Albanian Stuffed Peppers are a popular dish in the household; you can eat them hot, warm, or cold, so they're ideal to prepare ahead of time and freeze. Ground beef, onions, herbs, and a small amount of tomato sauce made from tomato puree are stuffed into these simple stuffed peppers. In Albania, peppers are known as'speca' and are cultivated in abundance. Guernica peppers are the most common variety farmed, and they're great for stuffing and roasting, but they can turn casseroles sour if cooked for too long.

Ingredients:

4 roast peppers of various colors (red, green, orange),250 g minced beef,1 small leek,1 / 2 cebolla,1/2 zucchini,5 tablespoons of tomato sauce,A package of cheese to gratinate,A glass of white wine,Oil, salt and pepper

Instructions:

• Prepare a baking dish, and put two tablespoons of fried tomato on the base. Wash the peppers, remove the top lid and empty them of seeds. Put them on the tomato and leave them reserved.
• Prepare the filling. Chop the leek, onion and zucchini, and fry all with a tablespoon of oil in a pan over low heat.
• When everything is poached, add the minced meat seasoned and sauté with everything. Notice that the meat is almost done and add the glass of white wine and let the wine reduce for about 8-10 minutes. Next and once the wine has evaporated, add the three tablespoons of fried tomato and mix everything well. Add some gratin cheese to the mixture, and remove from the heat.
• Fill each of the peppers with the minced meat sauce and put a little cheese on top to gratin. Put them to bake for about 40 minutes, notice that the pepper has been done correctly at 180 degrees.

Tarator is a chilled cucumber soup made with cucumber, dill, and yogurt that is popular in Albania. Bulgaria has a Tarator that is similar to Albania's. In Turkey, however, Tarator refers to a separate dish made with walnuts, garlic, and bread. In Hungary, they have a version that is very similar to the Albanian version, with a few minor differences in the ingredients. The most straightforward way to serve this chilled soup is with feta cheese and fresh bread. Then add more fruits and finger foods like olives, almonds, pita bread, hummus, and so on.

Ingredients:

1 cup yogurt,2 cucumbers,2 cloves garlic,½ spring dill,50 g ground walnuts,30 ml sunflower oil,1 tsp. salt,1 pinch of black pepper if desired

Instructions:

• Peel the cucumbers, cut them into very small cubes or grate them on a large grater and place them in a suitable bowl or deep dish.
• Add the crushed garlic, finely chopped dill, salt and oil. If you like the taste, add black pepper.
• Beat the yogurt until smooth, pour it over the cucumbers, add water to achieve the desired density, and stir.
  Serve the tarator chilled and sprinkled with walnuts.

Pastiche is a popular cheese pasta dish in Albania among Albanians, especially among children. Pastiche, comfort food made of tubular pasta, beef ragu, and bechamel sauce, is a popular dish. It's similar to a Greek moussaka sans the eggplant. A quiche is the best way to define this classic Albanian delicacy. It's made with cooked spaghetti, milk, butter, and white cheese (feta). After that, it's all put together and baked into a slice. It's dairy-heavy, but it's a full supper dish with a salad or a terrific snack!

Ingredients:

1.5 lb fettuccine (about 1.5 standard packets),2 cups milk,1 stick butter (about 8 tbsps), 6 eggs,3 ozs parmesan cheese, pinch salt (optional),0.75 lbs feta cheese,pinch black pepper

Instructions:

• Boil water with a bit of salt. Throw fettuccine in and stir so they don't stick. Boil for about half of the time indicated in the box, usually 6-8 minutes instead of the regular 12-14 minutes.
• Turn the oven on at 380 degrees Fahrenheit (about 190 degrees Celsius) so it can pre-heat.
• Melt about 1 tbsp of the butter and coat the bottom of the baking dish.
• Once the pasta has cooked for 6-8 minutes, drain the water and pour the pasta into the baking dish. Arrange so it fills the dish evenly.
• Crumble the feta cheese and spread with a fork in between pasta and over. Cube the butter and repeat. Pasta is still warm enough that butter will start melting slowly.
• Whisk eggs and then add the milk, keep whisking for a minute or so. Then pour this mix over the pasta. Use the fork to move the pasta slowly so the egg/milk sauce can set in evenly.
• Bake for about 30 minutes. If the top is getting too crispy, lower the dish to the bottom rack or cover it with aluminum foil.
• Add bechamel
• Sprinkle with parmesan cheese about 2 minutes
• Once the casserole is baked, let it cool for about 15 minutes

Albanian Tavë Kosi is a simple lamb and yogurt dish served with rice with oregano and garlic. The recipe is also known as Tav Elbasani and comes from the Albanian city of Elbasan. Tav Kosi is considered comfort food by some. The aroma of the soft, supple lamb roasted with rice, oregano, and garlic beneath a yogurt concoction is incredible. It also looks impressive when cooking, as the top rises over the saucepan and then descends as it cools, leaving a stunning golden delight. Local restaurants charge roughly €4 per person.

Ingredients:

50 g salted butter,1 tbsp olive oil,700 g lamb shoulder diced,2 garlic cloves crushed,1 tsp fresh oregano chopped finely,100 ml water,30 g plain flour,300 g natural greek yogurt,100 g long grain rice,2 eggs beaten,whole nutmeg,salt and pepper to season

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 180°c/ 160°c fan/gas mark 4. Heat 20g of the butter and the oil in a pan. Brown the diced lamb.
• Once brown, add the crushed garlic clove, oregano, and water. Simmer for 30 minutes until the lamb is tender.
• Add the rice and season to taste. In a separate small pan, melt the rest of the butter. Add the flour and whisk to create a roux. Once combined, remove from heat and add yogurt. Whisk to combine. Add beaten egg and whisk again.
• Pour the sauce all over the lamb, distributing evenly. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until brown on top. Grate over nutmeg and serve.

Traditional Albanian Fërgesë (tomatoes, peppers, and eggs) is a one-pan dish. It's a four-ingredient one-pan dinner cooked with green peppers, ripe tomatoes, eggs, and feta cheese. Depending on the region and the season, cured meats could be added to this dish. In Albania, ''Fërgesë'' means to sauté or fry. With certain modifications, tomato-based stews were popular throughout the former Ottoman Empire and the Middle East. Some, like this one, are vegetarian. In the Middle East, Shakshouka or Turkish Menemen is similar.

Ingredients:

5 bell peppers, roasted, diced,1 onion, diced,About 1.5 tomatoes, chopped,2 tbsp butter,1 ¾ cup feta cheese,2 tbsp flour,2 tbsp greek yogurt,2 tbsp basil,salt,pepper,olive oil

Instructions:

• If roasting red peppers, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lay peppers on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 20 mins on one side, then flip and bake for 20 mins on the opposite side. Keep baking until the peppers appear withered and the skin is a bit blackened.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350
• Sautee the onion in a small amount of olive oil for about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• In a large pan, add chopped tomatoes and bell peppers and simmer for about 10 minutes. Most of the liquid should cook out of the mixture.
• Mix onions into tomato and pepper mixture, and then set aside to cool.
• In a separate saucepan, melt the butter. Mix in the flour to form a roux.
• Stirring continuously, add feta. Continue to cook until the feta has melted and the mixture is very thick. Add the yogurt.
• Once the roux is complete, stir it into the vegetable mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer the mixture into a 9×9 casserole dish and cook for 30 minutes.