Soup of haricot beans

The soup of haricot beans is a traditional Bulgarian soup . It is extremely alimentary . Here are the instructions how to make your own homemade soup of haricot beans:

Necessary products : 

· 180gr ripe beans; 

· 1-2 carrots; 

· 1-2 onions;

· a slice of new soil [50gr]; 

· 1 soupspoon oil; 

· 1 teaspoon red pepper;

· 3 bottled tomatoes; 

· salt;

· dry mint; 

Way of cooking : 

· Stage1: Wash the beans and let then soak in cold water for a night.

· Stage2: The next day squeeze it , put it in water ,then let it boil . After that throw the water and repeat the procedure again.

· Stage3: Add the oil , red pepper , fine chopped onion and vegetables .

· Stage4: Let the soup boil for 15 minutes and it’s ready .

Soup of Lentils

The soup of lentils is traditional Bulgarian soup .It decreases the level of cholesterol , stabilizes the level of sugar in your blood . Here are the instructions how to make your own homemade soup of lentils:

Necessary products:
• 300gr lentils;
• 1 soup spoon oil;
• 30gr flour;
• 1 teaspoon red pepper;
• salt;

Way of cooking :
• Stage1 Wash the lentils and let then soak in cold water for a night.
• Stage2: The next day squeeze it , put it in 1l water ,then let it boil with the salt .
• Stage3: Make thickening from the oil and the flour , add the red pepper and pour cold water on [to dilute]. Put the cooked lentils in the thickening and add 1l water.
• Stage4: Let the soup comes to the boil . Now your soup is ready .

Lutenitsa

Lutenitsa is Bulgarian, not Russian specialty, but I heard it was a very popular imported product in Russia during the Soviet times.It’s made in the end of the summer .The making has turned into a tradition here because It’s hand down from one generation to the next. Here are the instructions how to make your own homemade lutenitsa :
Necessary products and instruments:
• *15kg big red fleshy tomatoes;
• *10kg red pepper;
• *5kg eggplant;
• *1l oil;
• *1 coffee glass of salt;
• *2 coffee glasses of sugar;
• *large baking tin [which can keep around 25l];
• *an oar [it’s preferable to be longer];
• *fireplace;
• *meaty grinder;
• *cauldron where to boil the jars;
Way of cooking :
• Stage 1: First of all you have to bake the eggplant and pepper , then to peel them .Here comes the grinding .
• Stage2: Here is the tomatoes’s turn to get grind.
• Stage3: The main part begins with boiling the tomatoes .After the mixture gets thicker you have to start stirring it with uniform motion . You should keep stirring for 40 minutes.
• Stage4: At this stage you have to put the grinded eggplant and pepper into the mixture. Keep stirring till you notice that after the oat there is a trace and you can clearly see the bottom of the baking tin.
• Stage5: Now add the oil and keep stirring. You’ll see that after a few minutes the oat starts leaving the same traces like in Stage4, this is the moment when you add the salt and the sugar [which is supposed to remove the sour taste of tomatoes].
• Stage6: Here comes the funniest part – filling the jars .In this time the lutenitsa is the tastiest .
• Stage7: The last stage is sterilizing . The jars are in the cauldron ,which is full of water[it has to cover the jars]. They are boiling 15 to 20 minutes. Now your lutenitsa can still be delicious even in the beginning of the next summer .

Mussaka

Mussaka is a traditional Bulgarian , not Greek or Turkish ,meal . It has came into England via the Greek. This version is the best-known one outside the region , their meal consists of sliced eggplant and tomato .. Here are the instructions how to make your own homemade moussaka :
Necessary products:
• *500gr forcemeat;
• *75ml oil;
• *1 onion;
• *600gr potatoes;
• *2 soup spoon tomato souse;
• *1 teaspoon red pepper;
• *1/4 teaspoon grounded pepper;
• *25gr butter;
• *50gr flour;
• *200ml fresh milk;
• *2 eggs;
• *50gr yellow cheese;
• *salt;
• *parsley;
Way of cooking:
• Stage1: Chop the onion into little pieces , stew them until they change their colour . Then add the tomato souse and the forcemeat .After the water streams away put the red and grounded pepper .
• Stage2: Stir and pour some hot water on [bullion] .After the water streams away [again],put the cut parsley and keep stirring.
• Stage3: Peel ,clean and wash the potatoes .Cut them into slices and start frying .In lubricous baking tin set in order consecutively row of potatoes then row of meat .The last one should be row of potatoes.
• Stage4: Again you have to pour hot bullion on .Bake in oven [180C] for over 40 minutes.
• Stage5: During the waiting make a mixture of the eggs , butter ,flour and the milk. When the meal is ready pour the mixture on , sprinkle with yellow cheese and put it back in the oven till it has a russet color .

Yogurt

Bulgarian yogurt is an original national product. Its beginning is connected to the developed sheep-breeding from the time of the Thracians. The shepherds turned part of the fresh milk into different products. Yogurt is made from heated fresh milk, which has gone through fermentation at 40-45 degrees. Depending on the milk that it’s made from the yogurt can be sheep’s yogurt, cow’s yogurt, buffalo-cow’s yogurt or mixed yogurt. Here’s a recipe for Bulgarian yogurt:

Required products   

·         1 l fresh milk

·         1 soupspoon yoghurt

Way of making :  

·         Boil the fresh milk and let it cool to 38-40 degrees.

·         Fill ¼ of a tea cup with the milk, add the yoghurt and stir. Then put the mixture into the fresh milk again. Stir, close the container with the milk with a lid, wrap it in a blanket and leave it in a warm place.

·         The temperature of 38-40 degrees should be kept for about 3 hours until the fermentation is done.

·         After that the yoghurt should be kept in a fridge. 

White Brined Cheese

White brined cheese isconcentric milk food with different gustatory and aromatic qualities which depend on the way it’s made.  From ancient times white cheese is a homemade product. It’s considered a entrée or a ingredient for meatless dishes from the national Bulgarian kitchen. Here’s a recipe for sheep’s white brined cheese which is very popular in Bulgaria.

·         10 l fresh sheep’s milk

·         20 ml rennet for cheese

·         salt

Strain the milk. Warm it up to 70 degrees for about 10 minutes without letting it boil and then let it cool off to 33-34 degrees. 

Mix the rennet with boiled and cooled water. The rennet and the water’s correlation should be 1:10. Then add that mixture to the milk.

Stir the milk and leave it at the same temperature for 1 hour. 

The now ready cheese should be put in a gauze and strained for 2 hours so the whey can be separated from it. 

The strained cheese put in a filter and press it with something heavy. Let it stay like that for at least 6 hours then you can cut it in peaces and let it soak in the whey for awhile so it can get some more salt.  

The whey is done with 1l water and 200g salt. In it the cheese should stay for at least 24 hours so it can become a bit salty. Then you can put it in the containers that you’re going to keep it in and put whey on top of it. The whey that you put on top of the cheese should be done with 1l water and 120g salt. 

The cheese is done after 60 days. Through these 60 days the temperature in the room that the cheese is in should be around 10 degrees. After that you cankeep it in the fridge.

Banitsa

In Bulgaria we have a traditional urban pastry called banitsa. It's very delicious. Naturally we eat it for breakfast but it can be an entree too. We often eat it with yogurt or with honey.
On New Years Eve we make a banitsa with little cornel-tree branches in it. If in your piece there's 1 branch that means "health"( you'll be healthy all year). If you have 2 branches that means "happiness"( you'll be happy all year) and so on.

Here is a quick recipe for banitsa:
First you have to prepare:
1.    A package of thin filo sheets spread on the table. Make sure they lay flat and are defrosted to room temperature.
2.    A bowl, in which you should mix crushed Bulgarian Feta cheese, beaten egg, and a little natural flavor yogurt. The measurements of those are based on a personal preference. In general, the mixture should be soft, not liquid, dominated by the Bulgarian cheese and held together by the egg and yogurt.
3.    A small bowl with some melted butter and prepare a brush beside it.
4.    A round pan to the size you desire. Grease and line the pan a thin layer of oil and flour.
5.    The oven, preheated to 375 to 400F 

Then comes the actual process:
1.    Assuming the filo you have is thin, it is recommended to use two to three sheets per roll. By lifting half a sheet at a time, drip with the brush a few drops of butter in between the sheets you are going to use for the first roll. This way when baked, the filo sheets stay separated and crisp. Do the same for the top sheet too on which you will put the filling.
2.    With a spoon, spread a row of the mix just inside the outer edge of the filo sheet. Next, gently lift and roll the first roll from one edge to the other – being careful not to press so the filo stays crisp and airy.
3.    Place the first roll in the pans outer edge.
4.    Repeat this process and complete the spiral in the pan from the outer edge to the center.
5.    Brush the banitsa spiral with more butter, and bake for 20 minutes, or until the crust becomes golden from the top and bottom.
6.    Best to eat when still hot.
Enjoy your banitsa!