Христос Воскресе!

 

Easter – Velikden (Great Day) in Bulgarian

It is the greatest Orthodox Church holiday. Usually, some people fast for 40 days before the day but I cannot do that and I fast for one week but exclude all animal products including eggs and oil including oils derived from plants. During that week I eat only vegetarian/vegan food vegetables, fruit, nuts vegetable soup.

The night before the day which is by tradition Saturday night before Sunday we go to church before midnight. Everyone brings colored boiled eggs – usually red. One egg is left in front of the icon of Jesus. There is a liturgy and at midnight the pastor leads a procession of worshipers walking around the church building three times. People use the other egg to strike the egg of someone close to you – usually a friend or relative with wishes for health and abundance during the year. The pastor is holding burning candles in his hands and all believers light their candles either from his candles or from the candles of someone who has lit their candle from the pastor’s candle. You strive to bring the lit candle home carrying the holy fire from the church to hour home and leaving it there to burn off completely. That was difficult to achieve at times with the wind blowing the flame out or imagine carrying a burning candle in a moving car. Luckily, we were going to church in groups so you could always relit your candle from someone else who managed to keep it burning.

The big feast starts at noon on Sunday. The whole family gathers. The traditional menu is:

Lamb soup – kurban chorba – made with holy water obtained from the church the previous day

Roasted lamb

Kozunak -  special Easter bread

Colored boiled eggs – they can be boiled and colored either on Thursday or Saturday

Salad – which has an Easter egg in it.

All food is arranged on the table and the oldest must say the Lord’s prayer and bless the food with incense and a candle. The candle is left in the center of the table and then we can sit and start eating. Before leaving the table once more the ritual with the eggs where you hold a colored egg and either hit your neighbor’s egg with it or they hit yours to see which one will break first and who is stronger.

Tarator

Tarator 

(cold soup)

~time to prepare 10 min~

Ingredients:

• Cucumbers 1-2
• Yogurt
• Water
• Salt
• Garlic
• Dill

How to prepare:

1. Pour the yogurt into a bowl. Add some water and mix well till you achieve the desired consistency – depending on taste.
2. Wash and peel the cucumbers, chop into small cubes and add to the mix.
3. Add salt to your taste and one or two cloves of garlic pressed, finely diced or minced.
4. Add the washed and diced dill to the mix. Pour a couple of drops of olive oil and mix well.
5. Leave it in the fridge for a couple of hours for best results.

Potato Soup with Feta Cheese

Potato Soup with Feta Cheese

(cooking time between 30 and 45 minutes)

• Feta cheese – 300 gr
• Spring onions – 2-3 sprigs
• Parsley – 7-8 sprigs
• Salt – 1 pinch

Put one liter of water to boil. Add the potatoes cut in two. When they are boiled add the chopped spring onions.  After a couple of minutes add the crumbled feta cheese, a pinch of salt and the chopped parsley. Put the lid on the pot and take off the stove.

For best results use Bulgarian sheep feta cheese. Second choice Bulgarian cow feta cheese.

If you are out of luck Greek feta can do.

Simple Fish Soup

Ingredients:

• Fish
• Carrot
• Celery
• Black Pepper
• Spring onion
• Parsley
•  Salt

Preparation:

Cut the vegetables (carrot, potato and celery) into pieces and boil with the fish in pot for about 20 minutes. Add the spring onion and boil for another 5 minutes. Add the black pepper, salt and parsley and cut off the heat.

Lamb soup for the soul

Lamb soup

Ingredients:

500 – 600 gr       Lamb (neck)

100 gr                   Vermicelli

1 tablespoon     Paprika

1 tablespoon      Thyme

1 tablespoon      Parsley

Salt depending on taste

Preparation

Boil the meat until it separates from the bones.

When it is ready take the meat out of the pot and put the vermicelli in the broth.

While the vermicelli is simmering separate the meat from the bones, cut it into small pieces and return to the pot. Add salt to taste.

Take the paprika and infuse it with the broth (see the video on how to do that).

At the end add the finely chopped thyme and parsley, put the lid back on the pot and switch off the heat.

Ingredients:

500 – 600 gr       Lamb (neck)

100 gr                   Vermicelli

1 tablespoon     Paprika

1 tablespoon      Thyme

1 tablespoon      Parsley

Salt depending on taste

Preparation

Boil the meat until it separates from the bones.

When it is ready take the meat out of the pot and put the vermicelli in the broth.

While the vermicelli is simmering separate the meat from the bones, cut it into small pieces and return to the pot. Add salt to taste.

Take the paprika and infuse it with the broth (see the video on how to do that).

At the end add the finely chopped thyme and parsley, put the lid back on the pot and switch off the heat.

Bon appetite