JOY-Romanian Recipes

ERASMUS+ Project , KA219 2017-2019 J.O.Y. “JOUNEYS OUTLINE YOUTH”

Romanian traditional recipes

Traditional Romanian Recipes As this little country was fighting for independence, it was occupied throughout history, first by Romans, giving birth to a Latin nation, and then subsequently by Turks, and by the AustrianHungarian Empire. Romanians also had pronounced cultural influences from other European countries such as France, Poland and Russia. Between world war I and world war II, Bucharest, the capital of Romania was called "Little Paris", and the influence of France's culture was at its peak, for language, culture and food.

The result of these mixed cultural influences has also strongly reflected on the romanian traditional food. You can say that the romanian food recipes were selected as the best among all cultures, or at least that is what romanians like to believe. Being born and raised in Romania, I grew up with these traditional foods and I have learned to cook them myself for my family. I invite you dear reader to immerse into the romanian food culture and enjoy some wonderful authentic romanian dishes.

Here is a collection of the most traditional and famous romanian recipes.

1.Appetizers

Traditional Romanian Sausages • • • • • • • • • •

Ingredients 2 lbs / 1 kg fatty pork pork lungs and spleen a handful of boiled pork rind 3 – 4 onions fried in 3 tablespoons of lard 3 – 4 tablespoons of pork blood 2 – 3 garlic cloves a little ground juniper berries pepper salt 3 – 4 tablespoons pork broth

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INSTRUCTION Boil the meat, lungs, spleen and rind with an onion.

When almost ready, remove from heat, let cool, then grind.

Add the onions fried in lard, garlic, pepper, juniper berries, salt, a few tablespoons of broth and a a few tablespoons of pork blood.

Mix everything well.

The mixture has to be rather soft than hard.

Directions Fill the big intestine, tie the ends with string and boil in the water in which the meat, lungs and rind have boiled.

After coming to a boil, boil for another 20 – 25 minutes.

Before boiling, prick with a thick needle.

When ready, remove from the liquid and keep in cold water until cooled.

Serve cold or pan-fried.

Classic Deviled Egg Recipe • • • • • • • • •

Preparation time: 45 minutes Makes: 6 servings Ingredients: 12 eggs 2 teaspoons horseradish mustard 2-3 tablespoons mayonnaise half large onion a pinch of salt ground black pepper

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Preparation: Put the eggs in a pot with cold water.

Bring the water to boil, then make it simmer for at least 20 minutes.

Drain the water and put the eggs under cold running water for 2-3 minutes.

Peel the eggs and cut them along the longest diameter.

Pop out the yolks and put them in a bowl, then mash them with a fork.

Mix the mashed yolks with the mayonnaise until the mixture becomes creamy.

Add the grated onion paste (you can use a chopping machine on the finest setting) and season with the horseradish mustard, salt and ground black pepper.

Fill each half of the white shell with the creamy mixture.

Use parsley leaves for decorating the eggs.

Eggplant salad • • • • • • • •

Cooking time: about 1 hour 20 minutes ( roasting: 40-45 minutes, straining 30 minutes, preparing the salad: 10 minutes) Makes: 6-8 servings Ingredients: 4 middle sized eggplants 4-5 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion 1 teaspoon lemon juice Salt

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Preparation Dress a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. (This will greatly help with the cleaning process).

Preheat the oven at 500 F and roast the eggplants for about 40-45 minutes turning periodically such that all sides become roasted black.

Peel the eggplants while they are still warm, then drain using a strainer for at least half an hour.

Mash the strained eggplants with a mixer and continue mixing while adding the olive oil one tablespoon at a time.

Chop the onion very finely or grated into a paste (you can use a food chopper on a finest setting).

Add the onion into the mix, and season with salt and lemon (taste and adjust the seasoning). Note that adding a bit more salt always enhances all the other flavors.

Serve in a serving bowl. You can decorate with olives, and thin slices of tomatoes or red pepper.

2.ROMANIAN SOUP •

Quite different types of dishes are sometimes included under a generic term; for example, the category ciorbă includes a wide range of soups with a characteristic sour taste. These may be meat and vegetable soups, tripe (ciorbă de burtă) and calf foot soups, or fish soups, all of which are soured by lemon juice, sauerkraut juice, vinegar, or traditionally borş.

2.Romanian soup Tripe Soup Recipe • • • • • • • • • • • •

Cooking time: 2 hours and 15 minutes (preparation: 15 minutes; boiling: 2 hours) Makes: 6 servings Ingredients: 2 pounds tripe 1 carrot 1 celery root 1 parsley root 1 onion peppercorns (black pepper) 4-5 tablespoons sour cream 4-5 garlic cloves 3 tablespoons apple vinegar

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Preparation: Scrub and wash three times the tripe (two times with hot water and last time with cold water).

Put the vegetables and the tripe in a large pot with cold salted water.

Simmer for 2 hours at low heat.

Drain the tripe and let it cool. Set aside the vegetables.

Cut the tripe into thin stripes and put it back in the broth.

Add the sour cream and some minced garlic.

Season it with more sour cream, vinegar, salt or minced garlic (taste and adjust the seasoning).

Serve with hot peppers on the side.

Sour meatball soup • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes (preparation: 50 minutes; cooking: 30-40 minutes) Makes: 8 servings Ingredients: 1 pound grounded meat (mixed beef and pork) 1 pound beef (or veal) with bones 2 small onions 2 slices of bread 2 tablespoons rice salt ground black pepper 1 parsley root 3-4 carrots 1 parsnip root 3-4 tablespoons tomato paste 1 bunch of lovage leaves (or parsley leaves) 2-3 tablespoons vinegar

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Preparation: Bring to boil 6 cups of water in a pot.

Finely slice: 1 onion, the parsley, the parsnip and the carrots and put them in the water. Add the beef (or veal) meat.

In the mean time soak the bread in water then squeeze it. Mash the bread with a fork.

Mix the ground meat with the other finely chopped onion, the mashed bread and the rice, and season with salt and ground black pepper. For a more tender meat composition add 2-3 tablespoons of water.

Make small meat balls rolling them with wet hands.

When the vegetables become tender put the meat balls in the boiling water. Reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes.

When the soup is almost done the meatballs are coming to the surface as the soup simmers.

Add the tomato paste and stir.

Finely chop the lovage and add it to the soup, and then season with salt and vinegar. If you do not have lovage, you can use fresh parsley leaves instead.

The soup is delicious served with a bit of sour cream, and a hot pepper on the side.

Beef Soup • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Cooking time: 2 hours and 20 minutes (preparing:20 minutes; • cooking: 2 hours) Makes: 6 servings Ingredients: 2 pounds beef with marrow (shank beef) • 3-4 carrots 2 parsley roots 1 parsnip root • 1 celery root 3-4 medium sized potatoes 1 large onion

Preparation: Wash and peel all the vegetables and cut them in halves.

Bring to boil 8 cups water and add the beef. Simmer for 2 hours, foaming frequently.

When the meat is tender add the vegetables, foaming again. It is possible that some water must be added from time to time, to maintain the initial level of water.

When everything is tender, remove the meat and the vegetables. These can be served as a second course with horseradish, or a homemade sauce.

The marrow is served as a delicacy, spread on a piece of bread and seasoned with a bit of salt and black pepper.

The soup is traditionally served with semolina dumplings or noodles.

3.MAIN DISHES •

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Romanian traditional foods heavily feature meat. Cabbage rolls, sausages, and stews (like tocanita) are popular main dishes. Muschi poiana consists of mushroom- and bacon-stuffed beef in a puree of vegetables and tomato sauce. You can also sample traditional Romanian fish dishes, like the salty, grilled carp called saramura.

Mamaliga (Polenta) • • • • • •

Cooking time: 20- 25 minutes Makes: 6 servings Ingredients: 4 cups water 1 pound ground cornmeal (a courser version will make a more traditional mamaliga) 1 teaspoon salt

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Preparation: Bring to boil the water in a large pot with the salt, then simmer and pour with a steady stream the cornmeal.

Stir constantly for about 20 minutes with a wooden spoon, until you notice that the mamaliga breaks away easily from the sides of the pot.

The cooked mamaliga should be thick enough to stay in place on a wooden plate.

Traditionally, mamaliga is cut with a string, but modern cooks will most probably use a knife.

Serve in a deep bowl with warm milk, or sour cream. You can also add Parmesan cheese or shredded feta cheese in combination with the sour cream, and also serve with fried eggs on top.

Mamaliga can also be served as a side dish, for example with stuffed cabbage rolls.

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Cooking time: 2 - 2 1/2 hours (preparation: 1 - 1 1/2 hour; cooking: 45 minutes; baking: 15 minutes) Makes: 12 servings Ingredients: 1.5 pounds ground meat (combined lean beef and pork) 3 tablespoons rice 2 onions 1-2 slices of bread, soaked in water 2 sauerkraut cabbages (or 1 fresh cabbage and 1 quart jar of sauerkraut) 2 tablespoons olive oil salt ground black pepper tomato paste - a small can sour cream

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Preparation: Mix the ground meat with one finely chopped onion, the soaked and mashed bread, the washed rice, salt and ground black pepper. To obtain a more tender composition add 2-3 tablespoons of water in the mixture.

Wash and drain the sauerkraut cabbages. Squeeze them.

If a fresh cabbage is used, you need to separate the leaves for filling.

To do this, bring to a boil a pot of water, and submerge the cabbage into the hot water for a about 20 - 30 seconds, then separate the outer leaf and cut the middle vein. Repeat until all the leaves are separated.

If a sauerkraut cabbage is used, then the leaves can be easily separated.

Fill each leave with the ground meat mixture and roll, tucking in the ends of the cabbage leaf. If the leaves are very big, you can cut them in half.

Finely chop the remaining of the sauerkraut. If you use fresh cabbage, chop the remaining of the fresh cabbage and add the chopped sauerkraut.

Put a layer of chopped cabbage on the bottom of a large nonstick pot and one layer of chopped onion. Add half can of tomato paste and the olive oil.

Arrange the stuffed cabbage rolls in layers. Add on top chopped onion, the remaining chopped cabbage and the remaining tomato paste.

Add water to cover everything. Season it with salt and peppercorns (black pepper).

Bring to a boil and than simmer at medium-low heat for about 45 minutes. Add water from time to time to keep the stuffed rolls covered to the top.

Preheat the oven at 375 F and put the pot in the oven for about 10-15 minutes.

The dish is better served the next day after baking.

Serve with sour cream on top. Traditionally, it can be served with polenta on the side.

Stuffed Peppers • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Cooking time: about 1 hour (preparation: 20 minutes, cooking:40-50 minutes) Makes: 6 servings Ingredients: 1.5 pounds ground meat (combine lean beef and pork) 3 tablespoons rice 2 onions 1-2 bread slices, soaked in water 6-8 medium red or orange peppers 1 teaspoon finely chopped dill 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 cups water salt ground black pepper 3-4 tablespoons tomato paste Sour cream

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Preparation: Mix the ground meat with one finely chopped onion, the soaked bread, the finely chopped dill, rice, salt and ground black pepper. To obtain a more tender meat filling, add 2-3 tablespoons of water in the mixture.

Wash the peppers.

Cut the top and remove the seeds of each pepper.

Fill each pepper with the ground meat mixture.

Form meat balls from the leftover mixture.

Make a sauce in a large pot bringing to a boil water with one finely chopped onion, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and tomato paste.

Add the stuffed peppers and the meat balls and simmer the sauce (which should cover the stuffed peppers to the top) for 30-40 minutes.

Meatballs • • •

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Cooking time: half an hour (preparation: 10 minutes; cooking: 20-25 minutes) Makes: 6-8 servings Ingredients: 1 pound ground meat (mixed lean beef and pork) 1-2 bread slices 1/2 medium onion 2 minced garlic cloves 1 teaspoon finely chopped dill salt ground black pepper

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Preparation: Mix well the ground meat with bread soaked in water.

Season with salt and ground black pepper. Add minced garlic cloves, finely grated onion and finely chopped dill.

Knead the mixture.

Form little meatballs with an ice scoop. Flatten the meatballs a little with your hands.

Preheat olive oil in a skillet/pan (about half the height of a meatball).

When the oil is warm enough (starting to get hot), add the meatballs to fill the bottom of the pan.

Let the meatballs fry for 3-4 minutes. Check the side on the bottom: when the meatballs become golden brown on the bottom side, turn them over to the other side.

When both sides turn golden brown, remove the meatballs using a strainer spoon.

Put the meatballs temporarily on a paper towel for absorbing the excess oil.

Arrange on a serving plate.

4. Desserts •

Every good meal ends with a great dessert. When creating an authentic Romanian meal, there are several delicious options for your dessert course. From Romanian-style doughnuts and apple pie to plum dumplings and baklava, finding the right Romanian dessert to go with your meal is a tasty way to end a scrumptious dinner.

Romanian Cheese Doughnuts – Papanasi Directions Ingredients For 6 papanași • 300 g cow’s sweet cheese (or ricotta/cottage cheese) • 1 large egg • 70 g sugar • 200 g flour • ½ teaspoon baking powder • Vanilla extract • Lemon zest • 500 ml oil for frying the papanași • 200 g fruit preserve • 200 g sour cream • sweet cranberry

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With a fork, mix the cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and lemon zest.

Separately, mix the flour with the baking powder.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the cheese mixture. Depending on the cheese you’re using, you might need to add more or less flour. The dough should be soft and just a bit sticky, but firm enough to form doughnut balls with your hands.

Spread some flour on your working surface and knead the dough for a bit to fully combine the ingredients.

Form 6 large balls and 6 small balls, like in the photo.

Using your finger, form a hole in each large ball.

Heat enough oil in a pot to cover the papanași. Make sure the oil is hot – to do this, drop a bit of dough in the oil and see if it sizzles.

Fry two large doughnuts ant two small doughnuts at a time, until they’re golden brown on each side.

Transfer the doughnuts to a platter covered with absorbent paper to remove the excess oil.

To make the papanași, use a large doughnut as the base, top with a spoonful of sour cream, then decorate with fruit preserve and put the small doughnut on top. You can also sprinkle some powdered sugar on top.

There you have it, a traditional Romanian dessert that’s easy to prepare and bursts with flavor!

Sweet Bread • • •

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2 1/2 tablespoons + 3 1/2 cups allpurpose flour1/2 cup +1/2 cup + 1/4 cup milk1 package active dry yeast4 • large egg yolks3/4 cup superfine sugar4 ounces light or dark raisinsZest of 1 lemon 4 ounces • melted butter1 tablespoon dark rum1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 tablespoon canola oil1 ounce walnuts • (optional)1/2 cup confectioners' sugar (optional) •

Preparation: Scald 1/2 cup milk and stir in 2 1/2 tablespoons flour until smooth.

Let cool 10 minutes.

Heat another 1/2 cup milk just until lukewarm. Do not scald. Place yeast in a small bowl and pour lukewarm milk over, stirring until dissolved. Add yeast mixture to flour paste and beat until large air bubbles appear. Cover and let rise at least 15 minutes.

Heat the remaining 1/4 cup milk to lukewarm. Do not overheat. Pour into a warmed large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer. Add, stirring after each ingredient, the egg yolks, sugar, raisins, zest, yeast mixture and flour. Knead about 10 minutes by machine or 15-20 minutes with buttered hands while still in the bowl, adding butter as necessary to achieve a nonsticky, pliable, moist ball of dough. It will probably take about 3 ounces of butter. Save the rest.

Add rum, vanilla and oil and knead another 2-3 minutes. Cover bowl with greased plastic wrap and let rise until doubled. Punch down and with hands dipped in some of the reserved melted butter, knead another 5-10 minutes.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 10- to 12-inch round pan that is at least 3 inches deep with cooking spray. Using buttered hands, twist the dough and place in the pan. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until dough reaches the top of the pan.

Mix 1 large egg yolk with 1 tablespoon cold water and brush top of dough. Sprinkle walnuts and a few raisins on the dough, if desired.

Bake 1 hour or until toothpick tests clean or an instant-read thermometer registers 190 degrees.

Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. If you wish, while the cake is still hot, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and walnuts.

Basic Crepes Recipe • •

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Cooking time: about 45 minutes ( preparation: 5 minutes, cooking: 40 minutes ) Makes: 16 crepes- 4 servings Ingredients: 1 cup flour 1 cup milk 2 large eggs 1 pinch of salt 3-4 tablespoons oil (olive oil recommended)

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Preparation: Crepes batter: Mix the flour with the eggs, milk and salt (easier with a mixer). The obtained batter should be as thick as heavy cream. If not thin enough add a little bit more milk.

Let the composition rest for at least half an hour.

Heat a non-stick pan with a teaspoon of olive oil, on medium high.

Pour a small ladle of composition to cover the pan entirely (Tilt the pan as needed).

Turn the crepe with a wide wooden or plastic spatula when begins to brown slightly on one side (about a minute - check by slightly raising an edge with a wide knife to peak on the other side).

Let the crepe brown slightly on the other side (usually it makes brown spots) Invert the pan on the serving plate to release the crepe on the plate Put another teaspoon of oil in the pan and proceed with the next crepe.

The crepes can be served folded and powdered with confectioners sugar or rolled and filled with fruits preserves or sweet cheese filling. They are best served warm.

Plum Dumplings • • • • • • •

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Ingredients 1 lb / 500 g potatoes 2 eggs 2 – 3 tablespoons flour salt 1 lb / 500 g plums 3 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons bread crumbs ½ cup confectioner's sugar

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Directions Boil well washed potatoes in their jacket.

When done, peel them and crush with the potato press or grind them.

Place the potato paste in a bowl and mix with the eggs, flour, one teaspoon of sugar and a little salt.

Make a three finger thick roll from this paste.

Cut one finger thick pieces from it.

Flatten these pieces with your hand and place one pitless plum onto each of them.

Then roll into a ball with your floured hand.

When all the dumplings are made, boil in salt water.

When they rise to the surface, they are done.

Remove with the slotted spoon and roll in breadcrumbs previously fried in butter, so that each dumpling is completely covered in breadcrumbs.

Place on a serving plate and powder with vanilla confectioner's sugar.

Serve warm.

Sweet salami •

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Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes

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Servings: 8 Ingredients: 700 grams plain biscuits 120 grams butter fat of 80% (or margarine, butter or coconut) 250 grams sugar 4 tablespoons cocoa 10 ml rum essence one tablespoon chopped shit, shredded coconut, raisins (optional)

Preparation: Break the biscuits into irregular pieces (simply crush them but not too small to remain salami marbled).

Put sugar boiled with 200 ml of water.

Simmer for 7-8 minutes until it connects to a syrup.

Diced butter or margarine and add it to the sugar syrup.

Mix. Embed cocoa powder and rum.

Embed biscuits and optionally other ingredients (raisins, nuts, shit, etc..).

Coat aluminum foil or plastic with a little oil.

Pour the mixture in the middle, forming sausage with back of a spoon.

Run foil, squeeze the ends and twist them until foil gather and form good salami.

Enter the cold for 3 hours before serving.

Serve sliced​​.

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