How to Have a Great Ukrainian Christmas Dinner

If you would like to add some new Christmas dishes to your table this year, the Ukraine is known for some of their delicious entrees.

Christmas in the Ukraine is a little bit different then the Christmas in the US. The Holy Supper is the main tradition which is held on Christmas Eve. The dinner table will often be spotted with pieces of hay scattered on an embroidered table cloth which symbolizes the manger in Bethlehem. Christmas Eve begins at sundown when the children can see the first Star in the eastern sky. Traditionally, Christmas falls on January 7^th and is a quiet celebration except for when "Father Frost" visits all of the children in a sleigh pulled by three reindeer to deliver presents. He also brings along a small girls named "Snowflake Girl." She shows up in a silver blue costume which is tripped with white fur and a crown in the shape of a snowflake.

Here are three great Ukrainian dishes that you can entertain with this Christmas:

Pickled Fish (Also known as Oseledsi) - These are great hor dourves to serve before the main course.

Here's what you'll need:

3-4 Salted herrings

1 cup of vinegar

2/3 cup of water

¾ cups of white cooking wine

1 tbsp of pickled spices

2 tbs of sugar

2 large sliced onions

Step 1: Let the fish soak in cold water over night, it's best to change the water a couple of times if possible. Once it's finished soaking, slice the fish into the desired serving size.

Step 2: Place the fish in a jar with the cut up onions, and let sit.

Step 3: Boil vinegar, wine, pickled spices, sugar and water for just 10 minutes.

Step 4: Once the vinegar mixture has cooled, pour into the jar with the fish and let everything sit for 4 hours at least, and then store it for another 12 hours before serving.

Pirogues - These are a great side dish item to any entrée you are serving.

There are a couple different steps to these recipes; you'll need to make the dough, and potato filling.

For the dough, you'll need:

4 Cups of flour

1 Cup of water

2 Eggs

3 tbsp of olive oil

3 tsp of salt

1 tsp of pepper

Step 1: Combine all of the ingrediants and knead until smooth and thin. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes. Roll it out thin onto a floured surface and cut out rounds with a cookie cutter.

Step 3: Set the dough aside until the filling is ready and cooled.

For the Potato filling, you'll need:

2 Cups of mashed up potatoes

½ of a chopped onion

2 tbsp of olive oil

2 tbs of salt

Half a stick of butter

½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Step 4: Mix the potato filling together while the potatoes are still warm.

Step 5: Place a dollop of the potato filling into the center of each cut out piece of dough.

Step 6: Folded each piece of dough in half and seal shut with some olive oil (use a cooking brush to do this)

Step 7: Heat up the olive oil and salt into a pot of boiling water to prevent the pirogues from sticking, and boil until they all pop up to the surface of the water. They're ready to serve immediately after being cooked.

Another great recipe is Compote- Is an assortment of dried fruits which can make for a great dish to set out on the coffee table before dinner is served.

You'll need:

Apples, Prunes, Peaches, Apricots, Pears, Raisins

Honey

Rum

Water

Step 1: Soak all of the fruit in water (add some flavored rum to kick it up if desired) over night.

Step 2: The next day, simmer the fruit until they are all tender.

Step 3: Add honey to sweeten