Chop Shish

(Çöp Şiş)

Lamb, as much as you want, cut in small pieces
Cubanelle pepper
Red Bell pepper
Onion, cut in 6
Salt
Pepper

Season the lamb cubes with salt and pepper. Arrange the lamb cubes on the skewers.

Preheat your barbecue or oven (grill/broil). Place the skewers on the rack and cook each side for about 4-5 minutes. Flip them 2-3 times while they cook.

Serve Chop Shish with grilled peppers and onion. You may also serve Chop Shish on several skewers inside a half of Turkish bread.

* Dip the wood skewers in water first to prevent burning.

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Bulgur Salad

( İç )

1/2 cup Turkish bulgur, small grain, washed, drained
1 medium size tomato, cut in small cubes
4 green onions, cut in small pieces
1 cubanelle pepper, discard the seeds, cut in small pieces
1/2 red Bell pepper, cut in small pieces
10 leaves of fresh mint, cut in small pieces
1 cup parsley, cut in small pieces
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp red pepper paste, hot
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp Pomegranate paste or Grenadine syrup
4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Place bulgur in large bowl and cover with hot water. Let it stand for about 15-20 minutes. Then drain, wash and drain few times.

Place bulgur, red pepper paste and tomato paste in a large bowl or large shallow plate. Weigh down and knead them very well all together for about 2-3 minutes. Add all the vegetables and salt, toss. Lastly add pomegranate paste and olive oil, toss.

Ricotta Cheese

(Lor Peyniri)

4 cup (1Lt) milk
2 tbsp lemon juice

Pour the milk into a medium size pot and turn up the heat over medium. When you see the thin layer on the surface of the milk, turn the heat off. Add 2 tbsp lemon juice and stir. Milk will curdle, if it doesn't add 1 more tbsp lemon juice. Cover the pot with a kitchen towel. Let it completely cool down for at least 2-3 hours.

Place a strainer with a cheese cloth inside over a bowl. Place the curdled milk on it. Grab and squeeze the top of the cheese cloth tightly to strain. Leave in the fridge overnight or in a cold room. The cheese cloth's pattern will leave marks on the Ricotta cheese. Wet the inside of the bowl and place the ricotta cheese in it. Keep it in the refrigerator.

Serve with Turkish black olives, tomatoes, cucumbers and freshly baked Turkish bread for breakfast.


Making Ricotta Cheese from Yogurt


750 gr Turkish yogurt, plain
1/2 tsp vinegar or lemon juice
If you like, a little bit salt

Pour the yogurt into the medium size pot and turn up heat over medium. When the top starts to bubble, wait 2-3 minutes, then add vinegar or lemon juice. Yogurt will be curdle, turn the heat off. Let it completely cool down at least 2-3 hours.

Place a strainer with cheese cloth on top over a bowl. Place the curdled yogurt on it. Turn around the top side of the cheese cloth tightly, strain. Leave in the fridge over a night or in a cold room. Wet the inside of the bowl and place the ricotta cheese in it. Keep it in the refrigerator.

Before serve as a breakfast add some Nigella seeds or oregano in it, stir.

Fish Bite with Shrimp

(Karidesli Balik Lokmasi)

4-5 pieces Sole Fillets or any kind of white meat fish you like
10 medium sized shrimp, frozen or fresh, peeled and de-veined, thawed
Salt
Pepper
3 tbsp flour
1 egg, whisked
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup sun flower oil

Cut the fillets in half lengthwise, dry with paper towel. Season with salt and pepper.

Prepare three plates: Put flour on one, beaten egg on the second and breadcrumbs on the third plate.

Dip fillet into flour to coat both sides. Fold the filled with one shrimp in between and use a toothpick to hold it.Then, soak into the egg and finally roll it with the bread crumbs.

Pour sun flower oil in frying pan. Fry each side until golden brown. Place on a paper towel to soak up any extra oil. Serve it with Arugula Salad. and lemon wedges while still warm.

Zucchini Moussaka

(Kabak Musakka)

2 medium size zucchinis, washed, slice in round shape
1 cubanelle pepper, discard the seed, cut in medium size
150 gr medium ground beef
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3-4 garlic clove, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
2 tbsp crushed tomato, in can
1/3 cup warm water
Salt
Pepper

Garnish:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp crushed pepper
1 tbsp dill, chopped

Cook the ground beef with olive oil, onion, salt and pepper until the colour of ground beef turns to light brown. Don't over cook! Place zucchini slices in a shallow pan. Spread ground beef mixture all over them along with the cubanelle peppers. Mix crushed tomato with hot water and garlic, pour into the pan. Cook for about 15 minutes on medium heat.

Turn the heat off. Drizzle some olive oil and sprinkle crushed red pepper, chopped dill all over it.

2-3 serving

Lima Beans with Olive Oil

(Zeytinyagli Ic Fasulye Yemegi)

2 cups Lima beans, frozen
1/2 cup tomato, diced, in can or fresh tomato
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped or 2-3 green (fresh) garlic, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
75 ml extra virgin olive oil, half for cooking, half for after cooking
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup hot water
Salt
2 leaves of fresh mint, chopped

Put the olive oil, diced tomato, garlic and salt in a medium size pot. Cook for 5 minutes on low heat. Then, add the rest of the ingredients. Cover the lid. Cook for about 20-25 minutes on medium low heat, turn the heat off. Let it cool down first. Pour the rest of the olive oil and sprinkle fresh mint all over it, stir. Then, place it in a service plate. Serve the dish at room temperature or chilled.

You may also serve this dish with yogurt sauce with garlic by the side.

* If you use fresh Lima Beans, more water will be needed with longer cooking time.

Cucumber with Walnuts

(Cevizli Salatalik)

2 small cucumbers
1/2 cup walnuts, crumbled
1 garlic clove, mashed with salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
Pinch of salt

Grate the cucumbers, squeeze a little bit to remove access water with your hand. Don't squeeze too much! Toss them with walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, crushed pepper and salt. Serve it chilled.

Kebab with Roasted Tomato

(Alti Ezmeli Kebap)

Kofte Ingredients:
500 gr medium ground beef
Salt
Pepper

4 large tomatoes, washed, cut in half
4 cubanelle peppers, washed, cut in half, discard the seeds
Salt
Pepper

Knead the kofte ingredients in a large bowl for about 5 minutes. Keep it in the fridge for 10 minutes. Take a fist-sized ball and skewer it to start from the tip of skewer. Squeeze and flat it on the skewer going back slowly, as shown in the picture.

Preheat your barbecue or oven (grill). Place the skewers and the tomatoes and Cubanelle peppers on the rack. Make sure to turn the skewers so that all sides of the meat are cooked equally which should take 4 to 5 minutes.

Peel the roasted tomatoes and peppers. Mash the tomato and place it on the service plate. Sprinkle some salt and pepper all over it. Place Kofte and cubanelle peppers on it. Serve it with Pide.

4 servings

* You can also make this kebap with beef chunks instead of kofte.

Mayali Pogaca

Dough:
1 package dry yeast, instant, 7 gr
3/4 cup yogurt, room temperature
1/2 cup (125 ml) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup olive oil
1 egg white
1/2 tsp salt
~2 1/2 cup flour

Filling:
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled or goat cheese etc.
1/4 cup dill, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Glaze:
1 egg yolk + 1 tbsp water (egg wash)
Nigella seeds

Mix the yeast and yogurt in a large plastic bowl. Stir well until the yeast dissolves. Add the butter, olive oil and egg white, stir. Then add flour and salt slowly, knead. The dough shouldn't be sticky but should be soft. Divide the dough into 14 pieces. Make a little hole in it and then put 1 tbsp of the filling inside. Close it up, giving it a half moon shape.

Place parchment paper on an oven tray and arrange them on it. Put in a warm spot for about 30 minutes. Then, egg wash on top of each pogaca.

Preheat the oven to 350 F (190 C). Place the tray on the middle rack. Bake until the top is a light golden colour. Place the Mayali Pogaca on the wire rack so it cools down a little bit. Serve it with tea as an afternoon snack or as breakfast.

14 pieces

Strawberry Jam

(Cilek Receli)

600 gr fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
2 1/2 cup sugar
1 lemon zest
1 large lemon juice

Layer strawberries and sugar in a saucepan overnight. The following morning, start cooking on medium heat until the sugar dissolves.

Remove the strawberries with a perforated spoon and place in a plate. Cook the sherbet for about 25-30 minutes on medium low heat. Then, add the strawberries, lemon zest and lemon juice; continue to cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. Pour carefully into canning jars and seal. Store in a dark and cool place.

Pilaf with Eggplant

(Patlıcanlı Pilav)

1 Japanese eggplant, washed
1 cup water with 1 tbsp salt
1/4 cup sunflower oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated tomato
3/4 cup long grain rice, washed and drained
1 cup water, hot
1 pinch sugar
Salt
Pepper
1/4 cup dill, washed, drain and chopped

Peel the eggplant skin in strips lengthwise. Cut into bite sizes. Soak in water with a tablespoon of salt for about 20 minutes. Squeeze the eggplants with your hand and dry them with a paper towel.

Pour the sunflower oil in a large skillet. When the oil heats up, fry both sides of the eggplants until the colour turns golden brown. After frying, place the eggplants on a plate with paper towel to soak up extra oil.

Meanwhile, saute the onion with olive oil in a medium size pot. Add the grated tomato, sugar, salt and pepper. Add rice and saute for about 2-3 minutes while stirring. Pour in the hot water, stir. Turn the heat to very low and cook until the rice absorbs all the water. Let it cool down for 5 minutes. Toss the eggplant and dill, then stir with a fork. Serve Pilaf with Eggplant when it reaches room temperature with any kind of main dish.

3-4 servings.

Stuffed Tomato with Eggplant

(Patlıcanlı Domates Dolması)

4 large tomatoes

Filling:
1 onion, finely sliced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Chinese or Japanese eggplant, peel, cut in cubes, soak into salty water for about 15 minutes, drain, squeeze the excess water
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
1 tbsp basil, chopped
1/3 cup feta cheese, cut in cubes
1 slice day old Turkish bread (or French or Italian), without crust, crumbled
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp crushed pepper
Salt
Pepper

Cut off the tops of the tomatoes using a small knife. Then spoon out the inside of the tomatoes and cut them in small pieces, put aside.

Saute the onion with olive oil in a medium sized pan. Add the garlic. When the smell comes out, add the tomato pieces and eggplant. Saute for about 10 minutes on medium low heat. Then turn the heat off. Add the rest of the filling ingredients and stir. Fill the tomatoes using a teaspoon.

Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C). Place the stuffed tomatoes in a greased casserole dish and bake for about 30 minutes.

This is a great entree dish for dinner parties, especially during Summer nights:)

Halloumi Cheese

(Hellim Peyniri)

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Slice it up in 1 cm thick pieces. Soak into the spring water for about 5 minutes. Then drain and dry them with a paper towel. Heat up the frying pan. Pour the extra virgin olive oil and place the cheese slices in it. Fry on both sides until golden brown. Place them on a service plate. Drizzle some olive oil and sprinkle some oregano and crushed pepper.

You can serve this dish as an appetizer or for breakfast with sliced tomatoes and Turkish black olives.

Chicken Saute with Mozzarella Cheese

(Kasarli Tavuk)

3 pieces chicken breast, cut in cubes
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
4-5 mushrooms, brushed, cut in 2 or 4
1 cubanelle pepper, cut in cubes
1 large + 1 medium tomato, peeled, cut in cubes
Salt
Pepper
1 tsp oregano

Garnish:
1/4 cup kasar cheese or Mozzarella
1/2 tsp Turkish red pepper powder

In a medium sized pan, saute the onion with butter and olive oil. Add the garlic and when the smell of the garlic comes out, add the chicken. Cook the chicken until the colour changes. Add the mushrooms, tomatoes, cubanelle pepper, salt and pepper. Simmer for about 15 minutes with the lid covered. Turn the heat off and sprinkle some oregano all over.

Transfer to the oven proof dish. Sprinkle the shredded cheese and red pepper on top. Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C) and bake until the cheese melts. Serve with Turkish Pilaf.

2 servings.