September 25, 2014 by Varga László

Ingredients ( 8 servings):
- 400-500 g ground beef

- 1 l beef stock
- 2 medium onions
- 3 medium carrots
- 2 medium parsley roots
- 8 cloves garlic
- about 10 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 eggs
- Red pepper flakes
- 3 Romaine lettuce (you can use escarole or spinach too)

- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

- 3 stale/dry bread slices
- 100 ml yoghurt
- 100 g orzo pasta

Preparation method:
- Wash the greens, remove the white, harder parts of the leaves and cut them into bigger pieces.

- Grate the carrots.

- Chop the parsley roots,
garlic and 1 onion 
- In a soup pot, heat about 6 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion, carrots and parsley root and half of the chopped garlic and saute about 5 minutes.

- Add the stock, bring to a boil and cook for about half an hour until the meatballs are prepared:
- Soak the bread slices in the yoghurt for about 10 minutes, squeeze out the excessive yoghurt.
- Grate the other onion.

- Combine the ground meat, soaked bread, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, grated onion, remaining chopped garlic, salt and freshly ground black pepper in a bowl.

- Mix thoroughly, then form the mixture into 3-4 cm balls, about the size of a walnut.
- Spread 2 tablespoons of olive oil on the bottom of an ovenproof dish. and line up the meatballs in it.

- Roast in the preheated oven at 150 C for about 10-15 minutes until they get a bit of darkish red colour.

- Add the meatballs and orzo pasta to the soup pot and cook 5 minutes.
- Add the greens, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for another 5 minutes.

- Serve while still hot and grate some extra Parmesan cheese atop.


Category Italian, Soup | Tags: beef,cheese,italian,meatballs,soup | 1 Comment
June 18, 2012 by Varga László
[translations]
[translate lang=english]

Ingredients (2-3 persons):
Meatballs – Lihapullat
- 250 g ground beef
- 3 slices dry bread
- 200 g kefir which substitutes the original Finnish ingredient – kermaviili
- 1 egg
- 1 onion
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
Brown sauce gravy – Ruskea kastikke
- 1-2 tablespoon butter
- 2-3 tablespoon flour
- about 1/2 l beef stock
- salt and pepper to taste
Preparation method:
- Heat the oven to 225 °C
- In a large bowl soak the bread slices in the kefir, until it reaches a harder consistency.

- Chop the onion and fry it in a pan in a bit of butter until soft, then let it cool.

- Add the egg, fried onions and seasonings to the bread-kefir dough.

- Knead the mixture thoroughly. Shape with oiled hands into balls with the size of a chestnut and place them on a greased baking tray.

- Place the tray in the oven and bake the meatballs for about 15 minutes until golden.
- Boil the stock and keep it warm.
- Melt the butter in a pan and add the flour, stirring until it gets golden brown.

- Pour slowly over the hot stock and whisk steadily until it remains lumpless and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve the meatballs with boiled potatoes and some berry jam, I used blackberry one.


[/translate]
[translate lang=magyar]
Finn Fasírt – Lihapullat Recept:

Hozzávalók (2-3 személyre):
Fasírthoz:
- 250 g darált marhahús
- 3 szelet száraz kenyér
- 200 g kefir, amely helyettesíti az eredeti finn összetevőt – kermaviilit
- 1 tojás
- 1 hagyma
- 1/2 teáskanál só
- 1/2 teáskanál szegfűbors
- 1/4 teáskanál fehér bors
- 1/2 teáskanál édesnemes pirospaprika
Barna mártáshoz: (Ruskea kastikke)
- 1-2 evőkanál vaj
- 2-3 evőkanál liszt
- körülbelül 1/2 l marhalé
- só és bors ízlés szerint
Elkészítési módszer:
- Melegítsük elő a sütőt 225 C fokra.
- Egy nagy tálban áztassuk a kenyér szeleteket a kefirbe, amíg el nem érik egy keményebb konzisztenciát.

- Aprítsuk fel a hagymát és megpirítjuk egy serpenyőben egy kis vajjal, amíg megpuhul, majd hagyjuk kihűlni.

- Adjuk hozzá a tojást, sült hagymát és a fűszereket a kenyér-kefir keverékhez.

- Gyúrjuk a hús keveréket alaposan. Alakítsunk olajozott kézzel diónyi gombócokat és helyezzük őket egy olajozott tepsibe.

- Helyezzük a tepsit a sütőbe és süssük a fasírtokat körülbelül 15 percig, amíg aranysárgák.
- Forraljuk a marhalevet, és tartsuk melegen.
- Olvasszuk meg a vajat egy serpenyőben és adjuk hozzá a lisztet, keverjük addig, amíg aranybarna nem lesz.

- Öntsük lassan a forró marhalevet a serpenyőbe és egy habverővel folyamatosan keverjük amíg csomómentes marad majd sóval és borssal ízesítjük.
- Tálaljuk a fasírtokat főtt burgonyával és néhány erdeii gyümölcs lekvárral, én használtam szeder lekvárt.


[/translate]
[translate lang=romana]
Chifteluțe finlandeze – Lihapullat – Reţeta:

Ingrediente (2-3 persoane):
Pentru chifteluțe
- 250 g carne de vită
- 3 felii de pâine uscată
- 200 g de kefir, care substituie ingredientul original finlandez – kermaviili
- 1 ou
- 1 ceapă
- 1/2 linguriță de sare
- 1/2 linguriță de ienibahar
- 1/4 linguriță de piper alb
- 1/2 linguriță de boia dulce/paprika
Pentru sosul brun (ruskea kastikke)
- 1-2 lingură de unt
- 2-3 linguri făină
- aproximativ 1/2 l supă de vită
- sare şi piper după gust
Metoda de preparare:
- Încălziți cuptorul la 225 ° C
- Într-un castron mare, înmuiați feliile de pâine în kefir, până când se ajunge la o consistentă mai tare.

- Tocați ceapa şi prăjiți-o într-o tigaie într-un pic de unt până se înmoaie, apoi lăsați-o să se răcească.

- Adăugați oul, ceapa prăjită şi condimentele la amestecul de pâine-kefir.

- Frământați bine. Formați din acest amestec – cu mâinile unse cu ulei – chifteluțe de dimensiunea unor nuci şi puneți-le pe o tavă de copt unsă.

- Puneți tava în cuptor şi coaceți chifteluțele timp de aproximativ 15 minute până devin aurii.
- Aduceți la fierbere supa şi păstrați-o caldă.
- Topiți untul într-o tigaie şi adăugați făina, amestecând până când devine aurie-maronie.

- Turnați supa fierbinte peste, încet, încet, şi amestecați constant până când sosul rămâne fără cocoloașe. Adăugați sare şi piper după gust.
- Serviți chifteluțele cu cartofi fierți şi gem de fructe de pădure, eu am folosit unul de mure.


[/translate]
Category Beef, Ethnic | Tags: allspice,beef,blackberry,bread,ethnic,Finnish,gravy,jam,keffir,meatballs,onions,paprika,potato | No Comments
January 28, 2012 by Varga László

Gong Xi Fa Cai! 恭喜发财 !
Ingredients (4 persons)
- 10 dried black mushrooms (I used black trumpet / Craterellus cornucopioides but if you can find some shiitake its best)
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 21/2 pounds fatty ground pork
- 2 egg whites
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon dry wine
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 3 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ cup chopped green onions
- 2 tablespoons finely minced ginger
- vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup ginger, sliced into very thin matchsticks
- ¾ cup dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Preparation method:
- Soak the dried mushrooms in water until softened, then rinse.
- Chop the ginger and 2 green onions.

- Combine in a bowl the pork, egg whites, green onions, minced ginger, 3 tablespoons wine, soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sugar, sesame oil, 2 teaspoons salt and pepper, mixing thoroughly.


- Divide the mixture into 12 parts and shape them into large meatballs.

- In a deep pot, add approximately 10 cm deep palm oil and heat it up. Fry the meatballs in the oil for 3 minutes, until they are deep golden brown but still raw in the centre.

- Chop the ginger into very thin matchsticks.

- In a deep pan add the soaked black mushrooms, 4 cups chicken stock, the ginger threads, the meatballs, the rest of the wine, vinegar, sugar and 1½ teaspoons salt. Simmer for approx 30 minutes.

- Dilute the cornstarch with a bit cold water, then add to the pot and simmer for 1-2 minutes.

- In the serving bowls add some Chinese cabbage leaves, then some rice or stir-fried Chinese mixed vegetables, then 2-3 meatballs with some sauce and mushrooms.



Category Chinese, Pork | Tags: chinese,ginger,green onions,meatballs,mushrooms,pork,sesame oil,soy sauce | 8 Comments