Pasulj

As our waiter in Belgrade called it: "Serbian Caviar".

Pasulj is a bean soup that can be made with or without meat. It's perfect for this time of year. Stick to your ribs food. This is my Tetka Ljuba's recipe and she didn't give me any measurements, but I'll give you the ones I used. It turned out very well...as usual, she didn't steer me wrong.

Ingredients:

1/2 pack of Romano beans, rinsed and soaked overnight.
about 10 cups cold water (you can add more if it's too thick for your liking
1 piece of slanine (smoked bacon...it looks like this..cut into chunks..but, you can use a ham hock or kobasice)
Vegeta (to your liking) and whole pepper corns and sweet paprika (to your liking)
1 carrot, peeled and sliced or medium chopped
1 large red potato, peeled and cut into medium pieces
1 hot Hungarian pepper (they're yellow), medium chopped
1 large onion, medium chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Method:
In a large soup pot, place beans, water and slanine. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally so beans don't stick, and skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. Add vegeta, paprika and pepper to taste. Lower temperature and simmer 1 hour. 

Add vegetables, bring back to the boil, reduce heat and continue to simmer for 1 more hour.  

It's done.

Bacon & Asparagus Soup

You'll need:

1/2 a pack of bacon chopped into 1 inch pieces (or more to your taste)

2 bunches of asparagus (chopped)

2 medium sized onions  (chopped)

4 medium sized potatoes (chopped)

1 hot Hungarian pepper (chopped)

a small tied bunch of thyme (to be taken out and discarded before blending)

Vegeta (to taste)

black pepper (to taste)

Water

Method:

Fry bacon until almost crisp. Throw in onions and toss until translucent. add chopped potatoes and chopped asparagus toss and fry for a minute or two. Add water to cover. Add thyme, vegeta, and black pepper. Simmer on medium heat until veggies are soft.

Blend with hand blender until smooth.

Delish.

Italian Meat Balls

This is a recipe from my friend Lora Capiciolto...and an awesome recipe it is.

My nieces ask for Lora's meatballs..and will no longer tolerate frozen/bought meatballs.

Sorry...no precise measuring.

Ingredients:

1lb lean ground beef

1lb ground pork

lots of garlic

lots of Parmesan Cheese

lots of fresh basil

salt and pepper

Italian bread crumbs

2 beaten eggs

oil for frying

Method:

Put the ground beef and ground pork in a large bowl, add lots of finely chopped garlic, lots of grated Parmesan cheese, and lots of finely chopped basil, salt and pepper...

Lots of Italian bread crumbs, and 2 beaten eggs..and mix together well.

Using your Tbsp measurer, roll meatballs.

Fry in hot oil, turning  until cooked through.

Drain on paper towels.

Good in sauce, or just on their own..or dipping in sauce as an app.

Delish.

Monkey Bread

3 cans refrigerated biscuits
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 sticks butter (3/4 cup)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 Teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins and 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9-10 inch tube pan.

2. Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a medium sized plastic bag. Cut the biscuits into halves or quarters and place biscuit pieces in the sugar cinnamon mix. Shake well.

3. Arrange pieces in the bottom of the greased pan. Layer biscuit pieces with nuts and raisins until all the biscuit pieces are coated and in the pan.

4. In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the brown sugar over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute. Pour over the layered biscuits.

5. Bake for 35 minutes. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate.

Super easy!

Almond/Pecan Biscotti

Ingredients

1-3/4 1-3/4cups cupsall purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 3/4cupcup (175 mL) whole unblanched almondwhole unblanched almonds
1/4 pecans
2 eggs
3/4 3/4cup cupwhite sugar
1/3 1/3cup melted butter cup
2 2tsp vanilla
1/2 1/2tsp tspalmond extract
2 1-1/2tsp tsp (7 mL) grated orange rind
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Preparation:

To measure flour accurately, lightly spoon flour into dry measure, without tapping, until cup is heaping; level off with blunt edge of knife. In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and almonds.

In separate bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, almond extract and grated orange rind; stir into flour mixture until soft sticky dough forms. Transfer to lightly floured surface; form into smooth ball.

Divide dough in half, roll each into 12-inch (30 cm) long log. Transfer to ungreased baking sheet.

Brush tops with egg white; bake in 350°F (180°C) oven for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool on pan on rack for 5 minutes. Transfer each log to cutting board; cut diagonally into 3/4-inch (2 cm) thick slices.

Stand cookies upright on baking sheet; bake for 20 to 25 minutes longer or until golden. Transfer to rack and let cool. (Biscotti can be stored in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.)

Very good.

I modified it a bit from this Canadian Living recipe.

Canadian Living has never let me down

Spicy Sausage in Pastry

Filling:

Pkg of Hot Italian Sausage
1 small onion (minced)
1 carrot (minced)
6 mushrooms (chopped fine)
3 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp hot sauce (or to taste)
1/2 tsp cumin
salt and pepper

Pastry
2 cups flour
1 cup of butter
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 egg (beaten)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
water

Take the sausages out of the casing and fry in a little oil on medium heat until slightly browned.
Add the rest of the filling ingredients until cooked and is to your taste.
Set aside to cool while you make the pastry.



Combine dry ingredients and grate butter into bowl for easy cutting.
Cut with pastry cutter until it looks more or less like the above picture.



in a separate bowl, combine egg and dijon mustard and beat.



Preheat oven to 350F

Add the egg mixture with some water and mix until just combined and looks like this.
Keep adding water until it holds together.

Roll out the dough to 1/2 an inch, and use a large round cutter or coffee can to cut round pieces to fill with sausage mixture.

Roll rounds out a little and put a little more than a tablespoon (or as much as can comfortably fit), and seal with a fork. Cut clean edges with kitchen scissors.

Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and beat another egg.
Brush all pastries on sheet with beaten egg, and then slit tops.

Bake for about 10 minutes, or until pastries are golden.