Serbian Fasting Cookbook

More Lenten recipes. As a Serbian Rite Catholic, I highly recommend the sarma, cabbage leaves stuffed with rice and onions.

From Atlanta Serbs

We present a small collection of fasting recipes tried out and recommended by our parishioners. When posting these recipes we had in mind to give our readers healthy ideas on how to enhance their Lenten meals. However, we remind you that the best fasting foods are those prepared in a simple way, without extravagant preparation and lots of exotic ingredients, as this leads to self-gratification, which is what fasting is definitely not about.

When we are fasting, we tend to forget some very simple, yet wholesome and tasty foods, for which we don’t really need recipes. Allow us to remind you of the humble baked potato – it works great during the fast, topped with margarine, onions, sautéed mushrooms, or even with nothing but a pinch of salt. Likewise, don’t forget roasted peppers (recipe included in our collection, just because it’s an all-time Serbian favorite), roasted garlic as a spread, roasted mushrooms, you can roast practically any vegetable. Oh, yes, and did we mention baked apples, topped with honey and a few chopped nuts?

Try combining beans with rice, pasta, or other types of beans, not to mention various vegetables. They all work well together. Incidentally, beans are an excellent source of protein. So are soya chunks and peanut butter, as well as all kinds of nuts (however, beware of snacking).

When buying canned foods, read the labels! Sometimes a certain type of can looks as though its contents are perfect for a fasting meal, but if you read the label, you find it contains all kinds of mysterious ingredients such as whey powder, milk solids, etc, etc, which are a lenten “no-no.” Jello and other gelatin-based foods are NOT fasting, as they are made from animal bones.

On a no-oil day (in the Serbian Church this means no olive oil, OR ANY OTHER KIND OF OIL, including margarine), you can thicken a soup or vegetable dish by adding some cornmeal, bran flakes, or even instant mashed-potato flakes.

We are planning to add more recipes to our collection, so please visit us again and check for updates.

Salads

Potato and cucumber salad

1 large cucumber, peeled
4 small or 3 large potatoes
1 spoonful (or more) mustard
oil
vinegar
salt
pepper
fresh parsley

Dice the cucumber, sprinkle with salt and set aside for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in their skins. When completely cooked, peel and slice thinly as soon as they can be handled and add to the cucumbers (do not discard liquid which cucumbers let out). Preferably the potatoes should still be hot, so as to absorb the oil. Add oil and vinegar. Stir. Add mustard and salt to taste, pepper and freshly chopped parsley.

Potato salad

5 potatoes
1 large onion, scut into paper-thin slices oil vinegar salt pepper

Sprinkle onions generously with salt and mix thoroughly. Boil the potatoes in their skins. When cooked, peel while still hot and slice thinly. Add oil and vinegar. Add pepper and more salt, if necessary.

Cucumber salad

2 large cucumbers, peeled and cut into paper-thin slices
1 clove garlic
1 spoon sesame oil
wine or apple vinegar
to taste
1 spoonful sesame seeds, slightly toasted or fried on Teflon with a drop of oil salt to taste
1 spoonful soy sauce

Place sliced cucumbers in a salad dish. Pour the rest of the ingredients over them and toss. Serve chilled.

French salad

500 gr potatoes
1 cup peas
2 small or 1 large carrot
1 celery root
4 pickled cucumbers
2 sour apples
2 spoonfuls chopped parsley
vinegar
a little sugar
mustard to taste
2 spoonfuls ketchup (see recipe)
no-egg mayonnaise to taste (see recipe) salt, pepper

Dice carrot and celery root and boil together with peas in slated water. Do not overcook. Drain and place in serving dish. Add diced pickles, apples and boiled potatoes, then oil, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, vinegar and ketchup. Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Russian salad

1 can tuna
peas
carrots
boiled corn kernels
homemade ajvar (see recipe)
pepper
1 cup chopped parsley

Al l quantities are according to taste. Boil vegetables, but do not overcook. Mash tuna and mix everything well. Add parsley last and mix.

Bean salad

300 gr red kidney beans
1 onion, cut into paper thin slices
pepper, oil, vinegar, salt
parsley or oregano

Cook beans and while still hot, add oil. Add other ingredients, mixing well. Serve hot or cold.

Mexican salad

600 gr red or white kidney beans
3 onions
4 sweet green peppers
1 cup corn
oil and vinegar
salt, pepper

Cook and drain beans, add oil while still hot. Dice onions, season and squeeze with hands. Add the beans to the onions, diced green peppers, corn, vinegar to taste and adjust seasoning.

No-egg mayonnaise

1 glass water
2,5 spoonfuls corn starch
½ cup oil
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon mustard
juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup water

Dissolve corn starch in a little cold water. Heat the rest of the water and add the dissolved corn starch stirring continuously until very thick. Set aside to cool in a dish, then, whisking continuously gradually add ice cold water, sugar, vinegar, salt and mustard. Add lemon and oil last.
Note: the ice cold water allows the mayonnaise to set quickly.

Home-made ketchup

5,5 kg ripe tomatoes
3 onions
2 green peppers
1 clove garlic
1 cup brown sugar
1,5 cup vinegar
1,5 spoons salt
1 spoon paprika
1 spoon mustard
1 stick cinnamon
1 teaspoon peppercorns
1 spoonful cloves
2 spoons dill

Wash, peel and dice tomatoes and green peppers, chop garlic and onions. Cover with water and cook until soft, drain and puree in blender, then cook again adding the rest of the ingredients. The peppercorns, cinnamon and cloves should be put into a muslin bag and cooked, then taken out. Simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. When thickened, place in jars and refrigerate.

Sauce vinaigrette (best with fresh or boiled vegetable salads)

175 gr oil
4 spoons apple vinegar
1 onion
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon fresh mint, chopped
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
salt, pepper

Combine all ingredients in a jar and shake thoroughly, until well blended and smooth. Apple vinegar can be replaced with 4 spoons lemon juice.

White wine sauce

3 spoons margarine
3 spoons flour
1 glass white wine
1 teaspoon rosemary
white pepper, salt

Sautee flour on the margarine, until it just starts changing color. Add wine, salt, pepper and ground rosemary leaves. Simmer and stir until thickened. excellent with fried, boiled or baked fish.

Basic white sauce

3 spoons margarine
3 spoons flour
1,5 cup vegetable stock, or soy milk
lemon juice
pepper, salt

Melt margarine, add flour and sauté, stirring continuously. Add salt, pepper and 1,5 cup vegetable stock or soy milk. Simmer for about 5 minutes, add 1 teaspoon margarine and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring continuously. Makes about 1,5 cup white sauce. A teaspoon of mustard can be added if desired.

Hors d’ OeuvresPotato strudel

16 sheets of phyllo pastry
about 1 kg of peeled potatoes
oil
salt
pepper

Grease a baking dish with oil or margarine. Grate the potatoes in a large bowl. Some potatoes are very watery when grated, squeeze the liquid with hands and discard. Season potatoes to taste. Then place 4 sheets of phyllo pastry one on top of the other, brushing each one with oil. Place one quarter of the grated and seasoned potatoes on the fourth sheet, roll tightly and brush with oil.
Makes 4 rolls.
Bake at medium temperature for about 40 minutes, or until golden brown.

A tasty variation of the potato strudel is to add 2-3 finely chopped leeks (white parts only) sautéed briefly in a little oil to the grated potato mixture.

Rice strudel

16 sheets of phyllo pastry
2-3 cups of white rice
1 onion, thinly sliced
oil
salt
pepper

Grease a baking dish with oil or margarine. Wash the rice and cook in boiling salted water until soft. Sautee the onion lightly in a little oil and mix with the rice. Season with salt and pepper. Place 4 sheets of phyllo pastry one on top of the other and brush each one with oil. Place one quarter of the rice on the last sheet and roll tightly, securing the edges. Brush with oil. Makes four rolls. Bake at medium temperature for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Thinly sliced leeks can be used instead of onions. Diced mushrooms are also a tasty addition – just sauté them together with the onion or leeks.

Leek strudel

16 sheets of phyllo pastry
6-8 leeks, sliced thinly
oil
salt
pepper

Grease a baking dish with oil and margarine. Sautee the leeks on a little oil. Season to taste. Place 4 sheets of phyllo pastry one on top of the other, brushing each one with oil. Place one quarter of the leeks on the fourth sheet, roll tightly and brush with oil. Makes 4 rolls. Bake at medium temperature for about 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown.

Bean spread (or dip)

1 can of kidney beans (or 2 cups of cooked kidney, white or any other kind of beans)
1 garlic clove, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 teaspoon or more of horseradish
oil
vinegar
salt
pepper
chopped parsley

Place all ingredients in a blender and mix together at top speed. Use as a spread or dip for toast or crackers.
This dip can also be heated in microwave to serve as a sauce for boiled rice, in which case add a little more oil, vinegar and (optionally) horseradish – to make it thinner.

On a “no oil” day, omit the oil, but add more horseradish and vinegar. A spoon of “ajvar” (roasted pepper spread”) helps it to spread more easily.

Roast peppers

As many red peppers as will fit on a large baking dish salt oil vinegar
3 cloves of garlic (or more, if desired)

Place peppers on baking dish and bake at a high temperature (about 420 F) until the skin starts to turn black. Take out of oven and turn the peppers over and bake until the other side starts turning black. When out of the oven, place a damp cloth over the peppers and wait for them to cool slightly. When they can be handled, peel the skins off, discard the seeds and cut lengthwise into strips. Garnish with slivered garlic, season with salt and add a little oil and vinegar. This all-time Serbian favourite works best with the “Shepherd” variety of peppers (available in late summer and fall), but the standard fleshy red pepper will do as well.

Ajvar (roast pepper spread)

10 red peppers
1 medium eggplant
oil
salt
2 cloves garlic (optional)

Roast peppers and peel the skins off as in previous recipe. Roast the eggplant and peel skin off. Blend all the ingredients in blender.

SoupsCreamy cauliflower soup

1 large cauliflower, washed and separated into florets vegetable broth, or 1 ½ l water
2 or more cloves garlic, chopped
1 spoonful flour
oil
salt
pepper
paprika (mild) or mixture of dehydrated vegetables
1 cup frozen corn

Boil the cauliflower florets in salted water until tender, drain and puree in blender until creamy. Sautee the flour and garlic and slowly add broth or water, stirring constantly. Slowly add the pureed cauliflower. Season to taste. Add paprika and/or dried vegetables and simmer for 10 minutes. Add corn. Serve with toast or croutons. May be seasoned individually with a little wine or apple vinegar.

On a “no oil” day thicken the soup with a spoonful or two of corn meal, stirring continuously.

Spinach soup

1 kg spinach leaves, washed
2 large potatoes, peeled, washed and diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
juice of one lemon
oil
1 heaped spoonful flour
salt
pepper

Cook spinach leaves until tender, drain and puree. Sautee the garlic with the flour and immediately add pureed spinach. Gradually add water and lemon juice, stirring constantly. Season to taste.

As with all soups, on a “no-oil” day thicken soup with a spoonful (or two) of corn flour or cornmeal.

Vegetable soup

A little oil
one small onion, diced
½ red pepper, diced
½ green pepper, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 carrot, grated
1 l water
1 potato, peeled and diced
½ cup frozen peas
½ cup frozen corn
1 cup cauliflower florets
3 cabbage leaves, sliced thinly
1 bay leaf
salt
pepper
no egg pasta (read the labels!) or 1 cup of orzo or rice, washed

Sautee onion on a little oil, together with the peppers, celery and carrot. Add water and bring to a boil. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes or until pasta/rice is cooked.

Main Courses
Mussels in wine

600-700 gr mussels in shells
5 dl white wine
a little olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bay leaves
10 peppercorns
salt
fresh parsley, chopped

Wash the mussels in ice cold water. Sautee the onion in olive oil and add the washed mussels. Stir for one minute. Add garlic, salt, peppercorns and bay leaf, then add wine. If needed, add a little water, the mussles should only barely be covered with the liquid. Bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the parsley and serve immediately with toast or garlic bread.

Stuffed peppers

12 red peppers of the “Sheppard” variety or 10 regular red peppers
1 small onion
1 or 2 carrots, grated finely
150 gr mushrooms, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 cups soy bits (or 2-3 soy burgers) or 2 cups washed rice
2 tomatoes
salt
pepper
oil
tomato juice or water

Wash the peppers, cut off stalks and take out seeds. Place in a large baking sheet. Sautee onions, mushrooms, carrots and celery and add the soya bits which have previously been soaked in hot water for 15 minutes and drained. Or use 2 cups of washed rice. Season to taste, stir well and stuff the peppers with the mixture. Close the tops with bits of tomato, pour tomato juice or salted water over the peppers and bake at medium temp, 30-40 minutes.

On a “no oil” day, fry the mushrooms on a Teflon pan with no oil (or on a teaspoon of soy sauce), and when they start letting out their brown liquid, add the onions, carrots and celery. This way they won’t stick to the pan.

Vegetable casserole

1 small eggplant, diced
2 zucchinis, chopped coarsely
1 red pepper, chopped coarsely
1 green pepper, chopped coarsely
2 onions, quartered
1 carrot, sliced coarsely
3-4 cloves garlic, halved
2-3 tomatoes, peeled and sliced
a little olive oil
salt
pepper
oregano
fresh parsley

Dice the eggplant, salt and leave for about an hour. When it lets out bitter liquid, drain well (it’s best to squeeze with your hands). Prepare all vegetables and place in casserole, together with oil, seasonings and herbs, toss, cover and bake at medium temperature until vegetables are just cooked, but still firm. Serve on a bed of boiled rice or “fasting mashed potatoes (cooked potatoes mashed with salt, margarine and some of the water they cooked in. Soy milk can be substituted for regular milk).

On a “no oil” day add an extra tomato or two and, of course, omit the oil.

Soy stew

1 cup soy chunks
750 gr potatoes
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced or shredded
1 stalk celery, diced
1 cup peas
1 bay leaf
garlic to taste (chopped)
1 teaspoon flour
oil
paprika
salt
pepper
dill

Soak the soya chunks in very hot water for about an hour. Peel the potatoes and dice the potatoes evenly. Sautee onion, add shredded or diced carrot and celery. Stir. Add paprika and flour and stir well. Then add the potatoes and soya chunks and cover with water. Season to taste, add bay leaf, peas and garlic and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked. Finally add pepper and dill.

On a “no oil” day, boil everything and thicken with a spoonful of cornmeal when liquid reaches boiling point. Add cornmeal gradually, stirring well to avoid clumping.

Buckwheat and vegetable casserole

1 cup roasted buckwheat (“kasha”)
1 small onion
1 carrot, grated
1 small eggplant, diced
1 zucchini, diced
2 potatoes, diced
1 red or green pepper, diced
½ cup peas
oil
salt
pepper
fresh parsley
paprika

Wash the eggplant, dice, sprinkle with salt and leave for about an hour. When it lets out the bitter liquid, drain well. Sautee onion, carrot and pepper, add paprika, stir well and add remaining vegetables and cover with water. Season and simmer until potatoes are cooked. In the meantime cover the buckwheat with boiling water and soak. When the vegetables are cooked, combine vegetables and buckwheat and place in a casserole. Bake at a moderate to high temperature. The casserole is cooked when the buckwheat soaks up all the liquid.

Prebranac (Serbian baked beans)

450 gr lima beans, washed
3 onions, sliced
3-4 cloves garlic
1 carrot
salt
pepper
oil

Soak the lima beans for at least two hours. Cook them until tender in salted water. Drain, but reserve about 2 cups of the thick liquid at the bottom left after boiling the beans. Grease a baking pan with oil. Sautee onions until softened. Transfer the beans to the sautéed onions and stir well, season with salt and pepper. For a spicy hot “prebranac”, dice a jalapeno pepper and add to the beans. Next, transfer the mixture to the greased baking pan. Add liquid and bake at a moderate temperature for about 30 minutes. If the beans appear too dry during baking, add more liquid.

Do not attempt to make this dish without oil.

No-oil bean soup

450 gr Romano beans
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 carrot, diced or grated
1 celery stalk, diced
salt, pepper

Wash beans, soak for at lest two hours. Place in large pot of water and bring to a boil. When water boils, drain the beans and discard water, then in fresh water boil the beans again (this is done to decrease flatulation). Then add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for an hour or more, until beans are well cooked and some of the liquid has evaporated. When beans are ready to serve, mash them with a potato-masher (or puree in blender). Adjust seasoning and garnish with fresh parsley. The texture of the soup should be thick and creamy.

No-oil baked potatoes

1,5 kg potatoes
5 cloves garlic
juice of 1 lemon
oregano
salt, pepper
½ cup water

Peel and slice potatoes and place in baking dish. Add chopped garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, oregano and cover with water. Bake covered at medium temperature.

Curried potatoes

6 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup peas
1 carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 onion, chopped
1-2 teaspoons curry powder or paste
oil
1 teaspoon flour
chopped parsley to garnish

Sautee onion, celery and carrot on a little oil, add curry powder and flour, stir well. Immediately add potatoes and cover with water. Then add peas, season to taste and simmer for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Potato croquettes

4 potatoes
1 onion
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon baking powder
oil
pepper, salt

Grate potatoes and onions and mix with flour, oregano, salt, pepper and baking powder. Form croquettes by hand and deep- fry in oil.

String beans ragout

1 kg string beans
2 onions
1,5 cup tomato puree
chopped parsley
1 or 2 potatoes
salt, pepper

Chop onions and sauté on oil. Wash, trim and cut string beans, peel and dice potatoes. Add string beans to onions, sauté for another 10 minutes stirring continuously, then add potatoes, tomato puree, parsley. Season to taste. Cook until all vegetables are soft. For a nutritious meal, add 1 cup of soya chunks, previously soaked in hot water for an hour.

Stuffed sauerkraut cabbage leaves (sarma)

2-3 heads sauerkraut cabbage
1 kg rice, washed
1 kg onions
3-4 carrots, grated
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
5-6 bay leaves
oil, salt, pepper
paprika

Separate cabbage leaves. If leaves are too salty, cover them with warm water and set aside for an hour, then drain. Sautee onions on oil, add vegetables, salt, pepper, bay leaves, garlic and paprika. Add rice and stir well. Set aside. Then place a little stuffing on cabbage leaf, fold and roll, securing the edges. Place each roll in a large pot. Each row of sauerkraut should be sprinkled with salt, paprika and a spoonful of oil. Cover with water and simmer for 2 hours.

Stuffed and baked vine-leaf rolls

300 gr vine leaves
1 eggplant
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
2 spoons oregano
2 spoons fresh mint or dill
1 spoon basil
¾ cup rice
2 spoons lemon juice
2 spoons tomato puree
salt, pepper

Dice eggplant, sprinkle with salt and set aside for an hour. Then drain the bitter liquid it releases and sauté on hot oil together with onions. When the oil is absorbed, add lemon juice, oregano, dill, chopped garlic, salt and pepper and stir well. Add 1 glass water and simmer until soft. Then add rice and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Place vine leaves in hot water to soften, then place a little of the rice and eggplant filling on each, roll, secure edges and place in a deep baking dish. Sprinkle with basil and two spoons oil and ½ glass water. Bake covered for about 50 minutes on medium. Serve topped with tomato sauce.

FishFish stew

1 kg fresh white fish
5-6 potatoes, peeled and diced
2 carrots, diced
½ cup peas,
parsley
salt, pepper
oil
paprika

Sautee onions, add paprika, stir and immediately decrease cooking temperature and add fish. Do not stir. As the fish will fall apart, but shake the utensil rom side to side. Add potatoes, carrots and peas and cover with water. Season and simmer for about ½ hour, until potatoes are soft. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Dalmatian fish

1 kg white fish
10 cloves garlic
1,5 dl oil
1 cup parsley, chopped
1 dl white wine
1 dl olive oil
salt, pepper

Clean fish. In a large cooking pan (large enough for the whole fish to cook) put oil and chopped garlic. Sautee briefly (do not brown), place fish lengthwise and add a little water. Season. Cook on low, turn fish occasionally. When fish is cooked, add olive oil, wine and parsley, and cook for a few more minutes.
Serve with rice or “fasting” mashed potatoes.

Stuffed squid

1 kg squid
1cup boiled rice
1 onion, diced
parsley
½ cup oil
3 ripe tomatoes
1/3 glass red wine
salt

Clean squid, leaving the body and tentacles. Slice tentacles and sauté with onions. Puree the tomatoes, add chopped parsley, rice, a little water and season. Simmer until liquid evaporates. Stuff squids with sauce. Place in a baking dish and bake for about 1 hour

Quick fish soup

1 can mackerel
1 onion, sliced thinly
1 carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
½ cup peas
2-3 bay leaves
½ cup white wine
oil
salt, pepper
paprika
1 spoon flour

Sautee onions, add flour and sauté briefly. Add paprika, stir and immediately add about 1,5 l water. Drain fish and add to soup together with the rest of the ingredients, except for the wine, which should be added 5 minutes before end of cooking time. When vegetables are cooked, the soup is ready to serve.

PizzaPizza dough

3,5 cups flour
3 spoons oil
1 ½ teaspoons instant yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
½ teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Dissolve yeast in water, add sugar and set aside to rise for 10 minutes. In a mixing bowl combine flour with the risen yeast, salt and oil. Knead until dough is ready (when it does not stick to your hands), form into a ball, place in a bowl and cover with a clean dish towel. Let sit for an hour. Then punch out the air and knead again and let rise. Roll into a round shape and top with favourite topping. Bake on high for 30 minutes.

Tomato pizza

1 pizza dough
1 cup mushrooms
1 ripe tomato
1 green pepper
1 onion
1 teaspoon rosemary
mint
1 clove garlic
1 cup homemade ketchup (see recipe in salads section)
1 small jalapeno pepper (optional)
oil

Roll dough into a round shape of desired thickness. Spread ketchup on top. Slice tomatoes and place on top of pizza, as well as onion rings, green peppers, chopped garlic and sliced mushrooms. Sprinkle generously with herbs. Sprinkle with oil and bake on high for about 30 minutes.

Pizza with green topping

1 pizza dough
½ kg spinach
1 spoon capers
¾ cup black olives, pitted and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
¾ cup oil
salt, pepper

Clean and wash spinach and cook in boiling water. Drain. Sautee garlic briefly, add olives, capers, spinach and salt. Cook gently for about 10 minutes. Roll the dough into a round shape and top with green topping. Bake on high for about 30 minutes.

Pasta DichesMacaroni with soy bits

500 gr macaroni
1 spoon salt
1 spoon oil
2 spoons margarine
7 cups water to boil macaroni in

For the sauce:

200 gr soy bits
3 cups boiling water
1 teaspoon salt
2 onions
1 clove garlic
1 cup tomato juice
1 spoon flour
1 stick cinnamon
2 bay leaves
salt, pepper

Cover the soy bits with boiling water and set aside for a half hour. Grate onions, chop garlic finely and sauté on oil adding the drained soy bits and the rest of the ingredients. Simmer gently for about an hour.
Put macaroni in boiling salted water, cook, drain and top with melted margarine. Take cinnamon stick and bay leaves out of the sauce. Serve macaroni topped with sauce.

Macaroni with spinach

500 gr macaroni
1 kg spinach, cleaned and washed
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
celery leaves, chopped
1 celery stalk, diced
½ cup oil
salt, pepper

Cook spinach in boiling water, drain and puree. Sautee onion, carrot and celery, or boil in water until soft. Add spinach and cook until everything is soft.
Cook macaroni in boiling water, drain and mix with vegetables. Serve with soy sauce.

Mushroom macaroni

500 gr macaroni
500 gr mushrooms, sliced
½ cup parsley, chopped
100 gr peas
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 glass white wine
1 spoon flour
2 spoons margarine
½ cup oil
salt, pepper

Sautee onions and garlic, add mushrooms and parsley. Sautee until all liquid has evaporated. Add wine and flour dissolved in two teaspoons water. Finally add peas and simmer for another ½ hour. In the meanwhile cook macaroni in boiling water, drain, place in serving dish, top with melted margarine and with sauce.

Lenten lasagna

9 sheets of lasagna
1 onion
2 cups soy bits (pre-soaked in hot water) , or 1 packet soy burgers
2 cups tomato sauce with garlic and spices soy milk oil
2 spoons flour
white pepper
smoked tofu (optional)

Cook lasagna in boiling water until tender (or use instant no-cook lasagna). Sauté onion in a little oil and add soy burgers. Stir with a wooden spoon until a thick paste is obtained. Add tomato sauce and cook gently for another 10 minutes. In another skillet make a basic white sauce using oil, flour and soy milk. Season with salt and white pepper. Grease baking dish with oil or margarine. Place three sheets lasagna, spread soy mixture over them, then add white sauce. Repeat until you have three layers of lasagna. Pour in remaining white sauce evenly, top with tomato sauce and crumbled smoked tofu. Cover with foil and bake on medium for about 45 minutes.

DessertsEasy wine cake

250 gr coarse semolina
250 gr ground walnuts
250 gr sugar
½ l white wine
1 spoonful flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of grated nutmeg
4 spoons oil
100 – 150 gr unsweetened chocolate (no milk ingredients, read the labels!) 50-70 gr margarine

Place the semolina, walnuts, sugar, white wine, flour, oil, baking soda and nutmeg in a dish and let stand for about half an hour. Pour into a baking dish greased with oil and bake for 45 minutes on medium. When the cake cools, make chocolate icing by melting the chocolate with the margarine and spreading it over the cake.

Orange bonbons

4 large oranges (with thick skin)
150 gr almonds, ground
150 gr sugar
1 peeled and grated apple

Wash the oranges thoroughly, remove peels, cover the peels with water and bring to boil. As soon as water boils, discard water, pour in fresh water and bring to a boil again. Repeat 10-12 times, until peel is very soft. Drain and puree. When cool, blend in the other ingredients to make a thick paste. Form little balls out of the mixture, coat each in sugar and place them in small paper party cups. Keep in a cool place and serve the following day.

Sour cherry strudel

16 sheets phyllo pastry
2 cans or jars pitted sour cherries
1 cup ground walnuts, ground pecans or breadcrumbs
3-4 spoons sugar
oil

Drain the cherries well and mix with the ground walnuts/pecans/breadcrumbs. Place 4 sheets phyllo pastry one on top of the other, brush each one with oil. On the last sheet place a quarter of the cherry mixture. Roll tightly, securing the ends. Brush each roll with oil. Place in baking dish and bake at medium temperature for about 40 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown. Before serving, cut each roll into squares and sprinkle generously with icing sugar.

Apple strudel

16 sheets phyllo pastry
6 sour apples (“granny smith” are great for this recipe) juice of half a lemon
1 cup ground walnuts or pecans, or breadcrumbs ½ cup raisins (if hard, soak in water for ½ hour)
3-5 spoonfuls sugar
oil

Peel and grate the apples, drain and sprinkle immediately with lemon juice to prevent oxidation. Mix in the walnuts/pecans/breadcrumbs and raisins. Place 4 phyllo sheets one on top of the other, brushing each one with oil. On the top sheet place a quarter of the apple mixture and roll tightly, securing the ends. Brush each roll with oil. Place in a baking dish and bake at medium temperature for 40 minutes, or until pastry is golden-brown.

Baklava

½ kg phyllo pastry
½ kg sugar
juice of half a lemon (optional)
400-500 gr ground walnuts
200 gr raisins (if dry and hard, soak in water for ½ hour) ½ l oil
1 teabag (black tea)

For the syrup, melt one spoon of sugar in a saucepan until brown. Add ½ l water and ½ sugar (juice of ½ lemon is optional). Bring the mixture to a boil. Take off the stove and place teabag in syrup for 5 minutes. Discard. Set aside to cool.
Brush the bottom and sides of a square baking dish with oil, place 2 sheets phyllo pastry and brush upper sheet with oil. Sprinkle walnuts and raisins evenly. repeat until all sheets are used up. The last two sheets should be well-oiled and sprinkled with water. Cut the baklava into squares halfway (i.e. not to the bottom of the dish). Pour oil into the cuts and bake at a low to medium temperature for 30-40 minutes. When the pastry turns golden brown, pour cold syrup over it, cover with aluminum foil and set aside to cool.

Lenten crepes

3 cups flour
2,5 cups carbonated mineral water (or beer, but then the taste might be too strong, especially for children)
1 spoon sugar
pinch of salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
vanilla sugar
oil

Combine flour with mineral water, sugar, vanilla sugar, baking powder and salt and blend using a hand mixer until a thin batter is obtained. Add 1 spoon oil and mix some more. Brush the bottom of a Teflon pan with oil and add about one serving spoon (or less, depending on the size of the pan) of the batter. When one side of the crepe is done, turn over and fry the other side. Set crepe aside and brush pan with oil every time before frying a new crepe. When all crepes are done, spread marmalade on them and roll, or with grated apples and cinnamon, or fresh diced fruit. Sprinkle with icing sugar before serving.

Tufahije – baked apples

6 large cooking apples
500 gr sugar
1 packet vanilla sugar
½ l water
juice of half a lemon

for the filling:

150 gr sugar
100 gr chopped walnuts
50 gr ground almonds
6 maraschino cherries
1 packet vanilla sugar
5 bananas, pureed
1 lemon

Wash, peel and core apples and place in boiling water with sugar, vanilla sugar and lemon juice. Cook for about 10 minutes. They should still be firm after cooking. Drain and set aside. Reserve liquid. Add sugar to liquid and make a heavy syrup. For the filling, combine sugar, vanilla sugar, walnuts, almonds, the grated peel of one lemon and pureed bananas. Mix well stuff the apples with the filling and pour syrup over them. Garnish with some of the pureed banana and a maraschino cherry.