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Ingredients:

6 cups flour
2 cups lukewarm water
1 teaspoon dry yeast
1/2 tablespoon salt
extra flour to work with
oil for frying and to work with
Filling of your choice, recipes found in the “Miscellaneous” category

Directions:

Mix salt with flour in a bowl. Dissolve the yeast in about 1 cup of the water, then pour it on top of the flour, including the rest of the water as well.

With hands, knead the dough until well mixed and firm. If it sticks to your hands, sprinkle with a little additional flour. Also, as you work with the dough, detach it from the bowl and sprinkle the bowl with flour, so the dough doesn’t stick to the bowl.

Shape into a ball, as pictured below. If needed, sprinkle with additional flour to get the surface smooth as in the photo.

Sprinkle the bottom of the bowl with a little more four (to prevent sticking), and place the dough back into the bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it sit in a warm place for at least 30 minutes, for the dough to rise. Meanwhile you can prepare the filling you are planning on using for this recipe. I have 3 different recipes you can use for that, found in the Miscellaneous category.

Take the dough out of the bowl and cut/divide it into about 12 pieces of equal sizes.

Shape each piece into a ball, using additional flour to prevent sticking to the working surface or hands.
Set the dough balls aside, on a surface sprinkled with flour.

Spread some oil on each of the dough balls, to prevent it from drying, while you work with it.

Spread some oil on the surface you’re working on. Take one dough ball at a time and place it on the oiled surface. Using a rolling pin, spread the dough into a very thin sheet. Make it as thin as you can, without breaking. Make sure the surface you work on is always oiled, otherwise your dough will stick to it and it will be impossible to get it unstuck without breaking.

Place about 1/3 cup of the prepared filling in the middle of the sheet and spread as pictured.

With a knife, make about 8 cuts around the sheet, each about 2/3 long, from the outside toward the middle, as in photo.

Fold one of the cut sections over the cheese.

Next, fold the opposite side as well, then the rest, as in pictures.

When you’re done folding all the sections, it should look something like this. This is one uncooked Placinta.

Pour some oil in a frying pan, enough to cover the bottom. Heat until hot, then add the Placinta. Reduce heat to medium low and cook until golden brown. You want to make sure the heat is not high, otherwise it will quickly cook on the surface and be raw on the inside.

When done on one side, flip and cook on the other side as well.

And here’s your cooked Placinta.

Pictured below is a stack of Placinte with cheese, cabbage and potato fillings.

Serving Suggestions: Serve hot or cold, as a side to any meal, a snack, or even breakfast. Pofta Buna!

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Ingredients:

2 large eggplants
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 red bell pepper
3 garlic cloves
3 cups oil. Could use less, but will take longer to cook.

Directions:

Slice the eggplant lengthwise, about 1/2″ wide, as pictured.

Cut slices into strips, about 1/2″ wide as well. If the strips are too long, you can cut them in half.

Place the eggplant strips into a strainer/colander. Add salt and mix gently, then let sit for about 30 minutes to let some of the eggplant juice drain.

Meanwhile, place the red pepper and the garlic in a blender and blend until everything is crushed.

Pour the crushed pepper and garlic into a bowl and drain the juice. Set aside.

In a medium size pan, heat the oil on medium-low temperature until hot. Add the eggplant to the hot oil and fry until golden brown. If you want to use less than 3 cups of oil, you can do so, but you will be able to fry less eggplants at a time, therefore it will take longer to cook.

Remove the eggplant from oil, and set o a plate lined with a paper towel, in order to absorb the oil.

Gently mix the eggplant with the crushed pepper and garlic, and serve.

Serving suggestions: Serve warm or cold, as an appetizer or as a side to complement any dish.

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Ingredients:

3 medium red beets
3 large potatoes
1 large carrot
3 medium dill pickles
1 can (15 oz) sweet peas
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

Wash the beets, potatoes and carrot. Place in a large deep pan and cover with water. Boil until tender or until you can easily insert a fork into them. Carrot will cook faster. Do not overcook the vegetables.

Meanwhile, finely chop the onion, as pictured below. Set aside.

Finely chop the dill pickles and set aside.

When carrot is cooked, chop finely.

When the beets are done, chop as pictured below and place in a large bowl, together with the carrots. (Note: Beets stain, so use a metal bowl rather than plastic if you don’t want your plastic bowls pink colored.)

Chop the potatoes as well.

Add potatoes on top of the beets and carrots.

Add the chopped onion, the pickles, sweet peas, oil, salt, and black pepper. Mix until well blended.

You can serve the salad immediately, but I prefer cooling it a bit in the refrigerator beforehand.

Serving suggestions: You can serve it with same dishes you would normally serve a typical potato salad.

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Moldovans call this recipe Cabbage Salad. It’s basically similar with the popular coleslaw, but it also uses some different ingredients, which provide a unique flavor. It is a savory, refreshing summer salad, a Moldovan favorite, especially when grilling out. It tastes as good during the other seasons too!

Ingredients:

1/2 small cabbage, or about 8 cups shredded cabbage
12 radishes, or so
1/2 large cucumber
1/2 medium onion
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 and 1/2 tablespoon vinegar
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup diced dill weed

Directions:

Using a knife, thinly shred the cabbage as pictured below.

Cut the radishes, onion and cucumber into thin slices.

Add the salt to the shredded cabbage and lightly rub it together using your hand.

Add the sliced radishes, cucumber and onion.

At the end, add vinegar, oil and diced dill weed. Mix everything together. Serve immediately.

Serving Suggestions: You can serve with barbecue/other grilled meats, or actually with anything, really. It’s a delicious, healthy salad, so you can have it anytime!

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A very simple, easy to make spread, that will beautifully garnish any meal.

Ingredients:

2 large or 4 small red beets
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3/4 teaspoon salt, or adjust the amount to your taste.

Directions:

Boil the red beets in water, until soft, so that you can easily insert a fork into them.

While beets are boiling, crush the garlic using a garlic press.

When beets are done cooking, remove from water, peel and finely grate.

Mix in the mayonnaise and salt. Serve.

Note: To garnish, I used green onions and boiled red beets to create the decorative rose.

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Ingredients:

1 can sweet peas
2 green onions
3 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Place peas in a small bowl. Chop the green onions and add them to the peas.

Add the rest of the ingredients, mix with a spoon and serve.

Serving Suggestions: Usually this salad is served with grilled meat.