BUCKWHEAT LEAVENED DUMPLINGS

Buckwheat leavened dumplings - "ajdovi vzhajanci"  is a traditional Slovenian buckwheat dish. This is one of old, traditional  recipes that is making its comeback. We can combine these dumplings very well with modern cuisine.

Buckwheat leavened dumplings as a side dish with vegetables.

SLOVENIAN ROLLED DUMPLINGS WITH BEANS

Rolled dumplings or štruklji are traditional Slovenian dish made very often and for many different occasions. Usually they are made of stretched dough and many different fillings. They are a well known dish in every part of Slovenia, especially in Dolenjska Region, which is in the Southern part of Slovenia around Sava, Krka and Kolpa rivers.

Rolled dumplings with beans as a side dish to fried vegetables.

KOZJANSKO BUCKWHEAT POCKETS - KOZJANSKO CARPS

This traditional Slovenian  dish is from Kozjansko region. It is one of many traditional buckwheat dishes which are becoming more and more popular. Kozjansko carps can be served as an appetizer, as a main dish as well as a side dish with different meat dishes. It can be  also very tasty and healthy vegetarian dish. 

Kozjansko Karps garnished with roasted bread crumbs.

ŽLIKROFI with SPINACH and COTTAGE CHEESE

We make the dough same as for IDRIJA ŽLIKROFI. As for the filling we can be very creative and try to do our own version, recipe. I will make few different kinds of žlikrofi today as follows.

ŽLIKROFI stuffed with Spinach and Cottage cheese 

Ingredients for the filling:

200 g fresh Spinach

200 g Cottage cheese - or Tofu

1 egg

1-2 tbs of semolina or bread crumbs

2 cloves of garlic

Vegetable oil or ghee

Salt

Black pepper 

Nutmeg

Put spinach into boiling water for a few minutes until it is cooked, then we chop or blend it and drain all water out. Put vegetable oil or ghee in the pan, add garlic, stir for a few seconds, and add spinach and all the spices. 

Wait until it cools down a bit and then add it to Cottage cheese. Add egg and mix all well together. 

Spinach - wash, cook add spices

Cottage cheese - skuta

The filling must not be too soft. To make it thicker, add breadcrumbs or semolina.

Mix spinach with skuta, egg

and semolina to make it thicker.

Now we can make our žlikrofi as we did before. 

Roll the dough over the filling, and pinch it together. Press the edges firmly, so they stick. Press each one down in the middle, to get the right shape, but be careful not to break the dough.  

Place the filling on the rolled dough.

Make  zlikrofi as in previous recipe.

Cook them in salty boiling water until they float on the surface. Drain them and serve as you want - it can be in the soup or dashi instead of noodles or with meat stew, mushroom and cream sauce etc.

This time I served them in chicken soup - all kind of vegetables, chicken, water, spices. Cook on low fire one to two hours.   

Cook the broth from chicken, 

vegetables and spices.

Clear chicken soup with žlikrof.

More photos on this link!

ŽLIKROFI with fish meat filling

You can use the same recipe for the dough to make different kind of žlikrofi, just use your imagination. I can give you some hints:

Žlikrofi stuffed with fish meat 

Ingredients for the filling:

200 g white fish without bones

3 cloves of garlic

Nira or parsley or both - finely chopped

Salt

Black pepper

Put all the ingredients in a blender and mix all together to get a thick paste. Make small balls. Now you can make žlikrofi as in previous recipes. Roll the dough, place the filling on it, roll the dough over the filling, press down between the filling and cut them. Make characteristic shape of the "hat with ears".

Mix well all ingredients and make small balls.

Press down the space between 2 balls,
cut, ...

and make žlikrofi. The shape will become better with the exercise.

Cook them in salty boiling water till they start to float on the surface and serve them hot with a sauce you like. I love to serve them with simple vegetable sauce - onions, garlic, bell pepper and tomatoes with spices.  

Or serve them very simply topped with butter, chives, parsley and broccoli  as in the photo below.  

Žlikrofi with stuffed with fish meat. 

More photos on this link.

IDRIJA ŽLIKROFI - DUMPLINGS

Idrija Žlikrofi  are very traditional Slovenian dish from Idrija, a small town in Western part of the country. Idrija is known for Mercury Mine which was listed on the  Unesco World Heritage  in 2012. It also has a long tradition in lace making.

 Typical shape of the hat with ears.