How to make a remote 12-dish meal for Sviata Vecheria / Christmas Eve

Detail of 5 dishes laid out in stripes in a take-out container

In 2020, my family had a remote Sviata Vecheria. Everyone prepared food separately, and we traded food. Then, we enjoyed a video dinner with everyone together.

With health restrictions in some areas returning, I wanted to share how we prepared our dinner.

One nice part was everyone contributed to the meal, and we filled up the take-out containers we had started collecting from too many take-out dinners.

I made the kutia and packed it in little Mason jars.

Traditional Instant Pot Kutia in a small Mason jar

Instant Pot Canadian Kutya/Kutia with maple
This is my new recipe for kutya, a wheat berry dish that is traditionally served at the start of the Christmas Eve meal. This has a Canadian edge to it sweetened with maple syrup.
Check out this recipe
Instant Pot Canadian Maple Kutya

Then, I pan fried a generous eight perohe for each person.  When I was preparing the five dishes, I left the mushrooms a little under-done knowing that they’d be microwaved. I lined them up in the containers to make it a little nicer. My mom made salmon with a grainy mustard topping, and my uncle made holubtsi (not shown here, eaten before we had a chance to take the photos)

Sviata vecheria in 3 take-out containers with perohe, 5 vegetable/bean dishes and salmon

 

Everything is pretty forgiving to get reheated.

Instant Pot Creamy beet salad with dill and spring garlic
An easy make-ahead beet salad with cream, dill and young garlic - perfect for spring and summer.
Check out this recipe
Instant Pot Traditional Kapusta: sauerkraut and peas
For Sviata Vecheria, this is a traditional recipe for sauerkraut with dried peas. It's vegetarian-vegan friendly. While it's thickened with wheat flour, you could use the thickener of your choice for a gluten-free dish.
Check out this recipe
Instant Pot Traditional Sauerkraut and Peas
Instant Pot Pidpenky (Mushrooms) with Gravy
This traditional recipe for dried mushrooms is part of the standard menu for the Ukrainian Christmas Eve dinner - Sviata vecheria. The Instant Pot saves over a day of soaking time and makes preparing this dish a lot easier.
Check out this recipe
Instant Pot Mashed Beans - Kolocheni Fasoli for Sviata Vechera
A traditional dish for Ukrainian mashed beans - updated and sped up using an Instant Pot.
Check out this recipe
Ukrainian Mashed Beans for Sviata Vechera

The fourth of those five items is sauteed broad beans (or “beeb”) with lemon and lemon zest.  Look for that recipe soon – I’m still trying to improve that this year.

For dessert, my mom made some matrimonial cake (date square), gingersnaps, and thumbprint cookies. I made the compote – in another Mason jar.

Instant Pot stewed fruit with cookies and sweets

 

Instant Pot Ukrainian Compote - Stewed fruit
A super easy recipe to make with dried fruit, and a simple end to a big Christmas Eve dinner.
Check out this recipe
Compote - stewed fruit with almonds ready to serve

This is a great way to share food with those you can’t be with in person.

Wherever, whenever or however you’re celebrating this year, I wish you and your families a special Sviata Vecheria.

Христос народився!

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