Green Bean Beef and Dill Stew and  Feta Bread Pudding with Savory Spice Mix

Green Bean Beef and Dill Stew and  Feta Bread Pudding with Savory Spice Mix

This is Bulgarian comfort food as I remember it from the times my grandma made me dinner. The stew has chunks of beef, carrots, garlic, onions, green and yellow beans and tomatoes. Liberal quantities of chopped dill too. The beef, garlic, onion, carrots and the tomatoes simmer for over an hour and a half until the meat is fork-tender, and then the beans are added for another 20 minutes. Often, the stew is eaten with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream on top.

And for dipping in the stew  (or just to munch on standalone) – the bread pudding. Old, dry bread pieces are mixed with bits of feta cheese and small cubes of butter. An egg and yogurt mixture is poured over it (you let it soak for 10 minutes), and then bake at 400F for about 25 minutes. On top you sprinkle this traditional Bulgarian spice mix called “colorful salt” (totally lost in translation…. “sharena sol”) which is made of savory (the herb), cumin and sweet paprika. You can make it yourself:

http://thesimpleflavors.blogspot.com/2011/02/bulgarian-sharena-sol.html or even buy it on amazon.com (how the times have changed).