Recipe: Ukrainian 'Zrazy' & No-Bake Date Dessert

Chef Lana Gnetenko
·3 min read

We're prepping the perfect platter for Passover, with Ukrainian 'Zrazy'- beef-filled potato patties, plus no-bake date desserts. Sharing these recipes is our guest Lana Gnetenko, the Chef with Jo-El's Kosher Deli in St Pete. She makes dishes 'from the heart', inspired by the Ukrainian matriarchs in her family & her time in Israel.

Click here for a printer-friendly version of the recipes below. If you make either of them, let us know how they turn out!

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Ukrainian Potato Zrazy

Ingredients

  • 2 lb potatoes, peeled

  • salt, to taste

  • 1 diced onion

  • 1 lb ground beef

  • pepper, to taste

  • cumin, to taste

  • chicken base, to taste

  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped

  • parsley, to taste

  • 1 ½ cup cake meal (reserve up to ½ cup to dip Zrazy before frying)

  • oil

  • 2 eggs

  • mushroom and onion gravy (optional, see recipe below)

Directions

Boil potatoes in water seasoned with salt.

Sauté diced onion until caramelized. Add ground beef, pepper, cumin, chicken base, garlic and parsley to sautéed onions, cook until done.

Drain boiled potatoes, mash, then add 1 cup cake meal and eggs then mix together, and place in bowl.

Scoop handful of mashed potato. Inside center of potato mound, place small amount of onion and meat mixture.

Close potato over meat to form patty, then dip in more cake meal.

Fry patty in oil until golden brown, 1–2 minutes per side.

Line plate with paper towels and place finished patties on top (this allows oil to drain).

When ready to serve, place patty on plate and add mushroom and onion gravy on top (optional).

Mushroom and Onion Gravy

Ingredients

  • oil

  • 1 whole onion, sliced

  • 2 cups mushrooms

  • chopped garlic, to taste

  • salt, to taste

  • pepper, to taste

Directions

Heat oil in small pan.

Sauté onions until caramelized.

Add mushrooms, garlic, salt, and pepper, then cook down.

Cherry Tomato Salad

Ingredients

  • 2 pints cherry tomatoes

  • ¼ cup red onion, sliced

  • garlic, to taste

  • vinegar (red wine or white), to taste

  • lemon juice, to taste

  • olive oil

  • 1 bunch fresh dill

Directions

Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Slice red onions.

Add olive oil, garlic, seasoning, and fresh dill.

Serve salad fresh.

Cucumber Slaw

Ingredients

  • 1 cucumber, sliced

  • ½ red onion, sliced

  • ½ white cabbage, sliced

  • ¼ cup oil

  • 3 tbsp sugar

  • salt and pepper, to taste

  • 1 bunch fresh dill

  • ¼ cup vinegar

Directions

Combine cucumber, red onion and cabbage.

Add oil, sugar, seasoning, and fresh dill.

Stir in vinegar.

Serve slaw fresh.

No-Bake Date Dessert

Ingredients

  • 14 oz package pitted dates

  • 6 oz almonds (or favorite nut, chopped)

  • chocolate chips, melted for coating

  • shredded coconut, for coating

  • cocoa powder (optional)

Directions

Combine dates and almonds in food processor until it forms a paste.

Shape paste into bite-size balls. Cover each in melted chocolate and sprinkle coconut on top.

Place in fridge on parchment-lined sheet tray until chocolate forms a hard coating.

For an extra touch, balls can be dipped in cocoa powder or additional coconut before chilling.

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