Mish Mash

You need:

• 4 large eggs
• ½ an onion
• 2-3 peppers
• 2 medium tomatoes
• ½ lb feta cheese
• fresh parsley
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp. paprika
• 3 tbsp. of oil

Instructions:

Grill the peppers. Cover them in a pot for a few minutes to peel them more easily. Chop the onion and fry it in a skillet with the oil. Add the chopped grilled peppers and the tomatoes. Fry them until the liquid vaporizes. Mash the feta cheese and add it to the mix with the chopped parsley. Cook it for 4-5 minutes. Whisk the eggs and add them too. Cook for a couple of minutes.

Arrange and sprinkle with paprika.

Palachinki Blintzies

You need:

• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup of milk
• ½ cup flour
• 1 pinch of salt

Instructions:

In a bowl, combine and whisk all the ingredients together. Heat a frying pan. Lightly butter the pan or spray with cooking spray. Pour about 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture. Quickly spread the mixture out evenly. Fry for about a minute on a medium heat and flip over. When done, use a topping of your choice. This makes about 8-9 Palachinki. It is the easiest pancake recipe!

Buhtichki (Cakes)

You need:
2 pounds of flour
1 packet of dry yeast

1 cup of water
1/2 teaspoon salt
cooking oil

Instructions:
Dissolve yeast in ½ cup warm water.
In a deep dish knead the dough using the dissolved yeast and the other  ½ cup water. The goal is to get a soft dough. Cover and allow to rise. At room temperature it takes about 1 hour.
Buhtichki / Cakes are fried in a deep pan. To make the shapes, grease your hands in oil and form circles by stretching and pulling from all sides. Fry the buhtichki on both sides. These cakes do not take a lot of fat. They make a wonderful breakfast! This is the same dough that is used to make pizza.

Banitsa with Canadian Bacon

You need:

1/2 pack of filo dough
3 eggs
1/2 lb Bulgarian cheese (or feta cheese)

4 oz sliced Canadian Bacon
3 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 plain yoghurt, ½ cup carbonated water

Instructions:

Mix the crumbled cheese, plain yogurt, eggs and the carbonated water together. Melt the butter in a cup. Butter the bottom of a casserole pan. Lay 3 sheets of filo dough  together. Spread some butter. Lay the feta cheese mixture on top. Add a few pieces of the Canadian Bacon. Lay another 3 sheets, spreading butter again. Repeat until all of the mixture is used. Use the vegetable oil for the top layer.Bake in the oven until golden (about 30 minutes on 350 F).

Pirojki (Пирожки)

You need:

4 cups of flour
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
¼ oz dry yeast

¾ cup of warm water
6 tablespoons vegetable oil to fry the ground beef

1 pound ground beef

½ chopped onion

Instructions:

First, make the dough. Cover it and set aside in a warm place for an hour to rise. In the mean time, prepare the stuffing. For meat stuffing use ground beef, ½ chopped onion and salt. You may add any spices you like. Fry together until well done. Once done, take out the dough and roll it into a large pancake (thickness of 3-4 mm). Cut out circles of the dough and put stuffing in the middle. Press the sides together and form a cylinder. Repeat for each Pirojka. Deep fry them until they get a nice golden-brown crust, or bake them for about 40 min.

Cheese Rolls (Kashkavalki)

You need:

• 3 cups of flour
• 2 cups of plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1-2 teaspoon of salt
• 3 teaspoons of vegetable oil
• 1 cup of shredded blend of Cheddar, Mozzarella, Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• ½ cup of warm milk

Instructions:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, the salt, the oil and the cheese. In a separate small bowl, mix the plain yogurt with the baking soda. Wait for a few seconds and then add to the flour mixture. Mix well forming soft dough, adding the warm milk and the melted butter together, slowly. Divide the dough into small pieces forming each one of them into circle. Place them next to each other in a greased baking sheet, or pan. Bake at 375 degree F for 30 minutes.

Deep-Fried Russian Pies (Chebureki)

You need:

1.   For the dough:

• 3 cups of flour
• 1teaspoon of salt
• 1 cup of water

2.   For the filling:

• 1 pound ground beef
• ½ grounded onion
• 3 fresh onions
• salt to taste
• 2 teaspoon of water
• 1 teaspoon of paprika
• black pepper to taste

3.   3 cups of oil for frying

Instructions:

Sift the flour into a large bowl. Add the salt. Make a hole in the center. Make the dough by adding warm water. Gradually, knead it. If the dough sticks to your hands, add some more flour. Cover and let it stand for 15-20 minutes. In a separate bowl, mix all the ingredients for the filling. Work on a flour-dusted surface, form a big circle using a rolling pin. It should look like pastry thin dough. Cut out the shapes of the chebureki. I make them square to make triangle-shaped chebureki, some prefer circles. Place about 2 tablespoon of the meat filling on the half of the shape and fold the dough over. Press the edges. Chebureki need to be sealed completely. You may use a fork to form the edges better. Fry the chebureki for 4-5 minutes each side on a medium heat. Remove from the oil and cover. They are crisp on the outside and soft and tender on the inside.

Russian Pancakes (Blini)

You will need:

• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups milk
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• topping of your choice
• butter to fry

Instructions:

Into a bowl, combine and whisk all the ingredients together. Heat a skillet, or a frying pan. Lightly butter the pan, or spray with cooking spray. Pour about 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture. Quickly spread the mixture out evenly. Russian pancakes are very thin. Fry for about a minute on a medium heat and flip over. When done, use a topping of your choice. This serves 4.

Mekitsi (Fried Bread)

You need:

• 16 oz. plain yogurt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 lb. flour
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 cup of vegetable oil
• Powdered Sugar, Honey, or Jam

Instructions:

Pour the baking soda into the plain yogurt. Wait a minute to start fizzing.

Sift the flour on a dry surface. Using the flour, salt, and the yogurt mixture knead soft dough. Do not use water. Without waiting for the dough to rise, make pitas and fry them in the medium heat in the hot oil. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, or arrange with honey, or jam of your choice.

Polenta

You need:

2 cups of cornmeal

8 cups of water

¼ cup of butter

¼ cup of feta cheese

salt to taste

Instructions:

Bring the water to boil. Add  a little salt. Add the cornmeal. Do not stir. Make a hole in the middle with a wooden spoon. Simmer for 30-40 minutes. Cook stirring the polenta for another 10 minutes to break up any lumps. Melt the butter in another pot. Add the polenta and cover for another 10-15 minutes. Serve hot with the feta cheese on top.