Non-Fasting Recipes

Middle Eastern Non Fasting

Sheikh al-Mahshi — Stuffed Zucchini

"The Sheikh of Stuffed Things" — small zucchini hollowed out and stuffed with a filling of spiced ground lamb, pine n...

Georgian Non Fasting

Khinkali — Georgian Soup Dumplings

Khinkali are the national dumpling of Georgia — large, twisted, knob-topped pouches of thin dough filled with spiced ...

Middle Eastern Non Fasting

Lahmajun — Thin-Crust Meat Flatbread

Thin, crispy flatbread topped with a bright-red paste of ground meat, tomatoes, peppers, and herbs, baked until the m...

Romanian Non Fasting

Mămăligă cu Brânză și Smântână — Polenta with Cheese and Sour Cream

The simplest Romanian peasant supper and also one of the most beloved — thick golden cornmeal polenta topped with cru...

Russian Non Fasting

Бефстроганов — Beef Stroganoff

Named for the Stroganov family in the 19th century, this dish of tender beef strips in a creamy mushroom and mustard ...

Romanian Non Fasting

Mici — Grilled Minced Meat Logs

Romania's national grill — small, skinless sausages of beef, pork, and lamb seasoned with garlic, baking soda, and br...

Romanian Non Fasting

Pască — Romanian Paschal Cheese Bread

The second great Romanian Paschal bread — a round, flat-topped loaf with a cross-shaped braid on top and a rich filli...

Middle Eastern Non Fasting

Fatayer Jibneh — Cheese Pies

Small triangular pies filled with a bright, minted cheese mixture — Lebanese fatayer come in spinach (fasting-friendl...

Greek Non Fasting

Tsoureki — Greek Paschal Sweet Bread

The Greek Paschal bread — a tall, braided loaf enriched with butter, eggs, and scented with two distinctive spices: m...

Serbian Non Fasting

Riblja Čorba sa Pavlakom — Fish Soup with Sour Cream

A Vojvodina-style fish soup from northern Serbia — freshwater fish, tomatoes, and paprika simmered into a rich broth,...

Serbian Non Fasting

Vasin Kolač — Vasa's Cake

A classic Serbian layer cake: thin layers of nutty almond-walnut meringue alternating with a rich chocolate buttercre...

Russian Non Fasting

Сельдь под Шубой — Herring Under a Fur Coat

A showpiece Russian layered salad — salted herring at the bottom, then onions, boiled potatoes, carrots, and finally ...

Romanian Non Fasting

Ciulama de Ciuperci cu Pui — Mushroom and Chicken Stew

A creamy stew of chicken and mushrooms in a béchamel-like sauce, Romanian home cooking at its most generous. The name...

Georgian Non Fasting

Gupta — Georgian Meatballs in Herb Sauce

Hand-formed meatballs made from a well-seasoned mix of beef and pork, simmered in a thin, vivid green sauce of herbs ...

Serbian Non Fasting

Gibanica — Serbian Layered Cheese Pie

The cheese pie of Serbia — crumpled sheets of phyllo dough interleaved with a rich filling of fresh white cheese, kaj...

Middle Eastern Non Fasting

Basbousa — Semolina Yogurt Cake

Dense, fragrant semolina cake soaked in rose-and-orange-flower syrup, topped with blanched almonds. Basbousa appears ...

Russian Non Fasting

Кулич — Russian Paschal Sweet Bread

Кулич is the crown of the Paschal table. A tall, cylindrical yeasted bread enriched with butter, eggs, and dairy, top...

Georgian Non Fasting

Khachapuri Adjaruli — Boat-Shaped Cheese Bread with Egg

The most famous khachapuri of all — a boat of chewy bread filled with molten cheese, topped with a raw egg yolk and a...

Middle Eastern Non Fasting

Sfeeha — Meat Hand Pies

Small open-faced meat pies, a specialty of Baalbek — a yeasted flatbread boat filled with a tart mixture of minced la...

Serbian Non Fasting

Karađorđeva Šnicla — Karađorđe's Schnitzel

A Serbian restaurant classic — pounded veal (or pork) rolled around a log of kajmak, breaded, and deep-fried. When cu...

Georgian Non Fasting

Satsivi — Walnut-Sauced Turkey

The showpiece dish of the Georgian New Year table — poached turkey served cold in a thick, spiced walnut sauce enrich...

Russian Non Fasting

Голубцы — Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Cabbage leaves wrapped around a filling of seasoned ground meat and rice, braised slowly in a tangy tomato-sour cream...

Russian Non Fasting

Пельмени — Siberian Meat Dumplings

Пельмени are small meat-filled dumplings, a dish born in Siberia where cooks would make enormous batches and freeze t...

Russian Non Fasting

Запеканка из Творога — Farmer's Cheese Casserole

A baked farmer's cheese casserole — lighter and more elegant than syrniki, with a slightly custardy crumb that tastes...

Serbian Non Fasting

Krofne — Serbian Jelly Doughnuts

Soft, airy, round Serbian doughnuts — essentially the Serbian version of the Central European jelly doughnut (Berline...