Serbian Lejvaca Recipes

SERBIAN CEVAPCICI

Steps:

• Preheat a grill for medium-low heat.
• In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, ground beef, ground lamb and egg white. Add the garlic, salt, baking soda, black pepper, cayenne pepper and paprika. Mix well using your hands, and form into finger length sausages about 3/4 inch thick.
• Lightly oil the grilling surface. Grill sausages until cooked through, turning as needed, about 30 minutes.

SERBIAN ĆEVAPI U LEPINJA SA KAJMAKOM (KEBABS IN FLAT BREAD WITH KAYMAK)

Steps:

• Cut the meat into 1" cubes to go through your meat grinder. Grind all the meat together and run through your grinder twice.
• Add salt and pepper to the meat mixture and mix thoroughly
• Form the meat into small size sausages a little bigger than your thumb and about 3 inches long. (you can do this preparation ahead of time and have them rest in the refrigerator, overnight is okay as long as they are covered.)
• Grill the kebabs over hardwood coals on a BBQ for the best flavor. You can use a small amount of cooking oil to baste the kebabs and keep them from sticking to your grill.
• When the kebabs are almost finished cooking, warm the flat bread on the grill.
• Take off the flat bread Lipinja, smear with the Kaymak, put several kebabs on the bread and top with onions, crushed red peppers and parsley.
• Instructions for the Lepinja (Serbian Flat Bread)
• Pour the flour into a large bowl making a dent in the middle. Put the Yeast and sugar and salt in the dent.
• Add the warm water and knead it to make a soft dough. Mix 5- 10 minutes until you see airy bubbles.
• Once you are happy with the dough, pour 1-2 teaspoons of cooking oil around the edges of the dough, making sure the oil surrounds the dough in the bowl.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it until the dough rises.
• When the dough rises, slowly turn it over and let it rise again, repeat this process two more times.
• After the last rise, take the dough out of the bowl and place on a floured surface, divide into four equal balls.
• Put floured parchment paper on a baking tray
• Place each floured ball onto the tray
• Let rest for 10 minutes then shape each lepinja by spreading out the dough into a circle and poke with a fork many times.
• Baste the top of each lapinja with the egg yolk.
• Put the baking tray into the oven at 440 degrees , they should take about 15-20 minutes to until they are golden brown.
• Put into a kitchen towel to keep soft when finished.
• NOTE: If you need to make some Kaymak
• Kaymak is a creamy dairy product. It is made from cow or sheep's milk. If you cannot find Kaymak, combine 1 part sour cream, with 1 part softened cream cheese, and ½ part feta. Mash up feta and blend all ingredients until smooth. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and serve at room temperature.

SERBIAN HAMBURGER (PLJESKAVICA)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a large bowl, mix together ground beef chuck, ground pork, ground lamb, garlic, onions, salt, and sweet or hot paprika until thoroughly combined. Do not overmix because this will toughen the meat.
• Refrigerate meat mixture for several hours for the flavors to meld and for the mixture to firm.
• Heat a grill, indoor grill , broiler or skillet. Using slightly dampened hands, divide meat mixture into 6 portions. Form into thin patties, 9 inches by 1/2 inch or about the size of a small dinner plate.
• Cook pljeskavice about 7 minutes per side.
• Serve with green onions or chopped raw onion, tomato slices, ajvar, lepinje, and pogacha bread, although some Serbs place the patty on a large bun like an American hamburger .
• Enjoy.

SERBIAN LEJVACA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly spray or grease an 8 x 8-inch pan.
• Beat eggs in a bowl; add oil and beat Add polenta, flour, baking powder and salt; mix. Add grated zucchini, water, yogurt, cottage cheese and sour cream. Add salt to taste now or later at the table. It should be a somewhat thick batter, but if too thick, add more water.
• Pour into pan so that it's about 2 or 3 inches deep. An 8x8-inch pan worked for me. Lower oven temp to 350 and bake for 35-40 minutes.
• Remove from oven when it is cooked (toothpick should come out relatively clean when inserted 3/4 of way to middle of pan). While warm, use a knife to slice into diamond shapes while still in the pan.
• Mix together all the topping ingredients, and pour evenly over the baked base so it will soak through. Return to oven for another 10 minutes. Topping should be somewhat set. Remove from oven, and leave to sit for about 10 minutes. Residual heat further cooks the topping.

SERBIAN GJUWETSCH (A ONE POT DINNER)

Steps:

• Chop onion fine and fry in oil with meat until golden brown.
• Sprinkle with paprika.
• Add tomatoes, quartered, and peppers cut in long strips.
• Season with salt and pepper and cook 5 minutes. Add water and rice. Simmer for about 25 minutes or until rice is tender.

LEPINJA (BALKAN FLATBREAD)

Steps:

• Sprinkle the yeast over the warm milk in a small bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam. Stir the warm water and sugar into the yeast mixture.
• Stir the flour and salt together in a separate bowl; add all but about 1/2 cup of the flour mixture to the yeast mixture; mix with your hands until a soft dough forms, adding the last of the flour mixture a little at a time until it clears the sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl with a light cloth and let the dough rise in a warm place (80 to 95 degrees F (27 to 35 degrees C)) until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Deflate, or 'punch down,' the dough and turn out onto a work surface lightly dusted with flour; knead for about 5 minutes. Return the dough to the bowl, cover again with a light cloth, and allow the dough to again rise until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes more.
• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
• Deflate the dough and turn turn out onto a work surface lightly dusted with flour; knead lightly. Place the dough onto the prepared baking sheet; shape into an oval about 1/2-inch thick. Set aside to rise a third time for about 30 minutes.
• Bake in the preheated oven until nicely browned and hollow sounding when thumped, 20 to 25 minutes.