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 !



Monday 31 August 2015

Сушени домати на сонце / Sun-dried tomatoes

I took advantage of my visit to Macedonia to make this recipe I've been planing to make for a long time but it is almost impossible to succeed in England. Apart of having brilliant time with my family, laughing to tears and traveling around the country, I was cooking as well, mainly helping to my mum or cooking new vegetarian dishes for my parents to try. We also made together some pumpkin bread, plum tray and a lot more.These tomatoes are grown in my parents garden,they are organic and I was very happy to use them in cooking or eating raw!


















Потребни состојки:

2 кг домати
400 мл маслиново масло
3-4 чешниња лук
босилок
сол
трпение

Исечете ги доматите на четвртини и одстранете ги семките и сокот*
Наредете ги во поголема тепсија.
Малку посолете.
Ставете ги да се сончаат преку ден, навечер внесувајте ги внатре.
За 3 дена веке ке бидат суви.
Ако немате сонце ставете ја тепсијата со домати во загреана рерна на 50 степени и сушете ги доматите околу 4 часа.
Наредете ги во средна големина тегла,ставете и сецкано лукче како и свеж босилок.
Прелијте со маслиново масло ( ладно цедено ) и чувајте во фрижидер.
Маслото ке си го користите за прелив на салати а сушените домати за пица, мезе или како додаток во салати на база на житарки.

* Сокот исцедете го, малку посолете, додајте коцка-две мраз и неколку ливчиња босилок. Идеален летен пијалок!

Доматен сок 



Ingredients: 


2 kg tomatoes
400 ml olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves
fresh basil 
salt
patience 


Cut the tomatoes into 4.
Take the seeds and juices* out
Place the tomatoes into a big tray and place them out on sunny spot during the day.
Bring them indoor during the night.
Repeat for 3 day.
If you haven't got sun, you can use electric oven.
Place the tray with tomatoes in oven pre-heated on 50 C
Bake / dry them for 4 hours.
When tomatoes are ready place them in a clean jar adding some chopped garlic and fresh basil.
Keep the jar in fridge.
Use the tomatoes as you wish, pizza topping or chopped up in grain salads.
Use the oil as well for dressing salads.

*Put the juice  through a sieve, season with some salt and top it with fresh basil adding some ice cubes, perfect summer drink!

Tomato juice


Wednesday 5 August 2015

Црн грав со интегрален ориз / Black beans with brown rice

Brown rice is something I cook once in a week to have in fridge for at least four days. In summer days I often eat rice and beans аs a salads with added fresh veggies. This is my latest favorite  combo, I love it...







Потребни состојки:

Интегрален ориз
црн грав
авокадо
домати
сол, бибер
маслиново масло
сок од лимон

Гравот ставете го во поголем сад со ладна вода и додајте 2-3 лажички сода бикарбона.
Оставете го преку ноќ.
Оризот ако е од органско потекло обавезно ставете го во посебен сад со ладна вода, без сода.
Следниот ден убаво измијте го гравот и варете го на тивко додека не се свари, ке му треба кратко време, содата игра важна улога.
Сварете го и оризот со додаток на сол.
На една чаша кафеав ориз се додава три чаши вода.
Сервирајте ја салатата: ладен ориз и грав, свежо сечени домати и авокадо, сол,бибер,сок од лимон и маслиново масло.


Ingredients:

Brown rice
black beans
avocado
tomatoes
salt,pepper 
olive oil
lemon juice 

Soak the beans in fresh cold water over night adding 2-3 tsp of soda bicarbonate.
If you are using organic rice, soak the rice as well without adding the soda.
The next day, rinse the beans to washout the soda ( otherwise will foam while it's cooking) cover it with fresh cold water and cook it on low temperature until it's cooked.
It shouldn't take long, the soda speeds up the cooking.
Cook the rice in a fresh water adding a little bit of salt.
For one cup of brown rice add 3 cups of water.
Assemble the salad: cold rice and beans, freshly cut tomatoes and avocado,salt,pepper, lemon juice and olive oil.