Shopska salad
Ingredients: 3-4 tomatoes, 1 cucumber, 4-5 peppers, 1 onion, 150g brined
sheep's cheese, parsley, vinegar, sunflower oil and salt.
Bake, peel and seed the peppers. Cut into small strips and add the diced
tomatoes, cucumbers and onion. Add salt, oil and vinegar, and mix. Serve
in the shape of a pyramid, top with chopped parsley and grated cheese.
Stuffed tomato salad
Ingredients: 1kg tomatoes, 1 medium-sized celery, 250g brined sheep's
cheese, parsley, pepper, vinegar, sunflower oil, salt(1 cucumber).
Peel and dice the celery, boil in salt water, strain and mix with the
grated cheese, oil and finely chopped parsley. Slice off the tomato
tops, core and fill with the mixture (for an even more appealing
appearance place the tomatoes on top of cucumber slices). Trim with
small pieces of tomatoes and parsley.
Mixed salad
Ingredients: 1-2 aubergines, 7-8 peppers(non-Bulgarian size peppers:
15), 3-4 tomatoes, 1 cucumber, 1/3 cup walnuts, 203 cloves garlic,
vinegar, sunflower oil, salt.
Bake the aubergines and peppers on a hot plate, peel and cut into small
pieces. Add the diced cucumber, crushed walnut kernels and garlic, the
vinegar, oil and salt, stir and arrange on a plate. Top with tomato
slices and finely chopped parsley. Sprinkle with some more oil.
White salad
Ingredients: 2-3 cucumbers, 2 cup cottage cheese, 1 cup cream, 1/2 cup
walnuts, 2-3 cloves garlic, dill, sunflower oil, salt (3 eggs).
Peel and dice the cucumbers, add the cottage cheese, cream, crushed
walnuts and garlic, the oil, finely chopped dill and salt. Beat the
mixture, pour into a plate and garnish with hard boiled eggs cut in
half.
Aubergine puree (Kyopolu)
Ingredients: 2-3 aubergines, 4-5 peppers, 2-3 tomatoes, 3-4 cloves
garlic, parsley, vinegar, sunflower oil, salt.
Bake the aubergines and peppers on a hot plate, peel and cut into small
pieces. Add the finely hopped diced or grated tomatoes, then the crushed
garlic. Mix with a wooden spoon, add oil and vinegar, salt to taste,
beat. Pour into a plate and top with finely chopped parsley.
Soups
Tarator
Ingredients: 2-3 cucumbers, 500g yogurt, 1/2 walnuts, 3-4 cloves garlic,
dill, sunflower oil and salt.
Beat the yogurt, add the crushed garlic, ground walnuts, finely dies
cucumbers (sliced into small pieces), oil and salt. Stir and dilute with
cold water. Serve sprinkled with finely chopped dill.
Monastery style bean soup
Ingredients: 200g white beans, 2-3 carrots, 1/2 a celery, 1 onion, 1-2
tomatoes, 1-2 peppers, 1-2 chillies (peppers, by choice), parsley, mint,
sunflower oil, salt.
Soak the beans in cold water for 3-4 hours, drain and pour fresh water.
Boil (in an earthware) pot together with oil, finely chopped carrots,
onion and celery. The sliced peppers are added later; the grated
tomatoes and mint, when the beans have turned tender. Salt and boil for
another 15-20 min. Serve sprinkled with finely chopped parsley.
Vegetable soup
Ingredients: 2-3 potatoes, 1-2 carrots, 1/2 celery. 1-2 peppers, 1/4 of
a medium-sized cabbage, 1 onion, 2-3 tomatoes, 1 beetroot, 1 spoonful
flour, 1 tsp. paprika, 100g yogurt, 1 egg, 100g kashkaval(yellow
cheese), sunflower oil, salt, parsley.
Put the diced celery and carrots into salt boiling water together with
the finely cut cabbage and peppers. When soft, add the diced potatoes.
Boil the diced beetroot. Stew the finely chopped onion until soft, then
add the flower, paprika and grated tomatoes. Add the mixture to the
boiling vegetables and boil for another half hour. Add the beetroot at
the end. Thicken with an egg beaten in yogurt. Serve with finely chopped
parsley and grated kashkval.
Spinach soup
Ingredients: 1/2 spinach, 60g butter, 2 spoon flour, 0.5l milk, pepper,
salt.
Boil the finely chopped spinach in salt water. Brown the butter and
flour, then add the spinach puree. Dilute with milk and half the spinach
water. Boil for another 5-10 minutes and season with pepper. Serve with
bread cubes fried in butter. The same recipe may may be used for
nettles.
Vegetable soup with white cheese
Ingredients: 250g green beans, 1 onion, 1/2 a medium-sized cabbage, 1
small cauliflower, 150g white brined cheese, parsley, sunflower oil,
salt.
Boil the beans in salt water and strain. Cook the finely chopped onion,
cabbage, and cauliflower in oil and some water, pour over hot water and
the bean water. When cooked, add the bean mash and crushed cheese. Boil
for another 10 minutes and serve with finely chopped parsley.
Lamb soup
Ingredients: 400g lamb, 2 carrots, 1/2 celery, 2-3 potatoes, 2 tomatoes,
1 onion,, 3-4 cloves garlic, 1 spoonful flour, 1 tsp. tomato paste, 50g
butter, cummin, parsley, pepper, salt.
Cut the meat into pieces and boil in salt water together with the finely
cut carrots and celery. Cook the finely chopped onion, flour and tomato
paste in butter and some water. Add the meat, after some 10 min also add
the diced tomatoes. When boiled add the tomato pieces and garlic. Boil
for another 10-15 min. Serve sprinkled with finely chopped parsley,
pepper and cummin.
Milk soup
Ingredients: 300g milk, 60g butter, 2 eggs, 100g white brined cheese (or
kashkaval), 1/2 cup rice, savory or pepper, salt.
Boil the milk and dilute with 3 cupfuls of warm water. Add the rice,
salt and boil until cooked. Take off the fire, season, mix in the butter
and thicken with beaten eggs. Serve with crushed brined cheese or grated
kashkaval.
Veal soup
Ingredients: 700g veal knuckle or breast, 2 carrots, 1 onion, 1/2 a
celery, 2 potatoes, 2 tomatoes, 50g butter, parsley with roots, pepper,
horse-radish, vinegar, salt.
Cut the meat into pieces, place in cold water and bring to the boil.
Salt and simmer together with the chopped carrots, onion, celery and
parsley roots. When tender, add the potatoes, and after 20min also the
finely sliced tomatoes. Add the butter when nearly ready. When serving,
first place a piece of meat on the plate, then pour on the stock.
Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley and pepper. Serve the grated
horseradish seasoned with vinegar and salt separately, add to the soup
according to taste.
Chicken soup with vegetables
Ingredients: 1 chicken, 3-4 carrots, 1 celery, 1 onion, 1 spoonful
flour, 1 cupful milk, 40g butter, 1 egg, pepper, parsley, salt,
vermicelli if desired.
Boil the whole chicken and peppercorns in salt water, bone the meat. Fry
the finely chopped carrots, celery and onion in butter and some water
until soft, stir in the flour, blend in the chicken pieces after about
5min and boil for another 10min. Thicken with beaten egg and milk under
constant stirring. Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley before serving.
Vegetarian Dishes
Baked eggs with spring onions
Ingredients: 5 eggs, 300g brined sheep's cheese, 3 bunches of spring
onion, 50g butter, 1 bunch of parsley, salt.
Mix the finely chopped onions, parsley and crumbled cheese, and divide
into 5 (earthware) bowls. Add equal parts of butter, salt and 1 spoonful
water to each, and bake. When almost ready, break an egg on top of each
and add some water if necessary. Cover with lids and bake until a crust
is formed.
Stuffed peppers with egg and cheese
Ingredients: 1kg red peppers, 6 eggs, 250g brined sheep's cheese,
parsley, sunflower oil, salt.
Bake peel and seed the peppers. Mix the crumbled cheese with 4 beaten
eggs. Stuff the pepper swith the mixture, roll in breadcrumbs and beaten
eggs and fry in hot oil. Serve sprinkled with finely chopped parsley.
Vegetarian dish, Bansko region
Ingredients: 500g brined sheep's cheese, 2-3 tomatoes, 2-3 peppers, 5
eggs, 100g butter, half a tsp. paprika.
Place the crumbled cheese into a butter-lined saucepan. Top with the
finely cut peppers, grated or sliced tomatoes and butter. Cover with a
lid and stew for some 15min. Beat the eggs in a cupful of water, pour
over the dish, cover and cook until a yellow crust is formed. Serve with
paprika.
Monastery stew
Ingredients: 3-4 potatoes, 2-3 tomatoes, 1-2 carrots, 1-2 onions, 1/2 a
celery, 200g small onions, half a cupful olives, 2 cupfuls fresh
mushrooms, 1/4 cupful rice, half a cupful white wine, parsley, pepper,
half a cupful sunflower oil, salt.
Cook the finely chopped onions, carrots and celery in the oil and some
water. Add the small onions, olives, mushrooms and pepper. Pour over the
wine and 1 cupful of water, salt and simmer until tender. Add the diced
potatoes and rice, followed by tomato pieces after 15 minutes. Pour the
dish into a baking dish or earthware pot, sprinkle with parsley and
bake.
Stuffed Aubergines (Imam Bayaldy)
Ingredients: 4-5 eq. sized aubergines, 5-6 tomatoes, 5 onions, 2
carrots, 1 celery, 4-5 cloves garlic, half a lemon, 1 bay leaf, 3
spoonful breadcrumbs, parsley, peppers, half a cupful sunflower oil,
salt.
Separate the stalks from the aubergines and carefully hollow them. Cook
in oil and some water and stuff with a mixture prepared as follows:
brown the finely chopped onions in same oil. Add the grated carrots and
celery and when tender, also the grated tomatoes, finely chopped garlic
and parsley, the bay leaf, pepper and salt. Stuff the aubergines, top
with a slice of tomato and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake in a moderate
oven. Serve cold garnished with slices of lemon.
Spinach with brined cheese
Ingredients: !kg spinach, 4-5 spoonful flour, 100g butter, 200g brined
sheep's cheese, 2 eggs, salt, onions. Wash the spinach, cut into fine
strips and boil some 10 min. in salt water, then wash. Fry the finely
chopped onions and flour in oil and some water. Add the spinach and
boil, stirring constantly. Finally add the beaten eggs and crumbled
cheese. Cook for 5 min. The same recipe may be used for nettles with
cheese.
Marrows stuffed with cheese
Ingredients: 5-6 vegetable marrows, 150g brined sheep's cheese, 3 eggs,
1 onion, 2 spoonful flour, half a cupful milk, 60g butter, salt. Slice
the peeled marrows lengthwise, hollow and salt.
Brown the finely chopped onions and flour in half of the butter and some
water. Add half of the milk, grated cheese and 1 egg. Stuff the zucchini
with the mixture, arrange in a baking dish and pour over the remaining 2
eggs beaten with milk. Add the remaining butter a few minutes before the
dish is ready.
Vegetable hotch-potch
Ingredients: 3-4 onions, 4-5 tomatoes, 5-6 peppers, 1-2 aubergines, 4-5
potatoes, 100g okra, 100g French beans (green beans) 1 tsp. paprika,
parsley, 2/3 cupful sunflower oil, salt.
Brown the chopped onions in oil and some water, place in baking dish.
Add the finely cut peppers, tomatoes, French beans, aubergines, paprika,
salt and some water. When tender, add the potatoes cut into circles and
some more warm water. Bake in moderate oven. Sprinkle with finely
chopped parsley before serving.
Meat Dishes
Lamb drob sarma
Ingredients: 1kg lamb caul, 2 eggs, 1/2 cupful rice, 2 bunches of spring
onions, 1 cupful yogurt, mint, pepper, 100g butter, salt.
Boil the lamb pluck in salt water and cut into pieces. Fry the finely
chopped onions in butter and some water. Add the rice, pluck, pepper and
mint. Add 2 cupfuls of the lamb stock and boil some 20min. Soak the caul
in cold water, cut into pieces and fill with the mixture. Arrange in a
tray and bake in a moderate oven. When nearly ready, pour over the eggs
beaten in yogurt and bake for another 10-15 min. The dish can also be
prepared without caul wrapping. Serve with yogurt topping.
Stewed leg of mutton
Ingredients: about 2kg leg mutton, 100g bacon, 3 carrots, 3 tomatoes,
3-4 peppers, 1/2 a celery, 7-8 potatoes, 1 tsp.. tomato paste, 6-8
cloves garlic, pimento, 1 bay leaf, pepper, 1 cupful white wine, 1
lemon, 1 tsp.. flour, parsley, 1/2 cupful sunflower oil, salt.
Lard the meat with bacon rolled in paprika, garlic and pepper. Salt and
stew in the oil together with the vegetable sliced into large pieces.
Later add the flour and tomato paste diluted with some cold water. Pour
over the wine and some hot water, add spices and peeled lemon slices and
simmer on a low fire. When cooked, take out the meat and cut into
slices. Push the sauce through a sieve. Serve sprinkled with finely
chopped parsley.
Wine kebap
Ingredients: 1kg veal, 4-5 onions, 1 carrots, 1/2 a celery, 1 spoonful
tomato paste, 1 spoonful flour, 1 tsp. paprika, 1 cupful white wine, 1
bay leaf, pepper, parsley, half a cupful sunflower oil, salt.
Cut the deboned meat into small pieces and fry in oil and some water
together with the finely chopped onions, celery and carrots. When tender
add the tomato paste diluted with some water, the flour and paprika.
Pout over the wine and some water, add the bay leaf and pepper and
simmer on a low fire. Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley before
serving.
Rustic chicken stew
Ingredients: 1 chicken, 3-4 onions, 1-2 peppers, 3-4 tomatoes, 3
spoonful flour, 1 spoonful paprika, 1/33 cupful sunflower oil, parsley,
salt.
Cut the deboned meat into pieces and stew in oil and some water together
with the onion rings. Add the flour and paprika, as well as some water.
Bring to the boil and add the peppers and tomatoes cut into large
pieces, salt. Simmer on a low fire. Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley
when ready.
Kavarma
Ingredients: 800g pork, 500g veal liver, 5 peppers, 4-5 onions, 1-2
tomatoes, 1 cupful mushrooms, 1/3 cupful white wine, savory, paprika,
pepper, parsley, half a cupful lard or sunflower oil, salt.
Cut the meat into small pieces and fry in oil and some water. Add the
onions and when tender - the cooked and diced liver, sliced mushrooms,
peppers, tomatoes, pepper, savory, wine, salt and some warm water. Stir,
pour in (earthware) dish or bowls and bake in a hot oven. Serve with
finely chopped parsley.
Srednogorie hotch-potch
Ingredients: 1kg veal, 2 cupfuls mushrooms, 100g okra, 2-3 onions, 2-3
tomatoes, 3-4 peppers, 1/2 cupful rice, 1-2 potatoes, half a cupful
white wine, 1 tsp. paprika, pepper, parsley, 3/4 cupful sunflower oil,
salt.
Fry the meat into large pieces in oil and some water, take out. Brown
the finely chopped onions, tomatoes and paprika in the same oil. Replace
the meat, add the wine and some hot water, bring to the boil and salt.
Add the mushrooms and after some 10min the peppers sliced into strips
and the cleaned okra. When tender, add the remaining oil, bake. Sprinkle
with finely chopped parsley and pepper before serving.
Pork spindle fillet
Ingredients: 1kg pork fillet, 200g cheese, 2 cupful mushrooms, several
cloves of garlic, 1 lemon, tomato paste, parsley, 500g butter, salt.
Pound the thin fillets, salt and baste with tomato paste and pepper.
Stew the mushrooms, diced cheese, finely chopped parsley and garlic in
butter and some water. Place some of the stuffing on each fillet, roll
up, tie with a string and grill. Serve with French fries and lettuce.
Sarmi (Stuffed vine or cabbage leaves)
Ingredients: 500g minced veal, 300g minced pork, 1 bunch of spring
onions, half a cupful rice, one cupful yogurt, parsley, mint, paprika,
pepper, 30-40 vine or cabbage leaves, 100g butter or half a cupful of
sunflower oil, salt.
Fry the finely chopped onions in some of the oil and some water, stir
the paprika and take off the stove. Add the meat, rice, pepper, mint and
finely chopped parsley. Pour over warm salted water and simmer until the
water has been absorbed by the rice. Scaled the vine or cabbage leaves
with salted hot water and put 1 tsp. of the mixture on each leave. Roll
together and arrange in a saucepan, pour over 3/2 cupful of warm water
and 1 tsp. fat, close with a lid and simmer on a low fire. When ready,
pour over the beaten yogurt and melted butter with stirred in paprika.
Serve with vegetables. The same recipe may be used for stuffed peppers,
eggplants and zucchini.
Kebapcheta (Oblong rissoles)
Ingredients: 1kg minced meat(60% pork and 40% veal), 2onions, 1/2 tsp.
cummin and pepper, salt.
Salt the meat and let stand for 1-2 hours in the cold. Then mix with
cummin, pepper, finely chopped onions (and some water). Let stand for
another 2 hours. Form into oblong rissoles and grill. Serve with
vegetables and ... A LOT OF BEER!
Meat on a spit
Ingredients: 1kg pork, 1 onion, 1 tomato, 1 pepper, salt.
Cut the meat into pieces, salt and mix with the largely chopped onion
and pepper. Let stand for ~2 hours and string on a spit with pieces of
onion, pepper and sliced tomatoes inbetween. Grill. Serve hot with
vegetables of your own choice. Baste with lemon juice if desired.
Cheeses
Cheese baked in foil
Ingredients: 400g brined sheep's cheese, 60g butter, 1 spoonful paprika.
Cut the cheese into medium-thick slices and place on sheets of
butter-lined foil. Place cubes of butter a top each cheese piece,
sprinkle with paprika and wrap. Place in a tray and bake in a moderate
oven. Serve wrapped in the foil.
Shoppe style cheese
Ingredients: 500g brined sheep's cheese, 40g butter, 1-2 tomatoes, 1-2
peppers, black pepper, paprika, 5 eggs.
Cut the cheese into five eq. slices and place into butter-lined (earthware)
bowls. Top with tomato slices, pepper rings and so me butter, Bake in a
hot oven some 5-6 min. Break an egg a top of each bowl and add the
remaining butter with pepper and paprika. Bake until a crust is formed.
Serve hot, garnished with slices of tomato, parsley and a chilli, as
desired.
Pastries
Fried bread slices
Ingredients: hard bread, 3 eggs, 1 cupful milk, 1.2 cupful sunflower
oil.
Slice the bread into thin slices. Dip first in milk, then in the beaten
eggs. Fry in hot oil. Serve Serve hot, sprinkled with sugar, honey, jam,
cheese or whatever topping you prefer.
Mekitsas (Batter fried in oil)
Ingredients: 1kg flour, 3eggs, 1/2kg yogurt, 10g yeast or 1 tsp. of
baking soda, 1 cupful water, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 cupful sunflower oil.
Beat eggs and yogurt together with the water and yeast or baking soda
diluted in some cold water. Prepare a soft dough and let stand for 1
hour. Then roll into a sheet and cut out circles with a teacup. Fry in
plenty of oil until a reddish hue is obtained. Serve with icing sugar,
jam or cheese.
Round bread loaves with cheese
Ingredients: 1kg flour, 500g brined cheese, 5/2 cupfuls yogurt, 3 eggs,
1 tsp. baking soda, 100g butter.
Mix the flour, yogurt baking soda, eggs and crumbled cheese. Prepare a
dough and divide into 15 pieces. Shape each into a round loaf, making a
hole in the middle, placing a piece of butter inside. Bake in a moderate
oven in a dish lined with butter.
Banitsa with spinach
Ingredients: 1kg flour, 1kg spinach, 300g. white brined cheese, 3/2
cupful of yogurt, 200g butter, 1 spoonful sunflower oil, 1 spoonful
vinegar, salt.
Cook the cleaned and finely cut spinach in some of the butter. After
having cooled, stir in crumbled cheese and yogurt. Knead a hard dough
from the flour, oil, vinegar, salt and water. Roll into five sheets (1kg
of ready rolled pastry sheets may also be used). Line a baking dish with
butter, place 1 sheet on the bottom and top with the spinach filling.
Add a second sheet, filling and so on. Baste in a moderate oven. The
same recipe may be used for making banitsa with leeks.
Ears
Ingredients: 500g flour, 1tsp. yeast, 150g white sheep7s cheese, 120g
butter, 2 tsp. salt.
Make a hole in the flour and place 1/2 tsp. salt, the diluted yeast and
1/2 a cupful of water in it. Knead a medium soft dough (add some more
water if necessary) and let stand for about on hour. Roll into sheets,
~3-4mm thick cut into squares and add crumbled cheese to each. Fold in
two, seal the edges and drop into salt boiling water. Boil for ~5min.
Arrange the ears is a dish and pour over melted butter. Serve hot.
Banitsa (Cheese pastry)
Ingredients: 1kg flour, 400g white brined cheese, 4 eggs, 500g yogurt,
1/2 a tsp. baking soda, 100g butter, salt.
Use the flour, salt and 3/2 cupfuls of water to make a hard dough which
is divided into first-large balls. Let stand for ~1hour, then roll into
about 1mm thick sheets. Line with melted butter and top with a mixture
of beaten eggs, baking soda, yogurt and crumbled cheese. Roll together
and place in a lined dish, either Lengthwise or in circles. Bake in a
moderate oven and some water when ready. Cover with a cloth to make it
soft.
Desserts
Baked apples with vanilla syrup
Ingredients: 8-10 eq. sized apples, 1/3 cupful walnut kernels, 3/2
cupful sugar, vanilla, cinnamon according to taste, 50g butter.
Peel and carefully hollow the apples. Prepare a stuffing from the beaten
butter, 3/4 cupful of sugar, crushed walnut kernels and cinnamon. Stuff
the apples and place in a lined dish, pour over 1-2 spoonful of water
and bake in a moderate oven. Serve cold, sweetened with syrup made from
cupful of sugar, 1 cupful of water and vanilla. The same recipe may be
used for quinces and pears. (My grandma used to make them the best, may
God bless her).
Banitsa saralia
Ingredients: 1kg flour, 1/2 cupful walnut kernels, 4 cupfuls sugar, 4
cupfuls water, vanilla, 150g butter.
Prepare a medium-hard dough from the flour, some salt and cold water,
and roll into sheets (1 kg of ready-rolled sheets may also be used).
Baste each sheet with some butter and top with crushed walnut kernels.
Roll together and arrange either lengthwise or in a circle in a
butterlined dish. Bake in a moderate oven. After it has cooled pour over
hot syrup made from sugar, water and vanilla.
Sweet balls with syrup
Ingredients: 150g cottage cheese, 3 eggs, 1 cupful flour, 3/2 cupful
sugar, vanilla, 1 tsp. baking soda, 3 cupful water, 1 cupful sunflower
oil.
Mix the cottage cheese and eggs well, before gradually adding the flour,
followed by the baking soda. Shape into balls with a spoon and fry in
hot oil. When cooled, pour over syrup made from water, sugar and
vanilla.
Milk banitsa
Ingredients: 400g flour, 9 eggs, 3/2 milk, 3/2 cupful sugar, 1/2 cupful
semolina, 1 spoonful sunflower oil, 1 spoonful vinegar, 1 cupful water,
180g butter.
Prepare a medium-hard dough from the flour, 1 egg. oil, vinegar and
water and roll into sheets (500g of ready pastry sheets may also be
used). Place the sheets in a tray, basting each with melted butter.
Bring the milk to the boil, add the sugar, remaining butter and semolina
under constant stirring, followed by the beaten eggs when cooled. Mix
well and pour over the pastry sheets. Bake in a moderate oven. Serve
into pieces and sprinkle with icing sugar.
