I really love the social aspect of eating. Like the USA, Romania is a melting pot of cultures. Influenced by many different nations like Greece, Turkey, and Germany.
Romania is all about fresh local ingredients. I truly believe quality over quantity is the base for exceptional cooking.
Let's get started!!
Mititei - Mici (Romanian Sausage) Printable Recipe
1 lb. Ground Beef
1 lb. Ground Pork
2 Tsp. Thyme
4-5 Cloves of Garlic, mash into a paste
1 Tsp. Hungarian Paprika
1 Tsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2 Tsp. Salt
1/2 Tsp. Ground Coriander
1/4 Cup Plain Carbonated Water
1/2 Tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 Cup Beef Broth
2 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
In a large bowl add the ground beef, ground pork, and mix to combine thoroughly.
In a separate bowl combine the thyme, garlic, paprika, freshly ground black pepper, salt, coriander, carbonated water, baking soda, beef broth, vegetable oil, and whisk to combine.
Chiftele - Romanian Meatballs Printable Recipe
2 lbs. Ground Pork
1 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
1 Onion
3-4 Cloves of Garlic, minced
2 Potatoes, Grated, rinsed, and drained of excess liquid
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Panko Breadcrumbs
1 1/2 Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1/4 Cup fresh Parsley, Finely Chopped
1/4 Cup fresh Dill, Finely Chopped
Set aside and let it rise for 15 minutes.
In a bowl add the sifted flour.
Let the machine knead the dough for about 7 to 10 minutes until you obtain a smooth, elastic dough that doesn't stick to the bowl or your hands.
Place the dough in an oiled bowl and let it rise for an hour or until it doubles in volume.
Cut the dough in 15-20 equal pieces. You can cut it in 8-10 pieces, for bigger size pastries.
Shape every piece into a ball and if necessary weigh them to make sure they are the same size.
Place them on the table and cover them with plastic wrap.
Take one ball, shape it into a roll, flatten it with your hands and stretch it with a roller pin. It should be about 10 inches long and about 2-3 inches wide.
Add the walnut paste at the edge of the dough, on an even layer and roll it gently to form a roll.
Bring the ends of the roll together and form a ring. Twist the ring in the middle to form an eight.
Place the pastry on a parchment paper lined baking tray.
Continue to shape the rest of the dough. When finished, let the pastries rise again on the tray for about 20-30 minutes.
After the dough is risen, brush them with the beaten egg.
Bake them 20 minutes at 350F.
Remove them from the oven and place them on a cooling rack.
Meanwhile, prepare the syrup by placing the water in a saucepan together with sugar, orange and lemon zest and the vanilla pod. Bring to a boil and simmer the syrup for about 5 minutes.
Remove the syrup from the stove, strain it and place it in a clean bowl.
Soak each pastry in the hot syrup for 10 seconds on each side, remove and place them back on the cooling rack.
Glazing the pastry:
Place the honey in the microwave for a short 10 seconds to make it more fluid.
Brush each pastry on the surface with honey and dip them in the ground walnuts.
Romania is all about fresh local ingredients. I truly believe quality over quantity is the base for exceptional cooking.
Let's get started!!
Mititei - Mici (Romanian Sausage) Printable Recipe
1 lb. Ground Beef
1 lb. Ground Pork
2 Tsp. Thyme
4-5 Cloves of Garlic, mash into a paste
1 Tsp. Hungarian Paprika
1 Tsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2 Tsp. Salt
1/2 Tsp. Ground Coriander
1/4 Cup Plain Carbonated Water
1/2 Tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 Cup Beef Broth
2 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
In a large bowl add the ground beef, ground pork, and mix to combine thoroughly.
In a separate bowl combine the thyme, garlic, paprika, freshly ground black pepper, salt, coriander, carbonated water, baking soda, beef broth, vegetable oil, and whisk to combine.
Add half of the liquid mixture to the meat and mix to combine, repeat with the remaining liquids. Form into sausages, cover and chill for a minimum of 1 hour. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to grilling.
Pre-heat your grill. Grill the sausages 10-12 minutes making sure to turn them constantly. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes.
Serve along side your favorite mustard for dipping and enjoy.
Pre-heat your grill. Grill the sausages 10-12 minutes making sure to turn them constantly. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes.
Serve along side your favorite mustard for dipping and enjoy.
Zacusca - Romanian Spread Printable Recipe
1 Eggplant
2 Red Bell Peppers
1 Onion, diced
1 28. oz. can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
2-3 Cloves of Garlic, minced.
1 Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper
3-4 Bay Leaves
2 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
Grill the eggplant until charred on all sides and the eggplant has softened about 20-25 minutes depending on how hot your grill is.
Grill the bell peppers until charred on all sides, remove from heat and cover with plastic wrap.
Peel and chop the bell peppers set aside. Peel and chop the eggplant, place the eggplant into a large sieve and let drain for 30-45 minutes, discard any juices let out.
In a large pan, add the oil and sauté the onions and garlic until the onions have softened. Add the fire roasted tomatoes, eggplant, bell peppers, salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Stir to combine, let simmer for 30-45 minutes until the mixture has thickened.
Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Remove from heat and let cool, making sure to discard the bay leaves.
Serve the Zacusca alongside grilled sourdough bread and enjoy.
1 Eggplant
2 Red Bell Peppers
1 Onion, diced
1 28. oz. can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
2-3 Cloves of Garlic, minced.
1 Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper
3-4 Bay Leaves
2 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
Grill the eggplant until charred on all sides and the eggplant has softened about 20-25 minutes depending on how hot your grill is.
Grill the bell peppers until charred on all sides, remove from heat and cover with plastic wrap.
Peel and chop the bell peppers set aside. Peel and chop the eggplant, place the eggplant into a large sieve and let drain for 30-45 minutes, discard any juices let out.
In a large pan, add the oil and sauté the onions and garlic until the onions have softened. Add the fire roasted tomatoes, eggplant, bell peppers, salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Stir to combine, let simmer for 30-45 minutes until the mixture has thickened.
Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Remove from heat and let cool, making sure to discard the bay leaves.
Serve the Zacusca alongside grilled sourdough bread and enjoy.
Chiftele - Romanian Meatballs Printable Recipe
2 lbs. Ground Pork
1 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
1 Onion
3-4 Cloves of Garlic, minced
2 Potatoes, Grated, rinsed, and drained of excess liquid
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Panko Breadcrumbs
1 1/2 Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1/4 Cup fresh Parsley, Finely Chopped
1/4 Cup fresh Dill, Finely Chopped
Sauce
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 Shallots, minced
2-3 Cloves of Garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
1 28 oz. can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
1/2 Tsp. Granulated Sugar
1 Green Bell Pepper, roughly chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper, roughly chopped
1 Serrano, Roughly chopped
1/2 Cup Parsley
1/2 Cup Water
1 Tbsp. Beef Bouillon Powder
In a skillet over medium high heat, add in the oil and the onion, garlic and sauté until the onion has softened. Add in the potatoes and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
In a skillet over medium high heat, add in the oil and the onion, garlic and sauté until the onion has softened. Add in the potatoes and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
In a bowl combine ground pork, onion, garlic, potatoes, eggs, panko breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, parsley, dill, and form into meatballs.
In a large skillet add in the oil and sauté the meatball until fully seared on all sides about 2-4 minutes. Remove and set aside.
In the same skillet make the sauce, add in the olive oil, shallots, garlic, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, serrano, and sauté until the veggies has slightly softened about 3-5 minutes.
Add in the tomato paste and stir for 1 minute. Then add in the fire roasted tomatoes, sugar, water, beef bouillon powder and bring it up to a simmer. Remove this mixture and blend until smooth in a food processor or blender.
Put the sauce back in the skillet and add in the meatballs back in and continue to cook until fully cooked through about 15-20 minutes. Top with parsley.
serve and enjoy.
Sarmale - Romanian Cabbage Roll Printable Recipe
2 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
1 Onion, finely chopped
2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1/2 Cup Long Grain Rice
2 lbs. Ground Pork
1/4 Cup Parsley, Chopped
1/4 Cup Dill, Chopped
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2 lbs. Sour Cabbage Leaves
1 lb. Bacon, chopped
4 Cups Tomato Juice
Sour Cream, for serving
Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a skillet add in the oil and saute the onion and garlic until softened. Add in the rice and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
In a large bowl, add the pork, parsley, dill, onion mixture, a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix until well combined.
Seperate the cabbage leaves and cut each in half. Add in the pork mixture and roll up. Place in an oven safe pot or dish. Continue to roll until all the pork mixture is gone. If you have any cabbage leftover roughly chop it and scatter it around your rolls.
Top your rolls with the chopped bacon, cover with tomatoe juice. Making sure they are fully submerged.
Cover and bake for 2 hours. Then remove the top and contine to bake for an additional 1 and a half.
Remove from oven and serve alongside some sour cream.
Mucenici - Romanian Sweet Roll Printable Recipe
FOR THE DOUGH:
4 cups All-purpose flour(sifted)
2 Large Eggs
1 Cup Milk
1/2 Stick Butter(melted but cool)
4 Tbsp. Granulated Sugar
1 Lemon Zest
1 Orange Zest
3 Tbsp. Dry Yeast
1 Tsp. Kosher Salt
WALNUT FILLING:
2.5 Cups Ground Walnuts
7 Tbsp. Powdered Sugar
6 Tbsp. Milk
FOR THE DOUGH:
4 cups All-purpose flour(sifted)
2 Large Eggs
1 Cup Milk
1/2 Stick Butter(melted but cool)
4 Tbsp. Granulated Sugar
1 Lemon Zest
1 Orange Zest
3 Tbsp. Dry Yeast
1 Tsp. Kosher Salt
2.5 Cups Ground Walnuts
7 Tbsp. Powdered Sugar
6 Tbsp. Milk
1 Ts. Vanilla Extract
SYRUP:
1 1/2 Cups water
3/4 Cups Sugar
1 Lemon Zest
1 Orange Zest
1 Vanilla Pod
DECORATION:
1/2 Cup Honey
3/4 Cup Walnuts
To prepare the dough:
In a little bowl dissolve the yeast in half of the milk. Add a teaspoon of sugar to the mixture. The milk has to be lukewarm, not hot.
1 1/2 Cups water
3/4 Cups Sugar
1 Lemon Zest
1 Orange Zest
1 Vanilla Pod
1/2 Cup Honey
3/4 Cup Walnuts
To prepare the dough:
In a little bowl dissolve the yeast in half of the milk. Add a teaspoon of sugar to the mixture. The milk has to be lukewarm, not hot.
Set aside and let it rise for 15 minutes.
In a bowl add the sifted flour.
Start mixing the flour on low speed, using a spiral dough
hook attachment. One by one add the yeast, eggs, melted butter, sugar, lemon
and orange zest, vanilla and a pinch of salt.
While the dough is kneaded, add slowly the lukewarm milk until you form a dough.
While the dough is kneaded, add slowly the lukewarm milk until you form a dough.
Let the machine knead the dough for about 7 to 10 minutes until you obtain a smooth, elastic dough that doesn't stick to the bowl or your hands.
Place the dough in an oiled bowl and let it rise for an hour or until it doubles in volume.
Cut the dough in 15-20 equal pieces. You can cut it in 8-10 pieces, for bigger size pastries.
Shape every piece into a ball and if necessary weigh them to make sure they are the same size.
Place them on the table and cover them with plastic wrap.
Take one ball, shape it into a roll, flatten it with your hands and stretch it with a roller pin. It should be about 10 inches long and about 2-3 inches wide.
Add the walnut paste at the edge of the dough, on an even layer and roll it gently to form a roll.
Bring the ends of the roll together and form a ring. Twist the ring in the middle to form an eight.
Place the pastry on a parchment paper lined baking tray.
Continue to shape the rest of the dough. When finished, let the pastries rise again on the tray for about 20-30 minutes.
Bake them 20 minutes at 350F.
Remove them from the oven and place them on a cooling rack.
Meanwhile, prepare the syrup by placing the water in a saucepan together with sugar, orange and lemon zest and the vanilla pod. Bring to a boil and simmer the syrup for about 5 minutes.
Remove the syrup from the stove, strain it and place it in a clean bowl.
Soak each pastry in the hot syrup for 10 seconds on each side, remove and place them back on the cooling rack.
Glazing the pastry:
Place the honey in the microwave for a short 10 seconds to make it more fluid.
Brush each pastry on the surface with honey and dip them in the ground walnuts.
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