SWEET PIE WITH PUMPKIN (ZELNIK SO TIKVA)

Zelnik is a favorite sweet or salty delight, often prepared by our mothers and grandmothers. The smell of pie always reminds us of home, warmth, childhood and family. Depending on season and available fruits or vegetables on the market, you can prepare a tasty filling for your pie. This time I decided to prepare a pumpkin pie.
pumpkin pie

Ingredients:

For dough:
  • 500 g flour (and a bit more for sprinkling)
  • 1/3 cube of yeast (13 g)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 2-3 tablespoons oil
  • 250 ml lukewarm water
  • 50 g margarine for sprinkling
  • 50 g oil for sprinkling
  • 1/2 cube margarine for coating crusts 125g
For filling:
  • 1 kg cooked, cleaned, drained and mashed pumpkin
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 eggs
  • 2-3 tablespoons sugar
  • a little milk
Preparation:
  1. Knead dough from 500 g flour, yeast (previously activated), salt, sugar, one egg, 2-3 tablespoons of oil and 250 ml of lukewarm water. Knead well until smooth.
  2. Divide the dough into 16 balls and roll out a small crust from each ball. Coat each crust with margarine and place one over other. The last 8th crust shouldn't be coated with margarine. Repeat the same with the other 8th balls. Let them stay in the fridge and in a meantime prepare the filling. 
  3. Boil, clean, drain and mash the pumpkin. Add 2-3 tbs of sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 2 eggs and a little milk. Mix well.
  4. Then, roll out 1 crust from the first 8 layers and place it in an oil coated baking pan. Add the filling.
  5. Roll out a large crust from the other 8 crusts, place over the filling, make wrinkles all over the crust and make turns at the ends. Sprinkle with melted margarine and oil.
  6. Bake at 180 C degrees until lightly browned.
    The same dough can be made with different filling: minced meet, leeks, spinach, cheese ...
  7. Enjoy the beautiful pie.

NO FLOUR DELICIOUS APPLE CAKE (GLUTEN FREE)

This is a light and tasty dessert without flour and gluten free. I was a little skeptical when I first tried to prepare it since it doesn't contain flour, but I was thrilled how good it was. Simple and delicious easy cake with apples which becomes soft and juicy the next day after preparation.
apple cake

Ingredients:
  • 2 cups crushed walnuts
  • 2 cups corn semolina
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 cup oil
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 sachets baking powder
  • 2 sachets of vanilla sugar
  • 5 grated apples
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • chocolate topping or icing sugar or cream for topping
*1 cup is 250 ml

Preparation:
  1. Mix eggs, sugar and vanilla sugar with a mixer. Once everything is well whipped, add all other ingredients and mix well.
  2. The prepared mixture is put in an oiled pan and baked in preheated oven at 200 C degrees. Check with a toothpick whether it is baked well. 
  3. After cooling, coat with chocolate topping, powdered sugar or cream. 
  4. Consume the next day when it gets juicy and tastes like it was poured with sorbet.

Кекс со јаболка без брашно

Состојки:
  • 2 шољи мелени ореви
  • 2 шољи гриз
  • 2 јајца
  • 1/2 шоља млеко
  • 1 шоља масло
  • 1 шоља шеќер
  • 2 ќесички прашок за печиво
  • 2 ќесички ванилин шеќер
  • 5 рендани јаболка
  • 1 лажичка цимет
  • чоколаден прелив, шеќер во прав или шлаг за одозгора
Припрема:
Се матат јајцата со шеќерот и ванилиниот шеќер со миксер. Откако ќе се изматат добро, се додаваат сите останати состојки и се меша добро. Подготвената смеса се става во намрсено тавче и се пече во загреана рерна на 200 степени. Се проверува со чечкалица дали е печено добро. Откако добро ќе се излади се премачкува со чоколаден прелив, растопено чоколадо или шеќер во прав. Се конзумира наредниот ден кога станува сочно и добива вкус како да е потурено со шербет.

PERFECT TRILECE RECIPE

This is an excellent recipe for a perfect Trilece. A tres leches cake also known as pan tres leches ("three milks bread"), is a sponge cake or butter cake soaked in 3 kinds of milk: condensed milk, plain milk and heavy cream. That's how it got it's name - tres leches cake meaning 3 milks cake.
Trilece is a very popular dessert in Macedonia, people went crazy for this mouth melting easy soft dessert and this is the perfect recipe which you can easily prepare at home and thrill your loved ones. Here I used milk in powder instead of condensed milk.

Ingredients:

For biscuit:

  • 6 eggs
  • 100 g sugar (3,5 oz)
  • 200 g flour (7 oz) 
  • 1/2 sachet baking powder (5 g) (1 tsp)
  • 1 sachet vanilla sugar (10 g) (1 tbs)
For topping:
  • 400 ml heavy whipping cream  (1,7 cups)
  • 300 g milk in powder (1,3 cups)
  • 800 ml of plain milk (3,4 cups)
For coating:
  • 300 g ready caramel cream, available in all stores, buy a good one (1,3 cups)
Preparation:
  1. Whisk the egg whites and gradually add sugar and vanilla sugar.
  2. When well scrambled, add yolks one by one, stir and slowly add flour mixed with baking powder. Stir gently with mixer turned off.
  3. Pour the mixture into a rectangle baking pan coated with baking paper and bake for about 20-25 minutes at 180 C degrees. Let the biscuit to cool down a little and then stab it with a toothpick all over so it can later soak the milk better. Remove the biscuit from the pan together with the baking paper.
  4. Then, pour the cream in the same pan, spread it all over and return the biscuit in the pan with the upper part turned down. Again stab the biscuit with a toothpick and let stand for 15 minutes.
  5. Put milk in powder in 150-200 ml of milk and mix it well. Add this mixture to the rest of the milk (the rest 600-650 ml) and put on a stove to warm up. Pour warm milk over the biscuit and let it soak well.
  6. Apply the caramel on top.
Enjoy this beautiful dessert!

TODAY IS MITROVDEN - GREAT MARTYR DIMITRI

Today Orthodox Christians celebrate the holiday of St. Great Martyr Dimitri or Mitrovden.

Mitrovden is a great Christian holiday dedicated to the holy martyr St. Demetrius, which is celebrated on November 8th. The holiday is celebrated in the whole Balkan Peninsula. Traditionally, Mitrovden is referred to the beginning of cold weather (winter). 

St. Dimitri was born in Solun (today Thessaloniki), in the third century. He was the only child of the Solun voivode. After the death of his father, the Caesar Maximilian set Dimitri on the same position as his father and especially recommended him to persecute the Christians. However, Dimitri not only hasn't prosecuted them, but confessed and preached faith in the risen Christ publicly. As soon as the Caesar heard about it, when returning from a march, went to Solun to investigate the matter. He called Dimitri who has not denied his faith and even persuaded Caesar in the senselessness of idolatry. Maximilian was angry and threw Dimitri in prison, and after several days Dimitri was killed. Some Christians took his body and buried it. On that place was erected a church and later a big church, which to this day is located in Thessaloniki. His relics are also located there.

Apart from the usual custom of wearing bread and wine in the church (which is bread is sanctified, this holiday is also celebrated in the family, and does not relate to any special rituals or rites. The evening before the holiday, the closer are invited with bread or some other object. On the day of glory is given lunch that serve greasy food, unless the holiday falls in the day when fasting. Also guests come and the next day in morning. Otherwise, all the people who called Dimitar, Dimitri, Dime Mitre, Mitra, Dimitra or some other variation, celebrate the name day, which is done at night.

EASY AND FAST DELICIOUS CHICKEN IN SAUCE

One of the fastest and tastiest dishes that one can prepare and call it a descent lunch :) I call it "lunch for lazy housewives" :) I came back from work in 6 pm yesterday, I had bought the chicken steak the day before and prepared it immediately, I didn't even change my clothes. It took me around 7 minutes to cut the meat and to mix the ingredients, and the overall cooking time was around 40 minutes. This dish would be great combined with mushrooms, I don't eat mushrooms so I never use them, but if you decide to add some, add them together with the chicken.
chicken in sauce


Ingredients:

  • 700 g chicken steak
  • 3-4 cloves garlic
  • 1 sour cream (250 ml)
  • 2 sachets of instant cream soup or I used 1 sachet of chicken mix for sauce if available in your place
  • spices: salt, black pepper, parsley
  • olive oil, a piece of butter
Preparation:
  1. Chop steak in medium sized pieces, add salt and black pepper and fry in hot oil mixed with butter.
  2. If you're adding mushrooms, add them now and fry together with the meat. 
  3. Mix sour cream with the instant cream soup, add water and add them to the pan. Stir well and add more water if needed. Leave to cook for 10-15 minutes.
  4. Finally add chopped garlic and parsley and stir the sauce.
  5. Serve warm and combine with boiled potatoes, cauliflower or broccoli. 

Enjoy!