Earlier this year I posted a heavenly cheese pancake recipe from Rasht, North Iran. Here’s a variation which replaces the feta with a bountiful mix of fragrant herbs.

The interesting addition of baking powder to the mix helps the pancake stay light and airy during the frying process.

Delicious warm or at room temperature with natural yoghurt and bread, this is certainly a recipe I can imagine making for picnics in the coming months.

……………………………………………………………………………………

Recipe

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
4-5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small bunch chives, finely chopped
1 small bunch coriander, finely chopped
1 small bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 small bunch spinach, finely chopped (optional)
1 small onion, coarsly grated
4 free-range or organic eggs
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Method
1) In a medium bowl combine herbs, onion, eggs and whisk with fork until mixed well. Add pepper, salt, tumeric, baking powder and whisk again.

2) Heat a non-stick pan (25-30cm) over medium heat. Add oil and allow to heat up. Pour in mix and spread evenly with the back of a spoon. After 3-5 minutes reduce heat to low and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes.

3) While still in the pan use a spatula to cut the pancake into 6-8 pieces and turn each piece over to lightly brown on the reverse side. Cook for a further 15-20 minutes and add a little more oil to the pan during frying if necessary.

4) Serve while warm or at room temperature as an appetiser or a light lunch with bread, natural yogurt and tomato.

Tip: Feel free to use a mix of your favourite herbs.

Here’s a yummy goulash recipe made with leftover BBQ meat. You can use anything from sausages to grilled chicken breast, but pork and beef tend to taste best. I used leftover kjoftinja (meatballs) which incidentally contain a combination of beef and pork mince.

The recipe was conjured up by mum in an effort to make leftovers more exciting, especially after our large European family feasts that often resulted in mounds of leftover meat.

My baba’s whole dried chillies

……………………………………………………………………………………

Recipe

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced lengthways
6 mild died red chillies, seeds removed and roughly chopped (if unavailable replace with 2-3 fresh banana chillies or 1 red capsicum)
2 medium carrots, roughly chopped (optional)
2 heaped tablespoons plain flour
1-2 teaspoons mild paprika
4 tablespoons (80ml) Italian style tomato passata sauce
4-5 cups (1-1.25 litres) boiling water
Sea salt
1 teaspoon dried vegetable stock, e.g. Massel or Vegeta (or replace with extra salt)
Freshly ground black pepper
8-10 pieces of leftover BBQ meat, roughly chopped or left whole (e.g. kjoftinja, pork, beef, chicken breast)
2 bay leaves

Method
1) Preheat oven to 250°C.

2) Heat a medium frying pan over low-medium heat, add oil, onion and a sprinkling of salt, saute onion without colouring (5 minutes). Add chillies and carrots and continue cooking (3-5 minutes). Add flour, stir to coat and cook for 5 minutes. Sprinkle over paprika and cook until fragrant (1-2 minutes). Add passata, stir through, followed by boiling water. Add dried stock and pepper to taste.

3) Transfer vegetables and liquid to large baking dish and arrange leftover meat, push meat under the liquid to ensure all pieces are submerged. Place bay leaves on top.

4) Place in hot oven and cook for 5 minutes then reduce temperature to 200°C and continue to cook for further 30-40 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
Note: Add extra water during cooking if necessary to prevent meat from drying out.

5) Serve while hot with bread, brown rice or potatoes.

Tips:
- Meat can be roughly chopped or left whole (as in this recipe).
- Feel free to use a combination of BBQ beef, pork, sausages etc.

It has always been a family tradition to regularly enjoy a warming bowl of fruit compote on chilly winter nights. Not only is it quick and easy, it’s also sugar and fat free!

There are no hard rules with compote, you can add whatever fruit takes your fancy, I like a combination of dried prunes, sultanas, fresh pear, apple and quince. Feel free to experiment, you may like to add dried figs or apricots.

……………………………………………………………………………………

Recipe

Serves 2-4

Ingredients
3 cups (750ml) water
1/2 quince, peeled, cored and diced (optional)
2/3 cup dried prunes
1/2 cup sultanas
1 cinnamon stick (if unavailable add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon)
1 pear, peeled, cored and diced
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced
1 Pink Lady apple, peeled, cored and diced

Method
1) Combine water, quince, prunes, sultanas and cinnamon stick in a medium saucepan, bring to the boil then reduce heat and simmer for 5-8 minutes. Add diced pear and apples, bring to the boil and simmer uncovered for further 5 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick, spoon into serving bowls and enjoy while hot.
Note: Drizzle with honey if you prefer your compote a little sweeter.

Tips:
- Fruit can be left unpeeled with skin on.
- For an easy dessert serve fruit without liquid along with double cream or custard.

When I think comfort food, I think sarmi, or stuffed cabbage leaves. It’s up there on my top ten list of favourite winter dinners. For me it’s the combination of deliciously sour pickled cabbage leaves, stuffed with a flavoursome mix of onion, beef mince, speck and rice, brought to life with a hint of paprika.

I used home pickled cabbage leaves, but don’t let this stop you! Unlike a few years back, pickled cabbage leaves can now be found at major supermarkets and select delis with other Balkan pickled products like chillies.

Making sarmi

……………………………………………………………………………………

Recipe

Serves 6-8

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely diced
80g speck, skin removed and finely diced (if unavailable replace with bacon)
800g beef, minced
1-2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup (110g) medium grain rice, washed and drained
1-2 teaspoons mild paprika
White pepper
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

20-30 pickled cabbage leaves (if too large, cut in half)
1.5 litres boiling water

Thickening sauce (zaprshka)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 heaped tablespoons plain flour
1 teaspoon mild paprika
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
1) Heat oil in a large frying pan (low-medium), add onions and a sprinkling of salt, saute without colouring (5 minutes).

2) Turn heat up (medium), add speck and cook until golden (2-3 minutes).

3) Turn heat up (high) and add beef mince, stir continuously until meat browns (8-10 minutes).

4) Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and cook until fragrant (1 minute) add rice and stir until translucent (2-3 minutes).

5) Add paprika and cook until fragrant (1-2 minutes) remove from heat and add white pepper, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Allow to cool.

6) In a medium heavy based pot, place 2-3 cabbage leaves on the base. If the cabbage leaves are too sour, soak in cold water for up to 30 minutes. Drain cabbage leaves in a colander over a large bowl. Place a cabbage leaf in the palm of your hand with the thickest part closest to you, spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the beef mix and fold over each edge to form a neat cylinder. While holding the roll over the pot gently squeeze some of the excess liquid to create a tight sausage, place on the bottom of the pot. Continue until all the mix is used up, layering the sarmi (there will be 2-3 layers).
Note: When filling and rolling, follow the natural curve of the cabbage leaves.

7)  Cover with 2-3 cabbage leaves and place a medium plate on top to help weigh down the sarmi.

8) Pour boiling water over the sarmi until completely covered (only part of the plate should be covered with liquid). Cover with lid and bring to the boil.

9) While you wait for the sarmi come to the boil, prepare the thickening sauce. Heat a small saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil then flour and stir frequently with a wooden spoon, being careful not to burn the flour (3-5 minutes). Have a ladle and whisk ready to go. When the flour starts to smell like it’s cooking do the sizzle test by dropping a tiny amount of the flour into the hot sarmi liquid, if it sizzles it’s ready, if not, continue cooking flour for another minute and test again. Turn off heat and stir through paprika, add 2 ladles of cooking liquid and whisk vigorously, once incorporated add another 2-3 ladles and whisk again until incorporated, continue to do this until you have a smooth slurry-type roux (3-5 minutes). Add the thickening sauce to the cooking sarmi, taste and add extra salt (or dried vegetable stock, e.g. Vegeta/Massel) and pepper. Cover and reduce heat to simmer, cook for 20-30 minutes or until rice is cooked.
Note: Shake the pot every so often to help the sarmi cook evenly.

10) Serve while hot with crusty bread.

Tips:
- Pickled cabbage leaves are available at select supermarkets and most delicatessens.
- Speck is a salt-cured and smoked ham, replace with bacon if unavailable.
- Do not stir while cooking as it will damage the rolls, just shake the pot every so often.
- Store left over cabbage leaves in brine in the refrigerator.

With no sugar or fat, this recipe for baked apples is super easy, healthy and tasty too!

It’s a perfect winter treat and a great way to use up apples that are a little older and have become floury. Coring the apples is not traditional however definitely an option, you can even chop in half and remove the seeds if you prefer. I felt like being old fashioned and sticking to my families village recipe of leaving the apples whole. You’ll just need to remember to avoid the seeds when eating.

Once baked, the soft and mushy flesh is perfectly complimented with ice cream or warm custard.
……………………………………………………………………………………

Recipe

Serves 6-8

Ingredients
6-8 apples, washed and dried
Ground cinnamon (optional)
Water

Method
1) Preheat oven to 180 °C.

2) In a medium ovenproof dish pour in enough water to completely cover the bottom of the dish and sprinkle with ground cinnamon (optional). Sunggly place the apples upright in the dish and bake for 45-60 minutes or until the apples are tender. Remove from oven and drizzle over the syrupy cooking juices.

3) Serve while warm with a scoop of ice cream or warm custard.

Tips:
- The length of baking will depend on the size and type of apples, test by inserting a fork into the flesh.
- During baking, be sure to check regularly and add more water if necessary to avoid the apples from drying out. If the apples begin to burn cover with a sheet of foil and/or reduce the oven temperature.

My mother-in-law makes a killer chilli pork and it’s safe to say that it’s one of my husbands favourite meals.

It’s a really quick dish and great for rushed mid-week dinners with brown rice, especially if you have your butcher prepare the pork for you. It’s probably also the closest Macedonian cuisine will ever get to a stir fry.

The secret ingredient is Bukovsko, essentially dried chilli flakes. I’m lucky enough to have homemade chilli flakes that my baba prepared with this summers chillies. She removes the stem, cuts each chilli in half and dries in warm sunny spots over several days, the chillies are then lightly roasted in the oven for extra flavour, then ground and stored.

Most often eaten with bread and potatoes, this pork makes a divine warm salad (see recipe tip).
……………………………………………………………………………………

Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients
400g pork fillet, removed of sinew and fat, roughly chopped into bite size pieces
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
1/4-1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes (or Bukovsko Biber)
Sea salt

Method
1) In a medium frying pan heat olive oil (high heat), add pork and stir frequently until brown all over (5-7 minutes).

2) Add garlic and stir through, add onion and fry until lightly browned (3-5 minutes).

3) Add chilli flakes and salt to taste, stir through and cook until chilli is fragrant and the onion begins to caramelise (2-3 minutes).

4) Remove from heat and serve with crusty bread or brown rice.

Tip: For a delicious warm pork salad, allow the cooked pork to slightly cool and add to a salad of mixed greens, sundried tomatoes and olives with a balsamic dressing.

With a dozen eggs and almost a kilo of sugar this cake isn’t for the faint-hearted. On the bright side, it’s almost flourless, so it’s light on carbs.

Whole eggs are beaten for 10 minutes until thick and creamy, a small amount of semolina flour and self raising are folded through along with the zest of one lemon. Once baked the cake has a delicate crust and a sponge finger biscuit consistency. The cake is then completely cooled and drenched with a hot lemony sugar syrup.

It’s perfect served with a ‘Tursko kafe’ (Turkish coffee) or, as I served it up for friends with a dollop of double cream which I sprinkled with lightly roasted flaked almonds. It looked really pretty and the cream helped to cut through the sugary syrup, a perfect balance.
……………………………………………………………………………………

Recipe

Serves 36

Ingredients
12 organic or free-range eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
6 heaped tablespoons (70g) self raising flour, sifted
6 heaped tablespoons (95g) semolina flour, sifted
Zest of 1 lemon (optional)

Syrup
4 cups (880g) caster sugar
5 cups (1.25L) water
2-3 pieces of lemon peel
1 teaspoon lemon essence (or replace with a squeeze of lemon juice)

Method
1) Preheat oven to 180ºC and grease a large rectangular baking tray.

2) Beat eggs and vanilla essence in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer until tick and creamy (8-10 minutes). Using a large metal spoon fold in self raising flour, semolina and lemon zest (optional). Pour mix into prepared baking tray. Bake for 40 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

3) For syrup, bring water, sugar and lemon peel to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until thick and syrupy.

4) While the syrup is hot, drizzle 2-3 tablespoons over the cool cake and cut into 4-5cm wide horizontal strips. Drizzle over another 2-3 tablespoons and cut the cake on a 40º angle into diamond pieces. Add the lemon essence (optional) or a squeeze of lemon juice to the syrup, stir through and and gently pour over the cake. Cover tightly with a sheet of foil (5-10 minutes). Allow to completely cool and refrigerate.

5) Serve cold or at room temperature with a dollop of double cream and lightly toasted flaked almonds and a strong black coffee.

Tip:
- This recipe makes a really large batter which you will need an extra large rectangular cake tin, alternatively use 2 smaller tins or halve the recipe.

Saturday mornings were always a big deal when it came to breakfast. Mum would often prepare something hot that we all enjoyed as a family. One of my fondest memories growing up was the smell of feta cheese frying with eggs and kolbasi. When we sat down at the table to enjoy, Dad would always say that he was sure he ate better than the Prime Minister and Prince Charles!

The smell alone is amazing. The taste on the other hand, is out of this world! Przeno Sirenja is fluffy egg, followed by a delicate fried crust and soft oozy cheese.

Although rich and indulgent in calories, as a once a week treat this delicacy is definitely justifiable. Some love Prezeno Sirenje so much they have lovingly named it ‘sirencinja’ (little cheeses).

The addition of egg and pinch of paprika is definitely an option. When served without egg it makes a delicious appetiser, just cut the cheese into strips rather than rectangles and serve with a toothpick.

Making Przeno Sirenje

……………………………………………………………………………………

Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients
300-400g feta cheese, cut into 1cm thick slices
1/4 cup (30g) plain flour, for coating
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
Pinch of mild paprika (optional)
4-5 eggs, lightly beaten (optional)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
1) Cut feta into 1cm thick slices.

2) Heat olive oil in a medium non-stick frying pan (medium-high heat).

3) Roll the sliced cheese in flour until evenly coated and shake off any excess. When the oil is hot enough add the flour coated cheese in a single layer, turn once until golden brown on both sides (3-5 minutes on each side).
Note: At this point you have the option of serving the cheese as an appetiser, to make it more of a meal proceed with step 4.

4) In a medium bowl add eggs, sea salt and black pepper to taste, lightly beat. Evenly space the cheese so there is a small gap between each piece, sprinkle a pinch of paprika in between so that it falls on the base of the pan and begins to smell fragrant (1 minute). Pour in the lightly beaten eggs and shake the pan around a bit, use a spatula if necessary to help the egg get underneath each piece of cheese and cook evenly. After 2-3 minutes carefully turn over the cheese so that the egg is cooked on both sides. Serve immediately with fresh bread, kolbasi and tomato salad (during summer).

Tips:
- You can replace feta with other hard cheeses like haloumi or kasseri.
- Placing the cheese in bowl of iced water (or under cold tap water) for several seconds will make the flour stick to the cheese and help to form a crust.

I have my very last bag of baba’s home grown chillies, so with limited time I decide to make a no-fuss chilli and tomato spread for lunch. It’s similar to lutenka but a fraction of the effort (only 15 minutes), and it’s eaten fresh rather than stored.

The best way to enjoy this village style dish is straight out of the pan, place it in the middle of the table and share with lot’s of fresh bread to mop up all the yummy juices.
……………………………………………………………………………………

Recipe

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
8-10 red and green banana chillies (also known as Hungarian or bullhorn chillies, if unavailable replace with 2-3 red and green capsicums)
250ml (1 cup) Italian style tomato passata
100g feta cheese, roughly crumbled
Olive oil
Sea salt to taste

Method
1) Wash and dry chillies, discard stems and seeds, roughly chop.

2) Heat a medium pan (medium-high heat), coat base with olive oil, add chillies and sprinkle with salt, stir frequently to avoid from burning or browning too quickly, fry until fragrant (5-7 minutes). Reduce heat to medium, add tomato and extra salt to taste, stir and fry until fragrant (2-3 minutes).

3) Remove from heat, add feta cheese and stir through. Serve in the middle of the table with fresh bread.

Tip: The easiest way to de-seed chillies is by cutting the top off and discarding the stem, then cut in half lengthways to remove the seeds and membrane, you’ll find a helpful image within the Rustic Fried Chillies with Eggs and Cheese recipe.

With winter on it’s way, I’m feeling the need for a comforting village-style stew. One that I can enjoy with copious amounts of crusty bread and feta cheese.

My favourite ‘mandza’ (pronounced muhn-juh), is a mix of veal and veggies. I tend to use potatoes, carrots and okra, the deliciously slimy vegetable that so many are afraid of, but I unashamedly love! Although okra is a summer vegetable, I was lucky enough to stumble across some the other day. If you are unable to find okra or prefer not to use it, this stew tastes just as good with green beans.

Feel free to change the ingredients to your taste, other popular combinations are veal and potato, or chicken and rice.

It’s a hearty meal, which like all good stews, thickens and gets better overnight.

……………………………………………………………………………………

Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients
4 veal cutlets (or veal t-bone steaks)
2 litres water, boiled
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 medium potatoes, roughly chopped
2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
1 large tomato, blanched, peeled and roughly chopped (or 3 tablespoons of an Italian style tomato passata)
1 teaspoon mild paprika
250g okra, tops and tails cut off, blanched in salted water for 1 minute, rinsed and drained (if unavailable replace with green beans)
Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Roux
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 teaspoon mild paprika

Parsley, roughly chopped to garnish

Method
1) Season veal with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot (medium-high heat) and cook the veal until evenly browned all over. Pour over hot water, add a tablespoon of salt (you can use a dried vegetable stock like Vegeta/Massel if you prefer) and bring to the boil, skim surface and reduce heat. Simmer for 30-45 minutes.

2) Meanwhile blanch your tomato. Wash, remove the stem and cut an ‘X’ into the base no bigger than 2cm and no deeper than 3mm. Place tomato in a bowl, pour over boiling water until completely covered and allow to stand for 1 minute. Carefully remove from hot water and peel when cool enough to handle. Roughly chop and mix through a teaspoon of salt.

3) If using okra, bring a pot of water to the boil, add 1 teaspoon salt and blanch okra for 1-2 minutes. Refresh under cold water, drain and set aside.
Note: If you are using green beans there is no need to blanch.

4) In a medium frying pan heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil (medium heat). Add onion, season with salt and lightly brown (5 minutes). Add garlic and when fragrant add potatoes and carrots, sprinkle with extra salt, stir and continue cooking (5 minutes). Add paprika, stir to coat and cook until fragrant, taking care not to burn the paprika (1-2 minutes). Add chopped tomato (or passata), mix well so that all the vegetables are evenly coated (2-3 minutes). Add vegetables to the simmering pot, bring to the boil and reduce heat, simmer for 20-30 minutes.

5) After 20 minutes make the roux (thickener). Give the frying pan a quick wipe down with a paper towel. Heat olive oil (medium heat), add flour and stir frequently with a wooden spoon, being careful not to burn the flour (3-5 minutes). Have a ladle close by for the liquid from the stew and a whisk ready to go. When the flour starts to smell like it’s cooking add paprika and stir continuously until fragrant (1 minute). Add a ladle of the liquid from the stew and whisk vigorously, once incorporated add another 2 ladles of liquid and whisk again until incorporated, continue to do this until you have a smooth slurry-type roux (3-5 minutes). Stir the roux in to the simmering stew along with the blanched okra (or green beans). Boil for 5 minutes and then turn off heat. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
Note: For roux image see Village-style Spinach Stew recipe.

6) Garnish with parsley and serve hot with fresh bread and feta.

Tip: If you don’t like veal replace with chicken pieces. Or, if you’re vegetarian leave out the meat and add dried vegetable stock for extra flavour.