Lamb Loaf - Drob de Miel

One the traditional Romanian dishes for Easter is the Lamb loaf, or" Drob de Miel" in Romanian. It takes some time and effort to make this loaf, but serving it at Easter to your family and friends that know this dish is very traditional. Baking this is like bringing back familiar tastes, customs and traditions that we grew up with, good memories of the old days to reminisce about... I hope you'll give it a try and like this recipe.


Ingredients:
The organs from a lamb: liver, lungs, kidney, spleen, heart (about 2 1/2 lb.)
1 Fat net (prapure) - this is optional, I bake without it
1 large onion, chopped
5 tbsp. oil  or lard
1 tsp. allspice (ienibahar), 2 tbsp. tarragon  - optional
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
5 slices of whole wheat bread crumbles
3 tbsp. chopped fresh dill weed
5 green onions, chopped
5 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
5 eggs + 3 hardboiled eggs chopped

Directions:

• Wash all organs very well in running cold water; cut them into halfs and wash again washing well into the channels of all the organs; drain off water. Set aside.
• In a large pot bring to boil 4 L of water and add salt, than add all the organs to boil for 30 min
• After boil, drain the water and set aside to cool. 
• Chop the boiled cold organs in a meat grinder or chop processor. 
• Wash the fat net and set aside to sit in cold water. 
• Place onions in a hot lard/oil in a large pot and sauté until onions become translucent. Add the chopped meat and cook stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes then add the allspice, tarragon, salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. 
• Add the fresh dill, chopped green onions, parsley and 3 eggs chopped. Stir together until mixed well. Adjust taste with more salt and pepper if needed and add the 5 eggs one by one into the mixture
• Drain of the fat net (prapure) and place it into a large loaf pan, covering the bottom and sides of pan (let net hang over the sides of the pan) Place about half of the mixture into the pan if you want to put whole eggs lengtwise for great look when cutting slices. Or place the whole mixture into the pan if you chopped the hardboiled eggs into the mixture.
•  Fold the hanging fat net over the meat in the pan until all is covered. 
• Without the fat net, just brush one egg on top of the mixture before placing the loaf pan into the oven

Bake in 350 F for about 45 minutes or until browned on top.

Paska, Easter Bread

Easter is one of my and my family favourite holidays. From childhood I remember  its rich traditions, like the blessing of a basket of Easter foods which becomes the Easter Sunday brunch, being the first meat meal, after a strict fast on Good Friday and Saturday. One of the special foods in that basket is a round shaped Easter Bread, called Paska in Romanian or Paszka in Hungarian. The top of this bread is  decorated with a cross dough ornaments. This is  my family Paska recipe, which makes one large loaf.

Ingredients:

500gm sifted all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs, beaten

25gm fresh yeast or 20gm dry yeast

1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 cup milk, lukewarm
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. lemon zest

50 gm raisins ( optional)


Directions:

• In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water. Let stand for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, scald the milk. Add the sugar, stirring with a whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat, and let cool.Add the beaten eggs, sugar, melted butter, salt, and  lemon zest. Mix thoroughly. Stir in enough flour to make dough that is neither too soft nor too stiff.
• Knead until the dough no longer sticks to the hand.
• Turn the dough on a floured board, or other work surface, and knead until smooth and satiny.
• Place in a bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm place until double in bulk.
• Punch down and let it rise again.
• Prepare your loaf pans by thoroughly greasing them with shortening.
• Divide the dough into 2 parts, leave a small part for ornamental decorations.
• To make ornaments, one of them being the cross, you roll out some dough into a rope like shape and form it into an ornamental cross to place in the middle of the top of the bread.
• After loaf is decorated, dip a pastry brush in whole egg, and gently brush the bread tops, and ornaments, to give them a nice golden color once baked. 
• Set the loaves in a warm place, once more, until almost double in bulk. Do not let the loaves rise longer than necessary, because the ornaments will lose their shape.
• Preheat you oven to 400 degrees, and bake the bread for 10 minutes. Lower the temperature to 350 degrees, and bake for 30 minutes longer, or until done.
• Remove the loaf from the pan, and cool completely by covering the whole with a clean cloth a bit humid.

To thaw, keep covered, to prevent from drying out.

Dios Beigli

Beigli is a real Hungarian Christmas treat, we bake this for Easter as well. This pastry is is basically a rolled up crust with lots of filling. Walnut and poppy seed are traditional cakes for holliday.

Since this is such a traditional food in Hungary, there are as many recipes as there are families. The dough, for example, can either be risen dough or crumbly dough. The recipe I am including here today is the one I have put together from various recipes over the years, now one of my own

Makes 4 loaves

Ingredients
1 kg white flour
200 g butter softened
150 g lard (no, you shouldn’t substitute)
80 g sugar
3 tablespoons 20% fat sour cream
3 egg yolks
20 g fresh yeast or 15g dry yeast started in 1/2 cup warm milk
1/2 cup warm milk or as needed at the end to obtain a good dough
pinch of salt
1 lemon zest

Walnut filling
400g walnuts (1.75 cups)
50gm sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/4 cup milk
3 eggwites beaten
1 Rum essence
50 gm raisins 

Poppy seed filling
1 1/2 cups (8 oz.) poppy seeds
1/4 cup unsalted butter (see cooking instructions for pareve subs)
1 cup milk (see cooking instructions for pareve subs)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten

Method
One of the secrets for this recipe is that all ingredients must have same temperature at start and the kitchen should not have open window with cold air getting in, I know it sounds funny but it affects the quality of the dough to raise....

• Combine 1/2 cup warm milk with the yeast and 1 tbs sugar. Set aside for 5 minutes until foamy.
• Process the flour, butter softened, egg yolks, salt, sour cream in a food processor until breadcrumbs form. Transfer to a bowl. you can work out this dough by hand as well.
• Mix in the yeast mixture. Knead and add the lemon zest and more flour or milk to get a good soft dough, knead until smooth. Place in an oiled bowl. Cover and set aside for 45 minutes. 
• For Walnut filling, heat the milk with the sugar to dissolve, leave it to cool. Add the walnuts mixed with cocoa , add the egg whites beaten and mix softly to obtain a finely smooth paste. 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Knead the dough until smooth, then halve. Roll each portion out to a 13cm x 24cm rectangle. Spread with the walnut filling. Roll up. Slightly flatten to about 7cm wide. Place on a lined baking tray. Brush top with 1 egg, beaten.Stand 20 minutes.

Bake for 35-40 minutes.

This beigli will stay soft up to a week.

Roast Lamb recipe

The roast lamb leg is the classic dish for Easter in Romania and Hungary.This gourmet recipe is something I put together after trying many other lamb recipes, this is a gourmet looking dish and very delicious dinner.

Roast Lamb recipe

Cooking time: preparation : 30 minutes; baking: - 20 min /lb meat

Original recipe makes 6 to 8 servings

1 - 5lb lamb leg ( preferably back leg)- Australian lamb is my preffered

1/4 cup lemon zest
1/4 cup white wine

1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 cloves garlic ( 4 cloves thinly sliced and 2 cloves minced)

50 gm smoked dry bacon thinly sliced

coarse kosher salt to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil for marinate
new potatoes - for roasted potatoes (optional)

1 red onion sliced (optional)

1 carrot sliced  (optional)

3 tablespoon lard or oil for roasting

Directions

Preparation:

• Wash and peel the skin from the lamb leg. 
• Punch superficial holes into the meat and insert the garlic cloves slices and the bacon into the holes.
• In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, salt, fresh rosemary, ground black pepper, lemon zest and garlic minced. Mix well and apply to the lamb rubbing well all over. Cover tight and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
• Remove the lamb from the marinade and pat it dry all over with paper towels. Discard the marinade. Put the lamb in a roasting pan, season all over if need with a little more salt and pepper, and drizzle all over with olive oil. Leave the lamb at room temperature while you preheat the oven to 450 degrees (230 degrees C).
• Add 1/2 cup water. Spread the sauce on top. Flip the leg from time to time
• After 30 min add the onion and carots
• After  40-45 minutes add the wine.
• Place lamb on a rack in a roasting pan and roast at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees F  and roast 20 min/ lb.
•  The internal temperature should be at least 160 degrees F when taken with a meat thermometer. Leave the lamb in the oven until the meat starts separating from the bone.
•  Let the roast rest for about 10 minutes before carving.

You can serve the roast lamb leg and with fresh lettuce salad, and roast potatoes or mash potato on the side. You can make some delicious lamb flavored roast potatoes by adding some slices of potatoes in the baking tray with the lamb. I like best new potatoes, just washed (not peeled) and cut in half.

bon apetite

Quinoa salad

This is a great healthy lunch or side dish, Quinoa and black beans are tossed in a refreshing lime-cilantro vinaigrette.

Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Ready In: 30 Minutes
Servings: 6

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 limes, juiced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup of green cucumber chopped
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
5 green onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
salt and ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1. Bring quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender and water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. Whisk olive oil, lime juice, cumin, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes together in a bowl.
3. Combine quinoa, tomatoes, black beans, and green onions together in a bowl. Pour dressing over quinoa mixture; toss to coat. Stir in cilantro; season with salt and black pepper. Serve immediately or chill in refrigerator, its even better the next day.

Greek pasta salad

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 12 Minutes
Ready In: 2 Hours 25 Minutes
Servings: 4


This Greek pasta recipe has an earthy flavors of the Mediterranean in every bite . The tangy feta cheese, tomatoes, greem onions, bell peppers and olives are tossed with macaroni in an herb-infused vinaigrette.
INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups cooked penne macaroni
3 cups fresh sliced mushrooms champinion (optional)
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup sliced red bell peppers
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 (4 ounce) can whole black olives

salt to taste


DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, garlic powder, basil, oregano, black pepper and salt. Add cooked pasta,  tomatoes, red peppers, feta cheese, green onions, olives, and pepperoni. Toss until evenly coated. Cover, and chill 2 hours or overnight.

Best Meat Lasagna

After many years of trying dozens of lasagna recipes I finally came to the one recipe that was up to my expectations and I give up on trying any other. My recipe is perhaps a close version of the "World's Best Lasagna" but with some different ingredients and cooking method.

Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 2 Hours 30
Minutes
Ready In: 3 Hours 15
Minutes
Servings: 6

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound mild Italian sausage
300gm regular ground beef
2 tabelspoon olive oil
1 red onion chopped
1 carrot chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 can  (28 ounce)  crushed tomatoes
1 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
500 ml tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
salt and ground black pepper to taste
500gm fresh lasagna noodles
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese shreded
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a Dutch oven, cook the ground beef and sausage over high heat until brown, remove the mixture on a plate. In the same pot add olive oil, when hot add onion, carrots and celery turn medium heat until
well browned and add garlic for the last minute. Stir in salt and pepper, spices, red wine than add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce,  and water.. Simmer at low heat, covered, for about 3 hours, stirring
occasionally or best cook in the slow cooker.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. To assemble you must be creative, for 5 layers, spread 1/5 qty of meat sauce in the bottom of a baking
dish that best suits the size of lasagna noodles. Arrange noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese. Spoon another portion
cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with  Parmesan cheese.
Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with
foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does
not touch the cheese.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, remove and cool 5 min before serving.