Eastern
European cooking involves some of the following countries:
Belarus, Serbia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Poland,
Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraine.
Many of these countries are covered with rows of
beautiful sunflowers
in the summertime, ancient architecture, world history and beautiful
mountains.
In the summertime you’ll find fruit and vegetables are plentiful, cheap
and deliciously fresh. Eastern European cooking uses a lot of cabbage,
potatoes, onions and carrots. They are cheap and can be stored through
the winter.
Facts
about Eastern Europe
Bulgaria is a leading producer of rose oil
Sunflower oil is highly produced thanks to the
fields of
sunflowers
Fresh fruits and vegetables are plentiful and
cheap in the
summertime thanks to local farmers
Learn
a Little Language
Dobir dehn- Good Afternoon
La revedereh -Goodbye in Romanian
Da-Yes
Eastern
European Cooking
-International Recipes
Borscht
This is a common Eastern European cooking recipe and takes a little
preparation.
Pork roast cooked and shredded or cubed
3 Carrots, diced
5 Potatoes, diced
2 Beets, peeled and shredded
Green cabbage - ½ head, shredded
Onion, chopped
1-2 Cups Tomato juice
2 chicken Bouillon cubes
Wrap
two beets in foil and roast at 400 degrees for 1 hour until a fork
pierces the skin. Cool, peel, and shred or chop in food processor. Chop
potatoes in cubes, slice carrots, chop cabbage, and chop onion. Place
all vegetables in large pot. Add cooked meat and beets to pot. Cover
with water and cook on medium to low for one hour. Add bouillon, tomato
juice and pepper. Taste to see if it needs anymore seasonings. Sprinkle
with fresh parsley or dried parsley if fresh isn’t available. **You can
also add beans to the soup. Use fresh beans instead of canned. Soak
beans overnight then cook them covered with water. Add a bay leaf and a
quartered onion to the water. Cook 1 hour or until soft on medium heat.
Drain water off and add to soup.
Cabbage
Rolls
1 large head of cabbage, cored **see note at end of recipe** and leave
some in middle to chop
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onions, chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
2 big carrots, peeled and grated
1 lb lean beef, ground, not cooked
1 cup white rice or brown rice
2 bay leaves
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
Tomato juice
Sour cream
Saute onions and garlic in oil. Add carrots and 1/2 Cup of chopped
cabbage. Saute several minutes. Add about 1/2 Cup of tomato sauce. Take
off heat. Add uncooked rice and ground beef (not cooked). Season with
salt and pepper. In large saucepan add several cooked cabbage leaves
and 2 bay leaves to bottom of pan. Spoon meat mixture on each cabbage
leaf. Depending on cabbage leaf size use a small amount or large. Fold
up snuggly from bottom and sides and roll up. Place in bottom of
saucepan seam side down. Stack on top of one another. Place 1-2 fresh
cabbage leaves on top. Cover with 1 Cup of tomato sauce and tomato
juice to cover. Cook on low 1- 1/2 hour. Serve with sour cream. This
Eastern European cooking recipe makes a large amount and often is eaten
throughout several days as the leftovers keep well.
****Take out the core of the cabbage first and then put it in a steamer
or large boiling pot of water. After about 5 minutes of steaming
separate leaves. Add cabbage back to the pot of boiling water if some
cabbage leaves are not easily removed. Remove thick center vein from
each leaf.
Eastern European Cooking Video: Vareniki
Moussaka
A popular Eastern European cooking recipe in Bulgaria.
1 lb. Ground beef or ground pork
One onion, finely chopped
2 lbs. Potatoes, peeled and finely chopped
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
3 eggs
1 Cup plain yogurt
2 Tablespoons flour
In a skillet ground beef and onion together until beef is no longer
pink. Drain meat and add chopped potatoes, chopped tomatoes and
parsley. Salt and pepper to taste. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees. In bowl,
blend eggs, plain yogurt, and flour together. Pour over potato mixture.
Bake for 10 minutes longer.
Hungarian Goulash
2 pounds beef steaks, cut in cubes
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1
teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon thyme, dried
1 bay leaf
1 can chopped
tomatoes
1 cup sour cream
Toss steak and flour
together in small bowl. Add steak, chopped onions and garlic in crock
pot. Add seasonings including salt, pepper, paprika, thyme and bay leaf
to crock pot. Add in chopped tomatoes. Stir together and cook on low
8-10 hours. Stir sour cream in soup before serving. Serve over noodles.
Easy Chicken Paprika
4 chicken breasts, cut in cubes
Diced onions
3 Tablespoons oil
2 Cups chicken broth or stock
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 Cup sour cream
4 Cups cooked noodles
Brown chicken and onions in oil. Add paprika and broth to pan and
simmer 20 min. Stir in sour cream and continue cooking another 5
minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and spoon over noodles.
Pierogi
This is typically a Polish dish but you often find Pierogi in Russia
and throughout Eastern European cooking. You can create these with
whatever filling you choose. Try cooked ground beef or pork, cheese and
potatoes, cabbage or fruit fillings. They are similar to a stuffed
dumpling.
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
In a mixer add flour, eggs, sour cream and salt together. Mix together
to form a ball of dough. Take out of mixing bowl and knead on a floured
surface 5-10 minutes. Let rest for 30 minutes wrapped in plastic wrap.
Roll dough out and cut circles out of the dough by using the bottom of
a glass or biscuit cutter.
Filling
for Potato Cheese pierogi.
1/2 cup mashed potatoes
1 cup cottage cheese
1
onion, minced
1 egg yolk, beaten
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Saute onion in butter. Mix mashed potatoes,
cottage cheese, sauteed onion, egg yolk, sugar and season with salt and
pepper.
To assemble pierogi place a spoonful of filling on each circle dough
and moisten ends with water. Seal together by pressing with your finger
or using the back of a fork.
To cook, Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add salt to water. Add
pierogis and cook about 5 minutes. (they will float to the top of the
pot). You can fry these with chopped ham and butter. Or serve this
Eastern European cooking recipe with sour cream or drizzle with melted
butter.
Mamaliga
This
is a Romanian dish also seen in other Eastern European cooking. This is
also known as polenta and resembles a cornmeal mush.
1 1/4 cups cornmeal
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
5 1/2 cups
cold water
1/4 cup-1/2 cup butter, according to taste
1 Cup sour cream
Mix cornmeal, salt and cold water together.
Set aside. Add 4 cups of water to a large pan and bring to a boil. Add
cornmeal mixture to boiling water.
Continue stirring until thickens. Cover pan with a lid and turn heat
down to low. Cook about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Stir in butter and sour cream. Place in a casserole dish and bake for 1
hour at 350 degrees. Top with cottage cheese or sour cream, if desired.
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