessert for forty days from Easter to Pente-
cost.
It is common among families to develop their own Kulich
recipes over the years and refine them as they go along.
Generally, they use readily available and affordable ingre-
dients, such as raisins, nuts, and candied fruit. They pre-
fer round baking forms to give Kulich its unique cylindrical
shape. This cottage cheese recipe is for those who do not
like using yeast dough or are new to it, as well as those who
don’t have much time to cook. It takes about an hour to pre-
pare, so anyone can do it.
No-yeast
Paschal
Kulich

Ingridients Preparation
For the Kulich: Blend the cottage cheese to a creamy consis-
• 300 g cottage cheese tency. Whisk eggs, sugar, vanilla sugar, add salt
• 3 eggs and cooled melted butter. Stir well and add the
• 150 g sugar lemon zest. Only use the yellow part and dis-
• 20 g vanilla sugar card the white. You can substitute lemon zest
• 1 g salt with the zest of an orange. Colour with turmer-
• 70 g melted butter
ic if desired.
• Lemon zest
• Turmeric Slowly empty the cottage cheese into the egg
• 220-240 g wheat flour mixture and blend. Now add baking powder to
• 15 g baking powder the flour and stir into the dough.
• 130 g dried fruits Rinse the dried fruits, soak for 5 - 10 minutes
For the frosting: and chop. Add to the dough and mix.
• 40 g white chocolate Put melted oil on the Easter bread moulds
• 1 teaspoon sunflower, and add in the dough. Compress with a spoon
corn, vegetable dipped in oil. Bake on the bottom rack at 160-
or canola oil 170 C and leave to cool. In the meantime, slice
• candied fruit the candied fruits.
To prepare the frosting, melt the white choco-
video
late over a pan of simmering water or in a micro-
wave and add oil. Pour over the Kulich when it is
cool so that the frosting will not crumble when
you cut it. Top with candied fruits, nuts or rai-
sins. Happy Easter! Christ is Risen!

41
 Kolivo, Kutia, Sochivo
In a Christian’s life, reminders of the Kingdom of God are plen-
tiful. The beauty of the churches, the images of saints in golden
frames, and the vestments of the clergy are all reminiscent of the
riches of heaven. The foods we take to church to be blessed are
also symbolic of the world to come.
Kolivo, a meal cooked and consumed during strict fasts, is one of
these symbolic foods that bring the beauty of the spiritual realm
to a Christian. Translated from Greek as grain, it is also known in
this part of the world as Kutia, a more common name. Kutia is
typically made with honey and cereals, namely wheat, rice, or
barley, and sometimes with peas and pearl barley. Honey rep-
resents the sweetness of heaven, while the grain is a metaphor
for the Resurrection.
Kutia is quick and easy to prepare. However, it is rich in ener-
gy and nutrients, despite its reputation as an on-the-go meal.
Monks used to cook and eat it between services.
A variety of Kutia called Sochivo is consumed on the eve of
the great winter feasts, including the Nativity of Christ and the
Epiphany. After the blessing, Christians bring the dish home and
eat it for dinner after sunset. These special winter evenings have
come to be called Sochelnik. On Christmas Sochelnik, Christians
celebrate the good news of Christ’s birth brought to the Three
Kings by the rising Star, as narrated in the Bible.
Wheat Berry Christmas Kutia
Ingridients Preparation
• 2 cups wheat grain Add 2 cups of wheat to 12 cups of water, salt
• 1 cup coconut chips lightly, bring to a boil and cook for 2-3 hours.
• 1/4 cup black raisin Check for doneness periodically. Drain and
• 1/4 cup golden raisins rinse under cold running water. Spread a tow-
• 1/2 cup ground
el or cloth on a table, layer the wheat and leave
low-calorie biscuits
• 1/2 cup poppy seeds for 40-60 minutes to dry. Place in a mixing bowl
zest of 1 lemon (grated and slowly add the remaining ingredients ex-
on a fine grater) cept for the powdered sugar. Mix thoroughly.
• 1 cup walnuts Transfer to a bowl, and flatten the top with your
(1/3 finely chopped, hands. Spread the crushed breadcrumbs and
2/3 ground) dust with powdered sugar through a fine sieve.
• 50–100 g Top with raisins, fruit or nuts as desired.
of powdered sugar
• 1 cup white
bread crumbs;
• Raisins, dried berries,
fruits and nuts
for the topping

43
Buckwheat Pancakes
These can be served as a separate dish or made with a variety of fillings, of
which stewed cabbage, mashed potatoes or cooked vegetables with mush-
rooms are among the most common.
Ingridients Preparation
• 1 egg Combine the yogurt and egg, add salt, soda and
• 2 cups Greek yogurt sugar.
• 1/2 cup
Beat lightly with a fork.
buckwheat flour
• 1/2 cup wheat flour Sift the wheat and buckwheat flour and stir into
• 1 pinch salt the egg mix.
• 1 tablespoon Whisk thoroughly, add 2 tablespoons of oil.
baking soda
• 1 tablespoon sugar Cook thin pancakes with vegetable oil on a pre-
• 4 - 5 tablespoons heated skillet.
vegetable oil

44
Cornmeal-wheat Pancakes
These soft and tender pancakes are served with sour cream, butter, and cot-
tage cheese.

Ingridients Preparation
• 1 cup corn flour Whisk eggs, sugar, salt and vegetable oil togeth-
• 2 cups milk er. Add lukewarm milk.
• 4 eggs
Slowly stir in the cornflower until the batter is
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• A pinch of salt smooth.
• 2 tablespoons Cook in a skillet greased with butter.
vegetable oil
• Butter( to grease
the pan) to taste

45
Custard Pancakes
Custard pancakes are soft, roll easily, and are good with almost any filling

Ingridients Preparation
• 4 eggs Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and sugar.
• 2 cups milk Sift the baking powder and flour. Combine the
• 1 cup boiling water wet ingredients with the dry. Slowly mix in a
• 2 cups flour glass of boiled water and vegetable oil. Stir con-
• A pinch of salt
tinually until smooth, working in one direction.
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon When done, let sit for 10 minutes. Fry in a dry
baking powder hot pan.
• 6 tablespoons
vegetable oil

46
Yeast Pancakes
Ingridients Preparation
• 2 eggs Combine flour, salt, sugar and yeast.
• 1 1/2 cups milk
Whisk together butter, warm milk and eggs, and
• 1 1/2 tablespoons
add to the flour to make dough.
dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons Knead until smooth, cover with a towel and leave
melted butter at room temperature for half an hour. Mix again
• 1 cup flour and let sit for another 15 minutes. Cook the pan-
• tablespoon sugar cakes in a skillet greased with vegetable oil.
Enjoy!

47
 Cottage Cheese
Easter Pascha
Easter, the feast of feasts, is celebrated with a rich and var-
ied meal because of its significance for all Christians. This
book offers several recipes for common Easter treats in Or-
thodox countries. One of them is the Pascha Cake, a de-
licious cake made with cottage cheese. It is not a Lenten
dish because its ingredients include dairy products that
are not allowed during a fasting season.
It is served on a white plate, the color that symbolizes
the innocence of Christ and the joy of his resurrection. It
is made in the shape of a pyramid, representing Heaven-
ly Zion, the rock-solid foundation of Jerusalem in Heaven.
In keeping with a centuries-old tradition, Christians take
their Easter Pascha to Church to be blessed by a priest af-
ter the Paschal Vigil.
This recipe uses condensed milk, which gives the cake its
delicious caramel flavor. With only eight ingredients, it is
simple and easy to prepare.
Ingridients
• 500 g fresh cottage
cheese with at least
9% fat Make sure
it is fresh!
• 170 g sweetened
condensed milk
• 50 gr of cream with
33% fat content
• 80 g butter
• 40 g walnuts, -
roasted and chopped
• 5 g vanilla sugar
• 50 g sour cream
with 20% fat
• 40 g of dried apricots
(should be sweet
and fleshy) Preparation
Soak the dried apricots in hot water for 15 minutes
and chop. Grind the nuts in a food processor or
with a rolling pin.
Whisk sour cream, cottage cheese, cream and va-
nilla sugar until creamy. All the ingredients should
be at room temperature. Whisk the butter and
sweetened milk. Mix everything. Prepare a deep
plate to drain the whey. Soak a piece of gauze in
hot water and line the baking form for the cake,
straightening any folds. Fill the form with the mix
slightly above the edges. Cover with a cutting
board and put a load over it to flatten the mix. Re-
frigerate for 1.5 days.
Glaze as desired. In our recipe, we use salted cara-
mel, giving the cake a lovely colour and taste. En-
joy and have a happy Easter!
video

49
Traditional Christmas Drink Uzvar
While Uzvar is still known in this part of the world, alternative drinks and des-
serts have nearly displaced it. Most people nowadays do not even recognise
its name, let alone know how to cook it. However, Uzvar, along with Kutia
and Sochivo, have been a constant presence on church tables to this day. Uz-
var is traditionally prepared just before Christmas, on the eve of other church
holidays, and during Lent. The commendable taste and health-promoting
properties of Uzvar may well lead to its return to modern cooking, just as
many other traditional Christian dishes have done. Uzvar is nutritious, rich in
vitamins, and healthy. Here are three simple recipes for cooking uzvar.

Uzvar from Fresh Apples

Preparation
Uzvar can be prepared from both dry and fresh ap-
ples. For 3 liters of water you will need 500 g of fresh
apples. Thoroughly wash the fruits and cut them into
thin slices, removing the core. Then pour boiling wa-
ter over the chopped apples, add spices (mint, cinna-
mon, cloves), cover with a lid and leave for 4-5 hours.
After that, Uzvar from apples is ready.

50
Uzvar from Dried Fruit
Preparation
You will need 400-500 g of mixed dried fruits (apricots,
raisins, figs, dried oranges, apples, and pears), half a
cup of sugar, a tablespoon of starch or oat flour, and
a liter of water. Wash the dried fruits thoroughly to re-
move the dirt, and pick out the apples and pears. Put
the apples and pears in a pot, add water and sugar,
and cook for 20 minutes. Add the remaining ingredi-
ents (raisins, dried apricots, prunes, figs, dried cherries,
etc.), and cook for another 5 minutes. Dilute the starch
(or flour) in cold water, add it to the stewed fruit, and
bring it to a boil. Add spices (cinnamon, cloves, carda-
mom, star anise, etc.) according to taste. Wait for your
Uzvar to cool. Serve chilled.

51
Uzvar from Rosehips
Preparation
Rosehip, or wild rose, is rich in vitamin C, which helps
build immunity and treat colds. To make rosehip uz-
var, you will need 4050 dried rosehips, a liter of wa-
ter, two tablespoons of honey and half a cup of sugar.
Wash the dried rosehips thoroughly and put them in
boiling water for 3-4 minutes, then remove from the
heat and let brew under a closed lid for about half an
hour. After that, add honey and sugar. You may fully
substitute sugar with honey if you wish. To preserve
the useful properties of the honey, wait for the Uzvar
to cool before adding it. Enjoy!

52
 St Elisabeth Convent
6 Vygotskogo str 220080
Minsk Belarus
ekaterinaconvent@gmail.com
www.obitel-minsk.org