I am exited share this breakfast recipe with from my brand new kitchen! I have been looking and planning and dreaming about this new kitchen for ages and it’s finally complete! We repainted the cabinets and took a leap of faith with the island color. You know when you see totally white kitchens and then there is this nice pop of color in the island? We did that.
My kitchen island is GREEN! It’s this bright, lively green color that brings some life to the space. When I first saw it I was a bit shocked. I knew it was going to be green, but I didn’t know it was going to be this green. You know that feeling of what have I done? The first 5 minutes I was a bit panicked, but that feeling passed very fast and I am so happy with how it turned out. We made the right decision and it’s absolutely perfect. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Since we are now done with the kitchen, I have been taking it out on a spin, sort of speak. I’m cooking a lot more and definitely enjoying cooking in it. I made this recipe this past weekend and I’m excited to share it with you.
This is a traditional Russian breakfast recipe, but as I was explaining what it is to my husband, he said “Oh, so it’s an arepa!” Um, what now? An arepa? I think not! But then he told me that his mom used to make arepas with cheese, so maybe some similarities?
In this particular Russian recipe is made with farmers cheese. If you don’t know what farmer’s cheese is, you are not alone. It’s not very popular in the USA, and unless you know what you’re looking for, you will likely miss it at your local grocery store. But guys, it’s SO GOOD! This delicious cheese can be used in so many different recipes and even deserts.
What is farmers cheese?
Farmers cheese is made from curdling warm milk with an acid such as white vinegar or lemon juice. It doesn’t sounds very appealing, but it’s actually really delicious. The taste is similar to ricotta or cottage cheese, but the process for making all those cheeses is different.
As I mentioned before, farmers cheese can be used in a variety of different dishes and it’s used in Russian cooking quite a lot. I am planning on making my own farmers cheese and will post a recipe for it when I’m done.
Where can you buy farmers cheese?
Your local grocery store should have it. I’ve always found it in the sour cream, ricotta, and cottage cheese section. It typically comes in a small plastic bag, not in a container. It’s harder cheese than ricotta and cottage and doesn’t have as much liquid in it. So it’s easy to package it in a bag rather than a whole plastic container.
So what is sirniki?
Sirniki, or farmers cheese balls, are a very traditional Russian breakfast food. They’re made from farmers cheese, eggs, four, sugar and salt and then fried in vegetable or coconut oil. The farmers cheese is held together by eggs and flour and then fried in vegetable oil, or coconut oil.
What is sirniki served with?
Typically, like almost any Russian breakfast, these tasty cheese balls and served with sour cream and jam. Any jam will do, but we usually have sort of preserve that has whole berries in it. If you want a true Russian experience, find a black currant jam as I have in the picture and you can have yourself a true, traditional Russian breakfast.
Try these other breakfast recipes.
Traditional Russian Breakfast (Sirniki)
Equipment
- Pan
- Spatula
- Medium bowl
Ingredients
- 2 Farmers cheese packages 7.5oz
- 2 Eggs
- ½ Tsp salt
- 1 Tsp sugar
- 6 Tbsp all-purpose flour more for coating
- Vegetable or coconut oil
Instructions
- Put a pan on medium heat and add the oil of your choosing.
- Add the farmers cheese, eggs, salt and sugar into a bowl and mix until everything is combined. Use a spatula or your hands to mix.
- Add flour and mix.
- Using your hands, scoop a bit of farmers cheese mixture in your hand and make it into a ball, then squeeze between your palms to flatten it. It should look like a small, but thick pancake.*
- Coat the ball in more flour on each side.
- Put the cheese balls into the pan with about 1” gap between each ball.
- Fry on each side for 6-7 minutes or until sirniki become browned on each side.
- Serve and enjoy!
