String Bean & Potato Salad (Boranija I Krompir Salata)

Again, my waiter friend I met in Dubrovnik gave me this recipe. I had this salad at a nice sidewalk café called Klarisa, in old town a few years ago. Was just enough for a light lunch with a "flaša kisele vode" and some crusty bread to sop up the dressing like the locals do. Since then, I've made this for family for picnics or casual summer meals when it is too hot to cook. It is great served on the side with cold meats like ham, chicken, salami, turkey, prosciutto. 

3 MEDIUM-TO-LARGE POTATOES

1 POUND FRESH STRING BEANS, TRIMMED

3 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL

3 TABLESPOONS WHITE WINE OR BALSAMIC VINEGAR

¼ TEASPOON SALT

FRESHLY GROUND PEPPER TO TASTE

1 SMALL RED ONION, THINLY SLICED

3 SLICES OF COOKED BACON, CRUMBLED

3 HARD BOILED EGGS SLICED THIN OR CHOPPED

 Boil the potatoes in 2 quarts of salted water for 20 minutes.

Add the beans and boil 7 minutes longer, until the beans and potatoes are just tender.

Strain into a colander, remove and set aside the potatoes. Refresh the beans under cold running water and drain well.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel and slice them 1/3” thick. If the beans are long, halve them crosswise.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.

Add the onion, potatoes, and beans, and toss very gently to dress all ingredients without breaking the potatoes Garnish with the eggs and bacon before serving.

NOTE: If you wish, you can add 1 can of drained flaked or chopped white Albacore tuna to the salad before tossing and chill for at least one hour, then garnish and serve. (I have a seafood allergy, so I cannot use any seafood in any recipe.) 

Summer Cherry Cake (Leto Višnja Torta)

My maternal grandmother made this cake for us as kids for our birthdays. She adjusted the recipe from what she knew as a girl in Bović. Grandma loved to cook and recreate recipes she knew as a young lady in Serbia. I had this cake in a poslastičarnica (pastry shop) in Belgrade near Tašmajdan Park. It was full of cherries, I recall they also had ones with apricots and red and black raspberry as well. It is a simple dessert and delicious on a hot summer's day.


1 large can cherry pie filling
14-15 teaspoons of sugar,
2-3 boxes of shortbread cookies or vanilla wafers, coarsely ground in food processor
1 large container plain yogurt
Cool Whip or equivalent topping

slivered almonds

chocolate shavings or shredded coconut (optional)

In a large plastic bowl, pour the cherries, do not drain them.
Sprinkle cherries with sugar and ground cookies then pour in the container of yogurt.
Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are blended then pour into a glass 9x13 dish
Put cake in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours to chill.
Before serving, top with the whipped topping and decorate the cake with the almonds.

Note: You can use different types of fruit canned pie fillings instead of cherries, blueberries are nice. Also, for decoration you can use chocolate shavings or shredded coconut, plain or toasted. Toasted coconut was a nice blend with the almonds.

Serbian Cauliflower Soup (Srpski Karfiol Supa)

My maternal grandparents owned one of the oldest mansions in the borough and had a lot of property that included a carriage house and chicken coops. They converted two acres of ground into a vegetable garden and we always had fresh vegetables that included corn, tomatoes, hot peppers, green peppers, rhubarb, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, watermelon, potatoes, and different lettuces. They also had a grove of fruit trees: cherries, pears, apricots, plums, chestnuts, and apples. We didn't have to go to the produce stands or stores, we went to Baba & Djedo's house for produce, chicken, and eggs!

2 tablespoon oil, divided

1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, cut into thin coins
1 stalk celery, diced
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
1 medium potato, diced
1 medium to large head of cauliflower, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon Vegeta (if available or Original Mrs. Dash)
1 quart chicken stock or vegetable broth
¼ teaspoon black pepper
salt to taste
2 tablespoons flour

In a soup pot, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Fry onion until golden; add carrot and celery and sauté 1-2 minutes. Add the diced potato, cauliflower, tomato, thyme and black pepper. Saute another minute. Add chicken stock or vegetable broth. If the vegetables are not covered, add 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat. Simmer until vegetables are tender. Taste and salt to your liking. When the vegetables are tender, make a roux by heating 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of flour and stir well. Add 1 ladle of soup broth to the roux and whisk until smooth. Add the complete roux mixture to the soup pot and stir. Cook for another 5-10 minutes. To make an even thicker soup, blend half of it using a hand mixer or a blender. Adjust seasonings to taste. Before serving, you can add a garnish of chopped green onion, crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, or chopped fresh parsley.

NOTE: My father and grandfather liked to spice it up with a sprinkle of hot pepper flakes or seeds as a garnish.

Pineapple Cake (Ananas Torta)

Even though this isn't a Serbian recipe, mom always had the ingredients in the pantry for a quick dessert or in case company came unexpectedly. 

Just two ingredients create this dessert

1 box (1-step) angel food cake mix

1 large can crushed pineapple

Put dry cake mix in bowl (do not add the water as directed on the box). Add entire can of pineapple with juice. Mix carefully until all dry mix is blended. Pour into either a tube pan, 9x13 pan, or cupcake pan with liners. Bake at 350º for time on box for size pan (around 30-40 minutes.) When sides pull away from pan and toothpick is dry when inserted and removed, the cake is done.

Let cool and serve plain, or top with powdered sugar, whipped topping, or a dollop of whipped topping and berries on each slice.

NOTE: You can also substitute cherry, blueberry, or lemon canned pie filling instead of pineapple. 

Garbage Soup (Smeće Supa)

My mother loved to create recipes with anything she found in her pantry, refrigerator, or freezer. She also loved using the slow cooker or crock pot because she doesn't have to stay in the kitchen. She called this "Garbage Soup" because she used whatever she found in the kitchen and dumped it into the slow cooker and because there is no standard way of cooking this, she said it is "govno!" Mom had a way with words and a sense of humor! When she made this soup which is very good by the way, and you would ask her what is for dinner, she would say: "Jedi govno!" and laugh and laugh! We knew what she meant. 

2-3 pounds of hamburger (can substitute ground pork, chicken, or turkey)
1 head of cabbage, chopped
2 cups celery, diced
2 cups white or yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
5-6 cups beef broth

2 - 14 oz cans diced tomatoes (with garlic, basil, oregano)

1 tablespoon Vegeta (if available)
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp basil
½ tsp red pepper flakes
few shakes of black pepper
½ teaspoon salt (optional)

Brown meat and drain before adding to crock pot.

Put all the ingredients in the crock pot, stir it around

Cook on high between 5-6 hours or cook on low between 6-8 hours

NOTE: You can add diced carrots and frozen corn, frozen or canned beans or what have you to it if you prefer more vegetables as well as a small can of V8 juice. Be creative, after all it is garbage!

Teta's Pickles (Tetin Kiseli Krastavci)

My dad's sister, Mary Gryak-Madaras, always made these for special occasions and in summer for picnics or family gatherings. I remember dad and her husband Uncle Paul manning the grill and making pljeskavice and čevapi and the pickles were put on the pljeskavice sandwiches on nice, homemade bread, in pita pockets, or thick sliced sourdough bread! This recipe is so simple and you do not need to boil jars, or use a regular canning process. This recipe was handed down to her from her mother-in-law who was Hungarian. She gave my parents the recipe and they were a staple in our house as well.

5½ cups (about 1½ pounds) thinly sliced (about ¼-inch) pickling (small) cucumbers or zucchinis (you can mix cucumbers and zucchinis together for crunchier pickles)

1½ tablespoons kosher salt

1 cup thinly sliced sweet onion

1 cup (198 grams) granulated sugar

1 cup (240 ml) white vinegar

½ cup (120 ml) apple cider vinegar

¼ cup (50 grams) light brown sugar

1½ teaspoons mustard seeds

½ teaspoon celery seeds

1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric

1. Combine cucumbers and/or zucchini with salt in a large, shallow bowl; cover and chill 1½ hours. Move them into a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Drain well, and return them to bowl. Add onion to the bowl and toss with the sliced cucumbers.

2. Combine the granulated sugar, white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, mustard seeds, celery seeds and ground turmeric in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over cucumber mixture; let stand at room temperature 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate 24 hours. Store in an airtight container such as Tupperware or Hefty storage containers in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.