Fish Salad

(Balik Salatasi)

~250-300 gr Sole Fillets, Bluefish...
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Sauce:
8 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp dill, chopped
1 tsp red pepper, crushed
Salt
Pepper

Cook both sides of the Sole Fillets equally with 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan. Don't overcook as it easily gets dry. Then cut them in chunk sizes. Place on a service plate. Let it cool down.

Mix all the sauce ingredients and cover the fish with the sauce. Serve this easy-to-cook Fish Salad with toasted bread and pickle slices.

Makes 2 servings.

Meal Ideas:
- Arugula Salad, Bread with Black Olives and Ice Cream with Strawberry Topping.

Cheese Biscuits

(Peynirli Bisküvi)

3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper
100 gr (7 tbsp) unsalted butter, cold
4 tbsp Gruyere cheese, grated (use cheddar if you can't find gruyere cheese)
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp ice cold water

Place the flour, salt and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Grate butter in it and mix very well with your hands. Add in the cheese and the egg yolk whisked with ice cold water. Knead very well. You will have pretty hard dough. Cover with plastic wrap. Leave in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Sprinkle some flour on the counter. Make 0.5 cm thick dough with a roller. Cut the dough with a round cookie cutter (5 cm diameter). You can roll for a second, and a third time.. until the dough is finished. Place parchment paper on the oven tray and place the biscuits on it. If you like, you can sprinkle some sesame seeds or Nigella seeds on the top.

Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C). Bake for about 20 minutes on the middle rack of the oven. Place them on the wire rack and let them cool.

You can serve these mini Turkish Style Cheese Biscuits with Orange Cake at the afternoon tea or with any kind of Soup for dinner:)

Makes about 25-30 Biscuits.

Breakfast Suggestions

(Kahvalti Ornekleri)

I posted the Classic Turkish Breakfast a few months ago, and here's another post with more suggestions for breakfast.

Bread with tomato paste:
Mix tomato paste with oregano, extra virgin olive oil and crushed red pepper. Spread on fresh Turkish bread.

Bread with extra virgin olive oil:
Pour extra virgin olive oil on a plate, sprinkle some oregano, red pepper, black pepper on top, then soak one side of a slice of fresh Turkish bread in the mixture.

Bread with feta cheese:
Mix crumbled white (feta) cheese, parsley (chopped), red pepper (ground) and extra virgin olive oil with a fork, then spread this mixture on a slice of bread. Set the oven to grill. Put the bread on the tray and place in the oven. Grill for a few minutes until the edge of the bread turns light brown.

Bread with egg:
Remove a small round piece from the middle of a bread slice. Pour 1 tsp of olive oil into a pan. Place the bread slice in it. Break an egg into the empty space in the center of the bread and cover the lid. Cook until the egg white is cooked over low heat, do not over cook the yolk! Sprinkle some red pepper, salt and pepper on top and serve.

Bread with black olive paste:
Just spread some black olive paste, sprinkle some oregano and some crushed red pepper on a slice of fresh Turkish bread and enjoy:)

You can make this colorful, healthy and delicious breakfast plate for your family on the weekends for breakfast or even as supper.... Bon apettit...

Fish Kebab

(Balik Kebabi)

Haddock or Salmon steak, cut in 16 piece chunks
1 white onion, divided into 8-10 pieces
1/2 red bell pepper, cut in medium sized chunks
1/2 green bell pepper, cut in medium sized chunks
8 cherry tomatoes

Marinade:
50 ml vinegar
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Arrange the fish, red pepper, green pepper, onion and tomatoes in order on the skewers*. Make 2 skewers for 1 serving. Whisk marinade ingredients in a large shallow plate. Place the skewers in it and allow them to marinate for 1 hour in the fridge and make sure to turn the skewers over from time to time. Let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before cooking.

Preheat your barbecue or oven (grill). Place the skewers on the rack. Make sure to turn the skewers frequently so that all sides of the fish are cooked equally for a total of 10 minutes. Every time you turn the skewers, brush the fish and vegetables with marinade.

Place them on a plate and sprinkle some oregano all over. Serve Fish Kebab with lemon wedges, black olives and pide (pita) slices.

Makes 2 servings.

* If you're using wooden skewers, soak in water for about 1/2 hour to prevent them from burning.

Meal Ideas:
- Hummus, Watercress Salad and Sweet Butternut Squash.

Watercress Salad

(Su Teresi Salatasi)

A bunch of Watercress, stems cut off, washed and drained
1 red bell pepper
10 slices of Halloumi, Boccocini or Feta cheese

Dressing:
1 tbsp grape molasses
1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice
1 tsp sesame seeds, lightly roasted

Cut off the top of the red pepper. Cut it in half and discard the seeds. Set the oven to broil (grill), and heat it up. Place the red pepper on an oven tray, insides facing down and place in the oven. Roast for about 15 minutes. Afterwards place in a paper bag for a few minutes so you can peel the skins off easier. Do so, then cut in bite sizes.

Place the Watercress on a serving dish. Sprinkle roasted red pepper and cheese slices on top. Whisk the dressing ingredients and pour all over.

This delicious salad goes very well with any kind of Seafood dish.

Watercress: This is a spicy plant that grows near the water. It contains more iron than spinach, as much Vitamin C as oranges and more calcium than milk. It is also one of the strongest antioxidants. Eating watercress on a daily basis can reduce DNA damage to blood cells, which is considered to be an important trigger in the development of cancer.

Romano Beans in Olive Oil

(Zeytinyagli Barbunya)

1 can of Romano (Pinto) beans - 540 ml drained, rinsed
1 small carrot, peeled, sliced or diced
1 tomato, diced in bite sizes
1 cubanelle pepper, chopped
2-3 green onion, sliced
2-3 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tbsp crushed tomato, canned
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
75 ml extra virgin olive oil (half for cooking, half for after cooking)
3/4 + 1/2 cup hot water

Garnish:
1-2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Place half of the olive oil, carrot, cubanalle pepper, green onion, garlic, tomato, crushed tomato, salt and sugar with 3/4 cup hot water in a medium sized pot. Cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat. Add the beans and 1/2 cup hot water, and cook for about 5 minutes. If necessary add a little bit more hot water. Romano beans absorb more water while chilling.

Place on a serving dish. Pour half of the olive oil on top and sprinkle fresh parsley all over. Serve with lemon wedges at room temperature.

You can also serve Romano Beans with Pilaf with Tomato as a light lunch, especially during the summer time with sliced tomato and cucumber on the side:)

You can find fresh Romano Beans in August in Toronto. If you use fresh ones, here is the recipe:

~ 400 gr Fresh Romano beans

To shell fresh Romano beans: Push the side of the bean with your finger and open the pod. Run a finger along the inside of the pod to pop out the beans.

Boil the Romano (pinto) beans in 3-4 cups of water until softened (about 10-15 minutes). Then wash and drain.

Put them in a medium-sized pot with the rest of the ingredients. Cook for about 20-25 minutes until the beans are tender over medium heat. You should cook fresh Romano beans with at least 2 cups of water. If necessary add a little more hot water. Romano beans absorb the water while chilling.

Makes 4 servings.

* You can store some fresh Romano Beans in the freezer to cook later if you like: Bring to boil some water in a pot. Throw in the shelled beans and boil for 10-15 minutes, then drain. Divide them up and place them in Ziploc bags. Keep in the freezer. You don't need to defrost when you want to cook them.

Meal Ideas:
- Split Eggplants with Ground Beef Filling, Turkish Rice Pilaf, Cacık and Watermelon.

Pasta with Yogurt Sauce

(Yogurtlu Makarna)

2 servings of bowtie pasta
1 1/2 tbsp butter
Salt

Sauce:
1/2 cup plain Turkish yogurt at room temperature
2 garlic cloves, mashed with salt

Boil the pasta with salty water following the instructions on the package, drain. Melt the butter in a pot. Toss the pasta and salt in it. Place pasta on a serving dish. Mix all the sauce ingredients and pour all over.

This is one of the easiest and most delicious rustic Turkish dishes. Serve it with Turkish Bread, tomato and cucumber slices.

I love having Pasta especially served with yogurt with Turkish Rustic Bread or Homemade Bread. Give it a try, you will like it:)

Makes 2 servings.

Meal Ideas:
- Leek in Olive Oil and Saffron Pudding.