Sochi At Home.

When you own a Miller & Smith home at Maple Lawn in Fulton, MD, you’ll use any excuse to host a house party. After all, these homes create the perfect backdrop with their oversized infinity islands and open floorplans that connect the kitchen and great room. 

So why not make the most of this year’s winter Olympics at Sochi and host a Russian themed dinner party for your friends? Put the vodka on ice, have each guest bring one of the recipes below, watch the best athletes compete on the world’s stage and let your home do the rest. 

Blinis with Smoked Salmon

Recipe Courtesy of Ina Garten

Ingredients

1/3 cup buckwheat flour

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk

1 extra-large egg

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, clarified, divided

1/2 pound smoked salmon, thinly sliced

1/4 cup creme fraiche or sour cream

Fresh dill sprig, for garnish

Directions

Combine both flours, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, and 1 tablespoon of the clarified butter, then whisk into the flour mixture. Heat 1 tablespoon of the clarified butter in a medium saute pan and drop the batter into the hot skillet, 1 tablespoon at a time. Cook over medium-low heat until bubbles form on the top side of the blini, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook for 1 more minute, or until brown. Repeat with the remaining batter. (I clean the hot pan with a dry paper towel between batches.) Set aside.

To serve, top the blini with a piece of smoked salmon. Add a dollop of creme fraiche and a sprig of dill.

Radish & Cucumber Salad

Recipe Courtesy of Food 52 

Ingredients

12 ounces radishes, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced

2/3 English cucumber, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, and thinly sliced

2/3 cups sliced green onions

1 tablespoon minced fresh dill

½ cup sour cream

Couple pinches Kosher salt

Couple pinches freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Toss together the radishes, cucumber, green onions, dill and sour cream in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately

Beef Stroganoff

Recipe Courtesy of Cooking Light 

Ingredients

1 pound boneless sirloin steak, trimmed

Cooking spray

3 cups sliced cremini mushrooms (about 8 ounces)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup fat-free, less-sodium beef broth

1/4 cup dry sherry

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

4 cups hot cooked egg noodles (8 ounces uncooked)

3 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Fresh parsley sprigs (optional)

Directions

Cut beef diagonally across the grain into 1/4-inch-wide strips; cut the strips into 2-inch pieces.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add beef to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove beef from pan; place in a medium bowl, and keep warm. Add cremini mushrooms and onion to pan; sauté 4 minutes. Add cremini mushroom mixture to beef.

Melt butter in pan over medium heat. Add flour. Cook 1 minute, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly. Cook 1 minute or until thickened and bubbly, stirring constantly.

Add beef mixture, sherry, salt, and pepper to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 4 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 30 seconds. Stir in sour cream.

Combine noodles and minced parsley. Serve beef mixture over noodles. Garnish with parsley sprigs, if desired

Apple Sharlotka

Recipe Courtesy of Smitten Kitchen 

Ingredients

Butter or nonstick spray, for greasing pan

6 large, tart apples, such as Granny Smiths

3 large eggs

1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour

Ground cinnamon, to finish

Powdered sugar, also to finish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Butter the paper and the sides of the pan. Peel, halve and core your apples, then chop them into medium-sized chunks. Pile the cut apples directly in the prepared pan. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, using an electric mixer or whisk, beat eggs with sugar until thick and ribbons form on the surface of the beaten eggs. Beat in vanilla, then stir in flour with a spoon until just combined. The batter will be very thick.

Pour over apples in pan, using a spoon or spatula to spread the batter so that it covers all exposed apples. Bake in preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a tester comes out free of batter. Cool in pan for 10 minutes on rack, then flip out onto another rack, peel off the parchment paper, and flip it back onto a serving platter. Dust lightly with ground cinnamon.

Serve warm or cooled, dusted with powdered sugar, a dollop of barely sweetened whipped or sour cream.