Ajvar

Ajvar is a popular Macedonian appetizer or side dish made of roasted paprika (peppers) and eggplant. It is popular in many Balkan countries, with slightly varying recipes.

Ingredients

• * 8-12 fresh red paprika (mild or medium-hot, to taste)
• * 4 medium-size eggplants
• * 1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil
• * 1 large onion, minced
• * 3 large garlic cloves, chopped
• * 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice (or 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar)
• * salt and pepper to taste
• * Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

How to make it

Roast the paprika and eggplants over charcoal or a gas flame, or bake them in a preheated 475 F oven, until the skin is blistered and darkened. Place the roasted vegetables in a paper bag and let them steam in their own heat for 10 minutes. Peel off and discard the burnt skin along with the stems and seeds. Mash the peppers and eggplant pulp together to form a slightly chunky mass. You can do this with a fork or in a food processor.Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet and saute the onion until very soft. Add garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the pepper-eggplant pulp, mixing well. Slowly drizzle the remaining oil into the mixture, stirring constantly to incorporate all of the oil. Add lemon juice or vinegar, and salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with parsley.Serve as an appetizer to spread on thick slices of country-style white bread or flat pita bread with chunks of feta cheese, or use as a side dish to accompany grilled or roasted meats.Yield: 6 to 8 servings, as an appetizer or side dish.

Turli Tava

This is a popular Macedonian dish, people's most favorite in the summer, and extremely delicious. Not very easy to make but sure it's worth it.

Recipe:
600 gr (or more) pork or beef meat (boneless) or chicken breasts or thighs (boneless). Cut it into medium sized pieces. (bigger than bitesize)
500 gr potatoes peeled and cutted into small cubes
500 gr tomatoes cutted into cubes
500 gr eggplant peeled and cutted into small cubes
500 gr bell pepper cutted into small pieces
4-5 okras cutted into circles
200 gr rice
1 large onion finely diced
water
oil
salt and 8-10 peppercorns
parsley

If you want this in vegetarian variation, leave out the meat and start with onions and potatoes.
Preheat the oven to 250 C degrees.
In a medium deep baking pan add the oil and the diced onion and stir. Lay the pieces of meat on top and bake this 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes stir everything and bake 5 minutes. After 5 minutes add the cubed potatoes and bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, stir everything and bake 5 more minutes. Then add the peppers and bake for 10 minutes. After that stir everything in the pan and bake 5 more minutes. Add the eggplant and the okras and bake 10 minutes. Than stir everything in the pan
and bake 5 minutes. Now add the tomatoes, rice, salt and peppercorns, parsley and stir everything. Add the water until the content of the pan is almost covered. Bake for 20-30 minutes more or until the rice is cooked.
The preparation is little boring but when you try this, you'll see that it's worth it.
Enjoy:-)