Macedonian Baked Beans

Adopted, adapted and loved by many surrounding countries.
White beans are traditionally used.

Ingredients:
400-500 g dried beans (precooked), or 4-5 cans (I used Borloti)
2 tbs oil
2 big onions, chopped
200 g bacon, half sliced - for finishing, half chopped
1 red capsicum, chopped (half for finishing)
2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp flour
water just to cover
salt, pepper
vegetable (stock) powder
cumin (my addition)
parsley and pressed garlic
Sausages (Kransky) for topping (optional)
Method:
Heat oil, fry onion and chopped bacon until onion start browning, add 1/2 capsicum. Add flour, paprika and beans, mix well and pour water. Spice with stock powder, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Cook until start thickening, then put it into an oven dish (earthenware preferable) and bake for 20-30 minutes. Arrange 1/2 capsicum, sliced bacon and sausages on top for the last 10 minutes of baking.



Gravce na tavce

Potrebno:
400-500 gr graha (koristen 'Sarenac')skuhanog, ili 4-5 konzervi
2 kasike ulja
2 velika luka, sjeckana
200 gr slanine, pola iskockane, pola sjecene na reznjeve
1 paprika, sjecena
2 kasike crvene paprike u prahu
2 kasike brasna
vode da pokrije
so, biber
vegeta
istisnuti bijeli luk i persunovo lisce
kim u prahu (moj dodatak)
Kranjske kobasice (ili slicno - po zelji)
Nacin:
Zagrijte ulje, pa proprzite luk i slaninu. Ubacite brasno, paprike obje - promijesajte, pa dodajte grah i zalijte vodom (da ogrecne). Zacinite sa zacinima i prokuhajte. Kada se pocne zgusnjavati, prebacite u posudu za pecenje (zemljane idealne)i pecite 20-30 minuta. Zadnjih 10 minuta pecenja poredajte preostalu papriku, slaninu i kobasice na povrsinu.

Two-toned coffee biscuits

A simple way to make your biscuits look more interesting.

Ingredients:
1 teas instant coffee
1,5 tbs boiling water
250 g butter, softened
140 g caster sugar
1 egg yolk
350 g flour
1 teas vanilla
3 tbs cocoa powder
Method:
Melt coffee in boiling water. Put it in a mixing bowl, along with butter and sugar. Mix it until fluffy; add egg yolk and vanilla, mix again. Add flour and make a soft dough. Divide in 2. One part 'colour' with cocoa. Wrap in glad-wrap and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. Roll out each dough, and cut shapes.
Put them on a baking dish (lined with silicon paper), then out of each shape cut smaller circle (or other shape) and switch into the different colour dough. Bake for 10 min on 170*C.





Dvobojni keksi sa ukusom kafe

Potrebno:
1 kasicica instant kafe
1,5 kasika vrele vode
250 gr putera
140 gr secera
1 zumance
350 gr brasna
1 kasicica vanile
3 kasike kakaa
Nacin:
Umijesajte kafu u vrelu vodu, pa ubacite u posudu sa puterom i secerom. Miksajte neko vrijeme, zatim dodajte zumanjak, vanilu - jos promijesajte i brasno -umijesite mekano tijesto. Podijelite tijesto, jedan dio obojite sa kakaom, pa ostavite hladiti 20-30 minuta. Razvaljajte i vadite kolacice zeljenog oblika. Poredajte ih na pleh preko papira za pecenje, zatim iz svakog keksa izvadite manji oblik i premjestite u keks suprotne boje (ja sam koristila napravu za 'tufahije'- za izbacivanje srede iz jabuke). Pecite 10 min na 170*C.

Nutella made from scratch

Homemade Nutella, with no additives or preservatives

Ingredients:
2 cups hazelnuts, roasted and skinned
3/4 -1 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup cocoa, good quality
1/8 - 1/4 cup oil (hazelnut preferable)
Method:
Put first 3 ingredients in a food processor and run it until you get a smooth mixture. While running add 1/8 cup oil; process well, then add another 1/8 cup of oil. You don't have to use all oil - just as much as you want your Nutella to have consistency. If you can't find hazelnut oil, any other neutral tasting oil will do.


Nutella iz vase kuhinje

Moji decki obozavaju Nutellu, pa sam se bacila u potragu za receptom domace verzije. Ovaj recept je najslicniji ukusom originalne Nutelle, a sigurna sam i mnogo prirodniji i zdraviji.

Potrebno:
2 solje pecenih i oljustenih ljesnika
3/4 - 1 solja secera u prahu
1/4 solje kakaoa, dobre kvalitete
1/8 solje (2 kasike)-1/4 solje ulja
Priprema:
Prva 3 sastojka staviti u elektricnu sjeckalicu, te sve dobro samljeti. Sto sitnije sameljete, Nutella ce izgledati bolja. Nakon nekoliko minuta nasuti 1/8 solje ulja i jos mijesati. Postepeno dodajite drugu 1/8 soljeulja dok ne dobijete zeljenu konzistenciju.
Bilo bi pozeljno upotrijebiti ulje ljesnika, ali ako ga nemozete naci bilo koje drugo ‘neutralno’ ulje ce posluziti. Kolicinu secera i kakaoa mozete prilagoditi svome ukusu.

Dukkah Crusted Pork with Spinach Risotto

Egyptian spiced meat and Italian risotto.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp oil
4 -6 pork chops
Dukkah
salt
Risotto:
2 tbs butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
250 g cooked, chopped spinach (or frozen)
2 cups Arborio (risotto) rice
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock, heated (or make own)
white pepper, nutmeg to taste
3 tbs Parmesan, grated

Method:
Heat the butter, add chopped onion and celery and fry for 5 minutes. Measure 2 cups of rice, add to the pan and stir. Pour 1 ladle of stock and stir. Repeat it until all stock used and rice cooked. Add spinach, Parmesan and spices. Mix well.
Heat some oil in another pan. Salt your pork and sprinkle with Dukkah. Fry according to your taste.
Serve with freshly grated beetroot, dressed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and some cumin powder.


Krmenadle u 'Dukah' korici sa rizotom od spinata

Potrebno:
2 kasike ulja
4-6 krmenadli
Dukkah

so
Rizoto:
2 kasike putera
1 crveni luk, sjeckan
1 stabljika celera, sjeckana
250 gr kuhanog sjeckanog spinata (ili smrznutog)
2 solje rizoto rize
6 solja pilece ili 'Vegeta' supe (vrele)
biber, muskatni orah(Djeviz orah) po ukusu
3 kasike rendanog parmezana

Nacin:
Zagrijte puter, proprzite luk i celer pa ubacite rizu. Promijesajte i zalijte sa 1 kutlacom/grabilicom supe. Mijesajte i dodajite supu cijelo vrijeme dok sve ne potrosite i riza bude kuhana. Dodajte spinat, zacine i parmezan i promijesajte.
U tavi zagrijte ulje i proprzite krmenadle posoljene i uvaljane u Dukah.
Servirajte sa rendanom svjezom cveklom, zacinjenom sa maslinovim uljem, balzamickim sircetom i malo kima u prahu.

Coconut biscuits - from my first cook book

This recipe is more than 30 years old, and I still bake these biscuits at least once a year (Christmas/New Year). Easy and delightful!
Added on 4/11/10 - I feel I had to explain about this recipe...
My parents got visitors visa for Australia in 1997... They brought some of my personal things/belongings with them. One of them was this recipe book, which I started writing at the age of 10-12. So, it survived civil war in Bosnia,...It traveled 20 000 km,...and it's still in use. It has no price!

Ingredients:
250 g butter, softened
6 tbs caster sugar
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
200 g coconut, grated
300 g plain flour
Some icing sugar for dusting

Method:
Beat butter, sugar and egg whites until incorporated, add coconut and flour and make a soft dough. Let it rest for 20 minutes, then roll 1 tbs of dough in your palms, forming crescents. Bake 10-15 minutes on 160*C. Dust with icing sugar.
These can last up to 6 weeks in a cool, dry spot.





Kokos kiflice iz moje prve zbirke recepata

Kada su moji roditelji dobili vizu da me posjete u Australiji (1997), donijeli su mnogo mojih osobnih stvarcica koje sam voljela. Ipak najdraza mi je bila ova sveska - moja prva zbirka recepata koje sam pocela skupljati sa svojih 12-13 godina. Eto ta sveska, koja prezivi i rat, pa prevali 20 000 km da se ponovo nadje samnom, jos uvijek sluzi svojoj svrsi. Da nabrojim nekoliko naslova iz tog vremena (1980)..'Napoleonova torta, Coca-cola kocke, Semafori, Plazma torta, Salama, Kucni prijatelj, Medenjaci'... Kokos kiflice su jedan od najdrazih i jos uvijek pozeljnih "tridesetogodisnjaka".

Potrebno:
250 gr putera, omeksalog
6 kasika secera
2 bjelanca, lagano umucena
200 gr koksa
300 gr brasna
malo secera u prahu
Priprema:
Izradite puter sa secerom i bjelancima.
Dodajte kokos i brasno, umijesite tijesto.
Nakon 20-ak minuta odmora, pravite male kuglice, koje cete izmedju dlanova oblikovati u valjke koje malo savijete (kao polumjesece).
Pecite na niskoj temperaturi (160*C) 10-15 min, da ostanu ‘blijede’.
Uvaljajte u prah secer – spremno za sluzenje!
Ove kokos kiflice mogu trajati do 6 sedmica .

Focaccia

Basic focaccia dough:
1,5 cups water
3 tbs olive oil
2 teas salt
1,5 teas sugar
4,5 cups bakers flour
2 teas yeast
Olive oil and your favourite toppings.

Method:
If you're using 'Bread maker', put all ingredients in the kneading bowl in the same order as listed above. Program machine for pizza dough. When ready, take the dough out (on a floured surface), and divide into 3 big or 6 balls. Let it rest for 10-15 min, then roll out.
If you're kneading by hand, mix all ingredients together and knead for 10 minutes. Make sure that water is warm. Leave to rest (45min), then divide the dough as explained above.
Let it rise on a baking pan, before baking pour some oil and press on a few spots with your fingers, to prevent upper crust from spliting from dough. Top with salt/favourite herb/cheese/olives. Bake for 12 minutes on 180*C.
You can make other shapes from this dough (as photo below).




Fokacha (ili druga peciva)

Osnovno tijesto za fokachu:
1,5 solja vode
3 kasike ulja, maslinovo
2 kasicice soli
1,5 kasicica secera
4,5 solje brasna za peciva i kruh
2 kasicice suhog kvasca
maslinovo ulje i zacinsko bilje za posuti.

Priprema:
Tijesto – Ukoliko koristite masinu (pekac) za mijesenje, sve sastojke stavite u posudu po navedenom redoslijedu. Pazite da mjere budu tacne, npr svaku solju brasna zaravnite nozem. Pustite masinu da zavrsi svoj program, a zatim izvadite tijesto i oblikujte 3 velike pizze ili 6 manjih.
Ukoliko rucno mijesite, najprije trebate aktivirati suhi kvasac: stavite toplu vodu, secer i malo brasna sa suhim kvascem da nadodje. Umijesite sve ostale sastojke sa nadoslim kvascem i ostavite na toplome da se dize (oko 45min). Oblikujte krugove zeljene velicine ili druge zeljene oblike. Pospite uljem i pritisnite povrsinu prstima na nekoliko mjesta, kako se povrsinska kora ne bi odvojila od tijesta prilikom pecenja. Pospite zacinskim biljem/solju/maslinama/sirom.
Pecite pice oko 12 min na temp od 180*C.

Bacon and Leek Quiche with Cream Cheese Crust

Basically, this is classical quiche Lorraine, enriched with the taste of Leeks.

Pastry:
125 g butter
125 g cream cheese
1 cup flour
Filling:
150 g Gruyere cheese (or similar)
4 rashers bacon
3 eggs
3/4 cup cream
2 leeks
salt, pepper, nutmeg

Method:
Cream butter and cream cheese, add flour and blend. Let it rest for 1 hour.
Roll out to fit 22 cm flan dish. Refrigerate until filling ready.
Fry bacon pieces, add sliced leek and cook for 5 minutes. Arrange alternative layers of bacon/leek and slices of Gruyere. Beat eggs with salt, pepper and nutmeg, add cream and mix. Pour over the quiche. Bake 10 min in hot oven (230*C), then reduce to 180*C and cook 30 min further.

Kish sa Prasom i Slaninom u prhkom tijestu

Tijesto:
125 gr putera
125 gr krem sira
1 solja brasna
Filovanje:
150 gr tvrdog sira
4 reznja mesnate slanine
3 jaja
3/4 solje kajmaka/krema
2 prase/poriluka
so, biber, muskatni orah
Nacin:
Mikserom izmijesajte puter i krem sir , pa umijesite sa brasnom. Odmorite 1 sat, razvaljajte za posudu precnika 22 cm. Ostavite u frizideru.
Proprzite isjecenu slaninu, dodajte izrezanu prasu i kuhajte 5 minuta.
Stavite red sira, pa red sa prasom i zalijte umucenim jajima i kajmakom u koji ste stavili zacine po ukusu.
Pecite 10 min na 230*C, onda smanjite na 180*C i pecite jos 30 minuta.

Pink Lemonade

Spring has arrived in Australia, which means best strawberries are in season, and I want to share a recipe for a drink that even Von Traps loved.

Ingredients:
3/4 - 1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/2 punnet strawberries, cleaned (120g)

Method:
Bring water and sugar to biol, stir until syrup formed. Cool a bit, but need to be warm. Put it in a food processor along with other ingredients and process. Strain and bottle it. You'll get cordial, which needs to be refrigerated (or frozen).

Pink limunada

Sastojci:
3/4- 1 solja secera
1/2 solje vode
1 solja limunovog soka, svjeze iscijedjen
120 gr jagoda, ociscenih

Nacin:
Prokuhati vodu sa secerom dok ne dobijete sirup. Malo prohladiti, pa sa ostalim sastojcima sipati u elektricnu sjeckalicu. Mljeti 1 minutu, pa procijediti i flasirati. Dobicete sirup, koji po ukusu razblazite s vodom. Cuvati u frizideru.

Beef & Kumara Pie, Country Style

From "The Australian Women's Weekly".
It takes long time to cook it, but it's soo worth it.

Crust:
1 1/4 cups flour
50 g butter
1/4 cup water
1 egg, beaten
2 sheets puff pastry
Filling:
700 g Kumara (sweet potato)
1 kg chuck steak, diced
1/4 cup oil
2 medium onions
4 cloves garlic
1/3 cup fresh oregano
1/2 cup plain flour
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 cup red wine, dry
3 cups beef stock

Method:
First make filling, as it takes long to cook -Dice kumara and bake in an oven for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, dice meat and brown it in an oiled pan. Remove meat aside, then cook onions, garlic and oregano. Add flour, cook until lightly browned. Remove from heat, add other ingredients and meat, stir. Return to heat and cook for 1 hour. Cool and add kumara. Filling is ready.
Make dough, roll out and line a 22 cm flan tin. Blind bake 15 minutes with beans or rice, then remove weight and bake for another 10 min. Spoon filling into pastry case. Place one sheet of puff pastry on top, press edges and cut around. Make strips from other sheet of pasty and place them on top, making lattice shape. Brush with egg, and bake for 30 minutes.


Govedina i slatki krompir u tijestu, Seoski nacin

Potrebno:
1 1/4 solja brasna
50 gr putera
1/4 solje vode
1 jaje
2 lista lisnatog tijesta
Punjenje:
700 gr slatkog (narandzastog)krompira
1 kg govedine za dinstanje
1/4 solje ulja
2 srednja crvena luka
4 cena bijelog luka
1/3 solje svjezeg origana
1/2 solje brasna
1/3 solje gustog paradajz pirea
1 solja suhog crvenog vina
3 solje govedje supe

Nacin:
Najprije naprevite punjenje- Izrezite krompir na kocke i pecite ga u rerni 20 minuta.
Zagrijte tavu, nauljite pa proprzite sjeceno meso. Izvadite meso, pa na istu tavu dodajte luk, bijeli luk i origano, proprzite. Dodajte brasno, promijesajte dok ne dobije boju. Dodajte ostale sastojke i meso i kuhajte 1 sat. Prohladite i umijesajte krompir.
Umijesite tijesto, oblozite sa njim posudu za tortu velicine 22cm u precniku. Odrezite visak, pa pecite pritisnuto grahom (preko papira)15 minuta, izbacite grah pa pecite jos 10 minuta. Ubacite punjenje i poklopite sa lisnatim tijestom. Pritisnite prstima krajeve i odrezite visak. Od drugog lista napravite trake, koje cete poloziti preko prvog lista ukrsteno, premazite jajetom i pecite 30 minuta.

Punjenje se moze napraviti dan ranije.

Tabouli

 Famous Turkish salad

Ingredients:
1/2 -1 cup burghul (cracked wheat)
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 medium cucumber, peeled and diced
2-3 tbs chopped shallots
1/2 teas salt
1/2 teas pepper
1,5 cups parsley leaves (Italian), Chopped
1/3 cup chopped mint
Lemon zest (1/2)
2-3 tbs olive oil
3-4 tbs lemon juice

Method:
Soak burghul in cold water for 2 hours; drain and squeeze. Put it into a bowl, add everything else, and mix well.
Perfect with grilled meat.

Tabuli (Turska salata)

Potrebno:
1/2 -1 solja bungura (bulgur, lomljena psenica)
2 velika paradajza, sjeckana na koce
1 srednji krastavac, oguljen, sjeckan na kocke
2-3 kasike sitno sjeckanog mladog luka
1/2 kasicice soli
1/2 kasicice bibera
1,5 solja lisca persuna, sjeckanog
1/3 solje mente (nane), sjeckane
Ribana kora 1/2 limuna
2-3 kasike maslinovog ulja
3-4 kasike soka limuna

Nacin:
Namocite lomljenu psenicu u hladnu vodu, nakon 2 sata ocijedite i istisnite visak vode. Prebacite u posudu za serviranje, dodajte sve ostale sastojke, pa zacinite uljem i sokom limuna.
Odlicno uz meso sa rostilja.

Profiteroles

I suppose France is origin of this desert - one of World's favourite.

Ingredients:
1 cup water
60g butter
150g flour
1 teas baking powder
50 g corn/potato flour
4-6 eggs, depending on size

Filling:
400 ml milk
3 tbs custard powder, vanilla
3 tbs sugar
125 g butter
icing sugar for dusting

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180-190*C. Grease/line the baking sheet.
Put water and butter in a saucepan; bring to the boil. Mix the flours and baking powder, add to the boiling water - mix quickly until thick and starts to form into a ball. Cool, then add eggs (one by one) using mixer. You should get a thick smooth consistency. Pipe it onto a greased pan (approximately 1 tbs of dough) with a space between each one.
Bake for 10-15 min; profiteroles should be medium dark - don't open the door of the oven during the baking!
Meanwhile prepare your custard - cook it until thick, cool. Beat butter on a high speed, add cooled custard and beat for a couple minutes further/or until creamy and fluffy.
Cooled profiteroles cut in half (horizontally), and fill with prepared cream.
Dust with icing sugar.



Princes Krofne

Potrebno:
1/4 l vode
60 gr putera
150 gr brasna
50 gr gustina
1 kasicica praska za pecivo
4-6 jaja, zavisno o velicini
Krem:
1 puding od vanile (sa 4 kasike secera)
400 ml mlijeka
125 gr putera
secer u prahu za posuti

Nacin:
Ukljucite rernu (180-190*C), pripremite pleh za pecenje.
Stavite vodu i puter u serpu i prokljucajte. Saspite brasno, gustin i prasak za pecivo. Energeticno mijesajte dok se ne zgusne i ne pocne odvajati od serpe. Prohladite, a zatim dodajite jedno po jedno jaje, neprestano mijesajuci - treba da dobijete gusto, glatko tijesto. Oblikujte loptice velicine manjeg jajeta (sa spricom ili kasikom) na plehu sa razmakom. Pecite 10-15 min ili dok ne postanu srednje tamne - ne otvarajte rernu tokom pecenja!
Peceno ostaviti da se prohladi.
U medjuvremenu skuhajte puding, ohladite ga i umutite sa puterom.
Prerezite ohladjene krofne i filujte pripremljenim pudingom.
Pospite secerom u prahu.