Friday 18 September 2015

Чвор-лепчиња со лук / Garlic knots

We can't eat a pasta dish with out the company of a good garlic bread and I have to admit I am a bit of a bread snob, that means I can't eat one of those from a shop made in factory with a long list of ingredients SO the only garlic bread to be warmly welcomed is the one I make. This is how we like it: 















Потребни состојки:

500 гр брашно
1 сув квасец
1 лажиче сол
2 лажици масло
330 мл течност, вода измешана со млеко
2-3 чешниња лук
сол
коцка мек путер
ситно сецкан магдонос 


Замесете тесто и оставете го да одмара 1 час покриено со мокра крпа или најлонска фолија.
Во меѓувреме изтолчете го лукот со малку сол и измешајте со путерот и магдоносот.
Кренатото тесто ставете го на побрашнета површина и поделете го на 12 парчиња.
Од секое парче обликувајте долг колбас и веднаш врзете го во чвор.
Повторете ја постапката и со преостанатите теста.
Наредете ги тестата во поголема тепсија и печете ги на 190 степени околу 20 минути.
Извадете ги од рерна и веднаш премачкајте ги со путерот.
Сервирајте ги топли.



Ingredients:  

500 gr flour
1 pack of instant yeast
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp oil
330 ml liquid, mixture of water and milk
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 knob of butter, soft
salt
parsley


Make the dough as you do for a bread and leave it to rest for one hour, covered with a clingfilm .
In a meantime, mince the garlic with a little bit of salt and add it to the soft butter and finely chopped parsley. Set a side.
When the dough is ready, knead it on a floured surface once or twice.
Divide the dough into 12 peaces. 
Form a long sausage shape from each dough and make a knot straight away .
Place the knots into a large baking tray and bake them on 190 C for 20 minutes.
Take them out of the oven and spread the butter mixture while they are still warm.
Serve them hot.














Saturday 12 September 2015

Есенски колач со јаболки и ореви / Autumn cake with apples and walnuts

Autumn arrived over here in England, summer is long gone and my tomatoes didn't have chance to ripe properly, on the other hand, I am lucky that we have a Bramley apple tree near by I can pick as much apples I want as well as blackberries and rosehips. Apple pure for baking, apple crumble, apple butter and apple cakes is what I make the most . Oh, I forgot to say that autumn is my favorite season, not just because of the food, but the colours, the walks we do in the woods near by, stepping on the fallen leaves on crispy and sunny afternoon. Hot chocolate in thermos followed by picking conkers and pine cones, can't wait......  








Потребно:

1 чаша од 250 мл пире од јаболки*
1/2 чаша кафеав шеќер
2 јајца
1/4 чаша масло
1/4 чаша јогурт
2 чаши брашно
1 лажиче пециво
пола лажиче сода
пола лажиче сол
пола лажиче цимет
1 чаша сецкани јаболки
пола чаша сецкани ореви

Измешајте ги сите мокри состојки, додајте ги сувите и мешајте со дрвена лажица.
На крај додајте ги сецканите јаболки и ореви.
Ставете ја смесата во намрсен калап за печење, во случајов куглоф и печете го колачот на 180 степени околу 50 минути.

*Излупете и исецкајте 2 јаболку,додајте малку вода и варете ги 10 минути или додека не омекнат. Пасирајте ги и оладете пред употреба.






Ingredients:

1 cup apple sauce* 
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup yogurt 
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 chopped apple
1/2 cup chopped walnuts 


Combine the apple sauce, sugar, eggs,oil and yogurt in a large mixing bowl.
In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
Mix it all together using a wooden spoon.
Fold in the apples and walnuts.
Pour in the mixture into a ring tin, buttered.
Bake the cake on 180 C for 50 minutes.

*Cook two peeled and cored apples for 10 minutes or until they are soft. Mash it until smooth. Cool it down before using.









Tuesday 8 September 2015

Доматен сос - зимница / Tomato sauce for preserving

Five kilo tomatoes, one Sunday afternoon and a bit of love and you will get ten jars of tomato sauce that are priceless. This recipe was given to me a long time ago by my very good friend Petkana and ever since I make this sauce in late summer when the tomatoes are ripe and juicy.








Потребно:

5 кг домати
3 -4 главици кромид
3 моркови

250 мл масло
сол, бибер
оригано
босилок
5 - 6 чешниња лук, мелен
2 лажици шеќер, кафеав 


Исечете ги доматите, кромидот и морковите на парчиња.
Ставете ги во поголем лонец или во два помали како во мојот случај.
Варете ги 2 часа.
Изцедете ја водата.
Ставете ја смесата во блендер а потоа поминете ја преку цедалка за да се одстранат семките и лушпите од доматите.
Вратете ја смесата на оган, додајте ги преостанатите состојки и варете го сосот на тивко мешајки повремено околу 30 минути.
Ставете го вруќиот сос во вруќи теглички кои сте ги стерилизирале во рерна на 110 степени, 20 минути.
Ставете им капаци, секоја тегла замотајте ја во весник, покријте ги со кебе и оставете ги да се оладат до другиот ден.
Чувајте ги теглите во ладна просторија до 6 месеци.


Ingredients:

5 kg tomatoes
3 - 4 onions
3 carrots

250 ml oil
salt, pepper
oregano
basil
5 - 6 cloves garlic, minced 
2 tbsp brown sugar

Cut the vegetables into pieces and place them into a big cooking pot or in 2 medium size.
Cook the veggies for 2 hours.
Drain the liquid off.
Blend the cooked vegetables and sieve it to get rid of the seeds and peels.
You can use a sieve: pour some sauce into the sieve, push it through with a metal spoon, scoop it out the seeds and repeat. It doesn't take long once you know what to do.
Now when you got the "clean" sauce pour it into a cooking pot, add the rest of the ingredients, adjust the taste, I needed only 1 level tbsp of salt and half pepper.
Let the sauce simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Pour the hot sauce into a hot jars: 
- sterilize the jars, place them on baking wide tray,the lids as well, put them in the oven on 110 C for 20 minutes.
Wrap each jar with newspaper, cover them with blanket and let them cool completely.
Store the jars in cool place for up to 6 months, mine never last even 3 :)  





Sunday 6 September 2015

Интегрално-овесен трошен колач со јаболки и капини / Oaty crumble with apples and blackberries

Autumn season is officially open, wild grown apples and berries are being cooked today in my kitchen and it smelled delicious. This is my favorite crumble ever...








Потребни состојки:

4 големи или 6 средни јаболки
100 гр капини
1 ванилин шеќер

150 гр брашно ( пола да биде интегрално)
75 гр кафеав шеќер
100 гр путер
75 гр овесни снегулки

Излупете ги јаболките и исечете ги на покрупни парчиња.
Ставете ги во сад за печење и додајте ги капините.
Посипете со ванилин шеќер и додајте 2 лажици ладна вода.
Направете го трошниот дел:
Ставете ги сувите состојки во подлабок сад, додајте го путерот исечен на коцки и измешајте го во брашното користејки ги прстите, треба да се добијат трошки.
Посипете ги трошките над јаболките.
Печете на 180 степени 30 минути.



Ingredients:

4 big apples or 6 medium
100 gr blackberries
1 tbsp vanilla sugar

150 gr flour, half to be wholemeal
75 gr brown sugar
100 gr butter
75 gr porridge oats


Peel and cut the apples and place them into a baking dish.
Add the blackberries and 2 tbsp cold water.
Make the crumble:
Put the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl, add the butter pieces and rub in until it's all crumbly.
Top the apple mixture with the crumble and bake it on 180 C for 30 minutes.








Friday 4 September 2015

Туѓи рецепти / Other people's recipes

I suppose Kifla is something I can't translate, it is something between croissant and roll and you can not get a way without kifla if you have any celebration, birthday party in Balkan countries.
Don't even think about having New year party at home without plain kifla, mayonnaise salad and sarma. However, my kifla is sweet with chocolate spread in it and I was inspired to bake these beauties from a recipe from coolinarika. Thank you Jelah! If you want the recipe click/here







Wednesday 2 September 2015

Macedonia

Macedonia, country I identify myself, country I was born and country I visited this summer.There are so many places to visit as Macedonia is very rich with history. I just wish one day we will have more time to travel all over the country, for now we are happy with what we have seen so far.

Macedonia - always in my heart!



Typical seasonal  fruits and vegetables in August in Macedonia


 Hot peppers




 Grapes


 Plum tree 


 Figs



corns cooked on outside fire 
homemade bread 





 Coffee cooked in copper pots on outdoor wooden fire - priceless 


My mum's flowers decoration for her balconies 




 View from the front balcony


Ready for the winter


 Plums

Figs, not ready yet

tomatoes are sun - drying 

ready to go in the jar 

ready for the winter days





Me in action 

Ohrid lake

Ohrid lake, St.John at Kaneo





Plaoshnik 


View from fortress Kale

View towards the Millennium cross 


River Vardar

About to rain 

sunset in Skopje 

Mother Theresa museum


Skopje in the evening 

View from the top of the mountain Vodno

Millennium Cross  

From Vodno
Traditional rugs and bags
Traditional wedding dress in olden days
Traditional shop in the old town

Matka








River Treska
Chaining peppers for sun-drying





Will take a good couple of months to get completely dry,ready for the winter when can be used in bean stews or dips, yummy !