Vanilici

Ingredients:

• 500g. pork fat
• 8tbsp. sugar
• lemon
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yokes
• 1kg. flour
• powdered sugar

Beat well the pork fat and the sugar. Add the lemon juice, 2 eggs and 2 egg yokes, mix with the flour and make a dough. Spread the dough in one 1,5cm thick layer and make molds with a small glass. Stick two by two with marmalade between and bake at 200°C. When baked toss each cookie in powdered sugar. These cookies are very often prepared in Macedonia for Christmas and Easter.

Vanilici

Carp - Bulgarian way

Ingredients:

• 1 carp of about 2kg.
• 150-200g. olives without stones
• 1dl. olive oil
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 lemon
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 bunch of parsley
• 2 onions
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 carrots
• 1-2dl. warm water

Clean carp, wash well and drain. Chop olives rather finely, add a tablespoons of oil, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, chopped parsley and garlic. Salt fish in and out, drip with lemon juice and sprinkle with pepper. Fill the inside with the prepared olives. Grease a fireproof dish or casserole with oil. Peel onion and carrots and cut into thin slices. Wash tomatoes, peel and cut in thin rounds. Also cut washed lemon into rounds. Add salt and pepper to vegetables and lemon, mix and turn into the bottom of the fireproof dish. Place carp over, pour heated oil over and put into the oven preheated to 200°C, so that the fish get nicely brown in the first 10-15 minutes. Then turn heat down to 175°C and bake slowly until all is tender. Baste while baking and add more warm water if needed. Serve in the same dish.

Related recipes:

• Carp on onion from Vranje
• Romanian carp with red wine

Carp - Bulgarian way

Fritters with yeast

Ingredients:

• 25g. yeast
• 300g. flour
• 1dl. milk
• 30g. sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 40g. butter or margarine
• 1 tbsp. rum
• a pinch of salt
• 2dl. oil for frying
• powdered sugar for dusting
• apricot jam or fruit syrup

Crumble yeast, mix with a teaspoon of sugar and a tablespoon of milk and leave in a warm place to rise. Sift flour, heat a little, pour in luke-warm milk, add sugar, egg yolks, melted butter or margarine and the creamed yeast. Mix well and work into a smooth dough with mixing spoon until it does not stick any more to the walls of the dish. Dust with flour and leave in a warm place to rise (it is ready for frying when it has doubled in bulk). Heat oil well, mix the dough lightly. Dip a tablespoon into heated oil, take up spoonfuls of dough and drop into hot oil. Do not put to many at the time so that they can rise and fry evenly. When brown, dry on absorbent paper, arrange on serving plate and dust with powdered sugar. Serve warm. Apricot jam or some fruit syrup can be served with fritters.

Fritters with yeast

Mixed kebabs

Ingredients:

• 250g. chicken without bones
• 250g. chicken, goose or turkey livers
• 250g. turkey without bones
• 100g. smoked bacon
• 50g. butter
• oil for the grill

Wash meat, wipe and cut into nice ares. Thread on to smaller skewers meat liver and bacon in turn. Grill on medium heated gridiron and turn while grilling. When done, take kebabs off skewers, arrange over cooked rice and pour heated butter over. With kebabs serve lettuce, mixed paprikas and tomato salad, beetroot salad and others.

Related recipes:

• Osmanli kebabs

Mixed kebabs

Sardines in vine leaves - Asma yapraginda sardalya

Ingredients:

• 50 sardines
• 50 fresh vine leaves

Marinade:

• salt
• juice of 2 lemons
• 1 tsp white pepper crushed
• 1 cup Jingilli Frantoio Extra Virgin Olive Oil

This recipe is for 10 portions. Here is the method how to prepare it:
First remove the backbones of the fish leaving the heads and tails then scrape off scales and wash fish gently. Mix marinade ingredients in a bowl.
Pat dry the fish then place in a large bowl and pour over marinade and mix through.
Cut the stems off the fresh vine leaves and soak in hot water for 20 minutes then plunge into cold water. Next put shiny sides of vine leaves on a clean surface.
Place one sardine on the stem of each leaf and roll up, ending with stem side up (the heads and tails of the sardines should not be rolled in the leaves).
Brush the leaves with olive oil, then grill stuffed leaves on both sides over medium heat…the barbecue is perfect for this. Open vine leaves and sprinkle fish with lemon juice when eating.

Serve with crisp lettuce salad leaves tossed with diced tomato, cucumber, red onion, parsley and a light olive oil, salt and lemon juice dressing.

Source: Fish.wa.gov.au

Sardines in vine leaves - Asma yapraginda sardalya

Paštrovski makaruli

Ingredients:

• 500g black (buckwheat) flour
• 1 tbsp oil
• pinch of salt
• water, to bind

Sift the flour into a bowl, form a well in the centre then add the salt, oil and a little water to the middle. Mix together, adding more water so that you have a slightly tacky dough.

Turn this dough onto a lightly-floured work surface and knead well until the mixture becomes smooth and no longer sticks to your hands. You should have a medium soft dough. Turn into a greased bowl then cover and set aside for half an hour to rest.

A the end of this time roll the dough out to about 2mm thick then shape into makaruli (macaroni) shapes by wrapping the dough around the handle of a wooden spoon and slicing. Set aside to dry and store.
When ready, add to a pan of lightly-salted boiling water and cook until tender. Transfer to a warmed bowl and serve sprinkled with olive oil and grated cheese.

Source: Celtnet.org.uk

Paštrovski makaruli

Meatballs with egg & lemon sauce

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 pounds ground lamb or beef
• 1/2 cup long-grain rice
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt, freshly ground pepper
• 2 cups beef bouillon
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

In a large bowl combine the lamb or beef, rice, onion, egg, tomato sauce, parsley, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well. Shape into 2-inch meatballs. In a large saucepan bring the bouillon to a boil over medium-high heat. Add meatballs and butter. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, covered, until meatballs are tender, about 30 minutes. Test one to see if rice is tender. Meanwhile, in a small bowl beat the egg yolks. Stir in lemon juice. Add 1/2 cup hot liquid; mix well. Add to meatballs, stirring constantly while adding. Leave over low heat about 5 minutes, long enough to thicken a little. Serve at once. Do not reheat.

Source: Joycesfinecooking.com

Meatballs with egg & lemon sauce

Kjoftinja (Meatballs)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup grated onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon dired mint
• 1 or 2 slices white bread
• 1/2 cup white wine or water
• 1 egg
• flour for rolling
• vegetable oil for frying

Kjoftinja is a frequently consumed recipes of Macedonia. It basically a dish of meatballs, which is considered to be one of the most popular Macedonian cuisines. A series of ingredients are required to prepare this mouth-watering dish. However, as all these ingredients are easily available, anyone can try it out at home.

First mix onion, garlic, mint, pepper, oregano and meat. Add salt according to the taste. Thereafter the slices of the bread are moistened into water or wine. The meat is then added to the softened bread and egg. Knead the mixture thoroughly and shape it into balls. Thereafter fry these balls in vegetable oil. Fry the balls until they get brown. It is now ready to serve. It is always advisable to serve the preparation hot. Kjoftinja is very tasty and as it takes less time for preparation, most of the Macedonians prefer to have it.

Source: Mapsofworld.com (Directions)

Kjoftinja (Meatballs)

Vinaigrette salad

Ingredients:

• 1 small beet
• 3-4 big potatoes
• 1 carrot
• a handful of green peas or dry beans
• 1 pickle
• 2 hard boiled eggs
• 1 onion
• 3 tablespoons oil
• vinegar to taste
• salt

Boil separately the beet, potatoes, carrot and peas or beans. Let cool. Thinly slice the potatoes, carrot and beet and then mix with the peas or beans, chopped onion, and rounds of hard boiled eggs and pickle. Add salt, oil and vinegar. Mix well and let stand at least an hour to mix the flavors. Arrange in salad bowl.

Source: Hnvn.com

Vinaigrette salad

Sarajevo okra soup

Ingredients:

• 300g. veal, cubed
• 50g. fresh okra, sliced
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp sour cream
• 2 tbsp flour
• 40g. carrots, diced
• 40g. onions, diced
• 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 2 egg yolks
• 100g. lemon slices

Sarajevo Okra Soup is a traditional Bosnian recipe for a classic soup made with veal meat, okra and vegetables which is thickened with egg yolks and decorated with lemon slices before serving. Preparation:
Melt the butter in a frying pan and use to fry the veal until browned all over then stir-in the carrots and onions. Cook over medium meat for about 8 minutes then scatter the flour over the top and stir to combine.
Transfer the mixture to a saucepan then stir-in 750ml water along with the okra. Season to taste then bring the mixture to a boil. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks and sour cream in a bowl. Add this slowly to the soup, whilst whisking constantly. Immediately take the soup off the heat and stir-in the parsley. Ladle into warmed soup bowls then float the lemon slices on top and serve.
Source: Celtnet.org.uk

Related articles:

• Bulgarian okra salad

Sarajevo okra soup

Courgette pie

Ingredients:

• 1kg. courgettes
• 30g. flour
• 1dl. oil
• 4 eggs
• 200g. cheese
• 1/2 bunch of dill or parsley
• salt and pepper
• 2dl. sour cream

Peel courgettes, wash, cut into rounds and salt. Leave them to stand for a while. then roll in flour and fry in heated oil to get brown. Mix two egg yolks and cheese, add salt, pepper, chopped dill and two stiffy whisked egg whites. Mix all slowly. Grease a fireproof dish, or tepsya, with oil, then put layers of courgettes. Pour over with some oil and bake in the oven preheated to 200°C about 20 minutes. Beat well the other two eggs flour and sour cream or milk, pour over and return into the oven to brown. Serve warm.

Courgette pie

Turkish salad

Ingredients:

• 200g. fresh white cabbage
• 200g. carrots
• 200g. white turnips
• 1l. water
• salt
• 12 stuffed green olives
• 1 bunch of parsley
• 1 bunch of dill
• 1 bigger orange
• 1 lemon
• 1 smaller onion

For marinade:

• 1 clove of garlic
• 60g. olive oil
• 2tbsp. lemo juice
• 1tbsp. sugar
• white pepper
• 100g. riper goat cheese

Remove any discoloured leaves from cabbage, wash and grate crudely. Heat water, add salt. When it boils, plunge prepared veggie's leave to boil 1-2 minutes, then drain well. Cut olives into rounds. Wash parsley and dill and wipe (with absorbent paper). Cho parsley finely and snip dill (with kitchen scissors). Mix drained veggie's with olives, parsley and dill.

Prepare the marinade in the following way: crush garlic well, add salt, some sugar, oil, lemon juice and pepper. Pour the marinade over the veggie's, mix well and put on a bigger plate or into a bowl. Peel orange and lemon (remove white underskin), cut into thinner rounds of onion over them. Leave to stand in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes. Before serving Turkish salad sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese. Serve with grilled dishes or with rusks as light supper.

Turkish salad

Tarator

Ingredients:

• 1/2kg. cucumbers, finely chopped
• 2,5dl. sour milk
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 hot pepper
• salt
• parsley

Tarator or Taratur is one of the most popular macedonian salads, but also well known in the whole Balkan. You can prepare it in the following way:

Peel the cucumbers, cut into small cubes, salt and leave for ten minutes. Drain the cucumbers, add the sour milk or sour cream, garlic and hot pepper, season with salt and mix well. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, cool and serve.

Tarator

Tirit - Chicken Pie

Ingredients:

• chicken
• water
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 1 parsnip, shredded
• 1/2 cup oil or butter
• 2 bunches green onions, chopped
• 1 bunch of parsley, chopped
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 package phyllo dough
• 2 cups sour cream
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup milk.

Tirit is a traditional Bosnian dish that can be served as an appetizer, but also as a lunch or dinner entree. Here are the instructions how to prepare the recipe:
Wash the chicken inside and out. Put in a large cooking pot, fill with water and add shredded carrots and parsnip, season with salt and pepper. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through and tender, about an hour. Remove the chicken from the broth, filter the broth and keep for other uses. Discard vegetables.
Let the chicken cool down and then remove meat from the bones, making sure the meat remains in large pices. Put chicken in a bowl and discard bones and skin.

Meanwhile, heat some oil and fry the green onions until soft. Add the onions and chopped parsley to the chicken and season with more salt and pepper.
Heat the oven to 350F.
Oil a large, deep baking pan and place 10 layers of phyllo dough, brushing each one with oil or melted butter. Put the chicken on the phyllo, level and cover with 10 layers of dough, brushing each one with oil or butter.
Mix the sour cream with the milk and pour it over the pie.

Bake the pie for about 45 to 50 minutes. When done sprinkle with water, cover and let stand for a while. Serve warm.

Source: Margarita's Recipes

Related articles:

• Turkish Tirit pie

Tirit - Chicken Pie

Cheese Cakes

Ingredients:

• 1 package frozen puff pastry
• 200-300g. soft unsalted cheese
• 2 egg yolks
• 50g. sugar
• salt
• 1 egg for brushing over

Thaw out puff pastry, roll out with a pin and cut into bigger squares. Beat egg yolks and sugar untillfoamy, add cheese passed through sieve or crushed well, salt. Mix all well. Place some filling over each square of puff pastry, joining the ends of the pastry together. Beat the egg well and brush the cakes in and bake in the oven preheated to 250°C until nicely brown. Do not open the oven for the first 15 minutes of baking. When done, the cakes can be sprinkled with powder sugar.

Cheese Cakes

Baked paprikas and tomato salad

Ingredients:

• 8 green or yellow paprikas
• 1kg. bigger and harder tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 1-1.5dl. oil
• 1/2 bunch of parsley
• 1/2 bunch of celery leaves
• salt and pepper

Wash paprikas, wipe and dry fry on top the stove, sprinkle with some cold water, cover and leave to stand for a while, then skin, remove seeds and cut into thin rounds. Wash parsley and celery leaves, wipe and chop finely. Mix all vegie's, add salt and pepper, mix carefully but well. During the season of tomatoes and paprikas this salad is often prepared in Albania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro. It is usually served with grilled meat, egg dishes, beans...

Baked paprikas and tomato salad

Trout in Ohrid manner

Ingredients:

• 1kg. trouts
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 3 onions, finely chopped
• 3 fresh peppers
• 150g. rice
• 2 lemons
• 1 bunch of parsley, chopped
• salt and pepper
• oil

Remove the main bones from the trouts and leave them for a while. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion and the peppers. When the peppers are tender, add the cooked rice, parsley, black pepper, lemon juice and stir well. Take the pan from the heat, fill the trouts with this stuffing and tie with a string. Toss the filled trouts in the flour, arrange in an oiled roasting tin and roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Serve with a suitable salad.

Trout in Ohrid manner

Balšica tava

Ingredients

• 1kg. boned veal
• 100g. carrots, chopped
• 100g. onions, chopped
• 60g. butter, melted
• 1 bayleaf
• salt, to taste
• 3 eggs
• 200ml. sour cream
• 2.5l. whole milk
• 1/2 bunch of parsley

Balšica tava (Veal in Royal Sauce) is a traditional Montenegrin recipe for a classic dish of boiled veal that's then roasted in a pan with a sauce of eggs milk and sour cream. The full recipe is presented here:
Cut the veal into about 50g. chunks, add to a pan along with the vegetables and bayleaf. Cover the contents of the pan with water and season to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, then cook for about 40 minutes, or until tender. Drain the meat then place in a roasting pan and drizzle the melted butter over the top.

Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 200°C and roast for about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, form the "royal sauce". Whisk together the eggs, milk and cream. Pour over the meat, until completely covered then return to the oven and cook for 5 minutes more, or until lightly golden. Ladle into bowls, garnish with the parsley and serve.
Source: Celtnet.org.uk

Balšica tava

Mussel salad

Ingredients:

• 3kg. mussels with shell on
• 3/4l. water
• 2 onions
• 3-4 cloves
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 celery root
• 2 bayleaves
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 smaller rosemary sprig
• salt and pepper
• 1 bigger lemon
• 100g. mayonnaise
• olives to garnish

Bring water to the boil. Add peeled and chopped onion and garlic, chopped celery and herbs and simmer about 30-40 min. Wash mussels well, put into cooked marinade, keep on low heat until mussels open, take them out, remove shels and cool. Drain marinade, add lemon juice and salt and pepper as needed. Mix mayonnaise a little and slowly pour in the cooled marinade, stirring constantly. Pour this over cooled mussels, shake well and leave to stand an a cool place. Garnish with black olives.

Mussel salad