Vine Leaf Parcels - 'Yaprak' / 'Dolma'

Vine leaves have beautiful distinctive taste. In country where I was born, they're mostly used as wrappers for mince and rice stuffing. Young leaves are picked, then cooked in salty water for some time, before using them. Already cooked (preserved) leaves are available (in Australia) from Turkish or Lebanese grocers.

Ingredients:
600 g mince (beef preferably)
1 large onion,  diced
1-2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup short grain rice
vine leaves already prepared (or fresh, young leaves from your vine)
olive oil
2,5-3 cups beef or chicken stock
1 can of diced tomatoes in juice (optional - see note*)
Method:
Dice onion finely, add mince, garlic, rice and salt and pepper. Add water, mix again.
Rinse vine leaves really well (if using already prepared). Lay each leaf (shiny side down), place 2-3 tbs of stuffing (slightly squeezed in your hand), and make a parcel as shown in pictures. Place them into an oiled pan. Add stock, place a plate (slightly smaller than pan) upside-down over the parcels, cover and cook slowly for 1-2 hours (older leaves need more time).
*Note: Traditionally, Yaprak is served either with sour cream (Greek yogurt) and lemon juice, or in tomato sauce. If you're going to add tomatoes ( at the end of cooking; remove plate and bring to boil again), omit 1 cup stock.









 

Japrak / Dolma / Sarmice u vinovoj lozi

Listovi vinove loze imaju divnu aromu. Najbolje je koristiti mlade, koji se uberu i kuhaju u slanoj vodi, ali mogu posluziti i kupljeni.
Naziv Japrak (od Turskog Yaprak = list) se koristi u vecem dijelu Bosne. U mom kraju smo ih zvali 'Sarmice od vinove loze', a evo pronadjoh i podatak da se i za njih kaze 'Dolma'.

Potrebno:
600 gr mljevenog mesa (govedina, po mogucnosti)
1 veci crveni luk
1-2 cena bijelog luka
1 k crnog bibera
1/2 k soli
3/4 vode
3/4 solje rize, krace zrno
listovi vinove loze (kupljeni ), ili mladi listovi sa vase loze
maslinovo ulje
2,5-3 solje temeljca / supe
1 konzerva sjeckanog paradajza u soku (opcionalno- vidi napomenu*)
Nacin:
Isijecite luk veoma sitno, dodajte meso, bijeli luk, so i biber. Uspite vodu, dobro izmijesajte.
Isperite listove vinove loze (ili prokuhajte u slanoj vodi ako koristite vase). Stavite listove na povrsinu (sjajna / glatka strana dole), uzmite 2-3 K punjenja, stisnite blago u ruci i zamotajte kako je prikazano. Smjestite sarmice u nauljenu posudu, uspite temeljac. Preokrenite tanjir, nesto manji od posude, preko sarmica, pokrijte i kuhajte na slaboj vatri 1-2 sata (stariji listovi trebaju nesto duze vrijeme kuhanja).
*Napomena: Tradicionalno se serviraju ili sa kiselim vrhnjem i limunom, ili u paradajz sosu. Ako cete dodati paradajz (na kraju kuhanja - skinite tanjir, uspite paradajz i ponovno prokuhajte), smanjite temeljac za 1 solju.

Stuffed Squid

Continental girl learning how to prepare seafood...

Ingredients:
4 larger (or 8 small) squids

3 garlic cloves, crushed

Parsley, small bunch, chopped

1/2 cup -3/4 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

olive oil and white wine (1/3 cup) for cooking

Lemon slices for serving

Method:
Clean the squid (peel the skin, take out 'plastic' bone, wash), cut off tentacles (above eyes) and fins, then chop them. Heat oil in a pan, add chopped parts and garlic; saute for 2-3 minutes. Take off of heat, mix in bread crumbs, and parsley - season to taste, mix well. Fill cavities of squid with this mixture, close it with a toothpick. Place each filled squid into a pan, that has been heated with some olive oil. Pour white wine over it and saute (covered) for for 6-10 minutes, turning once. If too much liquid has formed, boil uncovered for another 1-2 minutes. Take out and serve with Potato salad .

Punjene lignje

Kontinentalka uci kako da se spreme morski plodovi...

Potrebno:
4 velike ili 8 malih lignji (kalamari)
3 cena bijelog luka, protisnuta
Persinuvo lisce, manji svezanj, isjeckano
1/2 solje do 3/4 solje mrvica kruha / prezle
1/4 solje djevicanskog maslinovog ulja
so i biber prema ukusu
maslinovo ulje i bijelo vino (1/3 solje) za kuhanje
Limun , izrezan za serviranje

Nacin:
Ocistite lignje, ogulite ih i izvadite 'plasticnu' kost. Narezite peraja i vrhove glave (odrezane iznad ociju). Zagrijte ulje pa dinstajte ove izrezane komade sa bijelim lukom par minuta. Sklonite sa vatre, ubacite mrvice i persun; zacinite prema ukusu, promijesajte. Ovime punite lignje, zatvorite otvor sa cackalicama.
Zagrijte tavu sa malo ulja, smjestite lignje na tavu, prelijte bijelim vinom. Pokrijte i kuhajte 6-10 minuta, okrecuci jednom. Ako je previse tekucine ostalo, otkrijte i kuhajte jos 1-2 minute na jakoj vatri. Izvadite i 
servirajte sa Krompir salatom.

'Sogan Dolma ' - Stuffed Onions

Another Bosnian dish that came from time of Ottoman Empire. 

Ingredients:

3-4 large onion heads

water and 2 tbs vinegar for cooking onions

Stuffing-

2 tbs olive oil 

500 g beef mince

1 small onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tbs paprika

1 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

8-10 tbs rice (short grain)

2-3 parsley springs, chopped 

2 - 3 cups of stock

oil for pan 

(sour cream and pinch of paprika to serve)

Method:

Peel onions, cut ends, taking off more flesh at root side. Place them in a pan, cover with water and pour vinegar. Bring to boil and cook for 25-30 minutes. Take onions out and let them cool. When cool enough for handling, carefully squeeze onions towards cut side, so you get it's layers (cups). Don't worry if some of them break/split.

Prepare filling- Mix all ingredients well, add 1 cup of stock to it. Take filling by teaspoon and stuff inside of each onion layer (do not over-stuff, rice will expand). Repeat until all stuffing used. Place stuffed onions into an oiled pan (with lid), add the rest of stock. Place dish in  heated oven (190*C)  for 45-50 minutes. When done, take out on a serving plate. Serve with sour cream and a pinch of paprika on each onion.

'Sogan Dolma' - Filovani Luk

Jos jedno Bosansko jelo koje dolazi iz doba Otomanskog carstva.

Potrebno:

3-4 vece glavice luka

voda i sirce za kuhanje luka

2 K maslinovog ulja

500 gr mljevene junetine

1 manji crveni luk, sitno sjeckan

2 cena bijelog luka, protisnuta

1 K paprike mljevene

1 k soli 

1/2 k svjeze mljevenog crnog bibera

8-10 K rize (krace zrno)

2-3 izdanka persuna, sjeckana

2-3 solje 'supe' (ili vode sa vegetom)

ulje za serpu

(vrhnje / kajmak i crvena paprika za serviranje)

Nacin:

Ocistite glavice luka i zasijecite dublje na strani sa korijenom. Stavite ih u posudu, zalijte vodom, dodajte sirce i kuhajte 25-30 minuta. Izvadite ih i prohladite. Kada se mogu uzeti u ruku, lagano stisnite svaki prema odrezanoj strani, tako da unutrasnjost isklizne, ostavljajuci svaki put sloj po sloj luka. Ne brinite ako neki slojevi popucaju.

Pripremite nadjev- Pomijesajte sve sastojke, dodajte 1 solju supe ( ili vode sa vegetom). Kasicicom punite pripremljene slojeve, pazeci da ih ne pretrpate - riza ce se nakuhati. Postavite u serpu (sa poklopcem), zalijte sa preostalom supom i pecite u rerni oko 45-50 minuta na temperaturi od 190*C. Kada je gotovo,  prebacite sogan dolmu na tanjir za posluzivanje i servirajte sa pavlakom / vrhnjem i malo crvene paprike na vrhu.

Stuffing for vegetables, Balkan style

For some dishes we don't need/follow recipes. In cooking this kind of food we(Balkans) follow our instincts,..a bit of this and a bit of that...Like our mothers used to do. I will try to recall and record 'classical' stuffing for Mediterranean vegetables, that my mother taught me. This way you can stuff Capsicums, Eggplants, Onions, Zucchinis...

Stuffing:
2 tbs oil
1 big onion, finely chopped
2-3 teas paprika, ground
500 g mince (your choice)
1 teas salt
1/2 teas black pepper, freshly grounded
1 teas 'Vegeta', or other powdered stock
80-100 g rice, short grain, half cooked
1 garlic clove, pressed
small bunch of parsley leaves, chopped
Vegetables for stuffing: Capsicums (take the seeds out), eggplants and zucchinis (cut lenghtwise in half, take some flesh out), onions (peel them and cook for 10 min in salted water with a teas of vinegar, then carefully push out the layers).
Paprika sauce:
50 g Ghee, or butter/oil
2 teas paprika
Sour cream for decoration.
Method:
Heat the oil and fry onion: add meat and cook until it changes the colour. Take off the heat, add paprika, spices and rice. Mix well.Stuff the vegetables, but don't push hard. Place vegetable into baking dish and bake 45 min at 180-200*C. If starts to darken too early, cover with AL foil.
When baked, prepare paprika sauce: Heat the ghee on low temperature and spoon the paprika into it. It should produce sizzling sound.
On each piece of vegetable spoon a bit of sour cream and then pour the paprika sauce. Serve immediately!


Klasicno punjenje za povrce, Balkanski nacin

Fil/punjenje/dolma
2 kasike ulja
1 veca glavica crvenog luka
2-3 kasicice mljevene paprike
500 gr mljevenog mesa, govedine
1 kasicica soli
1/2 kasicice crnog bibera, svjeze mljevenog
1 kasicica Vegete
80-100 gr rize, upola skuhane
1 ceno bijelog luka, protisnutog
malo persunovog lista, sjeckanog
povrce za filovanje: paprike, patlidzani, luk, tikvice
Preljev (‘zacvrka’)
50 gr masla (putera ili ulja)
2 kasicice mljevene paprike
malo kajmaka
Nacin:
1- Na ulju proprzite luk, pa smaknite sa vatre; dodajte mljevenu papriku, meso, rizu i ostale zacine. Dobro izmijesajte. Ukoliko rizu ne kuhate prethodno, u ovaj fil trebate dodati i malo (1/2 solje) vode.
2- Pripremite povrce: Paprike operite i izdubite. Patlidzane mozete presjeci na pola i malo izdubiti ili napraviti nekoliko horizontalnih reznjeva po duzini, s tim da kraj (drsku) ostavite u cjelini kako se fil ne bi raspao.
Tikvice (vece) izrezete na 6-7 cm visine i malo im izdubite unutrasnjost, ukoliko su sasvim male mozete ih po duzini prepoloviti i izdubiti ih (kao camci).
Crveni luk (vece glavice) prokuhate u vodi sa malo sirceta. Korijen dobro odrezati kako bi se slojevi mogli lako odvajati (Pazite da se ne prekuha)!
3- Pripremljeno povrce filovati, ne pritiskati jako kako se unutrasnjost ne bi stvrdnula. Redati u tepsiju i naliti oko 1,5 cm vode (ili supe) u koji je dodato malo Vegete.
4- Peci u rerni/ pecnici oko 45 min na temperaturi 180-200*C.
5- Peceno izvaditi, preliti kajmakom i ‘zacvrknuti’: Zagrijte maslo (puter) pa u vrelo dodajte crvenu mljevenu papriku (pazite da ne pregori). Prelijte preko povrca.Ovo treba da proizvede specifican zvuk, zbog cega se ovaj preljev i zove ‘Zacvrka’.