Idea One! Crêpes with dairy or sweet filling.

We’ve got two great basic crêpe recipes: https://www.hopecooking.org/ru/recipes/5 and https://www.hopecooking.org/ru/recipes/4

• make a dairy filling with cream cheese and finely chopped herbs and veggies (for example: cream cheese, parsley, mint, bell pepper, spices to taste, make sure the veggies aren’t too watery so the crêpe doesn’t fall apart)

• if you have some bell peppers, make matbucha (recipe here: https://www.hopecooking.org/ru/recipes/51), drain it in a colander, and fill the crêpes with matbucha

• another option, the simplest one, even kids can make it: spread a crêpe with chocolate spread and sprinkle with crushed nuts or finely chopped fruit — an instant boost of energy and serotonin!

• or just spread your crêpes with your favourite jam

• if you have time and resources, make an apple filling: peel and thinly slice apples, sauté in a skillet with butter, sugar, and cinnamon (you can add a bit of lemon juice to balance the taste and crushed nuts for the texture); drain the excess liquid in a colander, spread on the crêpes, and roll them up

Important notice: if crêpes sound too tricky or you’re very young, swap the crêpe for a thin lavash or tortilla. It’ll be pretty much the same.

Idea two! Pita sandwich: one’s more substantial, packed into a pita, basically a hot meal on a pita plate, but without the risk of the filling running away.

The method is: take a disposable plate, split a pita into two thin discs, place the bottom one on the plate, load on your favourite main dish that isn’t too saucy or runny, top with the second pita half, and wrap the whole thing in plastic wrap. To eat, just tear the plastic and peel back the plate.

Now let’s talk fillings:

• chicken schnitzel (marinated or breaded however you like), slices of fried potatoes, a lettuce leaf, and thin tomato slices

• a thin cutlet, mashed potatoes (you can spread it on the pita! or make mashed green peas: https://www.hopecooking.org/ru/recipes/43 just substitute the butter with the oil), slices of pickled cucumbers and tomatoes

• fried eggs, tomato slices, and green onion (plus spices to taste)

• tuna spread (take canned tuna in brine, drain it well, mash with avocado, finely chop onion, mix it all, add lemon juice and spices)

• “yozhiki” (just cut them in half, recipe here: https://www.hopecooking.org/ru/recipes/57) and mashed potatoes

Idea three! If you lived in Russia, you probably remember kroshka-kartoshka, the dream food of any student — hot, hearty, and sooo delicious. In our case, it’s a dairy dish.

Bake large potatoes wrapped in foil (usually about an hour at 180°C). Cut the potato in half, then mash the flesh with a knife. Add butter, grated cheese, and any topping you like, tuna, vegetables, or whatever. Wrap it back up, press down, and go share it with someone.