Chicken Pojarski
Chicken Pojarski (supposedly named for a Russian innkeeper who created the dish) is normally made with other types of meat, but we find it an excellent way to fix chicken. One thing we recently discovered about this dish was that using portabella mushrooms completely changes the color of the patties. (If you like gray food, this is a great addition for your collection). Although the taste was excellent, the white, pre-packaged mushrooms found in the supermarket provide a better color.
This week's menu lends itself well to cooking with children (those old enough to use a knife safely). Once the chicken and mushrooms have been minced in the food processor, the mixture is easily mixed and shaped into patties. We have found that kids also enjoy cutting the celery into matchsticks. The rice rolled in lettuce leaves is another recipe well suited to children since none of the ingredients are unusual enough to get a negative response at the table. Another advantage of utilizing help on this menu is squeezing the lemons for the sorbet. Even with a juicer, it takes a lot of lemons to make 2 cups of juice. We made sorbet frequently this summer. However, once local fruit was no longer in season, we decided to try lemons. We were very pleased with the results.
