Bosnian Spinach Pie- serves 8
1 package thawed phyllo pastry
2 bags washed fresh spinach
1 egg
1/4 cup sour cream (can use low fat)
1/2 lb feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
olive oil
1 1/2teaspoons salt
low-fat milk
low-fat plain yogurt (optional)
Preheat oven to 350F Wash and drain spinach. Chop spinach and put in a big glass bowl. Add salt and mix with hands. Leave the spinach to sit for about 10 minutes to allow the salt to draw out the water from the vegetable. Drain the spinach by either squeezing it bit by bit with your hand over the sink or by spinning several times in a salad spinner. Transfer drained spinach into a new bowl. Add egg, and sour cream. Fold in feta and cheddar cheese. Put some olive oil in a small bowl. Grease a 9"*13" glass or metal baking pan. Take your phyllo dough sheets and lay the sheets, stacked, on a dry surface. TIP: (While adding the filling, you may wish to cover the dough with a dry towel and then a damp one to keep it from drying out or flaking) Place one sheet of dough into the pan and cut away excess. Brush with oil, using either your hands or a pastry brush. Repeat until dough is 6 or 7 layers. Add a skim of filling with hands and spread evenly. Repeat steps 16-18 until the pie reaches the top of the pan or you run out of ingredients. Just make sure you finish with the dough on top, sort of like lasagna. Place pie in the oven, uncovered, about 45 minutes. The top becomes flaky. Pour on top of the pie while it is baking, 1/4 cup sour cream blended with 0.125 cup of milk. Bake for 15 more minutes. This dish can be served warm or room temperature. It is traditionally served with a yogurt beverage which is easily replicated by mixing the plain yogurt with milk, in equal parts.
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Pispilita (Cheese Corn Bread)
3 boxes of corn muffin mix
1 1/4 sticks of butter, melted
1 1/4 c milk
1 small package of cream cheese (cubed small)
3 eggs
16 oz large curd cottage cheese
1 c crumbled feta cheese
1.Mix cottage cheese, eggs and cubed cream cheese in large bowl; this will used as a filling.
2. Grease 9x13 baking pan and evenly sprinkle 1/2 box of corn meal into bottom of pan. Drizzle some melted butter and then sprinkle with some milk. Repeat two more layers as above
3.Evenly spread filling over 3rd layer and add crumbled feta cheese
Repeat 3 layers as above (cornbread mix, butter, and milk) over filling.
Dribble some extra melted butter evenly over top layer
4.Bake at 350F for 55 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on rack and cut into squares - best served warm.
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Prebanac (White bean salad)
24 oz. (2 ½ cups) of large white beans
24 oz. (2 ½ cups) onion
1 large carrot
3 bay leaves
paprika powder
salt
pepper
oil
Put beans in a cold water and let it boil for about 10 minutes. Discard water and replace it with new, hot water. Add salt and sliced carrot. Cook until beans get cooked but each bean must remain solid. Take beans from water and dry it but keep the water.
Chop onion in large ribs and put in hot oil until it becomes golden brown, Add 1 tablespoon of paprika powder, mix it well for 30 sec and remove from the heat. Take onion from oil and mix with beans and bay leaves. Put it in a large and deep bowl pour with some water that left after cooking. Put beans in oven and bake it until the top becomes dark brown.
Prebranac can be served both hot or cold and depending on amount of water you put, it can be almost completely dry or it can be like very thick sauce. Try it. It is really great.
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Bosanski Lonac (Bosnian Pot)
3 lbs. lamb or beef, cut into cubes
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 cup finely chopped parsley
¼ cup finely chopped celery leaves
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons pepper
3 bay leaves
½ teaspoon hot paprika or cayenne, or to taste
½ cup butter
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup chopped kohlrabi
½ cup chopped parsley root
½ cup chopped celery root
1 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into squares
2 cups tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and quartered
3 cups potatoes, cut into cubes
2 leeks, cleaned and cut into half-inch slices
1 cup coarsely chopped cabbage
6 cups water
¼ cup vinegar
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Rinse the meat and pat dry. Combine the onion, garlic, parsley, celery leaves, salt, pepper, bay leaves, and paprika or cayenne. Melt the butter in a large, oven-safe stew pot. The alternate layers of vegetables and meat, sprinkling some of the onion, garlic, and parsley combination on top of each layer. Combine the water and vinegar and pour it into the pot. Cover the pot with a lid or aluminum foil and bake until everything is tender, about 3 hours. Remove the bay leaves before serving.
Serves 6-8.
Tufahi (Baked Apple Dessert)
6 cooking apples (Golden Delicious)2 cups walnuts
1/2 cup sultanas (can use raisins)
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
1) Peel and core the apples. Mix the walnuts and sultanas.
2) Arrange apples on a baking dish, and fill cavities with walnut mixture. Dissolve the sugar in 2 cups water and pour over the apples. Bake until the apples are soft but not soggy! Serve cold with whipped cream.
