Sesame Seed Chicken

(Susamli Tavuk)

500g chicken wing drummettes
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, ground
Salt
Pepper

Place the milk in a small bowl. Place sesame seeds, bread crumbs, crushed pepper, salt and pepper in another cup and mix. First soak the chicken drums in the milk, then cover them with the sesame seed mixture. Arrange them on the oven tray on top of parchment paper. Don't let them touch each other, otherwise they won't be crispy.

Preheat the oven 400 F (200 C) and cook for about 45 minutes until they take a golden colour. Sesame Seed Chicken is a great party dish, especially in the summer, enjoy :)

Makes 3-4 servings.

Meal Ideas:
- Apricot Couscous, Mixed Salad with Brine Dressing and Creamy Pudding.

Lemon Cake

(Limonlu Kek)

125g unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 egg yolks, room temperature
1/2 cup milk, room temperature
3 tbsp lemon juice
Zest of one lemon
1 2/3 cup flour, all purpose
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 egg whites, beat until they are stiff

You can use any kind of Cake mold, I used one with a hole in the center.

Beat the butter with sugar until creamy using a wooden spoon in a large bowl. Add in the egg yolks one by one, mix. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest and milk, continue to mix. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in an another bowl and add slowly into the egg mixture. Mix until the batter is creamy. Slowly add frosted egg whites into the batter, stir using a metal table spoon.

Oil the mold first, then sprinkle 1 tbsp flour in it. Pour the batter into the mold equally using a tablespoon.

Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C). Place the mold on the middle rack. Bake for about 35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Wait for 15 minutes, then place the cake on the wire rack to cool it down. Serve with whipped cream and any kind of berries.

Chicken Shish Kebab

(Tavuk Sis Kebap)

350 gr chicken breast, boneless, cut in medium sized cubes
2 large tomatoes, cut in halves
2 cubanelle pepper

Marinade:
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp red pepper, powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 garlic clove, smashed with salt
1 tsp pomegranate paste
2 tbsp olive oil

Marinate the chicken overnight in the fridge in a container with a lid. Bring the chicken to room temperature one hour before grilling. Divide up the chicken cubes and place on four skewers.

Preheat the barbecue or oven (grill). Place the skewers on the rack along with the peppers, tomato halves (inside up). Keep the marinade aside. Grill the chicken for about 7-8 minutes. Make sure to turn the skewers so that all sides are cooked equally. Every time you turn the chicken, brush with marinade.

Serve the Chicken Kebab on Turkish Rice Pilaf, lemon wedges, roasted tomatoes and Cubanelle peppers (remove the skin).

Makes 2 servings.

Meal Ideas:
- Creamy Yogurt Dip, Cig Kofte and Apple Pie with ice cream.

Cig Kofte

(Yalanci Cig Kofte)

300 gr potatoes, boiled, leave in the fridge overnight, then peel and grate
300 gr bulgur, small grain, washed, drained
1 medium size onion, grated
1-2 garlic cloves, grated
3 tbsp red pepper paste
1 tsp cumin
Crushed pepper, adjust the amount as you wish
1 tsp salt
1 pinch black pepper
1 bunch of parsley, washed, drained, finely chopped, divided

Romaine salad, washed, drained
2 fresh green onions, finely chopped
Lemon wedges

Place grated potatoes, bulgur, onion, garlic, red pepper paste, cumin, crushed pepper, salt and black pepper in a large bowl. Weigh down and knead them very well all together for about 45 minutes. Add half of the parsley and knead 5 more minutes. Take a small piece, give it a cylinder shape with your palms, squeeze and leave finger marks on it as seen in the picture.

Place the green salad leaves on a service plate. Arrange the Cig Kofte on them. Sprinkle the rest of the parsley and chopped green onions all over the top. Serve with lemon wedges.
If you like to dip into the sauce, here;

Place the isot in a small bowl and add mixture of water and a little bit of tomato paste. Then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and whisk. That's it! Adjust the amount of ingredients according to your desire:)

* Original Cig Kofte (cig means raw) traditionally contains raw meat. After mad-cow disease, as a family we stopped eating raw meat. So now I make Cig Kofte without it :)