Marinated Jalapeno peppers

1lb Jalapeno peppers

5 tbsp dill, chopped

5 garlic cloves, crushed

¾ cup apple cider vinegar Heinz

3 tbsp salt

Water to fill the remaining of jar

Grill all peppers and store them in a jar (500 ml). Add dill, garlic, salt, vinegar and water. Put a lid, shake well and refrigerate. After couple days you’ll have spicy pickled Jalapeno peppers for whole year. Keep in refrigerator.

Penne pasta with 3 cheeses, quail eggs and green onions / Пене паста с 3 вида сирене, пътпъдъчи яйца и зелен лук

Serves 4

8 oz penne pasta

½ cup whipping cream

12 quail eggs

1 oz

¾ cup shredded cheese (Old Cheddar, Parmesan, and Havarti)

bunch of green onions

salt and freshly ground black pepper

pinch of oregano

Spinach and roasted garlic are good mates for this dish!

Cook pasta in large boiling salted water cook until it’s done. Drain but do not rinse and return to the pan. Add whipping cream Parmesan, Cheddar and Havarti simmer and stir until all cheese melt. Season with oregano add salt and pepper. Toss gently to coat. Cook the eggs in boiling water for 1 min. Drain and slightly cool the eggs before peeling. Serve topped with halved quail eggs, green onions and shredded Cheddar.

Chicken soup / Пилешка супа

Ingredients:

6 cups chicken stock (home made from chicken legs and wings, chicken carcass, liver, chicken neck)

 de-boned the chicken

1 small onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 Russet potato, chopped

1 stick celery

1 bell red pepper, chopped

1 cup vermicelli or soup pasta as stellette, some times rice is used instead pasta in Bulgarian cuisine

½ tsp ground coriander

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp winter savoury or thyme

2 tbsp Vegeta Mix (optional)http://www.theredpaprika.com/images/upload/med_1258065386921197546865205265642050617072696b61149_IMG_1771.JPG

S&P and tsp chilli flakes (optional)

Velouté with:

2 egg yolks

½ cup yogurt

parsley, green onions (optional) for garnishing, chopped

Method:

Put the stock into large saucepan and bring to boil. Add vegetables and boil about 10 minutes.

Slice or torn cooked chicken meat and add it to the soup and season with all spices, salt and pepper. Vegeta mix also has salt, so be careful, do not over salt it.

Add pasta to cook, about 7 -8 minutes or until pasta is all done.

Remove from stove wait to cool down a bit (3-5 min).

 

                            Soup before adding yolks and yogurt

Velouté the soup with beaten egg yolks and yogurt.

Whisk yolks and yogurt in a deep bowl. Add part of chicken soup (only broth) in a thinly stream into yolks and yogurt sauce and keep whisking. This is haw you going to increase the temperature of yolks slowly and prevent curdling*. When the temperature of veloute sauce became the same as soup add it to the soup and stir. Do not preheat or boil the soup again.

Just before serving add chopped parsley. Pour into individual soup bowls and serve at once.

* Curdling

Also known as syneresis or weeping. When you cook an egg mixture such as a custard sauce too rapidly or for too long, the protein becomes over-coagulated and separates from the liquid, leaving a mixture resembling fine curds and whey. If the curdling in a custard sauce hasn’t progressed too far, you may be able to reverse it if you remove the mixture from the heat and stir or beat vigorously.

To prevent syneresis or curdling in a custard sauce, use a low temperature, stir

 (if appropriate for the recipe), cook just until the custard tests done, and cool quickly by setting the pan in a bowl of ice or cold water and stirring for a few minutes.

Tikvenik- Bulgarian pumpkin pastry/ Тиквеник

Tikvenik- Bulgarian pumpkin pastry

This is traditional pastry, made during late autumn and winter, regularly present on table on Christmas Eve. It is made with pumpkin, phyllo dough and walnuts. For more desserts, please visit: Traditional Bulgarian desserts

2 ½ lbs butternut squash or pumpkin, peeled and seeded

1 lb (one package) phyllo pastry

11 oz white sugar

1 cup fresh walnuts or pecans, chopped

2/3 cup vegetable oil

3 tsp cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg

***

2 oz water

1 oz sugar

1 oz oil

For the filling:

Shred the pumpkin with food processor. Sauté the pumpkin in oil, add sugar and stir occasionally until mixture became dryer, about 15 minutes. Season with cinnamon and add walnuts as well.

Brush baking dish with oil. Sprinkle with filling mixture every two sheets of phyllo pastry, roll it and place it into baking dish following nice spiral pattern.

 

***In a cup mix 2 oz water, 1 oz sugar and 1 oz oil and tip all over uncooked pastry. You could sprinkle some walnuts or cinnamon too. Last time I made this pastry I used ginger ale to sprinkle it before baking, it works perfectly!

Bake it in moderate oven 400 F about 30-40 min or until golden brown.

If you like this you may like Apple Strudel

Розово сирене

Четейки из Интернет попаднах на следната информация:

" Уникален продукт предлагат в голям хранителен магазин в столицата- сирене в  розов цвят.

Продуктът събира погледите на любопитните купувачи. Всичко си му е наред на сиренето, любезно обяснява продавачката, само дето е оцветено с розова боя. Безвредна! Купуват го  клиенти с по-ексцентричен вкус за оформянето на крейзи-хапки. Кубче розово сирене, набодено на клечка правело платото с деликатеси по-нестандартно. От етикетът на този необичаен продукт разбираме, че става дума за млечен продукт. Предложението ни към крейетив мениджърите на фирмата-производител е да разработят и вариант за плодово сирене  в  цвят резедав."


Питам, защо ли въобще трябва да се ползва изкуствена боя, като  червеното цвекло например е чудесен естествен оцветител!? Иначе, харесва ми като идея! Както харесвам и сирената с плодове и цветя.

Dill and Garlic Pickled Tomatoes

 It is easy way to have a jar with crunchy, pickled tomatoes just for a couple days.

For 1 jar 500 ml

2 large green field tomatoes, diced

3 garlic cloves, pressed

½ bunch dill, minced

3 tbsp sunflower oil

3 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp salt

2 oz pure apple cider vinegar

Wash and clean tomatoes very carefully, then diced them and put into large mixing bowl.

 Combine with finely chopped dill and pressed garlic, mix and fill up the jar. Add sugar, salt, vinegar and oil.

Fill up with water, close with bail top, shake it well and leave at room temperature for couple days.

There will be slight fermentation, which you have to look for. That will give to your pickled tomatoes specific zesty taste.

 Store the jar in refrigerator to stop fermentation’s process. It could stay in refrigerator for 2 weeks or this is what I can say. We always eat it up before expiration of this periodJ

Fish cakes / Рибни кюфтета

1 lb fish fillets, de-boned, minced (red snapper, cod, salmon- mix)

1 red pepper, finely chopped

1 egg

 ½ bunch green onions, finely chopped

½ cup bread crumbs

1 tsp paprika

Pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

1 tsp ground coriander seeds

Cilantro (optional)

S&P

***

Frying pan

3 tbsp flour and oil for frying

In a large, deep bowl combine everything together. Mix well. Leave to settle down about 1 h or more. The mixture has to be sticky and dry. Make balls and press each of them between your palms. Roll into flour and fry in hot oil from both sides.

Roasted chicken, pumpkin, red onion and potatoes

1 chicken, cut into portions

1 butternut squash

1 red onion

1 tsp thyme

1 large Russet potato

mushrooms (optional)

1 tsp ground coriander seeds

2 cloves garlic

3 tbsp sunflower oil

S&P

2 cups vegetarian broth or water

Season chicken with salt and pepper and braise in oil until golden color.

Cut onion and butternut squash and potato in large cubes. Set with half cooked chicken in a baking dish. Add water and thyme. Cover with aluminium foil or lid. Cook it in oven 450F about 40 min or until it is done.

Мераклийска рибена чорба / Halibut and Salmon Soup

Мераклийска рибена чорба

Продукти:

2 глави и две опашки от шаран /с предните перки/ или атлантическа сьомга и  изрезки от халибът
 ½ зелена и ½ червена пиперка
1 морков
1 картоф
1 стрък целина
1 кромид лук
½ връзка магданоз
корен от магданоз
4-5 стръка девисил ( lovage)
сол
 млян черен пипер, дафинов лист, 2-3 зърна бахар

50 мл олио
2 с.л. млян червен пипер
вода

Приготвяне:

Главите се сваряват във вода, колкото да ги покрие.Слагат се сол, зърна бахар и черен пипер, дафинов лист.Когато са готови изваждат се, бульонът се прецежда, а самите глави обезкостяват.Месото им се добавя в края на варенето към останалите продукти.

Всички зеленуци и корените от магданоз се нарязват на ситно, запържват се за кратко в част от олиото и към тях се добавя рибният бульон.Варят се докато омекнат.Добавя се ипочистеното от кости месо.Супата се подправя с накълцаните на ситно зелени девисил и магданоз и се сваля от огъня.

Прави се запръжка от останалото олио и червения пипер. Може да се подкисели с лимон.

халибът / халибут

Fraying Kufteta / Grilled Kufteta / Kebapche

 Fraying Kufteta

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kofta

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meatball#Meatballs_across_various_cultures

1 lb ground pork and beef (pork 60% beef 40%)

1 small onion, minced

1 egg (large size)

2 slices of bread

1 tbsp Winter savory (Satureja montana)-very common herb in Bulgarian cuisine. Do not skip this one!

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp paprika (optional)

1 bunch “Italian” parsley, minced (optional)

S&P

3 tbsp flour

1 cup canola oil

fraying pan

In a large bowl combine ground pork, herbs, S&P

Soak bred in water or wine, squeeze all water and crumble it into mixture.

Add 1 egg and mix well. Live it to settle down in refrigerator about 1 hour or more.

Make a meat balls and slightly pres each of them between your palms. Roll each one in flour and fry in hot oil from both sides.

Kufteta for barbeque / Grilled kufteta

The recipe is the same as above except egg and bread. When you prepare kufte mixture for barbeque there isn’t egg or bread. You could add 2 tbsp oil into mixture. Flour is not required.

Kebapche is kufte’s cousin. JIt is from the same family, just different shape and herbs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kebapche

1 ½ lb ground pork meat (you can put 40% lamb or mutton meat)

1 small onion, minced (optional)

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp dry garlic or 2-3 garlic cloves

S&P

Combine everything together and form into oblong rissoles. Grill by rolling at regular intervals.

Duck with Sauerkraut

2-4 portions

1 duck (about 4 lb), cut in portions or half

2  pounds sauerkraut, chopped about inch wide

1 leak, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 oz red wine

2 tbsp paprika

2 bay leaves

1 tsp cumin

1 tbsp savoury

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp caraway seeds

1 tsp black pepper

Because the duck has a lot of fat you may want to clean half of the total duck’s fat. Cut the fat around the neck and the back. You could use this fat for further use when cooking. *

Mix the sauerkraut with the spices and the other ingradients from this recipe and divide into two parts. Lay the first part in a deep roasting pan with a lid. Place the duck over the first layer of cabbage and cover with another layer of cabbage. Pour 3 cups water or broth, cover with lid and bake at 450F about 2 hours.

*If you wish to use the extra fat and render it, you have to cut duck’s fat into small pieces. Use a skillet pan. Add 2 cups of water and chopped the fat. Season it with salt and add slice of apple to purify the lard's taste. Simmer until entire water vaporizes and chunks of fat become smaller. You can add more water as well if it’s needed- to keep fat melting. At the end the fat in pan must look clear as oil; if it still blurred that means it contains water. 

Strain the melted fat into heatproof cup and leave it to cool down. After that you can refrigerate for several months.

P.S. Duck fat contains 35.7% saturates, 50.5% monounsaturates (high in linoleic acid) and 13.7% polyunsaturated fats.(which contains Omega-6 and Omega-3 essential oils). This compares to olive oil which is: 75% monounsaturated fat (mostly oleic acid) 13% saturated fat and 10% Omega-6 linoleic acid and 2% Omega-3 linoleic acid.

Note: The melting point of Duck Fat is 14°C. The melting point of butter is between 32°C and 35°C

Open faced grilled sandwiches/ Cheese and meat loaf roll appetiser

Make 3 rolls

200 grams meat loaf, thin sliced

200 grams cheese, thin sliced (Edem, Havarti)

100 grams your favourite Philadelphia cream cheese spreadable dip
1 French baguette

Spread tin layer of cream cheese over the meat loaf and cheese slices and turn them over to form salami shaped roll. 

Cut the roll on about half centimetre tick pieces and serve as a cold appetizer or grill over baguette slice.