Istanbulian Meatballs With Tomato Sauce

Istanbulian Meatballs With Tomato Sauce is another traditional recipe from Bulgaria. The name "Istanbulian" comes from the relevant region, where Turkish capital is located nowadays. The dish combines slight and juicy meatballs with tomato chili pepper sauce. It's an explosion of natural taste and perfect companion for a cup of red wine.

Ingredients:

Meatballs:
600g minced meat, beef and pork
1 spring onion, chopped
1 egg
1 slice of bread
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon savory
1/2 teaspoon
1 teaspoon paprika
100g vegetable oil
1 cup of flour
Pepper
Cumin
Salt

Tomato Sauce:
1 spring onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 pinches of fine salt
1 pinch of hot paprika (chili pepper)
Salt
1 can of whole peeled tomatoes
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped

Preparation:
1. Put the minced meat in a bowl. Add all seasonings - parsley, savory, paprika, pepper, cumin and salt.
2. Soak bread in water for about 5 minutes. Squeeze water from bread.
3.  Chop the onion.
4. Mix all the ingredients from the first 3 steps, add the egg and knead. Then leave the minced meat mixture in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
5. Make slight meatballs from the minced meat. Flatten and roll in flour for frying. Fry the balls on each side.
6. Put some vegetable oil in the pen for the tomato sauce. Add the onion and the garlic. After 3-4 minutes inset the parsley and salt, then add whole peeled tomatoes and chili pepper. Fry for about 20 minutes.

On a plate, arrange a few meatballs and flood with tomato sauce. Served cold.

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

Duck Kapama

Winter dish with tasty fried duck pieces and vegetables. Duck Kapama goes good with all types of red wine.

Duck Kapama with mushrooms and vegetables

Ingredients:

1 duck
1 cup mushrooms
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 onions, peeled and chopped
Salt and pepper (corn), to taste
Celery
5 garlic cloves
½ cup Red wine
3 tablespoons tomato sauce

Preparation:
1. Cut the duck into piеces and stew it in a deep pan with the vegetable oil.
2. Slice mushrooms. Chop all vegetables to small cubes and stew them with the meat.
3. Put the stewed mixture in a deep baking dish and pour it with wine, tomato sauce and a bit of hot water.
4. Preheat the oven to 400F (200C) and wrap the sides of baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake it for about 1 hour.

Preparation and cooked time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Portions: 4

Sarmas - Stuffed Vine Leaves

Traditionally, Sarmas (pl.) are indispensable part of every Bulgarian table for Christmas.

Photos by Lois Slokoski

Ingredients:  

800g minced meat, beef and pork

1 onion, finely chopped

1 cup rice,

2 tablespoons parsley

1 teaspoon paprika,

1 pepper, chopped

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

30-40 vine leaves,

100g butter or ½ cup sunflower oil,

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. Fry the finely chopped carrot and onion in butter (or oil) and add paprika, then add the meat, pepper, rice and parsley.

Salt and pour over two cups of warm water. Simmer until the rice is cooked.

2. Scald the vine leaves with worm water. Put a tablespoon of the filling on each leaf. Roll every leaf with the stuffed filling and arrange in a saucepan.

3. Pour over one and a half cups of hot water and one tablespoon fat, then lid the saucepan and simmer on a low heat for over 3 hours.

4. Serve cold with 2-3 tablespoons of yoghurt. 

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 3-4 hours

Portions: 6

Schnitzel from mince and potatoes.

A deep fried schnitzels from grated potatoes, minced meat and finely chopped onion. The recipe is from my grandmother's notebook. 
Ingredients

250 g minced meat (40% Pork, 60% Beef)

4 potatoes, peeled and grated

2 onions, finely chopped

4 eggs

4 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon yoghurt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Salt and pepper, to taste

Cumin

Preparation

1. The mince, a grate potatoes and the onion are spiced and mixed in a big bowl. Next squash the eggs and the flour and stir both mixtures.

2. Dissolve sodium into the yoghurt. Add it to the mixture. Leave it in the fridge for about 2 hours.

3.   Make small schnitzels and fry them in a deep pan.

Preparation and cook time: 40 minutes

Portion: 4

Pork Chops with Green Olives and Blue Cheese

A sliced pork fillet with sauce of sour cream, blue cheese and green olives is a great dish for your romantic dinner with your soul mate. It goes perfectly well with a bottle of red wine.

Ingredients

1000 g pork fillet

400 green olives, stoned

250 g blue cheese

1 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons butter

2/3 cup white wine

2 onions, peeled and finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

4 tablespoons vegetable/olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 teaspooon cumin

Preparation 

1. Chop the onion and fry it with the glove. Spice with salt, pepper and cumin and add the sliced pork fillet. Cover it with water and cook it gently for about 30 minutes in the covered frying pan.

2. Next put the pork chops aside and on the same pan put olives and the blue cheese, then add the cream, the butter and the wine. Stir well and cook it for 10 minutes.

3. Serve pork chops with the sauce and garnish with caramelized carrots. 

Preparation and cooking time: 1 hour

Portion: 4

Stuffed Turkey with Mince and Quinces

You can stuff turkey with whatever it occurs to your mind. And this recipe could give you the idea of your next holiday dinner. Stuff the turkey with quinces, raisins, almonds and minced meat and you will discover the pleasure of flavors.

Ingredients

1 turkey

500 g minced meat

2 onions, chopped

125 g butter

2 quinces, peeled and chopped

5 tablespoons raisins

3 tablespoons almonds

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 dried pepper

½ cup wine

2 tablespoons flour          

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. Clean, wash and dry the turkey. Salt and pepper it inside and outside. 

2. Chop the onion and brown it with a bit of butter. Wash the quinces, peel and chop them on cubes. Stew them for 5 minutes, just to getting soft. Raisins are saturated on water and strained off. Crush almonds into small peaces. Mix the onion with the mince, quinces, raisins, almonds, the finely chopped dried pepper and gloves. Salt the mixture and stuff the turkey with it. Spread butter on the turkey and place it in a deep baking dish. Pour some water in the dish. 
3. Bake it in a moderate oven for 4 hours. Wet the turkey with the gravy from time to time. 
4. When the turkey is cooked, take the gravy and pour into a deep pan with the wine. Thicken the sauce with pouring dissolved flour in cold water in it. 
5. The turkey portions are served with the sauce.  

Preparation and cook time: 4 hours 30 minutes
Portions: 5-6

Steak with Whisky Sauce

Whisky and Pork chop - two of our favorite things, combined in one dish.

Ingredients

2 pork chops

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon salt

Pepper, to taste

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2/3 cup bouillon

2 tablespoons Whisky

Preparation

1. Fry the pork chops in butter or grill it. Salt and pepper the steaks and leave them in warm condition. 
2. Chop the onion and fry it. Add the flour and pour with the worm bouillon gradually. Add the brown sugar, then boil the mixture and leave in a low temperature for 5 minutes. If the sauce is too thick then pour more bouillon or water. Pour the whisky in the end and stir well. Season with salt and pepper and leave it from the cook. 
3. Arrange the chops in plate and pour it on with the sauce. You can garnish it with French fried.

Preparation and cook time: 40 minutes
Portion: 2

Chicken with Peppers and Parsley

Photo from Vkusnoikrasivo.com

The different way to cook chicken!

1 chicken

1 onion

3 bunches of parsley

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

8 red pepppers

100 g butter

1 lemon

1 egg

1 cup yoghurt

Salt and pepper, to taste

Cut the chicken into peaces and fried it in butter. After taking the chicken out, put the finely chopped onion, carrot and  peppers with salt and pepper. Add chicken again and put water to the mixture. Boil for about 20 minutes and then add parsley. Beat the egg with yoghurt and the juice of a lemon. Add it to the chicken’s mixture.

Chicken Lungs with Eggplant and Mushrooms

Fried chicken lungs with stewed mushrooms, onion and eggplant.

Photo from Gotvetesmen.com

500 g chicken lungs

300 g mushrooms

1 eggplant (aubergine)

2 onions

Vegetable oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Paprika

Savory

Parsley

Washed and chopped mushrooms are fried in a deep pan with sliced onions and salt to taste. Add chicken lungs after 10 minutes, also add 2/3 cup of water and stew it for 20 more minutes. Fry the eggplant in a different pan and out it to the lung. Add also the paprika, pepper, savory and finely chopped parsley.

Flatten Pepper Fried Balls

Flatten pepper fried balls are meatballs without any meat at all. There are a few recipes in Bulgarian meal with that kind of meatballs, but it is the most delicious way to cook it.

10 red peppers

2 eggs

1 onion

1 cup feta cheese, grated

Parsley

Savory

Salt and pepper, to taste

Bread-crumbs

Vegetable oil

Roast the peppers, peel them and strain it. Add beaten up eggs, grated onion, cheese, finely chopped parsley, savory and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well and add as much bread-crumbs as needed to get a thick mixture. Shape flattened balls and fried in a deep pan.

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.  

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)

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

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.