Cabbage Rolls with Beef

(Etli Lahana Sarma)

1 large white Cabbage

Beef Filling:
250 g medium or regular ground beef
3/4 cup rice, washed and drained
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped or grated
1 1/2 tbsp red pepper paste
Salt
Pepper

3 tbsp crushed tomatoes, canned
3 tbsp butter, diced

Garnish:
1/2 lemon juice
1 tsp crushed pepper

Fill a large pot halfway with water and boil. Cut off the leaves and boil for about 4-5 minutes and drain.

Mix all the filling ingredients in a bowl with a tablespoon. Cut off the hard part at the centre of the leaves (core) (picture). Cut the leaves in medium sizes to fill them. Use a teaspoon to put filling on each leaf (picture). First fold over the top, then the two sides (picture) and roll to close it up (picture).

Line up all the rolls in a medium-size pot, without big holes in between. Cut the butter in small pieces and place on top. Then pour enough hot water mixed with crushed tomato into the pot. Place a small plate upside down over the rolls - this is to prevent the rolls from unfolding while being cooked. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for about 25 minutes. If necessary, add a little more hot water.

After the Rolls are cooked, lift the plate with a fork. Sprinkle crushed pepper and squeeze lemon juice all over. Cover and let it rest for 5 minutes. Serve it with lemon wedges.

3-4 servings.

Meal Ideas:
- Tomato Soup with Cream, Cigarette Borek and Mosaic Cake.

Bulgur Pilaf with Black-eyed Peas

(Loglazli Pilav / Borulceli Bulgur Pilavi)

1/2 cup black-eyed peas, soak in the water overnight
1/2 cup Turkish bulgur, large grain, rinsed
1 cup hot water
2 tbsp crushed tomatoes, canned
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp red pepper paste, mild
1/2 tsp red pepper, powdered
2 tbsp olive oil or butter
1 tbsp cumin
Salt
Pepper

2 tbsp butter
1 large onion, thinly sliced

Drain the black-eyed peas the following day. Cover with enough water to cook in a pot until softened. There will be about 1/4 of cup water left, don't discard it. Add 1 cup of hot water, bulgur, olive oil, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, red pepper paste, red pepper, cumin, salt and pepper over the black eyed peas into the pot. Cover and cook until all the water evaporates over low heat.

In the meantime, saute the onion with 2 tbsp of butter in a small pan. Pour over the cooked bulgur pilaf and stir. Let it rest for about 5 minutes. Serve with yogurt on the side. You can also serve this pilaf with Ayran or Cacık.

2-3 servings.

Meal Ideas:
- Stuffed Mushrooms, Spinach Root Salad and Saffron Pudding.

Chocolate Pear Pie

(Armutlu Cikolatali Tart)

Dough:
4 tbsp less than 2 cups all purpose flour
125 g unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, at room temperature
1 pinch salt

Filling:
150 gr (5 squares) bittersweet chocolate
3 pears, peeled, thinly sliced
2-3 tbsp sugar, adjust the amount of sugar as you like

On the top:
2 eggs
200 ml 35% cream
75 ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

23 cm (9 inches) pie plate, oiled

Combine all the crust ingredients in a large bowl. Spread the dough in an oiled pie plate with your palm equally. Also spread the dough on top of the edges. Pierce the dough all over with a fork and bake for 15 minutes in preheated 375 F (180 C) oven.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Spread evenly on the cooled crust. Mix the pear slices with sugar and place over the chocolate (picture). Blend all the sauce ingredients well and pour all over the pears. Preheat the oven to 375 F (180 C). Bake for 45 minutes or until the tops turn to a golden colour. Serve while still warm.

Turkish-Style Fried Calamari

(Kalamar Tava)

1 package (340 gr) Calamari rings, frozen, thawed
Salt
Pepper

Batter:
1/2 cup beer
5 tbsp all purpose flour

1 cup sunflower oil

Put the thawed calamari rings on a paper towel to soak up extra water, dry them well. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk batter ingredients in a bowl. Soak the rings into the batter.

Heat up the oil. Pour a drop of batter into the oil to get the right heat. Place the rings into the oil one by one. Fry them for a total of 1 minute*. Stir a few times with a perforated spoon. Put the rings on a plate with a paper towel to soak up extra oil. Serve Turkish-style Fried Calamari with Turkish Tarator Sauce while still hot.

* Overcooking makes it chewy & rubbery
** Freezing calamari softens very firm muscle fibers. After freezing, calamari becomes more tender and flavorful.
*** Calamari can be stored in the freezer for up to three months. Once thawed, it should be used within three days.

Turkish-style Tarator Sauce for Seafood
(Tarator Sos)

1/4 cup walnuts or pine nuts, ground
1/2 cup day old Turkish bread, ground
2 garlic clove, mashed with salt
1 cup plain yogurt, at room temperature
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Mix all the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Serve Tarator Sauce with Turkish-style Fried Calamari, Turkish-style Fried Mussels..

Spicy Biscuits

(Acılı Bisküvi)

2 cups flour
10 tbsp (1 stick (125 gr) + 2 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3-4 tbsp kashar or mozzarella cheese, grated
2 egg whites
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt

Garnish:
2 egg yolks
Kashar or Mozzarella cheese, grated
Nigella seeds (black sesame seeds)
Cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 F (180 C).

Place the flour in a large bowl and make a hole in the middle. Add the rest of the ingredients, knead. Don't knead too much! When the dough comes together, roll it 1.0 cm thick using a roller. Cut the dough with 3.5 cm wide cookie cutters (picture). Make about 35 biscuits.

Put the parchment paper on the oven tray. Place the biscuits on it. First egg-wash the tops, then sprinkle some Nigella seeds, grated cheese or cayenne pepper all over (picture).

Place the oven tray on the middle rack. Bake for about between 20-25 minutes. You can serve Turkish Spicy Biscuits with afternoon tea.

35 biscuits.