8.  former Yugoslavia (no longer a country)
It was known as The Socialist Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia (SFRY).
There were 6 republics that made up the SFRY - Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia (including the regions of Kosovo and Vojvodina) and Slovenia.
“Yugoslavia was renamed the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia in 1946, when a communist government was established. ... After the breakup, the republics of Montenegro and Serbia formed a reduced federative state, Serbia and Montenegro, known officially until 2003 as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY).” -Wikipedia
“In 2003, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was reconstituted and re-named as a State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. This union effectively ended following Montenegro's formal declaration of independence on 3 June 2006 and Serbia's on 5 June 2006.” - UN International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

The dishes we made:
Yugoslavian Cabbage Rolls, Traditional Yugoslavian Rolled Burek (Borek), Prebranac (Balkan Baked Beans) and Cheese-Stuffed Dessert Burek (Gibanica).

 

Yugoslavian Cabbage Rolls                                 VERY, VERY Good!
1 onion chopped
1 Tbsp oil
1 lb ground Beef
½ lb ground Pork
2 slices Bacon rashers chopped
1/2 cup rice
2 cloves garlic clove chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 head of Cabbage
250 g Sausage Smoked
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp plain flour
1 tsp sweet paprika

Sauté onion until transparent.
Mix the ground beef, pork and bacon, rice, chopped garlic, salt and pepper.
Mix fried onion with the mince.
Remove core of the cabbage head.
Peel off the leaves and trim the thick parts, saving any trimmings.
Rinse the leaves. If too sour boil the leaves for 1 minute.
Form the meat mixture into oblong shapes that will fit into the leaves.
Place each patty into the leaves and roll the leaves over the meat.
From the left side, fold over one end, finish rolling and tuck into free end.
Line the bottom of a casserole dish with cabbage leaves, about 2-3 leaves thick.
Place cabbage rolls inside the dish.
Between the layers tuck in roughly chopped pieces of smoked sausage. This is key to the flavor!!
Use finely chopped scraps of cabbage to fill in wholes.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in frying pan. when it smokes, stir in flour and paprika to make a thick paste.
Add about 2½ cups water over the rolls or until the water is 2 cm below the top layer of rolls.
Bring liquid to the boil, cover pot, and simmer slowly for 1½ hours.

 

Traditional Yugoslavian Rolled Burek (Borek)       VERY Good!
Meat filled pastry made with Fillo/Phyllo Dough.
Believed to have originated in what is now Turkey. It is popular dish in North Africa, the Balkans, and even Southern Slavic countries.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 lb ground beef
½ teaspoon allspice
2 teaspoons Hungarian paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 box phyllo pastry sheet (12 inches x 17 inches) – make 6 for pan to the rt.
3/4 cup butter, melted

Heat a large frying pan over medium-low to medium heat and add the oil.
Sauté the onion until soft, and then add the ground beef, allspice, paprika, salt, and pepper to taste.
Cook until the spices are well cooked and meat is dry. Cool completely before you continue.
While ground beef mixture is cooling, preheat oven to 375 F.
Once cooled, lay one sheet of phyllo dough on the counter. Keep the remaining sheets of phyllo dough covered with plastic, and work quickly to prevent it from drying out.
Brush sheet with some of the melted butter (NOT too hot).
Place a heaping 1/3 cup of meat mixture on the sheet along the long side, 2 inches from the edge.
Fold the bottom over the meat mixture and roll into a snake shape.
Cut the roll in half and coil each roll into a spiral shape.
Place rolled dough and ground beef pinwheel on a nonstick baking sheet and butt the end up against the edge of the pan to prevent uncoiling.
Brush with additional butter. Continue until you've used all the ground beef.
Bake in a preheated oven 15 to 20 minutes or until just golden.

 

Balkan Baked Beans (Prebranac)                  Good!
30 ounces canned lima beans, drained (or 1 cup dry lima beans, prepared)
2 medium onions, chopped
1/8 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
 salt
 pepper

Preheat oven to 400F.
Heat up olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden - about 10 minutes.
Add garlic, paprika, flour, salt, and pepper. Cook a few minutes until spices are fragrant and flour is moistened.
Add beans and stir to combine.
Pour into a casserole and bake until crusty on top, about 15 minutes.
Note: Make sure there’s enough liquid; want it somewhat saucy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheese-Stuffed Dessert Burek (Gibanica)                VERY Good!
For 1 phyllo sheet:
1 egg
1.5 Tbsp Feta
¾ Tbsp Sour Cream
¾ Tbsp Cottage Cheese
1/16 cup Whole Milk

Roughly mash the feta cheese with a fork in a large bowl.
Add the lightly beaten eggs, sour cream, cottage cheese, whole milk and add salt to taste. The amount of salt you need depends on how salty the feta cheese is, you should definitely try the mixture and add salt accordingly.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown and set.