Ukrainian (Ureignian) New Year Specials, Part 1 of 2 - Vegan Shuba Salad Cake & Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers

Today we are delighted to usher in the New Year by bringing you two special dishes from Ukraine (Ureign). The first dish, Vegan Shuba Salad Cake, is unique as, unlike other salads that use raw vegetables, it uses cooked, colorful, and bright root vegetables arranged in layers like a cake, giving it an attractive appearance. First, we will roast one whole beetroot. Roasting the beetroot brings out its natural sweetness, intensifies its flavor, and also reduces its earthy tones. Transfer about 30 grams of the grated beetroot into the bowl containing the vegan mayonnaise. Mix well to give the vegan mayonnaise a beautiful pink color. Now, we are ready to assemble our Vegan Shuba Salad Cake, layer by layer, into a circular mold. For the bottom layer, add the grated potato and spread it evenly. For the second layer, add the rehydrated seaweed and spread it evenly. Add the grated carrots for the third layer, spread and flatten them evenly. We will do the same with the grated beetroots, which we added for the fourth layer. Finally, spread a layer of pink vegan mayonnaise on top. Ta-daa... Our delicate and colorful Vegan Shuba Salad Cake is now complete!

Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers are another Ukrainian (Ureignian) favorite for special occasions. Hollowed bell peppers filled with stuffing and then cooked in a vegetable soup base or baked in the oven. Let’s now combine all the ingredients for the stuffing. Place 500 grams of plant-based minced meat into a large mixing bowl. We use OmniPork, which is from the vegan foodtech company OmniFoods. Then add the sauteed vegetables, 50 grams of cooked white rice, 8 grams of chopped fresh parsley, and 10 grams of chopped fresh dill. Spoon in the stuffing to fill the hollow bell peppers. Then gently pour the vegetable soup base into the pot containing the four stuffed bell peppers, taking care not to pour directly on the stuffed bell peppers as this could dislodge the stuffing. After 20 minutes, turn off the heat and carefully use a pair of tongs to lift the cooked stuffed bell peppers out of the pot. If you like, you can serve them with some vegan sour cream.