This past week I made a meal from Croatia. It was delicious. My favorites were the doughnuts and Cevapcici. I made most of the traditional donuts with apricot filling and then the rest I filled them with Nutella... I couldn't help myself! It was yummy! Enjoy!
Cevapcici (Beef & Lamb Sausage)
Serves: 4-5
1 lb Beef, ground
1 lb Lamb, ground
2 Garlic Cloves
1 Onion, chopped (I had to leave this out)
1 Tsp Salt
-My FAV:
Eden Foods Sea Salt -- 14 oz
1 Tbsp Cayenne Pepper
1 Tbsp Paprika
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Egg White
Oil for frying
Mix all of the ingredients well - use your hands! Then take the mixture and make them into about 5-8 sausages. Wrap each in plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for at least an hour to help it stick together.
Once an hour has passed, fry each sausage in a pan with some oil until it is done cooking.
Rizi-Bizi (Rice & Peas)
Serves: 6
2 1/2 Cups Arborio Rice
- TRY:
Dal Raccolto Organic Arborio Rice 64oz
1 1/2 Cups Peas, cooked
1/2 Cup Butter
1/4 Cup Onion, chopped
1/2 Cup Fresh Parsley (or dried - about 3 Tbsp)
1/2 Tsp Pepper
Salt to taste
- My FAV:
Eden Foods Sea Salt -- 14 oz
Saute the onions in half of the butter. Add the peas and parsley. Once the peas are cooked, set aside.
Cook the rice in 5 cups of water and rest of the butter for about 20 minutes or until done. Once done combine with the onion and pea mixture. Add salt and pepper. Serve with the Cevapcici.
Bacon Cornbread
Yields: 12-15
1 Tsp Sugar
1 Cup Warm Water
1 1/2 Packets of Dry Yeast
1 Cup Cornmeal
- TRY:
Bob's Red Mill, Cornmeal, Medium Grind, 48 oz (1.35 kg)
2 Cup All-Purpose Flour
4 Eggs
3 Tbsp Cooking Oil
1 Cup Sour Milk (make your own by adding 1 tsp vinegar to milk)
1 Tbsp Salt
- My FAV:
Eden Foods Sea Salt -- 14 oz
1 Cup Cooked Bacon, crumbled
Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a bowl mix the sugar with the warm water. Once mixed, add in the yeast and let it rise for about 20-30 minutes. In a larger bowl mix the cornmeal, flour, eggs, oil, milk and salt. Mix well and then add the yeast mixture. Cover and let it rise for a hour or more. Once it has risen add in the bacon.
Grease and flour a baking dish (9" x 11"). Put the dough mixture into the baking dish and bake for approximately 1 hour. Allow to cool before serving.
Complete Meal:
Croatian Doughnuts
yields about 15 donuts
Yeast Mixture:
1 1/4 Cup Milk
1 Tsp Flour
1 Tsp Sugar
1 1/2 Packages Dry Yeast
Dough Mixture:
4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 Tbsp Sugar
1 Lemon, zest
Salt to taste
- My FAV:
Eden Foods Sea Salt -- 14 oz
1 Egg
1 Egg Yolk
1 Tbsp Butter, melted
2 Tbsp Oil
Topping/Filling/Cooking Ingredients:
Apricot Jam
- TRY:
Crofters Organic Just Fruit Spread Apricot -- 10 oz
Powdered Sugar
1 1/2 Liter of Oil, for frying - enough oil so that donuts are floating while cooking in pot
Warm the milk - make sure it is not hot. Add 1 tsp flour and 1 tsp sugar, and then the yeast. Stir it lightly and then set aside.
Mix the flour, sugar, lemon zest, and salt together. Then mix in the egg, egg yolk, and yeast mixture. Mix well. Then add in the oil and melted butter. Knead into a dough. Once done, leave the dough in the bowl until it doubles in size (1 hour or more).
Once the dough is done rising. Sprinkle some flour onto a clean surface and spread out the dough, rolling it down until it is about 3/4 of an inch thick. Use a cup or a round cookie cutter to cut the dough into circular shapes. Leave out the cut dough to rise for another 15-20 minutes on each side.
Pour the oil (for frying) into a large pot - about 3-4 inches of oil. Bring to a soft boil. CAREFULLY place the doughnuts into the pot to cook. I placed about 3 in at a time - make sure they do not touch. They will take a few minutes to cook on each side. Make sure to watch them so they do not over cook. They will be a
light brown/golden when they are done cooking. Once done, use a tong to take them out and set aside on a plate.
To fill them, get a piping bag and fill them with the jam. In the center of the doughnut, pierce it with the piping bag and fill it with the jam. Then sprinkle the top of the doughnut with the powdered sugar. It is ready to serve!
