|
Mackerel in wine and
tomato sauce
2
medium sized onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 medium tomatoes peeled and chopped
some chopped parsley
2 cleaned and boned mackerels
1/2 cup white wine
3 tbsp oil
Sauté the onion in the oil for 5 minutes, add
the tomatoes, wine, chopped garlic, salt and
pepper. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Spread half of
this sauce evenly in baking dish. Place the
mackerels on top. Cover with the remaining
sauce. Preheat oven to 400F and bake for 40
minutes.
Monastery
gyuvetch
This dish used to be prepared at the Rila
Monastery kitchen. Rila Monastery is
one of the most famous Bulgarian tourist
attractions and a milestone in Bulgarian culture
and religion - it has survived almost untouched
throughout the years of the Ottoman Yoke and has
provided a shelter and education to many people
in the years of oppression.
2 lbs beef
4 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 lbs mushrooms
1 cup rice
1 onion, chopped
15 olives, whole
a bunch of parsley
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp sugar
2 1/2 cups beef stock
black pepper, paprika and salt
Cut
the beef into cubes or small pieces and fry in a
pan with a little oil for about 5 minutes or
until brown. Add the onions, beef stock and
paprika, 5 minutes later add the mushrooms and
rice and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the
tomatoes, salt to taste, butter, sugar and
olives, and cook for another 5 minutes. Preheat
oven to 400F. Transfer the content of the pan
into a baking dish and cook for about 30
minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and pepper before
serving.
Mish-mash (omelet
with cheese, etc.)
Literally
translated mish-mash means hodge-podge. This is
a very tasty meal which I grew up on as my
parents were never home to prepare lunch and it
takes 10 easy minutes to make.
3 tomatoes, chopped
3 red peppers, chopped
1 onion chopped,
2 tbsp oil,
1/2 lbs cheese, crumbled (feta),
3 eggs,
chopped parsley,
salt and pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onions and
the peppers and cook until onions are golden.
Add the tomatoes and cook for additional 3
minutes. Add the cheese and eggs and cook for
another 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and
serve. Delicious with toast.
Patatnik (potato dish)
You can prepare patatnik as a main course
on
Ignazhden. In the old times during cold
winter months potatoes used to represent one of
the main foods of the Bulgarian diet. They have
even been used to make bread.
6 tbsp flour
1/2 cup oil
water
1 tbsp butter. melted
For the filling:
3 lbs potatoes, grated - around 10 big ones
4 onions, grated
3 eggs, beaten
1 spoonful of fresh mint (or dried oregano)
1/2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp salt
Make
a soft paste of the flour, 1/2 cup oil and as
much water as necessary. Leave it for 15 minutes
at room temperature, then divide it in two
parts, one of them a little larger than the
other. Spread the smaller mass to form a sheet
4-5 cm larger than the bottom of your baking
dish. Mix together the grated potatoes and
onions, the beaten eggs, the mint and the salt.
Place the bigger part of the paste in a buttered
baking dish, spread around to form a sheet in a
way that it covers the baking dish and sticks
out at all ends. Add the filling and cover with
the smaller sheet you already prepared. Turn the
ends of the first sheet inside and pinch the two
sheets together to prevent the filling from
coming out when baked. Bake the meal at 375F for
about 25 minutes or until it turns rosy.
Kapama (stewed lamb with
onions)
1 lbs lamb meat, chopped in cubes
water,
2 tbsp vinegar,
1/2 cup wine
3 tbsp flour to cover the meat with
ground black pepper to taste
1 tbsp tomato paste
a pinch of cinnamon
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
parsley
a pinch of mint or oregano
bay or laurel leaves
Prepare
a marinade of the water, vinegar, wine, pepper,
mint, parsley, laurel leaves, and steep the meat
in it for about 2 hours. You can cut it in
pieces before or after doing this. Roll the bits
of meat in the flour and fry them in the hot
oil. Add salt, pepper, the tomato paste,
cinnamon and garlic. Add also two glasses of
water and let the meat stew until the sauce is
thickened. Serve with a salad of boiled
potatoes. Sprinkle the dish with chopped parsley
immediately before serving.
Pork with
potatoes
This
recipe works with any meat as well as it works
with pork. Give it a try!
1.5 lbs meat, cut into cubes (pork, beef or
chicken)
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 stick celery, sliced
1 Italian pepper, sliced
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
5 potatoes, cut into cubes
1 can (6-8 oz.) tomato sauce
2 tbsp. parsley
2 cups hot water
1/4 cup oil (optional)
Put the meat in a pan, add the salt and oil,
cover and cook at medium heat, stirring
occasionally for about 15 minutes. Add the
carrot and onion to the meat and stir. Add the
celery and green pepper in about 5 minutes and
stir. In another 5 min. add paprika, water and
stir. As you probably have guessed it, stirring
is important for this recipe. Cover and cook for
30 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook for
another 15 minutes. Add the tomato sauce,
parsley and stir. Cook for 5 minutes then turn
off the heat and let the pan stay on it for
another 10 minutes. Serve sprinkled with
parsley.
Note. If you cook chicken, reduce cooking
time to 10 min. instead of 1/2 hour.
Lamb with
scallions
2
lb. lamb meat, cut into cubes
5 bunches of scallions, chopped
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp butter (optional)
Put lamb in a wide baking dish. Add 1/2 cup hot
water and the butter, cover and put in the oven
for about 2 hours at 300F. After the first half
hour add the onions, salt, paprika, black pepper
and the water, stir and continue cooking. Add
1/2 cup of water in another 30 minutes, stir.
Repeat adding the water every 30 minutes until
the two hours elapse. Cover with a baking sheet
and cook for additional 1/2 hour (2.5 hrs total
cooking time). Serve warm sprinkled with
parsley.
Imambayalda
(babbaganush stuffed eggplants)
This
recipe is actually Turkish but it has been
deeply rooted in Bulgarian national cuisine ever
since the years of the Ottoman Yoke. My grandpa
told me that according to the legend, when the
Turkish Imam (a ruler of a province) stopped at
a small roadside hanche (pub) he asked
for a plate for this favorite food of his,
called something else at the time. It was
prepared so well by the cook that the Imam asked
for another one, and another one, and several
more after that. He eat so much that at the end
he couldn't move but could only say 'Imam
bayalda' - meaning
'The Imam feels sick'. He probably passed
out after that but that's just a guess.
4 eggplants
6 tomatoes, grated
5 onions, chopped
2 carrots, grated
1 celery, grated
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
half a lemon,
1 bay leaf,
parsley,
peppers,
half a cupful sunflower oil,
salt
Remove the top of the eggplants and scoop out
the soft insides (you should end up having 4
hollow eggplants with half of their meat still
on the sides). Heat the oil and cook the onions
until golden. Add the carrots, celery, tomatoes,
garlic and parsley, add the bay leaves and some
water and sautй for 5 minutes. Stuff the
eggplants with this mixture (you can add some of
their meat you scooped out if you don't have
enough ingredients to fill them with), top with
a slice of tomato and bake in a 375F oven for 25
minutes. Serve warm or cold.
Lamb drob sarma
(lamb liver with rice)
2
lbs lamb liver, hearts, and kidneys, cut into
cubes
2 eggs,
1/2 cup rice,
2 bunches of scallions, finely chopped
1 cup yoghurt,
mint,
pepper,
1/2 cup butter,
salt.
Boil the meat in salt water for about 30
minutes. Cook the onions in the butter and some
water for about 5 minutes, add the rice, meat,
pepper and mint and cook for 5 more. Add 2 cups
of the lamb stock and boil 20 minutes. Add the
rice mixture and the meat in a cooking pan, put
in the oven and bake 30 minutes at 375F. Beat
the eggs with the yoghurt, pour over the lamb
and rice and bake for another 10 min.
Wine kebab
1
lbs veal, cut into small cubes
4 onions, finely chopped
1 carrot
1/2 a celery,
1 tbsp tomato paste,
1 tbsp flour,
1 tsp paprika,
1 cup wine, preferably red
1 bay leaf,
ground black pepper,
parsley,
1/2 cup oil,
salt
Fry meat in oil adding a little water and the
and some water and the onions, celery and
carrots. When tender add the tomato paste, add
some more water, the flour and paprika. Add the
wine, the bay leaf and pepper and simmer on a
low fire, adding water if necessary. The meal
should have relatively thick sauce. Sprinkle
with finely chopped parsley before serving.
Potatoes au
Gratin
2
lbs potatoes, chopped in cubes or sliced in
discs
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
2 cups milk
1 tbsp seasoned salt (Vegeta works great) or 2
vegetable soup cubes
a pinch of black pepper
1/2 lbs cheese (Swiss or mozzarella work great)
2 tbsp fresh parsley, dill, mint, finely chopped
Cook the potatoes in a cup of water until tender
- about 20 minutes at 375 F - in a covered pot.
You can also boil or steam the potatoes, or cook
them in the microwave. To make the cheese
bйchamel sauce - fry the flour in the butter for
3 minutes, add the milk and stir until smooth
sauce forms. Add the cheese and stir until it
completely melts. Add the bйchamel sauce to the
potatoes and mix well. Cook in the oven for
another five minutes. You may top it with grated
cheese and bake it in an open pan until a golden
crust forms.
Panagyurski eggs
This
dish is named after Panagyurishte, a
small town full of history, one of them - this
great recipe. In essence it is poached eggs with
yogurt with a little twist.
3 eggs
1 cup strained yogurt
1 tsp oil
a pinch of paprika
salt to taste
2 tbsp of vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed (optional)
1/4 gallon water
Add the vinegar and a pinch of salt to about 1
liter (1 quart) of boiling water. Break the eggs
directly into the water. Boil for 3 to 5
minutes, depending on how runny you like your
eggs. Mix the yogurt together with the crushed
garlic and very little salt. Put the eggs on top
of that mixture. Heat the oil and add the
paprika very carefully not to burn it (it takes
10 seconds or less to burn so be careful).
Immediately pour the curried oil over the eggs
and the yogurt mixture and serve.
Note: A friend of mine used to prepare
the dish by adding some crushed feta inside the
yoghurt mixture which adds a tasty twist to its
taste.
Gyuveche
Gyuveche is a popular catch-all dish you
can make with just about anything you have in
the fridge. It gets its name from the pottery
(earth ware) dish that it is prepared and served
in (pictured)
1/2 lbs cheese - anything is ok but please find
and use feta
1 egg
1 tbsp parsley, dill, mint, finely chopped (or
any herbs will also do)
any kind of cooked chicken, pork, or beef -
optional
any kind of sausages or hot dogs - optional
vegetables: tomatoes, peppers, small hot pepper,
mushrooms, cooked potatoes - optional
fresh greens: parsley, dill, celery leaves -
optional
Chop or dice all ingredients that you have
gathered. Make alternating layers of cheese,
meat, and vegetables, but make sure you have
cheese on top. Bake in the oven at 375F for 20
minutes or until the cheese is melted. Break the
egg on top and put back in the oven for another
5-10 minutes.
Baked cabbage
This is a typical Bulgarian winter dish. Since
most people pickle large quantities of cabbage
at home, it is easy to make. The pungent smell
of baking cabbage gives some coziness in cold
winter days.
1
head cabbage
3 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp pepper
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup vinegar
salt to taste
3 chopped tomatoes
2 chopped peppers
Chop will the cabbage, peppers and tomatoes and
mix well. Add 1/2 to 1 cup water and transfer to
a baking dish. Bake about 1.5 hours, or until
the cabbage softens. Stir often. This dish is
more often prepared using pickled cabbage. Then
no vinegar or salt is added.
Hint: Try preparing this with cooking a
rack of ribs or a full chicken in the same pan
at the same time.
Shishche /Shashlik
(meat skewer)
Shishche is a small shashlik. The
recipe for both is the same.
2
lbs pork shoulder, cut into big cubes
100 ml vodka
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon mustard
Pieces of onion
red or green pepper
bacon
sausage
tomatoes
cucumber
Some baby mushrooms
The secret of the shishche is that the
meat should soak in a marinade for at least 3
hours. To prepare the marinade use your favorite
marinade or sauce or prepare the following one -
mix the honey, mustard, vodka, salt and pepper.
Soak the meat pieces into it and leave the bowl
in the refrigerator. Use a skewer to arrange
alternating pieces of the meat cubes, onion,
pepper, pieces of bacon, sausage, mushrooms,
cucumber, tomatoes, according to your
preference. Grill on a barbecue until the meat
is done to your liking
Sirene po Shopski
(cheese shopski style)
There
is no good translation of this meal's name but
it definitely comes from the Sofia region.
Shopski is the adjective for shop,
a mythical person believed to live in or around
the city of Sofia. There are a lot of stories
for how smart industrious and stubborn these
people are but this is not the point here, the
point is that after all they left us a pretty
good recipe.
1 lbs white cheese (feta)
1/3 lbs cheese (mozzarella works great)
2 eggs
2 chilies
2 tomatoes, sliced
2 roasted peppers, chopped
a pinch of oregano and parsley
Take two small pottery (earth ware) pots
(pictured) and put in each a layer of cheese,
then a layer of peppers and tomatoes, then more
cheese. Close the pots with the lids and bake
for 20 minutes in 375F oven until the cheese on
top is melted. Break an egg on top of each dish
and cook for 5 minutes or until the egg is the
consistency you like it.
|