Chiftele (Romanian Meatballs)

Chiftele are the Romanian version of a meatball and can be flat or round. They’re normally made with ground pork, which is high in fat, but this recipe is made with lean ground turkey. After the patties are formed you roll them in flour and fry them up! Oh yes, they’re fried, so you know they’ll be delicious! Parsley gives them a traditional Romanian taste but you can also substitute in dill and still get a wonderful flavor. These are best eaten with a Dijon style mustard as an appetizer or as the star of your meal. Normal side dishes include mashed potatoes or rice and cabbage salad has always been a favorite in my family.

Yield about 30

Ingredients

• 1 – 20 oz package lean ground turkey
• 1 shredded potato
• 1 small onion (chopped)
• 2 garlic cloves (chopped)
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 egg
• Salt
• Pepper
• Flour
• Vegetable oil

Directions

1. In a large bowl mix your ground turkey, shredded potato, onion, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. Add your egg and continue to mix. The best way to do this is to get a little dirty and use your hands! Once everything is mixed well you can start to form little balls.
2. Heat up about 1/2 inch oil at the bottom of a large pan on medium heat.
3. Once your balls are formed, roll them in flour and flatten them out but keep them round. Place in heated oil. Cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side or until they are browned.
4. Your pan won’t be big enough to cook all of them at once, so continue the same procedure until you are finished.
5. Serve warm with Dijon mustard or with mashed potatoes and a salad!

Flaky Puff Pastry Stuffed with Feta & Dill

My mom has been making these puff pastry perfections for years, and let me tell you…they are addicting! I’ve made them for company and there is NEVER one leftover. I mean you can’t go wrong with flaky puff pastry stuffed with salty creamy feta cheese. Right? Right! This particular recipe has dill in it but it’s definitely not necessary, just adds a little more complexity to the flavor. If you don’t shop at your local European market (which I highly recommend) you can find puff pastry at the regular grocery store. You may have to cut it into squares of about 5 inches because it normally comes in two large pieces. Please make these! You will thank me everyday of your life!

Yields 18 pieces

Ingredients

• 6.5 oz feta cheese
• 1 package puff pastry squares (I buy mine at the local European market)
• 2 eggs (one for egg wash)
• Chopped dill (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Mash your feta cheese with a fork and add one egg. Mix together until creamy. Add dill.
3. Cut your puff pastry squares in half. On one side fill each piece with a heaping teaspoon of the feta mixture. Lift the opposite side and fold over. Seal using a fork by pressing down on the edges and making indentations into the pastry. Do this for the remainder of your pieces.
4. Make your egg wash by whisking an egg with about a tablespoon of water.
5. Lay your puff pastries on the aluminum foil lined baking sheet and brush each one with the egg wash.
6. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Let cool down for a few minutes (unless you like not feeling the roof of your mouth for a few days).
8. If you do happen to have leftovers, reheat them in the oven for a few minutes and they will taste just the same as when they came out of the oven.