Bulgur Pilaf with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

(Kuru Domatesli Bulgur Pilavı)

3/4 cup Turkish bulgur, large grain, washed and drained
1 small-sized onion, sliced
1 tbsp butter or 4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
~100 g sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
1 small cubanelle pepper, discard the seeds, chopped
1 tsp red pepper paste, sweet
2-3 tbsp canned crushed tomatoes 
1 cup hot water
Salt
Pepper

Saute the onion with butter for 2-3 minutes at medium heat. Add the red pepper paste and crushed tomatoes to the pot and continue to saute for 1-2 more minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, stir. Cover and cook until all the water evaporates. Let the Pilaf stand for 5 minutes.

Serve with pickled vegetables and yogurt on the side.

2 servings.

Grilled Eggplant with Garlic Vinaigrette and Feta

(Sirke Soslu Peynirli Patlıcan)

1 Medium-sized eggplant- peel the skin in strips lengthwise, slice and soak in 2 cups of water with salt for about 15 minutes, dry with paper towel

Garlic-Cumin Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tbs vinegar of grapes
1-2 garlic cloves, mashed with salt
Pinch of cumin
Sal
Pepper

Garnish:
Feta cheese, crumbled
Fresh mint leaves, chopped
Parsley, chopped
Dill, chopped

Place the slices of eggplant on an oven tray and grill in the oven or place the eggplant on the hot preheated grill. Grill for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once.

Whisk the vinaigrette ingredients in a bowl and drizzle over the eggplants. Garnish with feta and herbs, then serve.

Sweet Pepper with Eggs

(Biber Tava, Black Sea Region)

1 long red sweet red pepper, discard the seeds, cut in medium size
1 cubanelle pepper, discard the seeds, cut in medium size
1 tbsp butter
Eggs
Grated mozzarella or crumbled feta cheese
Salt
Pepper

Lightly fry the peppers with butter in a pan at medium heat. Stir occasionally. Break the eggs and sprinkle some cheese. When the egg white is cooked, remove it from the heat. Do not overcook the egg yolk! Season with salt and pepper.

Leeks with Chickpeas in Olive Oil

(Zeytinyağlı Nohutlu Pırasa)

300g leeks, washed & sliced
1/3 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed
1/4 cup celery roots, peeled and cut in bite size
1 1/2 cups of water + 1 tbsp lemon juice
1 medium-sized tomato, peeled & diced
~50 ml (4 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil (half for cooking, half for after cooking)
1/2 tsp sugar
Salt

Soak the celery pieces in the water with the lemon juice for about 5 minutes to prevent them from getting darker.

Meanwhile, place the leek, chickpeas, celery, tomatoes, olive oil, sugar and salt in a pot. Cover and cook at low heat until the leeks are soft enough.

Let it cool down in the pot. Then, place on a plate. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Fried Eggplant Salad on Romain Leaves

(Marul Tabağında Patlıcan Salatası)

1 medium-sized eggplant
3-4 tbsp olive oil

2 leaves of Romain
A few thin slices of red or white onion
1/4 cup feta cheese, cut in cubes

Dressing:
4-5 tbsp tomatoes, grated
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp pomegranate paste
Salt
1-2 peppercorns, pounded

Peel the eggplant in lengthwise strips. Cut in bite size or round shape. Soak in 2 cups of water with salt for about 20 minutes. Squeeze and dry them with a paper towel.

Heat up the pan first. Then pour the olive oil. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Fry the eggplants, stir occasionally. Afterwards, place them on the paper towel to soak up any extra oil. Let them cool.

Then place the Romain leaves on a plate. Arrange the fried eggplants, onions and feta cheese. Whisk the dressing ingredients, pour all over them. This is a very easy and delicious recipe with a great salad for the summer time:)

2 servings.

Asparagus - Eggs Pide

(Kuşkonmazlı Yumurtalı Pide, Aegean Region)

Tandoor Baked Naan

Filling:
2-3 asparagus, break off the hard ends and discard, break in bite size
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper
2 eggs
Fresh ricotta, goat, feta or Turkish tulum cheese

Preheat the oven to 500 F (260 C).

Saute the asparagus with olive oil, salt and pepper for about 2 minutes. Break the eggs, stir. Continue to cook for 2 more minutes, turn the heat off. The eggs should be half cooked. Place it over the Naan. Arrange the cheese over the top.

Place the pide on an oven tray. Cook until the edge of the pide turns to light golden colur on the middle rack. Drizzle olive oil and season with salt and pepper, serve immediately.

This is the easiest and yummy pide recipe that you can do at home:) But, if you like to make this pide from scratch; here:)

1 Asparagus - Eggs Pide.

Orzo Pilaf with Black-Eyed Peas

(Börülceli Arpa Şehriye Pilavı)

2/3 cup orzo
1/4 cup black-eye peas
1 1/4 cups warm chicken broth or water
3-4 spring onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 small carrot, peeled, grated
1 small cubanelle pepper, discard the seeds, cut in small cubes
1 small tomato, peeled, diced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Garnish:
Parsley, chopped

Boil the black-eyed peas with 1 1/2 cups of water until they are tender, then rinse and drain.
Saute all the ingredients except water for 2-3 minutes at high-medium heat in a medium pot. Then add water, stir. Cover and continue to cook until the orzo absorbs all the water.

Remove the cooking pot from the heat. Remove the lid, sprinkle the parsley, lightly stir and place a clean kitchen towel on the rim of the pot covering the top and put the lid back on. Let the Pilaf stand for about 5 minutes (the brewing time) before serving.

2 servings.

Arugula Soup with Chickpeas

(Nohutlu Roka Çorbası)

1 cup chickpeas, canned, washed and drained
1 cup chicken broth
5-6 branches of arugula, washed, chopped
1 tsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove, mashed with salt
Salt
Pepper

Sauce:
1/2 cup yogurt, plain
1 cup water
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp flour, all purpose

Garnish:
1 tbsp butter
1 small onion, sliced

Cook the chickpeas and arugula with chicken broth in a medium-size pot for about 5 minutes. Whisk the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Take a few spoons of liquid from the pot and mix into the bowl. Then slowly pour the mixture into the pot while stirring very slowly. Cook for 15 minutes at low heat. Then add the garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper, stir and turn the heat off.

Meanwhile, caramelize the onion with butter in a small pan, add in the soup. Serve immediately.

2 servings.

Stuffed Dried Eggplants & Peppers with Beef

(Etli Kuru Patlıcan-Biber Dolması)

~ 6 dried eggplants
~ 6 dried peppers
~ 2 cups hot water
1 tbsp butter, in small pieces

Filling:
~200 g medium ground beef
1 small onion, grated
4 tbsp rice, washed, drained
1 tbsp red pepper paste
2-3 tbsp tomato paste
4-5 tbsp water
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (crushed red pepper)
Salt
Pepper

Soak the dried eggplants in hot water for half an hour and drain. Meanwhile, mix all the filling ingredients with a tablespoon in a bowl. Stuff the eggplants with the filling using the teaspoon. Leave some space at the top. Squeeze the tops of the eggplants to close them up.


Arrange the eggplants in a medium-sized pot. Pour 2 cups of water all over them. Cover and cook at medium-low heat until a little juice is left. If necessary, add more hot water.

Sprinkle butter pieces over the top. Cover and let the dish settle. Serve it with Garlic Yogurt Sauce.

Makes 3-4 servings.

*You can find the dried eggplants, dried pepper or dried okra at local Turkish Grocery Stores.

Dried Figs Stuffed with Walnuts Cooked in Pomegranate Juice

(Nar Suyunda Cevizli Incir Dolması)

16 dried figs, cooked 5-6 minutes in water, drained
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1 tsp lemon juice

Filling:
1/2 cup fresh walnuts, crumbled
2 tbsp natural honey
1/2 tsp cinnamon
~
Pomegranate seeds

Cut off the stalks of the figs. Make a room and add the fillings. Arrange them in a small sized Teflon pan. Pour the pomegranate juice together with lemon juice. Cook at low-medium heat until a little bit of juice is left in the pan. Let it cool down.

Garnish with pomegranate seeds and serve.

Raw Mushroom Salad

(Çiğ Mantar Salatası)

~15 medium-sized mushrooms, cleaned, sliced
4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Parsley, chopped
Dill, chopped
~
1/4 cup red onion, sliced
1 garlic clove sliced
1 tbsp sumac
1 tsp salt

Rub the onion and garlic slices with sumac and salt. Add the mushrooms and olive oil, mix. Cover and let them stay in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

Garnish with parsley and dill, serve.

Horse Mackerel Stew

(İstavrit Pilaki)

500g Atlantic Horse Mackerel/Bluefin (or Silversides); gutted, washed with cold water
1 large tomato, peeled, diced
1 small tomato, sliced
1 small cubanelle pepper, chopped
1 lemon, sliced
Handful parsley, chopped
5-6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Saute the diced tomatoes with olive oil for 2-3 minutes at medium heat in a shallow pan. Place 2-3 lemon slices and arrange the fish over the top. Place the sliced tomatoes and the remaining lemon slices, sprinkle the chopped green peppers and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

Cover and cook for about 15 minutes at medium heat. Let it stand for 5 minutes. Serve with Arugula Salad on the side.

Green Tomatoes with Wheat and Chickpeas

(Yeşil Domates Aşı)

500g green tomatoes, washed, cut in medium-size
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 handful pearl wheat, soaked in water overnight
1/4 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed
2 1/2 cups water
Salt

Sauce:
1 tbsp flour
1tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp yogurt
1/4 cup water

Saute the onion with olive oil until it is softened at medium heat. Add the wheat and chickpeas, continue to saute for a couple of minutes. Add the green tomatoes, salt and water. Cover and cook until the tomatoes are softened at medium heat.

Whisk the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and pour into the pot, stir. Cook for about 5 minutes at low heat without the lid. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

2 servings.

Farm Kebap

(Çiftlik Kebabı / Çiftlik Köfte)

Meatball / Köfte ingredients:
~150g lean ground beef
1/2 tsp oregano
Salt
Pepper
~
2 small-sized carrots, peeled, diced
2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled, diced
2/3 cup frozen sweet peas, rinsed with hot water
8-10 small size mushrooms, cleaned, cut in two
1 tbsp butter
3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup canned crushed tomatoes
~2 1/2 cups warm beef broth
Salt
Pepper

Garnish:
Oregano
Fresh Parsley, chopped

Knead all the köfte ingredients, make little balls (slightly larger than hazelnuts).

Heat the butter and olive oil and lightly fry the meatballs and carrots in a medium-sized pot.

Then add the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender for about 15 minutes. Let the kebap stand for 3-4 minutes. Garnish with oregano and parsley.

Serve with freshly baked Turkish bread or pilaf on the side.

Makes 2 servings.

Bulgur Pilaf with Fennel

(Rezeneli Bulgur Pilavı)

Pilaf ingredients:
3/4 cup Turkish bulgur, large grain - washed and drained
1 or 2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tbsp hot red pepper paste
1 tbsp butter
1 cup hot water
Salt
Pepper

Vegetable ingredients:
1 medium-sized fennel bulb - cored, sliced
1 small-sized carrot - peeled, grated
2-3 spring onions - sliced
2-3 tbsp olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Saute all the vegetables in the pan until they are tender at low heat.

Meanwhile, to cook the pilaf; saute the tomato paste and red pepper paste with butter for about 1-2 minutes in a medium-sized pot. Then, add the hot water first, then bulgur, stir.

Turn the heat down to low. Cover and cook until all the water evaporates. Let the Pilaf stand for about 5 minutes.

Add the sauteed vegetables, stir. Garnish with some fronds. Serve with home-made yoğurt, ayran or compote on the side.

Makes 2 servings.