This by far my favroute bit- the kitchen;
Albania is rich in home grown production of fruits and vegetables.
The sunny climate is ideal for crops to thrive and for the farmers to be self-sufficient.
Bean Jahni Soup (Jani me Fasule)
is an albanian nice dish to cook easy and cheap for your family.
Bean Jahni Soup (Jani me Fasule)
2 cups of dry white beans
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped mint
salt, chili powder
Boil beans in hot water in an uncovered pot for 5 minutes. Rinse and boil for another 15 minutes in a covered stock pot in 3 cups hot water. SautÈ onion in olive oil until it turns yellow. Add 2 tablespoons bean stock from the pot along with tomato sauce, parsley, salt and chili powder for taste. Cook for 10 minutes or until a thick sauce is formed, then pour everything into the pot. Add chopped mint, cover tightly and cool for 2 hours over low heat, or for 30 minutes in a pressure cooker. This should produce a thick juice, covering beans by _ inch. Serve hot.
4 servings.
Petulla
Makes about 12 to 18 petulla
- 1 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees F.)
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast (not instant or rapid rise)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- Vegetable oil for deep-frying (I prefer corn oil for this recipe)
1. Sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the water in a measuring cup. Stir until the yeast dissolves.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and slat. Add the yeast mixture and egg and stir with a wooden spoon until well blended. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place for 90 minutes. The batter/dough will be like a very, very loose bread dough.
3. Pour about 2 inches of oil into a deep heavy saucepan or deep fryer. Heat the oil until the temperature reaches 370 degrees on a deep-frying thermometer.
4. Drop the dough/batter from a large soup spoon while using another spoon to scrape it off…try to stretch the dough as you drop it into the hot oil so it doesn’t lump up into a ball but into a flatter shape. Once in the oil…use another spoon to very carefully splash the dough with the hot oil so it puffs up nicely. Add another 2 or 3 to the oil and splash carefully after each addition. Fry the petulla until golden brown and puffed, then turn over and fry other side….3 to 6 minutes total. Remove the petulla with tongs or slotted spoon and drain them on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining batter.
This recipe can easily be doubled.
Veal with large lima beans (Mish qingjji me barbunja)
"1 kg veal
1 large onion, grated
salt, pepper, tomatoes
1 kg of large lima beans"
Select shoulder parts of the veal and cut them into 5 cm cubes. Wash the meat thoroughly with cold water, drain, and then place the meat in a pot together with butter and grated onions and stir fry for a few minutes. As the meat is frying, add water until the pieces are covered. Also add salt, pepper, and only two to three tablespoons of tomatoes (note: tomatoes can be cut into pieces to the size of your choice). Cover the pot and let the meat boil.
In the meantime, cut the ends off the lima beans and clean them well (you can also cut them in half if you desire). Add the lima beans to the meat after it has been boiling for several minutes. Also add water until everything in the pot is covered. Finally, when the beans are done boiling, add the rest of the tomatoes. Then let the stew boil for a few more minutes so that the liquid can thicken.
Note: Tomatoes should not be added all at once in the beginning, since they don’t allow the lima beans to boil at the right pace. If you would rather use fresh tomatoes, when you add the lima beans, add whole tomatoes instead of cut ones.
Garlic-Lemon Dressing
1 sm. garlic clove
1 sprig rosemary
1 strip lemon peel (1" x 1/2")
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
Place the garlic and rosemary on a cutting board and lightly crush with the flat side of a heavy knife. Put the rosemary, garlic and lemon peel in a clean bottle with a tight-fitting cap. Pour in the oil and lemon juice. Cap the bottle and shake well. Rerfrigerate and use within one week. Shake before serving.
Drizzle on steamed vegetables, or seafood, pasta, potato salad, or
other salads.
Garlic and Tarragon Dressing
1/4 cup vinegar
2 T. olive oil
2 t. garlic salt
2 t. sugar (optional)
1/2 t. dried tarragon
In a small bowl or jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine vinegar, oil, garlic salt, sugar and tarragon.
Pour it on lettuce or cabbage salads.
Garlic-Black Pepper-Parsley Dressing
1/4 cup vinegar
2. T. olive oil
2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. black pepper
parsley
Combine all ingredients and pour the dressing on boiled broccoli or cauliflower salad.
Mixed Vegetables (Turli perimesh)
2 lbs various vegetables (peppers, eggplant, okra, zucchini, potatoes, etc)
1/2 cup oil, divided
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup peeled chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Salt
Pepper
After cutting off inedible tips of vegetables, wash and slice them into 1-inch squares. Saute vegetables in half the oil and remove them from the frying pan. Saute onion and tomatoes in the remaining oil, and season with parsley, salt, and pepper. Put everything in a stock pot with a cup of water, cover tightly, and simmer until almost all moisture has cooked away. Serve hot, accompanied by steak, meatballs, or any other main dish.
Serves 4 people
Spinach and Cheese Phyllo Rolls
Byrek stack
Makes about 10 rolls
To keep phyllo sheets from drying out, cover them with either plastic wrap or two dish towels. Place a dry towel directly over the phyllo, then cover the dry towel with a damp towel.
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
3 green onions, chopped
10 ounces frozen chopped spinach. thawed and squeezed dry
4 to 6 ounces domestic feta cheese, crumbled
1 to 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
1 egg
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound phyllo, thawed
4 Tablespoons butter, melted and 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add onions; cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix spinach, feta, cottage cheese and egg in medium bowl. Add cooked onions and season with salt, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove one phyllo sheet. With the shortest end of the phyllo sheet nearest you, brush phyllo with butter and oil mixture; top with second sheet and brush again. Place 1/4 to 1/3 cup of filling in the center of the bottom nearest you. Fold up the phyllo once and then fold over the right side and then the left side of the phyllo. Brush with butter/oil mixture and then continue rolling up like a burrito.
Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet and brush rolls with butter/oil mixture. Bake until golden, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Stuffed Vine Leaves in Olive Oil recipe
1/2 kg. vine leaves picked in brine
1/2 kg. rice
2 bunches spring onions
1 1/2 glass olive oil
4 glasses water
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1 bunch dill
1 bunch parsley
salt, black pepper and spices
Place the vine leaves in boiling water in order to remove their salt. Put 1/2 glass olive oil and chopped onions into a pan and saute over moderate heat while stirring with a wooden spoon, add the washed rice and continue to stir. Add water, spice, salt, chopped parsley and dill, black pepper, and pine nuts. Pour in 1/2 glass olive oil and cook gently while still stirring. Put aside to cool.
Cut off the stalks of the leaves and place stalks on the bottom of the pan where the cooking will be done, over these put one layer of vine leaves. Place 1/2 tablespoon of the filling on each leaf, roll and line up in the pan. After all the leaves are stuffed, cover the entire surface with a layer of leaves and pour the water, the remaining olive oil and lemon juice over and cook on moderate heat.
When the leaves become tender remove from heat, and put on a serving plate after they have cooled down. Decorate the plate with lemon slices, serve along with the remaining lemon juice if desired.
Fried meatballs (Qofte te ferguara)
½ kg ground meat (lamb, beef or chicken)
1 slice stale bread, broken up
2 Tbs chopped feta cheese
1 onion, finely grated
salt, pepper
crushed dried mint leaves
½ cup flour
1 cup oil (olive oil recommended)
Soak bread in water until very soft. Squeeze hard to drain. Combine meat, bread, feta cheese, onion, salt, pepper, bread crumbs and mint to taste. Kbead mixture well and form into 1/2-inch thick patties. Roll in flour and fry in olive oil heated to 350 and 365 degrees.
Spinach Pie (Byrek me Spinaq)
1 cup oil, preferably olive oil
1 1/2 packets (or about 30) pastry leaves (Filo dough)
1 1/2 pounds spinach, chopped
1 cup diced feta cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 eggs
salt, half teaspoon
( NOTE: A medium-sized, round baking pan is recommended because it's more authentic but any medium-sized baking pan will do).
Brush the baking pan with some of the oil, and start laying the pastry leaves inside. First, lay two leaves, sprinkle or brush with oil, then lay two other leaves, and repeat the procedure until half of the leaves are laid. Make sure that they cover the pan by hanging them about one inch over the edges of the pan.
Sprinkle spinach with salt, then mix well by hand. Add the feta cheese, oil, onions, eggs and salt, and spread this mixture over the already laid pastry leaves. Finish by covering the spinach with the rest of the pastry leaves repeating the first-half procedure and then roll the hanging edges of the bottom leaves over the pie (think of a pizza crust), sprinkle top with oil and bake moderately at 3501_F for about 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve hot, accompanied with buttermilk, or beaten yogurt, thinned down in cold water or with chilled stewed prunes. Sometimes a green salad adds to the meal!
Veal or Chicken with Walnuts (Gjellë me Arra)
Serves 4 people
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons flour
15 finely crushed shelled walnuts
2 beaten egg yokes
1 minced garlic clove
1/4 lb. stick butter
2-3 lbs of Veal or Chicken meat
cut up in 1" cubes
Cooking Instructions:
Place the meat or chicken in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until tender. Then remove the meat setting it aside in a dish while leaving the remaining juices in the saucepan. In another saucepan, add the flour and stir over heat until it becomes light brown in color (do not overcook!) and add the half a stick of butter. Then, add the finely crushed walnuts, minced garlic clove, and the two egg yokes, stirring constantly. Add the juices from the other saucepan and stir until all the ingredients thicken. Immediately remove from the heat to avoid solidifying the egg yolks. Then fold in either the meat or chicken. Pan fry the remaining half stick of butter until brown and pour over the four servings. Good eating!
Albanian Simple petter and walnut Salad
Toasted red peppers and onions,
toasted walnuts over arugula
with garlic dressing,
Toss lightly and serve.
Kurabie
Ingredients
1 cup of yogurt
3 eggs
1 cup of Sugar
1/2 cup of butter
1 teaspoon of baking soda
2 packs of vanilla or the peel of half of a lemon
1 kg (about 35 ounces) of flour.
Mix the baking soda in the yogurt, add the above mentioned products one by one and prepare the dough.
With hands covered with melted butter take pieces of the dough and shape into ovals about the size of a walnut, then place them on a butter covered baking pan and leave spaces in between each piece of dough.
From above cover the pieces of dough with beat eggs, sprinkle Sugar and cook in a medium-heat oven.
Baked Lamb and Yogurt (Tavë Kosi) (or leeks)
1-1/2 lbs lamb
4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)
2 tablespoons rice
Salt, pepper
For Yogurt sauce:
1 tablespoon flour
4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)
2 lbs. yogurt
5 eggs
Salt, pepper
Cut meat in 4 serving pieces, sprinkle each piece with salt and pepper, and bake in a moderately-heated oven with half the butter, sprinkling the meat with its gravy now and then. When meat is half-baked, add rice; remove the baking pan from the oven and leave it aside while you prepare the yogurt sauce:
Saute flour in butter until mixed throughly. Mix yogurt with salt, pepper and eggs until a uniform mixture is obtained, and finally stir in the flour. Put the sauce mixture in the baking pan; stir it with the meat pieces and bake at 375 degrees F for about 45 minutes. Serve hot.
Serves 4 people
LEEK, SCALLION OR SPINACH PIE
Basic Dough Recipe
5 cups flour
1-1/2 t. salt
2 cups lukewarm water
1/2 lb. butter or melted margarine
Mix flour, salt, and water with hands until soft. Knead for 5 minutes, then place in bowl and cover for 10 minutes. Divide dough in half. Roll out one half until thin Butter well. Fold sides toward center. Butter and fold one half over the other longwise. Butter and fold in the opposite direction until a 5-inch folded square is formed. Butter top and cover with plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Do the same with the other half of dough. Remove dough from refrigerator, and roll out to size of your buttered pan (preferably 15" long or round). Place the dough on the bottom of the pan - there should be a 1/2" overlap. Add filling. Roll out the other half of the dough and place it over the filling. Roll the edges inward well. Brush the top with butter before baking. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes or until bottom is slightly browned.
Leek or Scallion Filling
2 large leeks or two bunches of scallions
2 lbs. cottage cheese
6 eggs
1/4 t. salt
1/4 cup milk or yogurt
2 T. of melted butter
Chop leeks or scallions. Use mostly Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
Spinach Filling
1 lb. frozen spinach.
2 lbs. cottage cheese
6 eggs
1/4 t. salt
1/4 cup milk or yogurt
2 T. melted butter
Defrost and drain spinach the white portions. Saute until tender. Combine with remaining ingredients.
Serves 4-6.
Tulumba
(Fried Pastries in Syrup) Recipe
Ingredients:
For the Syrup:
400g sugar
420ml water
1 tsp lemon juice
For the Pastry:
2 tbsp margarine or butter, melted
150g flour
3 tbsp water
4 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
360ml olive oil
Begin with the syrup. Combine all the ingredients in a pan and heat gently until the sugar dissolves. Now bring to a boil and continue cooking until the mixture is moderately thick and syrupy. Take off the hat and set aside.
Melt the butter or margarine in a pan then stir-in the water and salt and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer then add all the flour in one go and stir vigourously with a wooden spoon until smooth. Continue cooking and stirring until the mixture begins to come away from the sides of the pan and comes together as a ball (typically about 6 minutes).
Take off the heat and set aside until cool. At this stage add the eggs and knead for at least 10 minutes to combine thoroughly. Add the olive oil to a pan and when hot transfer the mixture to a piping bag with a large nozzle. Pipe the batter straight into the pan, forming about 8 individual pastries. Fry gently on low heat then increase the temperature when the pastry begins to puff up and continue frying until golden.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the pastries. Drain on kitchen paper then transfer to the syrup solution. Allow to soak for 1 minute then strain away the excess syrup. Transfer to a serving plate and serve (they should be cold).
Sup Turil
(Vegetable Soup) Recipe
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp flour
800g ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 large bell peppers, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1l chicken stock
50g rice
1 egg
120ml yoghurt
Add the oil to a pan and when hot stir-in the flour. Fry, stirring continuously, until the flour is lightly browned then add the tomatoes and bell peppers. Continue frying for 5 minutes then add the onion and fry for 10 minutes more.
Stir the stock into the mixture then bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes before adding the rice. Continue cooking for a further 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together the egg and yoghurt. When the soup is ready, remove from the heat then stir-in the egg and yoghurt mixture. Ladle into warmed soup bowls and serve.
Tasqebap
(Fried Lamb with Tomatoes) Recipe
Ingredients:
500g lamb leg meat, cut into small pieces
3 tbsp oil
4 ripe tomatoes, chopped
3 onions, sliced
250ml red wine
1 bay leaf
salt and black pepper, to taste
Add the oil to a pan and when hot stir-in the onions. Cook over low heat until soft and heated through (about 10 minutes). Now add the meat and cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is browned all over.
Stir in the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes then add the wine and bay leaf. Season with salt and black pepper and add just enough water to almost cover the meat. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook gently for about 20 minutes, or until the lamb is tender.
Serve with rice or fried potatoes.
Vine Leaves Stuffed with Fennel, Salami and Eggs Recipe
Ingredients:
150g beef salami
150g veal salami
50g polished rice, cooked
3 onions, finely grated
1 bulb fennel, finely grated
a little beef fat, finely grated
vine leaves
juice of 2 lemons
4 tbsp butter
3 tbsp plain flour
4 egg yolks
salt and black pepper, to taste
Chop the salami and combine in a bowl with the rice, onions and fennel. Stir-in 3 tbsp water and season to taste. Stir well to combine and set aside.
In the meantime, bring a pan of water to a boil. Add the vine leaves and cook for 1 minute then drain. Use the salami, fennel and egg mixture to place inside a single vine leaf and fold over to cover. Lay the filled leaves in a pan, packing them tightly and laying the open ends downwards. Add the juice of 1 1/2 lemons then add enough water to cover the contents of the pan quite generously. Bring the mixture to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes then take off the heat and set aside.
In the meantime melt the butter in a pan then stir-in 2 tbsp flour to form a smooth roux. Add the remaining lemon juice and bring the mixture just to a boil (thin with a little water, if needed). Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs and remaining flour in a bowl. Take the lemon juice sauce off the heat and stir in the egg yolk mix.
Arrange the stuffed vine leaves on a serving dish and pour the egg and lemon sauce over the top. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.
Tirana's Fergese with Peppers
Serves 4 people, sometimes utilized as an appetizer
Ingredients:
Green or Red Peppers, half- pound
Red Tomatoes, one pound
Salted Cottage Cheese or Greek Feta Cheese, half-pound
Flour, one tablespoon
Butter, one quarter-pound stick
Virgin Olive Oil, 3 tablespoons
Add Salt, Black Pepper, and Chili Pepper to your taste
Peel the skin off the tomatoes and peppers. Saute them in a saucepan for 5-7 minutes only in the olive oil and then set them aside to cool down for 15 minutes. Dice them the way you like. In another saucepan, melt the butter. Add flour, cottage or Feta cheese, and black pepper, salt and chili pepper to taste. Mix all the ingredients together and place them in saucepan. Put saucepan in a preheated 350 oven for 15 minutes. Take out and serve immediately.
Tirana Fergese with Veal (Fergesë e Tiranës me Mish Viçi)
Ingredients:
Veal Cutlets, one pound
Salted Cottage Cheese or Greek Feta Cheese, half-pound
Flour, one tablespoon
Butter, one quarter-pound stick
Virgin Olive Oil, 3 tablespoons
Onion, one medium-sized
Add Salt, Black Pepper, and Chili Pepper to your taste
Cooking Instructions: First, cut the veal cutlets into small pieces and then dice the onion. In a saucepan, preheat the olive oil and saute the meat and onion for 15 minutes. In another saucepa, melt the butter and then add flour, cottage or Feta cheese, and black pepper, salt and chili pepper to taste. Mix all the ingredients together (adding the sauteed meat and onions) in the saucepan and place in a preheated 350 oven for 15 minutes. Take out and serve immediately.
Note: Instead of veal cutlets, beef liver can be used in the same quantity of meat and preparation/cooking instructions as above.
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