Oven Roasted Mackerel with Vegetables

Fish dishes are invariably part of Bulgarian meal. Mackerel is the most famous fish in Bulgaria. Here is one of my father's ways to cook it. I’m lovin’ it.. 

Oven Roasted Mackerel

2 mackerels

1 onion, sliced

1 carrot, peeled and sliced

1 tomato, sliced

1 lemon, sliced

Parsley, finely chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Slit the mackerels in the middle. In an oiled oven dish put an onion slices in the bottom. Then arrange mackerels and finely sliced carrots and lemon. Put the tomato slices in the end and sprinkle with parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Moisten with vegetable oil and baked it in a preheat oven.

Spaghetti in an Oven with Yellow Cheese

Photo from Gotvarski.net

500 g spaghetti

500 g mince or sausages

1 onion, chopped

1 cup tomato paste

300 g feta cheese

1 can corn

2 green peppers

300 g yellow cheese

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 tbs savory

Boil the spaghetti. In a bowl shred feta cheese, add chopped peppers and the corn, and also salt and pepper to taste. Stir all together. Fried the onion and the minced (or sausages) in a deep pan and put the tomato paste above. Put 1/3 of the spaghetti in an oiled baking dish, and then add the mixture of cheese, peppers and corn. Then add the next 1/3 of the spaghetti and then the mixture of onion, minced and tomato paste. Add the last 1/3 of the spaghetti above and then grate the yellow cheese and dust with savory. Bake in an oven until the yellow cheese is getting gold.

Beaten Up Eggs with Spring Onion

Photo from Gotvarski Recepti

6 eggs

2 bunches of spring onion, chopped

1 cup feta cheese

1 cup vegetable oil

1 bunch of parsley

Salt, to taste

Clean and wash the spring onion, chop it and put it to a fried pan. Stew it for about 15 minutes. Add eggs and stir it. After 5 more minutes, when the eggs are getting ready, shred the feta cheese and dredge the mixture with it. Stir again and leave it from the cooker. Add finely chopped parsley at the end and salt to taste.  

Spinach Soup

Spinach Soup is healthy, fresh and light. Serve it cold with feta cheese and cream.

Photo from Recepti.ezine.bg

1 kilo spinach

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

5 spring onions

½ cup rice

2 eggs

2 cups yoghurt

3 tbs flour

A bunch of parsley

Peel and clean the spinach. Scald it on steamed water and boil it for about 10 minutes. Then strain it and chop it finely. Put 3 liters (litres) water in a pot and when it’s getting boil, add chopped on slices spring onion and carrot on cubes. After 10 minutes add the finely chopped spinach, and after 10 more minutes, add the cleaned and washed rice. When the rice is cooked, the pot is taken away from the cooker. 

The yolks of eggs are beat up with the yoghurt and the flour. Get a part of the soup with a ladle and stir it with the eggs and yoghurt’s mixture. Pour out the mixture to the soup and stir it all of the time. Sprinkle with parsley.

You can serve the soup with tablespoon of cream or yoghurt on top. You can also pound a feta cheese up. 

Baked Chicken with Potatoes

Baked chicken with potatoes is one of my favorite recipes. It is not so difficult, but incomparable tasty.

Photo from Dupnitsa.net

Chicken

8-9 Potatoes, peeled

4 tbs soya sauce

Parsley, finely chopped

2 tbs dry savory

1 lemon

Butter and vegetable oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Marinade the chicken with the soya sauce, the lemon juice, the parsley, the savory and black pepper and spread it with butter. Leave it for 10 minutes. Peel and cut on slices the potatoes. In the middle of an oiled baking dish put the chicken and by the side arrange potatoes’ slices and add chopped parsley, and also salt and pepper to taste. Add one cup water to the potatoes and vegetable oil. Bake it for about 90 minutes in a preheat oven.

Mish-Mash

Mish-Mash is a type of Bulgarian omelet. It is a fried beaten up eggs with peppers, tomatoes and feta cheese.

Photo fromCalipso.bg

3 red peppers

1 green pepper

3 tomatoes,

1 onion,

1 cup feta cheese, shredded

3 eggs

3 tbs parsley, chopped

5 tbs vegetable oil

Salt, to taste

Cut the ingredients into small pieces. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onions, then the peppers and the tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the cheese and eggs and cook for another 3 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed Peppers are another traditional meal for Bulgaria. They are really tasty with plain yoghurt.

Photo from Tandem.bg

8 green and red peppers, cored and seeded

300 g mince (60 % pork and 40% beef)

200 g rice

2 onions, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

Virgin soil

½ tbs paprika

½ cup tomato sauce

4 tbs parsley, finely chopped

4 tbs olive or vegetable oil

1 tbs savory

Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the oil in a pan and start frying the onion, the virgin soil and the carrot for about 10 minutes. Add the rice and the mince and stir well. After 5 more minutes season with salt and pepper, savory and paprika. Add the tomato sauce and half cup of water and cook until the water is absorbed. Stuff each pepper with the mixture, using a spoon. Arrange the peppers in a deep oven dish, and top up with hot water to half fill the dish. Cook for about 40 minutes in a preheated oven 360ºF (180ºC)

Cinnamon Cookies

Cinnamon cookies are good for breakfast with the cup of coffee.

Photos from Tortite.com

1 tbs honey

1 tbs vegetable oil

1 tbs yoghurt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 egg, beaten

125 g butter, melted

1 cup sugar

500 g flour

2 tbs cinnamon

Mix all ingredients. Make small cookies and at the middle you can put a walnut. Bake it for about 10 minutes in 350ºF (180ºC).  

Lard Cookies - Maslenki

Something sweet, finally!

Maslenki are traditional Bulgarian cookies made from lard and Schweppes. My grandma made them every Christmas.

Photo from Zadbara.com

1 cup lard, soften

250 ml Schweppes, Bitter Lemon

½ cup sugar, powdered

500 g flour, for soft dough

Optional: 1 cup walnuts, pounded

Make soft dough from the ingredients, adding the flour little to little. Roll small balls and bake in a preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC) them until they get golden-brown. While the cookies are still warm, you can roll them with powdered sugar and finely pounded walnuts.  

Kyopolou

Kyopolou could be a salad, a bread spread or an appetizer.

Once you try the original recipe, you could experiment with adding different ingredients. 

Photo from Gotvetesmen.com

2 eggplants (aubergines)

5 red peppers

2 tomatoes

3 gloves garlic

5 tbs fresh parsley, finely chopped

2 tbs red wine vinegar

2 tbs vegetable oil

Salt, to taste

Bake/roast the aubergines and peppers on a hot plate or in the oven, peel them and cut into small pieces. Add the finely chopped garlic and tomatoes. Mix well, add oil and vinegar, salt to taste and finely chopped parsley, stir again. You can add also walnuts and even mayonnaise.

Ayran

It is prefered drink for Bulgarians in the summertime.  But also it is consumed every season.

2 cups yoghurt
2 cups cold water
salt


Beat the yogurt until it gets a liquid form, then add water and salt to taste. Consume chilled and even put ice cubes.

Moussaka

Greeks, Turks and Bulgarian are always in controversy about Moussaka. Each of them said it is a traditional dish of their country. And we will never find the truth about origin of Moussaka (probably it is Arabic). But you should try it whatever on Balkans you are or you can make it at home.

Photo from priloznavsickologia

Ingredients:
500 g minced meat
7-8 potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 onions, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled  and chopped
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
3 tbs parsley, finely chopped
4 tbs olive or vegetable oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

4 egg, beaten
2 cups yoghurt
2 tbs flour

Preparation:

1. Fry the onion, the carrot and minced meat in a pan until the mince is getting crumble. 

2. Add the garlic, the grated tomatoes and chopped in cubes potatoes, then stew all together for about 10 min. 

3. Put the stewed mixture in a baking tin, add the spices and the parsley. 

4. Pour on water until it slightly covers the potatoes. Bake in an oven at 430ºF (220ºC) for about 30 min.

5. Stir the eggs, the yoghurt, the flour and salt. Pour it over the potatoes and bake it for 15 more minutes. You can serve it with cold yoghurt.  

Preparation and cook time:  1 hour 40 minutes
Serves: 4

Shopska Salad

Vary simple and delicious traditional Bulgarian salad. You can find it in all Bulgarian restaurants in the world.

Photo by bacchus.bg

3 tomatoes

1 cucumber, peeled

2 peppers

1 onion

100 g cheese

2 tbs olive oil

2 tbs parsley, finely chopped

1 tbs vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Chop tomatoes and cucumber on cubes. Then chop the onion and peppers on thin slices. Salt vegetables and pour them out with vinegar. Put cheese cubes and parsley at the top. Add olive oil at the end. You can add olives.

Fried Meatballs

Photo by Ginger Coookies

 500 g pork (and beef) meet, minced

1 slice of bread, drenched

1 egg

½ teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon salt

1 onion, finely chopped

1 tbs parsley, chopped

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 cup flour

Optional: ¼ teaspoon dry savory, smashed

Knead the minced meat with the crumbled slice of bread, onion, egg and all the spices. Leave the mixture in a fridge for about 30 minutes. Make small meatballs, covered with flour. Fry the meatballs in a preheat vegetable oil.

Tarator (Cold Cucumber Soup)

Tarator is traditional Bulgarian cold soup with yoghurt and cucumber. It’s especially refreshing on hot days, and it’s incredibly easy to make.

Photo (webrecepti.com)

 

1 cucumber, peeled and chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

4 cups yoghurt

1 cup cold water

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon dill, chopped

3 teaspoon olive oil

Optional: 3 walnuts, crushed

Chop the cucumber into small cubes. Mince the garlic clove and chop it. Add the yoghurt, salt, dill and olive oil. Mix all well and pour down the water.  It is served chilled and even with ice cubes.