romanian recipes e book

8/12/2019 Romanian RECIPES E Book

1/17


2/17

Guide2Health.netIt is timeto find your healthy recipe for Life!

2

Thearchaic Romanian folk culture, so various and spectacular, preserved

itself, it is believed, only becauseof its isolation and immobility.

At the same time, Romanians were always extremely conservative. They

preserved, till recently, in a possessive manner, their traditions, values,customs. Its very difficult to convincethepeasants to do anything elsethan

what they know from ancient times. This immobility, this cultural frost is

noticeableoncemorein thecuisine: thepeasant woman does cook and eat only

in theway shelearned from her mother.

On theother side, thegeographic diversity in Romania mountain, hill, plain,

delta, sea imposes cultural differentiations, some times unexpected and

spectacular. At least theRomanian food geography, providing very different

resources, imposes an applied gastronomy, of amazing variety and isolation

(between theDanubeof fish sour soups and theplain of vegetablesoups, for

example, seems to bea real wall!)

And if wearetaking into account thevarious extern influences Occidental

in North West, Slavic in East, Balkan-Oriental towards South, now wecan

understand amazing, exceptional preservation and regionalization of

Romanian folkloreand cuisine.

Excerpt from Romanian Dishes, Wines And Customs

by Radu Anton Roman


3/17


3

Note from the author

The recipes are hundreds of years old and were adapted from a traditional Romanian cookbook byRadu Anton Roman, to which personal experience and other specific resources have been added. Ipreserved some of the old time language and presenting manner, wrapped up into a specific humorhere and there, that I hope youll find refreshing and authentic.

You will notice that the recipes sometimes leave room for individual experimenting andinterpretation, by not being too exact. This is partly because in the old times people spent much moretime in their kitchens and knew naturally and instinctively how to prepare the food and adjustquantities according to taste. There was not much explanation needed. I personally love this vagueaspect since it encourages us to use and re-train our own natural instincts, creative thinking and alsoour taste buds!I also dont specify organic, grass fed, full fat, whole grain, or raw since all ingredients aresupposed to be this way, the way Nature intended and the way they used to be a century ago.

Lets enjoy the journey to the old times, full of flavorful and natural food that comes from the Earth!

Raluca Schachter, CN, CMTA


4/17


4

Contents:

Beef Soup with Vegetables and Borsht Chorba page 4

Borsht page 5

Duck on Cabbage page 6

Fish Borsht page 7

Muntenian Sarmale page 8

Mushroom Borsht page 10

Nettle Borsht page 11

Peasant Chicken with Tomatoes and Cream page 12

Polenta (Mamaliga) Dumplings a la Bukovina page 13

Sarmale in Grapevine Leaves page 15

Stuffed Pumpkin Flowers page 16

Beef Soup with Vegetables and Borsht Chorba


5/17


5

Photo credit: www.gurmandino.ro

This i s a staple i n Romanian traditi onal cui si ne

and loved by each Romani an.

I t s deli ci ous ei ther hot dur i ng cold winter ti mes,

wi th a hot pepper aside and a spoonful of sourcream, or served cool dur i ng summer

time, as a li ght but nouri shing dish. I once knew

an old nun that used to cook her chorba wi th any

vegetable and herb she could fi nd i n her garden.

The more, the merr i er! Wi th some li ttle prayers and

good

mood she just created the perfect food for body and

soul!

I ngredients:

Approx. 1 Lb beef breast1 large marrowbone1 quarts of meat stock2 onions1 carrot1 slice of cabbage1 parsley root1 red beetroot1 parsnip1 celery root4-5 potatoes

1 quart of borshtSalt, peppercorns1 cup of creamGreen lovage, dill, parsleyCelery leaves3 large tomatoes or 2 Tbsp of tomato sauce

Step 1: Put the meat and the marrowbone in cold water and boil. Let them froth for a while, then letthem simmer on low heat for 2 hours

Step 2: Finely chop all vegetables and dice the potatoes. Boil the borsht separately with 1 onion.

Step 3: After boiling for three hours, remove the bone, shake it, clean it in the soup and then give it tothe dog if you have any! Throw in all vegetables, except the potatoes. After 20 minutes, throw in thepotatoes.

Step 4: Chop the leaves and beat them into the cream. At the end, pour in the borsht, add salt andpepper to taste. Pour into the bowls, over cream and parsley.
http://www.gurmandino.ro/http://www.gurmandino.ro/


6/17


6

Borsht

Borsht i s a traditi onal, old time staple i n

Romani an gastronomy. I t refers to any sour soupprepared usual ly wi th fermented bran. T he lovage

leaves give a special taste, enhancing the palate

experi ence, which makes Romani an bors so

appreci ated by locals and internati onal travelers. I t

i s also ri ch in benefi ci al probioti c bacteri a, maki ng

i t not only a tasty additi on to meals, but a healthy

one as well.

Photo credit: www.caminulmeu.blogspot.com

I ngredients:

Lb maize (corn meal) Lb wheat germA few slices of dry black whole bread (like rye)Sour cherry leavesLovage leavesCelery leaves

Step 1: place all ingredients except bread in a stoneware or wooden jar/ container. Pour approx. 1quart of cold water over and stir with a wooden spoon. Leave it at room temperature for about 4hours for the starch in grains to dissolve.

Step 2: Add approx. 5 quarts of hot water (not boiling) to the mixture. Add the bread as well. Placethe container in a warm spot (at approx. 70 degrees F) and stir it around 10 times a day to speed upthe fermentation process.

Step 3: After 5 days the borsht will become clear and separate into a liquid part and the grainmixture at the bottom. Strain through a double cheesecloth or a fine strain. The liquid is the sour

borsht that can be consumed raw or added to the soups at the end of cooking.

Step 4: The remaining grains can be re-used following the same process. The next borsht will be readyin about 8 10 days.

Duck on Cabbage
http://www.caminulmeu.blogspot.com/http://www.caminulmeu.blogspot.com/


7/17


7

Thi s di sh i s considered by many as the tasti est

and most succulentroast ever!T he fact that i t i s combi ned with tradi ti onal

Romani an sauerkraut makes i t speci f i cto thi s gastronomy and defi ni tely worth trying!

I ngredients:

1 duck, as plump as can be1 stick pastured butterApprox. 5 Tbsp organic cream

5 spoons of goose or duck grease1 head sauerkraut (or one jar, depends if you use homemade or store bought)Salt to tastePepper, paprika, thyme, fresh chopped dill - 1 glass of organic red wine (like Cabernet Sauvignon)1 Tbsp raw honey (optional)1 glass of fruit brandy (optional)

Step 1 :Rub de duck with some salt (not too much since the sauerkraut is salty already), sweet paprika andthen with butter and leave it to tenderize in a cold place.

Step 2:Brown it on all sides in a pan with butter and duck/ goose grease. Now bathe it with of glass ofwine and one of brandy (optional), sweeten it with a little honey (optional), and garnish it withthyme.

Step 3:Cover it and put it in a heated oven, at a low flame, to cook at leisure (sprinkle it hysterically withwhats in the tray).

Step 4:Chop the cabbage, stew it lightly in goose/duck grease, quench it with remaining wine, add paprika

and then leave it in the oven, with a lid on.

Step 5:When the meat has cooked, move the cabbage to one side, smear the duck with butter and cream, andthen leave it uncovered in the oven, at a higher temperature, to brown. Sprinkle the dill over thecabbage.

Fish borsht from the Danube Delta


8/17


8

This i s a deli ci ous and nutr i ti ous dish that

ori gi nates from

the Danube Delta in Romania . Old stori es tell

aboutthe locals using water f rom the Delta to make thi s

soup!

F i cti on or reali ty? I leave thi s up to you

I ngredients:

Freshwater fish (like carp, catfish, trout,etc), with bones and heads1 onion1 carrot2 tomatoes1 celery root1 green bell pepper or hot pepper3 potatoesFresh parsley, dill and lovage3-4 garlic clovesApple cider vinegar, sauerkraut juice or borshtSalt to taste

Step 1: Finely chop the onion, carrot, tomato, celery root, bell pepper, potatoes and garlic and boilthem in a pot as quickly, so that they will get to the heart of the soup

Step 2: After the fruits of the earth have softened and scattered throughout the pot, add salt andhalf of the vinegar or the sauerkraut juice. (I f you are using sauerkraut juice consider this is saltyalready). This will prevent the fish from crumbling when boiled.Add the fruits of the water, all the species of freshwater fish that exist, or at least 4 differentspecies. The secret is the same: one part water to two parts fish of every variety. Add the remainingvinegar or sauerkraut juice, or borsht and taste. Adjust as desired. Dont stir the soup too much atthis point, for the fish not to break.

Step 3: F ive minutes after the water first comes to the boil, add the green herbs: parsley, dill andlovage.

Step 4: After another 5 minutes, when the fish has boiled, turn the heat off and cover. Serve hot,either the fish separate from the soup or in the same bowl. You can also add polenta and garlic sauceas a side dish.


9/17


9

Muntenian Sarmale

When i t smells of sarmale over the

Carpathian M ountai ns, i t is a smell to die for!

T he sarma ( plural: sarmale, a word ofA rabian-Turki sh ori gi n, referri ng to a Balkan vine

leaf stuf fed wi th ri ce and rai si ns) becomes

laden i n the Carpathians wi th

magni fi cent and heavy Daco-Roman meani ngs.

A t Chri stmas i t i s a major component

of the Romani an Orthodox Chri sti an ri tual,

which makes i t di stant and ali en to its ori gi nal

formula.

I ngredients:

Leaves:2 pickled white cabbages (sauerkraut)

Filling:2 LB of ground pork3 carrots2-3 spoons of tomato paste1 chili pepper (optional)1 cup of brown rice (preferably sprouted)1/2 glass of wine

1 large onionA mix of fresh herbs like dill, thyme and parsley

Setting:LardBacon1 glass of white wine3 tomatoes in sauce1 cup of tomato paste

Thyme, dill, bay leaves, paprika, pepper, salt (optional, since the sauerkraut is salty already)

Step 1: Tend to the cabbage: loosen the leaves, rinse it, desalt it, remove the hard and thick veins.

Whatever is unsuitable for filling chop finely.

Step 2: Rinse the rice well. Chop the onion and herbs (and the chili pepper if your guests can stomachit), grate the carrots. Mix everything together: ground meat, onion, carrots, herbs, rice, tomato paste, glass wine, salt (not too much, the sauerkraut is salty already), pepper.


10/17


10

Step 3: Fill the leaves, roll them, and close the ends (not too tightly, because the rice will swell). Y oucan make them larger or smaller, depending on how you like them and how skilled you are. The mainthing is for them not to come undone as they boil.

Step 4: A thick earthenware pot, greased with lard. A cast iron pot or a crock-pot work fine as well.Arrange cabbage leaves on the bottom, a layer of chopped cabbage and some bacon pieces. Nowcomes the first layer of sarmale, followed by another layer of chopped cabbage, sprinkled with tomatopaste, then sarmale, until the pot is full.

Step 5: The last layer is chopped cabbage sprinkled with bay leaves, chopped thyme and dill, somepepper and paprika to taste, pieces of bacon and slices of tomato from the sauce.

Step 6: Mix the tomato sauce with the remaining wine, heat it a little, and pour it over the sarmale.Cover and cook it on low heat but not directly over a flame so that it will simmer and bubble forat least five hours. The juice should reduce by about half, or even two thirds.

Step 7: Serve hot with sour cream, polenta (mamaliga) and a very good wine.


11/17


11

Mushroom Borsht

A lthough thi s soup is deli ci ous, ri ch and

velvety one of the winn ing Romani an soups-i t i s i solated, forgotten i n the valleys of M oldavi a.

2 Lb mushrooms, preferably chanterelles, oyster mushrooms, orange agarics or any other goodquality mushroom you can find

1 parsnip

1 parsley root

1 small celery root

1 bell pepper

Approx. 16oz meat stock

Approx. 1 quart fresh borsht (see recipe on page 5)

Salt, pepper to taste

1 cup heavy cream

1 egg

1 bunch of lovage or other fresh herbs like dill and parsley

Step 1: Chop or grate the vegetables, bring them to boil in the meat stock and 1 1/2 quarts of saltedwater for half an hour

Step 2: Wash the mushrooms well, cut them into thin slices, and place them with the vegetables tosimmer for another half an hour

Step 3: Start to boil the borsht and when it starts bubbling, pour it over the mushrooms andvegetables

Step 4: Beat the egg and cream in a separate bowl and add pepper. Add a little soup to the mixtureand then pour it back to the soup pot when soup has reduced by about a quart or more.

Step 5: Chop the lovage and garnish. (Dont add lovage to the soup when its still boiling, it mightmake it bitter.)


12/17


12

Nettle borsht

This recipe comes from a vi ll age named V atra

M oldovitei ,

where chi ldren sleep i n fai rytale gingerbread housesand

where a jug of cream i s j ust as natural as a spoon

next to a bowl of soup.

I ngredients:

1 apronful of nettles

2 eggs1 cup of milkApprox. 1 quart of borshtVegetables: onion, carrot, parsnip, celery root1 Tbsp of flour3 Tbsp of olive oilLovage leavesParsleySalt

Step 1: Clean the nettles, breaking the leaves from the stalks, and boil for 10 minutes in 1 quart of

water. (I f you want a finer, creamier texture, you can drain the nettles and crush them into a pasteusing a wooden spoon. I f not, you can leave them whole.)

Step 2: Chop the vegetables and parsley and stew them on low heat in olive oil. When they havesoftened, remove them with a slotted spoon, add them to the nettles and bring to the boil.

Step 3: Boil the borsht separately. Beat the milk with 2 eggs. In the remaining oil, brown the flourand quench with milk

Step 4: Add the borsht, milk and flour to the soup, and leave to boil for 5 minutes

Step 5: Chop the lovage. Add salt and sprinkle lovage.


13/17


13

Peasant Chicken with Tomatoes and Cream

Thi s recipe comes from a rather poorer si de of

the country, in M oldavia. I t i s simple, yet ri ch, tastyand fi lli ng.

Photo credit: www.3sisterscooking.blogspot.com

I ngredients:

1 chicken or chicken pieces like drumsticks, thighs and breast4-5 oz butter or lard1-2 medium onions1 cup of bone stock1 bunch of fresh dill2 Lb of ripe but firm tomatoes1 cup of cream1 Tbsp of flourSalt, pepper to taste

Step 1: Roll pieces of chicken in flour, add salt and pepper and then fry in melted butter or lard

Step 2: Chop the onion. When meat is browned, remove it from the pan and saut the onion in theremaining fat

Step 3: When the onion has browned, quench it with stock, and leave it to boil for one minute

Step 4: Chop the tomatoes. Boil the tomatoes, meat and onions for half and hour

Step 5: Chop the dill, mix it into the cream. When the dish is ready, mix in the cream and serve withpolenta (mamaliga).
http://www.3sisterscooking.blogspot.com/http://www.3sisterscooking.blogspot.com/


14/17


14

Polenta (Mamaliga) Dumplings a la Bukovina

There is not a si ngle house in Bukovina where,

at least once a month you won t f i nd thesedeli ci ous dumpli ngs! M amali ga i s the foundati on

of

Romanian peasant nouri shment.

When the peasant has mamal iga, creati ve reci pes

can be easi ly f ound. Whoever has flour in hi s sack,

beans, a butchered pi g and cabbage in hi s barrel has

no household worr i es says an old Romanian adage.

I ngredients:

The Mamaliga:3 cups of corn meal (coarser ground)9 cups of water (three times as much water as corn flour)4-5 oz butter8 oz dry hard cheeseA pinch of salt

The filling:1 Lb mushrooms1 onion

1 small cup of white wine1 Tbsp creamSalt and pepper to taste1 Tbsp of butter

Frying:1 cup of whole milk1-2 eggsEnough butter for frying5-7 Tbsp of corn flour (lightly heated)

Step 1: Set the water to boil, adding a pinch of salt. When the water is bubbling, slowly pour in thecorn flour. Leave it to simmer for about half an hour on low heat, stirring regularly.

Step 2: Grate the cheese and add to the mamaliga at the end, together with the butter. Stir well, untilthe wooden spoon comes out clean. Pour out the mamaliga, cover and leave to the side.

Step 3: Soften the onion in a little heated butter, then add the mushrooms, wine, cream, salt andpepper


15/17


15

Leave it to reduce, stirring continuously so that it wont stick, until a thick, colloidal filling results

Step 4: Take a tablespoon of mamaliga, knead it in your hands a little and then hollow out a nestwith another spoon. Fill the nest with mushrooms, stop it up with another piece of mamaliga andsquash the edges together with your hand moistened with water or butter

Step 5: Mix 2 Tbsp of corn flour and the beaten eggs into the milk. Roll the dumplings in this mixtureand then in the browned corn flour and then fry them in the heated butter, or put them in the oven.Serve with cream.


16/17


16

Sarmale in Grapevine Leaves

This i s a l i ghter alternative for sauerkraut

sarmale,

using grapevine leaves instead.I t i s cooked throughout the year, whi le the

sauerkraut ones are mainly eaten duri ng winter

time.

There are many vari ati ons of thi s reci pe,

but I beli eve thi s one i s one of the tasti est!

Photo credit: www.reteteculinare.ro

I ngredients:

1 Lb ground beef or pork

2 eggs1 onion1 carrot3-4 tomatoes or tomato puree1 quart beef stock cup white wine (optional)4-5 oz brown riceBay leavesDried tyme, dillSalt and pepper to tasteDuck or goose fat or lard

Step 1: Mix the meat with eggs, chopped onion, grated carrot, rice, herbs and spices. Add some of thefat.

Step 2: I f you are using fresh grapevine leaves, then put them in hot boiling borsht for 1-2 minutesand then drain well. Y ou can also use pickled grapevine leaves that you find in ethnic stores or youcan make yourself.

Step 3: Start rolling a full tablespoon of the meat mixture into the leaves. Grease an earthenware potwith fat and arrange the sarmale in layers. Between them place twigs of dried thyme and bayleaves, and slices of tomato on top.

Step 4: Mix the stock with the tomato puree. Add some wine if desired. Pour the liquid over thesarmale and then cover. Place it in the oven for two hours over a low flame and then leave uncoveredfor another half an hour, to brown and for the sauce to reduce. Serve with sour cream.
http://www.reteteculinare.ro/http://www.reteteculinare.ro/


17/17


17

Stuffed Pumpkin Flowers

Stuf fed f lowers! W ell , here we are in the realm of

fantasti c,

bound to the Brothers Grimm fai rytales andsavori ng

another deli ci ous and surpri si ng Romani an recipe!

Photo credit: www.despremancare.ro

I ngredients:

Pumpkin flowers, picked in fall, when they wont bear fruits anymoreAny kind of finely minced meat1 large chopped onion1 finely grated carrot1 sliced tomato

Tomato puree cup white wine (optional)1-2 eggsSalt, pepper to tasteButter

Milk (optional)Breadcrums (optional)Brown rice (optional)

Step 1: The well minced meat, sweetened with chopped onion and finely grated carrot, salt andpepper are all well braised in a little butter. When it has softened, combine the mixture with pre-cooked rice or breadcrumbs soaked in milk or you can skip these altogether.

Step 2: After the mixture has cooled off, add the eggs and mix well. Gently take out the stamen of theflowers and stuff them with the mixture. Place them in a pan greased with butter, with the corollaupwards, seal them with a thin slice of tomato and pour the tomato sauce and wine (optional) over.Heat them over a low flame, just enough for the egg in the filling to harden and for the sauce to bind.

Serve right away.
http://www.despremancare.ro/http://www.despremancare.ro/

romanian recipes e book

Documents